Greeks mobilize against public TV shutdown

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... U.S. hands off Syria!

SOCIALIST ACTION JULY 2013 11 As we go to press on July 1, employees of the public Hellenic Radio Television (ERT) are continuing to occupy the studios, manage programming, and stay on the air—despite the govern­ ment’s shutdown. Newscasts are regulated by a com­ mittee of journalists. Below is an earlier report on the mass support for the ERT workers.

ATHENS—Everyone agrees, in Greece and else­ where: the wild decision of Prime Minister Samaras to announce, at midday on Tuesday, 10 June, the clos­ ing of the public audio-visual service ERT for the same evening is surprising and, of course, requires explana­ tion. And a massive response!

In the final analysis we come back to the incredible truth: the government has handed over to the Troika, currently on an inspection trip, the 2000 job cuts demanded as immediate proof of governmental ef­ fectiveness in implementing the imposed plan of dis­ missal of tens of thousands of civil servants.

Samaras lays off 2670 workers today and promises to recreate a public channel of 600 employees. Those are the figures, and we must think that this is—if not the only explanation—the principal one to this foolish takeover by force: We are talking about a coup d’etat!

This coup d’etat was not completely impromptu.

Everyone knew of the threats of “reorganization” of ERT, and a constitutional expert had produced a plan that Samaras wants to implement but one which the author is now refusing to take part in as long as ERT remains closed! This is one of many political contra­ dictions that have exploded since Tuesday, opening a crisis within the government—the “interior troika,” as it is called here.

Indeed, Samaras, product of the most reactionary and nationalist right and surrounded by advisors open to the far right, made an arrogant decision, be­ lieving that the last surveys giving him two points more than Syriza empowered him to rule without having to worry about tedious democratic procedures any more. The result: the ministers of Pasok and Di­ mar [parties in the governing coalition] did not sign (continued from page 12: “U.S. hands off Syria!”) that is, a society where the vast majority organize society in their own interest free from capitalist and imperialist exploita­ tion in its myriad forms. The construction of a deeply rooted revolutionary social­ ist party in Syria is a prerequisite to the achievement of this objective.

All out against the U.S.-orchestrated wars in Syria and the Middle East! Self-determination for Syria! U.S. out now! n The White House’s June 13th announce­ ment that it would begin directly supply­ ing arms to the opposition in Syria is a dramatic escalation of the U.S./NATO war against that country.

Thousands of U.S. troops and intelli­ gence personnel are training opposition forces and coordinating operations in Turkey and Jordan.

Israel, the recipient of more than $3 billion annually in U.S. military aid has carried out heavy bombing raids against Syria. The Pentagon has developed plans for a “no-fly” zone over Syria, threatening a new U.S. air war.

The pretext for this escalation is the assertion, presented without any actual evidence, that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons in the conflict that has been raging for more than two years.

Like their predecessors, President Obama and other top U.S. officials pre­ tend to be concerned about “democracy” and “human rights” in Syria, but their closest allies in the campaign against Syr­ ia are police-state, absolute monarchies like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Once again the so-called “Responsibility to protect,” R2P, is used as a pretext for NATO to dom­ inate this region.

Just as the false claim of “weapons of mass destruction” was used as justification for the invasion and oc­ cupation of Iraq in 2003, the allega­ tions that chemical weapons were used by the Syrian military is meant to mask the real motives of Wash­ ington and its allies. Their aim is to carry out “regime change,” as part of the drive to create a “new Middle East.”

The invasion of Iraq in 2003, the U.S.-backed Israeli war in Lebanon in 2006, the 2011 NATO bombing of Libya, the now-escalating war in Syria and the growing threats against Iran are part of a coordi­ nated regional effort by the United States, Britain and France to domi­ nate this oil-rich and strategic region.

The U.S. government cuts basic services and has eliminated hundreds of thou­ sands of public sector workers jobs in the last three years in the name of a dis­ credited austerity which has destroyed the economy, but has unlimited billions available for wars of aggression and NSA surveillance of almost every American.

We join together to call for National Days of Action, June 28- July 15, 2013, to demand:

• Stop the U.S./NATO/Israeli war and all forms of intervention against Syria!

• Self-determination free from outside intervention for the Syrian people!

• Fund people’s needs, not the military!

• U.S. Out of the Middle East!

Endorsers:

United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)

ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism)

United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ)

AFI3RM All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC)

Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines Arab Americans for Peace Arab Americans for Syria - AA4S BAYAN USA CRI-Panafricain the decision to close ERT, and today the only group supporting the takeover by force of the right (New Democracy) against ERT is the nazis of Chryssi Avgi (Golden Dawn)!

