Protest Success in St Andrews

On the 4th of May Ron Prosor Ambassador of Israel to the United Kingdom visited St Andrews for an event ran by the IPA (International Politics Association), to discuss 'The Case for Israel', tickets costing £5 with an undisclosed location and even an undisclosed speaker until an hour before the event.

The members of several groups including the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, St Andrews Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, Jews for Justice, St Andrews University Left Society and the Scottish Socialist Party, whom had been raising awareness in the form of a stall outside the presumed event location Holy Trinity Church on South Street, decided to protest the event. Reception of the stall went well, manifesting in a mass of locals and students who joined the above groups. Despite this and the large police presence at the church the location was changed approximately an hour before it was scheduled to happen, and so the 150 protesters took to the streets heading for the New Medicine Building (the new location) to protest outside.

The police were hospitable but protesters had to stay behind an erected barricade during the entrance of ticket holders. The security was high with some 40 Police men and women, University security on the door, and Ron's own security force inside. 5 People were refused entry for no apparent reason, one was simply wearing a Palestinian scarf for fashion reasons, after refusal of entry he joined the protest, one man was told he could not enter as he had a criminal record a "fact" which turned out to be untrue. All this added to the passion of the protesters.

The high security meant that it took an hour for all the people wishing to hear the speaker to enter the building, after this had happened the protesters moved to a window where they could see the event and disrupt it from, it was apparent that their chants could be heard inside.

After the event Ron sped off in his vehicles. The protest lasted a good three hours and was successful in disruption with some ticket holders deciding to join the protest rather than entering. Those who joined should be pleased with the achievements of the day.

Viva Viva Palestina

By James Morris

SSP Sign International Statement on the European Crisis

International Statement On The European Crisis
Signed by anti capitalist organisations across Europe

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1. The global economic crisis continues. Massive amounts of money have been injected into the financial system – $14 trillion in bailouts in the United States, Britain, and the eurozone, $1.4 trillion new bank loans in China last year – in an effort to restabilize the world economy. But it remains an open question whether or not these efforts will be enough to produce a sustainable recovery. Growth remains very sluggish in the advanced economies, while unemployment continues to rise. There are fears that a new financial bubble centred this time on China is developing. The protracted character of the crisis – which is the most severe since the Great Depression – reflects its roots in the very nature of capitalism as a system.

2. After a harsh wave of job cuts, in Europe the focus on the crisis is now on the public sector and social welfare system. The very financial markets that have been rescued thanks to the bailouts are now up in arms about the increase in government borrowing this has involved. They are demanding massive cuts in public expenditure. This amounts to a class attempt to shift the costs of the crisis from those who precipitated it – above all, the banks – to working people – not just those employed in the public sector but also all those who consume public services. The demands for austerity and public sector ‘reform’ are the clearest sign that neoliberalism, intellectually discredited by the crisis, nevertheless continues to dominate policy-making.

3. Greece is currently in the eye of the storm. It is one of several European economies that are particularly vulnerable, partly because of a buildup of debt during the boom, partly because they find it hard to compete with Germany, the giant of the eurozone. Under pressure from the financial markets, the European Commission, and the German government, the government of George Papandreou has torn up its election promises and announced cuts amounting to four per cent of national income.

4. Fortunately Greece has a magnificent history of social resistance running back to the 1970s. Following on from the youth revolt of December 2008, the Greek workers’ movement has responded to the government’s cuts packages with a wave of strikes and demonstrations.

We also welcome the example of the Iceland referendum in which people rejected debt refunding imposed by the banks.

5. Greek workers need the solidarity of socialists, trade unionists, and anti-capitalists everywhere. Greece is simply the first European country to have been targeted by the financial markets, but they have plenty of others in their sights, first of all, Spain and Portugal.

6. We need a programme of measures that can lift the economy out of crisis on the basis of giving priority to people’s needs rather than profits and imposing democratic control over the market We need to stand for an anti capitalist answer: our life, our health, our jobs before profits.

• All cuts in domestic public expenditure to be halted or reversed: stop pensions ‘reform’; health and education are not for sale;

• A guaranteed right to work and a programme of public investment in green jobs – public transport, renewable energy industries, and adapting private and public buildings to reduce carbon dioxide emissions;

• For a public banking service and financial system under public control!

• No scapegoating of immigrants and refugees: legalize them!

• No to military expenditure: Withdrawal of Western troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, drastic cuts in military spending, and the dissolution of NATO

7. We resolve to organize European solidarity activities again cuts and capitalist attacks. A victory for Greek workers will strengthen resistance to the cuts elsewhere.

Greece : Aristeri Anasynthes, Aristeri Antikapitalistiki Syspirosi, Organosi Kommuniston Diethniston Elladas-Spartakos, Sosialistiko Ergatiko Komma, Synaspismos Rizospastikis Aristeras ;

Portugal : Bloco de Esquerda ;

Austria : Linkswende ;

Belgium : Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire - Socialistische arbeiderspartij ;

Britain : Socialist Resistance, Socialist Workers Party ;

Croatia : Radnička borba ;

Cyprus : Ergatiki Dimokratia ;

Denmark : Socialistisk Arbejderparti ;

France : Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste ;

Germany : internationale sozialistische linke, marx21, Revolutionär Sozialistischen Bund ;

Italy : Sinistra Critica ;

Ireland : People Before Profit Alliance, Socialist Workers Party ;

Netherlands : Internationale Socialisten, Socialistische Arbeiderspartij ;

Poland : Polska Partia Pracy, Pracownicza Demokracja ;

Russia : Vpered ;

Scotland : Scottish Socialist Party

Serbia : marks21 ;

Spanish State : En lucha/En lluita, Izquierda Anticapitalista, Partido Obrero Revolucionario ;

Switzerland : Gauche anticapitaliste, Mouvement pour le socialisme /Bewegung für Sozialismus, solidaritéS ;

Turkey : Devrimci Sosyalist İşçi Partisi, Özgürlük ve Dayanışma Partisi.