Coke...The Pause That Kills!!!

international | anti-capitalism | news report

Friday November 12, 2004 08:42

by James F. Harrington - Campaign to Stop Killer Coke

All The world Wants To say.....Stop The Killings today!!!

As you read this article, the Coca-Cola company is using para-military goon squads to kidnap, torture, and kill union organizers at their plants in Columbia, South America.

Many of these killers were trained at the United States Army's School of the America's, which is located at Fort Benning, Georgia. Remember General Wesley Clark, the so-called peace candidate? He used to be one of the top-dogs at this School of Torture. During his campaign for the American presidency, he denied that the school had ever taught torture, etc.

The next time you are thirsty, please, I beg you, grab something other than a Coke or their many other products such as Minute Maid, etc.

The executives at The Coca-Cola Company simply are not satisfied with their yearly profits and dividends. They hunger for more and more capital to make their company "The Real Thing" all around the world.

They have hired para-military goon squads to kidnap, torture and kill union organizers at their bottling plants in Columbia, SA.

American's can feel a kind of patriotism knowing that these killers were trained in their country, at the above mentioned, School of the America's. This is the same school of death that for decades now, has trained military goons from several south American nations how to kidnap, torture and kill innocent citizen's in their respective countries.
The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke is really starting to make headway around different sections of our country. Back in the 70's thousands of leftest students were killed in this way, many of whose bodies still haven't been found!

On August 23, 2004, the American Postal Workers Union held their 17th Biennial National Convention in Los Angeles, at which time the union voted to boycott Coca-Cola products.

Coca-Cola was forced to remove all of its vending machines from Carleton College, MN after a March 8, 2004 decision.

Jessie Jackson is on record as supporting the unionists in Columbia, SA.

Please start a local chapter of Campaign to Stop Killer Coke in your neighborhood or campus. Their URL is: http://www.KillerCoke.org

We should not be able to sleep at night knowing that our brothers & sisters are being submitted to such unhuman acts by such an Ameican Icon as Coca-Cola.

Put pressure on your college and universities, churches and civic groups, to have them remove the Coke vending machines from their locations.

Always remember, in this captialist country, the only thing that talks in the Yankee Dollar!!! Capitilaists will kill for these dollars as should be evient to anyone who has an open mind on how our system works (such as Coke in Columbia, SA).
The bottom line is, they want our dollars. We must let them know that they not only won't get our dollars, but will shall hold them accountable for the tactics that they have used and are presently using to stamp out justice for the working man in Latin America and elsewhere!

As Che Guevara once said..."If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine!"

Below is a letter from Javier Correa, President, Sinaltrainal; William Mendoza, President of Sinaltrainal/Barrancabermeja, and Ray Rogers, Director, Campaign to Stop Killer Coke

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We need your help to stop a gruesome cycle of murders, kidnappings and torture of SINALTRAINAL (National Union of Food Industry Workers) union leaders and organizers involved in daily life-and-death struggles at Coca-Cola bottling plants in Colombia.

In July 2001, the United Steelworkers of America and the International Labor Rights Fund ( http://www.laborrights.org) filed a lawsuit on behalf of SINALTRAINAL, several of its members and the estate of Isidro Gil, one of its murdered officers. The lawsuit and campaign aim to force Coca-Cola to prevent further bloodshed and to provide safe working conditions.

Coca-Cola bottlers “contracted with or otherwise directed paramilitary security forces that utilize extreme violence and murdered, tortured, unlawfully detained or otherwise silenced trade union leaders,” the lawsuit states. It also notes that Colombian troops connected with the paramilitaries have trained at the U.S. Army’s School of the Americas (SOA) at Fort Benning, Ga., where trainees were encouraged to torture and murder those who do “union organizing and recruiting;” pass out “propaganda in favor of workers;” and “sympathize with demonstrators or strikes.” This was made public when the Pentagon was forced to reveal the contents of training manuals used at the school. (For more information, see http://www.soaw.org, the website of SOA Watch.) The year that the lawsuit was filed, The Coca-Cola Co. made $4 billion in profits and paid its CEO, Douglas Daft, more than $105 million. Coca-Cola continues to rake in billions each year, yet the frightening conditions at the Coke plants remain unchanged. Labor unions and human rights advocates in the United States can stop these atrocities at Coca-Cola’s bottling plants.

Please read the enclosed exposés. The Campaign to Stop Killer Coke will move the fight to the doorsteps and into the boardrooms of Coca-Cola and its key financial ally, SunTrust Banks. As long as SunTrust, “the bank of Killer Coke,” maintains its intimate ties to Coke through board interlocks, large stock holdings and credit relationships, SunTrust, along with Coca-Cola, will be a principal target of this campaign. We ask you to take part in this most important struggle. Any contribution you can make to the campaign will serve as a critical building block and act of solidarity to help end one of the ugliest chapters in labor history. Please make a financial contribution, participate in protest activities and mail in the coupon below. By working together, we can protect our sisters and brothers and restrain corporations like SunTrust and Coke that behave so immorally and irresponsibly. Any support you give will be greatly appreciated and acknowledged.

In solidarity,

Javier Correa, President, Sinaltrainal
William Mendoza, President of SINALTRAINAL, Barrancabermeja.
Ray Rogers, Director, Campaign to Stop Killer Coke

Campaign to Stop Killer Coke: http://www.KillerCoke.org

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Coke...The Pause That Kills!!!