Workers Solidarity Movement

Pentagon investigators "are desperately searching" for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, to try and prevent the publication of over 260,000 diplomatic cables that were allegedly leaked by intelligence analyst Bradley Manning.

Despite the efforts of the Israeli military and propaganda machine which stole all the footage they could find on board the Freedom Flotilla some footage activists succesfully snuck past the jailers has started to emerge.  The Isreali propaganda team has already released out of context fragments obviously taken from stolen equipment to try and bolster its case, the fact that only a few seconds (that show a firework being thrown) could be found speaks volumes.

• For services rendered to the boss class
• For advising union members to vote in favour of the Croke Park agreement and "acknowledging its importance to the economy"
• Because "Realising the damage that further disruption could cause to Ireland's reputation abroad, he said: "If you have a long industrial campaign...the interpretation of it externally would be that the Government wasn't able to honour its commitments and consequently, the credibility of Government bonds would be very much in question,"

On January 12 2009 9 women entered Raytheon in Derry with the intention of bringing down the mainframe (and halting production in Britain and Ireland) as a direct response to the Israeli bombing of Gaza. The 9 women didn't make it to the mainframe but did chain themselves to the inside doors and were charged with "Burglary, Criminal Damage and Assault." Days after the Israeli military assault on the Freedom Flotilla which left at least 9 activsts dead the 9 women have been found not guilty by the Belfast High Court.

Almost one hundred Castlebar locals and members of local political groups including Workers Solidarity Movement took to the streets holding a vigil in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the activists murdered by IDF forces. A strong message of outrage at these atrocities and anger at the continuing siege of Gaza was relayed from speakers and the protesters. Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the Isreali state were prominent from those assembled. Further protests are planned throughout the Mayo area including plans for a Mayo Trade Boycott.

One of the main myths of those who support the Zionist state of Israel is that all Jews, inside and outside of Isreal support that state.  In fact there is small but significant opposition to the oppression of the Palestians from people of Jewish background inside of Isreal.  Since the Israeli military attacked the Freedom Flotilla there have been onging demonstrations agains the attack in Isreal itself, demonstrations that have been largely ignore by Israeli and international media.

Two more workers have been fired in the Connolly Shoes strike which was recently granted 'all out strike' status by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).  The four workers now dismissed have over 100 years service to the company between them and have been dismissed for refusing to sign a document in effect agreeing to accept any conditions imposed by management.  The strike is now in its 9th week with management refusing to enter into talks at the Labour Relations Commission.

The anti-woman, anti-choice group Youth Defence have launched a new advertising campaign which includes targetted Facebook ads ahead of the anticipated ABC decision in the European courts.  In this case three women, known as A, B and C, are challenging Ireland’s ban on abortion in the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds that the law jeopardised their health and their well being and that travelling abroad for an abortion placed "enormous physical, emotional and financial burdens" upon them. Because the law created delays and hardships for each woman, it resulted in each of them having a later abortion, creating a greater risk to their health. 

This interview is with the well known Czech camera man Jan Línek who was on the ship alongside the Mavi Marmara when the Israeli military killed at least 10 activists. In it he describes conditions on board, the struggle by the activists to protect the captain, how his camera was confiscated and how he was tricked into signing deportation papers on shore and then told he wasn't getting his camera back. When in prison they were denied sleep and he witnessed an Irish man being beaten in front of him.

Just over 300 people took part in the SWP's Right to Work demonstration last night. This was a considerable drop in numbers from the first two demonstrations which saw around 1000 take part and last weeks which saw 600 or more march. This is despite the massive postering effort that had gone into the march. James O'Toole of the SWP said from the stage that 30 people had been involved in postering the city. There was certainly an impressive quantity of posters up all the way out to the canals and beyond.