+ Europeanwide days of action from 15th to 25th of May
+ International press conference at blockades of “Business Europe” Summit – Brussels, May 15th, 10 am, Petit Sablon
“The EU-crisis regime is dismantling democracy and social rights by authoritarian austerity measures and the transatlantic free trade agreement TTIP. The international Blockupy coalition resists these policies during the week of action with actions of civil disobedience. We struggle in solidarity to take over the commons and to build democracy from below.”, states Hanno Bruchmann of the International Blockupy coalition.
On the 15th of may the International Blockupy coalition will take part in the blockade of the “Business Europe summit” as kick-off for ten days of action. As umbrella organization of single national business federations, this is the biggest continental lobbying group which permanently tries to influence and condition European institutions to continue hard neoliberal politics that force the people to pay the highest price of crisis.
All over Europe we will reaffirm the widespread social opposition to the austerity policies conducted by the Troika, and indicate which financial oligarchies are instigators of these policies.
The real alternatives to the present situation are: self-governance of commons, strengthening of social rights for a more equitable redistribution of wealth. Democracy in Europe can only be built from below by the direct initiative of millions women and men, against all authoritarian and excluding measures. In the may of solidarity we will therefore fight racism and fascism, nationalism and xenophobia fueled by right-wing politicians.
In this situation migrants and refugees are among the most affected by the crisis, also because EU border regime threatens their lives by detentions and deportations, while at the same time wealth is extracted from them by extreme exploitation.
During the May of Solidarity migrants and non migrants will struggle for their livelihood, for their rights, on the working places, against institutional racism that creates hierarchies and divisions as in the “March for Freedom” of the refugees.
Moreover, coordinated transnational actions in front of many Apple-stores will protest against unsustainable working conditions and the global chain of exploitation which links workers in Western Europe with Foxconn factories in Eastern Europe and China, which are the biggest suppliers of Apple.
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For further information see: mayofsolidarity website
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Selection of activities during the European week of action
Belgium:
15th May – Blockade the European Business Summit in Brussels, 8 am, Palais d’Egmont
Press point next to the blockade action:
international press conference 10:00 am at Petit Sablon
Spain:
15th and 17th May – Assemblies on Puerta del Sol, Madrid
http://mayofsolidarity.org/where/spain/
Germany:
17th May, Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart – Blockupy-Demonstrations.
blockupy.org
France:
17th May, Paris – European day of action and alternatives, Demonstration starting 14h at Ópera.
http://www.collectif-lesengraineurs.com/
Italy:
17th May, Rome – National demo against austerity and privatisation, for public water, commons, social rights, democracy in Italy and Europe.
www.globalproject.info
18th May, Bologna – Rally against the re-opening of the deportation centre for migrants.
International:
Actions in front of Apple stores, in solidarity with the struggles of thousands of rural migrants and other young Chinese workers against the transnational exploitation chain that links the main global technology companies with Foxconn and other factories.
March for Freedom starting 17th May and concludes in a week of action in Brussels 20th – 28th June