Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 18:34:19 -0500 (EST) From: louisgodena-AT-ids.net (Louis R Godena) Subject: M-I: Good Picket Against Fujimori in London (Fwd from moderator) To marxism-international: The following post from Helena Torres bounced to the moderators (non member submission). LRG From: Helena Torres <htorres-AT-mailhost.pi.net> Sender: global-AT-gjxwxsqy.pi.net Subject: Good picket against Fujimori in London To: marxism-general-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu, marxism-international-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu X-PRIORITY: 3 (Normal) X-Mailer: Chameleon 5.0, TCP/IP for Windows, NetManage Inc. Message-ID: <Chameleon.855783778.global-AT-gjxwxsqy> GOOD PICKET AGAINST FUJIMORI IN LONDON Alberto Fujimori, the President of Peru, was in London between Sunday 9 and Tuesday 11. He come to Britain to attract foreign investments and to receive support for his hard policy towards the MRTA guerrilla forces still holding 72 VIP hostages at the Japanese Embassy in Lima. He decided to make only one public appearance. He choose to do it at the London School of Economics. However, the LSE's authorities didn't want to give information about it until some minutes before. Nearly all the people who attended the the LSE's Old Theatre were diplomatic and businessmen. Most LSE students were not allowed to enter in the place in which they normally hold their Union General Meetings. Despite the semi-secret character of the meeting and only a few hours of preparation a very successful picket was organised. Between 70 to 100 people come to it. Most of them were LSE students and Latin American exiles such as members of the Colombian Refugee Association (CORAS), Poder Obrero supporters and friends, as well as many Peruvian activists. However supporters of the Peruvian armed groups didn't come. It is quite remarkable that the PCP-Sendero Luminoso supporters didn't do any single protest against Fujimori and neither did they come to the LSE picket. The most active British groups were the WIL and LCMRCI supported by the Spartacists, SWSS and the LSE Labour Club, who sent sizeable delegations while members of Socialist Outlook, RIL, SLP, RCG and WP also attended the picket. There were some clashes with the police and they tried to arrest one comrade for possession of a drumstick. The main demands were against the terrible conditions of the 5,000 political prisoners (who could be imprisoned until the end of their lives in "living tombs" without access to the Radio, TV or literature and with only one half an hour visit per month) and for their unconditional release; for the cancellation of the foreign debt and the re-nationalisation of the privatised companies; etc. Nearly no oppositionists managed to enter the Fujimori conference. In his speech the Peruvian President showed how a demagogue can be so cynical. He said that the "terrorists" and not the army killed 25,000 Peruvians. Every single human right organisations would say that the overwhelmingly majority of political assassinations in Peru were committed by the army and the para-military. He said that he was one of the best democrats and feminists of the world despite the fact that Peru had the world's record in political disappears, that he dissolved the congress and his constant macho expressions which included the expulsion of every homosexual from the Peruvian diplomatic service. The conference was so anti-democratic that nobody was allowed to speak and make questions. One student constantly denounced the amnesty of the Colina para-military group and the strong links between the narco-traffic and the government. The very good thing is that Fujimori didn't leave London without a protest reception. The BBC and the Peruvian and Japanese TV filmed the picket. A very solid and combative action was organised in less than 48 hours. We congratulate the Latin American exiles, the LSE students and Poder Obrero friends for that good initiative. By Helena Torres COLOMBIAN GENERAL STRIKE'S PICKET On Tuesday 11 in Colombia more than 800,000 state workers started an indefinite general strike. According to "The Guardian" (11-2-97) "this would make it the largest protest since 1977." In support of that strike and continuing the campaign denouncing BP's financial support for para-military killing of left and union activists, the Colombian Refugee Association (CORAS) organised a very successful picket. Between 30 to 40 people were shouting for two hours at lunchtime in front of the Colombian embassy on Tuesday February 11th. The most significant demand was one that tried to link the fact that the Ecuatorian general strike on 5-6 February brought down the President "Loco" Abdala Bucaram and that the Colombian general strike which was just starting that day should bring down President Ernesto Samper. The picket was extremely combative and noisy. The police were very provocative. They tried to prevent any slogans in Spanish and they tried several times to prevent the raising of a 12 feet long banner in support of the general strike. By Helena Torres --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005