“What was taken from us in Genoa, we took back in Sevilla!”

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday July 01, 2002 21:01 by Joe C - GR globalise_resistance at yahoo dot com

GLOBALISE RESISTANCE WEEKLY BULLETIN July 1st-7th 2002

1. PLANNING for the ESF in Ireland- Public Meeting 2. Scrap the Public Order Act- Civil Rights Rally this Saturday! 3. FOR FIGHTING DEMOCRATIC UNIONS meeting on Thursday 4. INDEPENDENCE DAY FILM SCREENING ABOUT THE FRACAS IN CARACAS 5. “What was taken from us in Genoa, we took back in Sevilla!”

Intro…

After Enron: Worldcom, Xerox…

The bubble boom in the US which has kept the world economy afloat has been punctured. The boom was
based on inflated stock market prices. In order to fund takeovers firms like Worldcom inflated
their stock prices by making up profits. And auditors like the massive Arthur Andersen went along
with the scam. Now major companies have been found out, the emperor has no clothes. Nobody can
predict the exact fall-out from these events. But a number of things are clear:
The world economy is in a very precarious situation: Stagnant growth in Europe and particularly in
Germany and a Japanese economy bumping along the bottom for a decade were prevented from turning
into full-scale slump by the US being "the consumer of last resort". The balance of payments
deficit this has produced and the indebtedness of corporate America produces further dangers.
In Ireland the Central Bank has demanded public spending be reined in as the budget deficit
looms. McCreevey has demanded of all government departments plans for cuts in spending.
Argentina shows what can happen to a modern economy and the political repercussions that can
ensue…

1. PLANNING for the ESF in Ireland- Public Meeting
The European Social Forum will be a huge convention bringing together thousands of people who
oppose the commitment of European governments to free market policies and growing militarism. It
is planned for November 7 -10 this year in Florence, Italy.
The idea for a European Forum was proposed at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil in
February. An incredible 70,000 people came together at Porto Alegre. They discussed how best to
organise against the corporations that are wrecking our public services and our planet, how to
tackle the nightmare of Third World debt and how to end the desperate inequality that is being
created by neo-liberal economic policies around the world. The aim of the World Social Forum is to
build a global movement that can stop militarism and the drive to war, and point the way towards a
world in which people come before profit.

The European Social Forum will be based on the Call of the Social Movements that was issued at
Porto Alegre. The first Europe-wide planning meeting issued an invitation to all trades unionists,
campaigning groups, peace activists and concerned individuals who agree with that call to get
involved in organising the ESF.

We hope that hundreds of people will join a large and lively Irish delegation, add hope to get as
many people as possible from Ireland to Florence from all walks of life- trade unionists, anti war
activists, environmentalists, small farmers, greens, socialists, people who care about the Global
South and individuals who are not part of a group but want to do something to make this world a
better place.

All interested groups and individuals are invited to the Irish planning meeting at the Teacher’s
Club, 36 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
At 7.30 pm this Tuesday July 2nd

2. Scrap the Public Order Act- Civil Rights Rally this Saturday!

GR held a press conference on the 6th June to launch the campaign to abolish the Public Order
Act. Present were people who had been unjustly arrested under the act on various demonstrations.
In the last 6 months the POA has been used to arrest people demonstrating for peace, against
neo-liberalism, about environmental issues and, just recently, a group of striking workers were
arrested at their own workplace.

Since September 11th 2001 there has been a dramatic increase in the instances of the POA being
used against political protests. Those charged under this act in recent months include: 2 members
of the Irish Anti-War Movement, 14 activists from Globalise Resistance, 8 people arrested on a
critical mass bike day, 2 anti-war campaigners who protested in Shannon, 1 GR member who was
lobbying support for Irish activists detained in Genoa. and 8 people taking part in Reclaim the
Streets on the May bank holiday weekend. All of these were peacefully protesting on issues of
immediate concern to the Irish public.

There will be a demonstration on Saturday 6th July at 3pm at the Central Bank, Dame St. in defence
of those facing charges, and to call for the POA to be scrapped. There will be protests outside
Court 50 in North Brunswick Street at 10am on Wedneday 10 July as the Burlington PPP demonstrators
are hauled before the Courts. GR asks all groups to bring their banners, flags and placards.

Reclaim The Streets arrestees go to court Monday July 1, Tuesday July 2, and Friday July 5. There
will be a vigil on each of these days outside the court in Dublin 10am - 12noon. The vigils are
outside the Dublin District Court which is behind the Four Courts (near Ormond Quay). RTS asks
please leave placards at home. For more information contact 087 9425422

3. FOR FIGHTING DEMOCRATIC UNIONS
REINSTATE MICK O’REILLY AND EUGENE McGLONE (ATGWU)

Public Meeting
8 p.m. Thursday 4th July 2002
Wynns Hotel, Abbey Street, Dublin.

