Young people and workers of the world against Imperialist War: November 20th, 21st and 22nd worldwide actions

Young people around the world are rising up against their governments, war, militarism, repression and attacks on education, living and working conditions. Recently, we have seen student mobilizations in France that have taken on a massive scale across the country in defense of deteriorating educational conditions; leadint to the general strike of the 5th of november. In Spain, too, young people are at the forefront of the demonstrations and the preparations for a general strike in response to the crisis triggered by the housing crisis and the forced eviction of Maricarmen. In Italy young students and second generation’ immigrant youth are taking the stress once again, against increasing cost af living, militarization and precariousness after they were at the forefront of last years’ mass demonstrations and strikes for a free Palestine. The same is happening in Chile, where thousands of high school and college students are rising up against the budget austerity plan of the far-right Kast. In Germany, school students massively reject mandatory conscription with mobilizations in dozens of cities and student strikes. In Argentina, college students have led authentic popular uprisings, taking to the streets and massively occupying university faculties against Milei’s “chainsaw” policy. We also had the “Indian Cockroach Rebellion,” which mobilized hundreds of thousands of people against corruption and educational fraud. 

And these are just a few examples that are common all over the world. 

Another key aspect of these youth protests is their clearly anti-fascist stance and their rejection of the rise of the global far right. This was already evident in the mass demonstrations against the Zionist genocide, where, alongside outrage against criminals such as Trump and Netanyahu – who are directly responsible for the massacre of the Palestinian people – there were massive chants against the far-right leaders in each country who applauded their crimes. The role of young people and this anti-fascist character of the protests they are leading has also been a central element in the mass struggles against Trump and ICE in the US, or the mass protests we are seeing against the De la Espriella government in Colombia or against Bolsonarism in Brazil.

We are witnessing a response from our generations to the disaster into which decadent capitalist system is driving us worldwide. In the midst of a crisis of oveaccumulation, capitalist governments seek to overcome economic crisis by attacking workers in general, and working-class youth in particular: education budgets are being slashed worldwide, as are health care budgets. The housing crisis is widespread, with an entire generation of young people who know full well that we will never own a home under this system. Unemployment is rising alongside the precariousness of employment and the “Uberization” of jobs through expansion of free lancing.

It is clear that the main consequence of the crisis of capitalist overproduction is the intensification of tendencies toward imperialist war. The struggle for global hegemony—in which the United States and China are the main contenders—has no peaceful solution under capitalism

Imperialist war means death and starvation for the people dragged into the conflict; it means the militarization of society and daily life; it means greater austerity programs to finance the death machine. And, as in the past, it means genocide—such as that being carried out by zionist terror of Israel in Palestine. We stand along the heroic Palestinian people, we fight for an independent and free Palestine against Israel, USA, NATO, EE and all the complicit states and governments

The war in Ukraine, the Zionist genocide in Palestine, and the USA Israel aggression against Iran are the most advanced examples, but they are not the only ones. We are talking about a global trend, which governments are implementing within their own borders through the imposition of conscription, austerity measures, and a wartime economy.

We stand firmly against imperialist actions in the Middle East, while offering unconditional support for the resistance of the Palestinian people and the defense of the peoples of Iran and Lebanon.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, we state clearly that there is no “progressive” side; between the US and NATO and the Russia of Putin. rather, it is a war driven by imperialist ambitions. We welcome the growth of anti-war movements and demonstrations on both sides, and we advocate for revolutionary defeatism.

        Resistance to war has in the youth a main character: the rejection of conscription has led to massive demonstrations in different countries such as Germany—the latter under the slogan “The rich want war; young people want a future.” The occupation of university campuses in protest against the genocide of the Palestinian people, or cooperation with workers across Europe through strikes and blockades against the weapons commerce, are other examples of an anti-war movement that holds profound revolutionary potential.

