PFLP on Freedom Flotilla Attack

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine condemns the latest Israeli massacre on the high seas, in international waters, the brutal assault on the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza on May 31, 2010. The Israeli state terror pirates, said the Front, attacked the humanitarian aid and international solidarity ships with firearms and commandos; the Front said that this is the latest crime against humanity committed by the occupation state, illustrating its blatant disregard for international law.

The Front saluted all of the members of the Freedom Flotilla, particularly the martyrs and wounded, saying that these are martyrs of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause, and of the struggle of people everywhere for liberation, justice and freedom, and will be immortal in our struggle, and that the Flotilla's prisoners are with the prisoners of our Palestinian Arab nation, prisoners of freedom in the hands of a terror occupation state.

It called upon the Palstinian movement in Palestine and in exile and all progressive forces around the world to continue and escalate their actions at Israeli embassies and consulates around the world, including emulating the example of the Turkish people in occupying the Israeli embassy in Anakara, and demanded an immediate end to any so-called indirect or direct negotiations with the murderous regime.

The Front demanded that all Arab nations end their relations with the occupation state and cut off diplomatic ties, demanding serious international action at an official level to bring the criminal leaders of the occupation state to justice in international courts and severely punish them for their crimes. Furthermore, the Front said that the United States government and all silent and complicit governments bear responsibility for this latest crime as well as all of the ongoing crimes of this occupation state against the Palestinian Arab people.

The Front pledged to hold fast to the examples of these activists, the latest martyrs of the great struggle of people for liberation and return and for justice in the face of an occupier and invader. They shall live on, the PFLP pledged, in the determination and resistance of the Palestinian people to see justice and freedom and end the crimes of the terror state.

World Outrage Against Israel

A humanitarian aid flotilla destined for Gaza containing medicine, food, and tools was recently attacked by the Israeli military in international waters, killing 19 and wounding over 30 people. It has been reported that the Israelis opened fire first. This event has sparked outrage and condemnation from people worldwide. Here are some examples of the outrage.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has said about the actions of Israel, "I condemn this violence." "It is vital that there is a full investigation to determine exactly how this bloodshed took place."

Spain, as acting president of the European Union, has condemned the massacre carried out by Israel. They immediately called the Tel Aviv ambassador in Madrid to demand an explanation.

The African Union has condemned the actions of Israel as a violation of international law. "The AU is shocked by the Israeli security force's bloody operation carried out on Monday against a humanitarian convoy for Palestinians," said the African Union in a statement.

France and the UN Mideast envoy also expressed condemnation for Israel, and Greece suspended a military exercise with Israel and postponed a visit with the Israeli air force chief. The Turkish Prime Minister has called these actions by the Israeli security forces "state terrorism" and has recalled its ambassador to Israel.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed outrage against Israel, saying the use of "weapons against citizens and the seizing of ships in open waters with no legal grounds a gross violation of commonly accepted international legal norms." They also called for an independent investigation into the incident and said that these events prove there is a "necessity of a halt of the Gaza blockade."

The Turkish Labour Party, or EMEP, has stated that the Turkish people will not be indifferent to this attack. According to original news reports, 10 Turkish citizens were among the dead. "People of Turkey will be by the side of the Palestinian people in this day as they were before and will respond to this attack which was directed to the aid ship, from all points of our country," said an EMEP statement.

The Communist Party of Turkey has also spoken out against Israel, calling for the expulsion of the Israeli mission in Turkey, an end to all Turkish agreements with Israel, and holding Zionism accountable for its crimes on all international platforms.

The Communist Party of Ireland has called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Ireland, ending Western appeasement of Israel, and for Ireland to boycott all trade with Israel. "It is time to lift the silence, break the blockade, and end the policy of appeasement of this dangerous rogue state," they said in a statement.

The Workers Party of Ireland has demanded the same, condemning Israel's actions as a violation of international law and reminiscent of fascism.

“Israel should be isolated and shunned by the international community until it demonstrates that it is prepared to operate under the norms of international law, end its terrorist actions and withdraw from the Palestinian territories,” said Michael Finnegan, President of the Party.

