NORTH AFRICA
in protest against the school authorities plans to spending
41 million cut by kroner (about 5 million dollars).
The cuts will mean, among other
Stop the victimization things, that substitute teachers will not be brought in until after the regular teacher has been out for some time, that of participants in the the pupils will have to pay for their own school lunches and that a lot of schools hunger rebellion!
will be closed. Summer school will be abolished.
"The most important thing is the attack on school lunches," Bjoern Mell-
In January 1984, tumultuous mass rebellions, first in Tunisia and then strand said.
"Of course, they are only asking that in Morocco, blocked the attempts al bankin to institution had demanded meteres all families pay 125 kroner a term.
it is very likely that the cost will go up, would be to produce a rapid rise in the price of necessities reduce and then finally we might even have to pay for going to school."
already poverty-stricken masses, in order to
Cutting back on substitute teachers,
Although both regimes had the support of the imperialist counin school student Bjoern Mellstrand's tries, they were forced to retreat. They withdrew the hated measures, opinion, was another step toward imposthereby implicitly recognizing the legitimacy of the mass rebellion.
ing classes without teachers.
But that did not mean that they were not preparing to take their schools is instruction! Previous exper-
Today, a series of frameup trials are being staged against political ience with teacherless classes is that the and trade-union activists in both countries, as well as against young pupils' education suffered.
Personally, people, often teenagers. The charge against these activists and youth
I don't pay any attention in teacherless is that they joined the majority of their fellow citizens in the streets classes anymore.
against the symbols of power and wealth.
"Obviously, it's the pupils with learntions under which these trials are being held, both in Morocco and ing problems who suffer the most when
Tunisia, are absolutely scandalous, and have been denounced as such teachers are cut back."
by the human-rights organizations and lawyers in the countries con-
About 15,000 of the striking pupils gathered in the afternoon at Humle-
The sentences that have been handed down reflect the great fear gaarden, where the district chairperson that the rebellions struck into these governments and to their deterof the High School Students Organization, Martin Waestfelt spoke against the mination to intimidate their peoples.
proposed cutbacks.
The high school
In Morocco, several dozens have been sentenced to prison terms students also got a chance to listen to the music of Commando M. Pigg, Mr. Soul
In Tunisia, a so-called democratic country, dozens and Tant Strul, who appeared there to of people have been sentenced to terms at forced labor from six to show their support for the action.
19 and 22 have been sentenced to death in order to "set an example ,,of ten young people between the ages
"Protests can have an effect," Bjoern
Mellstrand was convinced.
The Fourth International denounces these judicial farces and venge-
"We have already had a number of
It calls on all democratic and working-class forces mobilize in all countries to force the governments of Morocco city council members call up our offices and Tunisia to retreat once again and release all those who took part and say that they are not going to vote for the cuts proposal."
Radio Stockholm reported later that the decision was postponed for a week.
But it's clear that there was not going to be any appropriation for school lunches.
About 10 percent of high school students belong to the Eleveorganisation (the High School Students Organization), but this percentage could be a lot al banking institution the budget deficit."
revenge against the movement.
and rebelled as follows:
in the hunger rebellions.
January 1984 hunger riots in Morocco (DR)
of the governments of these two
The condi-
The first verdicts have been of the Fourth International
June 7, 1984 higher. DSNOCRATIQUE POUR LE PEUPLCHAROCAIN
"A lot of schools have banned us," Bjoern Mellstrand said. "We cannot go into those schools with our informational material. But we are getting a real groundswell now, with a lot of new members joining."
Bjoern Mellstrand thought that the Thursday action was a good basis for strengthening the organization. The leadership is now going to discuss how to follow up on this first mobilization in the high schools.
This article is from the May 17 issue of Internationalen, the paper of the Swedish section of the Fourth International. International Viewpoint 18 June 1984
DE NOTRE PRUPT
19
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PUR LA LIBERTE Ир-
the majority union in the factory of 17,000 workers, started the dispute in order to win a negotiated solution. (1) To put an end to the action it approved an agreement between the employers and the government, countersigned by the Communist ministers. This accord