DC Joins Worldwide Call For Democracy In Egypt

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Their country's flags snapping in the frigid wind, Egyptian and American activists -- including more than fifty local trade unionists -- gathered Tuesday night in front of the White House to support the Egyptian people's ongoing struggle for freedom and democracy. "Egypt Egypt will be free," they chanted, gathered in a circle as darkness fell, "from the Nile to the sea." The Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO and Metro Washington Council coordinated with local Egyptian activists to organize the rally as part of a Day of Action for Democracy in Egypt. Union members from around the world joined with community activists in actions outside Egyptian embassies and government buildings, pressing their governments to demand a democratic transition in Egypt and guarantee that those responsible for the violent repression of peaceful demonstrations be brought to justice. "More people were in the streets of Cairo today than ever," one of the Egyptian activists told the crowd of over 100 outside the White House who clutched signs in mittened hands calling for Hosni Mubarak's ouster and supporting the Egyptian labor movement. "Raise your voice, raise your voice," they chanted, "It's our time, it's our choice." In other actions around the world, an international trade union delegation led by Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and including Jan Eastman, deputy general secretary of Education International, together with representatives of three Belgian trade union organizations held a protest at the Egyptian Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, TUC-Africa General Secretary Kwasi Adu-Amankwah and TUC-Africa President Mody Guiro led an international trade union delegation to the Egyptian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, and union members took part in protests in Australia, Korea, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, France, Tunisia, Canada, Sweden and Italy. - report by Chris Garlock, photo by Adam Wright; includes reporting by James Parks