The Communist Party of Greece, or KKE, has called for an end to all Greek military cooperation with Israel and has condemned the Israeli attack on the flotilla as "barbaric."

"KKE calls the Greek people to strengthen the anti-imperialist solidarity with the Palestinian people," they said in a Central Committee press release.

The Portuguese Communist Party released a statement calling for the Portuguese government to "give Israel no immunity."

The Communist Party of Israel released a sarcastic statement of "congratulations" to the Israeli government for their attack on the flotilla. They called the Navy "pirates" and continued to say that Barak and Bibi belong in the "garbage can of history." Many Israelis will be holding protests against the siege of Gaza this week.

These organizations are only a very small sample of the millions of groups throughout the world that are demanding justice for the flotilla and Palestinians.

FOX News has reported that the flotilla activists shot at Israel first, but that the activists also snatched guns from the Israelis. This is completely contradictory. Why would they need to steal guns if they already had them to begin with? FOX has also said that an Israeli official claimed the activists had ties to Al-Qaeda, but we can laugh at this claim because if they truly were from Al-Qaeda they'd certainly have automatic weapons and probably would have suicide bombed the Israeli ships. What happened with this flotilla is certainly not Osama's style.

Customs officials at the Port of Antalya have stated that they didn't find actual weapons aboard the flotilla.

Do you know of a famous person or group that has condemned Israel's recent actions? Are you part of some form of group that has condemned Israel? If so, feel free to tell us all about it in the comments section.

Israel Facing Claims of Child Abuse

Geneva-based Defense for Children International (DCI) has gathered 100 affidavits of Palestinian children who were abused by their Israeli captors.

Fourteen children reported being sexually abused, or threatened with sexual abuse, if they didn't give the Israelis the information they wanted. One child who went only by "N" claimed to have suffered sexual abuse by interrogators.

DCI officials claim that confronting the Israeli military about this issue is useless, as the claims are usually dismissed as untrue.

"Our latest report, from 2009, shows that from the 600 complaints that were submitted to Israel's attorney-general, all of them were dismissed," said Bana Shoughry-Badarne, head of the legal department at the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel. She went on to say that the authorities didn't even carry out a criminal investigation.

DCI has now submitted its findings to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture in order to increase pressure on Israel.

There are two sets of laws in Israel, one for the Israelis and another for Palestinians. Palestinians are tried in military courts as adults if they are 16 or older. Others are tried as children in military courts. The Israeli detention policy for children denies them access to their families and lawyers during the detention process.

There are currently 340 Palestinian children being held prisoner by Israel, most of them have only committed the crime of throwing stones. Stone throwing carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. There is no appeals process for a military court decision.

Israel claims its handling of minors involves a special military court for minors, and that even in their own country the presence of a lawyer isn't required to try children.

US Companies Displacing Colombians

American corporations have been criticized recently for helping to create the world's second largest displaced population. Activists claim that millions of Colombians have lost their homes.

Protesters recently gathered on Capitol Hill in Washington DC to show their outrage. They held pictures of people who have been harmed by the displacement caused by US companies operating in Colombian indigenous territories. Millions of people in those areas have been displaced, gone missing, been tortured, or even killed.

“Military and paramilitary came to my town. They bombed out my town, they persecuted Africans living in the area,” said victim Marino Cardovo.

People like Cardovo make up Colombia's internally displaced population, which is the second largest in the world. The companies are continuing to seize Afro-Colombian and indigenous lands.

“Chiquita Banana has already testified, has confirmed its own guilt. They paid off paramilitaries to the tune of millions. During the time they were paying paramilitaries and guerrillas, 14,000 people in Colombia were killed,” said Ben Beachy, National Organizer from Witness For Peace organization.

The US is equipping, funding, and training the Colombian military which is only causing the crisis to worsen. Graduates of US training have been involved in massacres and human rights abuses.

The only hope for Colombia is the FARC and its progressive allies.

Guerrilla TV for May 30, 2010 (video)

Here is Guerrilla TV for May 30, 2010. It covers the recent train derailment in India, the agreements in Nepal, FARC, and the Philippine NPA's recent attacks.

