Workers Resistance

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  • Chicago activists: No Thanksgiving for the imprisoned

    Chicago, IL – Community advocates from Chicago’s West and South Sides delivered a petition with 1000 signatures to the office of Governor Quinn in the State of Illinois Building, Nov. 27. The petition calls for shorter sentences and justice for prisoners in Illinois. In a statement read by Curly Cohen of Affordable Power & Justice, the group asked, “What kind of Thanksgiving is this, with 50,000 in Illinois prisons, and 10,000 in Cook County Jail?”

    Anabell Perez was there on behalf of her imprisoned son, Jaime Hauad, who was tortured by the Chicago Police Department. Darlene English came out for her nephew, Jason Samuels, to ask for a reduction of his 23-year sentence.

    The group also read the names of homicide victims in Chicago, including those killed by the police. They put the blame for the crisis in Chicago on the authorities, including the mayor.

    The lack of decent paying jobs, the closing of public schools and deportations breaking up families, combined with police violence and an unjust prison system, are tied together in the eyes of the activists. As Cohen said, “Is the only choice for Chicago youth either to be dead before they reach 21 or to spend 20 years in prison?”

  • South Florida Walmart Workers Walk Out!

    Hialeah, FL – In coordination with other Walmart workers across the nation, fourteen Walmart workers walked out of their workplace in Hialeah, Florida on Monday, November 25, 2013. They were joined by a group of around 50 demonstrators rallying in solidarity with the workers.

    Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) is gearing up for larger walk outs planned for Black Friday on November 29. Last year, about 300 workers walked out, and this year 1,500 workers are expected to participate. This activity marks the first organized labor resistance to Walmart’s employment practices.

    Workers are demanding wages of $25,000 a year, full time positions for those who want them, and an end to retaliation against striking workers.

    OUR Walmart points out that the Walton family heirs own more wealth than the bottom 40% of Americans put together. To demonstrate their frustration with income inequality, demonstrators in Hialeah broke open a golden Walton turkey.

    Energy was high as workers and supporters chanted, “Who’s Walmart? Our Walmart!”

    Supporters can join demonstrations on Black Friday in their area by searching the action network list of events: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/black-friday-near-you

  • Scottish Socialist on British Media Madness on Maoism and Slavery

    See Also:
    http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/rcpb-ml-on-aravindan-balakrishnan-it.html

    http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/aravindan-balakrishnan-maoists.html

    Red Salute to Scottish Socialist for a voice of reason in the British insane media frenzy over the Aravindan Balakrishnan case.

  • Investigating the Saudi Government’s 9/11 Connection and the Path to Disilliusionment — Sen. Graham

    On RAI with Paul Jay, Sen. Bob Graham explains why he persists in making the case that facts directly connect the Saudi government with 9/11 conspirators.

    Democracy and Class Struggle find this interview with Senator Bob Graham fascinating especially has Senator Graham is an external advisory board member of the CIA and highlights US- House of Saud contradictions especially around 911.

  • Armed Forces of the Philippines interferes with Typhoon recovery efforts

    Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Nov. 26 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

    Denounce Aquino regime’s relentless offensives amid disaster, ceasefire declaration

    The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) denounces the Aquino regime and its armed forces for waging relentless armed offensives and brutal campaigns of suppression in Eastern Visayas, Panay, and Negros, in outright contempt of the broad masses, and in complete disregard for their demand for a temporary cessation of armed hostilities in order to give full attention to relief and rehabilitation work.

    “The Aquino regime and its armed forces are treacherously taking advantage of the ceasefire declaration of the CPP in order to wage relentless offensive operations against the New People’s Army and the peasant masses in the revolutionary areas,” said the CPP.

    Two days ago, the Central Committee of the CPP announced a one-month extension of the ceasefire declaration issued to the New People’s Army (NPA) commands in Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Panay and Negros islands. The extended ceasefire period aims to allow all revolutionary forces to concentrate on the urgent task of rehabilitation, and asserting the people’s economic rights amidst the disaster.

    “The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ massive offensive operations are impeding the people and their revolutionary forces from carrying out disaster relief and rehabilitation work, and make the task of resuming economic production more difficult,” said the CPP.

    The CPP issued this statement even as the AFP claimed that a firefight ensued after a unit of the NPA supposedly fired shots at soldiers of the 11th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Pitogo, La Libertad town, Negros Oriental last Sunday. The CPP said that in accordance with the ceasefire declaration issued by its leadership, NPA units will fire only as an act of active defense against the offensive units of the AFP.

    “Even as the people seek urgent relief from the economic devastation brought about by the supertyphoon, the braggart mouthpieces of the 3rd Infantry Division have publicly declared over the past few days that their forces are not letting up in their military offensives, and are focused on waging war against the NPA. The AFP offensives resulted in an armed encounter in Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental last weekend with a unit of the NPA engaged in rehabilitation efforts,” pointed out the CPP.

