The SYRIZA government serves capitalist barbarity: KKE MPs denounce the new austerity measures

Dimitris Koutsoumbas (Left) and Thanasis
Pafilis during their Parliament speeches.

Report by In Defense of Communism, info by 902.gr & Rizospastis.

As the Parliament prepares to vote upon the new austerity package (a 4th memorandum agreed by the government, the EU and the creditors), the MPs of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) unleashed an attack against the government's new antipeople measures. 

Speaking at the Parliament, the Secretary General of the CC of the KKE Dimitris Koutsoumbas denounced the coalition SYRIZA-ANEL government as the one responsible for the shrinkage of people's standards of living and labour rights. "The new antipeople agreement" said D.Koutsoumbas, "consists a new a 4th memorandum" and pointed out that the new measures "both directly and indirectly support the profitability of business corporations". He also stressed that the policy followed by the government is based on directions which increase the exploitation of the working people and strengthen the concentration of the capital.

Statements by the WFTU and PAME: Solidarity with the bus drivers' strike in Sydney

World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU):

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 92 million workers in the 5 continents, expresses its solidarity with Sydney bus drivers who are on strike as a response to the government’s announcement for a privatization program of bus services in the city’s south and inner west.

The privatization plan was announced, despite the fact that the government assured the bus drivers in writing that the bus route will not be privatized. According to the strikers, the privatization will cost the job of 1,200 drivers, will reduce the bus routes and stops and will adversely affect the quality of service and the maintenance of the buses.

D. Koutsoumbas: "The austerity memorandums must be thrown in the trashbin of history"

"Popular uprising everywhere. The memorandums of austerity must be thrown in the trashbin of history" said among other things the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas who attended the large strike demonstration in Athens on May 17. Talking to journalists, Secretary Koutsoumbas made the following statement:

"Actually, class war is now in progress, it is a marathon, not a rifle shot in the air. Class war must be a daily and lasting one. The harsh antipeople measures, the 4th memorandum along with the previous memorandums (of austerity) must be thrown in the trashbin of History and for that the only responsible are the Greek people, the labor-popular movement. 

For that reason, our call is: Popular uprising everywhere, not a day or hour must be gone; the struggle doesn't end today or tomorrow but continues. 

“We will not become the slaves of the 21st century": The KKE calls for people's counterattack

Source: inter.kke.gr.

A 24hr general strike will be held in Greece on 17 May 2017, as well as the strike rallies and demonstrations of the All-worker’s Militant Front (PAME) in dozens of cities, against the measures which the coalition government of the “Left” party of SYRIZA and the nationalist party of ANEL is bringing for discussion on that day in Parliament. 

Protest demonstrations will be organized by PAME all over the country on 18^th of May, the day the measures will be voted on.

The SYRIZA-ANEL government is bringing these measures after the negotiations with the imperialist unions of the EU and IMF for the 2^nd evaluation of the 3^rd Memorandum. It is clear from the results that the government negotiated with the lenders on behalf of the interests of the domestic monopoly groups and not the people, with the aim of accelerating the process of an exit from the capitalist crisis that favours capital.

65 years later, California abandons McCarthyism by repealing shameful anti-communist law

100 years after the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917 and almost 65 years since the end of McCarthyism's terror, the state of California may soon lift ban on communists working in the government. 

The California state assembly narrowly approved on May 8th the repealing an anti-communist discriminatory law which had been enacted during the second "Red Scare" (McCarthyist hysteria) of the 1940s and ’50s that banned Communists from holding jobs in government. It should be noted that, apart from Communist Party members, victims of this law were also people of left ideology and supporters of national liberation struggles. Everyone who was considered a supporter of the Left was affected by this law.

That period of McCarthyism led to the dismissal of thousands of workers in government positions, education, and unions. The bill must now pass through the state Senate for approval.

People Rise Up: Greece's Labour movement prepares for national General Strike on May 17

A nationwide General Strike is scheduled to take place on May 17, 2017 with rallies and demonstrations in Athens-Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Patras and all major cities of the country. 

On the occasion of the General Strike, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) calls the people to rise up against the new harsh measures imposed by the bailout agreement of the SYRIZA coalition government and the creditors (EU-IMF). More specifically, the PAME statement writes:

Open letter by the Communist Party of Venezuela: Defeat the Coup Against the Bolivarian Republic

An open letter to the people, from the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV).

To our compatriot Nicolas Maduro, President of the Republic; to the working class and working people of the city and countryside; to the patriotic officers, classes, and soldiers of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces; to the national leadership and militancy of the political parties and popular organisations of the Great Patriotic Pole, including the United Socialist Party.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela finds itself threatened yet again by acts of political violence from sectors of the extreme right as part of the execution of a destabilising plan elaborated by North American imperialism.

PM Alexis Tsipras in China: Promoting the interests and aspirations of Greek capitalists

The role of Greece as a "bridge" between China and the EU is the major aim of the Greek government, in an effort to promote and expand the aspirations of the country's bourgeoisie. The visit of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Beijing, on the occasion of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (May 14-15) serves this purpose. 

Greece is at a crossroads of three continents, it constitutes an important hub in the economic, energy and cultural sectors and can serve as a bridge between China and Europe, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Saturday in a meeting with the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"Occupy Wall Street" movement shares reactionary propaganda against Venezuela

The tweet of "Occupy".

