The Iranian Green movement marched through Tehran on Sunday, reminding the world of the post-election riots a few years ago. They were inspired, propelled even, by the revolutionary wave that is shaking the Muslim world. The difference between the Iranian protesters and their counterparts in Tunisia and Egypt is the participation of organized labor.
Workers unions in Tunisia and Egypt went above and beyond to help remove the Western-backed dictators from power. In Iran, the working-class is silent. They were silent during the rowdiness of 2009 as well. The Iranians protesting against the government then and now are mostly middle class liberals, many being university students. In 2009, the students called for a general strike, which the Iranian workers ignored. The workers are still ignoring the students today, and as long as they keep ignoring them the regime will remain in place.
Iran has less income inequality than major Latin American and African countries and Iran doesn't suffer from the same levels of poverty as seen in Egypt.
This isn't to say that Iranian workers are without their share of unpaid wages and awful working conditions. Perhaps the Iranian working-class is aware that an overthrow of the Islamic Republic would only result in the establishment of a worse regime that serves the interests of exploiter countries like the USA and Israel. With that being said, tell the imperialist commentators to wipe that smile off their faces, there will be no puppet governments in Iran anytime soon.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tens of Thousands Protest Against Anti-Union Bill in Wisconsin
Around 30,000 people took part in a massive protest against Wisconsin governor Scott Walker's attempt to eliminate collective bargaining rights for state workers. A variety of working people, students, religious leaders, and community members marched around the state Capitol building in Madison.
This is the second protest, with more expected this week. 10,000 to 15,000 people were present at the previous protest. In the days leading up to the protests, action against Walker's anti-union bill was taken by thousands of high school students who walked out of schools across the state.
The Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance ended public debate last night, cutting out the chance for many concerned people to express their opinions on Walker's anti-union bill.
A series of television propaganda advertisements have been run by the right-wingers of Wisconsin in an attempt to pit private sector workers against those of the public sector. The propaganda attempts to convince the private sector employees that state employees have things better than they do. What the propaganda fails to say, however, is when public sector unions fight for better rights and benefits, it puts pressure on private sector employers to give their employees similar benefits. A victory for one is a victory for all in the same sense that an injury to one is an injury to all.
Walker's bill does not apply to firefighters and police because their unions supported him in the last election, but police and firefighters showed up anyway to speak out against governor Walker. It is clear that he is trying to get the support of the police so he can use them to carry out massacres against striking unions. He has also built up the National Guard for this same purpose. Throughout the history of the US as a whole and Wisconsin alone, we have seen the police and the National Guard used in such a fascist manner. Because of this, Scott Walker has been dubbed "Hosni Walker" after Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak.
Pharaoh Walker is attempting to get his bill pushed through by the end of the week. The reason Wisconsin is facing financial problems is because the state government has sided with corporations who don't want to pay taxes and have overseas bank accounts. Some of these corporations have never hired a single worker in the state, but still have financial interests there. Wisconsin has lower corporate taxes than the surrounding states. Taxing them is what would be best for the local economy.
This is the second protest, with more expected this week. 10,000 to 15,000 people were present at the previous protest. In the days leading up to the protests, action against Walker's anti-union bill was taken by thousands of high school students who walked out of schools across the state.
The Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance ended public debate last night, cutting out the chance for many concerned people to express their opinions on Walker's anti-union bill.
A series of television propaganda advertisements have been run by the right-wingers of Wisconsin in an attempt to pit private sector workers against those of the public sector. The propaganda attempts to convince the private sector employees that state employees have things better than they do. What the propaganda fails to say, however, is when public sector unions fight for better rights and benefits, it puts pressure on private sector employers to give their employees similar benefits. A victory for one is a victory for all in the same sense that an injury to one is an injury to all.
Walker's bill does not apply to firefighters and police because their unions supported him in the last election, but police and firefighters showed up anyway to speak out against governor Walker. It is clear that he is trying to get the support of the police so he can use them to carry out massacres against striking unions. He has also built up the National Guard for this same purpose. Throughout the history of the US as a whole and Wisconsin alone, we have seen the police and the National Guard used in such a fascist manner. Because of this, Scott Walker has been dubbed "Hosni Walker" after Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak.