The summary suspension and sacking of Mick O’Reilly, the Irish Regional Secretary of the
Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU) and his colleague Eugene McGlone, was not
only a grave injustice to them but also an attack on all dissent in the trade union movement. Mick
O’Reilly is the best-known opponent of social partnership and has taken stands on Nice, ILDA and
other issues at variance with the mainstream consensus.
Mick O’Reilly has supported many and varied good causes down through the years. Its time now for
all trade unionists and other activists to rally around and demand his reinstatement, and that of
Eugene McGlone. Many who would not agree with Mick O’Reilly on every issue are demanding fair play
in this case. Come to the public meeting, hear the facts of the case and add your voice to the
growing campaign for their immediate reinstatement.

Speakers:
Mick O’ Reilly, Eugene McGlone, Gene Kerrigan (journalist and writer), Mary Enright (President,
Dublin Council of Trade Unions), Tom Ryan (Vice-President, Dublin Council of trade Unions)

Sponsors (all in a personal capacity):
Albert McCready (Dublin District Cttee. ATGWU), Dawn Stewart (National Executive, Transport and
General), Jimmy Kelly (National Executive, Transport and General), Des Bonass (DCTU executive and
ATGWU), Richie Browne (Dublin District Cttee. ATGWU), Joe Costello T.D., Joe Higgins T.D.,Tony
Gregory T.D., Aengus O’Snodaigh T.D., Sean Crowe T.D., Denis Keane (President, CPSU), Terry
Kelleher (National Executive, CPSU), Pat Cahill (Vice President, ASTI), Eddie Conlon (TUI),
Bernadine O’Sullivan (ASTI), Ivana Bacik (TCD Read Prof. Law), Mary Enright (President, DCTU),
Tom Ryan (President, DCTU), Des Derwin (President, SIPTU Electronics Branch) , Deirdre Smyth
(President, SIPTU Chemical Branch), Marnie Holborow (President, SIPTU Education Branch), Carolann
Duggan (SIPTU)

Organised by the Mick O’Reilly and Eugene McGlone Cross Union Support Group

4. INDEPENDENCE DAY FILM SCREENING ABOUT THE FRACAS IN CARACAS
Organised by the Latin American Solidarity Campaign

Next Thursday is the 4th of July, and what better way to celebrate the
Independence Day of the world's most powerful state than by examining how
its elites try to maintain that position of power, hand-in-hand with the
elites of Latin America's countries, and at the expense of the majority.

TWO-DAY COUP

A video documentary produced and directed by Lucinda Broadbent

Venezuela, April 2002: three Presidents in two days.
The inside story of a coup that imploded in 48 hours.

Filmed amid gun battles and tear gas in the streets, the video depicts the
temporary toppling of yet another democratically elected Latin American
government with the tacit approval of the USA and many European states. This
time Chavez made it back into power. But with eerie echoes of the first,
failed coup against Chilean popular reformer Salvador Allende almost 30
years ago, commentators are starting to ask how long it will be until Latin
America loses yet another chance at real social change - or will Chavez's
ambitious programme of peaceful social revolution win the day?

DATE: Thursday 4th July
TIME: 7.30 pm
PLACE: LASC's office, 5 Merrion Row, Dublin 2

5. “What was taken from us in Genoa, we took back in Sevilla!”

One Italian activist told me "Today is beautiful, what was taken from us in Genoa, we took back in
Sevilla." Police helicopters circled over head training its spotlight on the protesters. No, the
main feature was the unity, the heat, the noise and the positivity of the whole thing.

Anyone who was there will not forget Seville. Tony Blair will not forget it, he was slapped down
by the Tory-type French president Chirac for being too right-wing on immigration. It was certainly
a step forward for anti-capitalism. The impact of the general strike and the anti-capitalist
events together was brilliant and those links through activity should be replicated throughout the
world. Trade Unions were infected with anti-capitalism and Anti-capitalists benefitted from the
power of unions on the move. Certainly strike action against summits and the onslaught of the
neo-liberal agenda must be a tool we use in the future, especially as the attacks get sharper.
Story continued in full at
http://www.resist.org.uk/reports/archive/misc/Seville.html

Report back meetings on the Spanish General strike and the anti capitalist demos in Seville are
still touring round the nation. The Dundalk meeting will be in the Imperial Hotel at 8pm on
Wednesday July 3rd. The Drogheda meeting will be in Mc Hugh’s Bar at 8pm on Thursday 11th July.
Over 60 people turned up to the Dublin meeting, many of them wanting to push an anti capitalist
campaign around Nice and the European Social Forum. Mary Kelly also spoke out against Israel’s
reoccupation of Palestinian cities, and Eamonn Crudden gave everybody a sneak preview of his
powerful full length film on the Battle of Genoa, “Berlusconi’s Mousetrap”. This striking and at
times disturbing documentary is due to tour the country-

For further info email [email protected]