October 15, 2001
A number of organizations met in the Puerto Rican island of Vieques Sept. 26 in a popular assembly and decided to continue their protests demanding an end to the U.S. Navy’s bombardment and occupation of large sections of the island. The meeting took place as a naval battle group began a second week of military exercises. The naval group is expected to soon join Washington’s military deployment against Afghanistan.
Through its colonial overlordship over Puerto Rico, Washington uses Vieques as a joint forces training base for Navy fleets, and for preparation for wars and invasions such as against Grenada in 1983 and the imperialist assault on Yugoslavia two years ago.
In a ballot organized by the Puerto Rican government last July, 68 percent of the people of Vieques voted for the U.S. Navy to leave immediately and to return all occupied lands.
October 15, 1976
The Socialist Workers Party challenge to the “Great Debates” went before the U.S. Supreme Court Oct. 4. The suit demands equal time with the Democratic and Republican candidates for SWP candidates Peter Camejo and Willie Mae Reid.
At issue is the government stripping away of equal-time protection for independent parties and candidates.
“An unfavorable ruling,” said Eric Lieberman, attorney for Camejo and Reid, “would be a significant step toward instituting the Democratic and Republican monopoly on air time.”
The ruling capitalist parties have so far succeeded in freezing out discussion of their politics on the national level.
“We have asked for expedited treatment,” Lieberman said. The SWP’s suit is sponsored by the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee. The noted constitutional lawyer Leonard Boudin is also an attorney for Camejo and Reid.
October 15, 1951
An extremely important development in the growing resistance to the witch hunt was the formation last week of the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee. The committee pledged support to the defense of James Kutcher, a legless veteran purged from the Newark Veterans Administration because of his membership in the Socialist Workers Party, as well as Communist Party members indicted and convicted under the Smith Act.
This marks a new and promising stage in the movement to organize united action by labor and liberal forces on behalf of all groups and individuals whose rights are being violated by the witch-hunters.
While this new committee appears for the present to be composed primarily of professional elements, there are other indications inside the unions that sentiment for labor action against the witch hunt is gaining steadily in strength.