Liberation Audio

The following solidarity statement was issued by the International Relations Department of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) Dear comrades, On behalf of the Communist Party of Turkey, we express our heartfelt support for the working people of the United States who took to the streets protesting the brutal murder of George Floyd by racist policemen. In the past weeks, people’s anger has already grown because of the devastating social effects of the pandemic. The Trump administration’s failure in containing the spread of the disease and its outcomes has deepened the vast social inequalities in the United States, marked by unemployment, poverty and homelessness. The Party for Socialism and Liberation is struggling at the forefront of the manifestations. With their creative efforts and efficient campaigns, comrades of the PSL reveal the bonds between racism and exploitation, which is as we all know in its essence a problem of labour. We are witnessing how powerful the working people can become, when they are united and organized against the dominant classes, regardless of which bourgeois party they are represented by. Communists in Turkey are and will remain in solidarity with communists of the USA and with the great struggle of the working people there, aiming for justice for Floyd and equality for all. With comradely greetings, Communist Party of Turkey International Relations https://www.liberationnews.org/communist-party-of-turkey-justice-for-george-floyd-solidarity-with-the-uprising/

Explore the Korean War and peace efforts from the perspective of the People's Democracy Party. Learn about their vision for national independence, reunification, and proposed solutions to socio-economic issues in Korea. Discover the events leading up to the Korean War, the conflict between the Korean nation and US imperialism, and the devastating consequences of the war. Uncover how the Korean War has shaped politics, economics, and society in South Korea and the prospects for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

On the evening of July 3, thousands of community members in Aurora, Colorado, gathered to demand justice for Elijah McClain and to call on the Aurora Police Department to immediately fire the officers involved in his killing. Protesters also demanded murder charges for the killers. The action was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Frontline Party for Revolutionary Action, organizers who have been in the fight for justice for Elijah McClain since he was attacked and then died in August of 2019, and who led the organized takeover of Interstate Highway 225 by three thousand people the Saturday before. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/thousands-march-for-elijah-mcclain-massive-community-blockade-of-police-station-ensues-in-aurora-co/

This podcast examines the successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala, India, under the leadership of a communist-led government. It discusses the efforts of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare and highlights the comparatively low number of cases and deaths in Kerala. The strategies and initiatives implemented by the government of Kerala are explored, including decentralized governance and community support measures. The role of decentralized governance in responding to the pandemic and its impact on healthcare, education, and public health initiatives is also discussed, with a focus on the Kerala model.

It’s probably safe to say the year 2020 has been unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes, even for people who marched against Jim Crow segregation and the U.S. war on Vietnam . We’re witnessing – and part of – a militant, multinational uprising in cities around the world. The police lynching of George Floyd and so many before him may have been triggering event, but fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly fueled the fire. Tens of millions of people are out of work in this country, with no clear future, and government ineptitude or indifference is exposed for all to see. “American exceptionalism” has taken on a new meaning as European countries ban travelers from the U.S. in order to safeguard their own people. The whole world is watching as people die and “the greatest country on earth” appears paralyzed in the grip of a pandemic it should have seen coming. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/what-do-6-months-of-pandemic-tell-about-usa/

In a country as wealthy as the U.S., you would think ensuring that students have access to quality education and services would not be an issue. You would think that in a country as wealthy as ours, it would be a priority that students and their families remain in good health and have access to health care, as well as mental health care during a global pandemic. You would think that national COVID-19 testing would be required before opening up the doors of schools to students, educators, and staff. In this country, the people expect these basic public health needs to be met considering the wealth we have generated. Instead, our reality is we continue to see our public schools defunded, and the funds invested into a brutal, repressive, militarized police force whose purpose is to exercise lethal force on all, irrespective of age, race, gender, or supposed criminality. To reverse this inequity, we should defund the police – not our public education system. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/defund-the-police-not-education/

The podcast discusses the ongoing rebellion against racism and the need for drastic actions to force the capitalist system to make concessions. It explores the intersection of the Black Liberation Movement with socialism and other social movements. The historical development and critique of policing are also examined, along with the importance of tapping into rebellious sentiment and preventing co-option by the ruling class. The relationship between prisons, police brutality, and capitalist dynamics is discussed, highlighting demands for police accountability and the struggle for a workers state.

Since the murder of George Floyd on May 26, protests in Minneapolis have ignited a global uprising not only in major cities across the United States and globally, but also in small towns from coast to coast. These small towns — some that have not seen any kind of protest in years or even decades —have become activated, now mobilizing to hold marches, vigils, sit-ins and other forms of direct action. Some of these protests, though small and peaceful, have also been harassed and brutalized by the police. Some were called by Black organizers in majority white towns, many were organized by teenagers and students, some brought out dozens while others brought out thousands — but all of them demonstrate the power of this growing movement. Liberation News reporters have been on the ground in both the big cities and the small towns across the United States, finding a history of police terror and violence in all of them and getting the people’s side of the story. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/small-towns-across-the-united-states-see-unprecedented-protests/

On June 3, the main tenants’ advocacy group in the small city of Ithaca, New York secured a key legislative victory in their fight to cancel rent payments due during the pandemic. The Ithaca Tenants’ Union submitted a resolution to the Ithaca city council which would have the city request that the New York State Department of Health grant the city the power to forgive all outstanding rent payments accumulated since March. The proposal passed six to four, and the next day the city sent an official letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Department of Health asking for the authority to forgive rent and urging the pursuit of mortgage payment cancellations on the state level. This development makes Ithaca the first city in the country to formally request the power to cancel rents due during the coronavirus pandemic. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/ithaca-tenants-win-major-canceltherents-victory/

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union shut down 29 west coast ports on June 19 in remembrance of George Floyd and to mark Juneteenth. All along 2,000 miles of coastline, in 29 ports from Seattle to San Diego, not one container was loaded or unloaded. The ILWU has a long history of anti-racist and international solidarity. It shut down these ports in 1968 after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Union members refused to unload a ship from apartheid South Africa. The union shut the ports to oppose the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and earlier this month, held an 8-minute work stoppage to demand for justice for George Floyd. This tradition of solidarity came from a historic union struggle in 1934, when dock workers struck for 83 days, culminating in a 4-day general strike in San Francisco. Building anti-racist solidarity was key to their win, and to ending some of the worst working conditions in the country. Read the full article: https://www.liberationnews.org/anti-racist-solidarity-brought-victory-for-all-dock-workers-in-1934-san-francisco-general-strike/