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. . Matter in Motion through Space and Time ... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] [Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: info <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 10:55 PM Subject: [mobilize-globally] Rotterdam, The Netherlands, May Day against Bush and racism ------ Forwarded Message From: "uhuru_now" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 01 May 2002 23:28:14 -0000 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [leftwing] Rotterdam, The Netherlands, May Day against Bush and racism May Day 2002 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands: for peace and socialism; against Bush and racist Fortuijn May Day 2002 saw millions in action all over the world, for peace, workers' rights, and international solidarity. Also in many places in The Netherlands: from the small village of Finsterwolde to Amsterdam to the government city of The Hague: there, a demonstration focused against George W. Bush putting the Kurdish workers'party PKK on a "terrorist" list. In Rotterdam, the second city of The Netherlands, at 6 p.m. people began to gather in front of the city hall, Coolsingel 40. The big crowd varied from supporters of the "left liberal" D66 party (comparable to the Liberal Democrats in England or Americans for Democratic Action in the US) to communists and everyone in between. The main slogan was "Against war and racism, together for socialism". Among the other slogans on banners and signs were: Stop the Dutch Haider [the extreme right Dutch politician Pim Fortuijn, participating in the Dutch general election of 15 May; whose policies are somewhat similar to Austrian extreme Rightist Haider. Fortuijn insults Muslims, people from the Caribbean, and others]. Pim Le Pen [comparing Fortuijn to French extreme Rightist Le Pen], stop with politics, and start cooking! This alludes to an infamous remark by Fortuijn when a female journalist, live on national television, asked him a question. Fortuijn, not just a racist, but also a misogynist, snapped: "Bitch, you'd better take up cooking instead of journalism." This may have cost Fortuijn female floating voters; unfortunately, it may also have won him some stupid male floating voters. Other slogans: Long live the workers'day (in Dutch and Arabic). Stop war for oil and money. Rotterdam against the "new" war. Socialist Party. Stop the corporate media campaign against immigrants. Down with racism.. Legalize the Kurdish language in Turkey. Long live international solidarity. Free Mumia Abu-Jamal. There were pictures of Che Guevara and Kurdish Workers Party president �calan, a political prisoner in Turkey. Red flags and Kurdish flags floated. On a truck, a Brazilian percussion band played. After an introductory speech, Savas, player of the sas (string instrument) from Turkish Kurdistan, played. A song by him is on the Internet, at http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Eafa/comite/muziek/beirut.mp3 Among the organizations taking part in the march were: Aksi Setiakawan (Indonesian), Rotterdam against the "new" war committee; the Rotterdam branch of the trades union congress FNV; one million and a half people in The Netherlands are FNV members. Iranian refugees. Turkish Workers' League, and the Social Alliance (an anti poverty network, including the two biggest trade union congresses FNV and CNV, and others). When far over a thousand people had gathered, they started to march through the shopping streets of the city center. In the middle of the demonstration the truck, with the Brazilian band still playing, and speeches from various participating organizations. People shouted: George Bush, terrorist! [Israel prime minister] Sharon, terrorist! Pim Fortuijn, racist! A lot of the slogans rhymed in Dutch, though not in English. Like: First of May, free Palestine. Fortuijn's party is the new NSB [Dutch Nazi party, founded in 1931, banned in 1945]; down with it! Pim Fortuijn, his shirt is brown ["bruin" in Dutch; like Hitler's SA]. The slogan: Pim, start cooking! drew spontaneous applause by a sixteenish blonde girl passing by, and a thumbs up sign by an African tramway passenger. Motorists honked along with the May Day slogans. Marchers cheered a construction worker, as construction trade unions are stepping up strike action on May Day. As the marchers arrived back at the city hall, a swift flew overhead, screaming. This migratory bird always comes back to The Netherlands around May Day. From the truck, Peter Sas of the International Socialists mentioned the nuclear weapons threat, ending his speech with: long live socialism, down with capitalism! After Sas, Wim van Wijk of the refugees' organization PRIME spoke. He criticized the Dutch government, which wants to send refugees back to unsafe Iraq; and expels refugees from their houses. Next, Jane of "Rode Morgen (Red Dawn)" monthly, mentioned the big anti Le Pen demonstrations in France on this May Day. Then, the Red Rotterdam choir sang songs against privatization of public transport; against war; finishing with the "Internationale" with everyone joining in. Finally, people were asked to come again to Rotterdam on Saturday 11 May at 2 p.m at the city hall square, for the big national demonstration against Pim Fortuijn and racism in general. National FNV chairman Lodewijk de Waal, earlier that day at a May Day meeting in Amersfoort, said that the trades union congress abandoned its previous policy of not admitting illegal immigrant workers to FNV membership. He admitted that trade union leaders used to allow themselves to be influenced too much by anti illegal immigrant politicians. On this May Day also, a public opinion poll by national TV showed that 65% of the public in The Netherlands says that the PvdA, the Dutch Labour party, the biggest party in the Dutch government coalition, should stop drifting toward the political center and should become a clearly socialist party. "If we do not change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed." Fight the good fight, join Leftwing: http://www.peoplerule.org ***** You can lead a man to knowledge but you can't make him think. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Stock for $4 and no minimums. FREE Money 2002. http://us.click.yahoo.com/orkH0C/n97DAA/Ey.GAA/XgSolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! 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