Solidarity with the people of Egypt

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Comment by Doug Cage on February 23, 2011 at 22:12

Kamal Abbas General Coordinator of the CTUWS, an umbrella advocacy organization for independent unions in Egypt, had this to say to workers in Wisconsin “ I am speaking to you from a place very close to Tahrir Square in Cairo, "Liberation Square", which was the heart of the Revolution in Egypt. This is the place were many of our youth paid with their lives and blood in the struggle for our just rights.  From this place, I want you to know that we stand with you as you stood with us.
I want you to know that no power can challenge the will of the people when they believe in their rights. When they raise their voices loud and clear and struggle against exploitation. No one believed that our revolution could succeed against the strongest dictatorship in the region. But in 18 days the revolution achieved the victory of the people. When the working class of Egypt joined the revolution on 9 and 10 February, the dictatorship was doomed and the victory of the people became inevitable. We want you to know that we stand on your side. Stand firm and don't waiver. Don't give up on your rights. Victory always belongs to the people who stand firm and demand their just rights.
We, and all the people of the world, stand on your side and give you our full support.  As our just struggle for freedom, democracy and justice succeeded, your struggle will succeed. Victory belongs to you when you stand firm and remain steadfast in demanding your just rights.
We support you. we support the struggle of the peoples of Libya, Bahrain and Algeria, who are fighting for their just rights and falling martyrs in the face of the autocratic regimes. The peoples are determined to succeed no matter the sacrifices and they will be victorious.
Today is the day of the American workers. We salute you American workers! You will be victorious. Victory belongs to all the people of the world, who are fighting against exploitation, and for their just rights.”

Comment by Gordon Glick on February 23, 2011 at 21:33

Signed the petition and forwarded the link to my IWW listserv.

Comment by Brian Ross Ashley on February 23, 2011 at 17:21

http://www.laborforpalestine.net/wp/2011/02/23/labor-for-egypt/#sign

Comment by Eric Lee on February 23, 2011 at 7:58

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Comment by peter waterman on February 23, 2011 at 0:40

Peter sez:

No one seems to have yet commented on the most significant aspect of this much-reported relationship. Or maybe it seems self-evident to all. But I think it worth reflecting on this as 1) a rare case of solidarity declaration on the Noth-South axis, but in the South-North direction, 2) that the Madison recipients of these messages (or pizza slices) themselves have been inspired by the democratic and labour uprising in Egypt!

Time, indeed, for the international labour movement to reflect upon and learn from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain and .... Elsewhere on UBook I posted a piece by someone pointing out the key role of mass civil disobedience in these on-going movements. (Something, of course, demonstrated earlier by the civil rights and other major movements in the USA itself. And earlier in colonial India. And later in the destruction of 'actually-existing socialism' in Eastern Europe). Yet this subject seems not to be on the agendas of the Northern Labour Relations Export Model offered by the North American or West European unions in the traditional North-to-South pattern of state-funded union development cooperation activities. If I am in error, please let me know.

Now read on...

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/medea-benjamin/from-cairo-to-madison-...

 
From Cairo to Madison: Hope and Solidarity Are Alive

"If a human being doesn't feel the pain of his fellow human beings, then everything we've created and established since the very beginning of existence is in great danger. We shouldn't let borders and differences separate us. We were made different to complete each other, to integrate and live together. One world, one pain, one humanity, one hope."

      -- Egyptian engineer Muhammad Saladin Nusair

Here in Madison, Wisconsin, where protesters have occupied the State Capitol Building to stop the pending bill that would eliminate workers' right to collective bargaining, echoes of Cairo are everywhere. Protesters here were elated by the photo of an Egyptian engineer named Muhammad Saladin Nusair holding a sign in Tahrir Square saying "Egypt Supports Wisconsin Workers -- One World, One Pain." The signs by protesters in Madison include "Welcome to Wiscairo," "From Egypt to Wisconsin: We Rise Up," and "Government Walker: Our Mubarak." The banner I brought directly from Tahrir Square saying "Solidarity with Egyptian Workers" has been hanging from the balcony of the Capitol alongside solidarity messages from around the country.

My travels from Cairo to Madison seem like one seamless web. After c

Comment by Brian Webster on February 21, 2011 at 21:54

 

The Working Media site of Instituto Laboral de la Raza

- www.workingmedia.info

- has the video of Trade Union Solidarity with Egypt

up online in the upper right corner of our video portal page.

 

If anyone knows of more current – or better video to show

organized labor support for the Democracy Movement in

the Middle East please let me know

- email me links etc with the word Video

somewhere in the subject line

Thanks!

brian@ilaboral.org

Comment by Ira M Wechsler on February 19, 2011 at 23:40

I hope they continue to occupy the capitol building in Madison and shut down those lackey's front for big capital.

Comment by Lorenzo Canizares on February 19, 2011 at 19:02

Let's start by trying to get Gov. Walker to withdraw his proposed legislation. If he refuses, and threatens the demonstrators with force then the time is ready to call for a national General Strike.

Comment by Ira M Wechsler on February 19, 2011 at 18:39

That however does not mean that a spark might not cause such events in spite of the labor lieutanants of capitalism.

Comment by Ira M Wechsler on February 19, 2011 at 18:37

Rank and file public and private workers must work on mounting REAL resistance to these cuts. Rallies just are NOT going to cut it. We need general strikes in municipalities, states, nationally, and internationally. Of course the organized pressure from below is not adequate to force these actions from the pie cards who control the union bureaucracies.

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