July 30, 2003

Comrades,

        Unemployed Iraqis are right now staging a sit-in for unemployment benefits or work at the headquarters of the US civil administration (former Republic Palace) in Baghdad. Comrades in the Workers Communist Party of Iraq are playing a leadership role in this struggle through the Union of Unemployed People of Iraq.

        They are asking that messages of support to be sent from political parties, unions etc. Internationally, they have already received support from the Swiss labour party, the German CP (ML), and Finnish and UK unions, and the Campaign against Fascism (UK).

        Please send solidarity messages from your organization and other relevant groups to: surma10@yahoo.com.au They will be forwarded to the comrades in Iraq.

        Below is a report from yesterday's paper about the sit-in.  

Sincerely,

Riki Lane
Socialist Alliance Executive Committee
Australia
 

USA forces arrest 19 members of the Union of the
Unemployed People in Iraq

        This morning, as part of the USA reactionary policies in Iraq, the USA forces arrested Qasim Hadi, the secretary of the Union of the Unemployed People in Iraq (UUPI) and 18 other members during a sit-in before the headquarters of the USA civil administration (former Republic Palace) in Baghdad. The detained protesters were brutally insulted and tortured by these forces. 

        The detainees were part of a thousand-strong demonstration yesterday, July 29,2003, which started in front of the UUPI's office and marched to the site of the sit-in. The US soldiers tried deliberately to provoke the demonstrators. Among their provocative actions, they installed their bayonets and often directed
them at the demonstrators' chests in a bid to blackmail them and defeat their protest. In the second day of the sit-in, the soldiers tried to disperse the demonstrators and remove their tent by force, however the protesters made a ring around the tent and forced them to retreat. Then the soldiers asked the   demonstrators to nominate a delegation to hold talks with the USA civil   authorities. The delegation which was formed of Sabah Hussein, the deputy   secretary of the UUPI, Yanar Muhammad, the leading member of the Organisation for Women's Freedom in Iraq and Moayad Ahmad, the member of the political bureau of the Worker Communist Party of Iraq held negotiations with the US authorities and insisted that the soldiers release all arrested demonstrators and avoid harassing the unemployed people until their demand in having jobs or $100 a month as unemployment benefit is achieved.  

Soon thereafter the US released all the detainees. They were hailed by their   comrades who were chanting slogans like: "Long live the Worker Communist Party of Iraq," "Long live the Union of the Unemployed people in Iraq". Today, July 30 at 2:00p.m. another delegation was formed to hold negotiations with the USA civil administration.

The Worker Communist Party of Iraq (WCPI) condemns the oppressive actions of the US. It will not reserve an effort to achieve the demands and wishes of the masses in Iraq for a better life. The WCPI also calls on all freedom-loving and egalitarian people worldwide to condemn these actions and support the demands of the unemployed people and their union.

Worker Communist Party of Iraq