Register for the April 22 conference in Detroit: The Class Struggle and the Fight Against Internet Censorship

From WSWS:

On Sunday, April 22, the WSWS is sponsoring a conference in Detroit, "The resurgence of class struggle and the fight against Internet censorship." The event will be held from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Student Center Ballroom of Wayne State University. We encourage all of our readers and supporters to make plans to attend and register for the conference here. The shutdown of Internet access for Julian Assange last week underscores the far-reaching attack on democratic rights and freedom of speech. The American government, Internet companies and capitalist states around the world are engaged in an aggressive campaign to censor the Internet, under the guise of combating “fake news” and “Russian meddling.” The real aim is to suppress and criminalize the growth of opposition in the working class to austerity, war and social inequality. The first three months of 2018 have seen an immense intensification of social tensions and an escalation of class conflict. In the United States, the West Virginia teachers strike has been followed by the ongoing strike in Oklahoma. Protests and strikes have erupted in Kenya, Argentina, Germany, France, Iran, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and many other countries. In the capitalist media, there are worried comments about the role of social media in allowing workers to organize independently of the corporatist trade unions. There are increasingly explicit calls for the suppression of “radicalizing” and “divisive” views. Google’s move last April to manipulate its search results to blacklist left-wing, socialist and antiwar sites has been followed by changes to Facebook’s news feed aimed at prioritizing “authoritative content” and similar acts of censorship by YouTube, Twitter and other social media companies. The World Socialist Web Site has been a principal target of the government and corporate censors. As it marks the 20th anniversary of continual daily publication, the WSWS is leading the fight against the greatest attack on free speech since the Second World War. The defense of Internet freedom must be connected to a struggle to organize and mobilize the entire working class against social inequality, war and the capitalist system. This conference will discuss a political strategy to oppose Internet censorship. Make plans to attend and register for the conference today!   MEETING DETAILS Detroit, Michigan Sunday, April 22, 11:00 - 5:00 p.m. Wayne State University Student Center Ballroom 5221 Gullen Mall Other upcoming meetings (Organizing Resistance to Internet Censorship) Northern Virginia Community College Wednesday, April 4, 3:00 p.m. CC Room 237 Annandale, Virginia Seattle Central College Thursday, April 5, 7:00 p.m. Broadway Edison Building Room BE4181 (4th Floor) 1701 Broadway Street Seattle, Washington Portland State University Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 p.m. Urban Building, Parson's Room Portland, Oregon University of Illinois, Chicago Sunday, April 15, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Lecture Center C, Room 4 Chicago, Illinois Birmingham, Alabama Saturday, April 28, 2:00 p.m. Daniel Day Gallery 3025 6th Ave Birmingham, Alabama Why has Ecuador silenced Julian Assange? The draconian measures taken by the government of Ecuador to cut off all access to the outside world by Julian Assange represent a reactionary attack on basic democratic rights that must be vigorously opposed by workers and youth in every country. See also: Journalists, filmmakers, artists demand end to persecution of Julian Assange Students, faculty and staff at University of Michigan oppose persecution of Julian Assange The New York Times takes on the social media "hordes” Share Tweet Forward World Socialist Web Site | wsws.org Articles: Copyright © 2017 wsws.org, All rights reserved.