Socialist Worker

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Vote against the warmongers

Tens of thousands of Iraqis staged a huge demonstration in Baghdad on Saturday, calling for an end to the occupation. Some estimates put the turnout at up to 300,000 — the biggest Iraqi protest since the invasion.

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International Comment Features Reviews What We Think Other

News

Planning to make 2 July a festival against the G8

MAKE SURE you are in Edinburgh on Saturday 2 July and the days afterwards, because it is going to be a major event which will see huge numbers march to demand that the G8 leaders act over debt, aid and trade.

Hoping to bring fundamental change

"There should be a health warning on Make Poverty History campaigning materials — ‘Handle with care, this could change your life’."

Marxism 2005: come along to this great event

The Marxism 2005 event, which takes place in central London from Thursday 7 July to Monday 11 July, will be a great opportunity to develop a strategy for the movement after the protests against the G8.

ITV strikers channel their anger over pay

Hundreds of media workers in the Bectu and Amicus unions struck between Friday and Sunday of last week at ITV. They are fighting for decent pay. Strikers picketed ITV offices in London, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Norwich, Birmingham and Nottingham.

National Union of Journalists conference

Iraq and the BBC dominated the NUJ journalists’ union conference in Scarborough last weekend.

Ambulance crews in Unison could dump deal

Ambulance workers in Britain’s biggest health union have threatened to withdraw from Agenda for Change, the national pay and conditions scheme for health workers.

Unison elections

Ballot papers are going out for the Unison national executive elections. Unison United Left is standing a number of candidates.

Reports in brief

FBU leadership is on the Wrack Ballot papers began going out on Wednesday of this week for the election of the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

Abortion rights today

‘Every child a wanted child, every mother a willing mother" was one of our slogans on the great demonstrations against attacks on the abortion law in the 1970s and 1980s. It is not out of date today. Women’s lives are at risk throughout pregnancy and childbirth. And while the risk in Britain is tiny, in most of the world — especially poorer countries — it is still very high.

Rover workers’ anger at Labour

Shock and bitterness spread throughout Birmingham and the West Midlands as news that Rover was going bust broke on Thursday night last week.

Mainstream parties that offer no solutions to Rover crisis

Many arguments over what should be done to save Longbridge could be heard among Rover workers and on the streets of Birmingham at the weekend.

Hackney Community College walkout to defend jobs and education for the community

Lecturers at Hackney Community College in east London struck on Thursday of last week in protest against at least 55 redundancies.

Take to the streets at Longbridge

The government provided a £6.5 million loan for Longbridge this week. At a mass meeting on Monday we were told some of that will go to keeping us on the books for a week.

Rail workers round-up

The long march begins This Saturday sees the start of the RMT transport union’s mobile demonstration and campaign against the privatisation of our railways. It will visit 15 British cities, for meetings and events.

NUS conference

Students met to discuss top-up fees, anti-racism and making poverty history at the NUS annual conference in Blackpool last week.

Week of action for trade justice

The global week of action for trade justice began last weekend with activities all over the country. Over 70 people in High Wycombe took part in social action and creative projects.

Respect councillor backs Travellers

Oliur Rahman, Respect councillor and candidate in Tower Hamlets, east London, is taking up the case of four Traveller families who have been left without toilets for over a week.

Support builds for Babar Ahmad demo

Ali Zaidi, the Respect parliamentary candidate for Tooting, will be joining next Monday’s demonstration in support of Babar Ahmad, who faces extradition to the US.

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International

Growing Egyptian revolt worries the global elite

Thousands of students across Egypt last week confronted riot police as part of the growing wave of protests demanding democratic reforms.

Repression used to enforce free market economics in Egypt

Egypt was the very first Third World state to embark on wholesale policies of privatisation.

South African strike wins some real harmony for workers

The two-week strike by miners at the Harmony gold mines in South Africa (Socialist Worker, 9 April) has won important concessions.

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Comment

Iraq is the issue they want to bury

Remember Iraq? Well done if you do, because the government, aided valiantly by the mass media, is doing its best to persuade us to forget it.

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Features

The price paid for that caffeine buzz

Starbucks and the other coffee houses have invaded nearly every high street.

Asbos: why they’re part of the problem

What’s wrong with Asbos?

