European workers mobilize against austerity

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tion to dismiss was rejected and a new court date of the plaintiffs will have no alternative but to appeal to Oct. 22, instead of Oct. 3, was set to hear the plaintiff’s the California courts and then, if necessary, to the U.S.

Motion to Reconsider. Such a motion is rarely granted in California courts. In this case, however, the action risome, the financial clock is ticking and the original Nam & Associates submitted a joint brief by Ralph imposing the draconian and unprecedented attorney Nader and the Center for Competitive Democracy and another by author, political reformer, and rank eral law that the punitive “SLAPP suit” might well be choice voting advocate Steven Hill. Finally, the law firm of Walter Riley, a prominent Oakland civil rights attorney, submitted a brief on behalf of the Alexander tions afforded to public-interest plaintiffs under both Wing this matter in what began as a David and Goliath battle between the huge and moneyed Nielsen law demanded what amounted to an illegal “emergency” firm and a single attorney representing six dedicated (ex parte) hearing before Judge Karnow—essentially gants than the underlying dispute (which addresses insisting that he dismiss the plaintiff’s Motion for major law firms on behalf of nationally recognized tiff’s attorney, appeared the very next day before a civil and democratic organizations, the plaintiffs are packed courtroom of 50-plus plaintiff supporters and justified in expecting a victory on Oct. 22. But in these demanded that Judge Karnow recuse himself from troubled times when basic democratic rights and civil ing at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 at 400 McAllister Street at the proceeding and that the court reject the Nielsen Polk. Please come 30 minutes early, as you have to toral process, are under attack across the country, clear security. All supporters of democratic rights are SOCIALIST ACTION OCTOBER 2012 5 Last month saw huge street mobi­ lizations in several European coun­ tries in which the working class has been besieged by austerity demands by their governments and the Eu­ ropean Union. Demonstrations and general strikes took place in Portu­ gal, Spain, and Greece.

On Sept. 26, over 100,000 people marched in Athens as workplaces closed down in a 24-hour general strike across the country. The airport closed for several hours, and shops, museums, transportation, and ship­ ping stayed shut for the day.

While political activity was rela­ tively subdued following the na­ tional elections last June, anger has burst forward once again as the gov­ ernment proposes a new round of cuts in order to secure aid from the EU and the International Monetary Fund.

This will mean more attempts to slash wages and jobs. Already, the official unemployment rate is about 24 percent, and 55 percent among young people. The government also wants to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67, to reduce social ben­ efits, cut spending on education and health care, and to close or privatize public facilities.

The strike and main rally was called by the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), the union of civil ser­ vants (ADEDY)—the two largest union federations. PAME, a union attached to the Communist Party (KKE), held a separate rally.

ANTARSYA, the coalition of revolu­ tionary organizations that the Fourth International-affiliated group, OKDESpartacos, participates in, fully sup­ ported the Sept. 26 strike. A day earlier, the Central Coordinating Committee of ANTARSYA issued a statement that said in part: “We need to take the streets again. To continue where we left it at, with strikes and demonstrations, oc­ cupations and mobilization in central squares. To organize resistance and sol­ idarity. Through class reconstruction of the labor movement, with movements operating as safety nets, with popular assemblies everywhere. With an anticapitalist program that opens a differ­ ent path in the face of destruction. … “We live at a critical time when the crisis deepens and the explosive con­ tradictions of the Eurozone are made bare, when political crisis becomes more acute, and when the limits and insufficiency of the left “Europeanism” and “governmentalism” are obvious. New great possibilities are emerging for a left anticapitalist intervention and the rallying of the forces around a nec­ ... Attorney fees (continuedfrom page 4)

Meiklejohn Institute.

In a stunningly arrogant manner, Nielsen Merksamer Reconsideration outright. Gautam Dutta, the plain­ “emergency” demand to dismiss.

Karnow, who had the option to challenge the demand essary anti-capitalist program. … “ANTARSYA addresses a combatant call for common head on action to ev­ ery activist, every collective, every force etc that is oriented towards a politics of rupture and subversion. Now, more than ever before, it is the time for all forces that move in an anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-EU direction to join forces. ANTARSYA seeks to open the discussion for left politics today and the necessary revolutionary strategy for the period we live in.”

Eleven days earlier, on Sept. 15, Por­ tugal was shaken by a giant outpour­ ing of workers into the streets. One million people demonstrated (a tenth of the country’s population), including 500,000 in Lisbon, against the calls for increased austerity.

