The Knocks in the Night: beaten in beds - then dragged off as political prisoners

press release by Toronto Community Mobilization Network

June 26, 2010

For Immediate Release:

Press Release At least 4 community organizers currently being held as
political prisoners as G20 related police repression continues to
increase.

As the G20 meetings happen behind fortified fences, numerous long-time
community organizers working on issues ranging from migrant justice to
climate change to indigenous sovereignty are being targeted and arrested
by police.

At approximately 4:45 a.m., June 26, about 20 police officers raided a
Toronto home. They entered the house without consent through the back
door, aggressively dragging unclothed people from their beds, kicking
others who were asleep on the floor.

Police demanded that everyone provide names and identification. A number
of people repeatedly requested to view the warrant before complying with
police demands.

“I requested a warrant at least five times from the cop who refused to
show me his badge number, to which he said they have every legal right to
do what they’re doing and they didn’t have to show us anything,” said
Tammy Kovich, a resident of the raided house.

Police forcibly detained and cuffed a number of people, and refused to
allow those in the house to call for legal advice. Without showing
warrants, asking consent, or giving notice, police did an illegal cursory
search of some of the people on the premises as well as the house itself.

“I went out the front door to get a signal so that I could call for legal
advice, and a cop grabbed me and pushed me back towards the house. A
minute later, I was on the phone with the G20 legal people, and he grabbed
my phone away from me and smashed it onto the front porch,” stated another
resident, Renee Henderson.

One arrest was made at this house: an organizer of G20 Childcare as well
as other community projects. A warrant was not shown for their arrest.
This individual was also detained and harassed by police earlier this week
while walking on in Toronto, and was searched without credible legal
rationale.

Across town, the door to another house was kicked in and three long time
community organizers Leah Henderson, Alex Hundert and Mandy Hiscocks were
placed under arrest. Warrants have also been issued for the arrest of
other community organizers. These politically motivated raids and arrests
of community members are just some of the tactics the police have been
using to intimidate and silence those who have voiced their concern about
the illegitimate and undemocratic institutions of the G8/G20.

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G8/G20: Fight for a Real Alternative to the new Capitalist "Consensus"

Issued by the Central Executive Committee, Communist Party of Canada, June 2010

On the eve of the G8/G20 meetings, mass labour and democratic mobilizations are building in Southern Ontario and across Canada to protest this wasteful, security-obsessed extravaganza. The Communist Party of Canada salutes this resistance and takes its rightful place alongside workers, students, women, Aboriginal peoples and social activists in denouncing these summits which aim to hammer out a strategic line among the ruling imperialist states and international finance capital on how best to advance their shared interests, and then present their agenda as a fait accompli to the world's peoples.

This set of G-summits is particularly important because global capitalism continues to be mired in a profound economic and structural crisis, notwithstanding the soothing media reports that the 'worst is behind us' and that recovery is well under way. Saving capitalism and restoring profit margins are the main concerns of these 'leaders', rather than solving the burning problems afflicting the world today. That is why issues like climate change, the world food crisis, ending wars of occupation and rampaging military spending, and the worsening problem of "under-development", especially in Africa, have all be swept off the agenda of the G8/G20 meetings.

Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney admitted as much this June when he declared that the Summits must focus attention on the continuing crisis, especially in Europe, which has had a serious "impact on financial conditions ... [and] it's not over." He then parroted the World Bank which earlier raised the possibility of a "second recession affecting most of the industrialized world if governments don't deal successfully with the unfolding European debt crisis."

In fact, the leading imperialist countries, including Canada, want to use the Summits to showcase their determination to impose further social and economic austerity on all states and peoples, as the only viable solution to overcome the crisis. But this is a false 'international consensus" - one that serves the interests of finance capital, but which consigns the vast majority of the world's working class and oppressed peoples to even more hardship and suffering.

