News from around the world

The Portuguese Left Bloc has just held its Fifth National Convention (congress) which reinforced its profile as a left opposition to the government of the social democrat Socrates. The congress was a good lesson in democracy and a good political success.

In less than four weeks Farooq Tariq, General Secretary Labour Party Pakistan, was arrested second time in early hours of Tuesday, 5th June 2007 by a heavy contingent of Punjab Police from his residence in Lahore.

There were three attempts to stop a press conference that went ahead finally on 22nd May at Lahore Press Club. The press conference was organized by Anjaman Mozareen Punjab AMP Lahore unit ( Punjab Tenants Association), the peasant movement that has fought against the Military Farms administration in Okara and other districts of Punjab.

At the beginning of May, the Red-Green Alliance, an organization of 4 000 members which includes practically all the currents of the Danish radical and ant-capitalist left, held its annual national conference.

The populist demagogy used in this campaign will lead to anti-social,
repressive and antidemocratic measures, which will undoubtedly
provoke very broad resistance and struggles.

In a vicious act of class reprisal Ignacio del Valle Medina, Felipe Alvarez Hernández and Héctor Galindo Gochicua, leaders of the Peoples Front for the Defense of the Land in Atenco, were sentenced on Saturday 5 May to 67 years 6 months jail each for the events in Atenco in early May 2006.

The General Secretary of the Labour Party Pakistan, Farooq Tariq, was arrested from his Lahore office by a heavy contingent of Punjab Police at 1:30 p.m on Friday 4 May.

Declaration made by Olivier Besancenot after the first results of the French presidential election were announced.

Four thousand people crammed in to the Mutualité meeting hall on April 18 to hear Olivier Besancenot, despite the rally falling in the school holiday period. A giant screen was erected outside the hall so that several hundred people who couldn’t find places inside the hall could follow the meeting.

Hundreds of ultra-exploited brick kiln workers are on strike in the Nesher Feroz district of Sind province - for better wages, and against bonded labour servitude.