Last week, hundreds of comrades, supporters and sympathisers across 20 countries and five continents raised their voices in support of Ehsan Ali and the Awami Action Committee in Gilgit-Baltistan. Our biggest-ever International Day of Action for these courageous class fighters occurred just as the state of Pakistan launched a bloody offensive against the AAC-GB’s sister organisation in Kashmir. This latest outrage only further emphasises the need for international solidarity. We say: free Ehsan Ali! Hands off the AAC!
Below, we have compiled a series of reports on the main protests held by comrades of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI). These accounts are by no means exhaustive! Smaller protests, street demonstrations and stalls were held in (for example) the Czech Republic and Mexico, with RCI branches and individual comrades posting solidarity photos and videos online.
Our main objective was to bring as many comrades as possible, along with sympathetic public figures and trade union activists, to protest outside Pakistan’s embassies, commissions and consulates.
We also attempted to peacefully deliver letters of concern to diplomatic staff, with our reception ranging from relative courtesy (like in Rome, where comrades were invited for a discussion), to refusal (like in Bern, where we were refused entry), to open hostility (in the case of Toronto, where comrades were threatened)!
Considering the situation currently unfolding in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on which we reported yesterday, it is little wonder that so few of Pakistan’s international diplomats are willing to come out and face us. Atrocities are being meted out in their name. The outrageous ban on the Awami Action Committee (AAC) in Azad Kashmir over the weekend and the attempted assassination of its leader, Sardar Umar Nazir, have provoked a mass protest movement.
Yesterday, a funeral was announced in Rawalakot for Shahzeb Habib, an activist of the AAC who was martyred during the attack on Sardar Umar Nazir. Thousands came to participate. Paramilitary forces, including the infamous Rangers, opened fire to disperse the crowd of thousands.
There was resistance from activists of the AAC, but in the meantime, a huge deployment of security forces arrived and took positions on the rooftops surrounding the whole area. Meanwhile, electricity to the whole area was switched off, and Rangers started firing straight into the crowd. As the crowd started to disperse, the firing continued all night and only stopped when dawn broke. During the firing spree, anyone who tried to help the injured was also shot.
The number of deaths in this massacre hasn't been confirmed yet, but reports circulating suggest that it could be more than one hundred, while several hundred have been injured.
Reports are also circulating that the CMH hospital administration is trying to hide the bodies of victims and are not handing them over to their families, who spent all day roaming around, trying to find their loved ones. Rawalakot city is currently under curfew and no one is allowed to enter.
The authorities have also reportedly directed the CMH hospital in Rawalakot not to treat the injured. As with Ehsan Ali, the message from the top is: “let them die.” A search operation is now underway, with the leadership of AAC in Rawalakot having been forced underground. Despite attempts by the regime-controlled prostitute press to slander the AAC in Azad Kashmir, claiming they initiated the violence, it is clear the majority can see through the official line.
This whole massacre is aimed at stopping a ‘long march’ of protest to the regional capital Muzaffarabad, which is set to start tomorrow. Despite a huge crackdown and brutal killings, many leaders of the AAC have expressed determination to march according to plan.
Sardar Arbab from Thorar near Rawalakot shared a message on social media, vowing that they will reach Rawalakot tomorrow despite all the obstacles. He also announced the formation of a defence committee for the security of the participants. Imtiaz Aslam, member of the core committee from Kotli district has also sent a video message in which he says that they are determined to march tomorrow.
Today rallies were also held in Mirpur, Kotli and other cities in solidarity with the martyrs of Rawalakot. Comrade Umer Riaz has also sent a voice message in which he has denied rumours of his death and said that all the committees are in coordination once again and are determined to follow the plan of the long march.
All the caravans from the districts of Poonch and Mirpur division will try to reach Rawalakot in one to two days and are determined to fight their way to stage a big rally there, before moving to Muzaffarabad for a sit-in in front of the parliament.
These leaders have also announced that if they are killed in this process then the women, children and elders should come out on roads to continue this movement. On the other side, state authorities are planning for an even bigger attack on the entire movement.
