David North, the chairman of the World Socialist Web Site and the US Socialist Equality Party’s national chairman, will speak at the University of Toronto on the afternoon of Saturday, April 2. (See below for details.)

The author of numerous books and articles presenting a socialist perspective on the crisis of contemporary social life and an authority on the life and political ideas of Leon Trotsky, North will speak on the theme “From Egypt to America: Revolution, class struggle and the return of history.”

A leaflet announcing the meeting and being distributed by supporters of the Socialist Equality Party (Canada) reads in part:

“February 2011 will go down as a turning point in world history. At the beginning of the month, the Middle East and North Africa were gripped by mass protests of workers and youth that culminated, on February 11, in the forced resignation of the long-time US-backed dictator of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak. The entire region has been convulsed by social upheavals—including Bahrain, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Iraq and Tunisia.

“Before the month was over, the US state of Wisconsin saw the eruption of mass protests of workers the likes of which have not been seen in the US in a quarter century against an attempt to dramatically slash social spending and illegalize workers’ struggles. Across the United States, workers confront a coordinated attack on social programs and jobs, overseen by the Democratic Party administration of Barack Obama.

“Whether in the Middle East or North America these struggles are driven by the same fundamental processes: In every country workers face massive social inequality and a political system that is impervious to their interests.

“Workers’ resistance will expand and portends colossal changes in the coming year. History—as written in the Communist Manifesto: ‘The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle’—has returned.”

In his speech, North will discuss the political significance and implications of these historic events and outline the program and perspective necessary to lead the working class to victory.

All WSWS readers in the Toronto area should make plans to attend this important event.

Toronto, Ontario
Saturday, April 2, 3 p.m.
Room 120, Woodsworth College
University of Toronto
119 St. George St.
(1 block south of the St. George subway station)
Map