As gov'ts sign European Constitution
Masses demand withdrawal from Iraq
By John Catalinotto
Some 70,000 people marched Oct. 30 through the streets of
Rome to demand the immediate withdrawal of Italian troops from
Iraq. The protesters also demanded an end to the bombing of
Falluja, the city the U.S. occupation forces have designated as
the capital of the Iraqi resistance.
In Mestre, on the outskirts of Venice, another protest took
direct action as hundreds of people sat in the street to block
a military parade attended by Communi cations Minister Fabrizio
Gasparri.
The march, called by Stop the War, took place on the day
that 25 heads of state of the countries that are members of the
European Union signed the European Constitution. This document
marks another step forward in the creation of a European
government at the service of big capital. Some of the demands
of the anti-war march also opposed the militarization of Europe
and the attack on social welfare embodied in the
constitution.
Although Turkey is not yet a member of the European Union,
the Turkish head of state also signed the European Constitution
Oct. 29. In Istanbul's Taksim Square, the Global Peace and
Justice Coalition demanded "No to Bush. End the occupation of
Iraq."
Viewed from the United States, the European Union and the
new Consti tution might look like a challenge to U.S.
imperialist hegemony in the world. This is only one side of
European unity. The European Union at this time is completely
dominated by big capital, that is, it is an imperialist united
Europe. It is united not only to compete with U.S. imperialism
but also to control the European workers and the oppressed
countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as in
Eastern Europe.
This was made clear in the demands of left forces in Spain,
who demonstrated on Oct. 29 in Madrid against the signing of
the European Constitution. The protest was called by a
coalition of political parties, trade unions and social
movements, among them the Corriente Roja (Red Current).
The groups in Madrid denounced the constitution's "scorn for
hard-won social and labor rights," its submission to the savage
neoliberal policies pushed by the European Central Bank at the
service of the multinational monopolies, and its neglect of the
rights of immigrants. They also assailed "its militaristic and
imperialistic character and its submission to NATO," as well as
its "silence on the rights of women and on the protection of
the environment."
Reprinted from the Nov. 11, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS ::
SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page