The RCP in Pakistan is involved in solidarity activities with this movement in different parts of the country, despite severe restrictions on gatherings for the AAC. Paras Jan recorded a message from a meeting of workers in Karachi, while comrades in Lahore recorded their solidarity. These video messages are appreciated by the activists of the AAC in Kashmir, while paid accounts from state authorities are commenting with slanders and threats.
The situation is volatile and there is no telling what might happen next. We advise readers to keep an eye on marxist.com, which will be updated with the latest news and analysis from Kashmir.
Support for our campaign is growing!
While the Pakistan regime continues to show the world who the real terrorists are, the list of politicians, labour leaders and activists offering solidarity to Ehsan Ali and the AAC is growing!
In just the past two weeks, our campaign has been endorsed by Gloria Mattera, Co-Chair of the Green Party of New York; Pavel Čižinský, former mayor of Prague 1 and current member of the Czech Chamber of Deputies; Laura Walton, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour; and Paul Murphy, Teachta Dála for the Dublin South-West constituency. In all, nearly 400 leading left figures and labour organisations have backed us.
We must intensify this official pressure on the Pakistani state. As explained below, comrades in Britain are pushing MPs across the country to endorse an Early Day Motion to show their public support for our demands. These kinds of initiatives will be crucial to securing the release of Ehsan Ali and the detained leaders of the AAC.
The murderous repression of the AAC in Kashmir is, of course, part of the same general clampdown on democratic rights across territory controlled by the Pakistani state.
A letter of concern has been sent to the UK Foreign Office by the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir and signed by nearly 30 MPs. In mild language, it calls on the British government to “engage proactively and use all appropriate diplomatic channels to encourage de-escalation and a peaceful resolution”.
In an incredibly cynical manoeuvre, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has condemned “the irresponsible and ill-informed insinuations made by certain members of the diaspora in the UK”, advising them to “refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Pakistan and AJK” and arrogantly warning “they would do well to contribute positively to their country of residence.” The rebuke goes on to say:
“For those still living in colonial times, it bears reiterating that Pakistan is a sovereign and democratic republic that firmly believes in non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and expects the same from others.”
This is outrageous hypocrisy from a regime that claims to be ‘democratic’, while arresting, killing and proscribing peaceful protestors. That calls for ‘non-interference’, while occupying the lands of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. And which accuses Kashmiris abroad of living in ‘colonial times’, while implementing draconian legal measures against opponents that are lifted directly from British colonial law!
During our week of action, elections were being held for the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, which has no real power and is totally under the control of the generals in Rawlapindi. We note the irony of Pakistan’s ruling class boasting about leading a ‘democratic republic’, while locking up peaceful activists for the duration of this so-called democratic farce.
In reality, the exploitation and oppression of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are products of the great crime of Partition, which ripped the Indian Subcontinent apart and helped install the crooks and gangsters who rule over the pieces today. Now, faced with a massive economic and political crisis, the generals are aiming to destroy any obstacles to plundering ‘their’ share of the region.
This is what lies behind these ruthless attacks on the Awami Action Committee and its leadership both in Kashmir and in Gilgit-Baltistan. We therefore encourage all who rightly oppose the bloodshed and oppression and Azad Kashmir to also endorse the campaign to release Ehsan Ali.
In the meantime, our struggle for justice continues. We will not rest until all political prisoners walk free, and all their demands for a decent and dignified life are met. Keep an eye on our main campaign website for details on our next steps. And if you haven’t already, please sign our public petition!
UK
Comrades of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) held not just one day but an entire week of action! The highlight was undoubtedly a protest at the Pakistan High Commission in the capital on 3 June: a date chosen to avoid clashing with an RMT tube strike, scheduled for the planned international day of solidarity.
Dozens of RCP activists and campaign supporters were joined by former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell; as well as Pamela Fitzpatrick, Arise Councillor for Marlborough Ward. Along with RCP Spokesperson Fiona Lali, they attempted to deliver a letter of concern to the High Commissioner – only to have the door slammed in their faces!