China Neutral on Cheonan Incident

The People's Republic of China has recently decided to hold back on blaming North Korea for sinking the South Korean warship Cheonan. This decision by the Chinese has made it difficult for new sanctions against North Korea to be put in place quickly.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with South Korean and Japanese officials on Sunday. China doesn't seem ready to back new measures against North Korea in the UN Security Council.

"The urgent task for the moment is to properly handle the serious impact caused by the Cheonan incident, gradually defuse tensions over it and avoid possible conflicts," Wen said.

In Japan, Wen received an extensive briefing on the investigation into the ship sinking. He also expressed condolences for the dead sailors and their families. Analysts are predicting China will soon change its position and support sanctions, but China has said it will not defend any country once it finds out who really caused the incident.

"Because of the South Korean war-loving, mad puppets and American invaders, the North and South relationship is being driven to a catastrophe," Choi Yong Rim, a high-ranking North Korean Party official, said to an angry crowd of tens of thousands of North Koreans.

North Korea has continuously denied responsibility for sinking the South Korean ship.

Bush to Argentina: "War is Good"

Think Progress recently wrote up an article, accompanied by a video clip, about George W. Bush and former Argentinian President Néstor Kirchner. The article and video were related to an excerpt from Oliver Stone's new documentary South of the Border. Here is the excerpt from Stone's interview of Kirchner for his documentary. What you read may or may not shock you.

KIRCHNER: I said that a solution for the problems right now, I told Bush, is a Marshall Plan. And he got angry. He said the Marshall Plan is a crazy idea of the Democrats. He said the best way to revitalize the economy is war. And that the United States has grown stronger with war.

STONE: War, he said that?

KIRCHNER: He said that. Those were his exact words.

STONE: Is he suggesting that South America go to war?

KIRCHNER: Well, he was talking about the United States: ‘The Democrats had been wrong. All of the economic growth of the United States has been encouraged by wars.’ He said it very clearly.

So I guess the conservative ideology has proven itself wrong yet again. Government spending (for example, on the military) does help the economy!

During the Mao era China had great economic growth, which the CIA eventually recognized. During that time, China was less involved in wars than the United States. We could say the same thing about the industrialization of the USSR before World War Two. Socialism can fight wars, but it needs peace to grow. It's time for a new world economic structure!

For more information on the Chinese economy under Mao Zedong, please read this older article of mine: http://partisan-news.blogspot.com/2010/03/why-maoism-works.html

American College Students Less Empathetic

A 30 year long research analysis has shown that American college students aren't as empathetic as they used to be. The findings were presented in Boston this week at the annual Association of Psychological Science meeting.

"We found the biggest drop in empathy after the year 2000," co-author Sara Konrath, a researcher at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research and an affiliate of the University of Rochester psychiatry department, said. "College kids today are about 40 percent lower in empathy than their counterparts of 20 or 30 years ago, as measured by standard tests of this personality trait."

72 studies done between 1979 and 2009 were included in the research. The studies showed that modern college students are less likely to show concern about other people than their late 1970's counterparts.

"Many people see the current group of college students -- sometimes called 'Generation Me' -- as one of the most self-centered, narcissistic, competitive, confident and individualistic in recent history," said Konrath.

Konrath and her partners also said that exposure to the competitive market society that we live in is also a cause of this lack of empathy.

The sinking of the Cheonan

The South Korean government announced on May 20 that they had evidence supporting the claim that North Korea had sunk the South Korean Cheonan warship with a torpedo fired from a submarine.

Won See-hoon, director of South Korea's National Intelligence, stated to a parliamentary committee in early April (less than two weeks after the incident) that there was no evidence that North Korea attacked the Cheonan. South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young also said the same thing, stating that warship's crew didn't detect a torpedo. Lee Ki-sik, head of the marine operations office at South Korea's joint chiefs of staff, said, “No North Korean warships have been detected…(in) the waters where the accident took place.”

South Korean Defense Ministry officials have been quoted as saying, “We didn’t detect any movement by North Korean submarines nearby.”

A ministry spokesman, Won Tae-jae, told reporters that “With regard to this case, no particular activities by North Korean submarines or semi-submarines…have been verified. I am saying again that there were no activities that could be directly linked to [the sinking].”

