Dutch communists condemn police violence against housing protesters in Rotterdam

Under the slogan "Houses for people, not profit," more than 7,000 people from all over the country gathered on Sunday in the city of Rotterdam for a national housing rally named "Woonopstand".

The demonstrators denounced the long waiting lists for social housing, the high prices in the private rental sector, the owner-occupied market, and the rising number of homeless people. 

"Farewell" to Colin Powell

Bolivia's jailed dictator Jeanine Áñez nominated for EU's Sakharov Prize!

The story behind the European Parliament's so-called “Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought” is known. Each year, the EU Parliament awards the Sakharov Prize to “honour” “exceptional individuals and organisations” who supposedly defend “human rights” and “fundamental freedoms”. 

 

Nonetheless, the actual aim behind this “award” is the attempt of the European Union to present herself as a “defender of human rights”, to reward the stooges of imperialism and to promote anti-communism. 

Mexico's AMLO government orders brutal crackdown against striking workers

Right: President Obrador with business magnate Carlos Slim

Since the early hours of yesterday, October 12, the more than 5,000 workers who are building the Dos Bocas refinery, in the Mexican state of Tabasco, began a protest against the ICA Fluor employer, owned by Carlos Slim, businessman affiliated to the current social democratic government headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).

It is the second mobilization of workers so far this year, who do not stop demanding compliance with their labor rights, especially the reduction of their working hours, the payment of overtime and other basic rights.

KKE denounces the new Greece-US military agreement

In a press release on the amendment of the “Greece–US defence agreement” and the statements of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias and Anthony Blinken in Washington DC, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) stresses the following:

“The so-called defence —but in reality extremely aggressive— agreement between Greece and the USA constitutes a dangerous development that further entangles our country in the US and NATO war plans in the wider region. Besides, the reference of the US Secretary of State to Greece's contribution to the war in Afghanistan foreshadows many new cases like Afghanistan, with the active participation of Greece. 

Chilean Communist Party condemns police violence against Mapuche people

With the declaration of a state of emergency, police repression and militarization of four provinces Chilean President Sebastián Piñera responds to the extensive demonstrations by indigenous Mapuche groups.

The Mapuches, which are the main indigenous group in Chile, are claiming the lands they have lived off for centuries and now are under the control of large domestic and foreign farming and forestry companies. 

California: A communist for Long Beach City Council

Good news come from California and especially Long Beach where a Communist Party (CPUSA) member is running for the City Council elections on June 2022. 

 

Steven Estrada, a community organizer and U.S. Army Veteran, is candidate for District 1 and, if elected, he would serve a four-year term alongside eight others representing different council members, People's World reports. 

Greece-US agreement on military bases must be cancelled!

By Nikos Mottas.

Today, Thursday 14 October, Greece's Minister of Foreign Affairs visits Washington DC in order to sign the the second Protocol of Amendment of the Greek-US Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) with his U.S counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The right-wing New Democracy government, continuing the “Strategic Dialogue” with the United States which was initiated by social democratic SYRIZA, promotes the renewal of the Greece-US Agreement on military bases for a period of 5 years and then its transformation indefinetely, as well as the installation of more military bases in many regions.

Swaziland: Solidarity with the students — Down with Mswati

"The military and police in Swaziland (Eswatini) have been deployed all over the country as students’ protests continued on Tuesday. During the Monday protests, the security forces shot, arrested and tortured students who defended their right to education", reads a statement by the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS). 

Over 80 schools across Swaziland have been indefinitely shut down since the protests intensified in the last three weeks.

Iraqi communists boycott early elections, call for radical change

In a statement about the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the Iraqi Communist Party stresses out:

Iraq’s early parliamentary elections on 10 October 2021 were characterised by a very low turnout, at about 20%, confirming the fact that Iraqi voters have no confidence in an electoral system designed to perpetuate the corrupt ethno-sectarian power-sharing system that was installed after the US war and occupation of the country in 2003.

The Communist Party of Turkey on the Kurdish Issue

In a statement issued on 9 October, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) refers to the Kurdish Issue, stressing out that it must be analyzed from a class perspective. 

The full statement of the TKP is the following:

"A small segment of the population in Turkey possesses enormous wealth, while millions of people are struggling with poverty and unemployment.

