Opposing the fascists in Liverpool

Today, national mobilisations of the British National Party, the English Defence League and the Infidels descended on Liverpool. Ostensibly there to draw attention to the trial of a suspected paedophile gang, they were in fact exploiting the case to promote their respective brands of nationalism. Their presence was met with opposition by local anti-fascists.

When members of Liverpool Antifascists arrived at the Crown Court, there were already a number of union flags flying and groups of BNP members milling about. The former Liverpool Division of the EDL, now disaffiliated, was waving a white nationalist flag. We were the first anti-fascists on the scene and soon drew the attention of the fascists. But, bar some heckling, they largely kept their distance at that point - whilst our numbers were small, so were theirs.

A police liason officer quickly came over to inform us that the "designated area" for Unite Against Fascism to protest was beyond the Victoria Monument. "Closer to the court," as he sold it, but also entirely out of sight of the public whilst the fascists were free to peddle their propaganda. We declined, and set about handing out leaflets to passers-by.

In response, the fascists gathered together in a more orderly fashion - producing signs saying "fight grooming gangs" in mock Arab lettering, and a banner declaring "our children are not Halal meat." As numbers started to grow, the Liverpool Division lads also started being more confrontational, calling us "rotten cunts" and accusing us of being "paedophile supporters." We stood our ground, as at that point we had people leafleting on either side of the fascists, but the war of words only made the police more anxious to fully partition the two groups. Initially, we resisted this, but ultimately they got their way and two lines of police stood between the rival groups.

Unite Against Fascism had by now joined the anti-fascist demonstration and there were lots of crossed words between the two groups. However, the effect of multiple fascist groups mobilising nationally was that the fascists ultimately mustered around 150 people against around 40 anti-fascists from the local area. Given that it was a smaller-scale call-out, and that it was a week day, it was a good turnout. But in the context of that many extremely vocal fascists, it left something to be desired.

Throughout the day, the same argument came up again and again - "why are you supporting paedophiles?" Our answer, of course, is that we weren't and don't. Child abuse is a horrible crime, whoever commits it, and many of the anti-fascists demonstrating had children. We were there because we recognise that paedophiles come from all backgrounds and wanted to highlight that - far from being the defenders of children - the fascists were there only to exploit the issue and promote themselves. The most overt form of this being the BNP, whose logo was stamped across almost all of the material the far-right had to hand and whose signs declared that the answer to the problem of child abuse was to "join us."

Most of the general public recognised this, taking our leaflets and engaging in conversations with us about why we were there. Where they didn't, it was down to the presence of opponents screaming "these people support paedophiles," and at one point openly lying by saying that those up in court were our friends. But even that backfired as often as it put people off, with many seeing through the lies and taking our leaflets anyway.

On the other hand, most of the fascists couldn't see past their own blind rage, and in the face of this continued to scream and shout obscenities. As well as accusations of being paedophiles or paedophile supporters, there was also some disgusting racist, sexist and homophobic abuse thrown about. At one point, a woman in the fascist demo screamed "paki lovers" at anti-fascists, whilst later on some Asian lads walking past were met with shouts of "potential Muslim bombers." An Irish anti-fascist was accused of being an IRA supporter and told to "fuck off back to Ireland." One woman was faced with chants that she "takes it up the arse," and a male anti-fascist was asked if he "liked to bum men." Unperturbed, he responded "if it offends you, I do."

During the day, I did have some interesting conversations with EDL and British Freedom Party supporters. I came across three EDL who were staying on the other side of the road from the main demo because "I'm against paedophiles, but I don't want to stand with the BNP and that white power shite." We engaged them in fairly length conversation and, though I doubt that we'll "build bridges" - as one police liason officer over-optimistically suggested after eavesdropping - it did illuminate the contradictions that still exist in the EDL.

