January 28, 2011 — A revolution is unfolding in Egypt and across the world: from Tunisia to Athens, London to Amman people are demanding political freedom and economic justice. The current system of US imperialism, neo-liberal capitalism and constant social crisis is incapable of meeting the peoples demands and as revolt spreads we witness the system come crashing down.

Yet the ruling class will fight furiously to maintain their wealth and power. Armies of secret policemen will attack demonstrators on the streets, global corporations like Vodafone will cut cellphone and internet access to prevent news spreading, diplomats and politicians will urge protesters to be non-violent and listen to their rulers, even after decades of violence and deaf ears by rulers like Mubarak and Ben Ali. If the US thinks that Israel is threatened if the regime in Cairo falls then they might even intervene with force to suppress the Egyptian uprising.

The wildcard in world politics has always been international solidarity between workers and oppressed peoples. South African blacks remember the 1981 anti-Springbok Tour protests in New Zealand as a turning point in their struggle against Apartheid, in the 1970s ongoing rebellion by American students and massive GI resistance in the military forced the United States to end their war in Vietnam, in 1936 when Spain was taken over by General Franco, thousands of workers from across the world, including New Zealand went to fight fascism in defence of the Spanish Republic, in 1917 the Russian revolution and an uprising in Germany ended the murderous slaughter of the First World War.

In the face of the brutality of the Egyptian military and the callousness of the US imperialists, we need to urgently organise worldwide protests to show our solidarity with the Egyptian people and to demand that the US end its military support to its puppet dictators and regimes in North Africa and the Middle East. In workplaces, schools, universities, churches and mosques we should spread information about an uprising where Christians told Muslims that they would defend them from the police and where university professors and slum dwellers stand shoulder to shoulder against the regime. As tanks and tear gas fill the streets of Cairo, people across the world must stand in solidarity with the Egyptian people.

Socialist Aotearoa (New Zealand)