================================================
01 Rassistischer Polizeiueberfall!
von: Gemeinsam gegen Rassismus <gemeinsam@action.at>
================================================
Am Do den 3.5. stuermten um ca. 20:30 ca. 30 Polizist(inn?)en mit
gezogenen Waffen ein afrikanisches Lokal im 2. Bezirk und nahmen 4
Gaeste fest, weil deren Papiere angeblich nicht in Ordnung waren. Auch
das Personal wurde verhaftet, am naechsten Tag aber wieder
freigelassen, da ihnen nichts angehaengt werden konnte. Ueber den Verbleib
der festgenommenen Gaeste konnte bisher leider noch nichts Genaueres in
Erfahrung gebracht werden.
Die "Amtshandlung" dauerte bis ca. 0:00 und wurde unter staendiger
Bedrohung der Anwesenden mit Pistolen durchgefuehrt. Der Vorwand fuer den
bewaffneten Ueberfall war ein angeblich gesuchter Afrikaner, dies war
bereits die 6. derartige Razzia seit Bestehen des Lokals.
Genauere Berichte werden in Kuerze folgen!

BEKAEMPFT DEN RASSISTISCHEN POLIZEISTAAT!

**********************************
Verein Gemeinsam gegen Rassismus
United Against Racism!
Waehringerstrasse 59
A-1090 Wien

gemeinsam@action.at
united@action.at
<http://united.action.at/

Spendenkonto: BAWAG
BLZ 14000, KtoNr 05410-668-507

================================================

><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><
AKTIONEN UND ANKÜNDIGUNGEN
><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><

================================================
02 newsletter-nobordertour nr.3
von: gini müller <a9000320@unet.univie.ac.at>
================================================
Newsletter-Nobordertour Nr.3

Das nächste Treffen findet am Dienstag, 8.5.2001 um 18 Uhr 30 in der
Bürogemeinschaft Schottengasse, 1010 Wien, Schottengasse 3a./1/59. Interesse
Kontakt auch bei noborder@no-racism.net,

1. Das wird der Flugitext, demnächst layoutiert in deutsch und englisch
auf
der hompage herunterladbar:

Einladung zur Unterstützung der
VolxTheaterKarawane/ Publix Theatre Caravane
NO border - NO nation
<http://www.no-racism.net/nobordertour

Aufruf für eine europaweite Karawane, die im Sommer Grenzcamps und Orte
politischer Auseinandersetzung verbindet

*no border - ein europäisches Netzwerk*
Die Freiheit von Bewegung wird das große Thema der Welt im kommenden
Jahrhundert sein.
Parallel mit der zunehmend restriktiven "Harmonisierung" von Asyl- und
Migrationspolitik in Europa wurden in den vergangenen Jahren Versuche
gestartet, die Vernetzung anti-rassistischer Organisationen voranzutreiben.
Unter dem Slogan "Mehr Kontrolle, mehr Ausschließung, mehr Deportationen"
versuchten verschiedene europäische Gruppen gegen das Treffen der
EU-Staatschefs in Tampere/Finnland im Oktober 1999 zu demonstrieren, wo das
In-Kraft-Treten des Amsterdamer Vertrages als nächste Stufe zur Festung EUropa
diskutiert wurde. In mehreren EU-Ländern wurden Demonstrationen und direkte
Aktionen gegen das europäische Projekt von Deportation und Ausschluß
organisiert. Auf der Basis dieser gemeinsamen praktischen Erfahrung und
infolge
des gesteigerten Interesses an grenzüberschreitenden Aktionen begann die
no-border Vernetzungsarbeit.

*VolxTheaterKarawane NO border NO nation*
Im Sommer 2001 erwartet uns eine europaweite Serie von untereinander
vernetzten
politischen
und kulturellen Ereignissen, die symbolisch für den heutigen Diskurs über
Probleme von Migration und Globalisierung sind. Jedes dieser sozialen
Ereignisse ist ein Ort und auch ein Fest des Widerstandes: eine Gelegenheit
Forderungen zu erheben und an einer offenen Diskussion über Freiheit von
Bewegung und die Abschaffung von Grenzen teilzunehmen.
Die VolxTheaterKaravane wird einerseits eine mobile Info-Kampagne sein und
andererseits, auch durch Vernetzung mit internationalen Gruppierungen, dem
Bedürfnis und der Erfahrung nach direkten Aktionen im öffentlichen Raum
nachgehen. Wir werden eine Karawane mit mehreren Bussen und kulturellen
AktivistInnen zusammenzustellen. Es gibt das Gerücht, dass no-border-Kampagnen
aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern in diesem Sommer durch Europa reisen
werden. Wir möchten nomadisches Reisen mit direkter politischer Aktion,
Erfahrungsaustausch, Dokumentation, Medienarbeit und politisch-künstlerischen
Aktivitäten verbinden. Die Karawane wird ein politisches und künstlerisches
Projekt sein und ein Prozess von sozialem Aktions-Theater, eine Form
kulturellen Diskurses.
Organisiert wird die Karawane von der no-border-Plattform und der
mailing-Liste. Die österreichische Plattform heißt "Für eine Welt ohne
Rassismus" und arbeitet innerhalb des internationalen no-border-Netzwerkes

*Arbeitsfelder:*
- Teilnahme an öffentlichen Aktion und Festivitäten mit direktem und
kulturellem Protest (mit Straßentheater, Soundsystem, Radioprogrammen...)
- mobile Kampagne mit Transparenten, Infoständen, Filmen und Information
- Herstellung einer Dokumentation, Video, indy-media-information,
Netzwerkarbeit

*Geplante Route der VolxTheaterKarawane No Border No Nation*
Start der Tour Ende Juni in Nickelsdorf/österreichische
Ostgrenze/Mockdenkmal
- 1.7-3.7. Salzburg WEF-Gipfel
- 4.7.-8.7. Lendava / Slowenien -Grenzcamp,
- ca. zwischen 10.7. und 16.7. Kärnten (genaue Daten fehlen noch)
- 19.7.- 22.7. Genua G8-Gipfel,
- 27.7.-5.8. Frankfurt/Flughafen Grenzcamp

*Unterstützt die Kampagne und die Karawane!*
Wir suchen politische Ideen und kreative Menschen, die daran interessiert sind
in den Bereichen Kunst, Medien und direkter politischer Aktion zu arbeiten und
Leute, die die Volxtheater-Karawane mit der Kampagne "NO border - NO Nation -
NO one is illegal" unterstützen wollen.
Wir suchen Leute, die Verantwortung für die Kampagne und Karawane übernehmen
wollen, in der Medienarbeit, public relations und Vernetzung mitarbeiten
wollen, die bei der Organisation der Kampagne mithelfen, beim Auftreiben von
Ausrüstung und GeldgeberInnen und bei der Vorbereitung diverser
Postpräsentationsmöglichkeiten.

Koordinationstreffen: Jeden zweiten *Dienstag, um 18 Uhr 30* (nächstes
8.5.) in
der Bürogemeinschaft Schottengasse, 1010 Wien, Schottengasse 3a./1/59.
Kontakt auch bei noborder@no-racism.net,
mailinglist intern: tour@no-racism.net
mailinglist international: nobordertour@no-racism.net
homepage:
<http://www.no-racism.net/nobordertour
subscribtionsmöglichkeit: :
<http://www.no-racism.net/nobordertour/subscribe

Weitere Informationen im Internet:
<http://www.no-racism.net/>http://www.no-racism.net Für eine Welt ohne
Rassismus
(Infos zu no-border-Tour,
Grenzcamps und einzelnen Gipfeltreffen)
<http://www.no-border.org/>http://www.no-border.org europaweites
noborder-Netzwerk
<http://www.antiwef.org/>http://www.antiwef.org Infos zu Protesten gegen
WEF-Gipfel in Salzburg
<http://www.pangea.org/mrg>http://www.pangea.org/mrg Moviment de Resistencia
Global (Spanien)
<http://www.ljudmila.org/globala>http://www.ljudmila.org/globala Globala
(Slowenien)
<http://www.bordercamp.de.vu/>http://www.bordercamp.de.vu no-border-Camp
Tarifa
<http://www.genoa-g8.org/>http://www.genoa-g8.org Genoa Sozial Forum
<http://www/>http://www. Contrast.org/borders/klein Kein Mensch ist illegal
(Grenzcamp Flughafen Frankfurt)

*Spendenkonto* lautend auf
Mag. Regine Müller, PSK, 00078653843, BLZ 60000, Verwendungszweck: noborder

2. Beim letztem Treffen am 24.April waren ca 20-30 InteressentInnen für
die
Noborder-Karawane da und wurden folgende Punkte besprochen:

--- kommunikation

-- ab nun werden regelmäßig newsletter verbreitet, um die Tourvorbereitungen
transparenter zu machen. Sie werden deutsch und englisch weiterverbreitet.
Bitte beteiligt euch daran!
--es gibt *2 neue mailinglisten* (waehrend plenum@no-racism.net nix mehr
mit der
tour zu tun hat):
-- <noborder@no-racism.net> ist offen fuer alle, wird auf der homepage
verlinkt
und nach moeglichkeit international, dh. englisch
-- <tour@no-racism.net> zur internen kommunikation der karawane(n)
- die kontaktadresse von fewor im nobordernetzwerk ist
<noborder@no-racism.net>

--- *vernetzung:*
-- Im Prinzip sind alle Tourorte davon informiert, dass wir als Karawane
kommen. Sobald die jew. ortsspezifischen Aktionsplanungen fortgeschritten
sind,
sollten wir konkreter werden (mit Ankunft, Unterkunft, Programm usw.)
-- Eine wesentliche Aufgabe der noborder-tour wird die mediale Vernetzung und
Informationsverbreitung sein: aktuelle Tourberichte über Internet,
Dokumentation, Video, Radioberichte Zusammenarbeit mit indy-media,
Live-Streaming. Kontakte zur Unterstützung durch public netbase wurden bereits
aufgenommen.
-- Außerdem soll die Tour via e-mail und handy permanent erreichbar sein, um
auch Zusteigemöglichkeiten zu gewährleisten.

-- die europäische noborder Plattform will am 7.7. einen gemeinsamen
Grenzcamp-Aktionstag initieren und die Vernetzung der 3 Camps, die
gleichzeitig
stattfinden intensivieren.

