Protesters have practically shut down Panama for over two weeks now in an effort to keep the Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals from operating Central America’s largest open-pit copper mine. Michael Fox tells the story and analyses its implications.
Frank Hammer, former President of United Auto Workers (UAW) local 909 in Detroit and retired GM worker, explains how “legacy” workers are standing up for new hires. This is critical to building working-class solidarity. He also reflects on the history of autoworker strikes in the U.S. and in Mexico, reminding us of the deadly incident at the Ford Cuautitlán plant, in which thugs dressed in Ford uniforms shot dead one of the workers and injured ten others.
Yasser Louati, political analyst and Head of the Committee for Justice and Liberties, highlights the brutal practices of the French police, as well as the proximity of the police unions to Marine Le Pen’s right-wing ideology. He discusses how French secularism, or laïcité, has been instrumentalized against racialized groups and minorities. Furthermore, he argues that France is at a crossroads; as seen in the anti-pension reform protests, different groups from the fringes of French society are uniting to protest the neoliberal state, as well as its policies which sustain religious and racial discrimination and the increased alienation of the poorer classes. Will French society keep fighting for justice and rise up against the regime, as it has done in various movements in the past?
The South Australien Government has made an ad about its new anti-protest legislation, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative. This video was originally published by The Juice Media on May 28, 2023.
Renaud Lambert, journalist at Le Monde diplomatique, discusses the nationwide anti-pension reform protests in France, which have consisted of over a million people taking to the streets on more than one occasion. He underscores how French President Emmanuel Macron’s tax cuts for the wealthy have increased the current deficit, exposing how workers will now need to work longer to make up for the decreases in government revenue.
Why the United States should reduce its unconditional support for Saudi Arabia and the bleak outlook for Iran Nuclear Deal talks. Talia Baroncelli speaks to Trita Parsi, executive vice president at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a transpartisan think tank.
Talia Baroncelli interviews historian Pouya Alimagham about the historical context of the current Iranian uprising.
Iranians protest brutal repression and why U.S. statements of solidarity are empty without a reversal of crushing sanctions. Assal Rad joins Talia Baroncelli on theAnalysis.news.
“We’re not going to win anything in the broader society if we don’t start with the foundation of strong worksite unions and organizing workers who may not agree with us. Under a capitalist system, the single most powerful thing workers can do is walk off the job and stop production.” Jane McAlevey joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news.
What exactly happened last week in Kazakhstan? This is a question that many people have. Was this a genuine protest, or a western-led American jab in Russia’s soft underbelly? Was this a working-class movement or yet another post-Soviet attempt at a color revolution? It appears that there was a little bit of everything. The context is one of deep contradictions in Kazakhstan’s ruling class and society as a whole.
Boyan Stanislavski and Maria Cernat carefully examine the chronology of last week’s events in Kazakhstan, highlighting the most doubtful moments and carefully explaining what conclusions can be drawn based on facts that are now public record. The hosts of “On the Barricades” also mention some possibilities for which there is only circumstantial evidence and which cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.
Were the events in Kazakhstan a popular workers uprising, a “Colored Revolution”, or a manifestation of power struggles within the Kazakh establishment? Or all of the above? The Barricade’s Boyan Stanislavski and Maria Cernat discuss the general political realities in Kazakhstan today, as well as the fundamental premises for such violent events to have occurred.
This interview was originally released on April 22, 2014. On Reality Asserts Itself, Mr. Lander says while there are problems with the democratic process in Venezuela, the current protests are anti-democratic attempts to bring down an elected government.