USSR 2.0: Half of Russians would prefer the Soviet system

Thirty years after the counterrevolution and the restoration of capitalism in Russia, the prestige of socialism remains in high levels despite the waves of anti-communist propaganda.

 

A recent poll conducted by Levada Center comes to confirm that more and more Russians appreciate the significant achievements of the socialist period.

According to the survey, which was conducted between 19 and 26 August 2021, half of Russians (49%) would prefer the Soviet political system. This is the highest number since the early 2000s. Only 18% chose the current political system, while 16% believe that the best political system is “the Western model of democracy”. 

Czech Republic: Why did the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia fail in the elections?

For the first time since 1948, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSČM) will not be represented in either house of the Czech government.

In this week's election in the Czech Republic, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia took 3.62% of the votes with nearly all precincts reporting, less than the 5% needed to enter parliament.

“I am very disappointed because it is a really big failure,” said KSČM leader Vojtech Filip, who also resigned. 

Greek communists honored the exiled martyrs of Gyaros

Hundreds of communists, members and friends of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) participated in an emotional event in Gyaros island (also known as Gioura), honoring the memory of the thousands of exiled communists and left political dissidents who were imprisoned there from 1948 to 1974.

The event, which took place on Saturday 9 October, was organized by the KKE Party Organization of Attica. 

Italy in the streets: General Strike on October 11th

In a statement the Italian USB Trade Union (Unione Sindacale di Base), jointly with other class oriented trade unions and workers' association, has proclaimed a General Strike, for both public and private sector, throughout the country on October 11th. 

The statement reads:

The Draghi government has literally removed from the economic recovery plan of the country the interests of Italian workers. With the complicit support of CGIL, CISL and UIL, the layoffs have been unlocked, starting a wave of redundancies, relocations and heavy restructuring throughout the private sector.

Solidarity with the working people and the CP of Venezuela (PCV) against the attack on its political and electoral rights

In a joint statement more than 25 Communist and Workers' Parties from all over the world express their solidarity with the working people and the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV). Among others, the statement denounces the recent anti-communist attacks in the National Assembly against PCV General Secretary Óscar Figuera.

The full statement (in English and Spanish) is the following: 

Communists in Vienna: "We are not paying for your crisis!"

“We are not paying for your crisis”. Under this campaign slogan, the Party of Labour of Austria (PdA) organized on Saturday 3 October a political rally at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce at Wiedener Hauptstrasse in Vienna. In the coming weeks and months the party will intervene with a campaign which, among others, will focus on the collective bargaining and will try to expose the treacherous role of the social democratic labor aristocracy.

Speeches at the PdA rally were delivered by Tibor Zenker, the party's chairman, as well as Raffael Schöberl, former chairman of the Communist Youth of Austria (KJÖ). 

Stalin did not deport German communists to Hitler

By Grover Furr.

A critique of an essay by Alex de Jong in Jacobin magazine, August 2021.

In August 2021, the social-democratic magazine Jacobin published an article by Dutch writer Alex de Jong titled “Stalin Handed Hundreds of Communist Over to Hitler”. The assertion in the article’s title is false. De Jong’s article, and other articles and books that make this claim, all commit the following three cardinal errors:

KKE: "The mass people's struggle will crush the fascists"

"It is the mass popular action that will isolate and crush the fascist criminal elements" underlines a statement issued by the Press Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) concerning the murderous attack against KKE and KNE members which took place on Sunday 3/10 in Thessaloniki.

More specifically, the statement reads (here in Greek):

Greece – Fascists attacked and injured members of KKE and KNE in Thessaloniki

A murderous attack on members of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and its youth wing, KNE, who were distributing leaflets in Eleftherias Square in Ilioupolis, Thessaloniki, took place earlier today by a group of about 10 to 15 fascists.

According to eyewitnesses the fascist mob used thick chains, knives and even tasers, injuring at least three to four people before disappearing into the surrounding straits.

Communist Party of Armenia: Yerjanik Ghazaryan re-elected First Secretary

On September 26, during the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia, Yerjanik Ghazaryan was unanimously re-elected the First Secretary of the party.

