INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-GERMANY:MORE ON HELP FOR THE FAU:It has been five days since Molly last reported on the court order prohibiting the anarcho-syndicalist FAU from acting as the union for workers at the New Babylon Cinema. Since that time a couple of ways to support these workers have become available. First of all there is the following letter in German that the FAU would like you to fax to the court hearing the case. The fax number is +49(0)30 90188-518. FFFFFFFFFFFFSehr geehrte Damen und Herren vom Landgericht Berlin,Deutschland stellt sich selbst gern als Musterland der Demokratie …
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AMERICAN LABOUR:LABOUR RIGHTS AND H1N1:It seems now that the concern expressed earlier this year about the H1N1 flu virus was excessive. Still...millions of workers in the USA (and Canada) have no right to stay home when ill. This means that they can become disease carriers to the general public. The next pandemic may not be as mild. Here, from the UNITE HERE Union is an announcement about a video they have produced about the virus and the Disney Company.VVVVVVVVVVVVIt’s a Small World: Disney and the H1N1 Virus:by Tula Connell, Dec 17, 2009For workers at Disney in Anaheim, Calif., getting …
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INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS-UGANDA: AGAINST THE UGANDA ANTI-GAY BILL: Over in Uganda the government, under the influence of American Christian Right missionaries has introduced a bill that prescribes not just criminal penalties for "homosexual acts" but penalties up to and including death. Sort of a "trial run" for what some might like to see in the USA. Here, from the Care2 site is the story and an appeal to write the Ugandan government against this bill. GGGGGGGGGGGG Uganda to Debate Anti-Homosexuality Bill: I know that many of you have been concerned about proposed legislation in Uganda that …
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CANADIAN POLITICS-TORONTO: OLYMPIC FLAMED DELAYED/ OLYMPIC SECURITY ASSAULTS REPORTERS:The Olympic flame continues its uneven progress across the country, and in Toronto it ran into a little more trouble than usual as protesters delayed and diverted the parade. Here's the story from the Toronto Star. OOOOOOOOOOOO Olympic torch relay hits trouble:Organizers are forced to take alternative route after protesters grind procession to a haltDecember 18, 2009 Stephen Smysnuik Henry Stancu Everything was going so smoothly. Then the torch hit downtown. As the Olympic torch relay marched …
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CANADIAN POLITICS ONTARIO:PRIVATIZATION IN ONTARIO: The following opinion piece is from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. Down Ontario way the provincial government has floated the idea of privatizing various government Crowns, as a means to get quick money to relieve their deficit. Now, Molly is an anarchist, a libertarian socialist, not a leftist. I have no great attachment to government owned business, just as I have little attachment to any massive corporation. Private or public it is all the same to me. Leftists, with rare exceptions, rarely meet a tax they cannot love nor …
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AMERICAN LABOUR-CLEVELAND:HELP WORKERS AT HUGO BOSS:Sometimes a "personal appeal" can really get to you. Hence the power of the following from a member of the Workers United Union in the USA about the closing of the factory where she works. Read it and see if you, just like Molly, don't want to help out as best you can.AAAAAAAAAAAAAAATell Hugo Boss: Don't close our factory:‏ You may have heard of my employer: Hugo Boss. It's a company that makes a lot of money selling clothing to some of the most successful and most recognizable people on the planet. For 25 years, I've made …
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CANADIAN LABOUR:MORE ON THE CLAC: Want to learn more about the pseudo-union, the CLAC, that has often been mentioned here at Molly's Blog. Go directly to the Winnipeg Wobbly Blog for more news on this threat to workers' rights, including other things that Molly hasn't published here- especially their history in Alberta. Tell 'em Molly sent you. …
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CANADIAN POLITICS-ONTARIO:OCAP YEAR END APPEAL: Ah yes, we draw close to the end of the year, and all sorts of groups are making a push for funds. Here's one that you should perhaps pay attention to. OCAP, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, is certainly the most successful "direct action" group on the North American continent-and perhaps in the world if by "direct action" you mean using means that actually have a realistic chance of success and don't depend on petitioning some remote authority by actions that, however "militant", are more for show than anything else. Ah, but that's …
