Category: Civil Liberties

Assange: Empire of Surveillance and Imperialism

By KATU ARKONADA The trial against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a perfect metaphor for how United States imperialism operates in the world today. The Armed Forces, the Department of State, and the CIA caused thousands of deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya or Syria, but it’s the person who showed to the world those crimes who … Continue reading Assange: Empire of Surveillance and Imperialism →

Book Review: The Trials of Julian Assange

By MICHAEL STEVEN SMITH Book Review: In Defense of Julian AssangeEdited by Tariq Ali and Margaret KuntslerPaperback, First Edition, 320 pagesPublished 2019 by OR Books Whistle-blowing, truth-telling journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange now sits in solitary confinement in London‘s infamous Belmarsh prison. The Trump administration has asked that he be extradited to Virginia for trial as … Continue reading Book Review: The Trials of Julian Assange →

Bay Area tours Venezuelan Embassy Protectors

By NICK BAKER Three Venezuelan Embassy Protectors toured the Bay Area earlier this month in an eight-event, seven-city tour. Kevin Zeese, Margaret Flowers, and David Paul were three of the last four Embassy Protectors remaining in the Venezuelan Embassy when police broke down the embassy doors and arrested them. They stayed in the embassy for … Continue reading Bay Area tours Venezuelan Embassy Protectors →

CSIS spy agency violates democratic rights — BCCLA

By GARY PORTER The Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) is a heavily funded spy agency. With a $500 million (CDN) annual budget, it operates gunslinger-style, spying on Canadians and others it considers a security risk, gathering information from the dozens of innocent people their suspects contact, such as friends, relatives, neighbours, and co-workers. This … Continue reading CSIS spy agency violates democratic rights — BCCLA →

Free Julian Assange! Defend freedom of the press!

By BRUCE LESNICK On April 11, the Ecuadorian government revoked asylum protection for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Within minutes, British gendarmes entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, arrested Assange, and seized his computers, documents, and other materials. He is now being held in London’s Belmarsh prison for bail violation. That spurious charge stems from a … Continue reading Free Julian Assange! Defend freedom of the press! →

Ilhan Omar: Anti-Zionist comments smeared as anti-Semitic

By JEFF MACKLER and BRUCE LESNICK In a new campaign reminiscent of the McCarthy era witch-hunt, politicians and media pundits have taken to smearing pro-Palestinian, pro-BDS activists as anti-Semitic. Singled out for special attention are those, like Somali-born Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who happen to be people of color. A … Continue reading Ilhan Omar: Anti-Zionist comments smeared as anti-Semitic →

UNAC statement on the CNN firing of Marc Lamont Hill

The following statement was published by the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC) on Dec. 3. Supporters of Israel and Zionism have repeatedly charged in the mainstream media that Professor Marc Lamont Hill’s statements at the UN on behalf of the rights of the Palestinian people are “anti-Semitic” and have demanded that Temple University fire him, … Continue reading UNAC statement on the CNN firing of Marc Lamont Hill →

Democrats Extol the FBI and National Security State

By BARRY SHEPPARD The most effective way to counter Donald Trump’s reactionary policies is through mass action. The Democratic Party hopes to steer movements and individuals opposed to Trump into support of its candidates. While this trap of “lesser evil” politics has proved to be a failure over and over again for the past eight … Continue reading Democrats Extol the FBI and National Security State →

Gun control & workers’ militias: How socialists view the issues

By GARY BILLS We are republishing an article that appeared in the print edition of Socialist Action newspaper in May 2007. The article is pertinent to the widespread discussion on gun control today, when some are calling for repeal of the Second Amendment. After a horrific gun crime like the one at Virginia Tech [32 … Continue reading Gun control & workers’ militias: How socialists view the issues →

A surefire plan to address gun violence

By BRUCE LESNICK With 346 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2017 and 34 in the first two months of 2018—including the Parkland, Fla., tragedy that cost the lives of 17 high school students and injured 15 others—many are justifiably angry and frustrated. Mainstream politicians dither, debating how best to treat the symptoms of the … Continue reading A surefire plan to address gun violence →

Defend the First Amendment and prisoners’ rights to read critical ideas

By STEVE XAVIER The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is attempting to ban the Workers World (WW) newspaper for its coverage of the Florida prison strike. According to WW, “The immediate reason given in the DOC’s Jan. 29 letter is that ‘information contained on pages 1 and 6 calls for action that may advocate criminal activity … Continue reading Defend the First Amendment and prisoners’ rights to read critical ideas →