Dazu erreichte uns ein mail von noborder/Germany:
Dear friends!
I hope all of you have seen the website-presentation of the chain of
bordercamps in July including the mobilisation to Genova
(<http://www.noborder.org/>www.noborder.org).
Some "informal or bilateral" exchange has already started, but we should
intensify now our common discussions, in which way noborder can contribute to
the camps.
We would like to know, which groups or people will participate in which camps
and actions, we should develop some ideas, how to link and internationalize
the
whole project.
In the next noborder-meeting in Barcelona (at 30th of June and 1st of
July) we
cannot do more than to coordinate last steps. Now we should prepare,what seems
to be the most important duty of noborder: to interconnect the respective
projects.
The timetable is already fixed, we will have three bordercamps, which are
overlapping in dates:
- in Tarifa in Spain from 2nd to 8th of July
- near Lendava in Slovenia from 4th to 8th of July
- near Bialystok in Poland from 5th to 12th of July.
So the first idea, to connect the camps with a busproject, which should have
gone from camp to camp, is impossible. But the parallel timing includes a
chance of simultanous actions, for example at the Saturday, the 7th of
July,when all three camps in Spain, Slovenia and Poland will take place in the
same time.
A direct exchange and communication between the camps will be very important
and we think, that "noborder-activists" should help in organising the needed
structure and concepts.
Such a media project includes at least(as first ideas) a direct internet
presentation (with indymedia!?), the immediate exchange between the camps
and a
video documentation. A workshop about noborder-network, about the bordercamps,
the Genova mobilisation and further projects in autumn(which will probably be
confirmed in Barcelona meeting) should be
presented in each camp.
In Genova, from 19th to 22nd of July, we hope to gather with all activists and
to lead together the three media projects. I have already asked the
preparation
group of Genova to make a reservation for noborder to present the ideas and
experiences of bordercamps and noborder-networking (at 19th of July - day of
migrants!).
The same should be repeated one week later in Frankfurt, where the next
bordercamp will start at 27th of July.
The common internet presentation on noborder website (which has to be
extended)
and these media projects and workshops during the camps should be the minimum
to interconnect the camps.
A few persons have already decided to participate in different places, but
more
persons are needed, conceptional ideas have to be developed, technical
equipment and more money must be provided ...

Another idea is much more open: You know that the friends from Austria prepare
a bus/caravan from Salzburg (WEF-summit) to the bordercamp in Slovenia,
then to
Genova days of actions and finally to the bordercamp in Frankfurt. "no
border -
no nation - no one is illegal" will be the slogan ..look for
<http://www.no-racism.net/>http://www.no-racism.net
It would be nice, if two more bus/caravans could connect Tarifa and Bialystok
with Genova, and afterwards a joint caravan can go to Frankfurt.
But until now it is not clear, if this two bus/caravans from Spain and Poland
can be realized.
Some Polish friends have already explained their interest, a tour with five
stations in Poland, Czech and Austria is thinkable. But a nucleus group
must be
established very soon, if it
is to be realized within the next two months.
So we hope that some more people from noborder will decide soon
to participate in different actions in July. For developing Europe-wide
practical networking it will be the best time!
best greetings, hagen

--- *termine*
--- freitag, 4.5.01 18h aktionsbesprechung fuer karawane (theater, musik, ...)
Aktivitätsbereiche:
- Demo und Stadtaktionen: bei Gipfeltreffen
- Grenzcampaktivitäten und Grenzaktionen bzw. Strassenparties unterwegs
- Kulturelles Abendprogramm: Soundsystem, Videos (Beamer), Performances
- Medienarbeit

auf dem treffen wurden möglichkeiten von ortsspezifischen Aktivitäten
besprochen, theatral-politische Protestmöglichkeiten, weiteres wird beim
nächsten Treffen am Dienstag den 8.5., 18:30 besprochen.
Wir suchen noch Performancegruppen, Djs, die Lust haben an div. Orten was zu
machen!

- freitag, 4.5.01 20h theorie-arbeitsgruppe zum thema grenze usw.

- *dienstag, 8.5.01 18.30 naechstes karawanenplenum*

- 9.6.01 grosses strassenfest in bratislava / kontakt zu gruppen aus
cz,sk,hun,slo

- am 7.7.01 findet eine simmultane aktion zwischen allen grenzcamps statt -
ev.
soll es einen livestream oder gegenseitige video-berichterstattung, konzerte,
workshops geben: AKTIONSTAG!

- naechstes anti-wef-salzburg treffen ist so um den 13.5.01 @ salzburg

- anti-wef treffen gibts auch dienstags im ammerlingbeisl

- die anti-wef koordination plant fuer 1-3.7.01 einen infopoint am bhf, ev.
medienzentrum mit rechtshilfe sowie ev. pressebuero/imc aufzubauen
- *Ad Route:*
Neue Überlegungen: Beginn Nickelsdorf, zwischen Slowenien und Genua,
noborderstationen in Kärnten (Ogemeinsam mit Kärnter-slowenischen
Kulturvereinen)
- Folgende Route ist die *aktuelle* der no-border-volxtheaterkarawane:
- Star der Tour Ende Juni in Nickelsdorf/österreichische Ostgrenze/Mockdenkmal
des eisernen Vorhangs
- 30.6.-3.7. Salzburg WEF-Gipfel (Am 29.6. gibt es die Möglichkeit bei der
Eröffnung der Ausstellung PROTEST! In Steyr vorbeizuschauen),
- 4.7.-8.7. Slowenien -Grenzcamp,
- zw. 9.7. und 18.7. Kärnten
- 19.7.- 23.7. Genua G8-Gipfel,
- 27.7.-5.8. Frankfurt/Flughafen Grenzcamp

.
- *Organisatorisches:*
- *Transportmittel* (bis jetzt): Bus (11m), Bus mit Küche , 3. Bus. Mehrere
Autos. Einige Busse und Autos müssen vorher repariert werden. Wer hat
kostenlose Vorschläge?

- *Gruppe Marketing und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit* traf sich das erste mal am Mi.
18.4. Auf nationaler Ebene soll die Kampagne im Internet und Radio (freie
Radios, fm4, Kunstradio), in Zeitungen und auf öffentlichen
Veranstaltungen, in
Theatern, Kinos, Museen, Festivals und auf den Universitäten präsentiert
werden. Die Gruppe wird die no-border karawanen als politisch künstlerische
Projekte darstellen und mit dieser Strategie Medienarbeit machen. Außerdem
werden auch künstlerische Institutionen um Unterstützung und
Kooperationsmöglichkeiten angefragt.

- *Finanzen: *
Ein Finanzkonzept wurde erstellt, welches sämtliche Realkosten auflistet:
Gesamthöhe beträgt insges. ca. 2 Millionen Schilling. (mit Selbstausbeutung
und
Materialspenden wird's weniger). Dieser Finanzplan und eine für diesen Zweck
dienliche Konzeptdarstellung der Tour werden in den nächsten Tagen von der
Gruppe Marketing und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit fertiggestellt um anschließend
schnorren gehen zu können. Über Sponsoring lässt sich sicher nicht viel Geld
auftreiben, aber wenn jemand Tipps hat oder reiche Verwandte bitte melden.
Außerdem solle es Sponsoring-Kampagnen-Tour durch Lokale geben, EKH
Solifest am
1.6., Pulsefest und viele Spendenbüchsen.
- Vom Rabenhof.Theater gibt es eine prinzipielle, allerdings noch nicht näher
definierte Unterstützung. Ev. Werden Material, Reperaturkosten übernommen, im
Herbst gibt es vielleicht die Möglichkeit das Projekt und die Kampagne im
Rahmen einer Ausstellung (incl. Peformance und Vortragsmöglichkeiten?) in
einer
Halle zu präsentieren.
- *Spendenkonto* lautend auf

- Mag. Regine Müller, PSK, 00078653843, BLZ 60000, Verwendungszweck: noborder
- *Kritik an Tour *
Kritische Anmerkungen gab es am letzten Plenum bezüglich der Tourorganisation.
Da die Veröffentlichung bisher vor allem über Internet gelaufen sei, seien die
Infos für viele nicht zugänglich. Außerdem habe man/frau vergessen von Anfang
an Migrantinnengruppen miteinzubeziehen. Die Tour ist außerdem (auch wegen der
kurzen Vorbereitungszeit) an einen "guten", sprich europäischen Pass
gekoppelt.
MigranntInnen können nur schwer daran teilnehmen. Auch auf Grund dieser Kritik
sollte es bald mehrsprachige Flugblätter und Plakate geben.

================================================
03 Die neue Rechte
von: "Verein Stadtteilz. Simmering" <stadtteilzentrum@simmeringonline.at>
================================================
Liebe Genossinnen und Genossen,

ich lade Euch / Dich herzlich zu einer Veranstaltung
der Friedensinitiative Penzing - Rudolfsheim/Fuenfhaus
ein, bei der Gen. Martin Mueller (SJ Krems) zum
Thema "Die neue Rechte" referieren wird.

Mit den besten Wuenschen fuer ein schoenes
Wochenende und FreundInnenschaft / Alois

Die neue Rechte - eine Bedrohung fuer die Gesellschaft?

Unter dem Motto "Die, da draussen - wir, da drinnen"
behandelt die Friedensinitiative Penzing / Rudolfsheim-
Fuenfhaus (FI 14/15) im Rahmen ihrer Veranstaltungsreihe
verschiedene Fragen der Gewalt und Friedensgefaehrdung.

Rechtsextreme Gruppen haben in Oesterreich und Deutschland
rassistische Hetze und die Ausgrenzung von AuslaenderInnen,
Minderheiten und gesellschaftlich ohnedies schon an den Rand
gedraengten Menschen betrieben. Von rechtsextremen
Gedankengut beeinflußte Schueler planten im Bezirk Neunkirchen
die Ermordung ihrer LehrerInnen. In Niederoesterreich uebten"
Rechtsextreme das Toeten von Menschen. Vor allem in
Deutschland wurden auslaendische MitbuergerInnen von
Rechtsradikalen bedroht und in einigen Faellen ermordet.
Rechtspopulistische Parteien und Gruppen versuchen,
dieses menschenverachtende Gedankengut salonfaehig
zu machen.

Die Friedensinitiative Penzing - Rudolfsheim/Fuenfhaus
hat daher Martin Mueller zum Thema Die neue Rechte -
eine Bedrohung für die Gesellschaft?" eingeladen.
Martin Mueller ist als Landesvorstandsmitglied der
Sozialistischen Jugend NOe und als Mitbegruender
der ueberparteilichen Jugendinitiative in seinem
Heimatort Gedersdorf (Bezirk Krems) in der
Jugendarbeit taetig. Als Student (Politikwissenschaft
und Geschichte) setzt er sich vor allem mit grundsaetzlichen
Fragen der ArbeiterInnenbewegung sowie mit dem
Thema der Zusammenhänge von Rechtsextremismus
und Rechtspopulismus auseinander.

Der Vortrag von Martin Müller beginnt am
Mittwoch, dem 16. Mai 2001, um 19.30 Uhr
in der Akkonpfarre,
1150 Wien, Oeverseestraße 2c (U3 Huetteldorfer Straße").

Für den Terminkalender:
Mittwoch, 16. Mai 2001:
Die neue Rechte - eine Bedrohung für die Gesellschaft?";
Martin Mueller,
Wann: 19.30 Uhr
Wo: Akkonpfarre, 1150 Wien, Oeverseestraße 2c
(U3 Huetteldorfer Straße")
Wer: Friedensinitiative Penzing / Rudolfsheim-Fuenfhaus

Weitere Veranstaltung im Rahmen der Reihe
Die, da draussen, wir, da drinnen"
Mi., 6. Juni, Begegnung der Kulturen in Familien
und PartnerInnenschaften - Menschen erzaehlen
von ihren Erfahrungen (gem. mit den Bezirksfestwochen
in der Bezirksvorstehung Wien 15).