It is quite incredible that Pakistan’s diplomatic staff are so intimidated by a letter that they choose to lock their doors on an elected MP and councillor! One wonders what it is they are so afraid of? In reality, we know the answer: they are unwilling to face up to the crimes committed in their name by the generals in Islamabad and its client regimes.
After this snub, McDonnell vowed to demand an official meeting with the High Commissioner. He has also filed an Early Day Motion, effectively a parliamentary petition, through which other MPs can back our campaign. We urge all our readers in Britain to contact their MPs and urge them to put their names to our demands for justice!
McDonnell, Fitzpatrick, Lali and others then gave speeches pointing out that Ehsan Ali is languishing in jail for the ‘crime’ of standing up for workers and the poor. Other speakers noted the history of oppression and exploitation in the Indian Subcontinent, tracing back to the British Raj and Partition. This bloody legacy confers a special responsibility on comrades in the UK to make their voices heard for class fighters in the region.
The protest ended with a rousing speech by RCP Chairman Rob Sewell, who praised the heroism of Ehsan Ali, the Awami Action Committee, and all activists of the Inqalabi Communist Party fighting for socialism at immense personal risk. He called on comrades to redouble their efforts to pile pressure on politicians in the ‘mother of parliaments’ to oppose this brazen attack on basic democratic rights.
The following day, 13 comrades from Birmingham visited the Pakistan Consulate. The comrade who entered the building was initially ignored and then treated with hostility, being told not to record any videos for their own safety. The comrades’ letter was received and dumped on an empty desk before they were made to leave the premises. Afterwards, they held a lively demonstration outside, with passersby joining in with their chants. One was heard saying: “nothing is fair in Pakistan”.
Comrades in the north of England also answered the call for solidarity, protesting outside of the consulate in Bradford, demanding the release of our comrades in Pakistan and successfully delivering a letter of concern. The day of action concluded with the pledge that the comrades will build for an even bigger protest in Bradford, bringing in our forces from across the region as a real show of force.
And in Scotland, just over 20 comrades of the RCP and supporters gathered outside the Scottish Parliament building on the morning of Saturday 6 June, bearing flags, banners and flyers. After the demonstration the comrades handed in letters to parliament, which should have been received today. The security guard who took the letters was curious about why the comrades were there, and after a small discussion voiced support for our cause!
That same day, comrades across the UK held ‘Super Saturday’ stalls, speaking to members of the public, with an emphasis on the campaign to free Ehsan Ali and arrested members of the Awami Action Committee. This was an opportunity to discuss with hundreds of members of the public about the political situation in Gilgit-Baltistan, promote our public petition, and hopefully convince more people to push their representatives in parliament to demand the release of all political prisoners.
USA
The Revolutionary Communists of America launched a coast-to-coast day of action for Ehsan Ali on 4 June. In New York City, RCA members marched into the Pakistani consulate with a simple ultimatum: “Free our comrades or you will hear from us again and again. We will fight this state repression until the end.”
They were promised an audience with the consular general, but that meeting never materialised. Instead, the consulate called the police who were unable to do anything to remove us. Many people honked their car horns in support of the protest, and pedestrians took flyers. At the end, comrades burst out into the Internationale and Bandiera Rossa.
In the capital, 12 comrades from Philadelphia, Washington DC and Baltimore marched on the Pakistan embassy. Before the demonstration, they held a briefing where they discussed Ehsan Ali’s heroic role in the mass workers’ struggles in Gilgit-Baltistan, noting that he was unjustly targeted, arrested, imprisoned and tortured because he became a political problem for the Pakistan state. Therefore, we must also become a political problem for the state until he is free! Ehsan Ali is a hero of the world working class and has done the kind of work that all revolutionaries should be aspiring to do.
The demonstration lasted for about an hour. The embassy staff simply ignored the comrades for most of that period, even neglecting to call the Secret Service to monitor them, as they usually do. Comrades in Philadelphia called in to demand that the embassy send someone to accept the letter. About 10 minutes later, an embassy employee finally appeared, read the letter page by page, and promised that he would deliver it to the Ambassador.