This was the largest demonstration since the downfall of the Salazar regime in 1974. However, Rui Pereira Viana, an activist in the Committee for the Can­ celation of the Portugese Debt, pointed out in the Fourth International journal International Viewpoint that “there is a significant difference between the two dates. On May 1, 1974, when a million people invaded the streets of Lisbon, what was striking was the way people laughed and hugged each other, af­ ter the fall of the Salazar dictatorship, which had taken place on 25 April with the Carnation Revolution. On Septem­ ber 15, 2012, it was this joy that was missing in the streets of Lisbon and Porto.”

that he recuse himself, declined to do so. Nielsen’s mo­ fee stands in such blatant violation of state and fed­ dismissed and the matter ended on Oct. 22.

indication that he has no further interest in pursu­ plaintiffs seeking justice.

liberties, including the right to participate in the elec­ nothing can be taken for granted.

Pereira Viana stated that the official slogans for the demonstration made the reasons for the revolt quite clear: “Out with the Troika!” “We want our lives!” “We have to do something ex­ traordinary!”

“Everything is implied in these three sentences,” he wrote: “The urgency of bringing down the government, putting an end to the policy of austerity, recon­ necting with the social functions of the state, suspending the payment of the il­ legitimate debt that benefits capital and dispossesses workers.”

Pereira Viana noted that “with an ob­ vious lack of a sense of timing, two days after the calling of the demonstration, the Prime Minister announced the most offensive measures that workers could remember: an increase of 7 per cent in the social contributions paid by work­ ers accompanied by a cut of 5.75 per cent in employers’ contributions and additional cuts in the social functions of the state. This measure comes on top of the previous austerity measures and in­ volves a new wage reduction of at least 8.5 per cent.” After the marches had taken place, however, the government felt compelled to announce that it was withdrawing the most recent tax mea­ sures (though new measures might be imposed later).

In the Spanish state, on Sept. 25, tens of thousands attempted to “encircle” the seat of parliament in Madrid. Jan Malewski wrote in International View­ point that “amid cries of ‘Democracy Karnow’s decision to recuse himself could be an With the unprecedented amicus briefs filed by other tion).

Angel Navarrete / Bloomberg (Above) Police attack protesters near parliament in Madrid, Sept. 25.

kidnapped!’ and ‘Government resign!’ the demonstrators first organized mas­ sive popular assemblies, before head­ ing for Neptune square, facing Parlia­ ment. … More than 1300 special anti-ri­ ot police officers were mobilized. They charged, firing rubber bullets, lead­ ing to confrontations that continued through the night, leaving more than 60 wounded with at least 35 arrests. “However, the next day on Sept. 26, thousands again gathered before the Parliament. And the government, con­ scious of its growing social discredit, began to see that neither its campaign nor the police deployment had suc­ ceeded in intimidating the tens of thou­ sands of people who denounced the sequestration of the presumed ‘seat of popular sovereignty’ by the ‘dictator­ ship of the markets.’”

Malewski noted that in both Portugal and Spain (unlike in Greece), “these great popular mobilizations have been initiated by new social movements and not by the big trade unions or political parties of the traditional left.” This, he said, “amounts to a new stage of the rupture with the historic organizations of the workers’ movement, locked into conservatism and increasingly clear in their heated defense of the status quo, and thus, in the eyes of a growing mass of those in revolt, useless if not hostile organizations.” n Should this repressive and illegal fine be affirmed, Supreme Court—a sobering prospect. Equally wor­ punishing imposition of $243,279.50 can only be ex­ pected to mount with each appeal.

Needless to say, the chilling effect of this case could be considerable. Legally, the result not only under­ mines public policy but violates outright the protec­ federal and state law. Unless it is reversed, this un­ precedented, unjust ruling could have sweeping con­ sequences over a far broader range of issues and liti­ the merits of the Top Two Primary’s enabling legisla­ Supporters of Jeff Mackler and the other plaintiffs plan to attend the San Francisco Superior Court hear­ urged to join them. n

