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New Report Shows A Surge In European SLAPP Suits

Lawsuits to silence those speaking out and fighting in the interest of the public are increasingly being used as a form of private censorship, according to a new report published last week by the Coalition Against SLAPPS in Europe, or CASE. Developed in collaboration with the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, the report shows that SLAPPs continue to rise in Europe and identifies a total of 1,049 cases between 2010-2023. The lawsuits cover a broad range of topics, and environmental issues made up the second-most-targeted subject of all the SLAPP suits reported, behind corruption.

German VW Workers Strike To Save Their Jobs

Over 100,000 autoworkers struck nine Volkswagen plants in Germany on Dec. 2. The primary issues are VW’s plans to close three German plants and cut workers’ pay. The plant closings would be the first in the company’s 87-year history. VW’s previous contract with IG Metall, the union representing German autoworkers, did not allow plant closures or job cuts, and workers’ wages were higher than most factory workers in Germany. But the contract, which expired in December, prevented workers from striking. The strikes, called by IG Metall, each lasted two hours. About 20,000 workers gathered inside and outside VW’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, where its largest German plant is also located, on Dec. 5.

European Movements Demand An End To US Blockade On Cuba

As Cuba continues to face the challenges of a US-imposed blockade and widespread disinformation campaigns, over 300 representatives of social movements, trade unions, and political organizations gathered in Paris during the weekend of November 22-24 for the 19th European Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba. The delegates focused on strengthening ties between the Caribbean island and European countries, addressing the economic consequences of the blockade and everyday realities of life under these pressures.

There Is No Place For Zionism, Racism And Fascism In Europe

The Executive Committee of the Masar Badil, the Palestinian Alternative Revolutionary Path Movement commented on the events that took place in the streets of Amsterdam and the reactions of the racist Dutch regime that targeted Arab and progressive youth and supporters of Palestine. These repressive attacks continue to target the free revolutionary voices that defend Palestinian rights and reject the Zionist war of extermination in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, instead of the Netherlands preventing the entry of racist hooligan fans of Zionist football clubs and holding them accountable for their assaults on the population. These racist football hooligans participate directly in the crimes of the Zionist enemy and consider themselves an integral part of the ranks of the Zionist army; they form armed colonial militias and carry out daily attacks on our people in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank and call for the displacement of the Palestinian people and desecration of Islamic and Christian holy sites.

Iran Offers Moderate Response To Israeli Aggression

Iran offered Israel the opportunity to implement an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and stop killing civilians across the region, if the Zionist state seeks to minimize the impact of the upcoming Iranian retaliation to aggression against the country in the last month. “If they make a revision in their behavior, accept a ceasefire and stop killing the oppressed and innocent people of the region, it could have an effect on the type and intensity of our response,” Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, November 3.

United Kingdom Snubs Council Of Europe Over Assange Inquiry

Britain’s Home Office is making a “grave mistake” by ignoring a call from the Council of Europe to review its treatment of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder’s wife has warned. The council’s parliamentary assembly, of which the U.K. is a member, passed a resolution earlier this month designating Assange as a “political prisoner”. Assange endured five years in Belmarsh maximum security prison in London before being released in June, and flying to his native Australia. The U.K. government had incarcerated him while the U.S. pursued extradition proceedings in the British courts. His treatment has outraged the Council of Europe.

Naples Protests G7 ‘Lords Of War’

Thousands of people took to the streets of Naples on October 19, demonstrating against the G7 military agenda and Italy’s proposed reforms that would limit the freedom to dissent. Protesters, representing a host of organizations including student associations, trade unions, and community centers, rallied against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government’s policies, demanding a shift in priorities toward social needs instead of military spending. Side by side with the protest in Naples, demonstrations were held in dozens of cities across Italy, as reported by the left political party, Power to the People (Potere al Popolo).

Care Crisis In Central And Eastern Europe At Risk Of Deepening Further

The care sector in Central and Eastern Europe is facing a serious crisis, with increasing demands on care services but next to no improvement in care workers’ rights, according to a new report by the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU). The report warns that this situation is leading to high stress, burnout, and problems in workforce retention across the region. Although the need for services such as long-term care (LTC) for the elderly, early childhood care, and support for those needing daily assistance continues to grow, a lack of investment in public care services at the national level persists.