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BLOGGING:ONE MORE DAY TO VOTE: Only one more day to go over at the Canadian Blog Awards where Molly is one of the finalists in the 'Best Political Blog' category. It's not too late. Go on over, and help Molly go for the gold. Last year I came in number 5. This year...who knows. It's all up to you. Do you want the Liberals and the Conservatives to rule forever on the blogosphere as well as in the real world ? If not...VOTE MOLLY. "I have read this message and I approve of it"- Mollymew, for the committee to elect Mollymew. …
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CANADIAN LABOUR-BC:MORE ON SELF MANAGEMENT IN THE MOUNTAINS: Since Molly last reported on the potential employee buyout of the Eurocan pulp and paper mill in Terrace BC more has happened on that front. Here is the latest news from the Terrace Standard. A big thanks to the excellent CEP Union Blog for tweaking Molly to this story. SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSawmill, licences could be sold: WEST FRASER is offering to sell its Skeena Sawmills plant in Terrace and its wood tenure in the region along with its Eurocan pulp and paper mill in Kitimat, says a company official. Speaking last week, …
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CANADIAN LABOUR-TORONTO:SOLIDARITY PICKET WITH CADILLAC FAIRVIEW WORKERS: For many long months the workers employed at the TD Centre in Toronto by the property management company Cadillac Fairview have been locked out. The workers are represented by Local 2300 of the CEP Union of Canada. As the following from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) says there will be an information picket this Saturday at the Toronto Eaton Centre. If you live down Toronto way consider coming out and lending a hand. ===============SATURDAY: Info Picket at Yonge & Dundas for Locked out Workers – …
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INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-TURKEY:SOLIDARITY WITH TURKISH TOBACCO WORKERS:The following appeal for solidarity with soon to be workers in Turkey comes from the IUF.+++++++++++++++Major Protest of Former Turkish Tobacco Monopoly Workers in Ankara: Some 10,000 workers, family members and supporters are currently demonstrating in Ankara in near-freezing temperatures in protest against a snap government decision to close their workplaces at the end of January 2010. Following the sale of the TEKEL (Turkish tobacco and alcohol monopoly) tobacco manufacturing activities to BAT in February …
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INTERNATIONAL POLITICS-GREECE: GREEK UNIONS DIVIDED OVER GENERAL STRIKE: In contradiction to what was previously reported on this blog via the LibCom site the threatened general strike in Greece is set for tomorrow rather than yesterday, though there is great disagreement about both the timing and the desirability of the strike amongst Greek unionists. What is happening at present is that the communist led PAME has called their strike for tomorrow even though other unions have already gone on strike and still others have expressed their disagreement with the whole idea. If the socialist …
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INTERNATIONAL POLITICS: OBAMA'S WARS: Here's a little piece shamelessly stolen from the Anarkismo website. In this piece author Wayne Price gives his opinion about how anarchists should react to what, to true believers, may seem like a "betrayal" on the part of the Obama administration of the hopes that they had placed in this one man. To say the least such "hopes" (and fears) were the beliefs solely of the ideological left and the ideological right. Most ordinary Americans knew very well that, in electing their Emperor, they were doing just that...electing their Emperor whom they trusted to …
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CANADIAN LABOUR-SASKATCHEWAN:THE "UNION" THAT WANTS A LOWER MINIMUM WAGE:That's right, you heard me correctly. There is a Canadian "union" that is pushing for a two-tiered minimum wage whereby young workers can get paid at a lower minimum wage rate than older workers. By its advocacy of this the benighted province where it has the ear of the government will go beyond even Ontario which has a similar two tiered system that applies only to students, not to all young workers. We are, of course, referring to the infamous CLAC (Christian Labour Association of Canada) and the "newish" Saskatchewan …
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FOUR MORE DAYS: That's right...just four more days of voting in Round 2 of the Canadian Blog Awards. Molly made it into the finalists again this year, but this poor helpless little cat living at the edge of nowhere in Winnipeg Manitoba needs your help if she is to "go for the gold". Help Molly beat out all those dastardly conservatives, liberals and social democrats. Go to the CBA, search out 'Round 2', find the 'Political' category, and help push Molly over the top. It will give you such a good, warm feeling if you do. It'll be great for my ego-boo too. …