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ment offices overseeing policy in the region. He served O predominantly Muslim countries as news spread In Sept. 11, demonstrations broke out in several Tripoli, from 2007 to 2009 during the relatively brief eas­ ing of tensions with Colonel Qaddafi’s government.” His of a viciously anti-Islamic video produced in the postings in the other countries named (including Egypt United States. Crowds gathered in front of U.S. embas­ sies and consulates, in some cases storming them. In Washington’s political interaction with those dictatorial Benghazi, Libya, a U.S. diplomatic building was attacked regimes. and four U.S. officials, including the ambassador to Lib­ ya, Christopher Stevens, were killed. tion and engaging in talks with the rulers of those coun­ The Obama administration later tried to portray that tries on behalf of U.S. imperialism. In that respect, he was incident as a long-planned “al-Qaeda” attack using the more like Graham Greene’s “Quiet American”—a med­ video controversy as cover. It’s too early to tell who was dler on behalf of empire—than the diplomatic figurehead really behind the attack, but what matters far more is how portrayed in encomiums delivered after his death. the media has used this whole episode to further inflame anti-Islamic sentiment, while it continues to ignore the “Why don’t they thank us?” real, and far more massive, protests throughout the Arab world for social justice, independence, and democracy. events as proof of the “ingratitude” of countries that Soon after the Benghazi attack, numerous Muslim Washington had supposedly helped free from dictator­ groups in various countries held protests and issued state­ ship—ignoring the fact that the U.S. had backed Mubarak ments lamenting the deaths of Stevens and his colleagues. et al. right up until the moment of their departure, had This reflected in part ongoing discomfort among progres­ long dealt with Gadhafi before falling out with him and sive activists in the region with attempts by fundamen­ bombarding Libya with planes and missiles, and contin­ talist elements to portray themselves as the leaders of ues to support the most pro-imperialist, anti-democratic the uprising of the last two years. But these apologetic forces in the region. For the masses in these countries, in protests also represented confusion or even outright mis­ contrast, the video was symbolic of the humiliating scorn, representation concerning the role of Stevens and his col­ slander, and lies heaped upon them by Western powers leagues. for centuries.

A New York Times article titled “Deadly Attack in Libya Was Major Blow to C.I.A. Efforts” reported, “The attack Driving Force for Anti-Americanism” (Alakhbar English, in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Sept. 12, 2012), noted that this is not the first such protest Stevens and three other Americans has dealt the Central in Benghazi, and he listed rallies, building invasions, and Intelligence Agency a major setback in its intelligence- bomb incidents in January, April, May, and August of this gathering efforts at a time of increasing instability in the year against Libyan government, UN, and Western diplo­ North African nation. Among the more than two dozen matic targets. “Frustration with the West is commonplace American personnel evacuated from the city after the as­ amongst sections of society who are not Gaddafi loyalists, sault on the American mission and a nearby annex were but on the contrary fought valiantly in the 2011 civil war about a dozen C.I.A. operatives and contractors, who against Gaddafi. The NATO intervention did not mollify played a crucial role in conducting surveillance and col­ a much more fundamental grievance they have against lecting information on an array of armed militant groups the US-UK, namely the sense of humiliation of the Arab in and around the city. world against the arrogance of Western domination in “‘It’s a catastrophic intelligence loss,’ said one Ameri­ cultural and political terms. can official … ‘We got our eyes poked out.’” CIA person­ nel carried out their secret missions, said the paper, in the 2005, protests across the world took place in reaction to a very building where Stevens was killed. Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, publishing cartoons Stevens himself, while lionized as a “friend of Arabs,” a that demeaned the Prophet Mohammad. This upsurge gentle, humor-loving diplomat, was in fact part and parcel came to eastern Libya in early 2006 when an Italian min­ of the imperialist intelligence-gathering operation. Typi­ ister, Roberto Calderoli, wore a t-shirt that bore that of­ cal of some of the frequently Orientalist tributes to him fensive cartoon. A demonstration of more than 1,000 peo­ was that “he understood the Arabs.” ple, mainly political Islamists and pious Muslims, gath­ But he was not just a wine-sipping, reception-holding ered in front of the Italian consulate in Benghazi. … The diplomat. Stevens has been the main political point per­ Gaddafi regime sent in its armed police, who opened fire, son for the U.S. in its military intervention in Libya. Be­ killing 11. After the police firing, a section of the middle fore that, he had served in Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and class that was not sympathetic to the Islamists turned Israel and, said The New York Times, “in State Depart­ against the Gaddafi regime, and demanded justice not 6 SOCIALIST ACTION OCTOBER 2012 only around the 2006 incident but also for families of those members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and others massacred in Abu Salim prison in 1996.”

It was a February 2011 protest in Beng­ hazi commemorating the 2006 incident that kicked off the anti-Gadhafi rebellion.

Prashad describes outrage at Gadhafi’s collaboration with imperialism in repress­ ing demonstrations against European slan­ ders of Islam, as well as his help in aiding Western powers via detention and torture. The CIA had in fact been welcomed to Libya by Gadhafi in 2004. British intel­ ligence agents were similarly welcomed, and collaboration in matters of detention and torture begun.

Another source of discontent in the coun­ try is the rigged elections this July, which, said Prashad, “were celebrated in the West, since it seemed that unlike Tunisia and Egypt, the Islamists had not garnered the fruits of the revolts. The neo-liberal sec­ tions, led by Mahmoud Jibril’s National Forces Alliance won a majority. … His vic­ tory in the polls vindicated NATO, which now felt that it had its man in charge— open to sweetheart deals for Western oil companies and eager to push further the neo-liberal agenda that was constrained five years ago.”

