February 2012

CORPORATE OLYMPIC MONEY SPINNER. 4:33 pm / 29 February 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.

         A recent headlinereally shows the arrogance of the millionaires in the WestminsterHouses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, it states “Politicians condemnOlympic strike threat”. This is all about the leader of UniteUnion, Len McCluskey, stating that there could be industrial actionduring the Olympics. His statement "I believe the unions, andthe general community, have got every right to be out protesting. –If the Olympics provide us with an opportunity, then that's exactlyone that we should be looking at." seemed to have hurt their sensitivities.
       Our electedpoliticians never miss an opportunity to “condemn” any protest,demonstration or industrial action taken by the ordinary people totry to defend themselves against the savage attack being hurtled atthem by the said elected politicians.
      Why should welisten to them, the pay themselves excellent salaries and generous expenses,secure for themselves wonderful pensions, get all sorts of perks andnot content with that, lots of them fiddle the system. Whilewallowing in their unearned grandeur they state that there is noalternative to “austerity”. Then they have have the audacity andarrogance to tell us to take what they throw at us and accept ourpoverty with humility.
       Because thecorporate world wants to hold a mainly public funded extravaganza inthe hope of making even more money, and remembering the most citiesthat hold the Olympics are bankrupted after the event, why should wesee it as some sacred festival, and restrain ourselves from defendingourselves against facing a generation or more of poverty? When itcomes to defending ourselves the last people we should listen to arethe politicians. The last thing that will benefit the ordinary peopleis a world wide corporate event that will make millions forbroadcasters like Sky and Virgin etc. make millions for sponsors, andcost us the public, millions. We need a National Health Service, weneed an decent education system, we need pensions that give dignityto our elderly, we need nurseries, we need libraries and we need ahost of social services, we do not need an Olympic corporate moneyspinner.

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Occupy Everything – Reflections On Why It’s Kicking Off Everywhere 4:05 pm / 29 February 2012 by Adam Ford, at Infantile Disorder

Just over twelve months ago, in the wake of the anti-fees student uprising, and in the midst of what would soon become known as the 'Arab Spring', Newsnight economics editor Paul Mason posted a blog entitled 'Twenty reasons why it's kicking off everywhere'. The article went viral within seconds, and set off debates within the new, young, hyper-linked activist circles which were starting to form.

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THE FOUNDATIONS ARE CRUMBLING. 9:54 am / 29 February 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


      No matter where we look, the system is in crisis, but we are told by the illusion creators, that growth and prosperity is just around the corner, if only would would accept "austerity" in the mean time. Of course "austerity" translates in different ways, for some it means utter deprivation and for others, grinding poverty and for others it means just hanging on with their finger tips. However none of these "austerity" measures will in any way affect those administrating the policies. NO the "austerity" is for the ordinary people. No matter what magic mathematics the use, the ordinary people of Europe are in for a long spell of poverty where the very fabric of their social structures have been torn apart. 
     We either accept this debt serfdom and deprivation to allow the financial barons of this corporate fascism to re-capitalise their coffers, or we seize the moment, the opportunity, to take control of our own lives. We can organise across the continent of Europe refusing to be plunged into penury, and setting about creating a society that is based on the needs of all our people. The system is splitting at the foundations, it can't survive without our acceptance of poverty and deprivation, why should we? We are being offered, either accept poverty and deprivation, or everything will collapse and we will be faced with poverty and deprivation. If we accept their method, then it is poverty and deprivation for us and unimaginable wealth for them, the choice is ours.



     Once again an excellent article from Occupied London.

       We now see a need to grow, to become even more relevant, to move beyond the usual political subdivisions and beyond reacting to capital and state violence and grasp seriously this moment of rupture. Our contribution in this direction is this call to effectively share analysis and coordinate action across Europe.
       Information coming from the mainstream media intends to divide us: it seeks to put the blame for the crisis first on the laziness of one People, then on the greed of another. In the mainstream media, people are seen as isolated victims or as a mass of protesters, but never as thinking, desiring and acting people who can take control of their own futures in common. This is a new battlefield where our conditions of living, producing and reproducing will be set for generations to come. 
CONTINUE READING:

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DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST. 3:36 am / 29 February 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.

From "Defend the Right to Protest". 
 
 

       We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to sign our petition in support of Alfie Meadows and the right to protest. Over 2000 of you have now signed, a brilliant start but we need more signatories. Please help us reach more people about Alfie's case by sharing the petition in work places, universities, colleges, with family, friends and on twitter and facebook. The petition can be found online: http://t.co/4daHLlp1 but we also attach a printable copy.
     There is now just under one month until Alfie Meadows court date, there are a range of other ways in which you can help the campaign demanding that charges be dropped against Alfie Meadows. Download a variety of campaign materials at: http://www.defendtherighttoprotest.org/justice-for-alfie-meadows/

You can also join the Justice for Alfie Meadows facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Justice-for-Alfie-Meadows-Drop-All-Charges-Now/176407952467757

        The Defend the Right to Protest Campaign demands JUSTICE for Alfie Meadows and all victims of police violence, join us at our public forum 'Stand Up For Justice!' on Monday 5th March, 7PM at Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ. (Opposite Euston Station).
Speakers include: John McDonnell (MP), Imran Khan (Campaigning Lawyer and Solicitor for Stephen Lawrence's family), Alfie Meadows (Student Defendant), Frank Fernie (Imprisoned Protester, now free!), Liam Burns (NUS President), Maggie Mitchell (Parent of imprisoned student), Marcia Rigg (Sean Rigg Justice & Change campaign), Rob Evans (Guardian journalist) & More

