Red Youth member Dan Interviews a young member of the TKP, the Communist Party of Turkey, on the impact of the Gezi Park uprising, on the party and wider Turkish society.
The uprisings and mass protests sparked by the attacks of the Turkish State and the sustained reactionary policies of the AKP government have politicised a great mass of Turkish workers, more than 10 million of whom took part in the 6 week demonstrations.
Membership of the TKP doubled during the uprisings, and the Party’s prestige, having taken on and defeated the reactionary Turkish state, has been greatly enhanced.
We wish our comrades every success in the coming period, strengthening and deepening their links with the widest section of the Turkish Masses. Gezi was just the beginning of this new phase in the struggle. Revolutionary change is yet to come.
For more information, see the following article form Proletarian (August 2013:
Turkish workers set a militant example
http://www.cpgb-ml.org/index.php?secName=proletarian&subName=display&art=945
Comrades from Red Youth and RCG, who make up the socialist contingent on the British delegation to Quito, distribute tonnes of literature and speak to hundreds of revolutionaries from across the world.
British communists in Quito
Hundreds of progressive youth came to speak with the British delegation all through “Europe day” at this years WFDY Festival. Comrades from the RCG distributed copies of their newspaper Fight Racism, Fight Imperialism and conducted interviews with foreign delegations, and also kindly assisted Red Youth with translation from Spanish.
Delegate Tatjana from the Socialist Party of Latvia
Many copies of Lalkar and Proletarian were sold and given away to comrades new and old. Friends from the Syrian Baath Party were delighted to catch up with CPGB-ML central committee members Ranjeet Brar and Paul Cannon and to meet Dan and Angela for the first time. Our support for the brave resistance of the Syrian people to the bloody war waged by imperialism has strengthened our friendship with both the Baath Party and the Syrian Communist Party (Bagdash) who also met privately with our delegation.
As the degenerates and warmongers, trotskyites and revisionists, conspire to keep brave peace-loving people like Mother Agnes from the anti-war platform, it is increasingly clear that only the Marxist-Leninists can provide clear anti-war political leadership. Only communists clearly come out in defence of the weak against the attacks of the strong; the trotskyists always end up assisting their imperialist puppet masters, and the spineless revisionists long ago abandoned the struggle in favour of the easy life.
Even the Ecuadorean police seem to be on our side!
The most cursory glance at the contemporary international situation shows that imperialism’s inherent tendency to wage wars of aggression has not in any way disappeared. If anything it has become enhanced, notably after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the socialist countries of central and eastern Europe, since when we have seen numerous wars of colonial reconquest, such as those against Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and, most recently, Libya and Syria.
Moreover, faced with what is emerging as the gravest economic crisis in the history of capitalism, the pace and intensity of imperialism’s inexorable drive to war is increasing yet further. The imperialist powers are presently at war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. They are also waging unofficial and proxy wars in Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen and other countries. They are abetting and bankrolling the Israeli zionists’ war against the Palestinian people.
Marxism Leninism is not a dogma but a guide to action. Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao, the great revolutionary teachers, laid out with complete clarity the attitude of the revolutionary proletariat to the struggle against imperialism and towards the national movements of the oppressed. With imperialism convulsed with crisis and hurtling towards new and ever more dangerous wars of aggression, the work of reuniting and reinvigorating the entire international communist movement on this principled and revolutionary basis is one which will brook no further delay.
It is in this spirit that many many comrades and friends purchased copies of not only our newspapers, but also our books, notably Harpal Brar and Ella Rule’s latest book Imperialism and the worst-ever crisis of overproduction. Red Youth’s slogan “Each one, teach one!” has never been more relevant.
Long live proletarian internationalism!
Comrade Paulus Mbangu from SWAPO buys HB’s latest book on imperialismPuerto Rican communists from the Federacion Universitaria Pro Independencia take copies for their libraryDelegates from across Latin America socialising with comrades from around the worldItalian Marxist Leninist poster: NATO Hands off Syria! No to Imperialism!
Red Youth and FIST with the remnants of the flag after the days events
Red Youth was proud to meet up with our comrades from the US organisation Fight Imperialism, Stand Together (FIST) during and after the opening ceremony in Quito. To huge applause from the crowd (and to the absolute horror of the US Trotskyite class traitors in Pathfinder) our comrades in FIST ceremoniously tore up the stars and stripes.