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INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-BERLIN GERMANY:LEGAL SETBACK FOR NEW BABYLON CINEMA WORKERS:In Germany the , Freie Arbeiterinnen und Arbeiter Union, Free Workers' Union (FAU), the German section of the AIT-IWA, carries on the historical tradition of anarchosyndicalism. For almost a year now the workers of the FAU have been struggling for a collective agreement with the management of Berlin's 'New Babylon Cinema'. Through this time management has employed various legal manoeuvres to try and avoid recognition of the union. Here is the latest example, a temporary court injunction against the union. From the …
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INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-SOUTH AFRICA:SUPPORT HOTEL WORKERS IN SOUTH AFRICA:This appeal for solidarity with striking hotel workers in South Africa comes from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start. ◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙South Africa: Sun International must negotiate with strikers - not try to break their union:More than 3,500 SACCAWU members at the Sun International South Africa have been on strike since 4 December 2009 for wage increases and improved working conditions. The country has become one of the premier tourist destinations in the world and saw the company …
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CANADIAN LABOUR-TORONTO:SOLIDARITY RALLY WITH STREET HEALTH WORKERS: Well, this is definitly more than slightly "last minute", in fact well past it. The demo mentioned below is probably going on at this very moment, but if you live down TO way you might be able to catch some of it. This notice came in late last night from the Ontario Coalition against Poverty (OCAP). LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLRally Tomorrow: GAETAN HEROUX FIRED - WORKERS FACE POSSIBLE LOCK OUT:‏~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WORKERS FACE POSSIBLE LOCK OUTGAETAN HEROUX FIRED~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RALLY - TUESDAY DECEMBER 15 - NOONOutside Street …
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CANADIAN POLITICS:CANADA: WAR SPENDING BEATS THE ENVIRONMENT: There is a persist myth about Canada as "the peaceable kingdom", a myth hardly born out by the facts, especially as successive Liberal and Conservative governments have done their best to be good mercenaries in the American war in Afghanistan. Just how far off this myth is from reality is shown by the following from the Canadian anti-militarist group Cease Fire.††††††††††††††††††Environment Spending Dwarfed by Rising Defence Budget:Read the media coverage of the new report that appears in …
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AMERICAN LABOUR:'SCROOGE OF THE YEAR' RUNOFF: The nominees have been chosen for the 'Scrooge of the Year' contest sponsored by the American Jobs With Justice group. Here, from the AFL-CIO Blog is the announcement about the "winners" and how you can vote for the evilest boss of the year. While looking over this contest don't forget to go over to the Canadian Blog Awards and vote for 'Molly's Blog' as the best 'Political Blog' of the year in Canada. One good vote deserves another after all. Voting at the CBA is open until December 19.ûûûûûûûûûûûûûûûCast Your Vote for …
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INTERNATIONAL POLITICS-GREECE: GREECE-FROM CRISIS IN THE STREETS TO CRISIS IN THE BANKS: Little has been heard about street protests in Greece the past few days. That's because there actually has been little happening. The Greek rebellion, like last year, is quick to rise and just as quick to subside. At least this time the youths protesting and occupying buildings called it off before the holidays. The protests in Greece partake of an admirable spontaneity, but they also suffer from a truly stupendous lack of focus, and, consequently, an inability to go beyond repetition of tried and true …
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LOCAL NEWS-WINNIPEG:POLLOCK'S DECEMBER NEWSLETTER: It's that "wonderful" time of the year when the 30 belows start, cold enough to freeze the nuts off a polar bear, and you're trying to get drunk enough to brave the malls to waste money and time buying gifts for people whom you barely know and who won't appreciate them anyways. The squirrels in the back yard won't come out to get the nuts you put out for them, and all you see of them is one middle finger stuck out from the hole in the garage wall when you shake the nut bucket. Even the stray animals that savage your garbage in the alley …
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WEIRD STUFF:ANARCHIST AMBER ALE: The other week, while cruising the local liquor store in search of anaesthetic, Molly's beady little eyes set fast on the product pictured to the left. Yup, that's right, 'Anarchist Amber Ale', complete with the circle A and a black can. Gotta get me some. Well, I ended up buying an 8 pack and taking them down to the 'Christmas mixer' where the local IWW and the Trots got together. Molly, being more civilized than she has been in months, only drank one can and donated the rest. It was actually quite a hit according to an email I got back from the organizers …
