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  • Georgians march against corporate giant Monsanto

    Savannah, GA – About 100 people marched from Johnson Square after a large rally against the Monsanto Corporation, a bio-technical and chemical giant. Monsanto plays a major role in industrialized agriculture. Marchers voiced concern or opposition to Monsanto’s genetically modified crops, unfair labor practices and poor treatment of workers. Today, genetically engineered crops account for 93% of all U.S. soybeans and about 90% of corn.

    People demonstrated as part of the wider March Against Monsanto movement, an international campaign. Protesters raised health concerns about consuming genetically modified organisms (GMOs). For example, most of Monsanto’s seeds, including soy, corn, alfalfa and cotton, contain glyphosate – a chemical used to combat weeds. Scientists are debating the health and safety of GMOs, while Monsanto attempts to stifle discussion.

    Frank Bessinger of Veterans for Peace stated, “The chemicals used by Monsanto are dangerous to workers. Many migrant workers die from exposure to Monsanto products.” In contrast, laborers working directly for Monsanto wear biohazard suits to avoid direct exposure to chemicals declared safe by the company. Monsanto also sells the strong chemicals used by the U.S. military for spraying fields in Colombia. U.S. planes spray wide areas to kill all the crops grown by poor farmers in rebel areas of Colombia. Glyphosate burns farmers’ and animals’ skin, leaving rashes and ulcers, and some children reportedly suffer asthma attacks.

    Some at the march talked about ending the super-exploitation of the migrant farm worker by Monsanto. In 2012 a group of migrant workers in Texas sued Monsanto over poor labor and housing conditions. The farm workers were paid significantly less than the U.S. federal minimum wage. They were also lived in inadequate housing and were forced to pay for it. Farm workers claim the company promised free accommodations.

    According to Daniel Moss, one of the lead organizers of March Against Monsanto and a member of the Revolutionary People’s Union of Savannah, said, “The goal of March Against Monsanto is to raise awareness of industrialized food and to encourage people to support their local farmers.”

    When asked about public awareness concerning the company’s exploitation of migrant workers, Moss said, “We have not made enough progress…but we have begun to move in that direction. The system that Monsanto is part of can only continue through the exploitation of the migrant worker and because the U.S. government supports it.”

    In March of 2013 President Barack Obama signed the Farmer Assurance Provision, often referred to as the “Monsanto Protection Act” because the bill protects Monsanto from litigation. This is the third protest in Savannah against Monsanto and organizers say they will be back again next spring.

  • Victory for U of MN SDS in battle against political repression on campus

    Minneapolis, MN – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Minnesota won a important victory this week, successfully defending itself from administrative sanctions aimed at SDS for its central role in organizing protests at Condoleezza Rice’s April 17 ‘distinguished lecturer’ speaking event.

    SDS urged faculty and community groups to demand the university drop the charges, and after a barrage of phone calls, letters and emails, the administration was forced to do so.

    Many of the charges leveled at SDS were alleged ‘violations’ of policies designed to silence free-speech on campus by outlawing the basic necessities of any large protest. As one example, the use of amplified sound on campus is only permissible within a narrow one-hour window on weekdays, and even then only with the appropriate permit, which can take over a month to pass through the university bureaucracy for approval. For going on a march at the end of a rally, protesters can be found in violation of moving from an approved protest area or of being otherwise disruptive to the campus environment. These policies are an attempt to chill student activism.

    The charges brought against SDS for organizing a protest are outrageous, given that top university administration have consistently defended Rice’s scheduled speaking event, and $150,000 speaker fee, on the grounds of protecting her “free speech.”

    Another important activist group on Minnesota’s campus, Whose Diversity?, is currently being targeted for similar repression. Whose Diversity? is accused of violations to the Student Code of Conduct for protesting university administrators at a public relations event that promoted an artificial image of ‘diversity’ at the University. Whose Diversity? demands substantive, not superficial, diversity, and for articulating this at a public event, ten organizers were charged with being “disruptive” and “failing to comply” with university officials. The punishment for speaking out against university administrators could range from a warning to expulsion and the revocation of degrees

    Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Minnesota continues to stand with Whose Diversity? and recognizes their struggle as a struggle of all students for justice, equity and inclusion on campus. The collective efforts of student struggles on campus are united in fighting the repression of administration and recognize a common goal to defend the right to dissent on campus. It is in solidarity that SDS continues to struggle for justice with Whose Diversity? and calls upon the community to engage with and support the fight for equity and inclusion on campus. SDS is asking that its supporters, who were so vital in its successful fight against university repression, now give their full support to the Whose Diversity? organizers who are facing repression.

    SDS has sent its thanks its faculty and community supporters who stood with it in fighting against administration repression. Matt Boynton, a University of Minnesota SDS member, said, “More than anything else, we want to recognize this as a major victory and to thank everyone who supported us. We would not have won without the support of faculty, staff and community members. We hope Whose Diversity? organizers will be cleared of their charges and we can all share a victory very soon.”