South Korean Read Admiral Lee said, “We closely watched the movement of the North’s vessels, including submarines and semi-submersibles, at the time of the sinking. But military did not detect any North Korean submarines near the country’s western sea border.”

So far, North Korea has denied responsibility for the incident. North Korean analysts and investigators have been denied access to the data and materials from the South's inquiry of the incident. If the official story is solid, then why are they afraid of letting the North verify the proof?

It is unlikely that a torpedo could split a 1,200 ton warship in half as the official story goes. Baek Seung-joo, an analyst with the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis commented that, “If a single torpedo or floating mine causes a naval patrol vessel to split in half and sink, we will have to rewrite our military doctrine.”

The warship sank in some shallow waters that submarines have trouble accessing, according to one Southern naval leader. “Some people are pointing the finger at North Korea,” notes Song Young-moo, a former South Korean navy chief of staff, “but anyone with knowledge about the waters where the shipwreck occurred would not draw that conclusion so easily.”

It is possible that the area in which the Cheonan was operating could have been the problem. It is highly possible that the ship could have crashed into a reef. But can a reef crack a warship in two? According to Go Yeong-jae, the South Korean Coast Guard captain who rescued 56 of the stricken warship’s crew, he “received an order …that a naval patrol vessel had run aground in the waters 1.2 miles to the southwest of Baengnyeong Island, and that we were to move there quickly to rescue them.”

The South's inquiry into the alleged torpedo attack stated they had found a torpedo propeller that matches the North Korean model. “But it seemed that the collected parts had been corroding at least for several months,” observers said.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has taken a very tough position on North Korea. Lee is a known warhawk and advocates aggressive policies towards the North. He ended a ten year plan for South Korean aid to the North when he first took office in 2008, and refused to continue with cross-border economic projects.

President Lee aims to build support for his policies by blaming the Cheonan sinking on the North. This way he can have an excuse to spend millions of dollars on military equipment in order to help his masters in the US arms industry. The RAND Corporation, for example, has already urged Lee to purchase their navy sensors.

The United States also has every reason to support the claim that the North carried out a torpedo attack. Washington wants to use this as an excuse to keep its 60,000 military personnel based in Japan despite the Japanese citizens disapproval of having US troops occupy their country.

South Korean opposition parties also claim that Lee Myung-bak is fabricating evidence and using "red scare" tactics to build up support for his policies before the upcoming election in June. Woo Sang-ho, a spokesman for South Korea’s Democratic Party has called the probe results “insufficient proof and questioned whether the North was involved at all,” according to JoongAng Daily.

Seoul drew up plans for sanctions against the North and overhauled their national security right before the beginning of the investigation of the Cheonan incident. Civil society groups have denounced the inquiry’s findings because of this, arguing that “The probe started after the conclusions had already been drawn.”

Jung Sung-ki, a staff reporter for The Korean Times, has raised a number of questions about the inquiry’s findings. The inquiry concluded that “two North Korean submarines, one 300-ton Sango class and the other 130-ton Yeono class, were involved in the attack. Under the cover of the Sango class, the midget Yeono class submarine approached the Cheonan and launched the CHT-02D torpedo manufactured by North Korea.” But “’Sango class submarines…do not have an advanced system to guide homing weapons,’ an expert at a missile manufacturer told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. ‘If a smaller class submarine was involved, there is a bigger question mark.’”

Russia has stated recently that it is sending navy officials to look into the South Korean inquiry. Moscow claims it has its own theory about the incident, and that if Russia was involved in the investigation from the beginning the findings would be more impartial.

This "sinking" of the Cheonan is reminiscent of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, in which the US fabricated a story about North Vietnam sinking the USS Maddox. This was used as an excuse to attack North Vietnam. Now we see America and South Korea fabricating evidence in order to carry out an aggressive strategy towards North Korea under the pretext of "self-defense."

What Caused the Greek Crisis (video)

Here is a nice explanation of the Greek economic crisis. Although there is probably more to it than this, it's still a good place to start. It talks about bonds, Goldman Sachs, and even Obama.

