August 4, Montreal -- Last March, the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles (CLAC) issued a statement supporting the actions of economic disruption being carried out by striking students in the pursuit of their demands (http://www.clac-montreal.net/mars_2012). Five months later, with the "student crisis" having become a veritable social crisis and the next battle in this epic conflict about to begin, CLAC is reiterating its support for the disruptions, occupations and blockades planned for the return to class.
Inspired by the courage and determination of Quebec's students, we are both answering and adding our voice to the call to "block the return to class" (http://bloquonslarentree.com/) starting on August 13th.
In the rigged context of the electoral scam, there is already a growing chorus suggesting a truce and calling on people to vote "strategically", or "with your heart". But regardless of whether one chooses to participate in the electoral circus, it would be a fatal error at this stage of the conflict for the strike movement to lower its guard and allow itself to be pacified. Let's not forget that it is by means of direct action tactics that the movement had been able to create a situation whereby it is now dealing with the State from a real position of strength. It is the constantly growing number of manif-actions, blockades, pickets and occupations that gave this strike the historic significance it is now recognized as having. Just as we said it would, it is the confrontational attitude that comes with the tactic of the general strike that allowed new democratic spaces to be opened up, bringing together different sectors of society and exposing the connections between different vital issues (education and neoliberalism, industrial development and colonialism, political corruption and a lack of democracy, etc.)
Just as we do not believe in polite negotiations or lobbying a neoliberal government clearly defined by its corruption and dishonesty, we do not think that we will be able to deal with the fundamental problems that we are collectively faced with by simply replacing the gang of crooks in power. Being happy to play the game of representative democracy means giving up one's political power while legitimizing a profoundly illegitimate system.
Right-wing opinion-makers are right about one thing: the struggle against the tuition hike is only an excuse. What radicals are fighting against, here and elsewhere, yesterday and today, is the capitalist system itself, in its totality. The insidious imposition of neoliberal policies, the case in point being the commodification of education, is only one symptom of the logic of global apartheid that is tearing the world apart: the logic of class warfare. The only language that the rich and their flunkies understand is the furious insurrection of those who are continuously subjected to their violence. That is why it is important to keep the pressure on by returning to the picket lines on August 13th. Let's make the country's political and economic elites understand that they won't be able to get rid of us by simply waving their magic wand.
So we are reiterating out support for the students in struggle while recognizing their inalienable right to control their own movement. But we hope with all our heart that they will not fall for the attempts to recuperate and pacify them, attempts which are sure to come to interfere with their democratic process.
One way or another, anticapitalists will be on the side of those who choose to block the return to class.
In solidarity,
the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles/Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes de Montréal (CLAC-Mtl)