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CANADIAN BLOG AWARDS:MOLLY'S IN ROUND TWO: Well, Round 1 of the voting is over at the Canadian Blog Awards, and in the 'Best Political Blog' category Molly's Blog has once more made it into the finalists. This year I placed 6 out of 10, and Round 2 of voting will go on until December 19th. So get out your clicking finger, and go right over and help Molly out by voting for her in Round 2. Here's how it's done...♦Go to the Canadian Blog Awards website♦See the section 'Round 2 Ready'♦Click 'round 2 is up for voting♦Go to 'Political' and click♦Find Molly's Blog on the list and …
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CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT:A FULL PLATE OF ANTI-OLYMPICS EVENTS:Here's the latest communique from the Olympic Resistance Network, laying out info about opposition to the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver/Whistler. All across Canada and even in the USA there are events, some reported below and some yet to come. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Meetings, Communiques, Events‏:* Reminder, ORN General Meeting (open to all!)- Sunday Dec 13, ORN General Meeting 6pm @ Spartacus Books, 684 E. Hastings * Join us for flyering; we will have flyers.- Tuesday December 15th from 4:30 - 6:00 pm: …
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MOUVEMENT ANARCHISTE DU CANADA/CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT:CAUSE COMMUNE NO 26 EST DISPONIBLE/COMMON CAUSE NO 26 IS AVAILABLE: De Anarkismo/ From Anarkismo.&&&&&&&&&&&&&Cause commune no 26: Le numéro 26 de Cause commune, le journal de l'Union communiste libertaire (UCL), est maintenant disponible sur le web. 4000 exemplaires papier de ce journal sont distribués gratuitement par des militantes et des militants libertaires, membres ou non de l’organisation. Cause commune se veut un tremplin pour les idées anarchistes, en …
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LOCAL NEWS-WINNIPEG:WINNIPEG WOBBLY NEWSLETTER #2: It's out and about...the latest edition of 'The Winnipeg Wobbly', the newsletter of our local IWW group. Here, from the eponymous Winnipeg Wobbly blog is the announcement and how you can download it for your reading pleasure. ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼Winnipeg Wobbly Newsletter #2:Check out the newest edition of our newsletter, the Winnipeg Wobbly! Included in this edition:**Lockout at Pine Falls**Winnipeg's "Strategic Partners”: Water, War and Disaster Profiteers**Rebel Workers’ Guide Part 2: Organizing your workplace - getting …
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CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-ONTARIO:NEW CONTENT AT LINCHPIN SITE: The Ontario platformist organization Common Cause has some great new material at their Linchpin website. Here's the announcement from the Ontario section of the Anarchist Black Cat board. ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ Linchpin.ca: Justice for John Moore! (December issue):Linchpin.ca December 2009Online now:**Northern Ontario correspondent Scott Neigh brings to light an important campaign seeking to clear John Moore's name. Moore is an Ojibway man whom activists claim was wrongfully convicted of second degree murder in …
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CANADIAN LABOUR-MANITOBA:PINE FALLS- LATEST TEMBEC OFFER INSULTING: A lot has been happening with the lockout at Tembec in pine falls Manitoba since Molly last blogger on the matter. I've sort of fallen behind on reporting on all the news since the company announced that the plant was up for sale. I hope to do a much fuller article later. For now, however, here's a report filed yesterday by the CBC about the latest hat trick that Tembec is attempting to foist on its locked out workers. →→→→→→→→→→→Mill workers angry over severance request: Locked-out workers at …
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Disclaimer; Well it looks like I was wrong in my opinion that follows. It "seems" that there will indeed be a "Round 2" for the 'Best Political Blog'. After some bizarre gyrations the final count seems to have elected 10 finalists (though I might be wrong about that). Molly came in at # 6 out of ten. 'Informed Vote', the largest entrant, seems to have gathered an astounding 78.1% of its votes from lower ranked votes. As expected Molly was not the 'second, third fourth, etc.' choice of very many people. 'Informed Vote' perhaps lacks colour, but the blog's "reasonableness" made it quite popular …
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INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS:ORDER THE 'CLOSE THE SOA' POSTER: Here's a little item in just before the holidays, and you might consider the following as an inexpensive 'stocking stuffer'. The School of the Americas Watch (SOA WATCH) who keep a steady eye on the torture schools run by the US military for their Latin American client states has a great little poster for sale. Here's their ad.¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶Poster "Stand up for Justice in the Americas - Close the SOA":‏"Stand up for Justice in the Americas - Close the SOA" Poster Click here to order the poster(all proceeds …