Pharaoh Walker is attempting to get his bill pushed through by the end of the week. The reason Wisconsin is facing financial problems is because the state government has sided with corporations who don't want to pay taxes and have overseas bank accounts. Some of these corporations have never hired a single worker in the state, but still have financial interests there. Wisconsin has lower corporate taxes than the surrounding states. Taxing them is what would be best for the local economy.
Riots in Iraq
Clashes between security forces and protesters broke out in southern Iraq recently. Two thousand protesters took to the streets of Kut, Wasit Province to demand better public services, and they eventually sacked government offices and stormed the provincial council. Three government offices were set on fire, including the governor's home.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of provincial governor Latif Hamad al-Tarfa due to the horrible way basic public services such as electricity and water are handled.
“We demand that our rights be met, that we have better services and that the authorities fight corruption,” said Ali Mohsen, a 54-year-old university professor.
The police are saying that three people have been killed, and thirty people have been wounded, including fifteen police officers. Among the dead is a sixteen year old boy who was shot in the chest.
Police and soldiers fired weapons into the air to disperse the demonstrators, and private security guards working for the Wasit Council shot directly into the crowd.
"They were outside the law,” police Brigadier General Hussein Jassim said with regards to the actions of the private security personnel.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of provincial governor Latif Hamad al-Tarfa due to the horrible way basic public services such as electricity and water are handled.
“We demand that our rights be met, that we have better services and that the authorities fight corruption,” said Ali Mohsen, a 54-year-old university professor.
The police are saying that three people have been killed, and thirty people have been wounded, including fifteen police officers. Among the dead is a sixteen year old boy who was shot in the chest.
Police and soldiers fired weapons into the air to disperse the demonstrators, and private security guards working for the Wasit Council shot directly into the crowd.
"They were outside the law,” police Brigadier General Hussein Jassim said with regards to the actions of the private security personnel.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
1-800-Flowers Abuses Women Farm Workers
If you haven't yet begun your search for a good place to get flowers for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day, then you should make a note to avoid 1-800-Flowers.
1-800-Flowers is the largest florist in the world, as well as a large exploiter of women farm workers in Colombia and Ecuador. Two-thirds of their farm laborers are women, and over half of them have been assaulted or sexually abused by their male supervisors. These ladies are forced to work up to 80-hour weeks without overtime pay in the time leading up to Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, and are subject to attacks by police and the armed forces when they attempt to unionize.
Although most of the flowers come from Latin America, a smaller portion of them come from Africa. In Kenya, those who grow the flowers work up to 12 hour days for less than a dollar and must live in unsafe conditions.
As if that isn't enough, these women farm workers suffer from eye infections and miscarriages due to their exposure to hazardous pesticides.
1-800-Flowers doesn't offer any fair trade products. They have also been accused of contributing to the problem of human trafficking.
The Partisan requests that you do something really romantic by standing up for exploited farm women this Valentine's Day. Boycott 1-800-Flowers and sign the petitions that urge the company to do the right thing.
You can start here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/ask-1-800-flowers-to-offer-fair-trade-flowers-that-arent-picked-by-exploited-workers
1-800-Flowers is the largest florist in the world, as well as a large exploiter of women farm workers in Colombia and Ecuador. Two-thirds of their farm laborers are women, and over half of them have been assaulted or sexually abused by their male supervisors. These ladies are forced to work up to 80-hour weeks without overtime pay in the time leading up to Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, and are subject to attacks by police and the armed forces when they attempt to unionize.
Although most of the flowers come from Latin America, a smaller portion of them come from Africa. In Kenya, those who grow the flowers work up to 12 hour days for less than a dollar and must live in unsafe conditions.
As if that isn't enough, these women farm workers suffer from eye infections and miscarriages due to their exposure to hazardous pesticides.
1-800-Flowers doesn't offer any fair trade products. They have also been accused of contributing to the problem of human trafficking.