Likewise, a conversation with Peter Stafford - formerly of the BNP, now of the British Freedom Party - indicated how uneasy the day's alliance was. Stafford faced homophobic abuse after splitting from the BNP, and I pointed out that the BNP and others have a history of equating paedophilia with homosexuality in the same way they were today equating it with Muslims. He remarked that this was why he was staying across the road (though he later joined the main demo) and throughout the conversation seemed visibly uncomfortable with the scenario. His discomfort only increased when Hazel Hesketh of the BNP appeared and said hello to him, which can't have been too pleasant since she was still with those who had dismissed him and the rest of the splitters as "queers and trannies."

There was a flashpoint at the height of the fascist demo, when the majority of those present charged towards the court. They remained there for about twenty minutes, lobbing eggs at anti-fascists who tried to see what they were doing, before returning and having to be physically restrained by police to get back on their side of the grounds. Rumour is that they were able to attack the suspects in the case, though this has as yet not been substantiated.

As the hours wore on, the far-right's numerical superiority disappeared, and eventually they were down to about twenty people packing up. They did so slowly, but there could be little doubt that they were leaving. At which point UAF decided that all the anti-fascists should leave as one. Not a bad idea, in the abstract, though in practice it meant retreating from the courts even as a depleted far-right packed up and prepared to leave. This led to the absurd scene of being ferried towards the Town Hall by police, with local boneheads following us and heckling from across the road. Not a wise move, either tactically or in terms of publicity.

This fits in with a lot of UAF activity around today that I have issue with. Such as the popular frontism of getting people like Joe Anderson to support the demo - not only unlikely to win over working class people who are suffering Anderson's cuts, but of no consequence in terms of turnout  - and the stubborn refusal of UAF speakers to address the issue at hand, instead choosing to go on about Holocaust denial. As a response to the revival of street fascism, liberal anti-fascism is at best ineffective, at worst actively counter productive.

Ultimately, the day wasn't a defeat but it definitely wasn't a win either. What it demonstrates is that the battle against fascism isn't won simply by standing in a police cordon and shouting. The revival of street fascism must be met with an equivalent revival of militant anti-fascism, willing to face down the far-right both physically and ideologically, if we're to get anywhere.

CWU leadership supports workfare

Boycott Workfare report that the Communication Workers' Union is effectively supporting workfare. They have issued a letter to branches, ensuring them that a job placement scheme for unemployed 16-18 year olds has the union's full support. This is not only a betrayal of the fight against workfare, but puts CWU members in considerable jeopardy.

The letter to branches includes the following joint statement;

Royal Mail has committed to participate in a new government initiative to offer young people the opportunity to gain valuable work experience within a business, which will have a positive impact upon their confidence, their employability and their future prospects. Following full consultation on the detail of the initiative the CWU are pleased to support the Royal Mail Work Experience Programme and would encourage our representatives and members to ensure that the Work Experience participants placement with Royal Mail is a positive experience that will reconnect them to the world of work.

Such a position shouldn't come as a surprise to most, given that the role of union officialdom isn't to support the class struggle against capitalism but to mediate it. However, even by the standards of union bureaucrats, it is a particularly horrendous decision. Not to mention short-sighted in terms of even just the union's own interests.

As Johnny Void points out;

Reports have already been received of workfare candidates at ASDA being forced to work on Christmas and New Year’s Eve for no pay whilst waged workers were sent home. The creation of a two tier workforce, with one group of workers having no employment rights or pay, should not just trouble the consciences of union leaders.

With Royal Mail privatisation on the agenda this year industrial action seems inevitable. Workfare staff may find themselves in the unenviable position of being forced into scabbing or face dismissal without even the safety net of benefits. This is the thin end of the wedge that could ultimately be used to break any strike action by the CWU.

Already workfare staff have been spotted on the London transport network, presumably in an effort to quieten public concern about unstaffed stations due to station staff being laid off. CWU members, who themselves may face redundancy, must resist this assault on working conditions at the Royal Mail. Workfare will doubtlessly be used to justify lay offs, undermine industrial action and in the long term lead to lower pay and poorer working conditions across the Royal Mail.

