ISR Rally: Fighting For A Socialist Future

THE CLOSING rally of Socialism 2001 was hosted by International Socialist Resistance (ISR). It was an exciting finale to what had been a very inspiring weekend of socialism discussion and debate.

The platform speakers included young socialist activists from Europe, Clare Doyle from the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI), and the Scottish Labour MP George Galloway (see front page).

Opening the rally Jonas Brannberg - an organiser of the anti-capitalist/EU (European Union) demo in Gothenburg, Sweden, last June - said: "The anti-war movement must be tied into the anti-EU campaign as these EU states are supporting the US led war."

Next was Doreen Ulrich of Resistance International (IR) who had organised the recent 5,000-strong school students strike and demo in Berlin against the imperialist war. It showed that young people aren't prepared to accept the brutality of the capitalist system with its corporate stranglehold over the world.

Clare Doyle of the CWI reported back from events in Italy where she had participated in the anti-globalisation Social Forum in Florence. She said the 'spirit of Genoa' (ie mass defiance against capitalism) was very much alive, as shown by the huge 500,000-strong anti-war/peace march from Perugia to Assissi.

Prominent in this 25 kilometre march was the Rifondazione communists (RC). But because of the presence of the social democrats (who had only days before had voted in Parliament for military action against Afghanistan) the RC refused to march the last few kilometres and held their own rally. The Cobas trade union federation too also refused to go on the march.

Cobas is organising an all-Italy one-day education strike on 31 October and a one-day strike on 9 November - a day before a huge anti-war demo in Rome.

Wouker Gysen from the Left Socialist Party and International Resistance in Belgium described their successful 2,500-strong school students strike in Gent two weeks ago against the bosses' EU and the US led war.

He urged the audience to come together against the EU leaders in Brussels (and where NATO's headquarters is located) on 14/15 December.

Summing-up, Clare James said the ISR is international by necessity because capitalism is international. ISR unlike some in the anti-capitalist movement won't be bowed by the capitalists' attempt to link the anti-globalisation movement to terrorism.

Clare urged everyone to build for the anti-war demo on 18 November and to mobilise for Brussels, including the ISR launch conference on 15 December. She concluded: "There's only one option for a future and that's to fight for a socialist world."

Brussels demo

ON 14 December EU heads of government meet in Brussels, Belgium for a summit. As well as extending their pro-big business agenda they will be reiterating their support for the US war against the Afghan people.

Come and join the ISR protest. Also, come to the ISR conference in Brussels on 15 December and establish a new democratic, socialist organisation to fight global capitalism and to pose a socialist alternative.