Call to the Revolutionary 1st of May 2016 – Berlin-Kreuzberg
Internationalist Block | Demonstration, 6pm, Oranienplatz
Flyer (2 pages, pdf) | Poster (A2, jpg)
Liberation and solidarity
INTERNATIONAL
If you want to be part of an international movement for freedom and solidarity, join the internationalist block on the first of May!
Call to the Revolutionary 1st of May Demonstration 2016
Internationalist Block
Liberation and solidarity
INTERNATIONAL
The German government, the banks and corporations have been sucking the blood out of workers and common people since the start of the big crisis of 2008 under the slogan of “The Unity of Europe”. In this way another brutal austerity measure was forced upon the greek people. This lead to unemployment rates of over 30 percent, half a million people who live off soup kitchens, while German corporations get rich from the forced privatization of airports and of power and communication companies. “The Unity of Europe” means profits of billions for German capitalists, everywhere and all the time.
It is for this reason that the racist and nationalist motivated closing of the borders in the Balkan at the beginning of this year was no humanitarian catastrophe for Merkel´s government. It is not the freedom of movement for refugees from war zones and crisis regions which is worrying the SPD and the CDU/CSU. The free transport of commodities of German export companies was threatened through the closing of the borders. Suddenly, the “Welcoming Culture” was substituted with a deal with the undemocratic regime of Erdogan and his islamist AKP in Turkey. Now refugees of war are being held captive in a country whose own government is waging war against the Kurdish people.
This is all taking place on the eve of a new economic crisis. The results of the last crisis of 2008 are clearly visible in the wars in Ukraine, Turkey or Syria, in the hunger and suffering in Africa and Asia, as well as in the growing poverty in Europe. The European Union is supposed to be the stepping stone for the German imperialism to step in as a global player. But the EU is torn apart by internal contradictions, and its future demise can´t be ruled out anymore today. The bogus alternative at the moment is an imperialist union under German rule or nationalism, nationalistic isolation and racist policies, as advertised in the propaganda of the AFD.
Fight the crisis
Our answer is neither nationalism nor the defence of the European Union. The EU cannot be democratized or reformed. It is and always has been a capitalist project. The attacks on social issues, such as “Agenda 2010”, the large-scale layoffs and precarious work relations since the crisis are a clear sign. For those reasons we must build a Europe-wide coordinated resistance and fight for freedom of movement, housing, work, education, healthcare, pension and minimum wage of 12 Euro for all, regardless of origin. Mass demonstrations such as the ones taking place right now in France should be an example to us that we are able to fight. The rich should pay for our demands through taxation of their profits, assets and property. But they should not continue to be the ones making the decisions. We fight for a united socialist Europe from below, which respects and guarantees the right of self determination of the people.
Fight the imperialist war
In Ukraine the German government is clashing swords. In Syria, Afghanistan, Kosovo and many other countries Germany is an occupying force or part of the war. Also for powers such as USA, Russia or China the issue here is not human rights. The issue is the protection of resources, profits and geo-strategical interests. The fact that reactionary regimes such as Saudi-Arabia, Israel, Turkey, Iran or the so called “Islamic State” are using those conflicts to build up their own influence is the consequence of those power struggles. The German government is diligently delivering weapons to many of those opposing parties. However, in the places in which people are resisting oppression, such as the Kurds or the Palestinians, the German government yells “Terror”. We fight against the banning and criminalization of liberation organisations such as the PKK or the PFLP. We take a determined stance against militarisation. At the same time we are standing on the side of liberation movements as in Palestine or Kurdistan, and of revolutionary movements against dictatorships which are carried out by the people on the ground. We call decisively to fight the imperialist interventions. The German military actions abroad must stop immediately, NATO and other war coalitions have to be disbanded.
Fight racism and sexism
This is the scene in which we see more than 20,000 dead refugees in the Mediterranean alone since 1990. It is war and crisis which are currently forcing roughly 60 million people to flee. We have to oppose this system internationally. Once seen this way, it becomes only more disgusting that racists are calling for a “national” war on refugees instead. A reactionary mass movement is threateningly becoming established today in Germany as well as in many other countries, a movement which incorporates state racism and radicalises it. The anger regarding poverty, insecurity and crisis is being directed against refugees and muslims instead of against its real causes. We must set an internationalist workers´movement against all that. We who are wage dependent are affected by these problems all over the world. This is the reason why we stand up for the opening of all borders, for the right of asylum and for full civil rights for all. Government, corporations and the Right are mobilizing against the rights of women as well. Women are the first to lose their workplace, to be paid less, to be chained again to the “hearth and home” and are especially affected by the wars. We stand by the women´s movement of the textile workers of Pakistan, the exploited saleswomen in Germany or the women of the Arab Spring such as the fighters of the YPJ.
There cannot be a “just world order” which is founded on exploitation. But there is hope: resistance, class struggle, international solidarity. We cannot deny the crisis of the workers´ movement or the weakness of the Left. However the struggle against the daily hardships combined with a revolutionary movement against crisis, war, racism, sexism and exploitation is more important today than ever. We wish to organise this resistance together with everyone who see these problems, even if they don´t share our perspective at the moment.
If you want to be part of an international movement for freedom and solidarity, join the internationalist block on the first of May!
Also available in: German