by Thano P and Ted M
August 4, 2015
Undermining the historic anti-austerity no vote in the July 5th referendum, the Greek Parliament and its leadership have accepted what is in effect a third “Memorandum.” This agreement being forced on Greece by the European Central Bank, EU, and International Monetary Fund will cut pensions, raise the regressive value added sales tax, and generally continue neoliberal austerity.
New Yorkers rally in solidarity with Greece.
Greek public sector workers have gone on strike in protest of this agreement, and the majority of the Central Committee of Syriza, as well as its Left Platform and other forces on the revolutionary left there have come out in public opposition to it. We recognize the importance of these recent events and the place of the social situation in Greece at the forefront of the fight against capitalist austerity and the economic crisis.
In addition, we take very seriously comparisons with Puerto Rico as “the USA’s Greece.” Solidarity extends full political support to social movements and the left in Greece struggling against this new austerity agreement. We extend support and commit our organization and members to participate in public protest, mobilization, and educational activity in this critical period. This includes actions organized by the AKNY Greek Solidarity Committee in NYC, Chicago Greek Solidarity Committee, and educational forums like those organized by the Washtenaw Reds.
This resolution was presented to the 2015 Convention of Solidarity on July 25-26 and approved by a majority vote. Members of Solidarity hold a range of views on Greece and Syriza and are free to dissent from any positions beyond our Basis of Political Agreement.