Communist candidate wins at Bratsk early mayoral election

IRKUTSK, May 24 (Itar-Tass) -- After all ballots had been counted candidate from the Russian Communist Party Alexander Serov gained 39.71% of votes in the Sunday early mayoral election in Bratsk, the second largest city in the Irkutsk Region. The turnout has made 30.17%, a source in the regional election commission told Itar-Tass on Monday.

The major rivals of the winner – self-nominees from the United Russia Party Alexander Doskalschuk and Sergei Grishin polled 21.76% and 16.8% of votes, respectively. Seven candidates were running for Bratsk mayor.

Alexander Serov is 55 years old. His latest post was a technical director of the Electrocomplekt enterprise.

The early mayoral election was held in Bratsk, because the previous mayor filed his resignation on January 12, 2010. Under the federal legislation the election of a new mayor should be held not later than six months after the resignation of the previous mayor.

BP pumps poisonous dispersants into the Gulf

The following article was taken from PSLweb.org.

A political lesson about the relationship between the government and corporate power can be derived from one particular episode in the Gulf of Mexico catastrophe.

Oil giant BP wanted to keep the millions of gallons of gushing oil underwater. Out of sight, out of mind was the key component of BP’s publicity campaign aimed at damage control. The image of waves of oil devastating the coast, marshes, wetlands and wildlife could ignite a firestorm of outrage, anger and struggle against BP. So, BP tried to make the gushing oil invisible.

BP executives decided to try to force the oil underwater by pumping 800,000 gallons of another toxic poison, Corexit, into the millions of gallons of oil spreading throughout the Gulf waters.

After BP began using this so-called dispersant, the Environmental Protection Agency determined that the Corexit had killed up to 25 percent of living creatures at 500 feet below the surface. This poison has been banned in England for some time.

The EPA issued a directive to BP to find an alternative dispersant within 24 hours and to begin using it within 72 hours. But BP’s executives told the government and the EPA to bug off. In spite of the government order, BP announced that they would continue to use Corexit.

BP’s arrogance didn’t stop there. BP’s executives announced that much of the data regarding dispersants represents "confidential business information" and, therefore, they have a legal right to withhold it from the public and the government.

What has the EPA and the government in general done in response? The short answer is nothing. Instead, the EPA announced that the government is "currently evaluating all legal options." The EPA is not stopping BP from dumping another dangerous and deadly chemical into the ocean. It is not getting whatever evidence BP has about the impact of this and other dispersants. It is doing nothing except allowing BP to destroy the ocean and spread this poison to wildlife and, eventually, to humans.

In the United States under capitalism, it is BP and the corporate and banking elites that have their “boot on the throat” of the people and all the planet’s natural resources. The corporations own and thrive; and the rest of us labor for them, while the federal government functions as their guarantor and protector.

Guerrilla TV for May 22 (video)

Here is the return of Guerrilla TV on the Maoist Rebel News Network. This episode talks about Nepal, India, the Philippines, PFLP, and FARC. It's from May 22.

Italian Supermarkets Boycott Israel

Coop Italia and Nordiconad, two major Italian supermarket chains, have announced that they will be boycotting Israeli goods. All Israeli goods will be removed from their shelves by the end of the month according to the Italian Coalition Against Carmel-Agrexco. Agrexco is the top produce exporter from Israel and the illegally occupied territories.

Coop Italia said that it is removing Israeli goods from its stores due to "traceability, namely that the consumer is unable to verify whether or not the product in question comes from the occupied territories."

The Coalition "has vowed to make sure that both chains follow through on their promises, and encourages everyone to participate in this struggle for respect for international law, and freedom and self-determination for the Palestinian people."

Similar campaigns against Israel are being carried out by groups in other parts of Europe, including France.

‘Tough on oil companies’ rhetoric complete falsehood

The following is an excerpt from a seizeBP.org report.

The Obama administration severely downplays the relationship between government officials and the petroleum giants, which he says has been "cozy." He has stated that he will be more critical of this relationship, yet the federal government has approved 27 new drilling operations since the April 20 explosion.

As a result of the immense political power of big oil companies, a $75 million cap was placed on liability for damages other than oil removal and cleanup following the Exxon Valdez incident. Attempts to raise the cap as high as $20 billion have been blocked. BP is claiming it will pay for any "legitimate" claim of economic damage above the current cap.

