Kazakhstan: Sting cancels concert in support of striking oil workers

[Crux]

Kazakhstan

Sting cancels concert in support of striking oil workers

06/07/2011
“Hunger strikes, imprisoned workers and tens of thousands on strike represents a virtual picket line which I have no intention of crossing,” Sting said in an online statement.
Socialistworld.net reporters
http://www.socialistworld.net/img/20110706Grafik7671597590285320596.jpg
Oil workers strikes in West Kazakhstan are now into their second month of strike action. In an attempt to break the press silence about their plight, a delegation of strikers visited Moscow last week, at the invitation of the Russian section of the CWI, and met with trade unionists and news reporters.
This week, in a very welcome boost to their campaign, the oil workers got the support of Sting, the globally renowned British musician. Sting’s backing of the strikers has been reported in Russia and around the world:
Moscow News: Sting cancels Kazakh gig, donates to striking workers (http://themoscownews.com/international/20110704/188808040.html)
New York Times (website): “Sting Cancels Concert in Kazakhstan After Crackdown on Strikers” (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/sting-cancels-concert-in-kazakhstan-after-crackdown-on-strikers/)
Please send solidarity messages to:
[email protected] with copies to [email protected] and [email protected]
Protests should be sent to Kazakhstan embassies (contact details here (http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/5167))



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Haha, this is awesome.

[Jose Gracchus]

That's pretty boss of Sting. Good for him.

[Crux]

Thing is, a quick google shows me it is already news in all the main swedish papers and teh media in general. So awesome for publicity. I feel like getting into some commentary field wars, because frankly I could give two fucks if he is being a hypocrit, bellend, tosser or massive knob and this is "just a media stunt" the attention this has given to the striking worker's is invaluable and I wish more people in the comments fields would actually care about that.