Speaking to Red Youth the FIST delegates explained that it was an act of solidarity with all those around the world standing up to US imperialism, including the workers and oppressed back home in the United States. Just like the butchers apron, the stars and stripes of the USA is a hated symbol of colonialism, flying in many occupied cities and countries around the world. After a long day at the festival our delegations spent the evening relaxing together and discussing contemporary political issues over a glass of pop.
Syrian delegation
The delegates from the Syrian Baath Party also received enthusiastic cheers as their delegation arrived carrying with them large Syrian national flags and portraits of President Assad. Other highlights for our delegation on this opening day included listening to and getting a wave from Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. Here’s a new video and a few more photo’s:
Red Youth with Syrians delegationDelegations from across the America’s including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia are in attendanceComrades from the RKUDelegates from the Workers Party of KoreaCommunist Party of Cuba arrive
Opening ceremony witness to fantastic scene’s of friendship and proletarian internationalism
Russian and Swedish comrades in the dinner hall with CPGB-ML central committee member RanjeetMeeting the localsSWAPO in attendance
In glorious sunshine the 18th Festival of Youth and Students opened in Quito, Ecuador with a wonderful display of revolutionary enthusiasm for the building of a world free from imperialism and war.
Delegations from across the America’s, Asia, Africa and Europe gathered for the opening rally which went on well into the afternoon. The Red Youth comrades were pleased to meet up with the other members of the elusive British NPC, all of whom had worked wonders to attend in the face of a concerted YCL attempt to provide little or no communication from the British Preparatory Committee. The British delegation therefore comprised Red Youth and a few of the “Young Socialists” (young Trotskyite sociopaths) and members of the Robert Clough Group (RCG).
Red Youth comrades spent the day enjoying the speeches and generally soaking up the atmosphere with our comrades from the Revolutionar Kommunist Ungdom (RKU) Sweden and friends from Russia, Belgium, India, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Argentina, Syria and Germany.
Red Youth delegates have received a warm welcome in Quito, landing at midnight local time (5AM UTC) after a marathon 24 hour journey.
Delegate Pack for the 18th World Festival of Youth and Students, Quito, Ecuador
So far, we are the only members of the British delegation to have arrived, and – although the defunct Brit National Preparatory Committee have not passed on our registration fees – Red Youth delegates have successfully registered.
Delegates who have already arrived are enjoying the buzz of the festival grounds, which are being prepared for the opening ceremony at 12:30pm (17:30 UTC) tomorrow, in the beautiful and expansive Parque Bicentenario, repurposed from the old Quito airport.
The Festival’s slogan is “Youth united against imperialism, for a world of peace, solidarity and social transformation.”
During our short time in Quito, as well as enjoying the warm hospitality of the Ecuadorian people, members of the British delegation have already had the chance to meet with and talk to many other youth delegations from across the world, including Canada, the USA, Argentina, Russia, and Germany.
While travelling to Ecuador, Red Youth delegates were much saddened to hear of the death of Nelson Mandela, former leader of the African National Congress and central committee member of the South African Communist Party, who became one of the great symbols of the South African masses in their arduous struggle against the vicious, racist, colonial-settler apartheid regime.
Nelson Mandela and People’s Hero Chris Hani
We send our condolences to the people of South Africa, who held him in such high regard as the first president of a non-racist South Africa, to his party comrades, his family, and the freedom-loving people of the world, who admired his articulate and self-sacrificing championing of the cause of equality and freedom.
We note with Mandela’s passing, that the ‘Freedom Charter’ – the document that promised the redistribution of the wealth of South Africa, including its minerals, and its land, to the hungry and impoverished South African masses – remains unfulfilled; and that the struggle which he embodied during much of his adult life, remains to be fought and won. South Africa’s workers and peasants look to their neighbour Zimbabwe as the model for solution to their poverty; one of many facts about Mandela and South Africa that all the press coverage of Madiba’s death is anxious to brush aside.
We are excited and privileged to be able to attend the festival with so many of our fellow optimistic and active youths from across the globe, all here to talk about how we can make the world a better place and achieve a future free from imperialism, exploitation, poverty, unemployment, famine, and war.
When WFDY held the world festival of youth and students in Algeria, in 1991, Libya was a model nation, and active participant. After US and UK ‘intervention’ this proud nation lies in rubble.
2 Years ago, a peaceful stable and prosperous Syria participated in the World Festival, in Pretoria, South Africa. Since imperialism has taken it upon itself to destroy the happiness and well being of the Syrian People and youth, we wonder if we’ll have the opportunity to meet.
