Vol. 71/No. 38      October 15, 2007

BY EMILY PAUL  
WASHINGTON, D.C. September 29—Marching behind a banner reading, “Not one penny, not one person for Washington’s wars! Bring the troops home now,” Young Socialists from half a dozen cities joined a march here today against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The contingent also included signs like, “Hands off Iran!,” and “Justice for the Jena Six!”

YS members and socialist workers came on buses and carpools from across the East Coast and Midwest with students from Goucher College, Temple University, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and other campuses.

“This is my first demonstration,” said Anna Shelton, 19, a garment worker from Bowden, Georgia, who marched with the YS. “As soon as I heard about the demonstration I decided to jump in the car and go.”

“We met other young people who wanted to discuss the war in the context of struggling against imperialism,” said Robert Silver, 22, a member of the YS from Minneapolis. “Many were there to discuss more than just the war in Iraq.”

A Militant Labor Forum here after the action featured a report-back from a protest in Jena, Louisiana, to demand justice for the Jena Six. Speakers included Peter Carr, president of the Howard University chapter of the NAACP; Joshua Senavoe, student body president of the Howard University Law School; and Ben O’Shaughnessy, organizer of the YS national steering committee. Socialist Workers Party leader Sam Manuel chaired the forum.

YS members also joined antiwar actions today in Los Angeles and Syracuse, New York.

Ben Joyce and Michael Ortega contributed to this article.
 

“The U.S. rulers this week used the visit by [Iran’s] President Ahmadinejad to further whip up support for their ‘war on terror,’” said YS leader Ben O’Shaughnessy, the featured speaker. “They played up reactionary protests to further their war drive against Iran, Syria, north Korea, and any other government that will not bow to their dictates.”

O’Shaughnessy encouraged others to join antiwar actions and demand, “U.S. hands off Iran” and “Bring the troops home now from Iraq, Afghanistan, and any other country where they are stationed.” He also reported on a September 20 protest in Jena, Louisiana, to demand justice for six Black youth facing possible prison for fighting racist provocations.

During the discussion, two students asked what the YS thought young people should do come election time. O’Shaughnessy said that YS members will support and run candidates on the Socialist Workers Party ticket in 2008. He said that SWP candidates put forward a working-class alternative, independent of the Democrats and Republicans and any other capitalist party.

Ben Joyce, a member of the YS on campus announced an October 11 meeting on campus to demand the release of five framed-up Cuban revolutionaries held in U.S. jails and to discuss the life and political contributions of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. The meeting is part of a series of activities for Latino Heritage Week at the university and is sponsored by the YS and Fuerza Latina.
 
 
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