The newly elected First Secretary delivered a speech, in which he referred to the internal political situation in Armenia, the Armenian-Russian relations, the forthcoming local elections, and the further actions of the party.

In a congratulatory message the First Vice Сhairman of the CC of the  Union of Communist Parties-Communist Party of the Soviet Union (UCP-CPSU) Kazbek Taysaev notes:

KKE and KNE are committed in the struggle against fascism

“The KKE and KNE, as they should do, are giving all their forces in the struggle against fascism, being aware of its abominable face, but also knowing that fascism will be irrevocably crushed by the people with their struggle against the capitalist system  which generates it”, points out Theano Kapeti, member of the Political Bureau of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Secretary of the Party Organization in Central Macedonia, in an article published in “Ta Nea” newspaper.

Venezuela: Anti-communist rampage by PSUV deputy

PSUV's Pedro Carreño (left) and PCV leader Figuera

In a statement the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) denounces the anti-communist slanders launched by the deputy of the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) Pedro Carreño against General Secretary Oscar Figuera in the National Assembly. 

Below you can read the statement of the PCV in English and Spanish:

"In the September 14 National Assembly session, Deputy Oscar Figuera (Communist Party (PCV) and Popular Revolutionary Alternative (APR)) raised questions over the current pact between bourgeois elites which seeks to impose neoliberal policies on the country. 

Israel's Communist Party to hold its 28th Congress

The Communist Party of Israel (CPI) is currently winding up its preparations for the party’s 28th Congress to be held between October 7th and 9th in the Arab city of Shefa-Amr (Shfar’am) in the Galilee.

The Congress will be taking place during a period of turbulent developments in the Middle East, with popular movements protesting for democracy and social justice in countries throughout the region, while the forces of Imperialism maneuver to take advantage of events for their own interests. Israel’s new Bennet government, which enjoys the backing of US Imperialism, repeatedly threatens to launch a new war of aggression, in particular against Iran. Such aggression would have grave consequences for the peoples of the region, with especially disastrous results for the people in Israel.

Greece: Fascists, neo-Nazis attack students outside school

A mob of fascists and neo-Nazis wearing hoods and crash helmets attacked an anti-fascist rally of students in a high school in the Greek city of Thessaloniki on Tuesday morning. The event took place outside the EPAL vocational school in the suburb of Stavroupolis, when a group of approximately 30 fascists came out of the school premises and attacked the rally with bats and knives leading to at least two injuries. 

KKE: Statement on Greece-France defense agreement

The Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued the following statement on the strategic partnership between Greece and France as well as Mitsotakis and Macron’s statements:

“The people need to understand the essence behind the government’s celebrations, namely the fierce geopolitical competition and negotiations in which Greece is dangerously involved. An integral part of the above is the excessive —and never-ending— expenditure on armament programmes, which mainly serve other objectives and not the country’s defence, while the Greek people are called upon to pay for them with heavy sacrifices.

Russia: CPRF statement on the election results

In a statement concerning the recent legislative elections, the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) demands the cancellation of the electronic voting results as fraud, a fair and open investigation on each violation case and calls the Russian government to stop the persecution of Party members and supporters!

The full statement of party is the following: 

Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) wins local election in Graz

The Communist Party of Austria (KPÖ) is the winner of the municipal election held on Sunday in the country’s second-largest city, Graz.

According to preliminary results, the KPÖ came out on top on Sunday with 29% of the vote, ahead of the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) on 25.7%.

Communist candidate Elke Kahr told reporters that the magnitude of the municipal election result was "more than surprising".  "Some people make promises a few weeks before the elections. We are there every day and for years for the people, especially for the poorest," she said.

September 11th, 2001: A tragedy utilized by imperialism

 By Nikos Mottas.

The September 11th marked the 20th anniversary since the terrorist attacks in New York City and Virginia which costed the lives of 3,000 people. Following the attacks the U.S. administration of George W. Bush launched the so-called “War against Terrorism” which led to military interventions in the Middle East, starting with the imperialist war in Afghanistan. Twenty years later we can draw important conclusions about how the U.S. government and its NATO allies actually utilized the savage terrorist attacks of September 11th in order to consolidate and spread their power throughout the world. 