Young people need and deserve support with beginning a career at the Royal Mail should they choose to do so. However these positions should come with a living wage and full Trade Union rights. Whilst the CWU has said that all Workfare placements will be introduced to the role of the Union in the workplace, this is of cold comfort when even if they join, they will face crippling poverty and immediate dismissal should they fail to cross a picket line.

Boycott Workfare are asking people to contact the CWU - Deputy General Secretary Dave Ward's email address is dward@cwu.org - and urge them to reconsider their position. Work Experience is a compulsory scheme, with young people subject to sanctions if they don't take part. It is effectively forced labour, and will only serve to undercut and undermine the terms and conditions that CWU workers have fought for over the years.

This is not the first time that a union leadership has stood with the bosses on workfare. The GMB previously supported the project, until a mass outcry forced it into retracting its position. The same needs to happen with the CWU now, and every union leadership that dares take such a stance.

IWW day of action against Pizza Hut

On Saturday, the Industrial Workers of the World held a day of action against Pizza Hut. The call-out was part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions in Sheffield, but was met with solidarity from across Britain and the world. It also demonstrated the weight that class solidarity adds to independent workers' organisation.

Details of the dispute, as described by the Sheffield Pizza Hut Workers Union, are as follows;

In April of last year Pizza Hut workers placed a collective grievance about the following issues:

• Bank Holiday Pay – The standard practice in the UK is for workers to be paid a rate of time and a half for working unsociable days, such as Boxing day, or New Year’s eve. However, Pizza Hut has reversed this in all cases now across all its stores, and now even if a worker was to be in on Christmas day they would still be paid the standard wage. We demand that Pizza Hut pay all workers time and a half for working Bank Holiday days.
• Delivery Drivers Commission - Delivery staff, using their own cars, are paid a commission rate of 60p per delivery. The rate has remained static for several years. This is despite a changing delivery radius and the rising price of petrol. A driver can deliver a pizza that could be part of a 6 mile round trip, giving them a rate of 10p per mile. A worker on minimum wage is expected to pay for the cost of running a car as well as towards the cost of fuelling it while at work. Despite a review and the promise of a new rate, the rate has remained the same.

The Pizza Hut Workers Union also has concerns outside of this dispute, including delivery staffs safety gear, a decreasing pay packet that falls behind inflation and a demand for a real living wage for all Pizza Hut workers. We ask for your support in our on-going dispute.

Wobblies in Sheffield braved the snow to picket the store at the heart of the dispute, handing out leaflets to staff and the public. The leaflets handed out included a pro forma letter to send to Pizza Hut in support of workers, whilst many signed a petition and were directed to eat at other pizza establishments until the dispute is settled.

They were not alone, and similar pickets took place in Birmingham, Glasgow, Hull, Liverpool, London, Bristol,  and elsewhere. International solidarity came from Richmond and Germany. Such solidarity is important in demonstrating that workers in any given location do not stand alone in their struggles. At the same time, the use of direct action in the form of pickets against the company helps workers to demonstrate their strength and gain in confidence.

The service industry is one of the most exploitative and casualised in the modern economy, and the already limited approach of mainstream trade unionism has little relevance there. A direct action approach, based on organising rank-and-file workers to act for themselves, is the only adequate way to shift the balance of power against the bosses. When getting off the ground, there is also often a need for discretion and to avoid "going public" that full time union officials by the very nature of how they operate are not capable of replicating. Which is where self-organisation comes into its own.

But, of course, self-organisation doesn't simply mean leaving workers to their own devices. It means giving them the tools to operate in this way, and being willing to provide full support and solidarity when they do. This is something that a trade union movement hamstrung by anti-union laws and riven with sectionalism simply cannot match up to.

As such, those of us who support independent worker organisation will undoubtedly offer our continuing solidarity to Pizza Hut workers in their struggle. But also to any workers making the effort to organise and fight back in the service sector and elsewhere. The such workers that refuse to take the exploitation of their employers lying down and are willing to fight back without playing by their rules, the much greater chance we have of shifting the balance of power in the entire class struggle.

