My Life as a Gay Worker

Rachid’s story is not an isolated case; it is that of millions of workers who remain in the shadows. Coming to terms with one’s sexuality when it doesn’t correspond to heterosexual norms is a fight within all social classes.

France’s State of Emergency and Challenges for the Radical Left

“All the way to the right," the slogan that best defines the current policy of the French government–and more broadly of the entire political spectrum. The government has cynically made use of the November 13 Paris attacks to push its “state of emergency” to the limit, yet it is now facing the first expressions of resistance. This situation presents the far left with the challenges of building a broad, united opposition movement, as well as an independent political alternative to both the government and the reformist left.

International Solidarity Campaign for Goodyear Workers Sentenced to Prison

Earlier this month, eight former workers of the Goodyear tire factory in Amiens-Nord, France were sentenced to up to two years in prison for their involvement in a historic struggle against the plant’s closure.

The Truth About the COP21 Crackdown

In times of "social peace," the mainstream media may pretend to leave room for a plurality of opinions on current events; however, in times of social or political crisis and class struggle, despite the press’ appeals to "responsibility" for the sake of "national interest," the communication agencies reveal their true nature: to serve the government and the ruling classes in general. This Sunday, November 29, the disingenuous coverage of the crackdown against both environmental activists during the COP21 as well as those protesting the state of emergency says a lot about what government and media are willing to do.

Over a hundred arrested at climate change rally in Paris

On Sunday November 29, French riot police fired tear gas at activists protesting on the eve of the COP21 climate summit in Paris. Some demonstrators were also severely beaten with batons. Over a hundred people were arrested at the demo that was attended by more than 5,000 people.

‘We Are Coming to Save Our Lives’

“We are human beings, where are our rights? Where are human rights in France? We are not coming to die, we are coming to save our lives,” says Baby, an Ethiopian woman in France who speaks poignantly about her experience in “The Jungle,” a temporary refugee encampment outside Calais, France. The camp was originally formed about eight years ago. Today, there are upwards of four thousand migrants struggling to survive in squalid conditions as they bear constant attacks by local police who systematically bulldoze tents and fire tear gas and rubber bullets at the migrants. The people have fled from imperialist wars and civil wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and now, Syria, where the European powers are vamping up their war machine. Baby speaks at an NPA conference that took place on November 24, 2015.

The Paris Attacks and a Possible Anti-War Movement

On top of the fear and emotion produced by the brutal attacks in Paris and near the Stadium of France on November 13, we are seeing a rollout of anti-terrorist operations in Saint-Denis and Hollande's “law and order” clampdown – taking domestic measures and Bush-style military actions abroad. It is hard to see anything but doom and gloom. But if we analyze the situation more deeply, the possibility of an emergent movement for democratic liberties that fights against imperialist wars lies in the DNA of a newly-opened political period.

Hollande Follows Sarkozy and Le Pen with New Security Measures

“France is at war,” declared François Hollande to parliamentarians gathered at Congress in Versailles. A “totally secure republic” is the project to convert the bourgeois republic into a permanent state of emergency.

For an Internationalist Working-Class Plan: A Europe of the Workers and Masses

The Europe of Capital has shown its most reactionary face with its xenophobic policies aimed at the “migratory crisis” and its brutal diktats handed down from the Troika, such as those applied by Tsipras’ government against the Greeks. The Europe of the capitalists cannot offer any progressive alternative for millions of workers, youth, women and immigrants.