KKE on German election: No positive change for the people

Germany's center-left Social Democrats (SPD) won the biggest share of the vote in Sunday election, narrowly beating outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Union bloc (CDU/CSU) in a closely fought race that will determine who succeeds the long-time leader at the helm of Europe's biggest economy.

With all 299 of Germany's electoral districts reporting, the SPD won 25.7% of the vote, beating out the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the centrist-right, conservative party of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, which posted record losses by taking 24.1%, according to the Federal Returning Officer. 

Dimitris Koutsoumbas at KNE-Odigitis festival: "The KKE is here, for the society of true freedom, for socialism!"

The third and last day of the 47th KNE-Odigitis festival in Athens, on Saturday 25th September, was concluded with a massive political event with speakers being Nikos Abatielos, Secretary of the Central Council of KNE and Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). 

 

This year's festival was marked by a record attendance, with thousands of people, workers, young men and women, from every part of the Greek capital participating in the major events.

Socialism Is a Series of Communist Projects

By Charles Andrews*.

In the 1950s many workers had steady jobs with a health plan, sick leave, and annual paid vacation. They could afford to buy a home, which in parts of the country had mortgage payments as low as rent. It was a dramatic change from the Great Depression of the 1930s. 

What did tomorrow hold? The outlook was vague but good. Neither the capitalist class, its government officials, nor church leaders offered a definite vision of the future. Very few people sought out the left.

Italy: Solidarity with Alitalia workers!

Hundreds of striking air workers blocked the highway to Rome's Fiumicino airport on Friday demonstrating against the government's plans to cut jobs in the transition between Alitalia and a new carrier dubbed ITA. 

Italian police forces responded with violence to the workers' protesting at the highway. 

Unions say that only 2,800 out of a total of nearly 11,000 employees of Alitalia will be immediately re-hired by ITA and that the labour contract offered by ITA will be less generous than the one of Alitalia.

German elections: The workers must strengthen the DKP!

The 2021 German Federal election (Bundestagswahl 2021) is expected to be held on Sunday 26 September to elect members of the 20th Bundestag. On the same day, state elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are going to be held. 

Although the election process in bourgeois democracy is certainly not an instrument for revolutionary change, the working men and women of Germany have on Sunday an extraordinary opportunity: To strengthen their own voice, by voting the German Communist Party (DKP). 

KNE-Odigitis Festival kicked off in Athens (Drone video)

Thousands of people of every age, from every part of Athens, attended the events of the first day of the 47th KNE-Odigitis Festival which kicked off yesterday at Tritsis multidisciplinacy park. 

Numerous cultural and political events took place on Thursday, including a music concert by popular singer George Dalaras dedicated to the late iconic composer Mikis Theodorakis, stand up comedy, concerts at the student's stage, as well as a theatrical performance about the Paris Commune and a discussion on the situation in Afghanistan. 

The legalization of the KKE in 1974

By Nikos Mottas

It was on 23 September 1974 when the Greek government of “national unity”, under Konstantine Karamanlis, was publicly announcing the legalization of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) after 27 years. Alongside with the legislative decree, the government was repealing the infamous Law 509/1947 which was a source of persecutions, exiles, tortures and executions of thousands of communists during the post-war years. 

On 25 September 1974 the front page of “Rizospastis”, the official organ of the KKE, was dominated by the Greeting Message of the Central Committee to the working class, the peasantry, the whole people. Here is a significant excerpt of the message:

Greece: Thousands delivery workers rallied against "e-food" blackmails

Thousands food-delivery workers held massive moto-protests in Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities all over Greece demanding Jobs with rights and permanent contracts against the threats and blackmails of the company "e-food" (subsidiary of the German multinational "Delivery Hero") which threatened the workers with a text to their phones either to accept becoming a “freelancer” or to be fired by not renewing the three-month contracts.

Communist Party of Mexico bids farewell to long-time cadre Héctor Colío Galindo

Héctor Colío Galindo, a militant communist and long-time cadre of the Communist Party of Mexico, has died of Covid-19 on September 21, his Party announced. 

In a statement issued today, the Communist Party (PCM) bids farewell to comrade Héctor Colío Galindo.

