Biggest convergence since Seattle
Barcelona: 500,000 say 'No war!'
By John Catalinotto
In the largest anti-globalization protest since Seattle in
1999, some 500,000 demonstrators marched in Barcelona March 16
at the summit of the European Union to say "No to a United
Europe of Capital and of War."
Workers, members of radical left-wing groups and communist
parties, anti-globalization groups, high-school and university
students, supporters of Basque liberation, and farmers made up
the diverse coalition that marched together against big
capital, despite ideological differences.
The vast crowd was proof that the European
anti-globalization movement, which first showed its great
strength in Genoa last summer, is forging ahead. No longer was
there reluctance to take to the streets, as seemed to happen in
the first weeks after Sept. 11.
Trade unionists had held their own demonstration two days
earlier, as the summit was about to open. Under the leadership
of the major union confederations, they were demanding that a
united Europe maintain the social benefits won by workers since
World War II.
After that war, West European workers were able to force
significant concessions from the capitalists there. It helped
that their rulers were in competition with the socialist system
established next door in Eastern Europe. They won many social
benefits, such as years of unemployment insurance, full medical
insurance--at least in the northern European countries, job
guarantees, free education and significant retirement
benefits.
Now, with the attempt to form a united economy in Europe,
the capitalists have kept up pressure to reduce these benefits
to the lowest levels on the continent. Significant cuts in
government benefits and job guarantees would make the system
more like that in the United States. This is what the workers
and even the reformist trade union leaders were fighting on
March 14.
At many anti-globalization protests in the past, the unions
have brought out larger forces than the general, political
demonstrations. Not this time. The political demonstration on
March 16 was even larger than the trade union one on March 14.
Observers said that when the lead banner reached the final
plaza, tens of thousands of people were still waiting to
start.
This action also opposed the war against Afghanistan and
raised questions such as solidarity with Palestine liberation.
It opposed European participation in the U.S.-led "war on
terrorism."
The police were aggressive toward demonstrators on March 15
and 16, arresting 100.
The Spanish border police prevented many activists from
other parts of Europe from entering the country, including a
bus convoy from Belgium. Unable to reach Barcelona, 1,500 of
these demonstrators gathered in nearby Perpignan, France, to
protest at the Spanish consulate.
The irony is that the architects of the European Union have
made many agreements to allow capital, commerce, the labor
force and tourists flow freely among the member countries. But
they have now erected a wall against people traveling within
the EU to fight for their rights.
In Rome on the same weekend, 20,000 people demon strated to
protest police attacks on Independent Media centers in a number
of Italian cities on Feb. 20. These raids had been aimed at
those who took photographs and videos of police violence
against demonstrators last summer in Genoa. One young protester
was shot to death.
Italy has a right-wing government headed by Silvio
Berlusconi, himself a media billionaire. It is currently under
massive pressure from the organized workers, who are preparing
general strikes in April.
Reprinted from the March 28, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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