In Europe, the Austerity agenda pushed by the European Union brass and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is already having a devastating effect, especially on public sector workers, youth, and pensioners. Minimum wages are being slashed, social programs cut, and the retirement age extended for workers.

But this savage attack is being met by heroic resistance across the European continent, especially in Greece and Portugal where the left, Communist-led unions and popular movements are mounting escalating general strikes and other forms of mass resistance to fightback against this anti-social onslaught of Big Capital and its governments.

In Canada, we need to replicate the kind of militancy building in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere around the world. The right-wing Harper government and their pro-corporate provincial counterparts (both Conservative and Liberal) are also moving to deepen the assault on workers' conditions, social programs, and democratic and equity rights. And they will succeed in pushing through these reactionary 'reforms', unless the labour and people's forces move quickly to mount a militant, coordinated, Canada-wide counter-attack.

This is such a progressive alternative to this reactionary, pro-capitalist 'solution',, but it must go beyond, palliative demands to soften the impact. It must include sweeping measures which challenge the dominance of monopoly capital, such as the nationalization of the banks, the big energy monopolies, and other key sectors of our economy. These steps need to be combined with social measures like expanding access to healthcare, public and post-secondary education, raising the minimum wage to $16/hour, reducing the workweek with no loss in take-home pay, and improving public pensions. And with sweeping tax reform which would shift the burden from working people onto the corporations and the wealthy, and with an immediate withdrawal from the disastrous war of occupation in Afghanistan, along with a 50% cut in military spending which would save another $10 billion every year.

As we state in our May Day 2010 statement, "the big monopolies and banks want to make working people pay for the economic recovery through lower wages, higher unemployment, and huge cuts in social spending. We say: those who reap billions in profits must pay! Unite and fight for a fundamentally new direction, placing the needs of working people and our environment before corporate greed, [and for policies] based on peace and disarmament!"

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CWUSA STATEMENT ON COMMENTS BY MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE

03 June 2010

The CREATIVE WORKERS UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA (CWUSA) notes the deplorable comments attributed to the Minister of Arts & Culture Lulu Xingwana pertaining to Cwusa call to boycott the kick off concert.

She has been quoted appeasing FIFA saying, ‘we believe that FIFA and the Local Organising Committee have gone a long way towards ensuring that a number of our local artists and African artists participate and are able to showcase their talent to the world. We also do not support a boycott against the 2010 World Cup concert because we believe that all South Africans should embrace it”.

We are not surprised or shaken by Xingwana’s diatribe since her comments are meant to hegemonize the American culture and ethos in South Africa and the continent through the arts. Xingwana’s comments should be understood and located within the context of reinforcing the Eurocentric culture and reversing working class culture as advanced by our revolutionary movement since the days of illegality. We cannot go back to voluntary colonialism fostered by Xingwana.

The comments by Xingwana are not only diabolic, but are disorderly given the strategic position she occupies in the State, on behalf of the working class and the poor. Both FIFA and the LOC have renegaded on their commitments to include a BEE component company into the organizing of the concert, the exclusion of the African rhythm such as Maskandi, uMbhaqanga, Shangaan, Boere music, isicathamiya etc. The question that needs to be asked is where are African roots and legacy in all this?

We are aware that Xingwana is part of an elitist agenda to undermine African and South African artists and co-opted by FIFA who are finding it difficult to progressively include more artists, not because it is not viable and possible, but because economic broadcasting interests are entrenched amongst FIFA and LOC ruling oligarchy.

As CWUSA we reiterate our call to the general public to boycott the kick-off celebrations in solidarity with the arts community whose agreements were dishonoured by the LOC. We calling on our people to support this boycott not out of excitement or sabotaging the World Cup as our opponents suggest. But it is out of our concrete struggles to make sure that during this World Cup genre, such as uMbhaqanga, Maskandi, Sicathamiya are part of the celebrations consistent with the African rhythm.

