>Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000 08:08:17 +0200 >From: "UP.Secr. (MG!)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: > NY Activists Unite Against US Imperialism > Date: > Sun, 17 Sep 2000 08:04:45 +0200 > From: > "UP.Secr. (MG!)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > >Congratulations ! > >You have taken an extremely important step that together with >other similar coalitions around the globe will prove to be >historic ! > >We would like to join if you decide to expand the coalition >further. > >In solidarity, > >Ole Fjord Larsen >Secretary, The United Peoples >http://www.unitedpeoples.net > > >____________________________________________________ > > MOBILIZE GLOBALLY ! (MG!) > > Reinforce, expand and coordinate the new worldwide resistance > movement ! > > Join the worldwide campaign for transfer of the economic and > political power from the corporations, their mass media > monopoly and their governments, to the peoples ! > > To demonstrate your support of all of the various endevours > to achieve this, simply insert a permanent (MG!) behind your > name or organisation in the heading of your e-mails, etc. > > Add this footnote to your messages. >____________________________________________________ > > >Subject: > [MLL]NY Activists Unite Against US Imperialism > Date: > Sat, 16 Sep 2000 23:11:40 -0500 > From: > Pakito Arriaran <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >From: "Guy Incognito" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >NY Activists Unite Against US Imperialism > >NEW YORK, Friday September 8--Over 100 activists marched all over >mid-town >Manhattan today, stopping to protest in front of four consulates before >proceeding to a rally across the street from the United Nations. The day >of >actions was organized by the New York People's Assembly Against >Imperialist >Globalization (NYPAAIG), a new multi-tendency city-wide anti-imperialist > >coalition, and the occasion was the final day of the UN Millenium >Summit. > >NYPAAIG was initiated by Philippine Forum, a local progressive Filipino >organization, and its allies in the Network in Solidarity with the >People >of the Philippines (NISPOP). PhilForum and NISPOP were already planning >a >protest against the visit of Philippine President Estrada to New York to > >attend the Summit when the decision was made to form an anti-imperialist > >pole within a broader mobilization being planned by a coalition called >the >S8 Mobilization. Thus NYPAAIG was formed, bringing together such >organizations as the Colombia Action Committee (CAC), International >Action >Center (IAC), Committee to Support the Revolution in Peru (CSRP), >Committee >in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), Forum of Indian >Leftists, Direct Action Network and Student Liberation Action Movement. > >The UN Millenium Summit was the largest gathering of heads of state in >history. Dan Wilson of NISPOP discussed NYPAAIG's view of the UN: "While >we >believe that the UN has established some worthwhile guidelines for human > >rights, the rights of refugees and others, the fact is that it has no >teeth >to enforce these guidelines and never will while the US and its junior >partners control the UN and puppet leaders like Estrada. The UN only >shows >its teeth when aiding a US-led military invasion as in Korea, Somalia, >or >Iraq." > >At Noon on September 8 the NYPAAIG "Down with US Imperialism!" Consulate > >Protest Tour began as around 70 people assembled at the Peruvian >consulate. >Determined not to be confined to the "protest pit" that the police had >set >up using wooden barricades, the protesters bypassed the pit that awaited > >them and assembled on the unenclosed portion of the sidewalk next to the > >consulate building. The police did not even bother setting up pits at >the >other consulates on the tour; the people had won their first victory of >the >day. > >During the program at the Peruvian consulate, Manco Rojas of the CSRP >spoke, denouncing Peruvian President Fujimori as a fascist puppet of US >imperialism, calling for the release of New Yorker and journalist Lori >Berenson and all of the 5000 other political prisoners in Peru, and >calling >for support for the people's war led by the Communist Party of Peru to >overthrow Fujimori. After further speakers and a performance by a folk >singer who came all the way from Massachusetts, the crowd chanted >"USA-CIA >Out of Peru!" and "Fujimori, CIA, How Many Kids Did You Kill Today?" >before >marching to the El Salvador consulate. This was victory number two for >the >people: the police had declared no marching. > >At the El Salvador consulate, Cherene of CISPES spoke about the >resistance >to imperialist globalization in El Salvador, where health care workers >recently waged a successful strike to defend public health care against >the >threat of privatization. Another CISPES member spoke about the >importance >of solidarity activism, saying "People ask, 'Why should I care about El >Salvador, what does El Salvador have to do with me?' But if you look at >the >tag on the shirt you're wearing, and it says 'Made in El Salvador' or >'Made >in Taiwan', you are intimately connected to the person who made that >shirt. >We are connected to maquila workers and sweatshop workers, through the >clothes that we wear, and through the products that we use." > >A representative of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) > >also spoke, and the FMLN sent a contingent on the tour. The FMLN is >leading >the resistance in El Salvador against a proposed US military base