But Vietnam, Cuba, DPRK, China, show how by standing firm, rejecting imperialism, and proclaiming their firm belief that “nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”, it is possible to build a bright future for the masses of humanity.
Long live internationalism!
Angela from Peckham and Dan from Bournemouth have left for Ecuador to join this years festival organised by the World Federation of Democratic Youth and Students. Both comrades are active in Red Youth and are candidate members of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist Leninist). Unlike in previous years, the British organisers, both the revisionist YCL and their Trotskyite allies haven’t organised for the delegation to travel together, and despite our delegates paying a fee to this British gentry they’ve yet to receive any details about where exactly the festival is to be held! But undaunted we left them at Heathrow and saw them off with a cheery lal salaam!
Members and supporters of the Communist Party gathered in Liverpool to hear a talk given by CPGB-ML Chairman Harpal Brar on the topic of Imperialism and War. Comrades from the Socialist Labour Party also joined the discussions afterwards which followed Harpal’s talk and which carried on for an hour.
All the comrades agreed that there was an urgent need for the working class to develop its own leadership of the struggles against war and austerity rather than rely on the Labour Party bigwigs and their stooges who occupy the higher echelons of the trade union movement. Comrades reaffirmed the urgent need for rank and file trade unionists to fight for the working class within the unions in the face of the mismanagement of our struggles by social democrats and class traitors. The need to build up the Communist Party and revolutionary class leadership was discussed and all the comrades felt that the meeting had made a good contribution towards this work in Liverpool.
A real step forward has been made in Liverpool with new comrades recruited to the CPGB-ML and closer friendships formed with supporters as a result of open, frank discussion and debate. Other branches of the Communist Party will be holding similar public meetings in the new year.
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Also this week Red Youth comrades, organised in the Nottingham Trent Uni Marxist and Proletariat Society, held a debate on the topic of Trotskyism or Leninism, between the CPGB-ML and anarcho-trotskyite AWL.
If any other society or group would like to arrange debates or public meetings on either of the above subjects, or other topics, you are welcome to contact info@redyouth.org to make arrangements.
‘The Road to Life’
1931 Soviet feature film, directed by Nikolai Ekk, with English subtitles.
Sunday, 17 November, 2 – 5 pm
Marchmont Centre, 62 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AB
Followed by discussion
A vivid and humorous portrayal of one aspect of what the building of socialism meant to the peoples of the USSR.
Based on the book of the same title, written by the Soviet educationist Anton Makarenko, the film gives a fictional account of Makarenko working with the children under his care, who had been orphaned by the Russian Civil War and the resulting famine. It shows the transformation of the street children from their involvement with petty crime to their achievements in socialist construction.
Thursday 7th November 2013 marked the 96th Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, and this little introductory video is just to give you a flavour of the celebration that was held by the CPGB-ML at a packed meeting in Saklatvala hall, Southall on Saturday 9th November 2013.
Great speeches from the representatives of Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea, as well a Katt Cremer from the Party and Angela and Dan from Red Youth.
This video explains why we celebrate, what we are trying to achieve and why we have every reason to be optimistic about the future.
We reproduce below a letter to Harlow council Labour group leader Mark Wilkinson from the Harlow trades council, and the reply from the local Labour group leaders…
“Dear Mark,
From the link below you will see that Kier Services in Harlow intend to delay the pay for monthly paid workers by 2 weeks without agreement with the recognised union UCATT.
I recall that when Cllr Forman introduced her Kier blacklisting motion to the Labour Group earlier this year, much was made of the partnership deal with Kier Services where Harlow Council retained 10% of the shares.
So, naturally, I request that the Labour Group use it’s 10% stake to demand that Kier Services negotiate with UCATT on the pay issue to defend workers’ interests just as vigourously as it did to defend Kier’s over blacklisting.”
In response to the request on behalf of the interests and rights of workers, Mark Wilkinson responded,
” I am sure the labour group will do everything possible to support this issue.”
Red Youth supports wholeheartedly the actions of Harlow Trades Council in bringing this matter to the attention of local trade unionists. What is to be seen yet again is the willingness of the Labour party to serve big business interests rather than the working class! If all trades council’s were as quick to challenge such behaviour the movement would be in a much better place!
The comments of Mark Wilkinson are a clear indication of how little regard the Labour group leaders have towards workers’ interests. Red Youth rejects the words of ‘reassurance’, and suggests that any affiliation with Labour is one for the benefit of the capitalists rather than the workers.
