Action against the Euro 2012

Submitted by Black Adder on June 8, 2012

On June 8, the Euro Cup opened in Warsaw. The city was full of police, military police and football fans. ZSP and the Tenants Defense Committee organized a protest against the politics of the Euro. The protest was at the main roundabout on the way to the stadium, so thousands of people passed by. People spoke about the money spent on the Euro and the fact that UEFA (which was exempted from tax in Poland) and a few businesses would be big beneficiaries, but that the public has spent already almost 26 billion euros on the spectacle. At the same time that Poland is spending a lot of money on games, children will go hungry as the city privatizes school cafeterias, makes cut in social services and raises the price on everything.

Our comrade from ZSP also pointed out that the general contractor which built the National Stadium in Warsaw declared bankruptcy earlier in the week because of problems receiving payments. This means that a whole line of subcontractors and workers have also not been paid. They threatened to block the opening of the Euro, but didn't. The workers at the stadium for the Euro, who are being cheated and receive less money than promised, threatened to strike - but didn't. This sort of situation, where many workers are not organized and are beaten with defeatism in a country with concillatory unions, is creating more and more social problems. The protestors called on people to organize themselves against these types of abuse.

A guillotine was brought and the demonstrators declared that if the politicians continue as they are going, they might have to use it. Instead of more social cuts, the only thing we want cut are the heads of the government.

After the protest a few comrades went to the police station to protest the arrest of activists from Femen who made an action at the Stadium.

Comments

szcz01

11 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by szcz01 on June 8, 2012

The main protest will take place in Poznań on Sunday. Coalition of anarchists, trade unionists and non-party anti-capitalist leftists organizations from whole country with people of Poznań will demand 'Bread, not Games!'. Today activist from Gdańsk, Poznań, Warsaw, Cracow and Wrocław organised conference for some mainstream and local media. Tomorrow next conference titeled 'Crisis and games - social-political consequences'. More details (in Polish) and statement (in Polish, English, Ukrainian, Russian, Italian, Croatian and German) here http://www.10czerwca.eu

akai

11 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by akai on June 8, 2012

Yeah, but if you copy texts you can put the source or sources. Some people would also ask that you indicate the author, although I don't care about that. I was planning on writing a different text for Libcom, but now you have this one (that I didn't want to send.)

Anyway, the leaflet and photos are published here:
http://www.internationalworkersassociation.blogspot.com/2012/06/action-against-euro-2012.html

szcz01

11 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by szcz01 on June 11, 2012

Here you can find some photos from "Bread, not Games" demo in Poznań.

http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/regionalne/poznan/demonstracja-w-poznaniu-chleba-zamiast-igrzysk,5156423,0,fotoreportaz-maly.html

szcz01

11 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by szcz01 on June 27, 2012

Short video from the demonstration (Poznań 10.06.2012).
https://blip.tv/szumtv/chleba-zamiast-igrzysk-6226153