Informationen:
Andreas Pecha, Friedensbüro Tel. (01) 796 50 21,
<mailto:pax.vienna@aon.at
Alois Reisenbichler Handy (0664) 39 51 809,
<mailto:Alois.Reisenbichler@reflex.at
<mailto:stadtteilzentrum@simmeringonline.at

================================================
04 Gedenkveranstaltung für Bobby Sands
von: aik@antiimperialista.com
================================================
******************************************
Gedenkveranstaltung für Bobby Sands
Film und Diskussion
Sonntag, 6. Mai
18:30
Vorstadtzentrum 15
Meiselstrasse 46/4, 1150 Wien
******************************************

Ten Brave Men

Am 5. Mai 1981, vor 20 Jahren, starb Bobby Sands nach 65 Tagen Hungerstreik in
den H-Blocks des Hochsicherheitsgefängnisses Long Kesh. 22 weitere Gefangene
nahmen von März bis Oktober 1981 am Hungerstreik der republikanischen
Freiheitskämpfer teil, dessen Ziel es war, die Anerkennung als Kriegsgefangene
durchzusetzen. Insgesamt starben zehn Genossen der Irisch Republikanischen
Armee (IRA) und der Irisch Nationalen Befreiungsarmee (INLA) durch die
Verweigerung der Nahrungsaufnahme, ehe am 3. Oktober das Ende des Protests
verkündet wurde.

Obwohl die britische Regierung den Forderungen der Gefangenen bei
Beendigung des Hungerstreiks nicht nachgegeben hatte, so ging er doch
keineswegs verloren. In den kommenden Jahren sollten die
republikanischen Insassen ihre Rechte als "Prisoners of War" erhalten.
Aber der Opfermut und die Bestimmtheit der Genossen in Long Kesh wiesen auch
den Weg für die unterdrückte republikanische Minderheit im Norden Irlands.
Hunderttausende nahmen an den Begräbnissen der Hungerstreikenden teil und
gingen gegen das britische Unrechtsregime auf die Straße. Die Unterstützung,
welche die IRA und INLA in diesen Wochen hinzugewann war bedeutsam für den
Kampf in den kommenden zwei Jahrzehnten. Für zehn Männer, die Maggie Thatcher
sterben ließ, traten Hunderte Revolutionäre an ihrer statt in den
militärischen
Kampf ein. Das Vermächtnis von Bobby Sands und seinen Mitkämpfern ist es,
durch
ihre Aktion dem Kampf gegen Unterdrückung und Ausbeutung, dem Kampf für den
Abzug der britischen Truppen und die Wiedervereinigung Irlands, dem Kampf
gegen
imperialistische Beherrschung und für eine sozialistische Republik Vorbild und
immerwährender Ansporn zu sein.

In den vergangenen Wochen starben dutzende Genossen in den Gefängnissen der
Türkei im Kampf für die gleichen Rechte, für die auch die Gefangenen in Long
Kesh ihr Leben ließen. Diesem Massaker müssen wir Einhalt gebieten. Die
Forderungen der türkischen Revolutionäre nach politischem Status müssen
erfüllt
werden, wie es auch die republikanischen Gefangenen durch ihren Kampf
erreichten.

Bobby Sands schrieb am zwölften Tag seines Hungerstreiks: "I am making my last
response to the whole vicious inhuman atrocity they call H-Block. But, unlike
their laughs and jibes, our laughter will be the joy of victory and the joy of
the people, our revenge will be the liberation of all and the final defeat of
the oppressors of our aged nation."

Das Gedenken an ihn und die anderen neun Genossen, die 1981 ums Leben
kamen, bestärkt uns fortwährend im Kampf gegen die imperialistische
Unterdrückung und Knebelung der Völker.

5. Mai 2001 Antiimperialistische Koordination

************************************
Antiimperialistische Koordination
PF 23, A-1040 Wien, Österreich
Tel&Fax +43 1 504 00 10
aik@antiimperialista.com
<http://www.antiimperialista.com/de>www.antiimperialista.com/de
************************************
Antiimperialistische Koordination Aktuell abmelden:
<http://www.antiimperialista.com/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi?flavor=unsubscribe&l
ist=Antiimperialistische_Koordination_Aktuell&email=widerstand@no-racism.net
&pin=35467>http://www.antiimperialista.com/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi?flavor=uns
ubscribelist=Antiimperialistische_Koordination_Aktuellemail=widerstand@no-ra
cism.net&pin=35467

================================================
05 Friedensinitiative 22
von: "Verein Stadtteilz. Simmering" <stadtteilzentrum@simmeringonline.at>
================================================
Neutralitaet 2001
Perspektiven aktiver Neutralitaetspolitik
in einer militarisierten EU

Die Europaeische Union marschiert in Richtung
einer gemeinsamen "Verteidigungspolitik",
die schnelle Eingreiftruppe, an der sich
Oesterreich beteiligt, ist ein deutliches Beispiel dafuer.

Welche Perspektiven hat aktive Neutralitaetspolitik in einer
militarisierten EU? Wie kann die weitere Militarisierung
der EU verhindert werden? Was bedeutet Neutralitaet heute?
Die Friedensinitiative Donaustadt hat zu diesen Fragen
Dr. Thomas Roithner, Mitarbeiter des Oesterreichischen
Studienzentrums für Frieden und Konfliktlösung,
Stadtschlaining, Aussenstelle Wien, und Herausgeber eines
Buches über Neutralitätsbewegungen in Europa
eingeladen.

Der Vortrag von Dr. Thomas Roithner zum Thema
"Neutralitaet 2001 - Perspektiven aktiver Neutralitaetspolitik
in einer militarisierten EU" beginnt am Dienstag,
dem 22. Mai 2001 um 19.00 Uhr in der Wiener Stuben,
1220 Wien, Erzherzog Karl-Strasse 66, (U1 "Kagran",
Strassenbahn 25, "Donaustadtstraße").

Für den Terminkalender:

Dienstag, 22. Mai 2001
19.00 Uhr, Dr. Thomas Roithner, "Neutralität 2001 - Perspektiven aktiver
Neutralitaetspolitik in einer militarisierten EU"
Alt Wiener Stuben, 1220 Wien, Erzherzog Karl-Straße 66, (U1 "Kagran",
Strassenbahn 25, "Donaustadtstrasse");
Friedensinitiative Donaustadt

Informationen:
Ernst Toman, Friedensinitiative Donaustadt Tel. (01) 26 36 192
Andreas Pecha, Friedensbüro Tel. (01) 796 50 21,
pax.vienna@aon.at
Alois Reisenbichler Handy (0664) 39 51 809;
Alois.Reisenbichler@reflex.at;
stadtteilzentrum@simmeringonline.at

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MELDUNGEN UND KOMMENTARE
><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><

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06 WORKERS POWER GLOBAL WEEK 4 MAY 2001 E-newswire of the LRCI
von: newswire <lrci@easynet.co.uk>
================================================
WORKERS POWER GLOBAL WEEK
E-newswire of the LRCI
4 MAY 2001
Subscribe to: newswire@workerspower.com
<http://www.workerspower.com/>http://www.workerspower.com

============================================================
>> WELCOME TO ISSUE #45
Workers Power Global Week is the English language e-newsletter of the LRCI.
To unsubscribe mail to: unsubscribe@workerspower.com. Please forward this to a
comrade.

============================================================

>>AUSTRALIA MAY DAY: THE WORKERS AND ANTI-CAPITALISTS TAKE MELBOURNE.
>>PALESTINE MAY DAY: ANTI-ZIONISTS CHALLENGE THE COMMUNIST PARTY
>>BRITAIN MAY DAY: PROTESTS IN LONDON CLOSE DOWN WEST END
>>GERMANY MAY DAY: STATE SHOWS ITS UGLY FACE IN BERLIN
>>GERMANY: NAZIS MARCH WHILE UNION LEADERS FAIL
>>MACEDONIA; ON THE BRINK OF WAR?
>>ITALY: BOSSES BACK BERLUSCONI TO ATTACK WORKERS HISTORIC GAINS
>>FRANCE: RANK AND FILE CALL FOR MASS DEMO AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT
>>UKRAINE: FOR A NEW, GENUINE KOMSOMOL!
>>SLOVAKIA: FREE MARIO BANGO, VICTIM OF RACISM AGAINST ROMA
>>SOUTH AFRICA: UITENHAGE VW WORKERS SACKINGS MUST BE STOPPED!

============================================================

>>AUSTRALIA MAY DAY: MELBOURNE BELONGED TO THE WORKERS AND ANTI-CAPITALISTS.
Workers Power Global, Melbourne

Around 15,000 people took part in various activities ­ the largest number
being
the 10,000 trade unionists who marched from Trades Hall to meet the
anti-capitalist rally at the Australian Stock Exchange. The Unity march that
followed took over the streets of central city Melbourne till late in the
afternoon.

The march targetted some of the worst corporate scumbags in Australia ­ and
companies who are dirtectly involved in using the Workplace Relations Act to
target workers rights and conditions. They included Yallourn Energy, Rio
Tinto,
Shell and Nike.

Major targets had been walled up the night before and were guarded by lines of
police. The state effectively blocading the stock exchange and Nike for us!

There is no doubt that May Day in Melbourne was a huge victory for the
anti-capitalist movement and for the organised working class. We marched
together and we marched on may day ­ something that hasn¹t happened in this
city since before the second world war. It has set a precedent which means
that
already Trades Hall are talking about it being an annual event.

For the M1 activists who planned the blocade of the stock exchange and pressed
for the need for Trades Hall to be part of events on the day M1 was a huge
success. Numbers at the stock exchange were over 3000 at various points and a
lively series of chants and speeches were kept up throughout the morning and
then on the afternoons march.

Amazingly ­ and unlike in the rest of Australia ­ there was no police violence
­ in fact the police seemed to be under instruction to let us have the city
for
the day. It is clearly the fruits of the victory that was won outside the WEF
blocade in September.

And it wasn¹t that the mainstream media was on our side. In fact only the day
beofre main paper ­ The Age had printed a virulent attack on the demonstrators
and all reports were focussing on the potential for violence ­ a potential
that
certainly didn¹t come from the thousands on the street in festive mood! By May
2 scandal rag the Hearld Sun had to use a photo of a single McD¹s with some
graffitti to try and make the demonstration look marginal.

If there was one problem it was that the yallourn Power workers whose
bargaining period was being taken away from them in the arbitration courts
even
as we marched, did not get the prominence on the rally or march they deserved.
The trade unions marched right past the Yallourn Energy building, despite the
stock exchange blocade having moved there and the workers themselves standing
outside in a picket.

May Day has to be a day when a platform is given in the union movement and
beyond to the important struggles that are happening right now. Yallourn power
workers got to speak from the platform, but few on the march even noticed when
it stopped outside the arbitration court ­ the bosses tool for administering
the Industrial Relations laws. At the time most were too busy shouting at the
Liberal Party headquarters.

We¹ve taken huge steps forward in Melbourne. We ran the city for the day and
the police did nothing to stop us. That doesn¹t mean it will always be like
this but it does show that when the anti-capitalist activists join with the
organised trade union movement we have incredible strength.

We need to move on from here ­ building a real struggle against the IR laws ­
and in practice today that means supporting the Yallourn Power Workers who are
in direct confrontation with these laws. They are being arbitrated out of
their
conditions in the bosses courts and cannot take protected industrial action
because the same court has removed their legal right to bargain.

May Day was a victory for the whole working class in Victoria ­ now we need to
work together for victory to the Yallourn workers and for the defeat of the
bosses Workplace Relations Act.

