BY OGMUNDUR JÓNSSON.
REYKJAVÍK, Iceland - The Young Socialists in Iceland have
been involved in several actions against the war in Yugoslavia.
The YS raised the idea of protesting with young people and
others during an action week of the Campaign against Military
Bases (SHA).
Following that, on March 30, the SHA called a demonstration under the slogan "Stop the bombing of Yugoslavia." Exactly 50 years earlier, a battle took place between a mass of people protesting the participation of the Icelandic government in the founding of NATO on the one hand, and the police and right-wing thugs on the other.
The March 30 demonstration was attended by some 300 people, despite very cold weather. Supporters of the Militant sold 15 copies of the paper and one subscription. Among the protesters were many Yugoslavs, some of whom had travelled three hours from the northern town Blonduo's, where dozens of people from Yugoslavia emigrated last year. A number of young people also attended.
An action group involving the Young Socialists and other young workers and students worked together to call another demonstration April 23 to protest the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, demand self-determination for Kosova, the opening of all borders, and full rights for refugees. About 100 people gathered there.
Ogmundur Jónsson, a YS member, gave a speech that was later printed as an article in Morgunbladid, the biggest newspaper in Iceland. "As long as there are people - and there still are - who don't see themselves as Serbs, Croats or Muslims, but state, `I am a Yugoslav,' there will be resistance to both imperialism and nationalist rulers," Jónsson said.
A part of the action group that organized the April 23 action decided to form a contingent in the May Day march a week later carrying a banner demanding an end to the bombing of Yugoslavia and self-determination for Kosova. A group of 10 Thai workers also participated in the march, carrying a banner that read, "Equal rights for immigrants" in Thai, English, and Icelandic. The YS also carried a banner with the name of the organization.
The march, which was organized by the trade unions in Reykjavík with the main slogan of "Work, family, education," was smaller than usual. The slogans of those protesting the war had a very prominent place.
Following the march YS members and collaborators from the action group went to a trade union reception and continued discussing politics. The discussion resulted in a merger of the YS and the young workers from the action group.
In order to deepen our political understanding and strengthen the chapter, we are organizing a class series reading Capitalism's World Disorder among other things.
GILLETTE, Wyoming - A team of three other Militant supporters and myself, a member of the Twin Cities Young Socialists chapter, traveled to Campbell County, Wyoming, to speak with coal miners and participate in the sales of the Militant and Capitalism's World Disorder.
By going to several coal mine portals, the team was able to catch hundreds of miners in the process of changing work shifts as they drove in and out of the mine entrances. We carried a sign reading "U.S. Out of Yugoslavia: Working class is the target of NATO bombing."
Many of the mine workers stopped to talk, and we took down the phone number of one miner who showed great interest in the ideas of the Militant and Pathfinder literature. We met him for breakfast the next morning. This miner has been working in Wyoming mines for 20 years. Most of the mines in this area are nonunion.
This particular miner explained that the nonunion mines in this region pay high wages and provide good health benefits. He said many workers are not aware of the fact that the mining companies keep wages high for the purpose of keeping the miners union out. Only with a union can these wages and working conditions be defended when the mining companies attempt to strip these workers of their wages and benefits. He emphasized that only a union will be able to defend their rights in times of economic crisis.
The team of activists left the mining region with a clearer impression of the class consciousness and labor solidarity situation within Campbell County, Wyoming. Miners remained very open to the working-class objectives put forth by the team and the Militant.
This reveals the importance this region and industry has, not only to the country, but to the struggles of the working class in the future.
NEW YORK - The Young Socialists in New York have participated in several actions demanding the U.S. Navy leave Vieques, Puerto Rico. Vieques is a small island dominated by U.S. military training bases.
The protests were sparked by the death of Vieques resident David Sanes and the injury of several others who were struck by a bomb dropped by a U.S. Navy warplane during military exercises April 19.
"They have an absolute disregard for human life being there. It's one more death, one more accident," said Raquel Rivera, 27, a member of the Puerto Rico Collective who marched in an April 30 demonstration of 60 people at the U.S. Federal Building in Manhattan.
"The U.S. Navy and all of their forces have no right to be in any part of Puerto Rico," said YS member Ralph Diaz, 24, who supports independence for Puerto Rico. "I think it's important for me to participate in these demonstrations, not only as a Puerto Rican, but as a young person. It's reasons like this that I joined the Young Socialists."
Demonstrations were also held on May 7 and May 14. Puerto Rican activists and others spoke at a Militant Labor Forum May 7, and a forum of the Puerto Rico Collective May 13.
At the Militant Labor Forum, Evelyn Morales, a member of the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners, said that in addition to the danger and disruption of daily life caused by bombing practice, the longtime U.S. military exercises with live ammunition in Vieques have caused much higher cancer rates there than in the rest of Puerto Rico.
Morales, who is from Vieques, said most families have lost someone to cancer, including her own sister.
Freddie Marrero, another Puerto Rican activist who spoke at the forum, said that most of the NATO troops currently involved in the war in Yugoslavia have practiced in Vieques.
Washington has carried out military exercises in Vieques since World War II, when it stole two-thirds of the land from the Puerto Rican people. Residents and others throughout Puerto Rico have repeatedly protested the U.S. military presence there.
Since the April 19 bombing, hundreds of people have occupied so-called federal land on Vieques to demand that the U.S. military stop the exercises and get out.
The Young Socialists plans to participate with others in upcoming activities in defense of independence for Puerto Rico. These include July 7 demonstrations demanding justice for framed-up Puerto Rican professor José Solís and protests in Washington D.C. July 22-25 demanding freedom for the Puerto Rican political prisoners.