John Foley disrupts Everton match to highlight exploitation by Ryanair

Last night John Foley, who runs the Ryanair Don't Care Campaign, staged a direct action stunt at Goodison Park. During the match between Everton and Manchester City, John handcuffed himself to a goalpost. The protest was aimed at Ryanair executive Michael O'Leary, who is a Man City fan and was reportedly at the game.

The incident happened just before half time. John was able to stay on the pitch and disrupt the game for five minutes, refusing requests to leave, before the police used bolt cutters on his handcuffs and led him away. He spent a night in the cells before being bailed. He will appear before Liverpool Magistrates Court on 17 February, charged with going onto the playing area under the 1991 Football Offences Act for his pitch invasion.

A full interview with John over the incident can be seen here.

The Ryanair Don't Care campaign was founded in order to draw attention to Ryanair's "Recruitment for termination," whereby staff are sacked before their training is complete whilst the company still pockets both their €3,000 training fee and the value of their labour. Many, such as John's daughter who suffered under the scam, are left stranded abroad as a result.

Previous actions to draw attention to the company's recruitment scamming include a banner drop on the roof of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, an invasion of the racetrack at Cheltenham during the Ryanair Chase and an occupation of the rooftop of Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The campaign is fully supported by Liverpool Solidarity Federation, who are calling for an International Week of Action against Ryanair on the 12-18 March. This call is supported by Solidarity Federation nationally and is being circulated to other sections of the International Workers' Association. John has also been pushing for support amongst other trade unions and workers organisations around the globe.

All power to John in his continuing and tireless efforts to promote this cause. What needs to happen now is that action against their employer on a global scale motivates Ryanair workers to organise. Recruitment for termination is a particularly insidious form of exploitation and it needs to be tackled.

Blacklisted agency worker loses appeal

Via Cautiously Pessimistic, I've come across this particularly worrying piece of news from the Blacklist Support Group;

The construction giant Carillion has admitted a construction worker was blacklisted because of his trade union activities and efforts to improve site safety, but has escaped responsibility because he was an agency worker. The revelation came during an employment tribunal last week brought against the firm by engineer and former UCATT safety rep Dave Smith. It ruled the construction firm could not be held liable because agency workers do not enjoy the same legal protection as directly employed staff.

This not only underlines the fact that workers are being blacklisted for their trade union activity, it also goes a long way to show that the law is reluctant to do anything about it. Even after hundreds to thousands of pounds in legal fees to get someone whose life has been ruined by the process to a tribunal in the first place.

It really cannot be overstated how much this campaign needs much wider support and publicity. Not only in pursuing the court cases, but in direct action as well. We know the firms which are engaging in the blacklisting of workers, and they should face pickets and other actions from those who support the right of workers to organise. But we know that this action won't come from unions - who've themselves colluded in blacklisting - and that the Blacklist Support Group only has finite resources.

A mass campaign is needed on this issue, and it should really be the one that militant workers never shut up about. Especially as the economy goes on another downturn, raising the prospect of more redunancies and more industrial conflict, that any employer can get away with this is a threat to all workers. Solidarity to all blacklisted comrades in the continuing fight.

The HMRC dispute and the need to defy strike laws

On Tuesday, PCS members in HM Revenue & Customs are taking strike action against privatisation plans. I've already explained the need for solidarity here, but this dispute also highlights another point that I've long made. It demonstrates the need of workers to organise in order to defy anti-strike laws.

The strike on Tuesday doesn't in fact involved all workers in HMRC, but only those in a section called Personal Tax Operations (PT Ops). In essence, this means that those not in PT Ops have to go into work on the 31 January - and if they work in a building that contains members of the striking section, as most of them do, it means that they will have to cross picket lines.

A previous anti-privatisation picket line at HMRC Euston Tower

Understandably, a great many are not happy or comfortable with this. There has been a lot of arguing internally over the matter, with many reps in the other areas saying they won't cross picket lines and with calls for the Group Executive Committee to issue guidance. The GEC happily complied with this, and provided a number of ways that those outside PT Ops could support the action. But, on the fundamental question, the union officials could only ever provide one answer: "as a union we cannot under any circumstances encourage or induce members to take part in industrial action for which they have not been balloted."

