Tens of thousands of people gathered on 16 October at Tehran's main cemetery, where the martyrsof Black Friday forty days earlie MONDAY the day this traditional day of mourning was The Moslem clergy and most of the opposition groups had called tor a one day general strike. In response millions of peopic inrougnout me country stopped work.
Normal life in all major cities ground to •a hali shops and factories. offices. bazaars remained closed for the dav.
In several major response to the general strike is reported to have been almost total.
In Tehran the poorel southern half of the city, where Ine Dooey massaces oback Friday had occurred, completely closed down.
Thousands of troops backed manufactured Scorpion tanks had moved into the capital overnight and stationed at all Despite the threatening of troops and the DI COCHIC advice of the moderate wing of the clergy and bourgeois oppositionists to stay at home, tens of thousands of people gathered for a mass meeting at Tehran's main cemetery where Ine marTSO black rnday have been buried.
After the meeting they began TO MarCH the chanting death to the Shah The demonstrators were PUERTO Rico is an example of how population programmes are by the USA mainain control over anoiner coin the last 10 years Telling and petro-chemical have dominate the economy of the US colony. These need small workforce.
A recent US government document said that in order to reduce high unemployment in Puerto Rico it was necessary to reduce the growth working class.
It mapped out a strategy: 1 million Puerto Ricans are to be ~ forced to migrate to the USA -2 million have gone already and more funds are to be put into a sterilisation programme aimed at all women of child-bearing age not yet sterilised.
Socialist Challenge talked to Zulma Rivera, of the Committee for Puerto Kican Independence in London.
What rights do Puerto Rican women have Legally, their position is similar women in the USA HOwever SuRe case l the US Congress whether laws passed in the USA apply to the island.
Recently, there's been a debate over whether the Equal Rights Amendment if passed in the USA should apply Puerto Rico.
In Puerto Rican society as a whole, women are seen inferior beings are suited to look after the children and stay within the family.
What about contraception and abortion?
Both are legal, but virtually Socialist Challenge 26 October 1978 page 12 • 16 October was the fortieth day after on which thousands of demonstrators were massacred in Tehran. As expected another massive show of opposition to the Shah.
tacked by troops and forced to disperse as they entered the working class districts of south Tehran.
In several provincial towns demonstrations led to violent clashes with police and troops. According sources 16 people were killed more injured, but the real number of cities Casualties is believed to higher.
KILLED There have also been number other demonstrations since peneral sirike Danicuary! Mashad, Zanjan and Hamadan. been In Hamadan ten people are reported to have and many injured when police openca tre on a acmonst anor organised by striking teachers ano students In Tehran students organised several large demonstrations on the city's main campuses calling for an end to martial law and the release of all political prisoners.
Meanw nie workers' SUnKeS severa weeks aro is continue. city Almost the entire public sector has so lar been allected, and strikes nOW to oil ZULMA RIVERA unobtainable. only be got in private hospitals if you can find a doctor willing perform one and pay the £200-£300 costs.
Contraceptives also have to be bought, and there isn't much information available however very through the organisations and is usually free.
We have heard that 35 per cent of all Puerto Rican women of childbearing age have sterilised. Can you explain how this STELALEON The American started population programmes in the '30s. they took over the island it was multi-crop economy which they quickly dismantled favour as When they found they could ORV obtair HOTC from Cuba, they withdrew their capital. creating massive unem ployment. It wasn't in their interests to produce more jobs, so they resolved the problem by Federal Aid sterilisation programmes marked by governmeni be major the been killed spreading in private industries •newsbaDel have strike, which began when army officers moved into the offices of the two main Tehran dailies and tried to impose CCHSOrSHIO davs on WaVe government gave which began undertaking to censorship.
The strike had won spread support throughout the rapidly country because of its political Sterilisation was first carried our purely for nean reasons and because it was attached to a hean croeramme. the most acceptable form of Was there a racist element in this?
like Paul Ehrlich who wrote the Population Bomb when he said the idea for the book came to him when through Delhi summer's night and hordes of people came round his car and Abortions can The felt swamped by them. you get ine same som or feeling when you drive through central London or New LOrK.
to the available health been about?
• CONTO When agricultural cheap y into A slum in Puerto Rico importance. workers' without in The military ended after four is October when the freedom of DuDl end press wideact "responsibly" of a population explosion It DeLaine there's undercurrent Latin America, India.
You can see the driving Was them are very subtle hot but you wouldn't think in terms | to have a baby, that's when success and doubt an important the struggle for freedom of expression in Iran.
Government's promises of ending press censorship do noto course mean marinere Is press in Iran.
Opposition papers and particularly left wing papers are still confuse the Journalists were warned to - in oiner CODICS words to censor themselves Obviously, it's not just the number of people, but the kind of people that matters, and for certainly racist in American plans to sterilise the women of Africa and sible.
Puerto Rican women are the youngest women in the world to be sterilised. Are they told that the Departments, it's an irreversible operation?
Yes, but the pressures put upon The head of the FPA, Dr Samuel Lugo talks about the "optimum' moment to convince Then nanas women they need sterilisation: when a woman goes to hospital US gays next law as those SuperatOn States.
most while the regime's it was subversive. machinery of repression exists they have little choice.
Nevertheless when the papers reappeared after strike there was a noticeable change in inem, snowing that une regin had been forced to make some year The changes were enough to police in Ahvaz who decided to confiscate all of the Tehran daily Ettala'at because they thought she's most receptive to birth control advice — and by that he means sterilisation.
It might be the optimum time populationists, but certainly isn't the best time for a woman to make a decision, particularly one that's irrever The other pressure women undergo is from the orientation' programmes carried out by Welfare and Housing who combine nirin contro aevice win 100g stamps and housing offers.
women realise that sterilisation takes me unto choose azal in the future completely out of International Campaign for Abortion Rights has as one tion central slogans the demand for an end to all forced Gay CALIFORNIANS will YUEE US Wednesday referendum which seeks to outother TEACHERS school workers all gays and al support gay This proposition has been introduced by Senator Briggs, who has continued the theme of Anita Bryant's crusade: that gays are "corrupters of youth While Briggs' campaign is dora extremely demagogic, it reflects the real erosion of traditional sexual morality in the United His proposition is one of the severe attacks democratic runts so tar. and polls show it is likely to win. shire selidarity internona Universities which were supposed to open a month ago have remained closed because of government fears of student protests. There are rumours now that the current academic may be completely cancelled Many schools have also beer closed because either the teachers or the pupils or both have been on strike. sterilisation. Do you think that an international campaign like this, and the International Day of Action planned for 31 March wil actually help the struggle of Puerto Rican women!
I think it will be a tremendous help. It's only just now that women are becoming aware of the population control mecha nisms they have been subjected fertility has been manipulated to fulfil the imperialist needs of the USA.
Zulma will be one of the three first InterSOCANCTS the national Women's Forum organised by ICAR (International Campaign for Abor Rights] Friday 1.30 al ULU, Mare Street, WC1.
badly needed. A demonstration has been called by the London Activists Alliance, at the Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London WI, at 3pm, Saturday, 4 November.
Chile arrests THE Chilean junta has hit back against the rise in workplace struggles by outlawing the trade federation responsible for leading them.
Sin leaders of the Co-ordinawere arrested when security ОГОРІ offices at the end of last week.
paign has called a picket this CAUTSORS banning and arrest at the Chilean Embassy. I2 Devon Street, London W1. 12.30-2pm.