there. > >After the speakers several musical performances and spirited chanting >followed before the protesters proceeded to march to the Philippine >consulate. > >The march took the protesters down 10 blocks of 5th Avenue in the middle >of >a workday. Many heads turned at the sight of 90 people carrying signs >and a >22 foot banner reading "Down with U.S. Imperialism!" and chanting "Brick >by >Brick, Wall by Wall, US Rule is Gonna Fall!" Negative reactions were >rare; >many Black and Latino people who were working, shopping or eating lunch >cheered, nodded vigorously or put a fist in the air. At least one >passerby >grabbed a sign and joined the march. Much literature was distributed; >altogether over 700 tour programmes were handed out, as well as other >fliers. > >Reinforcements waiting at the Philippine consulate brought the number >present to over 100. Members of NISPOP and the MAKABAYAN Youth >Collective >spoke about US military and economic intervention in the Philippines, >and >the growing "Oust Erap!" movement to oust the current Philippine >president, >before leading the crowd in Tagalog chants such as "Imperyalismo, >Ibagsak!" >("Down with Imperialism!"), "Erap Mismo, Ibabagsak!" ("Erap-ism, it will > >fall!") and "Sigaw ng Bayan, Kalayaan!" ("The cry of the people is >freedom!") > >Robert Roy of PhilForum discussed the reasons for protesting at the >Philippine consulate: "After obtaining $105 million in military hardware > >from President Clinton last July to continue the all-out war policy in >Mindanao, President Estrada is now back to meet with the foreign >investors >he missed in the last trip and to attend the UN Summit. The net effect >of >these foreign investments is increased unemployment through >contractualization schemes, lower wages and benefits, further loss of >land >for the peasants and increased destruction of the environment of the >Philippines." > >The most distinguished guest on the tour was Dennis Brutus, professor at > >the University of Pittsburg, former political prisoner in South Africa >and >leader of the movement to divest from Apartheid South Africa in the >1980s, >currently with Jubilee 2000-Afrika and 50 Years is Enough. Brutus joined >in >the picket at the Philippine consulate and spoke about the need to >globalize resistance to imperialism before leading chants of "Forward to >a >People's Millenium!" > >The program at the Philippine consulate also included a solidarity >statement from the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, which called for >support for the New People's Army which is waging protracted armed >struggle >in the Philippine countryside. > >The final stop on the tour was the Colombian consulate. Neala Bern of >the >CAC spoke about the $1.3 Billion in military aid granted to the death >squad >government in Colombia, saying "The American people don't want to get >involved in this war; we need to oppose this aid." A member of the IAC >led >a chant of "US-Pentagon out of Colombia!", and an environmental activist > >spoke about the plight of the Uwa who have pledged to commit mass >suicide >if oil drilling proceeds in their traditional territory. Members of >Rainforest Action Network did guerilla theater dramatizing the cozy >economic relationship among Al Gore, Colombian President Pastrana and >the >CEO of Occidental Petroleum. Dennis Brutus led more spirited chanting >and >gave a solidarity statement for Jubilee 2000-Afrika. > >During the march to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza to join the "People's Summit" > >rally organized by the S8 Mobe, the tired crowd was reinvigorated by the > >introduction of new chants such as "Everywhere we go / People want to >know >/ Who we are / So we tell them / We are the people / The mighty, mighty >people / Fighting for our future / And for people's freedom." > >At the rally, Dan Wilson spoke for NYPAAIG, saying "One cannot help but >see >a pattern of US imperialism by looking at what is happening in these >countries and many others. At each of the consulates we visited the >issues >were the same: US military bases and aid being used to enforce an >economic >regime favorable to US corporations. The UN is part of the picture too, >and >its role is not a positive one. The UN stands aside as the US violates >its >charter by acting as a self-appointed world policeman, even allowing the >US >to use it as a cover for unilateral interventions in the affairs of >other >countries." > >Mark Jones of NISPOP assessed the day's activities: "It was an >ambitious >plan, and we pulled it off. Getting so many people to come out for a >full >day of protests in the middle of a workday is especially impressive. We >educated a lot of people about imperialism by demonstrating the >commonalities among this diverse array of countries. Building such a >broad >coalition is also an achievement; we've taken a step forward in building >a >unified movement capable of taking on the main enemy, US imperialism. >Now >we have to make sure this coalition survives and thrives." NYPAAIG is >planning its next activity for Human Rights Day, December 10. Stay >tuned! > >NYPAAIG can be contacted at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 212-741-6806; check >out >the NYPAAIG website at http://www.nispop.org/nypaaig/. > >_______________________________________________ >Marxist-Leninist-List mailing list >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To change your options or unsubscribe go to: >http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/marxist-leninist-list > > > > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
