FRFI Round Up / FRFI 217 Oct/Nov 2010

FRFI 217 October/November 2010

Fight imperialism! Defend socialism!

Organise with Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!

The imperialist system divides the world into oppressed and oppressor countries, brings war and poverty to millions and threatens environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale. The British Labour Party is politically and morally bankrupt, a racist and imperialist party which has consistently shown that it can offer no solutions for the working class and oppressed. Yet the major organisations of the British left continue to advocate an alliance with the Labour Party against the ‘Tory cuts’, attempting to bury Labour’s rotten history of privatisation and their pre-election pledge to make cuts ‘tougher and deeper’ than those under Thatcher in the 1980s (Chancellor Alistair Darling, comments to BBC, 26 March 2010). There is an urgent need to break with the Labour Party and its apologists on the left in order to build a movement against imperialism and for socialism, in solidarity with movements which are already fighting back around the world, from Palestine to Cuba. Building such a movement in Britain requires consistent local work that makes links between different struggles and issues, both politically and organisationally. That is why we consider our newspaper to be essential:

‘The role of a newspaper, however, is not limited solely to the dissemination of ideas, to political education, and to the enlistment of political allies.  A newspaper is not only a collective propagandist and a collective agitator, it is also a collective organiser.’ (Lenin, 1901, Where to Begin?)

We urge you to join us in building the fightback: come along to one of the events listed or contact us to find out more.

As part of our political work, we send copies of FRFI free of charge to prisoners. The prison authorities frequently attempt to ban and censor the paper. The latest attempt, at HMP Whitemoor, will be opposed vigorously, as all such attempts are, and we have already informed the prison that if it does not lift the ban we will take legal action to defend the democratic rights of our subscribers.

In Glasgow, comrades have continued to face harassment from the police for selling FRFI in the neighbourhood of Govanhill (see p16). The Procurator Fiscal threatens further criminal prosecution if activists continue to distribute the newspaper despite it being a perfectly legal activity. The Govanhill Defence Campaign has been formed in response to these events (http:// govanhilldefencecampaign.blogspot.com). FRFI activists refuse to be intimidated and continue to be active, week in, week out.

Victory to the Intifada!

In Newcastle on 9 August, FRFI activists helped to build a well-attended public meeting, ‘Gaza: Breaking the Siege’, with the local Palestine Action Group. The meeting heard from Alex, an activist with the Free Gaza Campaign (www.freegaza.org) who was part of the Flotilla that was brutally attacked by Israel on 31 May, leaving nine activists dead. The meeting raised £200 for the next Free Gaza Flotilla, which plans to sail in October.

On 22 August FRFI activists joined a protest outside Newcastle BBC, in conjunction with protests at other BBC centres around the UK, against the pro-Zionist reporting of the ‘Death on the Med’ Panorama programme, which grossly distorted the facts in an attempt to justify Israel’s attack on the flotilla. This was followed by a film showing, Palestine is still the issue, on 7 September and a lively picket of Marks & Spencer on 16 September, dedicated to commemorating the Sabra and Shatila massacre orchestrated by Israel and carried out by Phalangist fascists in Lebanon in 1982.

On 11 September in Glasgow, FRFI supporters joined Scottish PSC and Friends of Al Aqsa in a Boycott Israeli Goods action in the Pollokshields area. Around 50 people participated in the action, carrying banners and Palestinian flags, receiving much support from local residents. The protest was filmed by Al Jazeera and broadcast on the Middle Eastern Network. This follows previous protests in the area, which have succeeded in removing Israeli produce from local shops. On 23 September Glasgow FRFI held a picket outside Marks & Spencer in Glasgow city centre, marking the tenth anniversary of the second Intifada. FRFI activists in London also held a Victory to the Intifada demonstration on 25 September to mark this anniversary, and therefore also ten years since the start of the weekly pickets of the Marks & Spencer flagship store at Marble Arch (see page 9).

Fight Racism!

Newcastle FRFI are active in Tyneside Community Action Against Racism (TCAR), which organises a monthly ‘Speak out Against Racism’ and is currently building for a Northern March Against Racism 2010 on 20 November, aiming to unite different groups and campaigns and build an anti-racist presence on the streets of Newcastle. The march will provide an open platform for all anti-racists. TCAR is asking for support from campaigns, community groups, trade unions, political organisations and individuals. If you can help please get in touch at [email protected] or phone 07989 879 310.

Defend the alternative to imperialism and war! Solidarity with socialist Cuba!

Over the summer, screenings have been taking place around Britain of Rock Around the Blockade’s new documentary, Cuba: defending socialism, resisting imperialism, filmed during the 2009 brigade to Cuba. Many people attended the showings and participated in post-film discussion, wanting a detailed insight into the progress of the socialist revolution. Members of RATB North East were also invited to give an introduction at a Newcastle screening of Oliver Stone’s South of the Border documentary, about revolutionary and social movements across Latin America. On 5 September, London RATB screened the film Cocalero, which is about the run-up to the 2005 election campaign in Bolivia, when Evo Morales became the country’s first indigenous president.

RATB has held several street events in Manchester city centre in an ongoing effort to counter the lies of the imperialist press surrounding Cuba. On Fidel Castro’s birthday we held a lively stall in Piccadilly Gardens with music, flags, revolutionary pictures and placards.

On 11 September, the 12th anniversary of the arrest of the Cuban 5 by US authorities, street events were organised by RATB in London, Manchester and Newcastle. Protests were held around the globe on this day to call for the release of the Cuban 5. Our events included members of the public signing cards of solidarity to send to the Cuban 5, information stalls, speeches and pavement art. Speakers highlighted the long history of US and European imperialism’s interventions in Cuban and Latin American affairs and their sponsorship of terrorist acts against Cuba. We were joined by Hands off Venezuela and the Free Mumia Campaign (see p13); Mumia has been a lifelong friend of the Cuban Revolution and to this day pledges his support for the struggle of the Cuban 5.

In London on 18 September, RATB activists also supported a demo called by Hands off Venezuela, to show solidarity ahead of the Venezuelan elections.