Industrial Workers of the World

There is being reported in the media a call - by the Opposition to the dodgy re-elected regime - for a general strike in Iran on Tuesday June 16th 2009.

" I think Iranian women have become canaries of the mind. If you want to guage a society and how free it is, you go to its women. Iranian women have really worked for their freedom this election. Look at their signature campaign - they choose a non-violent campaign to educate people inside and outside Iran about the country's repressive laws. They played an important role in the beginning of the last century in bringing about a constitutional revolution. In the beginning of this century, they will play a central role in changing society towards openness. " Azar Nafisi - Things I've been silent about

The working class struggle in Iran has been especially militant in the past few years, especially with the 100,000 strong unofficial teachers strike which took place in March 2007, which thousands of factory workers joined in solidarity. 1,000 were arrested during this strike. This was the largest recorded workers’ struggle in Iran since 1979.

The strike was followed in the next months by struggles involving thousands of workers in sugar-cane, tyre, automotive and textile industries. As for now, of course there are workers on the streets today, but they are engaged, at the moment, in the struggle as individuals and not as a collective force. It is important to stress though that the movement can not progress without this, collective force of the working class.

A one day national strike has been called for today -Tuesday. This may give an indication of the level of support within the working class.

The rioters in Greece were considered violent and reckless despite public support, and now since the rioters are demonstrating against an anti-West tyrant, they are considered pro-democracy! Sickening! All my support to the demonstrators on the street of Iran, and may the whole world know that you are fighting for your freedom and not in support of any Western government. Your courage knows no limits just like that of your sisters and brothers in Palestine, Greece, Seattle, Genoa..etc!

http://picfog.com/search/iranelection

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/13/742141/-Tehran-Street-Photos

Demonstrations also spread to other cities, including Rasht; Mashahd; Shiraz and Ahwaz, where many of Iran ’s Arab minority reside; Zahedan, in Iran ’s southeast and centre of Iran’s Baluchi minority; and Oroumiye, a city mainly populated by Kurds and Azerbaijani Turkish people. In the course of the unrest on Saturday, access to You Tube, Facebook and other social networking internet sites was blocked, as was access to a range of online news services. SMS communications were reported to be restricted. Amnesty International June 15th Press release. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/violence-against-demonstrators-marks-new-presidential-term-iran-20090615

Down with the Islamic Republic! Long live a socialist republic! Worker-communist Party of Iran (WPI) 14 June 2009 Posted by Worker-communist Party of Iran http://worker-communistpartyofiran.blogspot.com/2009/06/long-live-revolution-against-islamic_15.html

See also VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/NewClearBombs

http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/ Revolutionary Road :: saeed valadbaygi

OMID The men and women whose stories you can read on this page are now all citizens of a silent city named Omid ("hope" in Persian). There, victims of persecution have found a common life whose substance is memory. If you wander around this city, you will realize that, through their common ordeal, the citizens of Omid have created another Iran, an imaginary Iran: a democratic polity, pluralistic and diverse, where citizens posthumously enjoy their human rights. Visit Omid, meet its citizens, and, by doing so, bring them back in memory. Let them challenge our conscience so that in the future we will prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again.

http://www.iranrights.org/english/memorial.php

The situation in Iran is very fluid. Over 900 protesters and 100 'reformist' leaders have been arrested, including the brother of former president Khatami. Moussavi and his wife have gone underground. There are signs of the beginning of an internal coup. Thirty years after the Iranian revolution, there is an irony in Iran's supreme leader using suppression against an opposition to a rotting, totally discredited regime. The parallel is with the chain of events that led to the overthrow of the Shah's regime in 1979. The foundations of the Islamic Republic regime are shaking. The protests of June 13 were the largest demonstrations since 1979. After the euphoria of the last two weeks, when Iranians participated in their millions in demonstrations and political meetings, no state - however brutal - will be able to control the situation. The events of the last few weeks show that there is real hope that the Iranian people can get rid of this regime - be it in the guise of Ahmadinejad or the no less undemocratic and corrupt ‘reformists’.

http://www.hopoi.org/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112626230090&ref=mf

What we advocate is not simply a change of management of society with new ‘democratic’ bosses performing exactly the same role as the old ‘dictatorial’ bosses, but a society of free and equal producers created by the working class itself and based on the needs of humanity and not on the needs of profit, where classes, exploitation and political oppression are done away with.

Long Live Workers’ International Solidarity International Relations- International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran www.workers-iran.org

World-wide protest demanding union rights for Iranian workers Global Day of Action - Friday 26 June

Four global union organisations representing over 170 million workers have called a worldwide action day on June 26 to demand justice for Iranian workers. Demonstrations will take place outside Iranian embassies and consulates across the globe to protest the ongoing denial of rights and arrests of trade unionists within the country.

Australian rally: outside the Iranian embassy in Canberra 12 noon Friday June 26 Several unions are planning to take supporters from Sydney and Melbourne for the rally. Amnesty International has backed this campaign which has been organised by: • The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), • EI (Education International), • ITF (International Transport Workers' Federation), • IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations)

Supporting jailed, tortured unionists They are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of jailed trade union members and leaders including: * Mansour Osanloo, * Ebrahim Madadi, * Farzad Kamangar. The global rallies will also call for the annulment of the one year prison sentences recently handed down against the five leaders of the Haft Tapeh Sugarworkers' Union, as well as the release of trade unionists arrested in Tehran on May Day.

Information: http://www.justiceforiranianworkers.org

40 MAY DAY PRISONERS More than 40 workers still in prison over May Day protests The security forces attacked and injured many people and arrested and jailed more than 150 people, many of whom were badly injured. Over 40 workers still remain in prison. These working people had committed no offence, but have been subjected to cruelty, suppression, jail and inhuman treatments. They continue to be detained in appalling conditions.

The authorities are remaining silent on the fate of these imprisoned workers, although their families gather every day in front of the courthouses and judiciary departments seeking answers.

WW4 Report pamphlets TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK: LEGACY OF REBELLION A Century and a Half of Protest & Resistance on New York's Lower East Side A concise chronicle of the Tompkins Square riots of 1857, 1863 (Civil War draft riots), 1874, 1877 (national railroad strike), 1967 (hippies fight back) and 1988 (anarchists versus police state)—and how the battles over one small park in lower Manhattan have been a microcosm of the class and social struggles that have shaped America and the world.