St. Paul, MN – Hundreds of Somali American families gathered on the State Capitol grounds, Jan. 6, to protest shutdown of hawalas. Hawalas are the only way that Somalis in the U.S. can send money to relatives in their homeland. 3 million people in Somalia depended on these remittances for survival. Because of U.S. government restrictions stemming from the ‘war on terror,’ Sunrise Community Bank, the one bank that used to process funds for all of the hawalas in Minnesota, stopped working with hawalas in late December. This is a cause of great anguish for people fearful for their families in Somalia. One demand is for the U.S. to grant a waiver so the bank will resume processing wire transfers via hawalas.
According to a report from New China News Agency (Xinhua) large scale celebrations of the birth of Mao Zedong took place on Dec. 26. The article stated:
The morning of Dec. 19 started like a normal Monday for the Korean staff at the Hae Dang Hwa restaurant in Beijing. The greeting staff welcomed hungry customers at the front door, the chefs began prepping their fine selection of kimchi and other Korean dishes and the waitresses and waiters began taking down orders for their guests. All of that changed when a China Daily reporter mentioned in a conversation with a waitress that Kim Jong-Il, the head of state for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), had died that morning of a heart attack. In minutes, the entire Korean staff – from the waiters to the chefs in the kitchen – broke down in tears and, after apologizing to the customers, closed the restaurant early for the day so they could grieve the national tragedy together.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statements from communist and workers parties in solidarity with the powerful struggle against austerity in Greece. Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) is among the signers.Solidarity with the working people of Greece, with PAME, and with KKE
Protesters filled Cairo’s Tahrir Square, Nov. 22 demanding an end to military rule. Over the past four days, massive demonstrations have rocked Egypt’s capitol, along with Alexandra, Mahalla al-Kubra and a host of smaller cities. Authorities have killed scores of demonstrators and wounded several thousand.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement by Luis Jalandoni, Chairperson of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Negotiating Panel, on November 14, 2011.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports that “The second rally against exploitation and oppression by capital under the slogan ‘Occupy Seoul!’ was staged in the plaza of Seoul City Office,” Oct. 22.
Problems with the government debt of Greece threaten the European Union. The United States would most likely be drawn in if the financial crisis gets big enough.
The Greek predicament exposes root problems of capitalism. Production is a highly organized process. It embraces the whole of society. Yet the means of production are privately owned. The aim is profit. There is no overall plan of development. Production leaps ahead here and falls apart there; it is uneven. The outcome is frequent crisis. The Greeks have a word for it – chaos.
In a September 1 statement, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemned the Aquino regime for the series of violent demolitions of urban poor communities in Metro Manila and Cebu province.
As the US/NATO-led rebel forces assault the Libyan capital of Tripoli, it is important for antiwar and progressive forces to recognize a few key points. The development of events since the popular North African revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt led to some divisions among progressive forces as the imperialist countries maneuvered to take control of the situation and develop contradictions in North Africa in their favor. In Libya the U.S., France, the U.K., and Italy joined together to take advantage of the discontent among certain sections of the Libyan people, and thereby develop an armed rebel movement to topple the Gaddafi government. This criminal action taken by US and NATO forces should be condemned by all people of conscience. The success of the NATO-led rebels would certainly mean an end to an independent Libya.
_The war in Afghanistan continues, anti-war movement continues to demand ‘U.S. Out Now’ _
Minneapolis, MN – Thirty U.S. troops were killed when Taliban forces shot down their helicopter over Afghanistan Aug. 6. The helicopter crash was the most deadly single incident for the U.S. military forces in Afghanistan since the war began nearly ten years ago in 2001.
San Salvador, El Salvador – El 30 de julio marcharon mas de 2,000 personas para conmemorar el 36 aniversario de un masacre de estudiantes salvadoreños el 30 de julio 1975. La marcha salió de la Universidad de El Salvador (UES) y marchó hacia el puente donde en 1975 los cuerpos de seguridad y del ejército reprimieron una manifestación pacifica en que los estudiantes marcharon para exigir sus derechos y defender la UES que en este tiempo sufrió represión constante de las fuerzas militares y policiales.
San Salvador, El Salvador – On July 30 more than 2000 people marched here to commemorate the 36th anniversary of a massacre of Salvadoran students on July 30, 1975. The march started at the University of El Salvador (UES) and marched to the bridge where in 1975 the security forces and military violently repressed a peaceful protest where students were marching to demand their rights and to defend the UES. At that time the UES suffered from constant repression from the military and police.
Minneapolis, MN – Cynthia McKinney, former six-term member of the House of Representatives, and Sara Flounders, co-director of the International Action Center, spoke to a packed room of over 60 supporters, July 9, at the Plymouth Congregational Church. Both gave motivating speeches for how the U.S./NATO intervention in Libya is endangering and killing the civilian population and demanded an immediate end to the war on Libya.
Last May we joined our voices with people from around the world in outrage after Israeli commandos killed 9 activists on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. We demanded an end to the U.S. aid to Israel because we know that Israel’s deadly attack on the Flotilla and its illegal blockade of Gaza would not be possible without the military and diplomatic support of the United States. Israel carried out a horrendous military assault on this aid convoy carrying wheelchairs, cement, water purification systems, children’s toys and notebook paper to Gaza because they politicized humanitarian aid.
Salt Lake City, Utah – A group of students and anti-war activists protested a visit by Alvaro Uribe – Colombia’s former president here May 26. Zions Bank invited Uribe to speak at a Trade and Business Conference. Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch welcomed Uribe as he promoted a free trade agreement with the U.S., claiming human rights in Colombia are improved. The U.S. Congress and President Obama are unable to pass the free trade agreement due to the terrible human rights record of the Colombian government.
![Minneapolis protest demands "Hands off Korea."](https://i.snap.as/8NU3Gc33.jpg "Minneapolis protest demands \\"Hands off Korea.\\" Minneapolis protest demands \\"Hands off Korea.\\"")
