------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the June 5, 2003 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
BROOKLYN CELEBRATES AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY: "NO RE- COLONIZATION OF AFRICA! HANDS OFF ZIMBABWE!" By Pat Chin Brooklyn, N.Y. Cries of "No re-colonization of Africa! Hands off Zimbabwe!" rang out in the streets here May 24 in celebration of African Liberation Day. The activity, which started with a long march from Bedford-Stuyvesant to the sound of drums, was a loud and spirited protest against U.S. and British imperialist designs to re-colonize Africa as it has done with the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and now Iraq. The marchers, who carried banners and the red, green and black flag of the Black liberation movement, were warmly and enthusiastically received in each community they traversed. Demonstrators called for a fight against Washington's and London's attempt to oust the government of President Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. Mugabe was one of the leaders of the liberation movements in Zimbabwe that drove the British colonizers from power in the 1970s. Much of the most fertile land remained owned by the white racist colonial settler class and the Black majority remains mired in poverty. Britain has reneged on a promise to compensate white farmers for lands the farmers stole in the first place. But when the Mugabe administration, decades later, finally seized these lands for Black farmers, an imperialist campaign to demonize and destabilize Mugabe's government was unleashed by the United States and Britain. The ALD activity, which included a delegation from the group Labor Against the War, was organized by the African Liberation Day Coalition 2003. Endor sers include the December 12th Move ment, the All-African People's Revolu tionary Party, Pan African Liberation Movement, Haiti Support Network, Black Vets for Social Justice, Bedford-Stuyvesant Coalition for Peace, African Poetry Theatre, Malcolm X Grassroots Move ment, Friends of Zimbabwe, National Conference of Black Lawyers, New York ANSWER, Harlem Anti-War Coalition, Korea Truth Commission, Workers World Party and others. At the march, and at the rally at the House of the Lord church, activists also called for reparations for the trans-Atlantic slave trade; to deepen the ties of communication among Africans worldwide; to continue the struggle against the occupation of Iraq; and for solidarity with Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and North Korea. The Palestinian people's liberation struggle was also hailed. Participants pledged to revitalize the long tradition of annually celebrating African Liberation Day. ALD initially took place as "African Freedom Day" at the first organized conference on African independence held in Ghana at a 1958 conference of Pan-African leaders working for the unification of Africa under socialism. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe wwnews- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Support the voice of resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
