Belgium: Massive demonstration against the federal government

Sunday 16 February 2025, by LCR-SAP


On Thursday 13 February, 2025, 100,000 people marched through the streets of Brussels in response to a call from the trade union common front: a multitude of sectors (trade unions, feminists, anti-fascists, among many others) mobilised against the all-out attacks by the new federal government, the “Arizona coalition” which has been in power in Belgium since the beginning of February. [1] This remarkable turnout represents a real acceleration in social tension. The Gauche anticapitaliste (Belgian section of the Fourth International ) was present and marched with Commune Colère, a unitary pole bringing together workers from many backgrounds (trade union left, feminist, anti-racist and anti-fascist collectives, environmental activists and so on), whose bloc brought together several hundred people around combative slogans.


This major mobilisation should be a first test of strength, and mark the start of a real plan of action against the government in the coming weeks. The union leaders have announced a general strike for 31 March. This will be a decisive step in the balance of power, but before that, we need to continue mobilising, sector by sector: railway workers, Audi subcontractors and teachers have already announced strikes and actions, and these are the embers of a broader mobilisation. The feminist strike on 8 March should also be part of this fight against Arizona, showing the particularly harmful impact of its measures on women, and linking feminist and trade union issues. Similarly, actions on 21 March, the International Day Against Racism, should denounce the new government’s murderous immigration policy. As for the general strike, it will only be effective if it is supported by a broad popular mobilisation from below, going beyond a simple 24-hour work stoppage. The protest movement must continue to spread from now on, and above all be deployed with a clear objective: the fall of the De Wever government.
No to the demolition of our rights! Unite to stop Arizona!

The world is tilting towards the far right, which is destroying society and the planet for profit. With De Wever - Bouchez, Belgium is heading in the same direction. It’s time to fight for a different kind of society. Generous, inclusive, welcoming, democratic and social.

The De Wever government represents an historic danger for the world of work and its organisations. Together with the European Union, it is manipulating the issue of public debt in order to carry out a large-scale offensive against the social conquests of the working class: in concrete terms, its programme means the end of genuine social security in the event of unemployment, pension or illness. Wage indexation is under threat, as is protection against unbearable working hours. These measures come on top of decades of austerity and are aimed at decisively weakening the position of workers vis-à-vis employers.

At all levels, it is primarily women who will pay the highest price. In the face of climate danger, Arizona is the government of deadly denial. The inhuman repression of exiled workers, migrants and asylum seekers is aimed at fracturing the resistance of our class through the poison of racism: attacks on trade union freedoms and the rights to strike and demonstrate complete this project to muzzle us. Their blah-blah about the ‘lesser evil’ and ‘social dialogue’ are nothing but decoys. Let’s not make the same mistakes as in 2014!

We need to change course. A course that aims for clarity:

No illusions in a ‘better balance’ with Arizona: it’s time to put an end to austerity on the backs of workers and their Social Security, and to the destruction of the Earth!
No to meaningless ‘social dialogue’: for real democratic control over our living, working and pay conditions!
Out with the false ‘political friends’ who betray us: let’s defend our demands ourselves!
We want to and can go and find the money where it is, by introducing a real crisis tax on the ultra-rich: an exceptional, substantial and progressive tax on the wealth of the country’s richest 10%.
We need a real plan of action, building from the bottom up, leading to a real general strike at the end, with the aim of bringing down the government!
There’s no time to lose: the EU expects concrete reforms by the end of April!
Let’s get everyone involved in the struggle, by forming action committees across companies and sectors!
For a broad alliance of trade unions and social movements in defence of another society based on solidarity and democracy!

WE HAVE NO TIME TO LOSE! STOP ARIZONA!

inprecor->https://inprecor.fr/node/4580] 15 February 2025

Attached documentsbelgium-massive-demonstration-against-the-federal_a8858.pdf (PDF - 906.9 KiB)
Extraction PDF [->article8858]

Footnotes

[1] The name derives from the colours of the coalition parties resembling those of the flag of the US state.

Belgium
In memory of Patrice Lumumba, assassinated on 17 January 1961
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Belgium: For freedom of movement and settlement, against closed centres
Facing the future rightwing coalition, for a social and unitive response!
Successful campaign meetings of Gauche Anticapitaliste

LCR-SAP
The LCR-SAP is the Belgian section of the Fourth International


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