The restriction of academic asylum in Greece under the new right-wing government has become – again – the epicenter of an intense debate. The debate over academic asylum has both a pretense and a rationale. The pretense is about “safety . . .
Category: Civil Liberties/Repression
200 years after Peterloo, do we face a new wave of repression?
Over a hundred events are taking place around Manchester to mark the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo massacre, when the yeomanry cut down a peaceful crowd demanding democracy. Ian Allinson argues that the right are pressing Boris Johnson to ramp up surveillance and repression of the left under the guise of counter-terrorism, just when the Prevent strategy is being reviewed.
Message of Solidarity with Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese Youth from a Young Iranian Socialist
Many Iranian youth admire the radical direct actions and the mass mobilizations of Hong Kong youth in the streets. We honor the memory of the rebellious youth in Tiananmen Square who were massacred by the Chinese regime in June 1989. Your struggle is our struggle. Your victory will be our victory, and our loss will be our loss.
Declaration of Solidarity with the People of Puerto Rico
We express our solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico in their struggle against the corrupt government of Governor Ricardo Rosselló. This Friday marks seven days of massive protests demanding the resignation of the governor and his followers. In spite . . .
The Protests in Puerto Rico Are About Life and Death
Police donning anti-riot gear—many with their names and badge numbers covered—used teargas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and batons to dislodge protesters from the streets surrounding the Puerto Rican governor’s mansion in Old San Juan on Wednesday evening. Earlier that day, tens . . .
Sunday, July 21: Livestream Facebook Dialogue Between Venezuelan, Syrian and Iranian Socialists
A Dialogue Between Venezuelan, Syrian and Iranian Socialists on the Challenges of Offering an Emancipatory Internationalist Alternative to Imperialism, Capitalism, Sexism and Racism. Sunday July 21, 2019, 6:00-8:30 p.m. Geneva Time.
A Protest for Zero Tolerance for Migrant Detention with My 5-Year-Old
I was able to attend a rally against immigrant detention in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago today. Called “Zero tolerance for Migrant Detention“, it was organized by the Little Village Solidarity Network and other supporting organizations.
My schedule unexpectedly opened . . .
The Yellow Vests: A Social Insurrection
On May 7, 2017, the property-owning classes of France had smiles on their lips. Emmanuel Macron had been elected president with 63.90 percent of the vote against the extreme-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who had won 36.10 percent. Given his . . .
Sudanese and Algerian Uprisings: Vantage Points for Global Solidarity
Let’s build on all the new elements and openings created by the Sudanese and Algerian uprisings. Let’s create regional and international links on this basis to change the course of events in the Middle East and North Africa from endless wars, authoritarian capitalism, religious fundamentalism and imperialism to an emancipatory direction.
Localism’s Contradictions in Hong Kong
Earlier this week, Hong Kong had been rocked by perhaps the largest demonstration ever in the city’s history. In response to a murder case committed by a Hong Kong man in Taiwan, Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) proposed a bill . . .
The Revolt of the Fearless Generation
Eight years after the Arab Spring caused little stir in Algeria, a new generation has since come of age and is taking on the old guard — but the problems run deep.
Behind the US-Iran Tension
Clearly the attacks on Norwegian and Japanese tankers off the Gulf of Oman on Thursday 14 June increase the risk of a miscalculation leading to military clashes in the region. However, these attacks were probably not carried out by any . . .
To Whoever Is Still Willing to Listen
President André Manuel López Obador has deployed several thousand troops of the newly created National Guard to the state of Chiapas to deter Central American immigrants from entering Mexico from Guatemala and in that way to please U.S. President Donald . . .
Review: We Need To Talk About Putin
Mark Galeotti, We Need to Talk About Putin: How the West Gets Him Wrong (London: Ebury Press, 2019). 160 pp.
It’s Time For a People’s Court
Draconian legislative attacks on abortion access in Georgia, Ohio and Alabama require a renewed defense of women’s and trans men’s bodily autonomy. The Supreme Court cannot be relied on to provide this defense under any circumstances. The American left should hear the call to defend Roe v. Wade and come back with a more radical demand: abolish the Supreme Court.
Mexico’s President Knuckles Under to Trump, Woos Mexico’s Business Class
Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), a left-of-center populist in office for only six months, finds himself under enormous pressure from the United States—and he is yielding. U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that AMLO’s government do more to . . .
The Road to Prison Abolition: A Practical Solution
Seemingly overnight, politicians are tripping over themselves as they clamor for prison reform in a climate where cases of police murder and prison abuses have drawn thousands in protests onto the streets. Today, few would doubt that America’s criminal justice . . .
Are we at a tipping point? Assessing the US political terrain
“Liberal democracy is crumbling.” A Harvard Law Professor opened a recent talk with this matter-of-fact statement and the audience readily murmured its assent.
The daily headlines certainly seem to confirm this assessment—that we are a nation in crisis. Yet, the nature . . .
Venezuela: A Country Held Hostage
Under the global spotlight for the past two months, Venezuela is perhaps the most debated and at the same time misunderstood country in recent times. The truth embraces demanding paradoxes: a country ruined but rich in resources, with a civilian-military . . .
Escalating Threat of Direct U.S. War Against Iran: Is There A Way Out?
Stopping the ominous drive toward a direct U.S. war against Iran demands opposition both to U.S. imperialism and to the repressive Iranian regime.
At the Trotsky Conference in Beleaguered Cuba
Trotsky Conference in Cuba Poster
Last week I was in Cuba to attend an academic conference on Trotsky. The night before the conference began I had arrived very late at the government-regulated air B&B where I was staying. First there had . . .
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