Asbo Concern campaign group launched at packed meeting

There was an electric atmosphere at the launch meeting of the Asbo Concern campaign in central London on Thursday of last week.

Mombasa 1505 — how Europe began the great plunder of Africa

Kenyan socialist Mary Oredi and Charlie Kimber look back at a crucial moment in African history, when Portuguese forces attacked the African city of Mombasa

Portuguese account of the sacking of Mombasa

‘From our ships the fine houses, terraces, and minarets, with the palms and trees in the orchards, made the city of Kilwa look so beautiful that our men were eager to land and overcome the pride of the barbarians.

Coming events

Sunday 10-16 AprilGlobal week of action for trade justice.Go to <a href="http://www.april2005.org" target = "_blank">www.april2005.org</a> for more details of events in your area

Interview with Bernadette McAliskey

How were you selected as a candidate?

Bernadette Devlin: a rebel MP

In 1968, the civil rights movement changed the face of politics in Northern Ireland. It sprang up to challenge the discrimination against Catholics — which was rife in housing and employment — and the loaded electoral system that allowed only ratepayers to vote in local elections, while business owners got extra votes.

We are determined to defend our multi-racial society

The Tories are so clearly staring defeat in the face that they have turned to the oldest trick in the book — playing the race card.

Respect is the opposition to Labour in East London

New Labour is facing a strong challenge from Respect in Newham, east London. Lindsey German is contesting West Ham for Respect and Abdul Khaliq Mian is standing in East Ham.

Abdul Khaliq Mian: ‘We stand in the tradition of Keir Hardie’

East Ham Respect candidate Abdul Khaliq Mian told Socialist Worker, "Respect goes back to the basic Labour values. That’s why people like us. Lots of people have come to us and asked, ‘The MPs and councillors are doing nothing for us, can you help?’

SSP stands down for anti-war candidate

The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) is standing across Scotland, with the exception of East Kilbride where it is backing anti-war candidate Rose Gentle.

Respect local round-up

Sheffield Respect launched its campaign centre in the heart of the Sheffield Central constituency last week. Around 70 people came.

Labour collects postal votes

New Labour in east London is adopting the same practices that allowed the postal voting fraud exposed in Birmingham.

Respect in the news

"Ahmed will vote Respect on 5 May. His immediate complaint against the government was the war in Iraq. But his criticisms of the coalition are shorthand to describe a deeper resentment. George Galloway chose the name of his new political party with care."Roy Hattersley, former Labour deputy leader on the election campaign in his former constituency in Birmingham

Galloway campaign is in full swing

George Galloway’s challenge to New Labour in Bethnal Green & Bow in east London has got off to a tremendous start. George told Socialist Worker, "My campaign has been fantastically busy and very successful over the last week.

Labour’s election con just doesn’t add up

"You won't get a Labour government unless you vote Labour." That was the common refrain among pro-Labour politicians and commentators last week.

Benjamin Zephaniah backs Janet Alder

Poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who publicly refused an MBE last year, has spoken out in support of Janet Alder, Respect’s candidate in Tottenham.

Candidates face big questions

Two important campaigns — Stop the War and Defend Council Housing — have launched questionnaires aimed at election candidates.

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Reviews

Bullet Boy — the story behind the gun crime headlines

I was reading the local papers and finding stories of young men dying on pages four and five. These tragedies are happening and they’re almost being passed over.

Amajuba — an emotional return to a landscape shattered by apartheid

Amajuba (Like Doves We Rise)Written and directed by Yael Farber

Reviews round-up

Rome, Open CityDirected by Roberto RosselliniDVD released 11 April

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What We Think

Labour’s election pledges will be blocked by Blair’s alliances

Challenging world poverty is the promise in Labour’s manifesto. "Put the Iraq war behind you and join us to help Africa," is their pitch. But Tony Blair’s ties to George Bush, his partner in crime in Iraq, destroy any hope of this.

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Other Categories

Letters

Money grabbed from Woodcraft Folk The recent government decision to cut off department for education funding to the Woodcraft Folk has put the organision into jeopardy.

Don’t miss Socialist Worker during the election

You can’t afford to miss Socialist Worker in the run up to the general election. It is the paper of the movement.

Forums, events and film showings

Meetings And Events

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