On 5 May 2010, the rightwing government of Lee Myung Bak detained six activists (Jo Il-jin, Kim Deuk-yeong, Kim Hyeong-hwan, Kim Ji-tae, Kim Mun-ju, Shin Myeong-hui) who were in street selling a registered press publication Left21.

Left21 is a revolutionary anti-capitalist paper, fully registered and published fortnightly. Since it began publication in March 2009, supporters of Left21 have organised regular street sales in various areas of Seoul in order to introduce revolutionary and left arguments and ideas to wider audiences. The detentions are an attack on the freedom of press and democracy by the Lee Myung Bak government.

After the police found there had been no violation in selling a legal publication, the public prosecutor's office charged the six Left21 supporters (hereafter, the left21-six) in violation of the public gathering and assembly act. They argued that selling a paper with criticisms of the government was a kind of protest, ...

The autumn 2010 issue of International Socialism is out now.

In the new issue:

• Analysis of the politics of austerity
• Panos Garganas interviewed on the struggle in Greece
• Articles on Israel, Hamas and the Gaza blockade, and on the boycott of Israel
• Christakis Georgiou and Jane Hardy look at aspects of the EU and the crisis
• Jairus Banaji on the ironies of Indian Maoism
• John Molyneux on Michelangelo
• Neil Davidson reconsiders deflected permanent revolution

To read online go to www.isj.org.uk

To order copies, phone +44 (0) 20 7819 1177 or email: isj@swp.org.uk