Israel’s Roots In European Colonialism Explain Its Genocidal Ideology

Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza. This is precisely what numerous United Nations experts have determined. Several countries have joined South Africa in a case in the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people, and judges at the Hague have stated that it is “plausible” that Tel Aviv is violating the Genocide Convention. Top Israeli officials have made genocidal calls for the elimination of the Palestinian people, whom they demonize as “human animals”. Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued that it would be “justified and moral” to starve to death all 2 million Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

Europe Mobilizes For Palestine As Leaders Reaffirm Support For Israel

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of European cities over the weekend of October 5-6, responding to an international call in support of Palestine, only days ahead of the date that marks the anniversary of the beginning of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Solidarity groups marched in London, Madrid, Rome, Dublin, Berlin, Belgrade, and dozens of other locations, once again reaffirming their call for an immediate ceasefire and an arms embargo on Israel—a demand they have been voicing for an entire year. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign in the United Kingdom reported that approximately 300,000 people marched through London, with the police stating that turnout seemed “to be greater than other recent protests.”

Assange Receives A Measure Of Justice From The Council Of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Europe’s foremost human rights body, overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on October 2 formally declaring WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a political prisoner. The Council of Europe, which represents 64 nations, expressed deep concern at the harsh treatment suffered by Assange, which has had a “chilling effect” on journalists and whistleblowers around the world. In the resolution, PACE notes that many of the leaked files WikiLeaks published “provide credible evidence of war crimes, human rights abuses, and government misconduct.” The revelations also “confirmed the existence of secret prisons, kidnappings and illegal transfers of prisoners by the United States on European soil.”

Khamenei To United States And Europe: ‘Get Lost’

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that the United States and some European nations are responsible for the turmoil in the Middle East, and that the people of the region will enjoy peaceful coexistence only after the interlopers leave. Khamenei — who has led the Islamist theocracy since 1989 — spoke to a group of scientists and scholars in Tehran on Wednesday, one day after Iran retaliated for recent Israeli assassinations of Iranian, Hezbollah, and Hamas leaders by firing around 200 missiles into Israel. “In our region, the root cause of problems, which leads to conflicts, wars, concerns and hostilities and such like, results from the presence of the same people who claim to advocate peace and tranquility in the region; that is America and some European countries,” the 85-year-old Shia cleric said, according to Iranian state broadcaster Press TV.

London Saw A Surprising Benefit To Fining High-Polluting Cars

Restricting the volume of high-emitting vehicles roaming city streets carries many benefits, from clearing the air to quieting the urban din and beyond. Recognition of this simple fact has led to the proliferation of clean air zones, designated regions within a city where vehicles must meet strict pollution standards or pay a fee to operate within it. At last count, over 300 such areas had been established across Europe. In London, which boasts the largest ultra-low emissions zone in the world, a study has found a secondary benefit: Kids started walking and biking to school more. In 2018 — the year before London’s rule took effect in the center of the city, and five years before the zone encompassed its entirety — researchers at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University saw in the impending policy an opportunity to conduct a natural experiment.

Ukraine War Turns Into Russian Roulette

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House on Friday with the question of the use of long-range missiles by Ukraine to hit deep inside Russia on their agenda of conversation. But there were no announcements, nor was there any joint press conference. Starmer later told the media that the talks were “productive” but concentrated on “strategy” rather than a “particular step or tactic.” He did not signal any decision on allowing Kiev to fire long-range missiles into Russia. Starmer said no final decision had been taken on the Storm Shadow missiles and hinted that further developments may follow at the gathering of the U.N. General Assembly later this month. “We’ll obviously pick up again in UNGA in just a few days time with a wider group of individuals,” he said.

ManiFiesta 2024 Brings New Energy To Activists And Movements

Over 15,000 people gathered in Ostend, Belgium, for ManiFiesta 2024, a two-day event of activism and solidarity. Inspired by speeches from global activists and union leaders, attendees left with a renewed drive to pursue mobilizations in different parts of Europe. Speaking at the central event of ManiFiesta, Raoul Hedebouw, president of the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB), set the tone by addressing growing inequalities and attacks on workers’ rights in Belgium, announcing a response from the party. A significant part of the event was also devoted to building solidarity with Palestine, with speakers such as Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) and climate justice activist Anuna De Wever Van Der Heyden emphasizing the importance of international support for Palestinian liberation.

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Urgent End Of Year Fundraising Campaign

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Keep independent media alive. 

Due to the attacks on our fiscal sponsor, we were unable to raise funds online for nearly two years.  As the bills pile up, your help is needed now to cover the monthly costs of operating Popular Resistance.

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