The Partisan requests that you do something really romantic by standing up for exploited farm women this Valentine's Day. Boycott 1-800-Flowers and sign the petitions that urge the company to do the right thing.
You can start here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/ask-1-800-flowers-to-offer-fair-trade-flowers-that-arent-picked-by-exploited-workers
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Venezuelan Opposition Proposes Criminal as Presidential Candidate
Venezuelan opposition party Un Nuevo Tiempo (A New Era), or UNT, has confirmed that it will propose Manuel Rosales as its candidate for president in the December 2012 elections.
Rosales is a former governor of Zulia and mayor of Maracaibo. He ran against Hugo Chavez in previous elections and lost by a wide margin. The united opposition approval body "Mesa de la Unidad" (Coalition for Unity), has yet to approve him. Other candidates have also been proposed.
The Mesa de la Unidad drew controversy to itself when Jose Sanchez, a known murderer, and Biaggio Pilieri, who was indicted for corruption, were accepted as members.
Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organization, has an arrest warrant for Rosales. He left Venezuela to live in Peru after being charged with corruption in 2009. Rosales failed to appear for trial, clearly showing that he has something dirty to hide.
It is also known that Rosales met with Colombian terrorists and drug traffickers (who have admitted meeting him) to pay them to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and create chaos in Venezuela.
The opposition is demanding immunity for their candidates who were accused of crimes, but their demands have been rejected because the crimes were committed before they were sworn in.
Hugo Chavez will run as the candidate representing the parties taking part in the Bolivarian Revolution.
Rosales is a former governor of Zulia and mayor of Maracaibo. He ran against Hugo Chavez in previous elections and lost by a wide margin. The united opposition approval body "Mesa de la Unidad" (Coalition for Unity), has yet to approve him. Other candidates have also been proposed.
The Mesa de la Unidad drew controversy to itself when Jose Sanchez, a known murderer, and Biaggio Pilieri, who was indicted for corruption, were accepted as members.
Interpol, or the International Criminal Police Organization, has an arrest warrant for Rosales. He left Venezuela to live in Peru after being charged with corruption in 2009. Rosales failed to appear for trial, clearly showing that he has something dirty to hide.
It is also known that Rosales met with Colombian terrorists and drug traffickers (who have admitted meeting him) to pay them to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and create chaos in Venezuela.
The opposition is demanding immunity for their candidates who were accused of crimes, but their demands have been rejected because the crimes were committed before they were sworn in.
Hugo Chavez will run as the candidate representing the parties taking part in the Bolivarian Revolution.
Houston Police Beat Minor
Here you can see six Houston policemen brutally beating a young robbery suspected after running into the suspect with a police car. The police were unaware their actions were being taped, so we must ask if this is their standard procedure when capturing someone. The young suspected posed no threat to the police. After being hit by their car he put his hands behind his head and did not resist, but the police still kept beating him.
The Texas courts tried to keep this video a secret for almost a year, but it was recently leaked last week by community activist Quannel X of the New Black Panther Party. The local government wanted to keep the tape secret to prevent alerting the people of Texas, as well as the world, of exactly how sinister their regime really is. It seems that they were also trying to protect the police from getting a just sentence, given that courts are biased in favor of police.
"We hear these stories all the time in our community, all the time," local NAACP President D.Z. Cofield is reported to have said.
Notice how one of the guests in this video points out that they, as someone close to the Houston Police, hear about the local Police Department doing things like this frequently.
This happened last March after the suspect, 15 year-old Chad Holley, ran from police when he was spotted trying to commit a burglary. While The Partisan does not support the idea of burglary, we consider brutally beating a minor who didn't physically harm anyone to be much worse. The punishment for Holley does not fit the crime.
Four of the police officers have been indicted and charged with misdemeanor "official oppression" and could face up to one year in prison and a $4,000 dollar fine.
The Texas courts tried to keep this video a secret for almost a year, but it was recently leaked last week by community activist Quannel X of the New Black Panther Party. The local government wanted to keep the tape secret to prevent alerting the people of Texas, as well as the world, of exactly how sinister their regime really is. It seems that they were also trying to protect the police from getting a just sentence, given that courts are biased in favor of police.
