Belgians Join Solidarity March For Greek People

Over 50 organizations will hold a demonstration on Sunday, June 21, in Brussels, Belgium, to express their support to poverty-stricken Greece that is teetering on the edge of the Eurozone and protest against harsh austerity, in the framework of European solidarity week to the Greek people.

The march will occur at 1:30 pm (local time) at the Gare Centrale in Brussels, while demonstrators will have the opportunity to attend exhibitions and concerts at 3:00 pm at the Place de l’Albertine.

The message delivered through the “Avec les Grecs / With the Greeks” platform:

“Greece is tangible evidence that austerity and precarious employment policies are not working. Six years of unprecedented budget cuts, divestment in public sector policies and reduction of wages have led the country into chaos. The economy shrank by 25 percent compared to 2010, we had an explosion of poverty, the unemployment rate is currently at 26 percent, one in two young people are out of work, public services and the health system have been dissolved.

It is imperative to change course. If we continue on the same path, the only result is the worsening of inequalities and unemployment in Greece. The same risk, however, threatens all the countries of the European Union.

Priority must be given to the employment and economic reconstruction through public investment and redistributive policies. For this reason Greek voters elected a new government. Having to face the EU, which refuses to respect the democratic choice, we must express our support to the people of Greece and to express our opposition to those who seek to impose the same neoliberal recipes: more austerity, rising unemployment, even more inequality. The only way Greece can avoid the trap of continuous debt is to combat corruption and correct unacceptable injustices in the tax system.

Greece has the right to reintroduce collective agreements and the labor code that were dissolved by the Troika. Greece has the right to receive emergency social measures to fight poverty and stop privatizations. Greece has the right, like all the other peoples of Europe, to do a public debt audit and to demand the cancellation of illegitimate debts!”

Signatures:

Networks
Alter Summit Belgium, ACIDe, Acteurs des temps présents, D19 20, HART BOVEN HARD, Tout Autre Chose

Syndicates
FGTB Federale, La Centrale Générale FGTB / De Algemene Centrale ABVV, ACOD-vrt, CGSP Wallonne, CSC Bruxelles Hal Vilvorde – Priorité aux travailleurs, Mouvement Ouvrier Chrétien, JOC Bruxelles, Métallos MWB-FGTB, Solidaris – Mutualité Socialiste, Cne-Gnc / Centrale nationale des employés

Associations / Movements
Attac Wallonie-Bruxelles, Attac Vlaanderen, Ander Europa, CADTM Belgique, Intal Globalize Solidarity, Femmes Prévoyantes Socialistes, Fewla, Vrede vzw, ZIN TV, Initiative de Solidarité avec la Grèce qui resiste – Bruxelles, CNAPD asbl, Global Social Justice, Vie Féminine Bruxelles, Allileggya Koinotita / Solidarity Community, Corporate Europe Observatory, la Plate-forme d’action Santé et Solidarité / Actieplatform Gezondheid en Solidariteit et le Centre Bruxellois de Promotion de la Santé (CBPS), Appel pour une école démocratique (Aped), Europe4People

Parties
SYRIZA Belgique / SYRIZA Belgium, PTB / PVDA, Ecolo, PSL / LSP, ROOD !, Mouvement VEGA, Comunisti Belgio (Federazione Comunista del Belgio), Parti Humaniste (Belgique), LCR / SAP, Ligue Communiste des Travailleurs – Communistische Werkersbond, Parti Communiste, Vonk / Révolution, LEEF Herzele, Antarsya Belgique, Bloco d’Esquerda, Die Linke. BO Brüssel, SEL Belgio, Izquierda Unida – Belgica, écolo j, Comac, Étudiants de Gauche Actifs – EGA