War has become a matter of state policy, driven by capitalist governments—regardless of their political orientation, whether they proclaim themselves progressive, democratic, or aligned with the right—which is gaining ever more ground. In the wake of the collapse of traditional political regimes, nationalism, racism, and fascist tendencies are on the rise within the borders of each country—this is the means by which states unleash war against their own people: with the aim of breaking any kind of resistance and ensuring that there will be no resistance to their plans for mass slaughter, targeting the most exploited and oppressed, migrants, refugees, women, LBTQI+ people. The uprising of fascism and far-right does not represent anything “anti-establishment”, on the contrary, they have always been a tool for the system, in order to suppress the rage of the workers and to stabilize the bourgeoise political system.

Attempts to impose repression and terror have also met with resistance from workers and young people. In the U.S., for example, students and professors at various universities have risen up against the fascist ICE police, going on strike and blocking access points

Trump wants to secure Latin America as his backyard, setting out to control its natural resources and minimize China’s influence. He does so through direct interference in these countries’ elections and even open military intervention—as happened in Venezuela—to ensure the establishment of politically aligned regimes. Using the “War on Drugs” as a pretext, the U.S. constantly threatens and attacks multiple countries all across Latin America. At the same time, they enforce a brutal blockade on Cuba, pushing the heroic Cuban people into wretchedness.

Europe is seeing its political crisis intensify due to the European Union’s economic downturn, the U.S. offensive, and the impact of the war in Ukraine. There is a rapid shift into war economy and war preparation with ReArm Europe of 800 billion euros. As governments lose legitimacy due to the economic slowdown  and rising military budgets, far-right movements are gaining ground by exploiting the discontent sparked by these policies. This process is not merely a resurgence of chauvinism, but rather the political reorganization of countries in preparation for war.

In this process this conference stands for the urgent need for youth to intervene in the political situation. We are the main forced recruits to a war that is not only not ours, but instead the most barbarically expression of the capitalist world crisis. Moreover, all around the world we see how we are being used as a cheap labor force, being the most affected by austerity programs and economical offensives of capitalist governments in all the world. In educational terms, the world tendency to eliminate public and free education institutions at all levels has two main aspects: not only do capitalists want to make education a new business, but also they want to make our labor force cheaper by degrading our degrees. Now more than ever,  it is evident that within capitalism there can never exist a universal, emancipatory education system that promotes all-around development and critical thinking.

Popular front movements or Social Democratic experiences all around the world have shown to be only functional to the reproduction of capitalist interests: our strategic intervention is with the workers of all the world, to defeat the governments of the imperialist war, in order to rise up against a capitalist system that can neither meet our demands nor guarantee us a future

Young people and workers around the world: we must turn our outrage into organized action and international cooperation. We refuse to be cannon fodder, cheap labor, or a generation without a future. On November 20, 21 and 22, let’s take to the streets, occupy campuses, shut down factories, block the war machine, and go on strike wherever possible. Every workplace, every university, every neighborhood must become a center of resistance against austerity, repression,the wars of capitalistsand conscription. 

Not a single young person, not a single worker for their wars! 

Disengagement from all the imperialist plans and alliances. Dissolve NATO and close all of military bases. Down with the imperialist EU of war and exploitation!

Down with the governments of imperialist war! Down with the genocide against the Palestinian people! No collaboration of states and universities with the murder-state of Israel!

Funding for education, for healthcare, for the needs of the working class and the working youth, not for war and repression!

Public, free education for all without exclusions or barriers!

Down with the barbarity of modern working conditions for the sake of capitalist profits! Stable work with full rights for all – wages that meet our needs!     

For a general strike, for international solidarity, to overthrow this system that denies us a future! Let’s fight, let’s organize, let’s win!

UJS PO Argentina - Liberación Comunista Grecia - Izquierda Revolucionaria España - Sep Turquía - TIR Italia - Juventud Anonima Chipre - GAR México - Fuerza 18 de Octubre Chile - Red Migrante Izquierdas Post Sovieticas (Rusos emigrados)

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