AROUND THE WORLD
A. Here, it's difficult. French politics are sophisticated. The bourgeoisie manages to blunt the edge of everything, attenuate everything with its polite forms and speeches. Social Democracy is dreadful. So, my problem is how to make the revolution and for what kind of social-
Abortion violence on the rise in the USA ism? How can you criticize the East European countries without falling into with the Polish working class and say that the Jaruzelski regime is a lousy one? That's a big problem. And there I have respect for the Trotskyists. How can you make a left critique of the regimes in the East without aligning yourself with the first dissident who comes here and starts making money out of his or her
Another problem for me is that the class struggle is less visible, less evident, or less direct in France than in my country, with all the social gains that the workers here have made, which at the same time cushion social conflicts. You see, it is difficult for a revolutionist who
The attacks on the right to abortion in the United States have increased dramatically in 1984. Women face physical harassment, judicial challenges and a full-scale attack on the ideological level with a combined attack from the right, the Catholic church hierarchy and Ronald
In 1984 alone 19 cases of bombing d arson have taken place, compar th 4 cases in 1983. and 8 in 19 A few of the more 'noteworthy' incidents
The Feminist Health Center in Everette, Washington suffered an arson on December 3, 1983, causing
40,000 US dollars in damages.
rocked the Ladies Center, Inc. in Pensacola, Florida destroying equipment valued at 35,000
The National Abortion Federation headquarters in Washington, D.C. had a gas explosion on July 4, 1984 when gas was pumped into the building at night; an unexploded bomb was discovered on the premises as well.
The Annapolis, Maryland Planned Parenthood center was bombed at 1:35 a.m. on July 7, 1984
Perhaps the most "spectacular" action by antiabortionists was in 1982 when Dr
Hector Zevallos, the medical director of the Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City, Illinois, kidnapped, held for 8 days and told they would be murdered if they did not re-
They were ultimately released and the kidnappers convicted.
There is an organised and persistent campaign against abortion clinics and are to not only dissuade, but physically prevent women from carrying out their legal choice to end a pregnancy.
"Sidewalk counseling" is a popular method, with virulent anti-abortionists they have held counter pickets in front of the clinics.
There has been a local response to each and every attack in support of a woman's right to choose. But there is perhaps an underestimaion of the real threat of a reversal of the legal right to abortion won in 1973, and the absence of any nationally organized response by pro-choice forces is disquieting.
The Supreme Court did in effect reject several important challenges to further curtailments in June 1983, including a 24-hour waiting period between the time a woman signed a consent form and the performance of the abortion and a requirement that all abortions for women more than 12 weeks pregnant be performed in hospitals. However, the court did uphold a Missouri statute requiring parental consent for minors.
The post-election lull may be just the calm before the storm considering the combined offensive of the right, the church and Reagan before the elections. The possibility of a new offensive - juridical or otherwise — is now strong in the coming months.
entering a clinic, "Murderer!" or thrusting pictures of mangled fetuses in their faces.
Basque leader assassinated Tape recordings of crying babies are played and redpaint stained dolls are also brandished about. Your car license num- In its November 23 issue, Zutik, the Bilbao and was a member of the Basque ber might be copied down, your photo taken, your car tires slashed.
Some clinics have been "invaded," with right-to-lifers chaining themselves to
Inspite of the most recent polis indicating that at least 75% of the Ameriican population supports a woman's right to choose, there has been a significant stepping-up of harassment and violence.
The presidential election campaign highlighted the issue of abortion, with Reagan announcing "We [the Republicans] are for life and against abortion." He is on record as supporting a constitutional amendment to ban abortion altogether. The Catholic church hierarchy joined in the fight when Archbishop Bernard Law of Boston declared that abortion should be a "key issue" in the organ of the Liga Komunista Iraultzailea, the organization of the Fourth International in the Basque country in the Spanish state, made the following comment on the assassination of the revolutionary nationalist leader Santi Brouard on November 20 which sparked a general strike on November 22 and the most powerful upsurge in the Basque country since the period immediately following Franco's death.
They have assassinated Santi Brouard, chairperson of HASI [the Revolutionary People's Socialist Party, the political nucleus of the revolutionary national front, Herri Batasuna]. As a doctor, he treated a number of ETA members during the Franco period, and for that was forced into exile... As a member of Herri regional parliament at the time of his
The killers wanted to strike a blow both at the brain and heart of the Basque people. At the head, because he was a member of the Herri Batasuna National Board and chairperson of the illegal party
Herri Batasuna has called a general strike....This time the [moderate] Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) also joined in.... There will undoubtedly be a general strike followed by the entire population; it will be an impressive demonstration. And its political effect will be to cement the ranks of the Basque people against its oppressors.
We end with the words of Santi's
Batasuna, he served as deputy mayor of daughter, "They will pay for this!"
elections. , New York Archbishop John
J. O'Conner went even further saying that Catholic bishops expected public officials and candidates for election to publicly oppose "abortion on demand"
Victory for abortion rights in Canada and "work for modification" of legalized abortion.
This national level attack was most In an important victory for women the committee of doctors. The woman must directly aimed at Geraldine Ferraro, vice presidential candidate with Democrat Walter Mondale. She drew virulent criticism from the Catholic Archbishops for her position of "being personally" opposed to abortion, but for saying, "I have no right to impose my beliefs" on others.
But it has been the people most directly concerned with providing or using abortion services that have responded to the renewed bombing and arson attacks, not Ferraro or Mondale, let alone the Democratic Party as a whole.
The New York chapter of Planned Parenthood responded with a press conference, for example. Alfred Moran, executive director, said, "The church, antiabortion and presidential rhetoric on the abortion issue has created a climate that incites terrorism - acts of violence that repeatedly endanger the lives of clinic staff and clients."
There have been petitions, meetings and public demonstrations. Women have taken abortion opponents to court and International Viewput 10 December 1984 jury in the trial of Dr Henry Morgentaler returned a verdict of 'not guilty of charges of conspiracy to perform illegal
The charges, which carry a maximum imprisonment, from a police raid on the Toronto abortion clinic Morgentaler had set up in June 1983. (See /V, No 37, October 3, 1983.) though this was illegal under Canada's
Under Canadian federal law, abortions may be performed only in hospitals that have been specially accredited and then only after the approval of a special prove to this committee that her health or life is endangered by the pregnancy in order to obtain an abortion.
After the trial at a press conference, stated that he would have the Toronto clinic open again within a
The acquittal he 'a victory for all women across Canada'. He maintained that the law had now been to be obsolete and that he had technically broken it in order to prove
"The law is unjust', he said. It is cruel to women: creates a lot of suffering; it endangers the life and health of women; it oppresses
27
farce does nothing for peace nternatonal
35-hour
Miners strike:
turning point
35 in British politics week:
Fightback against unemployment
Women and the shorter week
Giles h hide
A doss-struces programme for miners
Victory to the
Biggest mass upsurge in Brazi's history
Steel jobs under de Mate, the knife
Reaves
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