Working people in the region and much of the country are dependent on the Gulf for their livelihoods. Petroleum giants and laws created in their interests should not dictate compensation. The damages may well run in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Why should there be any cap on liabilities?The facts and the unknowns about the disaster combine into one necessary call—the seizure of BP’s assets for on-going environmental and economic compensation and clean up in the Gulf.

Cuban Parliament against Racist Law in Arizona

HAVANA, Cuba, May 20 (ACN) The Cuban Parliament is proclaiming its solidarity with those who are facing the brutal violation of their human rights in the United States, after the enactment in the state of Arizona of "a law of deep racist and xenophobic nature."

A Declaration issued by the Commission for International Relations of the National Assembly of the People's Power, published on Thursday by Granma newspaper, denounces the law for allowing the police to use the racial profile to arrest any person if they have "reasonable suspicion" that he or she is an illegal immigrant.

The text adds that, in fact, immigrants without documents are criminalized, thus creating an atmosphere of persecution against immigrants in general, who from now on will be constantly submitted to arbitrary detentions, searches and humiliation, including deportation to his or her country of origin.

The declaration also expresses concern about the implications of this law –which could spread throughout the US territory- for millions of human beings that in this region are forced to go to the United States to look for better living conditions for themselves and their families.

"We can't help but call the attention to the fact that, while walls are built and laws like these are approved –which try to close the doors to immigrants from the territories stolen by force from the noble Mexican people, the Cuban Adjustment Act remains valid, a permanent encouragement for disorganized migration and to desertion, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of Cubans over dozens of years," concludes the Declaration.

Video of UMWA Protest

Here is a good video about the UMWA protest in Richmond a few days ago.

Over 10,000 Patients Benefited from Cuban Medicament

HAVANA, Cuba, May 19 (ACN) Over 10,000 patients from over a dozen countries, including Cuba, have been benefited from Heberprot-P, a medicament developed on the island and world leader for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.

In an exclusive interview with ACN, Doctor Hector Alvarez, director of the Institute of Angiology and Vascular Surgery, highlighted that this drug favors the closing of lesions and a decrease in the number of amputations in most cases.

Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Serbia, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria are among the countries using Heberprot-P, developed at Havana's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, he underlined.

Doctor Alvarez announced that a national program will soon begin Algeria, for which a group of Cuban experts will travel to that country.

Some 3,000 of the 10,000 patients benefited from this medicine are Cubans, stressed Alvarez, who is also the vice-president of the organizing committee of the 9th Caribbean Congress on Angiology and Vascular Surgery, Angiocaribe 2010, underway at Havana's Convention Center.

The spread of Heberprot-P is one of the nation's outstanding scientific results of 2009 in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceutical products, along with vaccines against various diseases, new formulations of Alfa and Gamma interferon, monoclonal antibodies and other products.

At a world level, diabetic foot lesions are health problems, and it's estimated that by 2025 there will be some 300 million people suffering from this chronic disease, responsible for a high number of deaths and a high percentage of amputations.

Mine Workers Protest in Richmond

The Partisan was on the scene of this event, and the article will cover what we witnessed. We don't take credit for the photograph.

Around 8 AM today the United Mine Workers of America led a protest in Monroe Park in Richmond, Virginia against Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship and the company board of directors. The union was enraged by the fact that Massey's poor safety record has lead to the deaths of 52 mine workers in the past ten years, including 29 who died in April.

A short rally was held with speakers from the labor unions condemning Massey Energy Co. CEO Don Blankenship and his company's poor safety record. A union speaker compared Blankenship to the Biblical Pharaoh that enslaved Moses and his people in Egypt. They also called for the arrest of Blankenship.

“We just come to work here. We don’t come to die," the UMWA secretary-treasurer Daniel J. Kane said.

After the rally in Monroe Park, the UMWA marched an army of 1,000 workers and supporters to the Jefferson Hotel where Massey was holding its annual stockholders' meeting. They surrounded the building and chanted, "UMWA," "Fire Don's Ass," and "Massey stock is blood money!" Protesters held signs reading, "Put people before profits," and "the big truth, 52 dead."

