On Sunday, 25 October, the CWI organised an online rally at short notice, with over 160 participants, given the explosive events taking place globally. As has been reported on socialistworld.net over the past weeks mass movements, with young people playing a central role, have developed in France, Spain and Albania in Europe, but also since the summer in India and elsewhere. A historic one-day public sector strike has also took place in the Republic of Ireland on 14 October.
In key countries, the CWI’s sections are participants in these movements, putting forward ideas and proposals that we believe can take these movements forward. At the online rally, chaired by the CWI International Secretariat’s Niall Mulholland, Ciaran Mckenna, member of the National Executive Council of the Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union (SIPTU), speaking in a personal capacity, and member of Militant Left, the CWI in Ireland, described how over 300,000 workers took part in the 14 October strike He explained how anger over falling living standards, the housing crisis and enormous corporate profits had fuelled the strike, warning that “The Irish establishment will face not just the winter of discontent — but a spring, summer and autumn of discontent.”
Next to speak, Elliot, a student at the University of Rouen and member of Gauche Révolutionnaire (GR), the CWI in France, described how the movement that began among school students in the Paris suburbs had spread across France, drawing university students into struggle against education cuts and worsening living conditions. Noting that the young people protesting, “… see that what capitalism has to offer as a future is not something they want” and how despite fierce police repression the determination of young people has not been weakened. An important next step in the protests in France will be the workers’ strikes planned for 5 November. Leïla Messaoudi, a municipal councillor for Décidons Petit-Quevilly near the city of Rouen, and general secretary of GR, described the enormous demonstrations sweeping France, the growing participation of working-class youth and people from migrant backgrounds, and the government’s attempts to suppress the movement. She stressed the potential significance of the 5 November strike in bringing workers and youth together, and the opportunities opening up for socialist ideas and organisation.
Niharika, a student activist in Pune, India, and member of New Socialist Alternative, the CWI in India, described the explosion of youth protests over examination scandals and the subsequent mobilisation against changes to electoral rolls. Drawing on her own experiences of police detention, she described the scale of state repression while emphasising that young people remained determined to continue their struggle, commenting that, “The state is trying to repress us, but the masses have taken it on their shoulders to take this movement ahead.” Next up to speak was Yuvraj, who analysed the wider political crisis facing the Modi government, explaining how successive waves of youth protests reflected growing anger against authoritarian repression and attacks on democratic rights. He argued that, “There will be periods when the protest is pushed back, but again it would consolidate, and it would again thrust itself forward.”
Finally, Adam Gilman, from Socialist Students and a member of the Socialist Party, the CWI in England & Wales, reported on preparations for the international school and student walkouts on 20 November, bringing together organisations across Europe to oppose war, militarisation and attacks on young people’s futures. He described growing enthusiasm in Britain, with 4,000 sign-ups already, and support from the National Education Union, who passed a motion at a recent leadership meeting to support the walkout. He stressed the opportunity to rebuild fighting student organisations and highlighted the international character of the growing youth movements, pointing to protests in France, housing struggles in Spain and anti-militarisation campaigns in Germany, while noting that preparations for the N20 student walkouts had also attracted interest from organisations in Latin America and Thailand. From the chair, Niall pointed out the nervousness of pro-capitalist governments and the ‘expose’ type piece the British Sunday Times had published today on Socialist Students.