[act-ma] 9/29 SOLIDARITY RALLY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL GENERAL STRIKE AGAINST AUSTERITY (Wed)

[Matthew Andrews]

SOLIDARITY RALLY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL GENERAL STRIKE AGAINST AUSTERITY

Massachusetts State House
(Near the Park Street T stop)

12 NOON
Wednesday, September 29

RSVP on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105027972890464

Tomorrow millions of workers in Spain will walk off the job for a one- 
day general strike against government austerity while finance  
ministers meet in Brussels to plan further cuts across Europe.  The  
European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has called for a continental  
day of action.  Protesters will converge on Brussels from France,  
Germany, the Netherlands as well as Belgium.  There are also protests  
announced in Portugal, Britain, Ireland, Italy, Latvia and Poland.   
Statements and actions of solidarity echo around the world.  Such  
militant action by the working class of Europe is without precedent  
and deserves our attention and solidarity.

Help us inform people about the brave and visionary leadership of the  
european working class this September 29th as they initiate this  
international one-day general strike.  Here in Boston we will rally at  
noon in front of the statehouse!  We will have a huge banner to  
proclaim our "Solidarity with the General Strike in Europe" and link  
our common struggles:   No to budget cuts!  No austerity!  Foreclose  
the Wars, not our Homes!  Global capitalism is not working!  So far  
this struggle has been set in the context of Massachusetts politics.   
We must expand that perspective to the international level.

The Socialist Party, Socialist Alternative, and the Industrial Workers  
of the World are co-sponsoring this action, but we invite any group  
that wishes to express their solidarity to attend.

We are also aware of the fact that a massive demonstration in  
Washington DC is being planned to address the economic crisis,  
immigration, and, thanks to outside grassroots efforts, the wars and  
occupations.  This demonstration is being organized by powerful  
organizations, yet their program is constricted by the agenda of the  
Democratic Party.  They would have us continue to campaign and vote  
for the politicians who are expanding the wars, curtailing our civil  
liberties, ignoring the environment and wrecking the livelihoods of  
working people.  Consequently, there is no call to strike and no  
connection to the international economy.  Even core demands for jobs,  
housing, and immigration reform, remain tied to the legislative agenda  
in Congress.  The US left must do more than tag along behind this  
action.  We need to build a broad faction to advance meaningful  
demands and raise international class consciousness so that in the  
future our actions can be coordinated with our allies abroad.  It is  
likely that hundreds of thousands of people will be in DC on October  
2nd, just four days after the protests and general strike in Europe.   
Despite the weak demands of rally organizers, there will be a strong  
Peace Contingent and Socialist Contingent reaching out to people who  
want to fight for a better world.  It is vital that we share the news  
from Europe with them!  The European struggle against government  
austerity and global capitalism is our struggle too!


Workers of the World Unite!


October 2nd: Socialist Contingent at the One Nation rally in  
Washington DC
http://socialistcontingentoct2.blogspot.com/


October 7th: National Day of Action to Defend Public Education!
http://www.phenomonline.org/


For more background info:

Statement of Left MEPs (Members of European Parliament) on September  
29th
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4511


European Trade Union Confederation
http://www.etuc.org/a/7407


Unions rally to fight European austerity measures
http://www.tribunemagazine.co.uk/2010/09/unions-rally-to-fight-european-austerity-measures/


Lots of news in Spanish from the UGT (General Workers Union) website:
http://www.ugt.es/index1.html


Statements from the Socialist Party USA
http://socialistparty-usa.org/statements/septoctlaboractions83110.html

http://socialistparty-usa.org/statements/sept29genstrikelabcomm82910.html

http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2010/05/socialist-party-usa-solidarity-with-the-protests-in-greece/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://act-ma.org/pipermail/act-ma_act-ma.org/attachments/20100928/51ccb470/attachment.html>