Chicago in 2012: Protest the G-8 and NATO!

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5) Reduce the workweek to 30 hours with no cut in pay, and cut the retirement age to 55. Provide unemployment and retirement payments at the We propose an EMERGENCY CONGRESS OF LABOR to discuss and take 6) To combat inflation: A sliding scale of wages and pensions that match1) Bail out the people, not the bankers! Open the account books of the es the rises in comsumer prices. To combat high medical costs: A free, unibanks to full public inspection. Nationalize the banks to be supervised by 7) Immediate citizenship for all undocumented workers. No job discrimi2) No foreclosures! No forced evictions! Cancel usurious debt payments, nation; equal pay for equal work — regardless of gender, sexual orientaand reduce mortgage payments in proportion to their capitalist-caused 8) Nationalize manufacturing, big agribusiness, energy, and transporta3) Full employment at union wages! An emergency public works program tion corporations and place them under the control of elected committees to employ all jobless workers and youth! Employ people to build what we need — low-cost quality housing, efficient mass transportation, cheap and renewable sources of power, schools, clinics — and to conserve our water, CONGRESS should organize ACTION COMMITTEES in every workplace and neighborhood threatened by the crisis. These committees can draw up 4) Immediate and full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq & Afghanistan!

Close all U.S. bases abroad! No money for the military — use funds instead 10) To put all these measures into effect, we need a LABOR PARTY — for public works! Convert the war industries to making products for peo- based on a fighting union movement and all people who are oppressed and Editor: Michael Schreiber International Editor: Gerry Foley Canada Editor: Barry Weisleder Socialist Action (ISSN 0747-4237) is published monthly by Socialist Action Publishing Association, P.O. Box 460501, San Francisco, CA 94146-0501. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Socialist Action, P.O. BOX 460501, San Francisco, CA 94146-0501. RATES: For one year (12 issues, 1st-class mail): U.S., Canada, Mexico — $20. All other countries — $30. Money orders and checks should be in U.S. dollars.

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It the invitation of the White House, military and commanded and largely U.S.-financed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and heads of state and finance ministers of the G-8 world economic powers are convening in Chicago, May 15-22, 2012.

The U.S./NATO military behemoth enforces the interests of the global great power elites. $Trillions are expended for never-ending wars and occupations while $trillions in austerity programs are extracted from working people the world over.

The G-8 nations, the richest on earth, will assemble to plan ever new draconian measures seeking to resolve the problems created by their crisis-ridden and profitdriven social order at the expense of working people and the poor everywhere.

Theirs is the agenda of the heads of state of the world’s richest nations and their imperial military-industrial establishments—the agenda of the banks and corporations—the agenda for austerity, unprecedented social cutbacks, union-busting, environmental destruction, global warming/climate crisis, racism, sexism, homophobia, deepening attacks on civil liberties, democratic rights and never-ending war.

Ours is the agenda for humanity’s future. We will mobilize in the tens of thousands from cities across the U.S. and around the world. On Tuesday, May 15, the opening day of the NATO/G-8 deliberations, we will announce our agenda with a press conference, rally, and peaceful march. On Saturday, May 19, we will mobilize for a massive march and rally—exercising our democratic rights to peaceful assembly to demand:

• Bring All U.S./NATO Troops, Mercenaries & War Contractors Home Now! Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Name Address City State Phone E-mail Tony Savino / Socialist Action Libya, the Middle East and Elsewhere.

• End U.S. Aid to Israel! End U.S. Aid to the Israeli Occupation of Palestine! End the Siege of Gaza! No to Threats of War Against Iran! End the Sanctions Now!

• Trillions for Jobs, Housing, Education, Health Care, Pensions and the Environment! No to Attacks on Unions, Cutbacks, Layoffs, Mortgage Foreclosures and Austerity! Bring the War Dollars Home!

• Tax the Rich, Not Working People! No to Corporate and Bank Bailouts!

• Civil Liberties for All! End Racist Attacks on Muslim and Arab Communities! End Racist Attacks on Blacks, Latinos and Immigrants! Full Legal Rights for All! No to FBI Repression and Grand Jury Subpoenas to Antiwar and Social Justice Activists!

Zip • Ashland, Ore.: [email protected] • Ashland, Wis.: [email protected] • Boston: bostonsocialistaction@gmail. com (781) 630-0250 • Carrboro, N.C.: (919) 967-2866, [email protected] • Chicago: P.O. Box 578428 Chicago, IL 60657, [email protected] • Connecticut: (860) 478-5300 • Duluth, Minn.:

P.O. Box 16853, Duluth, MN 55816, [email protected], www.the-red-raven.blogspot.com • Florida: [email protected] • Kansas City: [email protected] (816) 221-3638 • LOUISVILLE area / Lexington, Ky.: [email protected], (502) 451-2193 • Minneapolis/St. Paul: (612) 802-1482, [email protected] • New York City: (212) 781-5157 guaranteed civil liberties and democratic rights be respected—that our right to peaceful assembly and political protest be honored—that the voices of the people not be stifled!

