Partisan Defense Committee Press Release

24 August 2012

Partisan Defense Committee P.O. Box 99, Canal Street Station, New York, NY 10013

E-mail: partisandefense@earthlink.net   www.partisandefense.org

Contact: (212) 406-4252

Partisan Defense Committee Says:

Protest Massacre of South African Strikers!

The Partisan Defense Committee (PDC) is calling for a demonstration to protest the August 16 massacre of 34 striking South African miners at the Lonmin Platinum-run Marikana mine northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. We say:

Protest Massacre of South African Strikers!
Free Jailed Miners—Drop All Charges!
Victory to the Striking Miners!

The PDC calls to protest outside the South African Consulate, on the corner of East 38th Street and First Avenue in New York City.

Thursday, August 30, 2012
4:30 pm – 6 pm

The South African cops of the Tripartite Alliance government of the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the COSATU trade union federation, perpetrated this slaughter—one of the worst in South African history. The blood of working people is on their hands. And yet, outrageously, the miners were blamed for this massacre! Some 260 workers were arrested the same day as the massacre and are now rotting in jail; they were denied bail and are facing charges ranging from public violence to murder and attempted murder. Workers internationally should demand: Drop all charges against the Lonmin striking miners! In response to the massacre, other miners have been raising demands similar to those that sparked the Marikana strike. We say: Victory to the striking South African miners!

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The PDC is a class-struggle, non-sectarian legal and social defense organization which champions cases and causes in the interest of the whole of the working people. This purpose is in accordance with the political views of the Spartacist League.