The reactionary, imperialist propaganda against Venezuela's government has found new promoters: The famous "Occupy Wall Street" movement seems to be one of them, as long as it uses Twitter in order to share reactionary views about what is happening in Venezuela. 

More specifically, on 12 May 2017, the so-called "resistance movement" shared on Twitter an article of the New York Times titled "Venezuela Tries Protesters in Military Court 'Like We Are in a War'". 

Since its establishment in 2011, the "Occupy" movement- a leaderless movement with hazy anticapitalist slogans- tried to absorb popular discontent (especially of the indignant youth) against the system without having a clear ideological basis. 

WFTU condemns Pizza Hut's vulgar advertisement referring to Palestinian hunger strikers

In a statement the World Federation of Trade Unions condemns the vulgar and unethical advertisement of Pizza Hut referring to the Palestinian hunger strikers.

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 92 million workers in the 5 continents, expresses its indignation for the vulgar, unethical campaign of “Pizza Hut” against the Palestinian Hunger Strikers. 

Manuel "Tirofijo" Marulanda: Colombia's legendary guerrilla leader remembered

On the occassion of the 87 years since the birth of the Colombian guerrilla leader, founder of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army (FARC-EP) Manuel "Tirofijo" Marulanda (1930-2008), we remember some basic aspects of his life. 

Manuel "Tirofijo" Marulanda: Father of the FARC.

Manuel Marulanda Velez, founder of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and its leader until his death, was a man firmly and decisively committed to the campesinos of Colombia and their liberation.

It is said that Marulanda was so thoroughly a man of the countryside that in his entire life he never set foot in the Colombian capital of Bogota.

He died of natural causes eight years ago today, March 26, 2008.

The KKE denounces the persecution of communists (cadres of RCWP) by the Russian authorities

Statement of the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) / inter.kke.gr.

The KKE denounces the arrest and sentencing of cadres of the Communist Workers' Party of Russia (RCWP) by the Russian authorities, which was carried out during the demonstration of the 9th of May, day of the Anti-fascist Victory.

Specifically, as the RCWP and its youth- The Revolutionary Communist Youth League (Bolsheviks)-denounce Alexander Batov, member of the Secretariat of the CC of the RCWP was arrested in Moscow and P. Tipakov, Secretary of the RCWP's local committee was arrested in Niszhny Novgorod.

PCRF: Emmanuel Macron embodies the reactionary values of the bourgeoisie / The only alternative is the creation of a strong Communist Party

Emmanuel Macron is the new President of France. In the second round of the french presidential elections the candidate of the "En Marche!" movement gained 66% of the votes, while Marine Le Pen, of the far-right "Front National" received 34%. Macron and Le Pen represent the two sides of the same coin: they are both parts of the capitalist system, expressing the aspirations and goals of different sections of the french capital. 

In a statement regarding the result of the elections, the Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire de France (Revolutionary Communist Party of France-PCRF) characterizes Emmanuel Macron as "the reactionary continuity at the Elysee" and "a man of the french bourgeoisie". 

According to the PCRF the result of the elections "is the result of a formidable mobilization of the propaganda and communication apparatus of monopoly capital". "Under these conditions", writes the PCRF, "our Party welcomes all those who refused to endorse the masquerade Le Pen-Macron by abstaining, voting white or none!". 

European Communist Parties honored the Great Antifascist Peoples Victory in Berlin - Speech by the KKE Politburo Member Giorgos Marinos

An important internationalist event was organized by the European Communist Initiative in Berlin on Sunday 7/5, with as its theme: «May 9, 72 years after the Great Antifascist Victory of the Peoples: we are inspired and continue the struggle against the distortion of history by the EU-capital. For the overthrow of the rotten capitalist system that creates crises, wars, fascism.”

The event was supported by the Party Organization of the KKE in Germany and Party Organization of the CP of Turkey in Germany. The programme of the event included interventions from the representatives of the CPs that participate in the “Initiative” and a concert with songs of the Red Army and other revolutionary songs.

Joseph V. Stalin- Address to the people on May 9th 1945 (Victory Speech)

Speech by the Marshal of the Soviet Union 

Joseph V. Stalin.

May 9, 1945.

Comrades! Fellow countrymen and countrywomen! 

The great day of victory over Germany has arrived. Fascist Germany, forced to her knees by the Red Army and the troops of our Allies, has admitted defeat and has announced her unconditional surrender. 

KKE on French Elections: "Macron's prevalence doesn't consist a real victory for the people"

Commenting on the result of the French Presidential Elections and the electoral victory of Emmanuel Macron*, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) stresses out:

"The prevalence of Macron against the reactionary, repulsive candidacy of Le Pen consists a victory for those sections of the capital which are steadily oriented to the EU and the Eurozone, in contrast with those which- for their own interests- challenge this route. Under no circumstances, therefore, it consists a real victory for the French people.

Macron too, like the previous ones (presidents), will kneel down the French people with new measures in favor of the capital. For that reason, all these who- in Greece as well- talk about "breath" and a "new day" will be exposed soon, like they did in the past with Hollande and the "fresh air" he supposedly would bring."