On Saturday 19th February, at 16h30, 52 pro-democracy activists comprising students, workers and trade unionists were arrested in Harare, Zimbabwe. They were arrested for “plotting an Egypt” at a meeting to discuss the fall of Mubarak and events in North Africa and the Middle East, and had just shown a film on the uprising in Egypt. The meeting had been infiltrated by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).

The people that the state considers to be ringleaders have reportedly been beaten and tortured in custody. Amongst those arrested are HIV positive women, who have been denied treatment. One of the women arrested also had major brain surgery last year, and was said to have been beaten in police custody. Another broke her leg trying to escape when they were being arrested.

As of yesterday the comrades had not yet been charged, although the state can only legally detain someone for 48 hours without laying charges.

Palestinian Trade Union Movement Calls on International Dockworkers Unions to Block Loading/Offloading Israeli Ships

It's not often that I listen to the CBC when I'm not in my work truck, and even then I'll often opt for the local classic rock station, but I just listened to a great podcast about a 1979 "Hot Cargo" work refusal in New Brunswick, Canada that was in solidarity with workers suffering under the dictatorship in Argentina at the time.

If I recall correctly there was a similar action by longshore workers in the same region against the 2003 Iraq war so I guess the historical memory of the class remains intact in Atlantic Canada.

My favourite part of the podcast is when the workers on the wildcat strike ignore en mass the union "business agent" who tries to tell them to report to work as required by law.

This story underlines what I always say; one industrial action is worth a thousand protests.

Below is a recent position statement from the Haitian workers and peasents organization Batay Ouvriye. As an anarchist-communist I don't agree with everything Batay Ouvriye says, notably in this statement their call for a "workers state", but I think it is an important voice that needs to be heard now which is why I'm posting this to my blog here on Linchpin.ca. Read it for yourself, it's well worth your time.

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