While everything is being done to get the comrades released in Pakistan, around the world our campaign for protest letters and emails got under way. Today, on 25 April, Pakistani embassies and consulates in different countries were picketed, with supporters handing in signed petitions and demanding that action be taken to free the abducted comrades.
We share reports of these activities below.
Canada
We received an important letter, addressed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan from Mike Palacek, the National President of the Canadian postal workers’ union, CUPW, representing 50,000 workers in Canada.
The comrades of Fightback picketed the embassy in Toronto, demanding our comrades’ release:
The comrades of Socialist Fightback at York University assembled to show their solidarity:
Italy
Yesterday, the Italian section of the IMT, Sinistra Classe Rivoluzione, made interventions raising the abduction of our comrades at April 25 rallies celebrating of the fall of fascism in Rome, Milan, Bologna, Modena, Parma, Pavia, Padua, Naples, and other towns:
The comrades also contacted the Pakistan embassy in Rome asking for an urgent meeting. The response was that the officials have applied to the Ministry in Pakistan and are waiting for an answer, but at the moment they are not in a position to grant an appointment. As the embassy was closed yesterday due to the national holiday, a picket will be organized in the coming days, which will require police permission.
We publish here a list of the first signatories from Italy. The comrades also collected other signatures in yesterday’s rallies:
- Eleonora Forenza, an Italian Member of the European Parliament, part of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left group
- Claudio Bellotti (spokesperson of the electoral list “For a Revolutionary Left”)
- Mario Iavazzi (National Committee, Cgil)
- Alessandro Giardiello (National Execeutive, Sinistra Classe Rivoluzione)
- Alessio Marconi (National Executive Sinistra Classe Rivoluzione)
- Paolo Brini (Central Committee Fiom-Cgil, metalworkers’ union)
- Gianplacido Ottaviano (Central Committee Fiom-Cgil and factory committee Bonfiglioli Bologna)
- Domenico Loffredo (Fca-FIAT Pomigliano D’Arco – Fiom Naples)
- Paolo Grassi (National Committee unemployed workers’ union Nidil-Cgil)
- Margherita Colella (National Committee School Workers’ Union, Flc-Cgil)
- Sonia Previato (Editor, Rivoluzione)
- Serena Capodicasa (Editorial Board, Falcemartello)
- Franco Bavila (Lombardy Regional Committee, Bank Workers’ Union, Fisac-Cgil)
- Daniele Prampolini (Fiom Provincial Committee, Modena)
- Piero Ficiarà (Fiom Provincial Committee, Modena)
- Luca Paltrinieri (Fiom Provincial Committee, Modena and Netscout factory committee)
- Giuseppe Violante (Fiom-Cgil Modena and Maserati shop stewards’ committee)
- Matteo Parlati (Fiom-Cgil Modena and Ferrari shop stewards’ committe)
- Giuseppe Faillace (Fiom Provincial Committee, Modena and Motovario factory committee)
- Luca Acquarico (Fiom Provincial Committee, Modena)
- Francesco Favalli (Sempre in Lotta student coordinating committee)
- Davide Bacchelli (Fiom-Cgil Bologna provincial committee and shop steward at IMA factory)
- Gian Pietro Montanari (Fiom-Cgil Bologna provincial committee and Toyota factory committee)
- Gianluca Sita (Fiom-Cgil shop steward at IMA factory)
- Domenico Minadeo (Fiom shop stewards’ committee Metaltarghe plant, Bologna)
- Massimo Pieri (Shop steward in Tas plant, Casalecchio di Reno and Fiom-Cgil Bologna provincial committee)
- Beatrice Bonaldo (Marxist Study Group at University of Milan)
- Luca Ibattici (Rsu Spal Shop steward committee, Reggio Emilia, and Regional Committee Fiom Emilia Romagna)
- Davide Ledda (Cft shop steward, and Fiom-Cgil Parma provincial committee)
- Arianna Mancini (Usb Asl Roma)
- Diego Sabelli (Elt shop steward and Fiom-Cgil Rome provincial committee)
- Vincenzo Chianese (Ergom shop steward, Caserta, and Fiom-Cgil Campania Regional Committee)
- Marco Mussini (Fiom-Cgil Reggio Emilia committee)
- Emilio Di Lorenzo (Marxist Study Group, Naples University)
- Angelo Raimondi (shop steward Esselunga supermarket Corbetta-Milan, and Lombardy Regional Committee Filcams-Cgil)
- Davide Longo (Collettivo Varese Rossa)
- Antonio Forlano (UPS shop steward and Filt-Cgil Lombardy |Regional Committee)
- Laura Parozzi (UPS shop steward Vimodrone, Milan and Filt-Cgil provincial committee)
- Cinzia Crespi (UPS shop steward Vimodrone, Milan and Filt-Cgil provincial committee)
- Barbara Lietti (Shop steward at Sacco Hospital, Milan and Lombardy regional committee Civil Service Union-Cgil)
- Antonio Esposito (shop steward Slc-Cgil, Almaviva, Naples)
- Fulvio Beato (USB Private Sector, Caserta)
- Simona Leri (Shop steward, Coop Alleanza 3.0, Filcams-Cgil Modena provincial committee)
- Joan Valdiviezo (shop steward Filt-Cgil Italgroup depot, UPS Milan)
- Jeisson Zuniga (shop steward Filt-Cgil Planet depot, UPS Milan)
- Luca Pezza (shop steward at Michelin plant, and Filctem-Cgil Milan provincial committee)
- Fiammetta Fossati (shop steward at Etipak and Fiom-Cgil, Milan)
- Davide Tognioni (shop steward Rolo local council, Reggio Emilia and FP-Cgil)
- Ilic Vezzosi (Cgil, Reggio Emilia provincial committee)
- Marco Paterlini (shop steward Olmo, Reggio Emilia and FP-Cgil)
- Alessio Sammartino (Filcams-Cgil, Rome provincial committee)
- Lidia Luzzaro (Nidil-Cgil Cosenza provincial committee)
- Serenella Ricci (Lombardy regional committee Fisac-Cgil)
- Lorenzo Esposito (Shop steward, Banca D’Italia, Milan)
- Sergio Schneider (Shop steward Flc-Cgil, Milan)
Brazil
We received an official letter from the National Executive of the PSOL in Brazil addressed to the Pakistan Ambassador in Brasilia, condemning the abductions.
We received another from Geny Beckert of the Célula SINTE, and a further one from the Núcleo Sindical Curitiba Norte, who also sent a letter of protest to the Ambassador of Pakistan in Brazil. Additionally, Johannes Halter, a Brazilian journalist in São Paulo, sent a letter of protest. Finally, Adilson Mariano, a History Teacher and President of the Partido Socialismo e Liberdade in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil wrote to the Pakistan Ambassador demanding freedom for the abducted seven.
The following key figures also added their names to the petition:
- Tiago de Carvalho, OAB/Santa Caterina, 37.119
- Professor Leandro Siqueira (PhD in Human Development and Technologies – UNESP/Rio Claro
- Postgraduate in Political Science at the Universidade Cândido Mendes – MG
- Teacher of Physical Education – UNIFAFIBE/Bebedouro-SP
- Mauro Nunes, General Coordinator of the Association of Parents of State School Students of Rido de Janeiro
- Fábio Bruno Ramirez, General Coordinator of the Union of Technical/Admin staff at the Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá/MT – Brazil
- Rafael Prata, delegado sindical da PSO BB Campinas/SP, militante da Esquerda Marxista
- Alexandre Mandl, advogado dos trabalhadores da Fábrica Ocupada Flaskô e da Ocupação Vila Soma em Sumaré/SP
- José Cícero de Oliveira, trabalhador dos Correios, militante da Esquerda MarxistaGilvan de Souza Barbosa, trabalhador dos Correios, militante da Esquerda Marxista
- Thiago Oliveira, professor de filosofia da PUC-Campinas, militante da Esquerda Marxista
- Domingos Sávio, trabalhador químico aposentado, militante da Esquerda Marxista
- João Evangelista Dias, trabalhador químico da Fábrica Ocupada Flaskô, militante da Esquerda Marxista
- Daniel Carvalho, trabalhador de TI, militante da Esquerda Marxista
- Clarice Erhardt, Coordenadora do Sindicato dos Trabalhadores em Educação de Santa Catarina – Regional Joinville
- SINDICATO DOS TRABALHADORES EM EDUCAÇÃO NA REDE PÚBLICA DE ENSINO DE SANTA CATARINA – SINTE/SC – Regional Joinville
- PRISMA – Coletivo classista LGBT+ da UNESP – Bauru
- Diretório Acadêmico da FAAC – UNESP Bauru
- Cursinho Popular Acesso Hip Hop
- Ulrich Beathalter – presidente do Sinsej, Sindicato dos Servidores Públicos Municipais de Joinville e Região – Sinsej
We received a solidarity message from the teachers’ union APP. Additionally, comrades from Esquerda Marxista in Brazil picketed the Pakistani embassy in Rio de Janeiro, demanding the immediate release of the abductees in Karachi:
Britain
A leader of the 2016 Junior Doctors’ strike in Britain and member of the Momentum National Coordinating Group, Yannis Gourtsoyannis, issued a public statement on Facebook:
We also had the following important trade union and Labour party figures signing the petition of protest: Jane Loftus, President of the Communication Workers Union, Steve Hedley, Senior Assistant General Secretary of the Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, Apsana Begum, Momentum National Coordinating Group and Secretary Tower Hamlets Labour Party, and also the Queen Margaret University UCU branch:
The UCU Queen Margaret University Branch in Edinburgh also sent the following message of solidarity to the PTM activists in Pakistan:
“UCUQMU branch send our solidarity to the 7 Pashtun Tahafuz (Protection) Movement (PTM) activists abducted by the Pakistani state. As trade unionists we view the right to protest and the protection of oppressed minorities as vital principles that we defend the world over. We condemn this action and call for democratic processes and freedom of political expression for the PTM activists to be recognised and for them to be released immediately.”
Furthermore, the King’s College London branch of the UCU unanimously passed a motion of solidarity with the abducted seven. The same motion will be sent to the UCU’s annual congress in May. If passed, it will throw the weight of the entire union behind the fight against state abductions:
The official petition (set up in Britain) has also received 1,865 signatures at the time of writing, and is available to view and sign here.
There was also a picket outside the Pakistan Embassy in London this morning:
Argentina
Two Argentinian MPs, Nicolás del Caño and Nathalia Gonzalez Seligra, both of the PTS – FIT, sent protest letters to the Pakistani Embassy condemning the abductions.
Dr. Fernando Buen Abad Domínguez, Universidad de la Filosofía, Rector Fundador, wrote to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Interior Minister and the Pakistan Embassy in Argentina. As did Carlos Ghioldi: CTA Trade Union Secretary of the WORKERS (Rosario Regional) and President Workers’ Cooperative Solidarios en Lucha – Centro Cultural de la Toma (Rosario).
Mexico
In Mexico, the following left-wing and labour organisations signed our petition:
- La Izquierda Socialista (IMT Méxco)
- Comité de Lucha Estudiantil del Politécnico (CLEP)
- Liga de Mujeres Revolucionarias
- Juventudes Marxistas
- Frente de Escuelas Democráticas Febrero 25 (FEDEF-25)
- Federación de Estudiantes Democráticos (FED)
Students at the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico sent their solidarity to the arrested Pakistani comrades, as did the well-known, left-wing writer and activist, Paco Ignacio Taibo II:
The comrades also picketed their embassy:
Spain
The Círculos Marxistas Universitarios of Spain added their names to the petition, along with the following:
- Alberto Arregui, member of the Federal Coordination of Izquierda Unida (national leadership of United Left)
- Lluís Perarnau . Local councillor Sabadell – Crida per Sabadell
- Concha Palencia, Senator in Spanish Parlament, member of PODEMOS
- Óscar Reina, national spokesman of the Sindicato Andaluz de Trabajadores (Workers’ Andalousian Union)
- Patricio Cabrerizo, Works council’s chairman in Aratubo (Vitoria-Gasteiz)
- Nadia García, shop-steward in Procavi (Marchena-Sevilla)
- Susana López, spokeswoman of the PODEMOS branch in Morón (Sevilla)
- (Fdo) Jesús Martínez de Carlos, Concejal de I.U- Orain del Ayuntamiento de Estella. Navarra
- (Fdo) Jesús María Martínez Berrueta. Miembro de I.U y de CCOO Correos. Estella Navarra
- José Antonio Cabrera Rodriguez, Diputado de la Diputación Provincial de Sevilla
- Patricio Cabrerizo, secretario del comité de empresa en Aratubo
National spokesman for the Andalusian Trade Union of Workers, Óscar Reina, recorded a message in solidarity with the IMT comrades disappeared in Pakistan:
The comrades in Madrid sent a solidarity photograph for the abducted activists:
We have received a number of new prominent signatories in Spain, including:
- Jorge Martínez Crespo, responsable de Movimientos Sociales de IU Madrid
- Henar Moreno Martínez, del Secretariado del Partido de la Izquierda Europea (European Left)
- Javier Couso, MEP, United Left
Austria
Martin Gutlederer, a leading member of Socialist Youth, sent this on our behalf statement:
“This is an unacceptable attack on the democratic right of free speech and the freedom to assemble. It is not known where these comrades are now, which must be made public. I demand the immediate release of the mentioned persons!
Sincerely,
Martin Gutlederer BSc.,
Member of the Local Council of the market town of Krummnussbaum, Austria,
Member of the Vienna Committee of the Socialist Youth Austria,
Member of the District Committee of Alsergrund (Vienna) of the Social Democratic Party of Austria.”
The Austrian comrades also picketed the Pakistani embassy.
Switzerland
The Swiss Marxists held two solidarity pickets in Berne and Geneva:
They also received coverage in a local newspaper and are expecting a bigger article in a French-language newspaper from Geneva tomorrow. Two national leaders of the Young Socialists were present at Berne, and comrades aim to move a solidarity resolution at the YS delegation meeting next Saturday.
Macedonia
A letter of protest was sent from the Levica party in the Republic of Macedonia.
USA
The Steering Committee of the Boston DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) issued a solidarity statement with the comrades in Pakistan.
We also received the following, notable signatories from the States:
- Thomas Trottier, Member of the Organization of Staff Analysts (OSA) A NYC Public Employees union, Bronx, NY, USA
- Sam Swartz, Member of SEIU Local 1199, Queens, NY, USA
Comrades sent in solidarity images from the Minneapolis DSA and from the IMT branch in Pittsburgh:
Socialist Revolution, the Marxists in the USA, protested the Pakistani consulate in New York City. They also sent in solidarity photos from Oakland, California; Ames, Iowa and Boulder, Colorado:
A solidarity motion was also passed, and photograph taken, by the Paterson DSA branch in New Jersey:
Comrades staged a demonstration in front of the Pakistan Consulate in Chicago in solidarity with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement and demanding the immediate release of the seven abducted comrades. They created and distributed a leaflet explaining the situation and printed a letter with our demands to the Consul General in Chicago, with a space for supporters to sign.
Iraq
Akram Nadir, Union Organizer in Iraq and Kurdistan and International Representative of Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI) sent the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Minister of Interior the following letter:
“We are deeply concerned about the disappearance of seven youth and labour activists, in Karachi on Saturday, after the seven attended a peaceful protest in support of the Pashtun movement.
“They are presumed to have been arrested by the Army and Sindh Rangers, a paramilitary state department notorious for extra-judicial killings and we fear for their safety.
“Furthermore, we view the disappearances as a very serious attack on the labor and democratic rights of Pakistani working people.
“We ask you to investigate this incident and assure us that these activists are safe and well. We also ask you to inform us as to where they are being held and ensure their immediate release, as they have not participated in any form of illegal actions.”
Venezuela
Eduardo Samán, former minister and prominent leader of the Bolivarian left expressed his support:
The listed political and trade union figures and organisations in Venezuela also signed a protest letter:
- Sindicato de Artes Gráficas (SUTAG)
- Lucha de Clases – CMI Venezuela
- Supermercados Central Madeirense
- INCES
- Sindicato y Delegados de Ovejita
- Juventud Obrera Católica
- Juventud Comunista de Venezuela
- Movimiento Social Nora Castañeda
- Zona Libertad
- Liga de Trabajadores por el Socialismo
- Delegados de Prevención AIREYVENCA
- Alcaldía de Libertador
- Alcaldía de Caracas
- Vanguardia Obrera Aragua
- Marea Socialista
- Smurfit Kappa – Cartonera de Venezuela
- Tipografía Lago
- SIPTRAIVSS (Sindicato de los Seguros Sociales)
- Radio Comunitaria Voz Popular
- SINTRAITE
- Movimiento Estudiantil Revolucionario de la USB
- Célula San Martín – CMI
- Frente Nacional de Lucha de la Clase Trabajadora (FNLCT)
A Caracas branch of Lucha de Clases sent a solidarity photograph for the abducted comrades:
Germany
The comrades of Der Funke picketed the consulate in Frankfurt:
Furthermore, Hans Neumann, spokesman of the Anti-capitalist Left Lower Saxony, Germany, sent a letter of protest. As did Andrea Hügelschäfer, chairman of Die Linke in Odenwaldkreis.
