Solidarity with Libyan people Dublin 17th Feb 2011

by Joe Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:41

These were ordinary Libyan people living in Ireland and their supporters . They were protesting yesterday against the vile , anti-democratic regime of Muammar Gaddafi , which was shooting unarmed demonstrators -men women and children - with live ammunition on the streets of Benghazi in order to maintain its grip .

Quite a few of the protesters I saw yesterday had also attended pickets of the Egyptian embassy against the Egyptian tyrant Mubarak - a man who had won the praise and support of Libya's dictator before his fall .

I estimated two to three hundred people in attendance . Speakers urged them to spread the word about what the Libyan regime was doing with tanks and helicopter gunships to its own people . Gaddafi had promised to drown the uprising in blood and to that end had ordered in his elite troops and mercenaries who were indiscriminately firing at mourners returning from funerals , and directing machine gun bullets , and even anti-aircraft missiles against defenceless , but defiant civilians in an attempt to drive them off the streets .

The uprisings in North Africa and the Middle-East are profoundly democratic in character. History is being made . People who have been denied democracy by ruthless dictatorships of the rich and elite are now beginning to shape their own destinies for the first time .

by Blog Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:35

Passing the torch to Libya

Passing the torch to Libya

by Joe Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:48

I took the torch graphic from an Egyptian blog called Al Horeya .
http://redboar5e.blogspot.com/2011/02/tunisia-egypt-pas....html

For "Egyptian independent trade unionists’ declaration ~ Cairo, 2011/02/19 " on the same site see :
http://redboar5e.blogspot.com/2011/02/egyptian-independ....html

by Irish Workers Support Iranian & Egyptian Workers! Mon Feb 21, 2011 14:40

Here are the Demands of the Iranian Free Trade Unions. They are very similar to those of the Egyptian workers at the link above. The full statement is at the link below.

Support both the Egyptian & Iranian Free Trade Unions!

1- Guaranteed job security for all workers and abolition of temporary-contracts, blank-signed contracts and all new application forms for employment contracts.

2- In our opinion the minimum wages legislated by the Supreme Labour Council is nothing but imposition of gradual death on working class families. We adamantly demand an immediate increase in minimum wages, based on workers’ own estimates expressed through workers’ real representatives and their independent workers’ organizations.

3- The right to form independent workers’ organizations, strike, protest, assembly, and freedom of speech are all part of our inalienable rights. They should be recognized unconditionally as such.

4- Workers unpaid wages shall be immediately paid. Any non-payment of wages shall constitute a criminal act and litigated. Workers shall be compensated for any damages due to non-payment of wages.

5- The expulsion or lay-off of workers under any pretext must be stopped, and all who have been unemployed or have reached the minimum age of employment and are prepared to work, shall receive unemployment insurance benefits, - compatible with decent living standards, until the time of employment.

6- We demand full equality of women and men in all spheres of social and economic life. All discriminatory laws shall be abolished.

7- All retirees should enjoy a comfortable life free of economic worries. We strongly condemn any bias or prejudice in paying the retirees pensions and benefits.

8- We strongly support all demands of teachers, as intellectual workers, nurses and other toiling sectors of society. We consider them as are our allies, and call for the fulfillment of their demands. We demand annulment of Mr.Farzad Kamangar’s death sentence.

9- Since seasonal and construction workers are denied any and all social benefits, we fully support all their demands to obtain such benefits.

10- The capitalist system is the source of child labour. All children regardless of their parent’s social and economic standing: their gender, national, ethnic or religious background shall enjoy all educational, welfare and medical benefits.

11- We demand release of all incarcerated workers, including Mansour Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi, and an end to persecution of labour activists and withdrawal of all sentences against them.

12- We fully support all freedom and equality seeking movements, such as students’ and women’s movements. Their arrests, trials and incarcerations are strongly condemned.

13- We are part of the global working class, and as such condemn any expulsion and exploitation of Afghan or other migrant workers in Iran .

14- We appreciate the international support towards workers’ struggles in Iran and express our adamant support for all protests and struggles of workers throughout the world; we consider ourselves their allies. We more than ever before emphasize on international solidarity of working class as the path to liberation from the hardships of the capitalist system.

15- May 1st shall be recognized as an official holiday and instituted in the official national calendar as such. All limitations and restrictions for the commemoration of The May Day shall be abolished.

LONG LIVE THE FIRST OF MAY

LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY OF WOPRKING CLASS

May 1st, 2009 (Ordibehest 11, 1388)

The May Day Organizing Committee

- The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company

- The Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company

- The Free Union of Workers in Iran

- The Founding Committee of the Syndicate of Building 's Painters and Decoration's Workers

- The Center for Workers’ Rights in Iran

- The Collaborative Council of Labour Organizations and Activists

- The Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations

- The Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Free Workers’ Organizations

- The Women’s Council

-A Group of Worker Activists

by JP - PBPA pers cap Mon Feb 21, 2011 18:56

There is more info at the link including suggesting that Gadafy has fled to Venezuela. That may be Imperialist propaganda to undermine Chavez. As it also says: However, a senior source in president Hugo Chavez's government denied that Col Gadafy was on his way to Venezuela.

Reports are emerging this evening of military aircraft attacking crowds of anti-government protesters in the Libyan capital.

A Libyan man, Soula al-Balaazi, who said he was an opposition activist, told Al Jazeera television that Libyan air force warplanes had bombed "some locations in Tripoli".

He said he was talking from a suburb of the city.

No independent verification of the report was immediately available.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said he had an extensive discussion with Col Gadafy today,
condemning the escalating violence in Libya and telling him it "must stop immediately," a UN spokesman said.

by El Sinsé - Dazibaoueb Tue Feb 22, 2011 10:15

Live updates with the Lybian people

http://revolution2.moonfruit.com/

http://www.livestream.com/libya17feb

http://www.livestream.com/libya_alhura?t=271617

http://www.dazibaoueb.fr/article.php?art=20914&rech=351...35189

Cré-@ctivement votre
El Sinsé

by OBSERVER Fri Feb 25, 2011 16:22

I am extremely dismayed that RTE has deemed to refer to the Lybian Freedom Fighters as rebels,
when even that old auntie BBC is able to refer to these brave people as Protestors.

by pat c Fri Feb 25, 2011 18:17

Nothing discreditable about the word Rebel. The Libyan people are rebelling against a dictator.

by Hypatia Sat Feb 26, 2011 17:44

Article by Eddie Ford says we should wholeheartedly welcome the fall of Gaddafi in what is the first armed uprising in the Arab revolution. Full text at link.

Long oppressed by imperialism and corrupt local rulers, the Arab people are now demanding their freedom. Following the sweeping away of Tunisia’s Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, a democratic upsurge, including mass protests and popular uprisings, has swept the Middle East and North Africa. In Libya we are seeing the dying days (quite possibly literally) of the vicious, tyrannical, 41-year-old regime of colonel Muammar Gaddafi. As I write, Libya’s second and third cities, Benghazi and Misurata, are in the hands of the local population, who are forming committees to take over the distribution of supplies and blocking airport runways to prevent the regime’s planes from landing.

http://www.cpgb.org.uk/article.php?article_id=1004287