"We hear these stories all the time in our community, all the time," local NAACP President D.Z. Cofield is reported to have said.
Notice how one of the guests in this video points out that they, as someone close to the Houston Police, hear about the local Police Department doing things like this frequently.
This happened last March after the suspect, 15 year-old Chad Holley, ran from police when he was spotted trying to commit a burglary. While The Partisan does not support the idea of burglary, we consider brutally beating a minor who didn't physically harm anyone to be much worse. The punishment for Holley does not fit the crime.
Four of the police officers have been indicted and charged with misdemeanor "official oppression" and could face up to one year in prison and a $4,000 dollar fine.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Uprisings Possible in Syria
Protests are set to be staged Friday and Saturday in front of the Syrian parliament in Damascus and at Syrian embassies worldwide. Demonstrations will also be held in the cities of Homs, Aleppo and Qamishli.
The Syrian government cut down on its people's internet access last week by blocking certain websites and chats when rebellion erupted in Egypt.
Twenty plainclothes Syrian police officers violently attacked and dispersed fifteen demonstrators who were attempting to hold a candlelight vigil in support of the Egyptian people in Damascus on Wednesday. This was done under an emergency law, now in effect, which bans protests that are not approved by the government.
"Syria's authorities detained political and human rights activists, restricted freedom of expression, repressed its Kurdish minority, and held people incommunicado for lengthy periods, often torturing them, during 2010," stated a Human Rights Watch report from last week.
Syria also faces high unemployment rates, with every fourth Syrian being unemployed.
Activists both in Syria and living abroad have been working hard to start a reform movement in their country. Many of them are using Facebook and Twitter.
However, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently stated his intention to push through democratic reforms in his country. The government also increased the heating oil allowance for public sector workers by 72% last month. This was all done as an attempt to keep Syria stable and unaffected by the uprisings in other parts of the Arab world.
"I want to feel safe in my own country," said al-Assad, "That is my goal."
The social upheaval across the Middle East and North Africa is now sending shock waves throughout governments in the region, as seen by the reaction of the Syrian president. More upheaval is needed to bring freedom and equality to those countries, but recent news has shown us how much progress can be brought by confronting the system. Take note of this, North America! Governments should fear their citizens, not the other way around.
The Syrian government cut down on its people's internet access last week by blocking certain websites and chats when rebellion erupted in Egypt.
Twenty plainclothes Syrian police officers violently attacked and dispersed fifteen demonstrators who were attempting to hold a candlelight vigil in support of the Egyptian people in Damascus on Wednesday. This was done under an emergency law, now in effect, which bans protests that are not approved by the government.
"Syria's authorities detained political and human rights activists, restricted freedom of expression, repressed its Kurdish minority, and held people incommunicado for lengthy periods, often torturing them, during 2010," stated a Human Rights Watch report from last week.
Syria also faces high unemployment rates, with every fourth Syrian being unemployed.
Activists both in Syria and living abroad have been working hard to start a reform movement in their country. Many of them are using Facebook and Twitter.
However, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently stated his intention to push through democratic reforms in his country. The government also increased the heating oil allowance for public sector workers by 72% last month. This was all done as an attempt to keep Syria stable and unaffected by the uprisings in other parts of the Arab world.
"I want to feel safe in my own country," said al-Assad, "That is my goal."
The social upheaval across the Middle East and North Africa is now sending shock waves throughout governments in the region, as seen by the reaction of the Syrian president. More upheaval is needed to bring freedom and equality to those countries, but recent news has shown us how much progress can be brought by confronting the system. Take note of this, North America! Governments should fear their citizens, not the other way around.
LA District Attorney orders Gestapo-style police raid on home
The following article was taken from Liberation News (linked to on left, PSLweb.org)
The family of Jeremy Marks awoke on Jan. 26 at 7:00 am to the sound of nearly 30 Los Angeles Police Department cops bursting into their house in full tactical gear, guns drawn. They searched the house, taking all computers, cell phones, cameras and trashing Jeremy’s bedroom, his parent’s bedroom and the living room.
