Greek MP for Corfu and leading Greek trade unionists come to London!
~ please forward to friends and comrades ~
1. Stefanos Samoilis, Syriza MP for Corfu, and Giorgos Harisis, member of the executive board of ADEDY (Public Employees Confederation) and of the Trade Unionists Network of SYRIZA, are coming to London for a short visit organised by the Greece Solidarity Campaign. They will be on the TUC March on Saturday 20, speaking at the international conference on Sunday 21, and at a public meeting in the House of Commons sponsored by Katy Clark MP on Monday 22.
2. Also coming from Greece are teacher trade unionists: Haralambos Kokkinos vice-president D.O.E.; Athanasios Kikinis executive D.O.E.; Dimitris Gkinis: Treasurer OLME; Loukas Korfiatis OLME.
4. Letter to the Guardian: together with representatives from trade unions and left parties – from (at least) Germany, Sweden, Belgium, France, Portugal, Italy and Spain – Stefanos and Giorgos have sent a letter to the Guardian: “Europe is plunging deeper into crisis. Its governments are continuing with their failed austerity policies in spite of the ever-increasing struggles of the peoples of Europe in defence of the social and economic gains that they have made over many decades. The economic crisis has increasingly become a social and political crisis as people face poverty, hunger and even death. Those who oppose these policies must come together to reject these policies which leave the majority of our populations in hardship and misery. That is why we have come to London and tomorrow will march alongside the people of this country against austerity and for a future that works.”
5. 1100-1600, Sunday 21 October, Europe Against Austerity Action Conference, The Discus Room, Unite the Union HQ, 128 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8TN sponsored by Coalition of Resistance, Greece Solidarity Campaign, unions etc nearest underground station Holborn . This conference is virtually full but if you want to make a special case, contact coalitionofresistance@mail.com
6. Greece Solidarity Meeting sponsored by Katy Clark MP, 1830 Monday 22 October, Room CR 18, in the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AACromwell Green visitors’ entrance (opposite the east end of Westminster Abbey) – nearest underground Westminster – bring ID and allow for 30 minutes to clear security
7. Next Organising Meeting of the Greece Solidarity Campaign will be (as ever on third Wed of month) 6.30 – 7.30 on Wed 15 November, at the Lucas Arms (upstairs room) 245 Grays Inn Road on corner of Cromer Street (opposite Swinton Street – 5 minutes walk from Kings Cross) – unless notified of a different venue.
8. Sign this petition challenging anti-Greek racism: http://www.avaaz.org/en/
9. Syriza leader Alex Tsipras sent the Greece Solidarity Campaign a solidarity message when we stood outside the German Embassy in London, in solidarity with the Greek people, on Tuesday 9 October – the day German Chancellor Angela Merkel ‘visited’ Athens. The end of the message read: “Your solidarity to the suffering Greek people is not only much appreciated and an excellent example of international solidarity, but also a necessary ‘two-way bridge’ for us to work on and continue our common struggle. No to Troika policies! Yes to a Europe of the peoples and the workers, free from neoliberalism and social oppression!”
10. Those who have asked for details of Greek history since World War Two may be interested in this two part BBC documentary on the Greek resistance movement (ΕΑΜ). They were shown only once in the mid-1980s and then shelved. They are now on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
11. From Londres Contra a Troika Facebook page: “PIGS is term that was used to refer to the weaker Eurozone economies: Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. Ireland is included at times: PIIGS. Londres Contra a Troika, decided to join the other Southern Europeans in London in the big protest (20th Oct) organized by TUC (against the cuts) to protest against cuts and austerity measures in our home countries. We are PIGS UNITED IN LONDON! But why use PIGS, such an offensive and derogatory acronym? Because we want to hold it with our own hands and subvert it. We want to overthrow the meaning that was stamped in our and others’ minds and create a new meaning. We will take possession of it and not pretend that we didn’t hear. We did hear. Now YOU hear us!”
12. The Greek State TV (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation) censored a gay kiss in Downton Abbey, a move Syriza called “incredible for a democratic country in the 21st century – an extreme act of homophobia and discrimination which unfortunately, after what has been happening recently, we cannot characterise as unprecedented.” Dimitris Papadimoulis questioned whether the excision was due to pressure from the fascist party – Golden Dawn.
13. The Cuts Cafe – an occupied space in Central London for anti-austerity events, meetings, film shows and discussions – is now open!
It will remain a base for the anti-cuts movement until the Oct 20th demonstration. Cuts Café is accessible by tube, bus, bike, car or foot, and is located on the south side of Blackfriars Bridge: 1 Stamford St, Blackfriars, London SE1 9NT. Email: cutscafe@riseup.net Phone: 07842 631 370. For details of the Cafe and its daily programme: http://cutscafelondon.
Join or affiliate your organisation to the Greece Solidarity Campaign: you can run off an information leaflet using the membership form athttp://www.greecesolidarity.
Unions representing 3 million members are affiliated to the Greece Solidarity Campaign.
Apologies for cross and duplicate posting
αλληλεγγύη και φιλία – solidarity and friendship – Paul Mackney – Co-Chair, Greece Solidarity Campaign www.Greecesolidarity.org<http: