DEM VOLKE DIENEN

On Sunday 19 June 2022, France held elections for a new parliament. The result is remarkable in two respects in particular. Firstly, only just over 40 per cent of French people went to the polls and cast a vote. This means that not even half of the people in France still have confidence in parliament and have realised that no bourgeois party meets their interests. Secondly, President Emmanuel Macron's party lost its absolute majority in parliament. His party "En Marche", together with the electoral alliance "Ensemble", received only 245 seats in the election, which corresponds to a good 38 percent.

The German bourgeoisie continues to implement its plan to soften the 8-hour day. At the beginning, the softening of the 8-hour day in the health sector was justified by the pandemic, and now, according to the wishes of the BDI president, it is to be extended to all sectors due to the shortage of skilled workers.

The economic crisis, along with the current inflation of 73.5 percent, is bringing the deepest and broadest masses in Turkey closer and closer to the edge of their existence. All over the country, the poor peasants are suffering from rising food and fuel prices, which makes survival in servitude to the big landowners more difficult every day. As an example, the situation of the peasants in Ashut village in Chukurca province in the Turkish part of Mesopotamia, in the very south-east of the country.

Yesterday, 20 June, 70,000 to 80,000 people demonstrated in Belgium's capital Brussels in the course of a strike against inflation. The cost of living has also risen massively in Belgium in the wake of the economic crisis, which was first accelerated and intensified by the Corona pandemic and now by the war in Ukraine. Inflation in the country is now at 9 per cent, a few per cent higher than here in Germany. Food and everyday consumer goods are more than 30 per cent more expensive than last year. The Belgian government under the leadership of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has reduced taxes on gas, fuel and electricity, but this does not compensate for the general price increases.

On June 19, a rally was also held in Freiburg on the occasion of the Day of Heroism. Revolutionaries gathered in the working-class district of Weingarten under the slogan "Long live the fallen heroes! Long live the revolution!".

On the occasion of Heroism Day, proletarian revolutionaries in Essen-Altendorf, a poverty-stricken district of Essen, organized a rally in a central part of the district. Again and again crowds from the neighborhood listened to the speeches, sought dialogue with the revolutionaries or directly grabbed the red flag with hammer and sickle and lined up. This shows that revolutionaries are a part of life in the neighborhood.

Manifestations were held in three cities in northern Germany to mark 19 June - the Day of Heroism. We document the short reports and photos here.

Hamburg

On 19 June 2022, the Red Hamburg Collective held a manifestation in the working class neighbourhood of Mümmelmannsberg under the slogan "Against passing on price increases and inflation to the working class!". A banner and speeches denounced that the workers should now bear the costs of the crisis and war - the continuing price increases and the constantly rising inflation. The cost of living is getting higher every month and inflation in the FRG is now 7.9 per cent. The measures of the German government, such as the 9-Euro-Ticket and the so-called petrol rebate, on the other hand, are only crumbs that are thrown at the feet of the workers and the people and hardly bring anything. Instead, the federal government is investing 100 billion euros in the attack capacities of the Bundeswehr.

The workers are fed up with this situation. Many who passed by the manifestation asked interested questions, told a lot about their own worsening situation and expressed their support for the manifestation. The demands expressed by the manifestation resonated strongly with the voices of the residents of Mümmelmannsberg. The Rote Post was sold and leaflets were distributed.

Beyond the demands of the day, a speech also drew attention to the significance of 19 June as a day of heroism. On 19 June 1986, the old Peruvian state murdered almost 300 revolutionary prisoners of war, fighters of the Peruvian Communist Party. Since that day, 19 June has been celebrated every year by communists and revolutionaries around the world as Heroism Day.

The manifestation showed that the workers do not want to accept the state of affairs that this system means for them. That something has to change is clear to most of them, only the way how has to be shown. For this, the working class needs its own militant organisation that meets the demands of the workers, leads the struggle against the prevailing conditions and creates real change.

Bremerhaven

A manifestation was held by the Red Women's Committee of Bremen in the Goethe district of Bremerhaven. Speeches denounced the passing on of price increases and inflation to the working class and upheld the heroic struggle of the comrades in Peru who gave their lives for the revolution 36 years ago on 19 June. At the same time, flyers were distributed which were very popular among the masses. Many showed solidarity with the manifestation by shouting or raising their fists.

Bremen

The previous day, the day Mohammed I was shot dead by police in the working class district of Gröpelingen in Bremen, a similar manifestation had taken place. Here, too, there was great interest and support for the speeches and the leaflet.