Hundreds of activists, trade unionists and radical politicians from across Europe are gathering in London today (Saturday 1 October 2011) for a major conference to discuss the economic crisis and to co-ordinate resistance to retrenchment policies.
The Europe Against Austerity Conference is being coordinated by the Coalition of Resistance Against Cuts and Privatisation, which is backed by Ekklesia alongside many local and regional anti-cuts alliances, labour movement groups and NGOs.
The event runs from 10am-5pm at the Camden Centre, London, WC1H 9AU.
Speakers include Greek strikers, activists from the Spanish ‘Indignant’ movement, leaders of the French New Anticapitalist Party, the German Left Party and the Portuguese Left Bloc, members of Attac, the European Left Party, COBAS from Italy, Greens, the British Muslim Initiative, Corporate Europe Observatory, and many more.
A spokesperson explained: "We hope that this conference will be a step towards co-ordinating the resistance by agreeing to European-wide action against austerity and in defence of our welfare state.
"In every country in Europe, all the social gains of the post war period are now threatened under the pretext of having to repay the debt incurred in bailing out banks in 2008. There is already resistance in many countries in Europe. But we need to learn from each others’ experiences and work towards a co-ordinated resistance across Europe and beyond."
* www.europeagainstausterity.org [1]
* www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/ [2]
[Ekk/3]
