Workers Resistance

Author: Fight Back

  • Anti-war movement mobilizes against war on Syria

    Minneapolis, MN – After President Obama’s announcement that he will seek congressional approval for military attacks against Syria, anti-war activists around the county have been going all out to stop a wider U.S. war.

    Commenting on President Obama’s decision to have a war vote in Congress, Joe Iosbaker of the Chicago Anti-War Committee stated, “The U.S. has suffered a setback in their drive toward war with Syria. The opposition in the U.N., the vote in the British Parliament and the demonstrations across the country here has won a small victory for the anti-war movement. Now President Obama is going to ask Congress for support. We must tell the politicians to vote no! In Chicago, the Anti-War Committee is calling for a ‘Congress: Vote No to War’ noon protest on Saturday, Sept. 7 to help send that message.”

    Meredith Aby of the Twin Cites based Anti War Committee says, “In Minnesota the Congressional delegation is starting to fall in line behind President Obama, including Klobuchar, Franken, and Ellison. However, public opinion is overwhelmingly on our side and we need to mobilize people to demonstrate and show that we don’t want to be dragged into another war and to pressure Congress. The Minnesota Peace Action Coalition has called for a protest at Senator Klobuchar’s office on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 4:30. It is critical that everyone who doesn’t want U.S. military strikes against Syria demonstrate and call to show that Obama really only has a 9% approval from the American people for his plan to attack Syria.”

    In Florida, POWIR (People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism) calling for statewide protests and direct actions to demand that Florida Senators Marco Rubio, Bill Nelson and other Florida representatives vote no on any further U.S. aggression against the Syrian people.

    Over the last several weeks demonstrations against a war on Syria have taken place in scores of cities across the U.S.

    Carlos Montes, a veteran leader of the Chicano and anti-war movements, states, “Protest the U.S. plans to bomb Syria, and visit or call your local U.S. elected officials to have them say no to Obama’s bomb threat!”

  • Miami anti-war group urges protests across Florida against war with Syria

    Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism (POWIR)

    POWIR Calls for State-Wide Action Against War with Syria

    Miami, FL – As President Obama’s resolution for military authorization against Syria goes before Congress, POWIR (People’s Opposition to War, Imperialism, and Racism) is calling on communities across the state of Florida to take action. The anti-war group is calling for state-wide protests and direct actions to demand that Florida Senators Marco Rubio (R) and Bill Nelson (D) and other Florida representatives vote no on any further U.S. aggression against the Syrian people.

    POWIR stands in firm opposition to Washington’s newest imperialist war in the Middle East, which will ultimately lead to even more civilian casualties and increasing destabilization in the region. Although an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose U.S. military intervention in Syria, the Obama administration appears to have its sights set on war.

    Starting on September 9, both the House and the Senate will return from their break and will immediately begin debate on whether to give the president the green light to use military force against Syria. A decision could be reached by mid-September, which means missile strikes could begin within two weeks.

    Protests across Florida will take place in front of the senators’ various offices located throughout the state. Actions also include sign-holdings, town-hall forums, and call-in days to insist that Senators Nelson and Rubio both stand with their constituents by standing up against senseless military intervention and voting against the President’s request for more war.

    We are calling on President Obama to stop funding and arming factions in Syria’s conflict and we demand that Congress vote no on any US military intervention in the region. And in the event that President Obama does move forward with his war against Syria, POWIR is calling for emergency actions throughout the state within twenty-four hours.

  • Syrian communists urge resistance to U.S. military attacks

    Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Syrian Communist Party.

    Glory to the honorable patriotic steadfastness!
    Syria will not kneel!

    A statement of the Syrian Communist Party

    Masses of the Syrian people!

    Sisters, brothers!