Police vehicles filled the streets of the predominantly African American neighborhood in Lakeview Terrace. Neighbors were prevented from going into or out of their homes. A next door neighbor had guns pointed at him for trying to retrieve his children from Jeremy’s front porch, where they went every morning to be taken to school by Rochelle Pittman, Jeremy’s mother.
Pittman asked to see a search warrant. She knew that, by law, police must show a valid search warrant before entering a home. But there was none. For nearly 45 minutes, neither the police nor the District Attorney’s officers showed her anything. She continued to demand it until a warrant was produced well after the raid had begun.
And when Pittman asked, many of the invading cops refused to provide their names or badge numbers—a requirement under California law.
As the search ended three hours later, the house interior was unrecognizable. In addition to electronic equipment, Jeremy’s notes, papers and legal documents were seized—many of these documents are privileged attorney-client communications.
Every item used to communicate with the outside world about Jeremy’s case was taken from every member of Jeremy’s family, including his parents’ and siblings’ personal possessions.
The raid took place as Jeremy’s mother was attempting to gather herself and bring her kids and the neighbor’s kids to school. The neighbor’s children were at the front door when police came up with shields and shotguns ready.
Pittman recounted to Liberation at the scene that she shouted, “Let me get my granddaughter! Let me get my granddaughter!” as the police barged into the house. Pittman also demanded to wake up her son, Jeremy.
It was less than one year ago that Aiyana Stanley Jones, a seven-year-old girl, was murdered by Detroit police in a similar raid. Pittman knew better than to trust the police with her children and grandchildren. She did not want the cops to startle her son or give them any opportunity to harm him.
The truth behind the racist raid
The pretext for the raid, ordered by Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley’s office, was an attempt to gather evidence surrounding the May 10, 2010 incident near a Verdugo Hills High School bus stop.
That afternoon in May, Los Angeles United School District Police officer, Erin Robles, beat up a 15-year-old African American student, allegedly for smoking a cigarette. Jeremy, 18, quietly videotaped the incident. But because he was on probation at the time, the police arrested him on charges of “attempted lynching.”
The L.A. District Attorney’s office claims Jeremy yelled something during the incident, which they claim amounted to trying to “incite a riot during an attempt to free a suspect from police custody.” This charge is baseless, as bystander videos of the incident show.
For taping the incident, Jeremy was thrown into jail near Santa Clarita and kept there until December 2010. During that time, his mother’s tenacity began to win support for his case.
Now, nine months after the incident, it is hard to understand why D.A. Cooley would need to order a Gestapo-style raid simply to gather evidence. He could have uncovered evidence through simple discovery before trial or by issuing subpoenas. But he did not.
In fact, the same day of Jeremy’s house raid, a community source told Liberation that the home of another Verdugo Hills High School student was raided. This student has no criminal charges pending. He was targeted because he posted videos of the original incident on Youtube. These videos show that Jeremy did nothing illegal.
Why the sudden need to shut down an entire community with an army of heavily armed cops—just to collect some cell phones, computers and video that has been publicly available on the Internet for nine months?
The raids were clearly an act of intimidation and terror with the purpose of instilling fear in those targeted. Jeremy’s pre-trial hearings will begin in February. Cooley and the cops seek to get leverage so that the case will end before going to trial. They want to intimidate Jeremy and potential witnesses in order to influence the outcome.
All along, they have wanted Jeremy to accept an unjust plea deal that would send him to prison for nearly three years. But neither Jeremy nor his mother will admit “guilt” when, in fact, he did absolutely nothing wrong.
After the raid, Pittman told Liberation, “I’m not afraid. We’re not afraid. All this shows is that the D.A. knows that they do not have a case.”
The D.A. and the police are truly fearful of Jeremy’s case because of its potential to spark outrage in the African American community and with progressive people in general. They also want to stop people from exercising their constitutional right to videotape police. That is all that Jeremy did—he recorded a police officer beating a young student.