A contingent of workers from the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, local activist supporters, and workers wearing shirts from their various unions (including unions of sheet metal workers and electricians) also took part in the protest against Massey.

Two members of the Rising Tide DC, an environmentalist group, were arrested for sneaking into the hotel and draping a large banner from a balcony. The banner said, "Massey: Stop putting profits over people."

Mountain Justice and RVA4Peace held protests against Massey during the afternoon, criticizing the company for its role in pollution and environmental destruction.

Despite the outcries of the masses, Massey reelected three board members who had come under fire.

We would like to extend our commiserations to the families and friends of the dead mine workers, and our support to those who are fighting for justice.

Venezuelan Government Guarantees Food at Fair Prices

The following article was taken from the newspaper called Granma.

CARACAS, May 16. —Up to 11.5 million of the 28 million Venezuelans will benefit from the MERCAL food supply program at subsidized prices, reported Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez.

Venezuela saw the opening of SuperMERCAL (a mega market) in the state of Cojedes and 89 "Mercalitos" (small grocery stores) spread throughout the country, which currently supply 10.5 million people.

In his Sunday radio program Aló Presidente, Chávez said that such a figure does not include other food programs such as PDVAL and the Venezuelan Food Corporation, which distribute food and other products at prices below market rates.

Chávez noted that the distribution network is a socialist principle, which, unlike the capitalist system trying to get profits as a single target, this aims at providing care to humans.

Madrid Demonstration Against Capitalism

The following was taken from the newspaper called Granma.

MADRID, May 16.— A massive demonstration was held in the Spanish capital today in an attempt to defend millions of workers punished by cyclical crisis and express their rejection of the capitalist system, reported Prensa Latina.

Some demonstrators, as members of the solidarity movements with Cuba, called for the end of the US blockade as well as for the release of the five Cubans imprisoned in the US, reported Cubadebate.

Convened by the Fourth Peoples´ Summit Linking Alternatives, tens of thousands of people, under the slogan "Against the Europe of Capital, War and Crisis", passed along the Plaza de Cibeles to the Puerta del Sol in Madrid.

The protest of Linking Alternatives coincided with another called by the General Labour Confederation (CGT) in Spain in order to denounce the adjustment plan performed by the Spanish government, which is very similar to that being adopted in Greece.

Either way, both participants in the Linking Alternatives Summit and the CGT members joined together into a common complaint: to condemn the European neoliberal policies and their submission to the markets, to the detriment of workers rights.

NATO Losing Men and Support in Afghanistan

NATO has suffered the deaths of 200 soldiers in Afghanistan so far this year, making January to mid-May 2010 the deadliest few months for Western forces since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Around this time last year only 119 NATO soldiers were killed.

This death toll was reached after two Italian soldiers were killed while driving over a roadside bomb on Monday. Two other Italians were seriously wounded.

The United States and its NATO allies will be increasing troop strength in Afghanistan to 150,000. About two thirds of these soldiers will be American. This ignores the advice of top military commanders who claim that a troop increase will lead to more fatalities during the Summer months.

According to a poll conducted by the International Council on Security and Development, 61% of Afghans feel more negative about NATO since before the Marjah offensive.

Hundreds Protest Bank Lobbyists

Huge crowds gathered outside of the homes of top bank officials Sunday to protest the banks' attempts to block the reforming of Wall Street. Angry crowds gathered outside of the houses of Bank of America deputy general counsel Gregory Baer and Peter Scher, a lobbyist for JPMorgan Chase. This was part of a protest campaign against K Street lobbyists.

National People's Action and SEIU bused in more than 700 people from 20 states to Baer's neighborhood, which is one of the wealthiest in Washington. People gathered outside of Baer's house chanting "Bank of America: Bad for America!" Protesters also told their horror stories to the crowd about almost losing their homes.

"Every time I'm inches away from losing my house, by some miracle it's been pushed off," said Trenda Kennedy, who is a member of Illinois People's Action.

"Bank of America came to the homes of everyday Americans when you spread predatory loans in neighborhoods across, the country, when you financed payday-lending storefronts, when your reckless behavior sent the economy to the brink of disaster, and when your bank-owned properties littered neighborhoods from coast to coast," stated a letter the group asked Baer to give to his CEO.