For a union to say otherwise would be suicidal. They would risk having their assets frozen and other measures that would in essence stop it functioning altogether. As such, when appealing to the union for guidance, the only thing that those outside of the balloted section were ever going to be told is to cross picket lines.

This is compounded by the fact that the choice of action by PCS has been poor at best. Previously, the dispute was challenged through short walkouts, which didn't as dramatically emphasise the non-participation of other members - and in fact allowed them to join in by taking longer lunch breaks or flexi time in solidarity with little fear of sanction. But a full day's action effectively forces the divide, which we should not be surprised at since the interests of the workers and the interests of union leaders can often be at odds.

For workers who do want to show solidarity - and, as importantly, to build a workers' movement that can seriously challenge the ruling class - something much more radical is needed. The trade unions themselves cannot and will not challenge restrictive industrial action laws. But militant workers can, and indeed should, do so.

The most basic starting point for this is to organise with your fellow workers. This doesn't mean getting them to sign a union form so they can be represented if they get in trouble, but by building an active movement within your workplace of those willing to take action - regardless of union presence or membership. For those unsure on how they might go about this, the Solidarity Federation workplace organiser training is an excellent starting point, whilst these articles on libcom.org are well worth a read.

From there, what? The point of this post isn't to provide step-by-step instructions, but the easiest course of action is probably to convene off-site meetings for those affected. Talk to all the other workers, push attendance, make people interested in coming along. You can't promote unofficial action through a leaflet or casual chats, you need a meeting, and most importantly you need it to be one where everyone can have their say. If there's a debate, followed by either a consensus or a vote, people are more likely to follow through than if they're just nodding along to a speech by one person. It also brings everyone in on the act, rather than people just following the leader - which leaves said leader open to being singled out and targetted by management.

The Sparks rank-and-file group at a picket of Blackfriars in London

Of course, the one thing you absolutely must not guarantee is that nothing will happen to people. It may well, and the bosses will look for any opportunity to clamp own on such activity. But what you can say is that greater solidarity brings a greater chance of success. The prime example of this remains the Lindsey Oil Refinery dispute of 2009, where all of those (lawfully) sacked for taking wildcat strike action got their jobs back - because every other site across the country took wildcat action in support of them.

In a situation such as that PCS has forced upon HMRC workers, something like a sick-out may work better than a blatant wildcat strike. But either way, if the conversation isn't had and the topic not broached, then workers are left at the mercy of the bosses and union officialdom. Whereas if that kind of rank-and-file organisation gets off the ground, then we can reach the point that the Sparks did late last year - taking strike action even after the union capitulated to the threat of a court injunction. And we must even go beyond that, as the rank-and-file still face sell out from Unite officialdom.

We have now reached a point where the working class are literally being attacked on all fronts. An effective fight back requires a level of militancy which we have not seen here since the great unrest. But the ruling class have put in laws to prevent that whilst the union bosses are cosy enough to be complicit. In order to stand any hope of winning, we must defy both.

Demonstration against NHS privatisation a success after Labour pull out

Around 50 people joined a demonstration outside the Royal Liverpool Hospital against the privatisation of the NHS. Members of Solidarity Federation, the Anarchist Federation, Women Against The Cuts and the Socialist Workers' Party were all present, along with a number of unaffiliated individuals who supported the cause. Despite the wind and rain, it was a lively gathering which drew in a fair amount of support from the public and service users.

A demonstration had originally been called by the Liverpool branch of the Labour Party. From the start it was a very sectarian, party political affair - with Andy Burnham MP as a speaker and the tagline "the NHS is only safe in the hands of The Labour Party - join us." However, rather than "join Liverpool Labour Group Councillors & Members of Parliament," members of Liverpool Solidarity Federation decided to mobilise a turnout for the demonstration which was both against NHS privatisation and against the Labour Party.