    The SDS victory against repression on campus is a major one that will be celebrated as the group carries its work forward to the SDS National Convention, which is being held at the University of Minnesota next fall.

  • Minneapolis protest marks Al Nakba, demands end to aid to Israel

    Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people jointed a protest in front of the Federal Building here, May 15, to mark the 66th anniversary of Al Nakba. Organized by the Twin Cites based Anti-War Committee, the demonstration called for an end of U.S. aid to Israel and for justice for Palestinian activist Rasmea Odeh. Al Nakba, Arabic for “the Catastrophe,” marks the Zionist terror that accompanied the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Palestine in 1948 and the founding of Israel.

    Emcee Sabry Wazwaz of the Anti-War Committee led the crowd in chanting, “Long live Palestine.” Misty Rowan, also from the Anti-War Committee stated, “So let me just say it loud and clear for everybody here today. Israel is an apartheid state. They discriminate, they abuse, they continue to take land and build illegal settlements and a separation wall – that is supposedly for their own safety but is really just another way to gobble up land.”

    Tracy Molm spoke for the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. She condemned the government prosecution of the prominent Chicago Palestinian leader Rasmea Odeh on trumped up charges and urged people to come to her June 10 trial in Detroit. Around the U.S., other events marking Al Nakba also demanded justice for Rasmea Odeh.

    Sarah Martin, of the Women Against Military Madness Middle East Committee, told the crowd, “It’s time for us to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and demand an end to the occupation. The Zionist project was costly and bloody. It failed. It cannot continue to occupy Palestinian land and deny Palestinians the most basic of human rights, to return and live in their own homes.”

    Mariam Al Khatib of Students for Justice in Palestine spoke of the growing movement on campus in support of Palestine.

    The Anti War Committee Al Nakba protest was endorsed by American Muslims for Palestine (MN), Freedom Road Socialist Organization, MN Committee to Stop FBI Repression, MN Immigrant Rights Action Committee, MN Peace Action Coalition, Socialist Action, U of M Students for a Democratic Society, U of M Students for Justice in Palestine, Veterans for Peace Chapter 27, Welfare Rights Committee and Women Against Military Madness.

     

  • On Palestine and India: An interview with Samia Al-Botmeh

    Political solidarity to end colonialism and not charity aid is what the Palestinians want from Indians An interview by Syed Mohammad Raghib and Abhay Kumar Samia Al-Botmeh is a Palestinian, who teaches economics at Birzeit University near Ramallah, Palestine. She is the author of numerous articles on gender, labour economics and political economy of development. […]

  • TURKISH MINE DISASTER: Unions take strike action, blaming “murderous” lack of safety and privatisation

    Turkish trade unions are staging a one day strike today in protest at the Soma mine disaster which has left over 200 dead.

    An as yet unexplained explosion took the lives of 246 miners and around 700 may still be trapped underground.

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the area but had his car attacked as hundreds of protesters and angry relatives besieged his car.

    Unions in Turkey

  • May 16: Editor Sudhir Dhawale acquitted of sedition charges

    http://www.thehoot.org/web/freetracker/freedetail.php?id=889 Editor Sudhir Dhawale acquitted of sedition charges 16-05-2014 Mumbai, Maharashtra The court found the police investigation was not done properly, and said literature seized from Dhawale’s Byculla residence in 2011 was `available on the internet’ Mumbai-based dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale, who was facing trial in Gondia district of eastern Maha rashtra for allegedly supporting […]

  • Modi, the secular right-wing and communalism

    by Saroj Giri Whatever the election results, the secular right-wing and a growth-friendly communalism will do the bidding for Hindutva. Moderate and extreme Modi are not either/or – they can coexist. Let us, firstly, get over this debate about whether Modi will be moderate or extreme. Obviously, a moderate Modi is a possibility, a banal, […]

  • India : Around six civil society activists — including academicians, student leaders and even representatives of prominent international NGOs — are on the intelligence establishment’s scanner and under constant surveillance in the capital,

    Around six civil society activists — including academicians, student leaders and even representatives of prominent international NGOs — are on the intelligence establishment’s scanner and under constant surveillance in the capital, HT has learnt.

    According to senior Delhi Police officials, Delhi University English professor GN Saibaba, who was recently arrested, had been on the special

  • West Bengal: APDR Statement on voting during May 12

    Press Statement (Translated from Bengali) 12th May, 2014 Click here to read the statement in Bengali The people of West Bengal have once against witnessed an example of free and peaceful polling in seventeen seats in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections. Following are some symptoms of free and fair polling: booth capturing, fake […]

  • May 15: Protests erupt across Turkey as death toll in Soma mine

    http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/05/15/tur1-m15.html Protests erupt across Turkey as death toll in Soma mine disaster tops 274 By Alex Lantier Protests erupted across Turkey yesterday over the catastrophic mine disaster in the city of Soma as the government and the Soma Kumur company that operated the mine brazenly defended the profiteering and the absence of security precautions that […]