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CANADIAN LABOUR-TORONTO:WELFARE WORKER FIRED-POSSIBLE LOCKOUT-DEMONSTRATION: As was reported earlier here at Molly's Blog City of Toronto welfare worker Gaetan Heroux has refused to go along with his 'strategic transfer" out of the area where he has serviced many clients well. In retaliation he has been fired. Like Gaetan other front line workers in Toronto are being pressured, and a possible lockout looms. The following story and appeal for support at an upcoming solidarity demonstration comes from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ Rally: …
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BLOGGING:CANADIAN BLOG AWARDS-WHERE HAVE ALL THE WINNERS GONE: Once more Molly's Blog is in the running for the annual Canadian Blog Awards under the category of 'Best Political Blog'. If you like what you see here go on over to the blog site, click 'Vote 2009', go to 'Political' and, of course, vote 'Molly's Blog'. Voting will end on December 12th, and finalists ( the top 10) will be chosen for the second round. Last year Molly made it into the top 5 finalists, but came fifth out of five. Help me better that result this year. A question, however, has come to my mind. The vast …
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CANADIAN LABOUR-OTTAWA: CANADIAN MUSEUM STRIKE CONTINUES: For almost 3 months workers at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum, represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have been on strike. While the union has expressed its desire for arbitration management has balked at any good faith bargaining. Here's a potpourri of items from the PSAC about the issues at stake. ‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼‼Women Stand in Solidarity with the Ottawa Museum Workers: The vast majority of low-paid, part-time, contract and temporary workers in …
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CANADIAN LABOUR-SUDBURY: STRIKE SUPPORT WEEK IN SUDBURY: As the Vale Inco strike drags on into the holidays, without any sign of resolution, strikers in Sudbury are seeing the community rally behind them. Today, on International Human Rights Day, a week of action began with a candlelight vigil. Here's the story from the strike support website Fair Deal Now. ↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕↕Candle Light Vigil and Support Strike kick off a ‘Week of Action’:SUDBURY—The Sudbury District Labour Council (SDLC) will be holding a candle light vigil to commemorate …
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AMERICAN LABOUR:"MADE IN THE USA"...IN SWEATSHOPS: Here's a little reminder that atrocious working conditions are not solely found in "developing" countries. They exists in so-called "developed" ones as well. From the Sweatfree Communities group....☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼Toxic UniformsBehind the 'Made in USA' Label: Dec. 10, 2009-- “Made in USA” requirements provide little insurance against poor working conditions and low wages, according to a new report by SweatFree Communities released today, International Human Rights Day. The new report, Toxic Uniforms: …
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AMERICAN LABOUR:T-MOBILE OR T-REX ?:The following story and petition is from the Jobs With Justice Coalition.◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙T-Mobile's double standard:‏ If T-Mobile USA workers want to be treated fairly, they should consider moving to Germany. T-Mobile's parent company, Deutsche Telekom (DT), has a long history of cooperating with labor unions in Germany. But when it came to the United States and started T-Mobile, the telecom giant abandoned its labor-friendly practices and became just another union-busting company. American Rights at Work …
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INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-GREECE:MORE NEWS FROM GREECE:Neither escalating nor de-escalating the anti-government protests in Greece continue to simmer against a backdrop of fiscal crisis and the need of the ruling 'socialist' party PASAC to renege on their promises to Greek workers, the better to serve their international financial masters. Here's an update from the LibCom site about what happened yesterday. ◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘Marches against repression in Greece: Marches against the hideous police repression unleashed in the days commemorating the …
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CANADIAN ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-TORONTO:OCCUPATION ENDS/STRUGGLE CONTINUES: The occupation at the Metro Hall welfare office in Toronto has ended, but the struggle for the 'Special Diet' continues. Here's the story from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). •••••••••••••••••••••••••Powerful Action Today at Metro Hall:Call In Tonight to CP 24: Note to OCAP Supporters: OCAP will be appearing tonight on CP 24's Le Drew Live at 9 pm to talk about the action that took place today at Metro Hall. Please call-into defend the Special Diet …
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