AROUND THE WORLD GREECE Peace campaign seeks support THE break up of what was once Yugoslavia threatens to throw the whole of South-East Europe into turmoil, as the region's various ruling groups grab the opportunity to reap the internal and external benefits of aggressive nationalism.
This is true not only of the new elites arising out of the collapse of "Socialism" but of the Greek bourgeoisie, which has been reopening its claim to Macedonia, the north-western part of which formed one of the republics of Yugoslavia and is now independent (see N. Champi: "The Macedonian temptation" in /V, no. 215, October 28, 1991).
To fight against this new threat to peace in the Balkans, an open Anti-war, Anti-nationalistic Campaign of Greece has been formed, currently supported by the far left, anarchists, misery, unemployment, shrinking of income, deterioration in the quality of our lives, oppression of soldiers and deadly accidents in the army and the subjugation to the plans of the big imperialist powers. They want us to agree to their aim of becoming Balkan rulers and to the broader aims of the great powers in the region.
"They want us to accept passively the murder of Albanian fugitives on the borders by the special army-police bodies they have for-
"They want us to be indignant when somebody makes nationalistic statements in Skopje [the Macedonian capital] but to clap our hands when the same or even worse statements are made in Athens or Salonika.
"They want to sweep away values and traditions fortunately still alive in Greek society, like hospitality, solidarity and humanism.
AROUND THE WORLD
"Yes, the Greek people are in danger! Not from the unarmed statelet on our northern borders nor from the hungry Albanian refugees!
"We are in danger from the continuing war in Yugoslavia, in which our country may become involved, if the government and the main opposition party do not abandon their megalomaniac plans and statements and if they do not abandon the game of outbidding in nationalism and vote-hunting patriotism.
"It is a shame on us to accept without protest the continued economic blockade of a neighbouring country [Macedonia], as well as the various "combative" proposals for an army invasion of it.
"It is a shame on us to allow certain people to yell about invasions and annexation of lands, using as a pretext the oppression suffered by the Greek minority in Albania.
"We must understand that our enemies are not the neighbouring peoples faced with the same problems, but nationalism, racism and war. Against them, the wage-earners and the youth of the Balkan countries must unite, through common anti-war movements, activities and struggles of mutual support and international solidarity."
The Campaign can be contacted at:
Valetsiou Str 35
106 81 Athens, Greece. * some ecologists and students circles. Accor- From Los Angeles to Toronto ding to a press release of April 24, 1992: ANGER at the acquittal of Rodney King's assailants, combined with the police "The whole spectrum of the official politi- murder on May 2 of a 22 year-old black youth, Raymond Constantine Lawrence, cal forces is dragging the whole people in an spread to Toronto, Canada following the upsurges in the ghettoes of the United imperialistic and chauvinistic direction. The States. On May 4 more than 1500 angry demonstrators turned out at a rally and ruling New Democracy party, the "socialist" march to protest the killing and to draw the links between police racism and vioPASOK and the whole official left agree and lence north and south of the border. Socialist Challenge/Gauche Socialiste, seccompete for the preservation of the "Greek- tion of the Fourth International in the Canadian state, issued the following stateness" of Macedonia, which, they claim, was ment on the events: the "property" of Alexander the Great, who "It would be a tragedy of immense proportions if we are not able to harness ruled and fought 2,500 years ago. the collective anger of the recent period and forge an effective, organized anti-
"They use this ludicrous and unsubstantiaracist force in this city. ted argument and at the same time hardly "The Black Action Defence Committee (BADC) has done a commendable job hide their pro-war pursuits towards the neigh- of organizing protests and mobilizing opinion against the racist attacks... But to bouring small state of Yugoslav Macedonia, escalate the struggle and to be prepared for future attacks we need something which comprises one of the three pieces of more than BADC, a fact the BADC itself would certainly admit. the geographic space of Macedonia, the other We need a city-wide coalition that brings together BADC and other anti-racist two being in Greece and Bulgaria." groups and individuals around a set of concrete anti-racist demands. We need a
The Campaign has convened meetings, coalition that can reach into the communities, into the schools and the workengaged in a publicity campaign and organi- places, into the trade union movement, and into the churches, temples, synazed a 1,000 strong demonstration on April gogues and mosques.
16. It has also made contacts with peace acti- "Such a democratic, mass-oriented coalition could mobilize public opinion and vists in Serbia and seeks common activities bring out people onto the streets like never before. It could provide a ready framewith such movements. work for rapid response in times of crisis, and could go "on the offensive" with
Attempts to distribute the Campaign's concrete demands to genuinely tackle the roots of the racial attacks.
basic statement have resulted in arrests six activists have received jail sentences of six "We will not stem the rising tide of racism by retreating into our own corners.
The anti-racist coalition we need has to be multi-racial, and it has to recognize the months each and four others are awaiting leading role of non-whites in the struggle against racism and for Black Liberation.
trial. Here are some extracts from the basic statement: "...Our rulers are cultivating nationalistic hysteria to make us forget the economic
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23 May 25, 1992• # 229 International Viewpoint