From Mumia Abu-Jamal on death
row
May Day '09
Taken from a March 23 commentary. Go to www.prisonradio.org to hear Mumia's audio
columns and www.millions4mumia.org to get legal and
political updates on his case.
While May Day has historically been a day of workers' solidarity and a
celebration of labor power, this is not a day or year like any other.
That's because many nations are in the midst of economic recession and
financial failure, and it is workers worldwide who are suffering from layoffs
and mass firings in almost every sector of the global economy.
While labor is depressed, capital is aggregating to itself bigger and bigger
shares of national and global wealth, as governments rush to bail out banks and
investment firms, but only if they are "too big to fail."
Under the newly amended rules of capitalism, corporations - especially in the
financial sector - can scam, steal and hustle virtually everyone, and when the
economy falls, the government sails in and bails them out with public
money!
Under a system such as this, capitalism can never lose. It's like a
gambling casino, where the house rules change every half hour, or depending on
who's winning and who's losing. But workers are losing.
Around the world, workers are facing lost jobs, vanished careers, foreclosed
homes and families broken and shattered against the grinding wheel of
capital.
This will be one hell of a May Day, but it's the one that globalized
capital has fashioned for us all. Only if labor is truly globalized can it
fight for and demand its fair share from the ravages of capitalism. Let that be
our mission for May Day and for tomorrow.
May Day 2009
New York: Assemble in Union Square--12 noon, Friday, May 1
14th Street & Broadway
Rally at 4:00 p.m, March at 5:30 p.m.
For nationwide actions: See BailOutPeople.org
On the 100th day of President Barack Obama's administration, join the
movement to demand "Bail out the People, not the Banks. Come out for
worker & immigrant rights on May 1."
Dear Friends:
Working people here and worldwide are facing a growing crisis.
Unemployment is reaching record levels; nearly 20 million people are unemployed
or underemployed. Tens of thousands of people have been thrown out of their
homes as the foreclosure and eviction crisis grows. State and local budgets are
being slashed, with draconian cuts in education, housing, and h ealthcare,
while tuition, and transit fares increase. Every day
we hear news of a new round of layoffs.
What is often not reported is the growing movement among working people
to demand a real bail out--not handouts to wealthy CEOs, but
immediate relief for the people. On April 3 & 4, thousands
converged on Wall Street, Los Angeles, Raleigh, N.C ., and Seattle, to demand
"Bail out the people, not the banks and corporations." (See
http://bailoutpeople.org/april3report.shtml
for a report and video on the Wall Street protest.)
What's next? Come out on May 1! In 2006, immigrants and
their supporters marched in record numbers. They held some of the biggest
demonstrations seen in decades, demanding an end to the repressive
Sensenbrenner bill which penalized immigrant workers.
Since 2006, workers have marched to commemorate May 1, International Workers
Day, even as the crisis is growing among immigrant workers. Department of
Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are on the
rise. Families are being ripped apart as parents are hauled away to detention
centers without legal rights or due process. Children are often left stranded
at school when their parents are swept up in this terror campaign.
The horrific raids and deportations, the criminalizing of workers, the beatings
and killings are meant to not just to terrorize immigrant workers but to divide
us, when we should join together and build a united movement.
There is now a great opportunity for working and progressive people to help
continue to revive the legacy of May Day in the spirit of unity and common
interest.
Now, more than ever, it is vital that we
work to build on the growing success of previous May Day
demonstrations.
As all workers face a growing crisis, now is the time to unite and organize in
our own name and for our own interests.
We've already seen Washington and Wall Street's economic plan:
trillions of dollars in bailouts for banks and giant financial institutions,
while working people get service cuts, unemployment, and homelessness.
If we're going to reverse this trend, we need to come out in record
numbers on May 1 and beyond. Protests will be held
nationwide--in the East, West, North and South. See
www.BailOutPeople.org for a list of
actions.
May 1 marks the first 100 days of the Obama administration. A united movement
of people with documents and without, Black, Latin a/o, Asian, Arab, Native and
white, employed and unemployed, youth and seniors, women, men, LGBT or
straight, able-bodied and disabled, will send a clear message to Washington and
to Wall Street.
After May Day, the Bail Out the People Movement will continue to help to build
a united movement to fight for working people's rights. On May 31, just
before the June 1-3 UN General Assembly Global Financial Summit, we will hold a
Peoples' Summit to focus the discussion on the real
crisis.
On J
une 14-17, the Moratorium NOW! Coalition in Michigan, a
member organization of the Bail Out the People Movement, will hold a
Peoples' Summit during the National Business Summit. Activists are planning
a tent city and other events to confront the big-business CEOs and politicians
gathering for the Business Summit.
In September, the G20 will meet in New York City, to coincide
with the UN General Assembly's annual meeting. We will not let this meeting
of heads of state, finance ministers, and corporate lobbyists go unchallenged.
Bail Out the People Movement is already preparing for protests then to demand a
bail out for people, not banks.
And since this is strictly a grassroots movement, we need to appeal to you -
our friends and supporters - to
donate to help build this vital
movement.
We hope to see you on May Day.
In solidarity and with our thanks,
The Bail Out the People Movement staff