However, as soon as the decision was known, an exceptional mobilization started. Since Tuesday, the buildings of ERT in the Athenian suburbs have been surrounded by thousands of people, activists or not, with support from artists and various personalities. The confederation of unions in the private sector (GSEE) and the federation of the public sector unions (Adedy), which had recently refused to support the teachers’ strike, were obliged to call on Thursday for a general strike that was quite successful.

Protest meetings took place everywhere in the coun­ try. The occupation in front of ERT was massive, even if the place is rather out of the way. Most important perhaps, is to see side by side the trade-union, politi­ cal, associative flags of various currents that usually do everything not to demonstrate together. This de facto unity in the fight, linked to a very cordial envi­ ronment, is for the moment a pledge of determined resistance: KKE (Greek CP) has welcomed to its TV channel the news programmes produced by the ERT journalists; the radio of Kokkino (Syriza) is connected permanently to the takeover mobilizations. It is clear Freedom Road Socialist Organization Global Network Against Nuclear Power in Space Green Party of the United States Honduras Resistencia USA International Action Center International Coalition to Free the Angola 3 Iran Working Group VFP KmB Pro-People Youth March Forward!

May 1 Workers and Immigrant Rights Coalition Pakistan USA Freedom Forum Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL)

Revival of Panafricanism Forum SI Solidarity with Iran Socialist Action Syrian American Forum The Green Shadow Cabinet U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)

U.S. Peace Council Ugnayan (Linking the Children of the Motherland)

Veterans For Peace World Can’t Wait Akbar Muhammad, International Representative, Nation of Islam Ardeshir Ommani, President, American Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC)

David Swanson, RootsAction Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report (organization for identification purpose only)

Heidi Boghosian, Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala, candidates, Green Party Jim Lafferty, Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild/Los Angeles Margaret Flowers & Kevin Zeese, PopularResis tance Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report (organization for identification purpose only)

Nada Khader, WESPAC that Samaras had not envisaged such a broad response to its small manoeuvre.

International solidarity, which has been very strong, going as far as some not very diplomatic statements by foreign governments, is felt to be an invaluable help. It gives a very practical meaning to the slogan of “Troika out!” at last Sunday’s demo in Athens conclud­ ing the Altersummit. In this context, it illustrates what for three years has been too weak: that international solidarity reinforces the working-class response in Greece. This solidarity must continue and intensify.

On Thursday, the police entered the ERT buildings in Salonica to evict the workers occupying their work­ place. Although Samaras is obviously destabilized at the moment, it is known that the only answer will be repression. There has to be the strongest solidarity for the defence of ERT and all jobs!

The struggle continues, with a solidarity concert Fri­ day at the ERT location. There is, of course, a common feeling in Greece that the current struggle in Taksim Square in Turkey has a lot in common with the popu­ lar assemblies at ERT! n Prof. Jared Ball, radio host Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general Ron Jacobs, journalist Sami Ramadani, journalist and scholar Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival ANAKBAYAN Los Angeles and San Diego BAYAN-SOCAL Bob Carter, Justice for Palestinians, Houston (orga nization for identification purpose only)

Coalition to Stop $30 Billion to Israel Community Futures Collective Eugene E Ruyle, Peace and Freedom Party Habi Arts Kevin Akin, California State Chair, Peace and Free dom Party LEF Foundation Los Angeles Peace Council Maine Code Pink Peace and Freedom Party, Santa Cruz County Peoples Video Network Philly Against War Puerto Rican Alliance-LA RI Peoples Assembly RI SOS Save Our Schools Coalition RI Unemployed Council Sabah Jawad, Iraqi Democrats Against Occupation School of the Americas Watch - LA (SOA Watch-LA)

SiGAw-GABRIELA USA Southern California Immigration Coalition (SCIC)

Stop the War Machine, New Mexico Teach Peace Foundation, Sacramento, Calif.

The Dream Team 2013, RI Union of Progressive Iranians West County Toxics Coalition, Richmond, Calif. AP

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SOCIALIST ACTION Khalil Hamra / AP

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United Statement and Call for Action to Oppose U.S./NATO and Israeli War on Syria No more wars! U.S. out of the Middle East! National Days of Action: June 28-July 17

Andreas Sartzekis is a member of OKDE-Spartakos, Greek section of the Fourth International, which is part of the coalition of the anti-capitalist left, Antarsya. (Above) Photo taken by resident that purportedly shows a bomb explosion in the Syrian city of Homs, July 22, 2012.