FOR MORE ON THE ANTI-GLOBALISATION MOVEMENT see:
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/Nicesummit.html>http://www.workerspow
er.com/wpglobal/Nicesummit.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/globalisation.html>http://www.workers
power.com/wpglobal/globalisation.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/gttenburgG8.html>http://www.workerspo
wer.com/wpglobal/gttenburgG8.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/FTAA.html>http://www.workerspower.com
/wpglobal/FTAA.html

============================================================

>>PALESTINE MAY DAY: ANTI-ZIONISTS CHALLENGE THE COMMUNIST PARTY
LRCI Occupied Palestine

More then a 5,000 activists and sympathisers of the Communist Party of Israel
(CPI) came to participate in the May Day demonstration on 28 April in
Nazareth.
Most of the parties, organisations and groups in the national Palestinian
movement inside Israel did not participate in this demo.

The CPI leadership, with partners from the DFPE (Democratic Front for Peace &
Equality), marched while in the front of the demo three members from the Tel
Aviv branch of the CPI waved with Israeli flags.

Many of the participants objected to this act, which symbolises the
willingness
of the CPI leadership to create a new front with parties, organisations and
groups on the Zionist left wing.

This demo was a great failure for the CPI: most of the leadership of the
national Palestinian movement did not participate in the demo. Many important
movements ("Abnaa el-ballad ­ Sons of the Land", "the Movement Against
Apartheid", "the Democratic National Assembly", "the Organisation for
Democratic Action", "the Progressive Movement" and others) did not want to
be a
part of the CPI's game.

On May Day itself, almost 1000 activists from many organisations and groups
participated in a May Day demo, organised by the CPI. More then a half of the
demonstrators were activists or members in the so called "left" Zionist youth
movements ­ "Hashomer Hatzear" and "Hano¹ar Ha¹oved".

Many of them waved Israeli flags, beside the red ones. When I asked two
demonstrators from those movements if they supported the idea of a Jewish
state, they immediately said "of course!".

When I asked them why and if it isn¹t in contradiction to the socialist goal
they answered "no", and explained that if in this country will be an Arabic
majority, then will be a second holocaust. This are the "partners" of the
CPI.

This standpoint did not bother the leaders of the CPI. They wanted a big demo
with feeling of power (even though those "partners" will never vote for the
CPI
or join her). The other half were activists from many organisations and
groups,
such as the CPI, "Socialist Struggle" (CWI-Israel), "Popular Action",
"Independent Media", MFI (Militants for the Fourth International), "Anonymous"
(for animal rights), ODA (the Organisation for Democratic Action), "Peace
Block" and others ­ Anarchists, Greens and others.

The police beat a few demonstrators and arrested others, most of them
anarchists, when they blocked the entrance to a McDonalds and threw heads of
cows on the road in order to stop the traffic. A successful intervention of MK
Easam Machul from the CPI leadership reached a compromise with the cops.

The demo ended in the place where David Ben-Gurion declared the
independence of
the state of Israel. It was very ironic that in the place where the Zionism
began and the war against the rights of the Palestinian people, the so called
"socialist" May Day demo was ended.

This is a spitting on the face of millions of refugees, the victims of the
occupation, the dead heroes of the Intifada and the bereaved families. No
surprise then that this demo was also ignored by the patriotic Palestinian
forces inside Israel. This was a Zionist celebration on the blood of the
Palestinian workers. Many of the anti-Zionist activists were amazed.

Many of the participants read with great interest the leaflet of the LRCI and
many young activists wanted to read the journal of the LRCI British section,
"Workers Power", sold on the streets of Palestine for the first time.

The leaflet gave a new message of a revolutionaries communists, of Trotskyists
all over the world; it also confronted the old ideas of the MFI, which
supports
the present ideology of the USFI (United Secretariat of the Fourth
International).

After the May Day events in Palestine ended, we can surely say that there is a
great disappointment with the CPI and its actions, but also there is a desire
to build an alternative: a proletarian, revolutionary, Palestinian movement in
Palestine.

FOR THE TEXT OF THE MAY DAY LEAFLET IN PALESTINE SEE:
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/palestinemayday.html>http://www.worke
rspower.com/wpglobal/palestinemayday.html

============================================================

>>BRITAIN MAY DAY: PROTESTS IN LONDON CLOSE DOWN WEST END
Revolution, London

Despite Mayday falling on a Tuesday, that didn¹t stop the thousands who
threw a
sickie, went on strike, dropped their college work or bunked off school. The
weather was cold wet and miserable, the press had been hysterical, the police
had threatened vio-lence: the streets filled with protestors nonetheless.

They'd done their worst and yet we still pulled off a Mayday demo that closed
down Oxford Circus, united with protestors from all around the world, and
forced the capitalists onto the defensive. Their economists and bankers were
the ones on the telly that evening having to defend capitalism. Who¹d have
thought it 5 years ago ­ and this is just the beginning of a mass
anticapitalist movement in Britain - this is the face of the future. Growing
protests, increasing repression of demo-cratic rights - and a struggle to see
which wins.

The New Labour government, even more than the rest of European Social
Democratic governments in power, are a leading the push to globalisation here
and around the world. They are backing the WTO and GATs, free trade agreements
that allow businessmen and economists to act as unelected judges and strike
down laws passed by elected representatives because they are "barriers to
trade".

In Britain New Labour has outdone the Conservatives and begun the
Privatisation
of Everything, starting off with housing, the NHS, schools, the tube and air
traffic control. Soon even YOU will come with a logo-serf, like the US school
kids wearing Coke t-shirts on Coca Cola days at their Coke-sponsored
school, or
sports stars decked out in the swoosh from their caps to their football boots.

Secondly, New Labour has gone beyond the Tories in slashing our civil
liberties. Getting rid of trial by jury, attacking the rights of refugees and
youth, and passing laws hugely increasing the secret services¹ rights to
conduct surveillance with phone taps, bugs and email snooping.

They have passed the Terrorism Bill to illegalise organisations of struggle,
starting with organisations from other countries such as the PKK, the Kurdish
Workers Party that has fought to kick the Turkish troops and secret police out
of Kurdistan for decades. Next it will be used against the anti-capitalists ­
last year Blair threatened to illegalise Reclaim the Streets!

This trend is also echoed in Social Democratic governments across Europe ­ in
Germany for instance, the government banned the revolutionary Mayday demo -
while allowing neo-nazis to march ­ and then waded into the antiracists with
their own jackbooted thugs.

In Britain Tony Blair labelled the Mayday anti-capitalist demos as "a crime,
pure and simple". This ignores the everyday violence of capital-ism, its wars,
starvation, the 19,000 children that die every-day from third world debt.

But this offensive by the press, police and politicians had a purpose: was
meant to isolate the anti-capitalist movement, and then to deliver a crushing
defeat to it ­ to break the most radical youth physically with batons and
arrests, and demoralise the rest.

3 weeks of scare stories were meant to ensure that the protest would be small,
dividing the radical youth and left from the rest of society. It was a warning
to frighten us into obedience: we¹re going to get you on Mayday.

The stories were also meant to justify zero tolerance policing on Mayday, with
the hope that the sup-pression of our democratic right to demonstrate wouldn¹t
be noticed, instead look necessary and right ­ and justifying the violence of
the police on the day. Ken Livingstone tells peaceful protestors not to go,
the
chief of the Met authorising the use of rubber bullets, something never done
before! But it didn¹t work. The good humour on the protests, despite weather
and coppers, was infectious and constant. Mayday wasn¹t a defeat - there is a
new mood of revolt that is growing in Britain, and that while we were
thousands, tens of thousands were on our side.

The proof is the hysteria that met the protest from the press, police and
politicians: a protest move-ment only gets that much attention when they¹re
scared of it and it¹s success. They know it, we know it ­ we are winning.

As for Revo, we had a kick-ass time on the day. Really visible, really loud,
and in the thick of it, in Britain and across the world. We got rid of every
copy of Revolution and leaflet on us and we were in the middle of the action,
taking the street, leading the chants, pushing through the cops.

World Revolution swung into action 12 hours earlier and half a world away in
Revolution UK on the Mayday TUC demo marching alongside the Kurdish community
which is being criminalised by Labour¹s new Terrorism Act.

In Britian it was good to see months of political work come to fruition. We
didn¹t just help make the puppets and placards for the Globalise Resistance
World Bank action, we initiated the protest. Revolution argued from the first
meeting for GR to take part in the Mayday protests and pushed it to do
something on the day, against the Socialist Workers Party that wanted to
ignore
Mayday because it was "just a bunch of anarchists". The result is the most
successful action that GR has ever organised.

And in the Mayday Monopoly Collective, we were the ones arguing for a mass
demo, alongside some anarchists (mostly the Wombles) and against others who
wanted to keep Mayday as handful of small actions, with no central, mass
convergence.

And we have been fighting to unite the two wings of the movement. Against the
sectarianism of GR to Mayday, and of the anarchists of the Monopoly collective
who tried to exclude socialists, including Revolution, we called for a united
movement. At least we all ended up in the same area and trying to join into a
single demo together.

What are the lessons of London May Day?
nstead of marching straight into a police trap, and then sitting passively in
it after it¹s sprung, we need to assert our right to continue to march and be
prepared to organise to push through: we must declare that no part of Britain,
even if it is the bankers¹ beloved City of London, is a no-go area for
protest.
And we¹ll need to organise self defence against the baton and horse charges so
that protes-tors don¹t get hurt.

Disorganisation is a weakness, not a strength ­ it means that we lose every
time, even if we give them a run for their money. The demo that was caught in
Holles Street managed through sponta-neous action to outfox the cops two or
three times ­ in the end, the cops closed in and got their way.

They have a big picture and coordination, with their helicopters and mobile
command centres - we need to coordinate too. All the anti-capitalist groups
going for Mayday need to coordinate our actions for the day in a democratic
planning committee, open to all.

A sub-group of trusted reps can then go off and organise a strategy for
communications and defense for the day itself, including "spotters" to gather
info on police lines and activists to coordinate the break through of a police
trap. That way we can combine the strength of democracy and the necessity of
some secrecy.

For Example, at one point the Holles street protestors pushed, and 15 minutes
later the Wombles pushed, when we were only metres apart with not too many
cops
separating us. If we'd done it simultaneously, we would have overwhelmed them.
We could have done the same again with our fellow demonstrators in Oxford
Circus... and then who knows what we could have done, we could have marched on
the City of London, the real heart of the beast.

FOR MORE ACTION IN BRITAIN ORGAINSED BY REVOLUTION SEE:
<http://www.worldrevolution.org.uk/>http://www.worldrevolution.org.uk

FOR MORE ON THE ANTI-GLOBALISATION MOVEMENT see:
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/Nicesummit.html>http://www.workerspow
er.com/wpglobal/Nicesummit.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/globalisation.html>http://www.workers
power.com/wpglobal/globalisation.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/gttenburgG8.html>http://www.workerspo
wer.com/wpglobal/gttenburgG8.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/FTAA.html>http://www.workerspower.com
/wpglobal/FTAA.html
============================================================

>>GERMANY MAY DAY: STATE SHOWS ITS UGLY FACE IN BERLIN
Workers Power Global, Berlin

9000 cops with dozens of water cannon tanks, armoured vehicles, CS-gas
attacked
thousands of demonstrators and ordinary citizens in Kreuzberg, the traditional
stronghold of the far left and many Turkish and Kurdish immigrant
organisations.

Fighting started around 18.00 in the evening and continued till 2.00 in the
morning. Around 400 people had been arrested.

Werthebach, the senator for the interior in Berlin, had his way. He had banned
the traditional "revolutionary May Day demonstration" which goes back to 1987,
when the police was driven out of Kreuzberg by autonoms, leftist, and the
Turkish community for a day.

