Gilets jaunes in Toulouse, January 2019, photo by Terry Adams

Gilets jaunes in Toulouse, January 2019, photo by Terry Adams   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

USA: teachers strike

30,000 Los Angeles teachers are striking over a catalogue of issues arising from privatisation and underfunding.

60,000 people came to their first strike-day rally on 14 January.

Nigeria: socialist arrested and released

Democratic Socialist Movement (CWI Nigeria) member Abiodun Bamigboye (Abbey Trotsky) was arrested by state forces on 21 January.

International pressure and protests, organised by the CWI, forced his release. Abbey is a Socialist Party of Nigeria candidate.

He was arrested for helping to organise a casual workers’ strike in 2018 and because he is challenging the capitalist elite in elections.

Russia: repression of anti-fascists

Four anti-fascist protesters, including Socialisticheskaya Alternativa (CWI Russia) member Igor Yashin, were arrested on a march on 19 January.

We feared they could be held for up to 15 days. But swift action in Russia and internationally has secured their release.

France: gilets jaunes

‘Gilets jaunes’ (yellow vests) still enjoy public backing in France, 55% according to the polls.

Official government figures say the protests doubled in size on 12 January.

The tenth weekend of action, 19 January, was the biggest yet in Toulouse, with 10,000 people protesting.

Tunisia: public sector general strike

750,000 Tunisian public sector workers struck against pay freezes and IMF-imposed austerity on 17 January.

The Tayaar al’Amal al Qaa’dii (CWI Tunisia) leaflet said, “The neo-liberal policies adopted by successive governments are contrary to the Tunisian revolution, and reflect the sole interests of a minority that monopolises the nation’s wealth and deepens the class divide.”

Zimbabwe: general strike

150% fuel price hikes – making Zimbabwean fuel the most expensive in the world – provoked a three-day general strike starting 14 January.

A litre of fuel costs more than the daily earnings of almost the entire population.

Spanish state: Massive opposition to right-wing bloc

Izquierda Revolucionaria (CWI in the Spanish state) and their socialist feminist campaign Libres y Combativas (LyC) participated in huge protests across the Spanish state on 15 January, against the bloc of right-wing parties following 2018’s Andalusian elections.

LyC is now building for a feminist general strike on International Women’s Day.