    “Despite the ceasefire declaration, armed encounters are bound to erupt if the AFP continues to insist on waging offensive operations against the people and their people’s army and militia units, compelling the people’s armed revolutionary forces to defend themselves,” added the CPP.

    “The supposed participation of AFP soldiers in disaster relief is being carried out only in urban centers and highways where they are covered by the media. In reality, despite the urgent need to mobilize all possible resources, the bigger part of the AFP’s resources is still currently being geared towards so-called counter-insurgency operations under the brutal Oplan Bayanihan war of suppression against the people,” said the CPP.

    “The high-profile disaster relief operations being conducted by the central headquarters of the AFP serve only to camouflage the continuing brutal war being waged by more than 11,000 ground troops of the AFP’s 8th and 3rd Infantry Division in the interior and coastal areas of the islands of Samar, Leyte, Panay and Negros,” pointed out the CPP.

    “The people demand urgent economic relief in the face of the grave difficulties resulting from the devastation wrought by the recent supertyphoon,” said the CPP. “By waging relentless offensives and suppression campaigns, the AFP is displaying gross disregard for the people’s welfare.”

    “The AFP’s imposition of martial law policies in the countryside and mountainous areas impedes the people’s economic and commercial activities, making efforts at rehabilitation more difficult,” said the CPP. “Thus, the people demand that AFP soldiers withdraw their forces from the interior areas and commit them to their barracks so that the people’s rehabilitation efforts can proceed unencumbered.”

    “The AFP knows full well that many of the areas hit by the supertyphoon are within the scope of operations of the New People’s Army, and are under the jurisdiction of the duly-constituted

    revolutionary organs of governance,” said the CPP. “Many of these areas have been the least of the Aquino government’s priorities in the past and remain so, as these have yet to be reached by the regime’s slow and highly inefficient disaster relief operations.”

     

  • Kolkata: Withdraw Bicycle and other NMTs Prohibition Orders

    KOLKATA CYCLE SAMAJ কলকাতা সাইকেল সমাজ Block S8, Manicktala Housing Estate, Kol 700054 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ To The Commissioner of Police Kolkata Police 18, Lalbazar Street, Kolkata – 700 001 Subject : Immediate and unconditional withdrawal of bicycle and other NMTs prohibition orders. Sir, With due respect we are here to communicate you a great grievance of […]

  • Kolkata: Withdraw Bicycle and other NMTs Prohibition Orders

    KOLKATA CYCLE SAMAJ কলকাতা সাইকেল সমাজ Block S8, Manicktala Housing Estate, Kol 700054 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ To The Commissioner of Police Kolkata Police 18, Lalbazar Street, Kolkata – 700 001 Subject : Immediate and unconditional withdrawal of bicycle and other NMTs prohibition orders. Sir, With due respect we are here to communicate you a great grievance of […]

  • Manipur: Press Statement on Recent Salt Panic

    PRESS RELEASE Date: 20/11/2013 NEFIS and other north-east organizations condemn rumours on salt shortage Prevalence of unregulated prices of essential commodities responsible for recent salt panic in Manipur, Nagaland and Bihar In an unfortunate turn of events, people across Manipur and parts of Nagaland have been spending their precious money on an essential household item, […]

  • Manipur: Press Statement on Recent Salt Panic

    PRESS RELEASE Date: 20/11/2013 NEFIS and other north-east organizations condemn rumours on salt shortage Prevalence of unregulated prices of essential commodities responsible for recent salt panic in Manipur, Nagaland and Bihar In an unfortunate turn of events, people across Manipur and parts of Nagaland have been spending their precious money on an essential household item, […]

  • U.S. B-52 bombers carry out anti-China provocation, say reports

    Minneapolis, MN – According to widespread reports in the Western press, the U.S. sent two B-52 bombers into China’s newly established East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone on Nov. 26. According to the reports, the U.S. provocation involved ignoring the Air Defense Identification Zone regulations, which require aircrafts to make their presence and flight plans known.

    Air Defense Identification Zones are a common international practice. More than 20 countries have them. Japan established its Air Defense Identification Zones in 1969.

    The creation of China’s Air Defense Identification Zone comes at a time of growing tension between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands, which lie within the new zone. Historically, the islands are a part of China. Japan has physical control over the islands.

    If reports on the U.S. military aircraft ignoring zone regulations are accurate, this move would indicate that the U.S. is upping its support for the Japanese occupation of China’s Diaoyu Islands and would mark an escalation of the U.S. push against China.

    In recent years, an important element of U.S. foreign policy has been a ‘pivot’ towards Asia. Key elements of this policy are to surround China with U.S. military bases and to reach military agreements with China’s neighbors. The overall goal is to maintain U.S. domination over the Pacific region.

    In recent weeks, the U.S. has taken advantage of the massive typhoon that hit the Philippines as a means to create the climate for a greater presence in that country.