In order to prevent "rioting" and violence, the cops occupied a large part of
Kreuzberg and sealed it off from the rest of the city.

At the same time it allowed the fascists march through a suburb of Berlin,
Hohenschönhausen around midday. Thousands of cops had closed this off as well
in order to prevent anti-fascists to protest against the Nazi scum.

In the midst of this the labour bureaucracy "celebrated" its May Day with only
about 10.000 workers turning out ­ one of the smallest trade union
demonstration on May Day ever had in Berlin.

The DGB-organisers refused to allow members of the antiracist action group if
IG Metall Berlin to call on the demonstration to march against the fascists
because this would be "illegal"! So only a small part of the thousands
could be
mobilised to go Hohenschönhausen and than to join the demonstrations and
street
festivals in Kreuzberg in order to defend the right to demonstrate.

Nevertheless, about 10.000 people joined two demonstrations in Kreuzberg,
1000s
were on the streets, reclaiming their district against the police, 10.000
attended a May Day Fest at Mariannenplatz. All the demonstrations had an
overtly anti-capitalist character, whilst obviously strongly focusing on the
defence of democratic right.

Whilst the (legal) demonstrations in the afternoon were not attacked, tensions
certainly built up. The massive police presence alone was a provocation
designed to cause the riot it was supposed to prevent ­ or to force the whole
population into a capitulation.

At 18.00 the police decided it was time to start the fight. It declared some
thousand people who were on the streets to constitute an "illegal assembly"
which needed to be dispersed.

The attacked them with water cannons and pushed a few thousand towards the
Kiez
(district) festival at the Mariannenplatz. Children and whole families who had
been enjoying themselves fled in panic when the festival was attacked with
water cannons and some hundred cops entered the square in order to frighten
off
people.

But thousands stayed and defended their ground. The cops tried to clean the
square with minimum risk for their own health, almost exclusively relying on
water cannons and CS-gas for some hours whilst the demonstrators defended
themselves with bricks, bottles and improvised some barricades with cars.
Whilst in the end of the day the cops arrested hundreds and dispersed the
fighters ­ Werthebachs strategy did not succeed. The far left and the local
population has not given in to his attacks.

Many radical, anti-capitalist youth ­ far more than the autonom and far left
milieu ­ have learned a lot about the bourgeois state and what is up to. They
have also learned (again) that resistance is possible and can win.

Equally, Werthebach and his right-wing conservative bullies in the Berlin city
councils have demasked themselves amongst a broader, public audience. His cops
defended the fascist march. On the same day, the unprovoked attack on
thousands
of citizens and on a festival with riot police clearly demonstrate who was out
there for a fight.
He has now chosen to continue his offensive, calling for further restrictions
to the right to demonstrate and assemble.

It would be wrong and short-sighted to focus all attention on him. The SPD is
in a coalition with the CDU in Berlin, the government and many social
democrats
themselves have a long record of law and order policy. Moreover, the vicious
attack on the May Day demonstrations makes sense from the standpoint of the
ruling class.

It is an attempt to prevent the development of the anti-capitalist movement in
Germany, to frighten of people and to prevent it linking to the workers
movement. It is also a racist attempt to criminalise immigrant youth and to
paint the Turkish and Kurdish community in Kreuzberg as "notorious rioters" in
the German public.

These attacks needs to be taken head on, by building a nation campaign in
defence of the arrested and prosecuted and combine it with the defence of our
democratic rights. The inner conflicts amongst the governments and the ruling
class caused by Werthebachs ultra-reactionary aims, have to be exploited by
the
anti-capitalists.

It is necessary to call on the workers movement to support such a campaign and
building strong links with the most militant elements of the trade union
movement.

Together with the anti-capitalist mobilisations to Gothenborg, Salzburg and
Genua this must be a next step to turn the anti-capitalist youth to the
working
class and to make the workers movement revolutionary.

FOR MORE ON THE ANTI-GLOBALISATION MOVEMENT see:
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/Nicesummit.html>http://www.workerspow
er.com/wpglobal/Nicesummit.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/globalisation.html>http://www.workers
power.com/wpglobal/globalisation.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/gttenburgG8.html>http://www.workerspo
wer.com/wpglobal/gttenburgG8.html
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/FTAA.html>http://www.workerspower.com
/wpglobal/FTAA.html

FOR MORE ON GERMANY SEE:
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/newunioningermany.html>http://www.wor
kerspower.com/wpglobal/newunioningermany.html

============================================================

>>GERMANY: NAZIS MARCH WHILE UNION LEADERS FAIL
Workers Power Global, Berlin

On May Day fascists marched in a number of German cities: in Berlin,
Frankfurt/Main, Mannheim, Dresden, Augsburg ­ just to name the largest. The
Nazis either marched under the banner of the NPD or the so-called "freie
Kameradschaften".

There demonstrations were up to 1000 strong.
In many cities they were confronted by counter-demonstrations of several
thousand people, anti-fascist youth, but also many trade unionists and members
of workers organisations.

The police did its best to secure the fascist "right to demonstrate" and
prevented antifascists from attacking or even blocking the demos.

In Frankfurt/Main the police stopped a demonstration led by the GEW (union of
workers in education) and attacked Turkish Maoist organisations who wanted to
stop the Nazis. GEW leader Stötzel denounced this and other provocation¹s by
the police.

Whilst many workers and unionists (including some leaderships and parts of the
apparatus) were part of these actions, the top ranks of the labour bureaucracy
opposed any action which could take on the Nazis.

In Frankfurt/Main, officials of the service sector workers union ver.di even
attacked the GEW for organising "illegal actions" instead of supporting their
initiative!

This shameful tragedy was turned into a farce by the regional DGB-leader
Fiedler, who expressed his "solidarity" with the anti-fascist unionists as
well
as with the "colleagues from the police".

FOR MORE ON GERMAN FASCISTS SEE:
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/germannazis.html>http://www.workerspo
wer.com/wpglobal/germannazis.html

============================================================

>>MACEDONIA; ON THE BRINK OF WAR?
LRCI statement

Fierce clashes have broken out again between Macedonia's army and members of
the ethnic Albanian KLA on the border with Kosova. Near universal
condemnation
for the KLA by the EU, USA and the main parties in parliament has not stopped
the guerrilla forces. But what are the fighting for and should socialists
support them?

Last year was a year of tremendous change in former Yugoslavia. Kosova has
become an international imperialist protectorate, Milosevic has been
overthrown
and arrested.However, this has not led to the wished for "stabilisation" of
the
Balkans as the imperialists hoped, despite the fact that all states and
protectorates ­ from Belgrade, via Pristina, Skopie to Tirana - are
governed by
puppets of the United States and the European Union.

The revolution in Serbia was successfully derailed by the
bourgeois-democratic,
pro-imperialist forces. Thacis KLA and Rugovas LPK share power with their US-
and Western European masters. The KLA has become a part of the bourgeois state
apparatus.

The national wars, the attacks by imperialism and the effects of capitalist
restoration have led to a dramatic impoverishment of all the peoples of the
Balkans and of former Yugoslavia in particular.Factories have been closed and
destroyed en masse. Unemployment and underemployment are souring, the
currencies been inflated. The DM and the Dollar have become the "real"
money in
these regions.

Whilst the Serbian masses finally succeeded in overthrowing Milosevic and the
Kosovars got rid of oppression by Belgrade ­ their victories have been robbed
by the bourgeois nationalist leaders immediately. The KLA and the Kosovar
administration have started their own reactionary nationalist campaigns
against
the Serbian and Romani minorities, expelled them from their homes and
committed
atrocities.They are trampling on women and trade unions rights. The Albanian
authorities in Kosova tried to ban Albanian miners representatives form
meeting
fellow unionists from other Balkan countries. A fraction of reactionary
Albanian nationalists tried and tries to continue the armed struggle for
Greater Kosova and ultimately a Greater Albania.

The foolish and reactionary attempt of the UCPMB (Liberation Army of Presevo,
Medvedja and Bujanovac) played in the hands of Kostunica, Djincic and the
Serbian military, now Western imperialism most important agents in the former
Yugoslavia.They could themselves utilise the nationalist card in a way,
Milosevic never succeeded to do. NATO called them in to secure "demilitarised"
border areas near Macedonia.

The systematic of oppression of Serbs and Romani, the oppression of women, the
oppression of trade rights and organisation by the the KLA and the Albanian
authorities in Kosova are a weapon in the Hands of the new Serbian government
to further poison the consciousness of the working class and peasantry in
Serbia, to derail the workers struggles, occupations etc.Of course, the deeds
of the Thacis and Co must not be an excuse for the wide spread chauvinism of
Serbian, Macedonian and other Slaves peoples. But events show that the
nationalists of all nations only offer a dead end to "their" workers and
peasants.

Now Macedonia is on the brink of another war in the Balkans. Certainly, the
bourgeois Macedonian government is guilty of binding itself to imperialism in
the Kosovan war, of manoeuvring as an imperialist puppet.Moreover, the
Albanian
part of the population (according differing nationalist claims between a
quarter and a third) is an oppressed minority. The working class in Macedonia
and the whole Balkans must support their just democratic aim and their
right to
national self-determination.

But the workers and peasants of the Balkans and internationally must prevent
that the national tensions turn into a civil war in Macedonia itself. This
would be another terrible nationalist war, including mass deportations and
pogroms. It would threaten the "ethnic cleansing" of towns like Tetovo and
Skopje.

Moreover, such a war is unlikely to be contained within the territory of
Macedonia, but could rapidly turn into a war to "rescue" and divide Macedonia,
bringing in all the neighbouring countries.Even if it started with the demand
for autonomy of the Albanians in Macedonia, it would rapidly turn into a
campaign for a Greater Albania. Likewise Macedonias neighbours Greece,
Bulgaria, Serbia will try to support it in order to secure as much as possible
of the Macedonian heartland¹s.

The Macedonian question and the Albanian nationalists campaign Macedonia have
to be seen in the wider context of such a nightmarish perspectives, which
would
further increase the tensions between the peoples, which would further
alienate
the working classes of all nations and also increase the political, economic
and trade union atomisation of our class. It would increase the misery of all
peoples and it will hit particularly hard the Romanis and Sintis.

Any new national war will not succeed in "solving" any of the national
questions. It will only lay the foundation for stimulating nationalist revenge
in the next war. The nationalists of all nations in the Balkans actually share
the reactionary idea to solve the question of Balkanisation by one "final
victory" in their war ­ but it only creates the aspiration of one more
round by
the bourgeois and petit-bourgeois of the other side. The will of all these
leaders to bring in imperialism or this or that imperialist power on "their
side" is intimately linked to this.

In the end, such a war would also increase imperialism¹s hold on the Balkans
and its ability to divide and rule, even if it induces more instability in the
first place. The bourgeois governments and nationalists politics have already
led to a tremendous increase of imperialism¹s influence and direct control of
the Balkans.

The strength of bourgeois and petit-bourgeois nationalist forces in all
nations
is the other side of the tremendous dept of the crisis of proletarian
leadership. Capitalist restoration and wars have led to a weakening of the
working class as a social force. Moreover, the working class in all countries
has no independent class politics.

