S.F. coalition calls for April 25 antiwar protest

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The following is a call from the leadership of the Francisco Bay Area Mobilization for Peace, Jobs Justice announcing a Western States mass march rally on April 25, 1987, in San Francisco.

The Mobilization coordinating committee met on Dec. 15 to map out plans for the demonstration. All the proposals, including the expansion of the Mobilization's leadership structures, will be presented for approval to a large steering-committee meeting on Jan. 13.

The Bay Area march and rally will be coordinated with the national demonstration set for Washington, D.C., on the same day.—CARL FINAMORE (member of the coordinating committee of the Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and Justice)

A moral and political crisis has erupted in the United States. Secret and illegal agreements are made to send funds to the contras in Nicaragua. Bombing of villages continues in El Salvador. The repugnant South African apartheid government still finds supporters at the highest levels of our government.

The SALT Treaty has been unilaterally broken by the United States, and "Star Wars" threatens a deadly escalation of the arms race. The right of workers to organize unions, to negotiate enforceable agreements, and to strike is under severe and sustained attack.

The issues which brought tens of thousands to demonstrate in San Francisco in 1985 and 1986 have intensified. Now a national coalition of unprecedented breadth-based in the religious community, the labor movement, and in community, peace, and anti-intervention organizations-has come together with goals and a program that are in concert with two of the themes which unite our Mobilization for Peace, Jobs and San and and 2 SOCIALIȘȚ ACTION JANUARY 1987 Justice: (1) End U.S. Intervention in Central America and (2) End U.S. Support for South African Apartheid.

By working together on these issues we can make an impact on national policy this spring.

For an End to War and Poverty in Central America From the worksites to the campuses, from the places of worship to the homes of the people, a consensus is emerging which views the policies of the U.S. government as drawing our country into a deeper war in Central America.

The hundreds of millions of dollars already spent have resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 people in this region. The undeclared war is conducted in our name—without our consent or approval. It threatens to involve our youth whose lives may be spent for reasons they cannot understand.

The government ignores our wishes by continuing to fund and train the contra army whose weapons daily murder and maim the Nicaraguan people. Even before the U.S. Congress approved $100 million to aid the contras, funds were secretly and illegally funneled to these CIAcontrolled mercenaries.

U.S. policy in El Salvador is another barrier to peace. The $500 million approved for El Salvador in 1987 will be used to fund the repressive army, which bombs peasant villages, forcing vast numbers from their homes. Those who raise their voices for human, democratic, and trade union rights, risk their very lives.

The massive militarization of Central America sets the stage for a regional war which could lead to the direct involvement of U.S. troops.

For an End to Political and Economic Support to Apartheid Our government refuses to join the international effort to apply effective sanctions against the apartheid regime and refuses to withdraw its political and economic support to South Africa-a country where the Black majority has no civil or political rights. Under the apartheid system, Black people cannot vote, own land, utilize their own natural resources or decide where they will live and work.

Yet Congress approves political and military support to South African-financed terrorists who seek to overthrow the governments in southern Africa which stand in opposition to apartheid.

Our government's stance in Central America and South Africa is part of an overall policy which puts military confrontation and intervention above the desire of the people for peace and justice. It is a policy which seeks to break unions in this country as it seeks to break governments like Nicaragua's. It is a policy which

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Socialist Action holds second national convention Socialist Action members help build April 20, 1985, demonstration SAN FRANCISCO-On Thanksgiving weekend, delegates and guests from around the country came here for the second national convention of Socialist Action. Trotskyist leaders from France, Britain, and the United Secretariat of the Fourth International also spoke during the proceedings.

Socialist Action, which is in political solidarity with the Fourth International, was founded three years ago. Many of its founding members are long-time activists in union and social protest movements. Since its inception, Socialist Action has made solid gains in consolidating branches in many parts of the country.

Delegates were able to point with pride to Socialist Action's participation in build -ing mass-action protests against apartheid and U.S. intervention in Central America.

In the Political Report approved by the convention, Socialist Action National Committee member Carl Finamore emphasized that an unprecedented potential exists to mobilize the labor movement in political protests. [See report, pp. 7-10.] The San Francisco antiwar coalition's successful work in bringing tens of thousands of people into the streets was put forth as a model for the national antiwar and anti-apartheid demonstrations proposed for April 25 of this year.

Convention reports also noted Socialist Action's role in helping to provide food caravans and to build solidarity meetings for the Hormel Co. packinghouse workers on strike in Austin, Minn. Socialist Action was also instrumental in raising support for striking maintenance-of-way workers in the recent Maine Central railroad strike.

A revolutionary leadership The International Report, given by Socialist Action editor Alan Benjamin, highlighted the recent struggles in countries as diverse as South Africa, Poland, Haiti, the Philippines, France-and throughout Latin America.

In this worldwide Benjamin stressed, the working class has come to the forefront, utilizing political strikes and mass demonstrations. But these movements have been seriously weakened or sidetracked because of the lack of a mass-based revolutionary leadership that can guide the struggles forward.

There is an urgent need, Benjamin concluded, to build sections of the Fourth International in every country to provide a program of action for the working class in the fight for socialism.

Perspectives for revolutionary struggle in Central America and Europe was the theme of a public rally at the convention site. Carmen Olivares, a Nicaraguan war corres -pondent, gave an updated report on the struggle against the U.S.-backed contras.

Socialist Action National Secretary Jeff Mackler told the rally about his recent visit to Nicaragua as an invited guest to the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Sandi -nista National Liberation Front (FSLN). Boston Socialist Action member Jim Henle reported on his recent trip to El Salvador as a delegate to a conference of the National Union of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS).

Other speakers at the rally included Al Lannon, president of warehouse workers Local 6, ILWU; Ralph Schoenman (former director of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foun -dation), who spoke about the on-going struggle for socialist democracy in Poland; Claudio Julien, a representative of the United Secretariat of the Fourth Internation -al; Etienne Hilaire, member of the Interna -tional Executive Committee of the Fourth International; and Dave Hudson, a leader of the International Group of Great Britain.

Join Socialist Action!

Several guests guests at the convention expressed interest in becoming members of Socialist Action. The convention also voted to accept into membership a small East Coast group with which Socialist Action has collaborated over the past year.

The convention approved plans for a subscription drive to Socialist Action newspaper, beginning on Feb. 1. A $15,000 expansion fund drive was initiated and given a big boost when over $10,000 were pledged at the convention's inter -national rally.

Readers of Socialist Action are encouraged to contribute to the fund drive and to contact the Socialist Action branch in their area for information on upcoming activities.

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U.S. OUT OF CENTRAL AMERICAl No TO APARTHEID! NO NUKES! -JOBS NOT WAR!™

SOCiALiSt ActiON Puer Socialist Action/Joe