    The Syrian Communist Party is heading towards you, in these difficult days, calling to close ranks and to make every effort to combat the brutal colonial aggression. After world imperialism and its spearhead, the American imperialism have failed to conquer Syria through the imposition of the blockade and the support of the criminal and subversive operations of the terrorist bands which have committed heinous acts including horrific massacres, many of them on sectarian and ethnic basis, and the sabotaging and destruction of economic establishments and imposing obscurantist laws strange to the composition of the Syrian people which is characterized by openness and tolerance. We believe that American imperialism is announcing its willingness to direct military aggression, she and her allies, under the pretext of acts made by her agents and supervised by its organs.

    Yes, it’s clearly visible that American imperialism is basing its aggression on false charges to justify its act. This brute force accuses us of crimes that have been committed by her all over the world under the hypocritical banner “Defense of the free world and democracy”. Witness the use of the invading American forces bacterial and chemical weapons in the war against Korea in the middle of the last century, and the use of the same weapons in the war against the liberation movement of the people of Vietnam, including the powder «Orange B», which because of it, women in Vietnam still give birth to deformed children after forty years of the end of this war in which the American imperialism came out defeated and in deep shame. The U.S. military machine used enriched uranium in the war against our brotherly Iraq but that did not help in enabling the occupation and the American invaders fled from the land of proud Iraq like mice. The overall crimes committed by American imperialism and for many decades, calls for providing its leaders, including the presidents to the international war crime tribunal like the court which criminalized the rulers and leaders of Hitler’s Germany. The Nazis contemporaries of imperialist and Zionist leaders will meet the same fate, thanks to the liberation struggle of the peoples of the world.

    The brave Syrian people and army, after the heroic patriotic steadfastness for more than two years, in the face of the undeclared war that was launched on it, will address valiantly and with more courage the blatant military aggression. It will do so led by the heroic examples from the makers of Hiteen to the martyrs of Maysaloon and the heroes of the Great Syrian Revolt.

    The defense of Syria’s national regime, which faces head held high, all methods of aggression, refusing humiliation and submission, means defending the country and its sovereignty and independence.

    In these difficult circumstances through which our country and our people, all efforts must be made to strengthen all fronts: political, military and economic. The Syrian people are not alone in battle, with it in struggle the support of all free peoples in the world.

    Shame and disgrace for imperialism and its agents!

    Glory to the honorable patriotic steadfastness!

    Syria will not kneel!

    Damascus 28/8/2013

  • WFTU in solidarity with the Syrian people declares: No to the imperialist “democracy”!

    Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions.

    World Federation of Trade Unions categorically denounces the intensified imperialist aggressiveness against Syria and calls for the immediate termination of any attack and military intervention being pursued against the country and the Syrian people.

    In conditions of strong inter-imperialist competition and in conditions of deep and prolonged international capitalist crisis where the rivalries over the wealth-producing resources and the geostrategic crossroads are increasing, the conflict in the Middle East and the Mediterranean reaches new extremes.

    The manufactured etiology for the “use of chemical weapons” that is being attributed to the Syrian Army is an obvious provocative slander aiming to provide an opportunity for the military intervention expected and prepared for years by the USA and the other forces.

    The global Mass Media, owned by Multinational Groups, are fully coordinated with the imperialist agenda and are enriching the campaign of misinformation, building the people’s inertia or endorsement for yet another slaughter.

    The forces within the country, which are morally and practically supported by the USA, Britain, France as well as Turkey, Israel and the Emirs and Kings of Qatar, Saudi Arabia etc., have nothing to do with the interests of the Syrian people, neither with the “peace” nor with the “democracy” that they are supposedly espousing.

    The “democracy” applied in Afganistan, in Iraq, in Libya, in Mali: we do not need it, we do not want it! No more blood for the interests of the multinationals.

    We call upon all the trade union organizations, members and friends of the WFTU, as well as all the peace-loving people and mass organizations internationally to protest their condemnation against the imperialist policy and the solidarity with the people of Syria.

    The Syrian people without foreign intervention are the only one who can and must decide upon their present and future.