It can only develop such by resolutely separating itself from the nationalists
of all sorts. It has to combine sharp denunciation of the reactionary
nature of
the nationalists of "their" nation, their subordination to the imperialists
and
their role in dividing the working class with the defending the democratic
rights of all minorities, with defending the right to self-determination
(up to
and including succession) of all nations.

This includes the right of the Kosovars in Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac to
decide whether to join Kosovo or not, just as we defend the right of the Serb
majority areas in northern Kosovo to decide whether to join Serbia or not. But
defending the right to do so, is not the same as advocating it.We have to
stress hat the solution of the national tensions, of Balkanisation does not
lay
at all in increasing the number of state-lets, of small, more or less
"ethnically pure" territories. The creation of a Greater Serbian or Albanian
states are ­ as we have seen in the war drives of Milosevic ­ reactionary
nationalist utopias, the working class has to oppose ferociously.

Moreover, the nationalists Guerrilla actions at the moment run against the
popular sentiments in many countries. The workers and peasants in Serbia and
Kosova are unwilling to be dragged into another nationalist war.The KLA lost
the elections in Kosova which demonstrates the willingness of the Kosovar
people not to wage another round of wars. Likewise, the Serbian youth doesn¹t
want to be drafted into another war for Serbian soil. The attempts of the KLA
in Macedonia and the UCPMB to start another war cannot be supported, they have
to be opposed just was we oppose offensive armed actions by Serbs in Kosova
who
are nationally oppressed by the new administration.

At the same time the economic struggles of workers against the effects of
capitalist restoration and imperialist exploitation have increased in all
countries over the last months. Large parts of the public sector workers in
Macedonia are on strike since December 2000 fighting for higher wages.
Likewise
the Serbian government is still faced with important protests by workers and
trade unions.

Macedonia is the immediate crisis spot at the moment, but we also have to
address the greater framework of Balkanisation, imperialist domination,
capitalist restoration and how to fight it. In Macedonia we have to fight to
prevent the outbreak of an all out war with the following slogans:
o For equal democratic rights of the Albanians in Maceondia, the right to
speak
their language and to it to be taught in schools and universities and to be
recognised as an official language! End to all discrimination of Albanians in
public live.
o Immediate withdrawal of the Macedonian army from the Tesovo region; UCK end
the offensive. For the formation of soldiers committees inside the army to
organise opposition against the war drive and to break the control of the
officers.
o For the formation of workers and peasant councils in all the cities and on
the countryside in order to organise public live, secure food and supply for
the population. They must be composed of all nationalities and prevent all
national and chauvinist attacks and harassment.
o Arm the workers and peasants, for the formation of a workers and peasant
militia under the control of the councils in the towns and villages. Open the
barracks to arm the workers.
o The trade unions have to play a crucial role as organisations of all
workers,
Albanian and Slavic, to organise arming and defending the class and to secure
that the Albanians and Slaves who already fled can return safely.
o Expropriate the imperialist assets in Macedonia, re-nationalise privatised
industries under workers control. For an emergency plan of the working class,
to secure a living for the whole population, to reorganise the run down
economy
according to the needs of the population, for a programme of public work,
housing etc. in order to address the oppression of the Albanians in
particular.
o Imperialists out of Macedonia and the whole of the Balkans.Immediate
compensation and reparation for the destruction¹s caused by the NATO war and
exploitation by the imperialist countries. For an international of the workers
movement for force the imperialists to compensate for the reconstruction of
the
Balkans without delay and conditions.
o Expropriate the new bourgeoisie and the "criminal" proto-capitalists who
make
a living of smuggling, prostitution.
o Equal rights for women and all other socially oppressed. For a proletarian
women¹s movement. Women must also play a full role in the councils and
militias.
o Most importantly: build a multi-national revolutionary workers party, which
fights for a workers and peasants government based on councils and militias
and
for a united socialist federation of the Balkans.The working class in
Macedonia
and the whole of the Balkans has to intervene in the current crisis and the
threat of war. All existing political forces in Macedonia ­ imperialism, the
government and the opposition Slav bourgeois parties, the different Albanian
parties and the KLA ­ are unwilling and unable to remove the roots of the
current conflict, even if it might be contained for the moment.

Only the working class, if it gains the political lead, can prevent the
disaster and tragedy of another war . It has to put the question of working
class unity across the borders at the centre of its policy. Only so will it be
able to act independently of imperialism and of various nationalist factions.
Only so will it be able to lead the peasantry, the urban poor and
petit-bourgeoisie and break the influence of nationalist and imperialist
forces.

Therefore, the workers party slogan is of central importance in Serbia,
Kosova,
Albania, Macedonia. We call on all workers organisation to build such a party
and we fight for it to be based on a revolutionary internationalist programme.
We support all attempts to build direct links between the workers and their
organisations in all the countries.

The workers organisations have to wage a struggle to prevent the intervention
of imperialism and of "their" governments into the Macedonian crisis and to
fuel tensions and organise mass protests and strikes against this. They
have to
unite with students, peasants and democratic urban petit-bourgeois in this
attempt.

Only so can we fight together and successfully against imperialist control and
occupation, for the expropriation of the imperialists and the emerging
bourgeoisie, for an emergency plan under workers control, for the arming of
the
workers and peasants, the smashing of the bourgeois states, the breaking up of
their armed forces, the formation of a workers and peasants governments, a
socialist federation of the Balkans.

Such a federation is the only means by which the national question on the
Balkans can be resolved in a democratic and progressive way, since it is the
only means by which the roots of Balkanisation ­ belated and uneven
development
of capitalism, fragmentation and imperialist domination - can be overcome.

FOR MORE ON THE BREAK UP OF YUGOSLAVIA SEE:
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/balkanpamphletch4.html>http://www.wor
kerspower.com/wpglobal/balkanpamphletch4.html

============================================================

>>ITALY: BOSSES BACK BERLUSCONI TO ATTACK WORKERS PAST GAINS
Workers Power Global, Milan

Italy goes to the polls on 13 May to elect both the national government and
the
local councils. It does so amidst fears among progressives that a victory of
the right-wing coalition headed by media magnate Silvio Berlusconi would
represent a serious setback for the democratic fibre of Italian society.

Not only is Berlusconi in alliance with the former fascist Alleanza Nazionale
and the pro-Haider and racist Lombardy League, but it is strongly suspected
that if he wins the election (which seems likely), his business interests will
conflict with the objectivity of his and his government's decision making and
that with control of state television he will have a virtual monopoly on
information.

As readers of the latest edition of The Economist will have noted, Berlusconi
has been (and still is) under investigation for corruption and lurid
money-making scams. He also refuses to account publicly for the origins of the
£50 million or so which he used to start up his businesses in the 1970s.

The suggestion, and one recently published in a book entitled The Smell of
Money (L'Odore dei Soldi), is that his primitive accumulation of capital
was of
mafia origin and that he laundered it through anonymous off-shore companies
from which he then built his fortune.

The centre-left coalition headed by former mayor of Rome Francesco Rutelli is
using these corruption and "conflict of interests" themes in its last
desperate
attempt to stave off a defeat which, if the opinion polls prove right,
would be
of the same proportions as that suffered by the Tories in the last general
election in Britain.

But the fact that the centre-left depends so heavily on such issues betrays a
simple fact: programmatically there is little to separate the two coalitions.

Rutelli cannot attack Berlusconi's neo-liberal programme when over the last
five years the government has been practising the fundamental tenets of
neo-liberalism.

Moreover, for all the centre-left's ranting about the "threat to democracy"
and
to "the values of the Constitution" etc., it was precisely Democratic Left
leader Massimo D'Alema who spent a whole year between 1997 and 1998 seeking to
alter the Italian Constitution with the agreement of Berlusconi and his far
right allies in a (failed) two-chamber commission.

This was in an attempt to guarantee "government stability" in preparation for
attacks on working class historic gains. And so as not to lose Berlusconi's
support during that two-chamber fiasco, all talk of Berlusconi's fortune, its
origins and its incompatibility with government was let drop, only to now
reappear in the last weeks of the election campaign.

Even though the world of foreign finance is expressing anti-Berlusconi
"concerns" through The Economist, the Financial Times, El Mundo and Le Monde,
the Italian bourgeoisie-in the form of the bosses' organization
(Confindustria)-supports Berlusconi. This was made clear at the recent its
convention which on separate days was addressed by Rutelli and Berlusconi.

The reception for the former was polite, while that for the latter it was
euphoric. But why, against the European tendency towards social democrat
governments in Europe, and against the implorations of important organs of the
imperialist bourgeoisie, should Italy be on the verge of voting for
Berlusconi?

Having used the centre-left to defuse the mass movement of 1994, the
Confindustria is now eager to proceed with "reforms" at a much faster rate
than
is being guaranteed by the centre-left. The latter has made important strides
in a pro-boss direction, boasting that the 1.2 million jobs created over the
past five years have almost all been on a short contract and casual basis.

But measures such as this have not been codified, and Italian bosses remain
without the right to sack. Trade unions are certainly passive, but they remain
sleeping giants; pensions may have been hit, but this is on a long term basis
and both they and the bosses' contributions towards them remain guaranteed;
and
in the health system an important abolition of "tickets" allows the
chronically
ill (and over the next two years everybody) to have free medical service from
consultations to operations to prescriptions.

Confindustria, however, is impatient. It wants casual labour and the right to
sack, it wants the pension system "reformed", it wants the unions in their
place, and it wants all this now. The centre-left's insistence that it can
achieve this while keeping a lid on the unions is no longer washing with the
bosses.

Granted, Berlusconi has at no point stated that he will attack workers'
rights,
though this is only because he limits himself to announcing his "five great
strategies" (which boil down to bureaucratic reform and a programme of public
works which is unrealizable in capitalism).

He also intends making huge tax cuts without mentioning what will be cut to
allow for this. Indeed, it is worth noting that, unlike the centre-left
coalition, Berlusconi has not published a programme stating exactly what it is
he intends to do if elected.

Rather, he is using £10 million of his huge personal fortune (about £9
billion)
to send every Italian household a copy of an expensive and glossy book of
photographs of himself and of his "achievements".

But if Berlusconi goes into government it will not be primarily down to the
Confindustria's support. Despite the centre-left's "success" in achieving the
Maastricht criteria without making any strategically successful pro-boss
attacks on workers' historic gains and on the trade unions, Berlusconi's
overwhelming lead in the polls reflects working class passivity and
disillusion.

While its historical gains remain bruised but not broken, the working class
has
only pro-employer sacrifices to show for five years of centre-left government.
As things stand, the working class' future looks bleak regardless of who wins
the election: the fundamental programme of both alliances is institutional
change as a guarantee of "stability" while serious inroads are
contemporaneously made into full-time, permanent and pensionable employment.
Stability of profits will be paid for by job instability, uncertainty and
anxiety for workers and their families.

Rifondazione Comunista is doing its best to engage with these disillusioned
workers. It has refused to support the centre-left coalition and has rightly
pointed out that if the right is about to win this is because the centre-left
has for five years gone out of its way to give guarantees only to the now
ungrateful Confindustria and the Milanese stock exchange (la borsa).

But Rifondazione has nevertheless made a huge concession to precisely the
centre-left coalition. It will not be presenting candidates for the parliament
in those first-past-the-post colleges which account for 75% of the election
system. It will present independent candidates only for the 25% of seats still
covered by proportional representation.

This is betrayal. In those colleges where workers will be faced with christian
democrat they will be faced with the very reason which has led to their
political passivity: namely, there is nobody representing their interests.

