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Egyptian workers on the move - Mubarak watchout

There has been something of a strike wave in Egypt over the past few months as working people fight economic depression and a pro-Israeli/US dictatorship. Hossam el-Hamalawy on his Arabawy blog has extensive coverage and links.

Hossam has been critical of people and organisations with no real social weight calling 'general strikes' as if such things can just be conjured up out of thin air. The April 6 Youth Movement would probably be seen as one such organisation. The April 6 Youth movement called for a general strike on 6 April but without really pulling the workers and unions that had been leading the strikes behind it, as I understand it.

Despite the ongoing arguments over strategy and tactics in Egypt, we republish the article below which I think is a balance sheet of what their 'general strike' call achieved.



April 6 Youth movement

Kerri Percay (Egypt) wrote

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=8641&post=40277&uid=38588398289#post40277

There is a big difference between resistance and opposition-- It's a battle in a long war.

We did not pretend that we are the organizers of the general strike and did not pretend that we have arms everywhere.
April 6, 2009 is considered a game in the middle of the League Cup, we won a match and gained a lot but there were also some casualties.
The anger day contained many forms of protest; the students strike succeeded in the Egyptian universities, students abstained from studying.
Helwan, Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, Assiut and Sohag Universities have seen many angry protest activities, Ranging from exhibitions and dozens of stopovers and even hundreds of thousands of marches took place students in some universities.
And the security forces derailed the activities in the Ain Shams University and arrested 5 students using violence and bullying.

As For the manifestations of anger in the streets Pause, the State Council stand and the Nubians stand were successful, Security Disengagement of Federation of Trade Unions of Egypt stand and the protest and stand in front of the Press Syndicate was Successful. And without any assortment 150 employees at the POST AUTHORITY organized a stand in front of the post authority office, but the security resolved it quickly but the owners of the bakeries in Dakahlia stand were successful.

In the provinces
Security prevented any demonstrations in Alexandria and Port-said.

And for the first time in the history of Egypt's parliamentary all the opposition parties and independent deputies Pulled out from the People's Assembly session during Ahmed Nazif’s speech and declared their solidarity with of 6 April youth in front of the media and made a protest in front of the Parliament.

And actually dozens joined the movement either to the group or during the universities activities.

We didn’t succeed in organizing protest activities in the streets but we succeeded in our main advertiser goal, we also have succeeded in spreading the word of anger and protest in every home and we have succeeded in guiding thousands of people and sectors to the right path
“Stay positive -- That is the only solution”
“Demanded your right-- That is the only right”

No alternative to the opposition coalition
Today we have succeeded in t the opposition circumvents on the same day and tomorrow we will succeed in circumvent opposition with all their different communities to the same demands, goals and activities.

April 6, 2009 the anger is the beginning of a new era
That young people will have their own word
That young people have the will power and will be respected from everyone.

Our enemy is dirty, oppressive and unfair
April 6, 2009 is just a game in a dozens of games in a long League Cup in-front of a team who plays unfairly with all means of illicit.

April 6, 2009 is just a battle in a long series of battles

April 6, 2009 is a day among so many days.

We gained a lot and may be we did not succeed in achieving all our hopes.. But it was expected.

Our enemy used all illicit means to break our bones, made pre-emptive strikes and a campaign of mass arrests but of course, will not surrender, we are not just opponents, we strugglers.

And there is a big difference between the opposition and resistance.

Let us rejoice with our gains and monitor our mistakes gently and continue the accumulation of events and activities; we will not be like the rest.

We will not be accepting the viewer role.

We will not be accepting to be a reaction, but we will continue our initiatives by all means and forms.

6 April Youth
Are Coming
And are immovable

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