OVER 40,000 students and workers demonstrated in Athens last Wednesday on the 37th anniversary of the Polytechnic students’ Uprising of November 17, 1973, which led to the overthrow of the military junta.
Mass marches took place in Salonica, Patras and in all the other major Greek cities.
At the front of the march to the US Embassy in Athens, the huge street-wide banner of the Polytechnic students proclaimed: ‘Uprisings don’t fit in museums – Down with the junta of Papandreou-IMF-EC’.
Throughout the march they shouted slogans against the Papandreou government, the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and US imperialism.
There were many slogans against the IMF-imposed Accord of austerity measures. Large contingents of school students and immigrant workers participated in the march with their own banners and flags.
At several industrial plants workers staged a one-hour stoppage.
Thousands of armed riot police were stationed throughout the Athens city centre and in front of the US and British embassies. The government said that it had mobilised over 7,000 police.
Close to the US embassy compound, surrounded by police buses, youth threw fruit and stones at the hated riot police who reacted immediately with smoke and lightning bombs and tear gas grenades.
Then they attacked anyone on sight with their clubs throwing people on the ground and kicking them. Police made 58 arrests.
Earlier, the government announced that it has agreed to the demands of the IMF and of the European Commission to impose a new round of huge public spending cuts, privatisation of state corporations, sackings and wage cuts on civil servants and the private sector. It was also announced that the government would legislate to impose wages below the current minimum wage of 740 Euros (about £620) per month.
The government’s Budget is to be presented this weekend. The GSEE (Greek TUC) have called a 24-hour general strike for December 15.
Statement by the REVOLUTIONARY MARXIST LEAGUE
Greek Section of the International Committee of the Fourth International
For a victorious struggle against the IMF Accord!
For an indefinite political general strike!
Down with the parliamentary junta of Papandreou-IMF-EC!
Workers in Greece have delivered a big blow to the parliamentary junta of Papandreou-IMF-European Commission, as well as to the right-wing New Democracy party and to the two-party capitalist political system in the recent local election.
In all the main Greek cities an unprecedented over 60 per cent of the voters abstained while a further 10 per cent cast a blank or spoiled vote.
But despite its defeat, the Papandreou government is deciding on a new round of austerity measures of wage and pension cuts, ‘flexible’ working conditions and wages, VAT increase, privatisation of the state corporations and sackings of hundreds of thousands of civil servants and state enterprises workers, starting with the ‘contract’ workers.
The world economic crisis has forced the imperialist powers into a currency and trade war, as demonstrated in the recent G20 meeting, and now the USA is threatening China.
In Europe the German Chancellor Merkel demanded the withdrawal of Greece from the Eurozone, while the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy stated that ‘we’re in a survival crisis… if we don’t survive with the Eurozone we will not survive with the European Union.’
The Portuguese Foreign Minister Dos Santos said that Greece, Portugal and Ireland have problems of an international nature.
Papandreou is seeking to ‘expand’ the timescale of the repayment of Greece’s public debt hoping to avoid immediate bankruptcy, but Germany is pushing Greece, Ireland and Portugal to an ‘orderly bankruptcy’.
That is why the Greek ruling class conspires for a ‘national government’ which will impose through violence, poverty and misery on workers, youth, small farmers and professionals.
But the all-powerful working class in Europe is on the road of resistance and uprising.
In France, Romania, Italy Portugal and Britain workers and students fight through general strikes and huge demonstrations against unemployment and poverty.
Today we are in the period of the struggle for the overthrow of capitalism.
The Revolutionary Marxist League calls all workers and youth to the task of the building of the revolutionary party, the Greek section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, for the socialist revolution, for the nationalisation of the banks, for the annulment of the debt, for the socialist planned economy under workers’ control and management.
Long live the Athens Polytechnic Uprising!
Out with the European Union and NATO!
For the United Socialist States of Europe!
Down with Capitalism!
For a Workers-Small Farmers’ Socialist
Government!
Athens November 16 2010.