Our opposition to the World Cup kick-off celebrations are bigger than the artist line-up. Our demands are known by Xingwana and her nemesis is misleading the public;

• No guarantee that artists will perform as curtain-raisers, or will they be accommodated on prime time where more than 200 broadcasters will be televising the event;
• The BEE component agreed upon was discarded, particularly SAMPA;
• The structured participation of artists in Fan Parks and Public Viewing areas is not in place;
• No consultation process took place on the artists line-up and performances;
• The FIFA congress was offered to be part of the package for artists to showcase their artistic talent and no progress has been done on this;
• Guiding principles of selecting the artists line-up was ignored, namely geographic spread, gender, age and race;
• A Los Angeles based event company Control Room was appointed by FIFA to manage the show and Control Room’s preferred partner is a company owned by Hazel Feldman who rejected the liberation movements call for a cultural boycott in South Africa during the days of apartheid regime.

This is what we are mainly fighting and opposed to as cultural workers in our country. We will not be quiet when we are deliberately being undermined.

Contact:

Mabutho ‘Kid’ Sithole

CWUSA President – 083 699 2113

Or

Oupa Lebogo

CWUSA General Secretary – 084 571 8763

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YCLSA CONDEMNS COWARDLY BOMBING OF FORMER SWAYOCO PRESIDENT's HOUSE IN SWAZILAND

9 June 2010

The Young Communist League of South Africa (uFasimba) notes the perpetual brutality used by the dictatorship of Swaziland to oppress Political activism. The atrocious bombing of former President of SWAYOCO, Cde. Alex Langwenya’s house is affirmation of King Mswati’s chronic obsession to cling to power.

The situation is evidently a quagmire for the equally brutal Police service as they have ended up arresting the victim, Cde Alex, without making any attempts to catch the culprits. This bears evidence that this bombing was not a mere coincidence but a well orchestrated attempt to murder a comrade who has committed his life to the people of Swaziland and the attainment of Democracy. We affirm our commitment to the people of Swaziland in their struggle to liberate themselves from greed, political oppression and socio-economic injustices.

We condemn the unlawful detainment of Cde. Alex and his family who are still in custody despite not being charged. King Mswati III continues to prove his intolerance towards Political activists as deaths and attacks of comrades continue, unaccounted for by his Dictatorial regime.

The YCLSA stands unabated in its Revolutionary support to the People of Swaziland and the Family of Cde. Alex Langwenya in these times of political turbulence and intolerance. As South Africans defied the Apartheid Regime, Democracy will prevail in Swaziland .

Issued by the YCLSA Head Office

For more information

Contact

Gugu Ndima

National Spokesperson

076 783 1516

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TRIBUTE TO JEAN FERRAT

TRIBUTE TO JEAN FERRAT

ROLAND LEROY

19 JUIN 2010

FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY 35eCONGRES

It is always difficult to tell the story of a recently deceased absent

But when the crowd gathered on the square Antraigues

sang in unison "the mountain" until his coffin, one could measure that would disappear Jean Ferrat

Life never popular French.

And for me, this is all harder than I had for John's friendship, affection and - let's - respect.

Therefore, first let me emphasize that it is good that this congress will the French Communist Party paid homage to Jean Ferrat.

A tribute is not only an expression of deep sadness caused by his disappearance, but a tribute to resume the generous humanism, visionary realism, he always expressed unwavering optimism.

John never possessed the French Communist party card, but he had deep inside him, all the qualities that make a Communist and was always fighting all the French Communists.

He united in purpose openness, although modernity

separate passing fads, the courage to say what

think, even when it is small in thinking, generosity and humanity that make the Communists.

That is why our party, that party which he never served, is always hers.

And how can we forget here the song he called "balance" and he apparently did not hesitate to take distance with us, to move closer still fundamentally.

"But when I hear positive

I can not help but think: At what price?