    THE SECRETARIAT

  • Palestine Solidarity Coalition protests Israeli settlement supporters

    Milwaukee, WI – Palestine solidarity activists rallied against Israeli settlement construction in response to an awards banquet held by the Jewish National Fund Aug. 28. The annual awards banquet celebrated local bankrollers of the Israeli occupation for “their support in reclaiming the land to help secure the State of Israel.”

    The Milwaukee Palestine Solidarity Coalition released a statement in opposition to the banquet and the 1200 new illegal settlement homes recently announced by Israel, saying, “settlements are the #1 roadblock to peace.”

    During the rally, some members of the coalition presented a proposal to a local business asking them to endorse the global movement to boycott, divest and sanction apartheid Israel. The coalition has had multiple victories over the summer as local businesses sign on to the boycott of Israeli products, as well as the cultural and academic boycott.

    “We can’t wait for the politicians to stop funding Israeli occupation. We need to start in our communities by encouraging our friends, organizations and local businesses to stand in solidarity with Palestinians by withdrawing their financial support for the occupation. We also have to confront the local supporters of apartheid, occupation and illegal settlements,” said coalition member Jacob Flom.

  • Britain and U.S. finalize plans for attack on Syria, says Guardian

    Minneapolis, MN – The British newspaper The Guardian reported, Aug. 27, that U.S. and British war planners are finalizing their plans for an attack on Syria.

    “Britain could offer warships and submarines equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, which could be launched miles from the Syrian coast. The Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Tireless is reported to be already in the regions,” stated The Guardian.

    There are additional press reports that warplanes are assembling about 100 miles from Syria at the British airbase at Akrotiri in Cyprus.

    Across the U.S., anti-war activists are speaking out and organizing protests against a military attack on Syria.

    Joe Iosbaker of Chicago’s Anti-War Committee states, “U.S warships are threatening to attack Syria with cruise missiles, with the pretext of a chemical weapon attack by the government against a rebel-held area. John Kerry and the U.S. administration are completely without credibility in this. This is a replay of the WMD lies told about Iraq.”

  • Twin Cities peace activists say no to U.S. military attack on Syria

    Minneapolis, MN – Peace activists in the Twin Cities are speaking out in opposition to military strikes against Syria.

    Meredith Aby of the Anti-War Committee states, “Despite the fact that the majority of Americans are against U.S. military intervention in Syria, the New York Times reports that President Obama is considering a list of targets and is talking with French President François Hollande about military action. It is critical that we protest and call the White House to say no to war with Syria. The U.S. needs to pull out of Syria – not entrench itself into this conflict further. I am deeply concerned about how many people a U.S. bombing campaign would kill.”

    Sabry Wazwaz, also of the Anti-War Committee, said, “We need to understand if the U.S. invades Syria, trust me it’s not to save the Syrian people.”

    In response the threats to attack, the organizers of the Wednesday Peace Vigil on the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue Bridge urge all opposed to a new U.S. war to join the vigil Aug. 28, between 5 and 6 p.m., to speak out against U.S. intervention in Syria. The weekly peace vigil is sponsored by the Women Against Military Madness End War Committee and Twin Cities Peace Campaign. The call for the Aug. 28 vigil to speak out against a U.S. war in Syria is endorsed by the Anti-War Committee, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, Veterans for Peace and others.

  • 50th anniversary of March on Washington

    Washington, D.C. – On Aug. 24, thousands of people from across the country gathered together here at the National Mall to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. Crowd estimates are in the hundreds of thousands.

    The gathering consisted of unions, religious organizations and youth, demanding equality in this country, including an end to racial discrimination, racial profiling, police brutality and mass incarceration. Many urged “Justice for Trayvon Martin.”

    In addition to denouncing racist discrimination, speakers of all kinds, including Reverend Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, spoke to other struggles.

    An activist and organizer from Asheville, North Carolina, said of the event, “It was really inspiring to see such a variety of groups – labor unions, civil liberty groups, student contingents, LGBTQ and women’s organizations – all demanding an end to racist and discriminating laws that are still impacting our communities today.”