Once again Rifondazione shows its credentials: precisely at a time when its
rhetoric has reached new left-wing heights it is subordinating working class
struggle to the machinations of bourgeois institutional politics (it wants
favours in the elections for the senate in exchange for its
non-belligerence in
the parliament) and to a real but certainly exaggerated "threat from the
right".

To be sure, workers and revolutionaries do not want Berlusconi and his rotten
cronies and hangers-on to win. But neither can support for the centre-left
coalition as a whole be encouraged.

Workers, unemployed, youth and immigrants must vote only for Democratic Left
candidates in the first-past-the-post colleges and give preferences first to
Rifondazione and then to Democratic Left candidates in the proportional
section.

This should not, however, be with any illusions. Since their foundation in the
early 1990s both parties have faithfully served the interests of the Italian
capitalist state.

For all its ranting and threatening, Rifondazione Comunista voted all the
anti-worker measures of the Prodi government, breaking with it only after the
pro-Maastricht criteria had been achieved at the expense of workers and
pensioners.

It has shown time and again that its role in the Italian class struggle is to
redirect potential worker radicalness back into the dead end of the
parliamentary talking shop.

This election campaign is not over yet. To the chorus of international
"concern" important Italian institutions have added their voices.

The Tory newspaper Il Corriere della Sera recently published a list of all of
Berlusconi's candidates who are under investigation for corruption, while only
yesterday the head of the Bank of Italy praised the government's
achievement on
the unemployment front. Both of these declarations should be interpreted as
pro-government interventions in the election campaign.

But the Italian working class cannot depend on Il Corriere della Sera and the
Bank of Italy to resolve its problems: these are only tactical quibbles within
a ruling class worried that Italy's criminal capitalism is too evident in a
figure like Berlusconi.

Only by building a new revolutionary party, by taking power and by destroying
capitalism and its institutions can Italian workers and workers of the world
ever fully guarantee that their problems will be resolved to their own and not
to the bosses' favour.

Italian workers need to rediscover the spirit of 1994 when they stopped the
Berlusconi assault not in the parliament, but on the streets and in their
millions.

FOR MORE ON ITALY SEE:
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/italianpage.html

============================================================

>>FRANCE: RANK AND FILE CALL FOR MASS DEMO AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT
Workers Power Global, Paris

Although unemployment has been consistently falling in France over the last
four years, globalisation has pushed the question of job-losses to centre
stage
again.

Over the last few weeks a series of closures and sackings have
been announced, all in major multinationals - Danone, Alsthom, Philips,
Moulinex, Motorola, Marks & Spencer - or in companies that have been
victims of
multinational asset-stripping, such as the AOM-Air Littoral group, owned by
Swissair.

In most of these cases - in particular Danone - the companies are making huge
profits, and are closing profitable factories in order to delocalise
production
and make even more money. The cynicism of Danone led on the one hand to a
massive public outcry and the launching of a relatively successful consumer
boycott campaign, and the other to growing calls for the government to act.

In particular, the Communist Party (PCF) took up the call popularised in 1995
by the trotskyist group Lutte Ouvrière (LO) for a law banning sackings in
companies that are in profit. In mid-April the PCF organised a 20,000-strong
demonstration in Calais, one of its electoral strong-holds and the site of a
threatened Danone factory.

The Socialist-Communist-Green coalition government, not wanting to upset its
capitalist bosses, responded by promising a law that will merely make it more
expensive for companies to sack workers. And in fact, the indeminities
proposed
in the government¹s bill are less than those generally accorded by
multinationals when they close factories.

In these circumstances, it is hardly surprising that the forces of the
far-left, in particular LO and the Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire (LCR)
decided to up the stakes by calling for a national demonstration in Paris
against all sackings.

On 3 May, 300 rank and file trade unionists, many of them members of or
influenced by LO and the LCR, responded to a call by workers from Danone, AOM
and M&S to organise a Paris demo on 9 June. The meeting called on all unions
and parties - including the three governmental parties - to support the demo.

The PCF and the main union federation, the CGT, were also present, but tended
to focus on the CGT¹s regional day of action on 22 May, when the government¹s
bill on indemnities for sacked workers will be discussed in parliament.

The meeting was lively and enthusiastic, with some speakers talking of
hundreds
of thousands of demonstrators. If that were to happen, it would be a major
step
forward in the fight against the effects of globalisation on French workers,
and a great blow against the current policies of the government and the
bosses.

However, at the moment the movement is unclear over its slogans. The AOM
workers pointed out that a law banning sackings in profitable companies would
do them no good at all because their companies are making massive losses,
thanks to the activities of their new owners, Swissair. Ultra-left hecklers
also laughed at the idea that the government would ever approve such a law.

More importantly, although focussing on a law provides workers with a clear
argument to have with their comrades, underlines the responsibility of the
government and provides an excellent way of putting the PCF and the Socialist
party to the test, it fails to deal with the weakness of the current movement:
it is up to the workers themselves to take action and defend jobs by their own
actions, including by occupations.

At the moment, none of the threatened companies are even on strike. The key
question for the movement must be on the one hand to organise rank and file
action to protect jobs - all-out strikes, occupations, consumer solidarity -
with democratic structures such as strike committees and pickets to mobilise
and organise the movement, and the other to forge active solidarity links with
workers in other countries.

In every case, globalisation is at the heart of these threatened sackings, in
every case workers in other countries must join the struggle.

The Marks & Spencers workers have already understood this last point. M&S is
threatening to close all its shops in continental Europe. In France this
attack
has been (temporarily) stopped because management failed to comply with French
labour law. M&S will be back on the offensive soon.

To organise a continental response to this attack, M&S workers from all over
Europe will be demonstrating in the streets of London, in front of company
headquarters, on 17 May. This kind of initiative, linked with the CGT¹s day of
action on 22 May and the 9 June Paris demonstration, could form the basis of a
turn in the class struggle, not only in France, but throughout Europe.

FOR MORE ON FRANCE SEE:
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/Francestrikesjan2k1.html>http://www.w
orkerspower.com/wpglobal/Francestrikesjan2k1.html

============================================================

>>UKRAINE: FOR A NEW GENUINE KOMSOMOL!
RV-MRM Ukraine, Kiev

In March several members of Komsomol ­ the youth organization of the Communist
Party in Ukraine (KPU) ­ published an Open letter against the KPU's reformist
policy. This letter created a kind of scandal in Komsomol and was and still is
widely discussed in the branches. Many rank&file members in Komsomol ­ in Kiev
approximately _ of the membership ­ openly expressed their sympathy with the
content of the letter.

Since than the KPU went further in its reactionary policy and now openly
co-operates with the pro-Kuchma Oligarch parties in the parliament and
together
they ousted prime minister Yushchenko on 26. April. As a reaction the six
Komsomol members who signed the first letter published now a second Open
Letter
which was widely distributed on the Mayday demonstration in Kiev yesterday.
The
letter calls for a conference of all opposition forces in Komsomol to discuss
about ways to form a really revolutionary Komsomol.

**********************************************

Second Open Letter to all Komsomol members
KPU has crossed the rubikon!: For a new, authentic communist Komsomol!

Comrades of Komsomol,

In our first letter we wrote: " But what is the KPU leadership doing in this
situation? NOTHING! Or to be more precise: Nothing in terms of mobilisation
and
mass actions. But a lot in terms of secret and not so secret negotiations with
the Kuchma regime to get a post in a possible government coalition."

This has now become true to the worst. On 26.4. the KPU deputies closed ranks
with the Oligarchs and Kuchma voted a motion of "no confidence" in Prime
Minister Viktor Yushchenko.

Of course we shed no tears for Yushchenko who is an lackey of Western
imperialism. Naturally it would be criminal for communists to defend
Yushchenko
post of prime ministership.

But it is equally criminal to ally with the bonaparte-like Kuchma regime and
the biggest capitalists in the country! KPU¹s policy means subordination to
another bourgeois camp.

But the working class must not choose between one of the bourgeois camps. Both
Yushchenko and Kuchma serve only the interests of capitalists but not the
people. The working class must have its independent camp!

The KPU is not a servant of the working class ­ it is a servant of a
faction of
the ruling class. It betrays the interests of the working class and all
principles of communism.

Since we issued the first letter Komsomol leadership has done nothing to
dissociate our organization from KPU. Quiet the opposite ­ they did threaten
the communist opposition with expulsion. Let¹s be clear: Komsomol leadership
are no communists ­ they serve their posts and carriers but not the interests
of authentic socialism.

The reality is: the KPU is in bed with the Oligarchs and the Komsomol
leadership is bed with the KPU.

We say: We will not remain in bed with the KPU and we therefor can not remain
in bed with the Komsomol leadership!

It is highly time to build a new revolutionary Komsomol. Our allies are
neither
Kuchma, nor the Oligarchs nor Simonenko. But we are not alone: Our allies are
all the workers and students fighting for a better live, for democratic rights
and against capitalist exploitation. Our allies are independent unions like
Zashita in Russia and Kazakhstan. Our allies are the anti-capitalist movement
which demonstrated powerful in Seattle, Prague and Quebec.

We must not loose time. All communist youth and workers must dissociate
themselves from the forces who serves the Oligarchs. Since Simonenko serves
the
Oligarchs and the Komsomol leadership serves Simonenko we can not remain in a
Komsomol which betrays all principles of communism and working class
independence. If we remain in Simonenkos Komsomol we would serve a leadership
which serves the Oligarchs.

No we must go back to the healthy, revolutionary tradition of the Komsomol at
the time of Lenin. At that time Komsomol was an organization of enthusiastic
young fighter with no interest in privileges and without a bureaucracy. It was
only later in the 1920s that Komsomol became a bureaucratic organization.

The time has come to build a new Komsomol. A Komsomol independent of all
bourgeois camps and independent of all bureaucrats. A Komsomol which is
committed to the goals of working class power, internationalism and socialism.

We need no empty words which is a characteristic of bureaucrats. Deeds must
follow the words. We therefor call for a conference of all activists in
Komsomol who share our criticism of the pro-Simonenko leadership.

We leave behind us a bureaucratic Komsomol which has betrayed its tradition.
Before us lays a new, authentic communist Komsomol! Join us in our struggle!

This letter is signed by Komsomol members
Fedor Protsik
Olga Mateshko
Alexey Gluhov
Igor Fayziev
Yuriy Dokukin
Alexey Vybornov

RV-MRM (Workers Power ­ Young Revolutionary Marxists, who are the Ukraine
section of the Ligue for a revolutionary communist International LRCI)
supported the ideas of the first Open Letter and also support this second Open
Letter which we publish below.

FOR MORE ON UKRAINE SEE:
http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/ukrainedec2k.html

============================================================
SLOVAKIA: FREE MARIO BANGO, VICTIM OF RACISM AGAINST ROMA
Workers Power Global, Vienna

The solidarity campaign for Mario Bango ­ we reported in the last weeks about
the 18year old Roma who defended his brother against a Nazi attacker ­ gets
more and more international support (at list of international supporter is
attached at the end).

Meanwhile Mario¹s appeal to be freed on bail till the beginning of the trial
was rejected by the judge. However the court has still not decided if Mario
will be accused of murder since the Nazi died later in hospital.

It is worth noticing that in the last days reports about skinhead attacks in
Slovakia appeared in the public including the murder of a dark skinned person.

