After The Genoa Protests

Step Up The Fight Against Capitalism

AROUND THE world, workers and young people are stepping up resistance to capitalism’s profit driven agenda.

In Britain, public-sector workers and communities fighting privatisation, students campaigning against tuition fees and for a living grant, Black and Asian youth fighting racism and police harassment will identify with the 300,000 anti-capitalist protesters who marched in Genoa on Saturday 21 July.

Socialists, young people, trade unionists and workers came from Italy, across Europe and beyond to make their voices heard.

Chris was on the demonstration. “I stayed with the Italian contingents. There were many young people and large groups from the left-wing party RC, Fiori (metalworkers) and CGIL, a main trade union, as well as COBAS, the ‘rank and file’ Italian trade union federation .

“It was very lively with plenty of chanting and local people supported us. Every time a police helicopter hovered overhead protesters stuck one finger in the air and shouted ‘asassino’ after the police murder the previous day of a 23-year-old protester.”

Manny, another protester commented: “It was a magnificent show of strength. It showed the potential power of the working class and the overwhelming hatred of the effects of capitalist policies on economic, social and environmental issues and of establishment capitalist institutions such as the G8,World Bank, IMF and the multinational corporations and politicians representing them”.

The G8 summit of the world’s richest countries, the main focus of the protests, went ahead behind barricades and under the protection of 20,000 Carabinieri (armed Italian police) with water cannons, tear gas, helicopters and live ammunition.

Even the pro-capitalist press said the police response was “heavy-handed”.

It cost $200 million to protect these rich delegates in luxury while they wined and dined.

The killing of young protester Carlo Giuliani and the police repression which turned the city into a battle-field will only provoke the anger of young people and workers who increasingly see the need to fight back against the effects of globalisation and capitalism itself.

Mass demonstrations are only the beginning. What we need now is real organisation – mass action of the working class worldwide to bring an end to this hated capitalist system.

We are fighting for socialism – for democratic working-class control of the economy and for a society run for the needs of all, not the profits of big business and the multinational corporations who control our lives under this system.

Join us.