Drexel professor suspended following right-wing attack

By WAYNE DELUCA — PHILADELPHIA — George Ciccariello-Maher, a controversial left-wing professor at Drexel University in this city, was placed on administrative leave in October after a string of death threats from far-right internet trolls. All of his classes were cancelled for the quarter without a replacement. The university has stated that this is a … Continue reading Drexel professor suspended following right-wing attack →

Socialist Action condemns attack on PSL in Albuquerque

Comrades of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), We read with great interest and alarm the June 29 article/report in your newspaper, Liberation, entitled, “The reactionary attack against the PSL in Albuquerque” (see below). Know that Socialist Action stands in full solidarity with the PSL in opposition to the physical intimidation, disruption, and threats to “Shut … Continue reading Socialist Action condemns attack on PSL in Albuquerque →

Protesters tell right-wing ‘Anti-Sharia’ marches: ‘Muslims are welcome here’

By KAREN SCHRAUFNAGEL On Saturday, June 10, the Islamophobic group ACT (American Congress for Truth) for America held “Marches Against Sharia” in over two dozen cities across the United States. Emboldened by President Donald Trump and his strong anti-Muslim rhetoric, the group that the Southern Poverty Law Center considers one of the top hate groups … Continue reading Protesters tell right-wing ‘Anti-Sharia’ marches: ‘Muslims are welcome here’ →

Mass mobilization and solidarity can defeat the far right

By JOHN LESLIE Since the presidential inauguration, far-right forces have been mobilizing under the slogan of free speech. Right-wing demonstrations began in February with a clash between rightists and anti-fascist activists who were intent on stopping a speech by Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos. This confrontation gave the so-called alt-right the opportunity to play the victim … Continue reading Mass mobilization and solidarity can defeat the far right →

Counter-mobilization: How to effectively fight right-wing speech

By BRUCE LESNICK As the effects of the Great Recession linger, the ruling rich are making every effort to ensure that the working class bears the brunt of the economic crunch. In this atmosphere, elements of the extreme right feel emboldened to promote their reactionary wares. From the increasing visibility of right-wing websites like breitbart.com, … Continue reading Counter-mobilization: How to effectively fight right-wing speech →

Grassroots immigrant rights struggle in Chicago area

By CRISTOBAL CAVAZOS DuPage Immigrant Solidarity Coalition Although, ironically, immigrant detentions are slightly down as the Great Deporter in Chief Barack Obama leaves office, Donald Trump’s new immigration guidelines seek to go well beyond Obama’s, with the possibility of deportations of millions of documented workers. Immigration agents and police officials, who in their majority supported … Continue reading Grassroots immigrant rights struggle in Chicago area →

The unmitigated corruption of capitalist politics

By JEFF MACKLER “The evidence is in,” say gleeful Democratic Party cheerleaders. Donald Trump was elected president because his Russian spy collaborators stole 20,000 secret e-mails from Democratic National Committee (DNC) computer servers, including e-mails from Hillary Clinton’s national campaign chair, John Podesta. The stolen e-mails demonstrated proof positive that the Democratic Party, violating its … Continue reading The unmitigated corruption of capitalist politics →

Family and community demand answers in Connecticut police brutality case

By CHRIS HUTCHINSON The police shooting of 18-year-old Ra’Shamel Rogers on March 9 in Waterbury, Conn., has mobilized community members in support of his family to demand answers and a transparent investigation. Ra’Shamel was unarmed and shot three times, twice in the abdomen and once in the lungs. Police are trying to justify the shooting … Continue reading Family and community demand answers in Connecticut police brutality case →

Civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart passes away

BY JEFF MACKLER — UPDATED March 7 — A few minutes ago my dear friend and comrade Ralph Poynter called to say that his lifelong companion, Lynne Stewart, passed away. She was 77, of Irish origin, and a born fighter who unswervingly devoted herself to humanity's cause. Just a few weeks earlier Lynne pledged to meet me in NY … Continue reading Civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart passes away →

Widespread protests challenge Trump’s anti-Muslim order

By KAREN SCHRAUFNAGEL Protests erupted throughout the United States and the world following President Trump’s stunning order that suspended entry into the U.S. by refugees and other travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and Africa. Thousands demonstrated at airports and federal courthouses. Chants included: “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here!” … Continue reading Widespread protests challenge Trump’s anti-Muslim order →