Ahead of the week of climate protests around the turn of May/June in connection with the UN climate summit in Stockholm on 2-3 June, we reprint an article from Offensiv, the weekly socialist paper of Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (ISA Sweden). International socialists are traveling to Sweden to participate and build a strong socialist bloc during the protests.
Offensiv spoke to three of the international comrades from International Socialist Alternative (ISA) who are travelling to Sweden to participate and build a strong socialist bloc during the protests. We asked them:
- Why are you coming to Sweden on June 1-3?
- What is an important climate/environmental issue or struggle that you are focusing on in your ISA section or country?
- What are your hopes or expectations for the visit?
Jan Millonig from LSP (Sozialistische LinksPartei), ISA’s section in Austria
Why are you coming to Sweden on June 1-3?
With our intervention we can strengthen our own programme on climate and our role in the movement, and the protests might even be visible in the international media. We could also have an impact on the climate movement in Sweden, which like other movements is in dire need of a socialist programme. Otherwise, there is a risk that the movements will come to a political standstill.
What is an important climate/environmental issue or struggle that you are focusing on in your ISA section or country?
At the moment there are discussions between climate organisations and our comrades active in industrial and trade unions, such as the car industry, about building a coalition for a common climate struggle. We were inspired by the German workers at the Bosch factory in Munich who have been campaigning against job losses and who have been supported by Fridays For Future. Now they are making common demands for a transformation to sustainable industries, including demands for job guarantees. Our feminist and socialist platform ROSA has also participated in the climate demonstrations and received a positive response.
What are your hopes or expectations for the visit?
I hope we can contribute with grassroots struggle and broaden the climate movement which in many places is dominated by, for example, Fridays For Future, which often focuses on solutions within the framework of the establishment and ruling politics, without any strategy or programme for real change. That’s where we can contribute!
Myriam Poizat from the Socialist Party (ISA Ireland) and YARI (Youth Against Racism and Inequality)
Why are you coming to Sweden on June 1-3?
I will be attending the protests in early June to show world leaders once again that we can’t wait any longer. They are burning up our planet, and if they are not prepared to make the change that is needed, we will force it.
What is an important climate/environmental issue or struggle that you are focusing on in your ISA section or country?
I come from Ireland, where data centres are a major problem. A report in 2021 shows that by 2030, data centres could consume up to 70% of Ireland’s electricity. That is a major problem for the climate and the environment at a time when the majority of our energy production is not green, but contributes to the destruction of the planet.
What are your hopes or expectations for the visit?
I look forward to protesting alongside the most energetic and vibrant comrades in my international ISA, who have played a hugely important role in building struggle movements and winning several historic victories, such as the fight for abortion rights in Ireland and the $15 minimum wage in Seattle in the US. And as the future burns, wars break out and exploitation worsens, the ISA is putting its trust in the hands of millions of young people and workers around the world who are refusing to tolerate injustice and are taking up the fight for a better world.
Tom Costello from Socialist Alternative (ISA England, Wales & Scotland)
Why are you coming to Sweden on June 1-3?
Myself and a group from Socialist Alternative (ISA England, Wales and Scotland) are all excited to come to Stockholm to take part in the mass demonstrations. We are looking forward, not only get to take part in these events, but also to spend time with others in ISA.
What is an important climate/environmental issue or struggle that you are focusing on in your ISA section or country?
Well the 2018-2020 climate strikes were absolutely huge, which shows the growing anger and despair at the crisis, which can quickly turn into action and resistance by workers and youth. Recently though, the war in Ukraine has really unearthed just how destructive towards the environment capitalism is. Boris Johnson has responded to calls to sanction Russian oil by granting licenses to ramp up drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea. There will be upcoming battles to keep the ban on fracking also which was implemented in 2019.
What are your hopes, expectations for the ISA intervention?
To not just build the climate movement, but to build the revolutionary socialist wing of it! This huge task will only be achieved internationally. Capitalism is an international system and this is why we need ISA to be present in our movements.