This led to Labour desperately scrambling to bus people in from Manchester, fearing they would be outnumbered. This clearly didn't work and they soon instead announced that the demo was cancelled, citing "public safety" concerns. As a consequence, the UNISON branch in the hospital - of which Labour Councillor Jake Morrison is a member - also pulled out. Keep Our NHS Public and the Liverpool Socialist Singers soon followed suit, though there was disagreement about this in the latter group.

Liverpool Solfed members responded by urging people to still attend the demonstration:

This doesn't mean that those of us who are both anti-cuts and anti-Labour will be staying at home, though. If it did, it would only show us as standing for the same narrow, sectional interests as the Labour Party when that is not the case. The ruling class is determined to roll back all of the gains made by workers in the last century, and we stand opposed to that whichever party holds the seat of power.

At the beginning, there were about fifteen people at the demonstration. This escalated quickly enough to fifty, from a variety of organisations, rallying against the privatisation of the NHS. None of those present were surprised - or bothered - by the absence of the Labour Party and its parliamentary stooges.

Solfed members handed out 800 copies of this leaflet, making the point that only direct action - not voting - can stop the NHS reforms. It was very well received, with a number of people stopping to talk about how bad the proposed changes were and thanking us for making a stand against them. Some people made comparisons to the 1930s, before the NHS came to be, whilst others talked about the system in the US - where having an operation to save your life could genuinely see you bankrupted.

The only moment of contention came when a senior manager from within the hospital said that we couldn't demonstrate on hospital premises. The Labour Party had sought the Chief Executive's permission, and now that they had pulled out that permission was removed. He was placated, however, by a banner being moved from one railing to another and soon left.

After two hours, and with weather conditions starting to worsen substantially, the demonstration wrapped up. In all, it was a quite succesful event - with all of our leaflets handed out and lots of public support for the cause. It's not going to save the NHS, of course, though with luck it may get people thinking about the best way to do this. But it does hammer home the message that if we want to fight back we need to do it ourselves, not wait for leadership from the likes of the Labour Party who are only in it for their own gain.

Liverpool picket against Adecco in solidarity with the CNT

Today, members of Liverpool Solidarity Federation picketed the office of employment agency Adecco in Liverpool City Centre. With the support of members of Occupy Liverpool, we handed out around 400 leaflets to the public during a picket that lasted around two hours.

When we began the picket, the sight of us tying the Liverpool Solfed banner to the railings in front of the entrance immediately drew attention. Two female workers came out to ask what we were doing - initially seeming to think we were a rival recruitment agency! We explained that we were acting in solidarity with the CNT union and Adecco's role in the ABB-EULEN dispute, handing them copies of our leaflet to that effect. After this, they retreated indoors and we had almost no further interaction with staff.

The public were overall supportive and happy to take our leaflets, though we did have one person walk by who refused a leaflet saying "I don't agree with any of it!" On the other hand, we did have two people who stopped to talk at length and express their support for what we were doing. Many others wished us good luck in our cause as they passed.

Throughout the day, Adecco received very little custom and nearly all of those who we gave leaflets to were passing by rather than going in. This suggests that, despite the sign in the window listing them as a Sunday Times top employer, many people are already aware of the realities of the casualised and precarious employment that companies like Adecco offer. Meanwhile, they felt threatened enough by our presence to turn off the automatic doors so that they had to let their few clients in manually.

The picket ended at three, though not before a police Matrix van passed, the cop in the passenger seat doing a double take as a saw us. Not too long after, a police car turned up to see what was going on. Unfortunately for them, at that point most of those present had already left whilst the few of us still there were just loading everything into cars. Which offers a somewhat amusing counterpoint to the violent police response to an anti-cuts protest outside Liverpool Town Hall.

The CNT's dispute in Corboda goes on, and whilst it does we wish them full solidarity in their struggle. It demonstrates just how much of a threat outsourcing poses to workers, and should their be prolongued strikes in the UK in the near future, we should have no illusions that agencies like Adecco will be happy to supply scabs here too. Their fight is our fight.

