The Socialist Workers Party candidates demand justice for Abner Louima. All the cops who were involved in Louima's torture, his beating, and those who allowed it to take place should be jailed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Mayor Rudolph Guiliani and Police Commissioner Howard Safir are crying crocodile tears over the sadistic sexual torture carried out by the cops of the 70th precinct. But they, together with the Democratic Party politicians, have given the green light to the cops by defending them in face of the killings of Anthony Baez, Librado Sánchez, and Kevin Cedeno to name just a few of the recent victims of "justice" handed out by "New York's finest."

Our campaign calls for more protests to demand jailing the guilty cops, like the thousands-strong march on the 70th precinct that took place August 16. A number of Haitian workers carried signs saying "Tonton Macoutes, New York Police Department - Same Thing." The Tonton Macoutes were the Haitian secret police force that carried out torture and terror of workers in Haiti to maintain the dictatorship of the Duvalier family.

Indeed, the torture of Abner Louima lifts a corner of the veil covering what the U.S. ruling class has in store for workers here as the crisis of their system deepens. For decades U.S. government agencies have cooperated with, and even helped train, death squads used to keep workers down in other countries, for the profit of U.S. business. At the same time the capitalist politicians preach about "American democracy." Haitians recently highlighted the CIA connections of the former head of the death squads, who now lives in Queens, when they demonstrated for his extradition to Haiti.

Now torture is revealed Brooklyn, and the problem is not just Guiliani. The cops in the 70th precinct were emboldened to carry out such acts by the relentless assault taking place against the rights and standard of living of workers by the ruling rich and their two parties-the Democrats and Republicans. Just a week before the attack on Louima, Brooklyn police were commended by the city administration, with bipartisan support, after they brutalized and smashed in the doors of innocent workers who "looked Palestinian" in search of an alleged bomb plot. The same week the Clinton administration cut off benefits to 95,000 disabled children.

But workers are mounting resistance to the assaults by the rulers. The Teamsters have stood up to UPS. The Louima family joined others who have refused to accept police brutality and organized a response.

As the cops attacked Louima they told him, "You niggers have to learn respect." The racist and anti-immigrant assault on Louima carries a message to the whole working class: "Submit!" That's what they would have liked the striking UPS workers to do also.

Our campaign pledges support to all those who are resisting the ruling class offensive from unionists on strike to those who are standing up against racist attacks and police brutality. All workers have a stake in demanding justice for Abner Louima and joining protests to demand:

JAIL THE GUILTY COPS!  
 
 
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