In Chicago, eight comrades from the RCA gathered outside the Pakistani consulate, alongside four other campaign supporters. The comrades set up a table with our campaign banner and a ‘Free Ehsan Ali’ information sheet. They chanted slogans, read out statements containing our demands, and discussed with passersby, encouraging them to sign our change.org petition.
Finally, over on the West Coast, nine comrades from the Los Angeles area coordinated a protest at the Pakistani consulate. While they waited to be seen, someone else in the waiting room seemed to have recognised Ehsan Ali on the comrades’ signs and smiled, giving them a thumbs up in support!
In the past, comrades have been met with hostility, but this time they were given the opportunity to speak and hand in their statement. The consulate staff said they would deliver it to their superiors in Pakistan. The comrades left the building without incident and led chants outside. A handful of people stopped to ask what they were doing. After learning about Ehsan Ali and our campaign to release the AAC detainees, the majority wished the comrades’ luck. All of them brought up the Iran War in one way or another and voiced opposition to US imperialism. It is evident that Trump and Netanyahu’s latest military catastrophe has politicised the atmosphere in US society.
Canada
4 June marked some of the strongest mobilisations ever held by our Canadian comrades of Communist Revolution/Révolution Communiste. Around 35 people joined the demonstration in Toronto, while approximately 30 attended in Montreal. Comrades in British Columbia have also relaunched the campaign with renewed enthusiasm. The comrades produced an outpouring of demonstrations, solidarity videos and literature tables.
Efforts to secure endorsements are also intensifying. Comrades in Montreal have already collected dozens of signatures for a parliamentary petition that we hope to advance with the potential support of a sympathetic MP, Alexandre Boulerice. Comrades also organised a number of political briefings, to consistently explain the political significance of the repression in Pakistan and the role comrades can play in winning the release of Ehsan Ali and the AAC leaders. As one Toronto comrade noted:
"This is bigger than me, bigger than all of us. I can see now how our actions here inspire those in Pakistan to rise up against the worst and most brutal repression."
At the Pakistani Consulate in Toronto, comrades remained determined despite a frosty reception from officials. Taking the initiative, they engaged visitors to the consulate and persisted in attempting to deliver a package documenting the growing international support for the campaign. They reminded the consulate that if our comrades were not released, we would return with broader support and stronger mobilisations.
One consulate official directed a threat at a comrade, stating: "You're not gonna make it home tonight, boy." If this is how representatives of the Pakistani state respond to peaceful protesters thousands of miles away, it raises serious questions about what they are capable of doing to activists in Gilgit-Baltistan! While recording a solidarity video outside the consulate, comrades struck up a conversation with a passerby who stayed for the entire debrief afterward. A member of the CUPE 79 union also delivered a solidarity speech at the Toronto protest.
Austria
Ten comrades braved the rain and held a stormy protest in front of the Pakistan embassy in Vienna. As always, the embassy staff were in panic, filming the comrades and watching them through their windows. In the end, they refused to talk to the comrades. Instead, the police officers who were present actually delivered the letter to the embassy!
Comrades emphasised the broad support we have marshalled for Ehsan Ali, including from major international NGOs, leading members of the labour movement and, particularly in Austria, several workers’ chamber councillors and prominent shop stewards. Clearly, our comrades in Gilgit-Baltistan are not alone, but enjoy the support from amongst our entire class.
Furthermore, at the comrades’ tremendous Pfingstseminar a couple of weeks ago, 350 attendees sang along to ‘Free Ehsan Ali’, composed by American folk artist David Rovics. As the song goes in its main refrain: “To defend the people’s rights they formed a committee, led by a man known as Ehsan Ali.”
France
Comrades of the Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire (PCR) tried to get permission from the Paris police department to organise a protest in front of the Pakistan embassy, which is in a very secure area of Paris under heavy police surveillance. Permission was denied, with police citing the “very tense international context” and the “sensitivity of all diplomatic representations.”
Instead, two comrades went to deliver a model letter to the embassy. The ambassador refused to see them, but a member of staff took the letter. After this, the comrades filmed a short video in front of the embassy, raising their demands for justice.