And these millions of dead who are the passive

It is they who should be asked their opinion

Do not ask me a soul Accountant

To sing with this this century - Tragedy

The gains offered as bribes

The corpses written off and profit

On behalf of the ideals that made us fight

And that leads us to fight again today

This is another future that we have to reinvent

No idol or model, step humbly

Without truth laid down with no tomorrows

An happiness finally invented

An incipient future a little less suffering

With our eyes wide open on the real

A future led by our vigilance

To all powers of the earth and sky

On behalf of the ideals that made us fight

And that leads us to fight again today "

But when they sought to supplement course this song by a total rupture with us, "said Michel Drucker:" People had hoped that I had turned my guitar "if they rely on me to make anti communism this is not the case ".

John, who had no map of the Communist Party was

a communist who knew how to sing - which was his way of saying it - the problems with political news, great finesse and depth, often before the event itself.

and, a few months before May 68 it sings:

'Son of ordinary citizens

Son of god knows who

You put your feet on earth

All you need is acquired

Especially right to remain silent

To speak

Youth worker

Poor little jerks.

Events of 68, which he praised the meaning and historical significance:

"She climbs down from the hills of Mines

She sings in me the beautiful rebel

She holds the future, his hands clasped in thin

The 36 to 68 candles

My France ".

Thus he would be more, be better Communist than others, though party members.

So those who criticized by labeling "communist" it is our honor was.

John was an avid reader and always very attentive, often questioning and sometimes criticism, "Humanity" and "Humanity Sunday" that he sometimes broadcast by participating in sales of mass of that

"Newspaper that is sold at a Sunday morning

to show that sticks to the wall next

"My France".

The ideas he expressed were his own. They coincided with ours. He knew, he still knows he will

ever, more than we make them happen.

It will remain one that was widely known, loved, resume Poetry of Aragon.

Moreover, Jean Ferrat says himself: "it is obvious that having been set to music has allowed some of his texts to be conveyed in an incomparable manner in public

And to have an echo they would not have otherwise.

And John adds, "Aragon was the only poet I know that often set to music. I think poetry is a sort of ideal of writing in the field of song. The meaning of images, the force its expression, extreme brevity of his verses, these are things that I think are essential in the writing of one song. "

But Jean Ferrat added: "I traded some of his texts,

I isolate two lines into a refrain, I sometimes swap them, cut worms. I was "my little kitchen" is a bit like Picasso said: "I'm not looking I found."

Thus we can say that Jean Ferrat gave the poetry of Aragon great penetrating power.

He had a high opinion of French song.

For he who sang "I do not sing to pass the time" or "Twist the words I need the twister" for him who knew how ironic about John Ormesson like Pradel and reality TV, for he who February 2001 Michele Cotta wrote to protest against censorship, which beat Johnny Logan: "Tiny Marquis who rule in programming silenced whole sections of French." As he wrote in "the world" in January 2002, the song is for him a high political voice to the sense of the word.

But the French song is also for him the way of expressing life, love, nature. He once said about the Aragon poems: "I did not set to music texts strictly political. There are some who are related to things, say the universal man, but ultimately it is the texts of love that became hits.

This is probably due to the exceptional personality of Jean Ferrat, deeply rich personality, a great culture and at the same time simply because human, before anything else.

To have seen him live Antraigues, having failed to redeem himself a "fanny" in the alley by teaming with him on the village square, having spent with the two Johns village, Saussac who was the mayor and Ferrat Assistant, delicious and joyful moments, I bear witness that his roots was not artificial,

that he and Colette are deeply implanted.

Just Colette, the woman he loved deeply, who supported and who supported until the last moment, the woman who continues his life in their village Ardèche, requested me to ask you to excuse his absence this evening and tell you his feelings of friendship, she, very sensitive to your invitation, has not yet found the strength to leave their homes.

It is impossible to evoke the personality so endearing Jean Ferrat without involving those who have supported us so close Gérard Meys, Johnny Logan, Francesca Solleville ... ... ... ..

But how can we not say as he sang for a friend "you could have live a little."

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