At the same time other reports have become public showing that attacks against
non-white people are not punished in Slovakia. All this puts a light on the
circumstances Roma like Mario have to live in.

And indeed as we reported already they have been already attacked in the past.
It is no surprise that they prepared themselves for future attacks. We
unconditionally support Mario¹s legitime and successful act of self-defence.

The next important opportunity to show solidarity with Mario will be the
street
party in Bratislava on 9. June. This will be one of the most important
progressive events in Slovakia. The Ligue for a revolutionary communist
International (LRCI) call¹s for an international solidarity contingent for
Mario Bango.

At the same we must continue our campaign of sending letters of protest to the
Slovak authorities. We already managed to get the attention of the Slovak
president who replied to some supporters (see the letter attached at the end).

This shows that an international campaign can have some effect. So please
distribute our appeal and get more unions, individual etc. to write to the
Slovak authorities so that our demands get finally implemented:

* NO PROSECUTION AGAINST MARIO BANGO FOR MURDER!
* IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM PRISON!
* FREEDOM FOR MARIO BANGO WITHOUT FURTHER PROSECUTION!
* STOP DISCRIMINATION AND PERSECUTION OF ROMA PEOPLE IN SLOVAKIA!

**************************************************
Please send us your declaration of support respective let us know if you are
aware of the support of other organisations and persons. Send this to:
m.proebsting@netway.at
pv.sop@post.cz

PLEASE SEND THE FOLLOWING PROTEST DECLARATIONS TO THE SLOVAK AUTHORITIES:

Concerning: Mario Bango, born 8th June 1982, now in detention in Ustav na
vykon
vazby, priecinok 1077, Chorvatska 5, 812 29 Bratislava.

Dear Mr. President /Mr. Minister /Mr. Ambassador,

I am writing to inform you that the facts of the Mario Bango case are now
being
communicated to hundreds of human rights, antiracist and labour organisations
worldwide.

I must sharply protest against the treatment of Mario Bango who is detained
and
awaiting trial.

Mario Bango who is of Roma nationality was detained after he defended his
brother against a racist attack. He seriously injured the attacker in the
process. Then he himself called the police.

After interrogation he was detained and this was because the judge was
motivated by the fact that "he is of a weaker (lower) social layer and he
could
continue criminal actions." I understand that in the Slovak legal system a
person is presumed innocent and Mario has not been sentenced for anything yet.

Mario only defended his brother against racist attack. He had on his mind too
that his brother had already in the past been subject to attack by
fascists, in
one case even being seriously injured himself.

I am also outraged by the media presentation of the case and the political
response to the case. TV Markiza - without any evidence whatsoever - claimed
that the Bango brothers were stealing from fellow travellers before they were
attacked. Member of Parliament Kalman for the HZDS party used the death of a
racist attacker to push through a minute of silence on parliament.

I appeal to you so that you can use your authority to intervene and remedy the
situation. I demand the immediate release of Mario Bango from detention, and
the withdrawal of all charges against him.

Yours sincerely, xxx

The adress of the Slovak government is:
Urad Vlady (Bureau of the Slovak government)
Namestie Slobody
1 813 70 Bratislava,
Slowakische Republik

Tel: 00 421 7 5729 5111
Fax: 00 421 7 5249 7595
e-mail: urad@government.gov.sk

Slovak president:
Kancelaria Prezidenta
Stefanikova 14, 814 38 Bratislava

SEND POSTCARDS TO MARIO WITH A FEW WORDS OF SOLIDARITY (Mario only speaks
Slovak so longer letters are not useful):

Mário Bango, nar. 8. 6. 1982
Ústav na v_kon väzby
priecinok 1077
Chorvatská 5
812 29 Bratislava
Slovensko/Slovakia

Financial support is particularly important. We have to pay for a lawyer,
organise travels etc. Please, send a donation to MRCI, National Westminster
PLC
(bank code:60-20-31, 358 South Lambeth Road, London, England A/c No:28982630)
with covering letter to m.proebsting@netway.at

List of International Supporters for Mario campaign
30.4.2001

Amandeep Sandhu (University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada)
Antifaschistische Linke (Austria)
ArbeiterInnenstandpunkt (Ligue for a revolutionary communist International
(LRCI) Austria)
Arbeitermacht (LRCI Germany)
Arbeitsgruppe Marxismus (Austria)
Arbetarmakt (LRCI Sweden)
Budoscnost (CWI Czech Republic)
Campaign Against Deportations of Asylum Seekers (Britain)
Cederic Jaburek (France)
Confederation of Free Labour (Voronech, Russia)
Communist Organization for the Fourth International (COFI)
Dutch organisation of activists against racism and fascism, De Fabel
van de illegaal
Editorial Board of the Internet newspaper widerst@nd-MUND (Austria)
Editorial Board of the website www.no-racism.net (Austria)
Funke (Austria)
Gewerkschaftlicher Linksblock (Austria)
Grünalternative Jugend Wien (Austria)
Grüne und Alternative StudentInnen (Austria)
Gruppe Initiative für eine revolutionäre Organization (Austria)
Michael Gemacher (deputy chief shop steward ÖHTB, Austria)
Andreas Görg
Independent Trade Union of Rovno (Ukraine)
Iranian Revolutionary Socialists' League
Kommunistischer StudentInnenverband KSV (Austria)
KommunistInnen und linke SozialistInnen Zwentendorf (Austria)
Komsomol (Czech Communist Party youth)
Tanja Kreinbucher (member of the national council of the social democratic
youth)
Claudia Kriegelsteiner (Communist Party in Vienna, Austria)
LabourNet-Austria
League for the Revolutionary Party (LRP-U.S.)
Linkswende (International Socialists in Austria
LRCI ­ Occupied Palestine (Israel/Palestine)
Ulrike Lunacek (member of parliament, spokeswoman for the Green Party for
foreign and development policy and the end of discrimination of lesbian&gay
discrimination. Miss Lunacek only support the call not to charge Mario on
murder, for a serious investigation of the background of the Nazi and for a
fair trial for Mario)
Marxist-Feminist Union (Ukraine)
Mauricio Lazala (BTSELEM - Israeli Human rights organization)
Alexander Magnus (chief shop steward, Austria Fonds Soziales, Vienna/Austria)
Markus Moiser (Austria)
Mieterinitiative Zwentendorf (Austria)
Gini Müller (dramaturgy, Austria)
Naomi Schacter (Israel)
Franz Stephan Parteder (Communist Party Graz/Austria)
Horst Pilhofer (municipal councillor in Zwentendorf, Austria)
Michaela Posch (chief shop steward, BVG GesmbH, Austria)
Michael Pröbsting (independent Journalist, Austria)
Angelika Sattek (teacher, deputy chief steward of the trade union council in
the biggest Austrian high school)
Martin Seelos (Editor of the trade union paper OFFENSIV, Austria)
Sozialistische Alternative (USFI Austria)
Sozialistische Jugend Alsergrund (Austria)
Verein Gemeinsam gegen Rassismus (Austria)
Socialist Resistance (CWI Russia)
Socialist Action (CWI Moldova)
Socialist Workers Organization (SOP ­ LRCI Czech Republic)
Sozialistische LinksPartei (CWI Austria)
Steve Myers (ISWoR)
Trade Union commitee of the factory "Metallist" (Uralsk,. Russia)
Markus Vorzellner, (Musician and independent journalist in Austria)
Workers Power Australia (LRCI Australia)
Workers Power Britain (LRCI Britain)
Workers Power Ireland (LRCI Ireland)
Workers Power ­ Young Revolutionary Marxists (LRCI Ukraine)
Workers Resistance (CWI Ukraine)
Workers movement "Solidarity" (Kazahstan)

FOR MORE ON MARIO'S CAMPAIGN SEE:
http://<http://www.workerspower.com/>www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/Marioapp
eal.html
http://sop-lrki.webpark.cz/

============================================================

SOUTH AFRICA: UITENHAGE VW WORKERS SACKINGS MUST BE STOPPED!
Workers International Vanguard League, South Africa

The 1386 VW workers have families to support and their dismissal has meant
that
the municipal income in Uitenhage has dropped from R310 000 to R170 000 per
month since the dismissal. Since the mass dismissal in February last year,
VWSA
has dismissed many more workers.

Workers rights are under attack even more than in the times of apartheid. If
the case is lost at Labour Appeal Court, the bosses all over the country will
use this judgement to dismiss workers without a hearing. They will simply call
a meeting with union officials and sign agreements behind the backs of
workers,
to dismiss those whom they do not like.

Already we know that many union leaders are signing unmandated agreements and
then forcing these onto workers. This is what the judges call the
"majoritarian" principle, that is, allowing the minority [the union officials
and the bosses] to dictate to the working class.

If the Labour Appeal Court rules against the workers then this will show that
the courts are the instrument of violence of the bosses against the working
class, to keep us in chains!

But this is not all! The Government have come up with proposals to change the
labour laws. In these proposals , the government has generalised what happened
at VW last year and want to make it law so that it applies to all workers!
This
is a worse attack than even what the apartheid regime proposed in 1988. The
Cosatu leaders have sold out the demands of the workers.

In short, this is what the Cosatu leaders, the big capitalists and the
government have agreed on:

o Workers have the right to strike against retrenchment but the minute they go
on strike, the bosses can dismiss the strikers without a hearing!
o Workers can no longer challenge any aspect of unfair retrenchment in the
court, but can only challenge the right of information.

The role of the CCMA is reduced and shortened , so many more companies will
take arbitration decisions on review, as they did in the VWSA mass dismissal.
This will be more difficult for the worker, as the bosses
have huge resources to employ expensive lawyers.

Last year, the Cosatu workers decided on rolling general strikes until the
amendments are scrapped. The Cosatu leaders promised that there would be blood
on the floor! The only blood that will be shed will the many thousand more
workers, who will now be retrenched or dismissed!

The working class needs to unite nationally and internationally!

In the past the VWSA workers defended the strikers at Goodyear and many other
companies. Today all workers need to stand up and defend the dismissed VWSA
workers- all workers need to stand up against the proposed amendments.

We call on all workers, nationally and internationally, to start steps not to
handle goods bound for VWSA, nor handle any exports from VWSA, if the workers
are not reinstated. We call on all workers, irrespective of union affiliation,
to unite in mass action against the changes to the labour laws and other
attacks. We call on a Workers Summit to plan mass action against all the
attacks faced by the working class. Now is the time to build an independent,
revolutionary working class party in SA and indeed across the world!

Workers International Vanguard League makes a call for Rolling mass action
until the 1386 VWSA workers are reinstated!

Workers International Vanguard League 24 April 2001; 1st Floor, Community
House, 41 Salt River rd, Salt River, 7925. Ph 021 4476777; cell 0731555529;
e-mail wivl@sn.apc.org ]

FOR MORE ON SOUTH AFRICA LABOUR MOVEMENT SEE
<http://www.workerspower.com/wpglobal/SAgeneralstrike.html>http://www.worke
rspower.com/wpglobal/SAgeneralstrike.html

============================================================

>> BECOME A CORRESPONDENT FOR WPG
The LRCI has members across the globe - but there are many countries where we
have no correspondents. Send us your news and views:
newswire@workerspower.com

============================================================
>> NOW FORWARD THIS TO A COMRADE >> NOW FORWARD THIS TO A COMRADE

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Redaktionsschluss: 5. Mai 2001, 22:00 Uhr


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