The Alzey branch of Linksjugend [‘solid] (the youth organisation of Die Linke) expressed its solidarity with our abducted comrades:
Sweden
The Swedish comrades held a protest at the embassy in Stockholm:
- Enzo Costa, chair Unga Byggare (young builders)
- Kajsa Ekis Ekman, journalist and author
- Claudia Venasquez, chair of the Left Party, Helsingborg and Parliamentary Candidate,
- Robert Lindelöf, shop steward Hamnarbetarförbundet (port workers union) section 4 in Gothenburg
Belgium picket:
There was a protest this morning at the Pakistan Embassy in Brussels to demand the release of the [then] 9 abducted left wing activists from the Progressive Youth Alliance and the Red Workers Front. After a short moment of panic, members of the embassy staff let the comrades into the back garden to discuss with us. An official talked to with the comrades but refused to give his name or position. He also refused to be photographed…quite undiplomatic for a member of the diplomatic mission!
The comrades told him we wanted to know of the whereabouts of the missing activists. The only answer they got is that there must be a good reason for the arrests, but he did not know what they were, and that he would transmit our letter “to whom it concerns” in Pakistan. To conclude this unpleasant encounter, the comrades announced they would be back soon if the activists were still being held, and that they would get an intervention from MEPs in the European Parliament.
“We demand the release of those people mentioned above; it is unworthy of a democratic country to arrest people for political and trade union related activities.”
Nick Deschacht wrote another protest letter, as did Pablo Sanchez Centellas, Communications and Campaigns Officer and Liaison with the EP.
Greece
In Greece, the following prominent figures have added their names to our petition:
- Coordination Committee of ANTARSYA – EC member of the Federation Unions of the workers in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
- Giorgos Ortantzoglou – EC member of the workers union in municipality of N. Filadelfia
- Gianna Katsiampoura, General Secretary of the Union of Teachers in the Hellenic Open University
- Ilias Loizos, retired, former chairman of the Union of Workers in the Municipality of Neo Iraklion, Attica, former member of the General Council of POE-OTA (National Federation of Municipal Workers)
- Manos Skoufoglou, member of the Board of the Panhellenic Association of Architects (Sadas-Pea), member of the Central Coordination Committee of ANTARSYA
- Taxiarhis Efstathiou, member of the General Council of ADEDY (National Confederation of Public Sector Workers)
- Panagiotis Tselepis, Chairman of the Union of Workers in the Municipality of Agios Ioannis Renti, Attica
- Xidis Ioanis – Coordinator of LAE in Cyprus
Furthermore, the Greek comrades protested outside the Pakistani embassy in Athens:
Switzerland
As reported yesterday, the Swiss Marxists protested the Pakistani embassy in Bern and the United Nations building in Geneva:
Denmark
The Danish comrades picketed their Pakistani embassy, where they were harassed and filmed by officials:
Catalonia
Vidal Aragonés, CUP member of the Catalan Parliament, added his voice to the chorus of protest. IMT comrades from the Barcelona branch of REVOLUCIÓ also took a solidarity photo:
Nepal
Our comrades in Nepal wore photographs of the abducted Pakistani Marxists and publicly protested their disappearance:
Czech Republic
The state abductions in Pakistan was raised at a young unionist meeting in Prague. Some of the attendees agreed to take a photo to show their international solidarity, and draw attention to the case:
Indonesia
Comrades in Indonesia publicly protested the abduction of PYA and RWF activists by the Rangers:
Furthermore, the following Indonesian trade unions, student organizations, and other activist groups have signed our petition condemning the abduction of socialist activists for their solidarity activity with the Pasthun people, and demanding their immediate release:
1. Militan Indonesia
2. Indonesia United Workers Confederation (KPBI, Konfederasi Persatuan Buruh Indonesia)
3. Committee of People’s Struggle (KPR, Komite Perjuangan Rakyat)
4. The National Central of Workers Movement (Sentra Gerakan Buruh Nasional)
5. National Trade Union Confederation (KSN, Konfederasi Serikat Nasional)
6. Federation of Independent Workers’ Struggle Union – Gresik (FSPBI-Gresik, Federasi Serikat Perjuangan Buruh Independen)
7. Anti-Capitalist Students Front (Front Mahasiswa Anti Kapitalis)
8. Papua Students Alliance – Surabaya (Aliansi Mahasiswa Papua – Surabaya)
9. Central Leadership of Confederation of Congress Alliance of Indonesian Labor Unions (PP Konfederasi KASBI)
10. Christian Youth Union for the Socialist Struggle (SPARTAKUS)
11. SBPBI-FSBRK-KASBI Trade Union