The rules for the July elections favored Jibril’s Alliance and were skewed against Islamist candidates. “The results of the July elections, therefore, are not represen­ tative of the social character of the country, where political Islam plays an important role. Talk of the ‘defeat’ of the Islamists in the ballot box further inflames a section that believes that it remains integral to the future of Libya.”

The humiliation cited by Prashad was reinforced by government and media com­ mentary in imperialist countries on the protests, which ranged from outrage at the “ingratitude” of the Arab masses for nonexistent aid in freeing themselves from dictators, to reinforcement of anti-Islamic stereotypes, as the deputy chief of mission in the [Libyan] capital, such as the cover of Newsweek featuring a photo of beard­ ed, angry Muslim men with the headline “Muslim Rage.” Meanwhile, throughout the days surrounding these events, the quieter, more bureaucratic official policy of under Mubarak) meant he was a key political operative in Islamophobia continued apace as Obama’s drones contin­ ued to rain down death, with a formal declaration that any adult male could be considered a legitimate target without He was, in sum, a fixer, an operative gathering informa­ any evidence. And the focus on the video protests served Washington as a useful distraction from the ongoing re­ gional revolt. Arab revolutionaries noted the discrepancy in size between the anti-video protests and the far larger rallies in recent years against local dictators and Western intervention.

In fact, at the very same time that the video protests were occurring, significant developments in the antiU.S. government officials and the media used these dictator, anti-imperialist revolt in the region were taking place. Protests broke out in the West Bank against Pales­ tinian Authority-imposed price increases. Those protests, mobilizing thousands, also explicitly denounced the PA’s broader neoliberal economic policies, as well as the Paris Protocols, the economic component of the Oslo Accords, in which the PLO leadership formally agreed to its sub­ servient status vis-à-vis Israel.

In Egypt, on Sept. 16 and 17, a new wave of strikes broke out among school staff and students, transport workers, and others. Protests were also held against IMF attempts to impose new debt on the country. Vijay Prashad, in his article “Libyan Humiliation a Anti-Islam, anti-Palestinian ads in N.Y. Later in September, U.S.-based Islamophobe and Arabhater Pamela Geller sparked off a parallel controversy as she brought to New York’s transit system racist ads that she had earlier paid to display in San Francisco. The ads declared, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” Local activists mobilized quickly to denounce the ads via social media, pickets, and “correcting” the ads by putting antiracist, pro-Palestine stickers on top of them. Geller is part of a multi-national anti-Muslim, anti-Arab network of bigots, a network whose leading lights have been cited in the scribblings of such mass murderers as “An earlier incident helps to highlight this point. In late Norwegian right-wing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik. Her stunt comes after a months-long wave of anti-Islamic violence (see article in our last issue) in the U.S. involv­ ing murder, beatings, and mosque desecration. Geller’s opponents noted that the alleged “civilized/ savage” dichotomy is an exact replica of the ideologi­ cal justification for wars of genocide against Africans and African-Americans, Native Americans and Latin@s, Palestinians, and other nationalities whose land various imperialist overlords wanted to seize.

Columbia Professor Hamid Dabashi, writing in Al Jazeera English, also noted a parallel in Mitt Romney’s (continued on page 7)

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(Above) Cyrus McGoldrick, advocacy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, takes a photo of Pam Geller’s anti-Muslim, pro-Zionist ad in New York’s Times Square subway station, Sept. 24. ... Anti-Muslim video (continued from page 6) description of 47% of Americans as “freeloaders.” Of course, Obama holds the same disdain for working peo­ ple as Romney, but carries it out in practice without the inflammatory rhetoric.

Dabashi himself noted, “The thick vulgarity of the [Geller] ad turns it into a caricature, safely distances it from Harvard political scientists theorizing ‘the clash of civilisation,’ as it distances it from the very core of American imperialism, so that once this minor disorder is thus identified and acknowledged as ‘a trivial and dis­ graceful pustule,’ the real problem—namely the fact that the entire American foreign policy, its demonization of Muslims in the courses it teaches in its military acad­ emies, its flushing the Quran down the toilet by way of torturing Muslim ‘savages,’ by drone attacks on inno­ cent people in Pakistan or Afghanistan, and by its un­ conditional support for Israel repeatedly articulated by President Obama—are all evaded, never even named, and thereby exorcised. “The ad is not an exception that proves a rule, but an exception that camouflages the rule.”

While many mainstream pundits complain about the “lack of respect for freedom of speech” that the protests against the video and Geller’s ad supposedly reveal, these same pundits have ignored the growing efforts of Zionists in the U.S. to ban anti-Zionist speakers and shut down events critical of Zionism, claiming they are sup­ posedly “anti-Semitic.” n Bebeto Matthews / AP