Day X - statement by the CWI
CWI statement
Issued, March 20th 2003, Day X
Working people and youth of the
world protest against outbreak of war
War has
started. The US led imperialist assault against the people of Iraq means huge
destruction and the loss of many lives. A high tech capitalist superpower is
indiscriminately attacking a people already subjected to recent wars, UN
sanctions ('a slow genocide') and regular US/British air attacks. Despite all the
hypocritical talk of waging war to create 'peace', of so-called 'nation
building' and of 'liberating' Iraq and so on, this war will result in further
death and poverty for workers and young people in Iraq.
But working people around the
world and youth are not standing back and letting this terrible bloodbath take
place without protesting. In fact, huge protests are taking place
internationally, in Europe (East, West and South), in North and Latin America
and throughout Asia and the Middle East. Many millions of people are
demonstrating their opposition to this bloody conflict that is being fought in
the interests of imperialism.
Day X, and the next days of
protest, will go down in history as a time when working people made their
voices heard in an unprecedented example of 'people's power'. Never before has
there been such an unpopular war and never before has there been such
widespread and active protests on a world scale.
The masses of working people
around the world are not fooled by all the propaganda and lies coming from the
Whitehouse and Downing Street. They correctly understand that this is a war for
oil, prestige and power - not a war in the interests of Iraqi working people.
Working people are against the tyrant Saddam Hussein, of course, who for decades
was armed and financed by the West. We believe it is up to the Iraqi workers
and youth to get rid of the dictatorship and we call for the working class
internationally to support them.
Tidal wave of opposition
The Iraq war has unleashed a tidal
way of opposition. The Committee for a Workers' International has been part of
this movement since it began and our members and supporters have been striving
to make it as effective as possible.
In the coming days CWI members
will continue to be to the fore in the organising protests and strikes around
the world, including blockades of military supplies going to support the war.
The huge 15 February international
protests showed the scale of the anti-war movement. Following these historic
protests we have seen many cases of organised protest action in workplaces,
colleges and schools in Europe, North America and in Australia. There have been
many spontaneous protests and school strikes as well, indicating the depth of
anger. These sorts of protests will only grow over the duration of the war.
Now the war has begun, it is vital
that strikes and protests by workers and young people are extended. Walkouts
and strikes can create an unstoppable movement of mass civil disobedience to
stop this war.
The most important way to stop
this imperialist war is organising mass resistance that involves the working
class. Already in Europe on 14 March millions took strike action against war.
In Spain alone five million struck. In Italy, Gugliemo Epifani, secretary of
the Cgil the largest trade union federation, told a demonstration of over
700,000 in Milan that Italy would come to a standstill the moment bombs started
dropping.
A one-day, all-out strike - a
general strike - in all sectors, including students and school students, would
bring together all the opposition to war and could open the way to bringing
down those governments who support the war.
Millions have been horrified at
Bush and Blair's drive towards war and their cynical, lying propaganda
campaign. The past months have shown to millions of youth and working people
the world over the vicious character of imperialism and reinforced the
opposition to capitalist globalisation.
CWI analysis
Many will not only want to fight
this war but also the system which gives rise to these horrors. The CWI, while
opposing this war, and being fully involved in protest actions, will
simultaneously argue for the need to build a socialist movement that will fight
for a society that puts working people before power and profit, and ends the horrors
of war, poverty and exploitation - a socialist society.
The CWI provides the analysis and
facts to answer Bush and Blair's war propaganda. We show why this is an
imperialist war and anything but a "war for peace".
CWI Online will provide in-depth
analysis of the bloody imperialist war as it unfolds. Visitors to this site
will be able to find an unparalleled socialist analysis and commentary on
events. CWI members from all around the world will provide reports of anti-war
protests - the CWI not only comments on events but it is also an active and
important part of the opposition to war. Furthermore CWI Online will also put
forward its ideas on how to develop and build the anti-war movement.
Our special Day X homepage
provides reports from around the world of the initial wave of anti-war protests
and demonstrations.
If you agree with the ideas on
this site, why not take the next step and get involved in the anti-war
struggle. If you want to see a permanent end to this system of profit and war
join the CWI!
CWI calls for:
Stop
this war for oil
US
and British imperialist forces out of the Middle East
Close
down the war machine - spend the money waging a war against poverty
For
democratic public ownership of the oil and energy industries
For
a socialist world without war and terror
The CWI site is http://www.worldsocialist-cwi.org/