Oppose the BNP and EDL - Liverpool Crown Court, Monday 6 February‏

Reposted from Liverpool Antifascists.

On Monday 6 February, the British National Party and English Defence League will be holding concurrent demonstrations outside Liverpool Crown Court.

These demonstrations are in response to the court appearance of 11 men from Rochdale, accused of operating a child sex ring. The crime they are accused of is a despicable one, and we will shed no tears if they are jailed for a very long time. Yet the far-right is demonstrating here because they happen to be of Asian origin.

The fascists are exploiting the abuse of children to promote their nationalist agenda. They claim that Asians and Muslims are more likely than any other group to abuse children and that there is a media blackout to cover up this fact. But how do they propose to change things? If there is less coverage of the issue than is deserved, it is precisely because the far-right use it to stir up racial and religious hatred. They use such horrific incidents to turn people against entire communities.

The vast majority of those arrested for sex crimes in the UK are White British. In the past year, the world’s attention has been drawn to the scandal of widespread child abuse by Catholic priests. Where was the fascists’ demand that the “white community” or “Christian community” be held accountable for these crimes? The fact is, they only show their face when they can pin the issue on Asians and Muslims.

These crimes are not an attack on white people by muslims or Asians, but on vulnerable children by sexual predators. Abuse of children is an indescribably revolting crime, whoever commits it. Racist spin won’t save children from abuse, and nor will the sick opportunism of the EDL.

Don’t let fascists exploit child abuse for political gain.

Oppose the BNP and EDL – assemble by the Victoria Monument, Derby Square, from 8.30am on Monday 6 February.

Liverpool Labour pulls out of NHS demo, protest still going ahead

Jake Morrison, the Labour councillor for Wavertree, has announced that the demonstration against NHS reforms on Friday has been cancelled. Offering apologies for the cancellation, he assures us that there will be another event in the next few weeks. This post is to confirm that, regardless of Jake's and the Labour Party's withdrawal, Friday's protest will still be going ahead.

In his announcement, Jake claims that police "have raised concerns, which I share, about public safety." Supposedly, they "weren’t able to guarantee that the necessary space was available for several hundred people to protest outside the Royal Hospital safely" and as such "we have agreed the best course of action is to no longer go ahead with the protest." The "we" in question being not the great number who had expressed their determination to come to the demo, but Councillor Jake Morrison and Merseyside Police.

If the reason given is true, then it is beyond pathetic. Police permission or cooperation is not a pre-requisite for static demonstrations in any event and I would at the least question their motives for trying to shut the protest down. Especially after the events of last Wednesday, when cops attacked protesters whilst Jake sat inside the town hall nearby, dutifully voting for millions of pounds of public spending cuts.

If - as is also likely - the reason given is just a cover for pulling out, then it only proves the sectarian motives behind organising a "Labour Party" demonstration in the first place. With the prospect of opposition from those who also opposed the privatisation of the NHS but weren't going to fall for the idea that "the NHS is only safe in the hands of The Labour Party," the party loyalists have bottled it. Last week, there were rumours that they were desperately scrambling to bus people in from Manchester for fear of being outnumbered. Today, they have simply declared a retreat.

This doesn't mean that those of us who are both anti-cuts and anti-Labour will be staying at home, though. If it did, it would only show us as standing for the same narrow, sectional interests as the Labour Party when that is not the case. The ruling class is determined to roll back all of the gains made by workers in the last century, and we stand opposed to that whichever party holds the seat of power.

As such, I would urge people to see the withdrawal of Jake and Liverpool Labour as a victory against the illusions offered by parliamentary politics, but also realise that it doesn't remove the real issue at stake. The NHS is still under attack, along with so much else which the working class depends on, and we have to be willing to stand and fight against that. It will be direct action rather than static protest which saves the NHS, but how can we hope to reach that point if we let police and politicians dictate when and where we can demonstrate?

Demonstrate against NHS privatisation, Friday 27 January
Assemble outside the Royal Liverpool Hospital, Prescot Street, 11am til 2pm