Héctor Colío Galindo was Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Mexico in 1999-2000 and in 2001-2003. He was born on August 1, 1951 in Mexico City, and at the age of 17, in 1968, he began his militancy. As a communist youth leader, he was one of those responsible for the activity of the World Federation of Democratic Youth in Mexico, and as such one of the members of the International Organizing Committee of the XI World Festival of Youth and Students.

Australian communists condemn AUKUS agreement

In a statement about the tripartite Agreement between the Governments of Australia, the United States and Britain (AUKUS), the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) points out the following:

"The Communist Party of Australia urges all its members and supporters to actively oppose the Morrison Government’s decision to join the AUKUS Agreement; to buy nuclear-powered submarines; to purchase cruise missiles and other offensive weapons; and for Australia to host more US troops, warships, weapons, and planes. The announcement was made at the 31st Australia-United States Ministerial Consultation in Washington. 

Russia: Communist Party gets big boost in elections

The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) is considered the big winner of the 2021 legislative elections despite the victory of Vladimir Putin's governing United Russia party.  

 

Russian authorities have been accused of large-scale vote rigging in the election process over the weekend, while the Kremlin denies the allegations.

With 95.05% of the voting results processed, CPRF gains 19.20% of the votes, while the United Russia party secures 49.63% of the ballots on the party list to the State Duma (lower house of parliament).

Thousands of people attended KNE Festival in Thessaloniki

It was one of the largest festivals organized by the Communist Youth of Greece (KNE) in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, during the last 30 years. Thousands of people of every age visited the KNE-Odigitis Festival which was organized on September 16-18 at the open space of Karatasou multidisciplinacy park under the slogan "live, dare, move on - for the society of true freedom, Socialism".

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas visited the festival on Thursday 16 September, while the central political event took place on Friday with a speech delivered by the KKE Political Bureau member Kyrillos Papastavrou. 

"No to AUKUS, war and imperialism", says Britain's YCL

The Central Committee of the Young Communist League of Britain (YCL) has issued the following statement in response to the announcement of the new AUKUS (Australia-UK-US) nuclear aggression pact.

The YCL completely opposes the reckless and aggressive actions of Boris Johnson’s Tory Government, at the command of their US puppet masters in the White House and the Pentagon, to create a new hostile pact aimed at attacking China and exerting imperialist control over South East Asia.

Anti-imperialist protest against NATO Military Committee summit in Athens

“Neither soil nor water to the murderers of the people”. With this slogan, thousands of working men and women, trade unions, the Greek Committee for International Detente and Peace (EEDYE), the Federation of Greek Women (OGE) and students' unions marched on Friday in Athens against NATO's Military Committee which convenes in the Greek capital on 17-19 September.

The protesters gathered at Eleftherias Square and then marched towards the U.S. embassy, denouncing the strengthening of the so-called Greece-USA “defense agreement” which turns the country into a vast US-NATO military base. The demonstrators called for the decisive organization of the struggle against the dangerous policy of the Greek government, against the country's involvement in the US-NATO imperialist plans which pose grave threats for the people. 

Russia Duma elections: Communist Party (CPRF) denounces law violations and censorship

Parliamentary and local elections began on Friday in Russia and will last three days. Voters are electing 450 MPs for the Duma (parliament) in Moscow and a number of cities have introduced electronic voting. 

President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party is expected to win despite the decline of popularity in the last few years. 

In a statement the International Department of the CC of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) denounces attacks on the party, law violations by the government and censorship by mass media. The full statement is the following:

KKE MEP denounces EU machinations against Cuba

Once again, the European Union and its mechanisms play a leading role in promotin counterrevolutionary “voices” against Cuba. This time, the anti-Cuban show was staged at the EU Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) under the mantle of “activism” and with the known pretexts of “democracy” and “human rights”.

In his intervention, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) MEP Kostas Papadakis strongly denounced the anti-communist provocations against Cuba. More specifically, the KKE eurodeputy said:

Communist employees turn London arms fair upside down

Employees organized a surprise protest at an arms fair in London, by setting off flares and smoke grenades during the event. 

The men were working at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair at the ExCeL in east London when they set off the flares.

In footage posted by the Young Communist League (YCL), the protesters stood on a carpet outside a stall for security firm Lockheed Martin while dressed in high-viz jackets. They then lifted their arms in the air and set off their smoke grenades as men dressed in suits shuffled past.