According to Bank of America, Baer wasn't at home during the protest.

Russia calls for an end to Gaza tragedy

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that there is a tragedy in Gaza, and that nations must do their best to solve it. Medvedev said this Wednesday while visiting Turkey.

"We are facing a human tragedy in Gaza," said the Russian President. He is trying to add Moscow's influence in order to mediate between Syria and Israel.

Russia is attempting to increase its influence as a mediator for the Middle East. Turkey is doing the same, as it took up the role of mediator between Syria and Israel as well.

Marijuana March in Richmond

Around 200 citizens of Richmond, VA, USA took to the streets today as part of the Worldwide Marijuana March. The purpose was to raise awareness of how the "war on drugs" is aimed at imprisoning youth and minorities, and also to support the legalization of marijuana.

Before the march, musicians performed and local activists gave short speeches about the side of the drug war that the government doesn't want you to hear about. Among the activists were representatives of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Temple 420.

One of the speakers took part in a ceremonial toke of marijuana. A moment of silence for all people imprisoned in the "war on drugs" was also held.

The march began around 5 PM starting at Monroe Park, and it noisily made its way to the headquarters of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Capitol Building, City Hall, and the Federal Building (in that order). The most popular chant was "legalize not legal lies." A more humorous chant caught on as well. "What do we want? Bong hits! When do we want them? Now!"

Protesters held signs demanding an end to the prison economy and the drug war. Others held signs supporting the legalization of marijuana. At least five different people took turns holding The Partisan's defaced and upside down American flag that read, "class war, not drug war."

The police were called to remove the protesters from the Capitol Building. One policeman raised objections to protesters carrying an upside down American flag, but other protesters told him that it was a sign of distress and a right. Nobody listened to the fat, ugly cop, who showed his stupidity and worthlessness. The flag remained upside down.

The march returned to Monroe Park, ending louder than it started. Upon speaking with some organizers, The Partisan was told that next year things will get twice as serious, and the speakers will be louder and give more details about the nasty "war on drugs."

Check back soon for photo updates.

Stalin Monument Dedicated in Ukraine

Ukrainian communists in the city of Zaporozhia unveiled a statue of former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin on Wednesday. This has sparked outrage from Ukrainian nationalists.

Around 1,000 Communist Party supporters rallied at the unveiling of the statue, including many World War II veterans. It is important to keep in mind that Zaporozhia is a Russian-speaking city.

The statue to Stalin stands at seven feet tall. It depicts the leader holding a pipe and includes an inscription towards the bottom. It was unveiled this week in order to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.

“It was the USSR under Stalin’s leadership that liberated Europe,” Olexander Zubchevsky, the second secretary of the Zaporozhia regional branch of the Communist Party, said.

It has been reported that the communists will guard the statue around the clock to make sure that it isn't vandalized.

Svoboda, a Ukrainian nationalist group, wanted to hold a protest against the communists over the monument, but local authorities denied them the permit to protest.

The statue is on land that is owned, to use that term loosely, by the Communist Party. So city permission wasn't required.

Obama the Biggest Recipient of BP Money

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, President Obama has received the largest amount of BP political action committee donations out of all political candidates from the past twenty years.

Obama received $77,051 from the company. Obama's top twenty contributors by industry, however, didn't include the energy and natural resources sector.

"BP and its employees have given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics," Politico's Erika Lovley reported. "Donations come from a mix of employees and the company’s political action committees — $2.89 million flowed to campaigns from BP-related PACs and about $638,000 came from individuals."

"Its lobbying focuses on tax incentives for oil and gas production, opposing mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions and following U.S. trade relations and policy in the Middle East. Through membership in a trade association known as the Organization for International Investment, BP has lobbied to gain exemptions from U.S. corporate law reforms," the Center reported.

"The Interior Department exempted BP's calamitous Gulf of Mexico drilling operation from a detailed environmental impact analysis last year, according to government documents, after three reviews of the area concluded that a massive oil spill was unlikely," according to the Washington Post. BP lobbied for those exemptions.

This just goes to show that the government is controlled by the super rich and their large companies, that there is only democracy for the rich under capitalism.