Having been barred from protesting at the embassy, the comrades are putting their efforts into reaching out to prominent left-wing politicians and public figures. This resulted in a new motion of solidarity being passed at CGT Thalès Numérique!
Italy
On the previous day of action in April, embassy staff in Rome did not even answer the doorbell to comrades from Partito Comunista Rivoluzionario (PCR). This time, they were able to secure an appointment at the embassy, where they were received and allowed to make their point.
In Milan, the comrades did not have an appointment at the consulate, but were nonetheless received fairly cordially by the deputy consul, who also recorded a video with the comrades while accepting the letter they brought.
Sweden
For the International Day of Action, around 15 comrades from the Revolutionära Kommunistiska Partiet (RKP) gathered outside the Pakistani Embassy in Stockholm. As usual, they were allowed in to speak with the ambassador's secretary and to hand over the letter of concern. She told us that she is aware of the case and of the protests being held “all over Europe”. Comrades also took solidarity photos in Göteborg, Umeå, Karlstad, Uppsala and Borås.
Ireland
For this day of action, 11 members of the Revolutionary Communists of Ireland’s Dublin district came together outside the Pakistani Embassy, making it the biggest protest they have ever organised for Ehsan Ali and the AAC. They delivered a letter demanding the release of our comrades and protested their abhorrent treatment at the hands of the state.
Comrades took turns leading in chants, with ‘Free Free Eshan Ali’, ‘Hands off the AAC’, and ‘Inqilab Zindabad’ reverberating throughout the leafy streets of Ballsbridge. They also printed a number of leaflets, exposing the persecution of our comrades and advertising the petition for their release, which were handed out to passersby.
Australia
Members of the Victorian branch of the RCI assembled, for the third time, to protest outside the Pakistan Consulate in Melbourne to deliver our campaign’s demands. Not even the threat of flash flooding dampened their determination.
They gathered out the front of the consulate with others who came to support them, placards in hand, and engaged with people walking past to let them know why they were there, passing out flyers and encouraging everyone to support the campaign.
The comrades then entered the consulate and spoke with staff behind the counter. Another person was then called over and agreed to accept the documents. The comrades waited while the documents were stamped and photocopied, then asked for the contact information of the person handling the matter.
This bureaucratic procedure was over in less than ten minutes, but rest assured that people were talking about it long after the comrades left!
Spanish State
Comrades from the Organización Comunista Revolucionaria (OCR) held protests outside of Pakistan’s embassies in Madrid and Barcelona, in addition to posting solidarity photos at meetings across the Spanish state, while encouraging comrades and sympathisers to sign our public petition.
Germany
Comrades of the Revolutionäre Kommunistische Partei (RKP) in Berlin held a protest outside the Pakistan embassy, but were denied entry by embassy staff, who called the police to avoid having to face our demands for justice!
Additionally, Lea Gläßer, a member of the municipal council (Stadtrat) in Kempten, Bavaria, representing the Left Party (Die Linke), made a video statement in solidarity with Ehsan Ali and the AAC. She said:
“For almost three months, Ehsan Ali and other members of the Awami Action Committee have been imprisoned – simply for advocating for the rights of their people.
“Ehsan Ali's health is particularly worrying. Despite serious health problems, he has been returned to prison.
“We must not remain silent when people are punished for justice and democratic rights.
“Freedom for Ehsan Ali and all political prisoners in Gilgit-Baltistan.”
Pakistan
While RCI comrades and supporters heaped pressure on Pakistan’s diplomatic missions across the globe, comrades of the RCP in Karachi organised a powerful protest on 4 June demanding the immediate release of Comrade Ehsan Ali and all political activists facing state repression.
Students, workers, youth, and supporters gathered in solidarity as part of a week of action across Pakistan’s territory. Other protests in solidarity with Ehsan Ali were also held across cities in Sindh and Baluchistan.
Comrade Ehsan Ali has been subjected to unjust state repression for raising his voice against exploitation, oppression, and the worsening conditions faced by the working class and youth of Pakistan. His imprisonment is not an attack on one individual alone. It is an attack on the democratic rights of workers, students, and all those who dare to struggle for a better future.