The powers that be would like to sweep Jeremy’s case under the rug before more people learn about the supreme injustice involved. Videotaping officers throughout the country is exposing an ongoing epidemic of police violence. It is viewed by young people and people of color as a method of self-defense.
Terror tactics utilized by the police expose the role of the state as an instrument of repression aimed at working families. But this harsh reality has not deterred Jeremy, Pittman or the rest of the Marks family. On the contrary, it has strengthened their resolve to fight back.
Just hours after the raid, these Liberation reporters accompanied Pittman to the Foothill Police Station as she filed a police misconduct complaint. And community supporters, including the Congress on Racial Equality, the ANSWER Coalition, the PSL and others organized a rally and press conference with Jeremy and his family at D.A. Cooley’s headquarters on Friday, Jan. 28.
Memphis Activists Harassed by FBI
The following article was taken from the Socialist Webzine (socialistwebzine.org)
Local activists, including members of the Memphis Socialist Party, gathered at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center yesterday to file Freedom of Information Act requests as part of a nationwide day of action against recent FBI harassment of anti-war and international solidary activists. A few hours prior to the event, three FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents visited the Center to inform them that there was going to be a demonstration. They left after they were told that the Center was not only aware of the event but had planned it.
Approximately two hours later, the Memphis Police Department's TACT unit arrived with at least six unmarked black SUVs and one marked squad car. When questioned about the reason for their presence, they replied that they were there to keep the peace. The Center was eventually able to get into contact with the unit's chief, who made a vague statement about a call from a "concerned citizen."
On the same day, at least two activists (including the Chair of the Memphis Socialist Party) had their homes entered by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department on the pretext of warrants issued for failure to appear in court. In both cases residents were not given the opportunity to view the warrant, despite multiple requests. At the deCleyre Cooperative, police entered without permission through an unlocked door and moved through every room with their guns drawn, searching for someone who hadn't lived there in years.
Why were residents not allowed to see the warrants used to enter their homes? Why was the TACT unit, described by MPD's website as "not subject to regular calls," and "responsible for handling barricade situations, hostage rescues, counter terrorism, and high risk felony apprehensions," sent to respond to a single, unverified phone call? How is it a coincidence when the same group of activists is targeted by three separate law enforcement agencies on the same day?
The FBI has a long history of intimidation, harassment, and repression, but we refuse to be silenced by it. We will continue to stand in solidarity with our activist brothers and sisters.
Local activists, including members of the Memphis Socialist Party, gathered at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center yesterday to file Freedom of Information Act requests as part of a nationwide day of action against recent FBI harassment of anti-war and international solidary activists. A few hours prior to the event, three FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents visited the Center to inform them that there was going to be a demonstration. They left after they were told that the Center was not only aware of the event but had planned it.
Approximately two hours later, the Memphis Police Department's TACT unit arrived with at least six unmarked black SUVs and one marked squad car. When questioned about the reason for their presence, they replied that they were there to keep the peace. The Center was eventually able to get into contact with the unit's chief, who made a vague statement about a call from a "concerned citizen."
On the same day, at least two activists (including the Chair of the Memphis Socialist Party) had their homes entered by the Shelby County Sheriff's Department on the pretext of warrants issued for failure to appear in court. In both cases residents were not given the opportunity to view the warrant, despite multiple requests. At the deCleyre Cooperative, police entered without permission through an unlocked door and moved through every room with their guns drawn, searching for someone who hadn't lived there in years.
Why were residents not allowed to see the warrants used to enter their homes? Why was the TACT unit, described by MPD's website as "not subject to regular calls," and "responsible for handling barricade situations, hostage rescues, counter terrorism, and high risk felony apprehensions," sent to respond to a single, unverified phone call? How is it a coincidence when the same group of activists is targeted by three separate law enforcement agencies on the same day?
The FBI has a long history of intimidation, harassment, and repression, but we refuse to be silenced by it. We will continue to stand in solidarity with our activist brothers and sisters.
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