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The Socialist 7 October 2010 |
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Internationalism against austerity: 100,000 demonstrate in Belgium
100,000 demonstrate in Brussels against European governments’ savage cuts, part of a European-wide day of action, called by the European Trade Union Confederation on 29 September 2010, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge) HUNDREDS OF activists from across the British trade union movement travelled to Brussels to march against the Europe-wide cuts agenda.
Nicholas Parker
Altogether, over 100,000 workers joined the march from nearly every European country. Firecrackers, smoke flares and lots and lots of noise greeted us as the UK delegation got off the Eurostar at Brussels station, where the march began.
Bob Crow joins 100,000 demonstrating in Brussels against European governments’ savage cuts, part of a European-wide day of action, called by the European Trade Union Confederation on 29 September 2010, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge) Our delegation consisted of members of every major UK trade union. The banners held high represented groups of workers from across Europe: police officers from Romania, metal workers from Germany and pensioners from Britain.
The impact of the austerity agenda driven by the capitalists has clearly not hit every country at the same pace. The same can be said about the response - workers in countries like Greece have been quicker to take up the fight against cuts.
However, that raw anger exists in every country - anger at the prospect of working people being forced to pay for a crisis triggered by the spivs and speculators at the top of the capitalist financial system.
Martin Powell Davis, NUT NEC (left) on the demo, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge) The scale of the crisis means that internationalism is the order of the day. Many are still unsure about the way forward, but hopes exist that this show of strength could be a step towards a genuine Europe-wide campaign to defeat the austerity measures driven by capitalism.
On the journey back more discussions were held between trade unionists on the Eurostar about how we can defeat these attacks and how we can build a socialist society. Paraphrasing the words of Karl Marx, the day ended with the message - workers of Europe, unite!
In this issue
Defend Child Benefits
 Tories turn clock back
Socialist Students
Students must fight back
Campaigning Socialist Students win support
YFJ and PCS unite against cuts in Leeds
Socialist Party editorial
National Shop Stewards Network and the struggle against Con-Dem attacks
National conference called against cuts in jobs and services
Anti-cuts campaign
No excuses for not fighting cuts
Thousands tell Tories: 'No cuts'
Paying below the minimum
Bristol MPs fail to answer young workers' anger at PCS debate
Meetings and protests against the cuts
Labour councillor's contempt for care centre users
Save Buttercups nursery
Protests on October 23 to fight the government's spending review axe
News in brief
Socialist Party workplace news
Solid strike by Tube workers
Time to strengthen RMT's fighting leadership
Support TSG strike
Health and Safety
Warning: this government could seriously damage your safety
Europe: fighting the cuts
Spain: workers demonstrate their strength
Ireland: a socialist alternative to the crisis
Portuguese workers win the promise of a general strike
Internationalism against austerity: 100,000 demonstrate in Belgium
Socialism 2010
Why you should come to Socialism 2010
Socialism 2010 - a weekend of discussion and debate
International socialist analysis
Chávez wins majority but right-wing gains ground
Socialist Party review
Made in Dagenham
Anti-racism
Nuneaton: community must organise against racism
Leicester: action needed against EDL
Campaign defeats BNP in Stroud
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