The May 15 and 19, 2012 mobilizations were initiated by the United National Antiwar Committee (UNAC) in partnership with antiwar and social justice groups in Chicago, across the U.S., and internationally. At the June 18, New York City National Coordinating Committee meeting of UNAC, the 49 groups present unanimously adopted a resolution to protest the NATO/G8 meetings. They are listed as follows:

Action for a Progressive Pakistan • Al-Awda Palestine Right to Return Coalition – NY • BAYAN-USA • Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace • Bail Out the People Movement • Black Agenda Report • Black is Back • Boston Stop the Wars • Boston UNAC • Code Pink • Committee to Stop FBI Repression • Ct. United for Peace • Fellowship of Reconciliation • Green Party • Haiti Liberte’ • Hampshire Students for Justice in Palestine • Honduras Resistencia – USA • International Action Center • International Support Haiti Network • International League of People’s Struggle • International Socialist Organization • Islamic Leadership Council of Metropolitan NY • Jersey City Peace Movement • May 1st Workers and Immigrant Rights Coalition • Mobilization Against War and Occupation – Canada • Metro West Peace Action • Middle East Crisis Committee • Muslim Peace Coalition • New England United • Nodutdol Korean Community Development • Pakistan Solidarity Network • Philly Against War • Project Salam • Rhode Island Mobilization Committee • Rochester Against War • SI – Solidarity with Iran • Socialist Action • Socialist Party USA • Thomas Merton Center Pittsburgh • Veterans for Peace • Voices for Creative Nonviolence • West Hartford Citizens for Peace • WESPAC • Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom • Workers World • World Can’t Wait A national coordinating committee and its Chicago counterpart, open to and inclusive of the direct and democratic participation of all antiwar and social justice organizations is in formation. Join us! Endorse the May 15 and May 19, 2012 Chicago mobilizations against the NATO-G-8 warmakers.

No to NATO/G-8 Warmakers! A National Network Opposing War and Austerity: E-mail, [email protected]. Chicago tel., (773) 301-0109 or (773) 209-1187. National, (518) 227-6947. n For info about Socialist Action and how to join: Socialist Action National Office, P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, CA 94610, [email protected], (510) 268-9429 Socialist Action newspaper editorial offices: [email protected] Website: www.socialistaction.org WHERE TO FIND SOCIALIST ACTION • Philadelphia: [email protected] • Portland, Ore.: (503) 233-1629 [email protected] • Providence: [email protected] (401) 419-1706 • Salem, Ore.: [email protected] • San Francisco Bay Area:

P.O. Box 10328, Oakland, Ca 94610 (510) 268-9429, sfsocialistaction@ gmail.com • Superior. Wis.: [email protected] • WASHINGTON, DC: [email protected] National Office

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SAN FRANCISCO—In the spring of 2011, prisoners inside Northern California’s Pelican Bay State Prison contacted Bay Area prisoners’ rights and prison abolition organizations and requested support for an indefinite rolling hunger strike against 20-40 years of mental and physical torture. The strike would begin July 1.

The hunger strike organizers included 50100 men in the prison’s notorious solitary confinement area, also known as the SHU, or Security Housing Unit. They reached beyond the prison’s carefully manufactured racial, generational, and geographical boundaries, and organized themselves around five basic core demands.

The hunger strikers asked that the organizations on the outside form a coalition that would amplify their voices from the inside. Responding to this request, groups such as Critical Resistance, California Prison Focus, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, and All of Us or None joined forces to form the Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity coalition. The group moved into action quickly, putting forth the not treated.” cess. ies. Supporters organized buses and traveled from all over California to deliver to the CDCR 7500 signatures in support of the hunger strikers.

However, prison officials refused to recognize the five core demands and would not begin negotiations. For the hunger strikers, days without food turned into weeks.

A source with access to medical conditions in the prison stated: “The prisoners are progressing rapidly to the organ-damaging consequences of dehydration. They are not drinking water and have decompensated rapidly. A few have tried to sip water but are so sick that they are vomiting it back up. Some are in renal failure and have been unable to make urine for 3 days. Some are having measured blood sugars in the 30 range, which can be fatal if The crisis deepened when the prison began withholding life-saving medications from the hunger strikers. The state also transferred at least 17 of the men at Pelican Bay to Corcoran for supposed medical reasons. They neglected to mention, however, that Corcoran had received the clearance to begin force-feeding the hunger strikers. Luckily, none of the prisoners were subjected to that horrific proOn July 16, with the world watching, the CDCR

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level of union wages and benefits. versal, public health-care system. tion, skin color, or national origin. of workers. exploited. For a workers’ government!

9) To mobilize support for the demands it adopts, the EMERGENCY more concrete demands than the ones outlined above.

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