    Many activists angrily confronted the police when they were forced away from exiting the premises. Eventually, though, the police realized the growing rage and impatience of the crowd and allowed them to exit just minutes before the end march began.

    After the speeches on the National Mall, the people marched hand in hand to the Martin Luther King Memorial. Many did not stop there and continued marching throughout D.C. The chants of thousands could be heard over the police sirens, “Stop the war on youth of color!” with banners demanding “Justice for Trayvon Martin.”

  • Immigrant rights march in Grand Rapids, Michigan

    Grand Rapids, MI – More than 200 immigrants and their supporters marched for immigrant rights on Aug. 24. Mexican, Central American and Caribbean groups and families united in Lincoln Park on the Northwest side of Grand Rapids at noon. Leaders from religious, union and community groups spoke and then led a march through the neighborhood to protest outside the Republican Party headquarters. After chanting and singing, the protesters marched the mile back to the park for a cookout and party.

    Carlos Gutierrez of Saint Joseph the Worker Parish spoke through a megaphone to the crowd saying, “Millions of immigrants that live in our country did not just come here for a vacation. They came here for their very survival, because they had no other alternative. War, violence, economic and social discrimination, racism, and political repression, are driving people and families out of their countries looking for security and a better future.”

    Gutierrez continued, “We have dehumanized our immigrant brothers and sisters and we have forgotten our common human bond. We forget about all the women who travel so bravely to unite their families in the U.S. The mothers who see their sons and daughters leaving home, the mothers who pray that they will return one day, worried that their children might disappear or even be killed. The wives who stay home and keep their family together while their husbands are forced to leave and make great sacrifices to find work in the U.S. Don’t forget the children who grow up without their fathers at home because the fathers had to immigrate to earn money. Remember the sadness of the families who cannot even be united at a funeral, when a loved one dies back at home and they cannot return because of the broken immigration system. There are no strangers here; we are all one family, the family of God.”

    Lindsey Rosa of Peace, Hope and Love Forever, spoke about the struggles of undocumented immigrants as the number of deportations continues to rise. Rosa said, “We are coming together on the 50th anniversary March on Washington D.C. We are marching today in solidarity with tens of thousands marching from coast to coast. We are also marching in solidarity with the spirit of Martin Luther King and with all those who have fought for justice throughout history, with Gandhi and with Rigoberta Menchu, with people both known and unknown.”

    Rosa ended by saying, “I want to remember today, those who are currently undocumented and living in fear, and stress and anxiety, and those who cannot be here because they have been deported. We still remember and love them. We still continue to fight so this does not continue to happen…the universal fight for justice is the only true and honorable thing a person can do with their life. I know we will continue to fight until immigration reform is realized.”

    West Michigan Coalition for Immigration Reform organized the protest and march.

  • More than 300,000 gather for March on Washington

    Washington DC – More than 300,000 people are gathered on the mall today for the March on Washington, with at least 150,000 on each side of the reflecting pool. The massive crowd is largely African-American, mobilized by the 50-year anniversary of Martin Luther King’s speech and by the pressing demand for justice for Trayvon Martin. African-American groups range from Florida’s Dream Defenders, to New Jersey’s People’s Organization for Progress, to the national NAACP. There is also a big union mobilization, with the United Auto Workers turning out thousands of members in t-shirts. Many other unions and their associated groups like Working America are also out in force.

    BJ Murphy drove up to the March on Washington from North Carolina and he said, “We arrived early, a little after 8:00 AM, and there were already tens of thousands on the Mall. It is great to see! On the down side, people are growing frustrated about feeling trapped. The police put up huge fences and there are choke points so people feel penned in, unable to come or go, and some folks are growing angry.”

    Murphy continues, “The crowd is so big and so loud that it is challenging for African-American leaders and government officials to speak over the crowd. The crowd is impatient and looking forward to the march and being allowed more freedom to move.”