Greece: massive popular rage - what is the next step?

The workers and youth of Greece picked up the thread of the revolutionary movement in Spain, showing that the mass struggles against capitalist injustice and slavery do not respect any borders. They ignore those that considered the vision of a worldwide movement against the social crimes of capital a utopia, but also those who spoke ironically during the last 24 hours of the supposed “passivity” of the Greek people.

From 6pm yesterday, Syntagma Square, Athens' central square, as well as the centre of Thessaloniki, Patras and all major cities were inundated with tens of thousands of ordinary workers, unemployed and young people who wanted to protest peacefully. They expressed their anger about the banks keeping the Greek people in stifling captivity and the new attacks of their local bosses. The protests were called from Facebook and Twitter, from youth movements, like the “indignant citizens”.

Although the initiators of the protests tried to establish a climate of de-politicisation, people who attended showed a thirst for political ideas and responses to the crisis. They wanted to know how the attacks of the loan sharks against their living standards should be answered. Solid proofs of this were the fact that the hundreds of leaflets distributed to the assembled by members of the editorial team of Marxistiki Foni were gone within 10 minutes!

The gathered in Athens shouted slogans against the government’s policy and the EU/IMF Memorandum. There were many humorous placards with slogans against the vice-president of the government, Theodoros Pangalos and the Prime Minister, George Papandreou. An important moment was when the militant bloc of GENOP-DEI (the workers’ union in electricity) who was protesting yesterday against the privatisation of the electricity company DEI, joined the protest and was warmly welcomed by the protestors.

The total absence of political intervention by the vast majority of parties and organisations of the Left left a negative impression on the protestors. The left appears to have accepted passively the non-political climate that the movement of “indignant citizens” sought to develop. This absence showed the fear of these parties of the spontaneous mobilisation of thousands of people. The protesters are distrusting the Left because of the serious errors and the failure of the latter’s political leadership. They are also, being in the first stages of mobilisation, likely to carry “baggage” of political and ideological prejudices which they have nurtured the previous period (political confusion, distrust of all parties).

It is clear that the mood is ripe for participation in a long struggle, as in Spain, not just among the tens of thousands gathered, but also among the thousands of others still observing and getting inspired by the militancy shown. This development seriously worries the government, the EU/IMF sharks and the bourgeoisie in general, exacerbating the crisis and the political deadlock.

The great movement that developed today sent a serious message to the top of the labour movement and the Left. The leaders of GSEE has now received a clear, practical condemnation of their passivity and compromises. The leadership of the Communist Party also received a call from the masses to stop sending ultimatums to the people and assume their political responsibilities, contributing to the unity of workers and to present a solution that will take Greece out of the present capitalist quagmire. Finally, the leadership of SYN and SYRIZA, received a message to overcome their political timidity and the internal battles of no political content and give the hundreds of thousands of desperate people a concrete programme that will bring a fundamental change in their lives.

And now what?

We must realise that we are only at the beginning of a movement that opens the door to a revolutionary era in Greece and Europe. The race is long, with revolutionary drifts and reactionary tides, because our class opponents in Greece and internationally are determined to give a tough fight to preserve their system, identified with injustice and exploitation.

In this fight the occupation of large squares of cities by thousands of angry citizens is not enough. We need the organised and decisive contribution of the working class to this struggle, with the historical developed weapons of struggle for social change: well-organised and united strikes and general strikes, fortified demonstrations, occupations of factories and industrial sites and above all, the revolutionary ideas and programme of Marxism through the development of revolutionary political subject that will serve victorious.

Everyone come out in the streets against the united bandits of capital and their servants!

1. Organise action committees in neighborhoods and workplaces which will be accountable to the general meetings and will be coordinated nationwide.
2. For the trade unions to call a 48-hour general strike next week, demanding the cessation of payment of the loansm the immediate cancellation of the new government cuts, and the return of the rights and benefits uprooted by the EU/IMF and the government.
3. If the government remains adamant, the struggle should be transformed into an open-ended general strike to bring down the government and the election of a new one which will be committed to implement a program for the benefit the working majority.
4. The only permanent solution to the slavery and injustice of capitalism is the struggle to establish a social, planned economy and a democratically controlled state by the working class and the poor sections of towns and countryside. For the election of a government of the Left (SYRIZA, Communist Party and other leftist tendencies and groups from PASOK and the broad left), which will be based upon the democratic institutions of the people and will implement a program that will break the “chain” of capitalism and start the process of building the United Socialist States of Europe and the world.

Source: Μαρξιστική Φωνή (Greece)