For more information: http://www.defendtherighttoprotest.org/stand-up-for-justice-dtrtp-public-forum/
Join the facebook event and invite friends: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/242723812474501/

        We will be holding a rally and demonstration on the first day of Alfie Meadows trial. Tariq Ali is amongst speakers confirmed to speak on the day.
Join us at Kingston Crown Court, 6-8 Penrhyn Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2BB on Monday 26th March, 9AM.
Join the facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/270548723014910/

        For regular updates about Alfie Meadows' Campaign and how you get involved with the wider campaign, visit: www.defendtherighttoprotest.org

Yours in Support,
Defend the Right to Protest
Email: info@defendtherighttoprotest.org
Facebook Page: defendtherighttoprotest / friend: Right to Protest
Twitter: @righttoprotest www.defendtherighttoprotest.org

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VICTORY FOR THE PEOPLE. 3:10 am / 29 February 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.

       It seems that the Kremlin in George Square have yielded to pressure from you. After a strong campaign by the people of Glasgow they have decided to ease their money grabbing ways and Let Glasgow Flourish. Unite and organise and we can win battles. 
 ORGANISE.
        Thanks to over 14,000 signatures (including you!) Glasgow City Council announced last week that they will scrap the proposed fees for public events which are temporary or free of charge.
      But Edinburgh and other councils across Scotland are yet to decide their plans for the legislation and there is suggestion that some still intend to implement the fees.
Kris Haddow, a playwright who started the petition on Change.org, wants all Scottish councils to follow Glasgow's lead, so he's asking everyone to keep the pressure up by sharing the petition with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. Every signature will help show local councils across Scotland that the public do not support this ‘tax on the arts’.
         Kris said "this is great news for the campaign in Glasgow but we still need to keep up the pressure and ensure that Edinburgh and other councils across Scotland follow suit and scrap the public entertainment licence fees. I urge you to continue sharing the petition until such time as we have achieved success in all areas. Thank you for signing and supporting this petition."
Thanks for being part of this,
- Brie and the Change.org team

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HORIZONTALISM IN THE WORKPLACE. 2:53 am / 29 February 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


Horizontal Organisation In The Workplace.  
A Talk by A.Rice


A Public Event for Radical Glasgow by Martin O'Neil

Tuesday 6th March 7pm-9pm

The Electron Club
CCA
350 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow G2 3JD

        As managerialism kicks in and workplace pressures increase, creating a strong united voice is vital to protecting ourselves as workers. Our Union branch divided the single Rep’s role into 7 jobs,so sharing the power. We found that evolving union structures from a hierarchy to a shared power model was crucial to maintaining a presence in these brutal times. 


Facebook Event Page:
http://www.facebook.com/events/326646870716144/?context=create#!/events/326646870716144/

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Horizontal Organisation In The Workplace Talk Glasgow Tues. 6th March 7pm 5:03 pm / 28 February 2012 by glasgowchiapassolidaritygroup, at glasgowanarchists.wordpress.com

Horizontal Organisation In The Workplace. A Talk by A.Rice  Tuesday 6th March 7pm-9pm The Electron Club CCA 350 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow G2 3JD As managerialism kicks in and workplace pressures increase,  creating  a strong united voice is vital to protecting … Continue reading →

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Boycott Workfare National Day of Action 3rd March 4:59 pm / 28 February 2012 by Ramona, at Edinburgh Anarchist Federation

Edinburgh Anarchist Federation fully endorses the national day of action called by grassroots campaign Boycott Workfare.

Join the protest in Edinburgh:

Assemble 12 noon, Hunter Square, Saturday 3rd March, to visit some nearby businesses using unpaid workfare ‘volunteers’ to work for free. 

Workfare is a government scheme that makes people on benefits work for their dole.

The government and some in the media present it as a way of encouraging people back into work by gaining experience. This ignores two things – first, there are not enough jobs available for those who want them; and second, workfare placements themselves are taking jobs away from paid workers. We have no problem with people learning while working – this used to be called apprenticeships. But workfare tells the unemployed that they will lose their benefit if they do not work for their it. In every other context the minimum wage applies, so why not here?

The companies using workfare all make large profits. The work being done would need to be done anyway. By getting forced labour to do it for free, the companies’ profits will grow. Their regular workers are often on low pay themselves and find their overtime cut and pay held back because of the forced labour scheme.

Bosses prefer not having to pay for workers. Instead, we are all paying to subsidise their profits. Protests have already forced some to pull out of the scheme. Let’s make it all of them.

Find out more here, and if you’re not in Edinburgh, find an action near you

http://www.boycottworkfare.org/

If you are unemployed, find out about your rights under the various workfare schemes
http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=280.

This protest has been organised by a range of local groups and individuals, including:

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty

Edinburgh Uncut

Black Triangle Campaign

Right To Work Edinburgh

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Anti-fascist coordinating meeting, Sunday 4th March 3:08 pm / 28 February 2012 by Phil Dickens, at Truth, Reason & Liberty

An emergency appeal to all anti-fascists and anti-racists: we need to respond to the increasing threat of the far-right. Reposted from Liverpool Antifascists.

On Monday 6th February the British National Party (BNP) and English Defence League (EDL) along with other racists and fascists, were able to hold a confident, 100-strong demonstration , outside the hearing of a child sex abuse case at the Crown Court. The fascists were trying to capitalise on the case, as the accused were Asian men.

On Saturday 18th February some 250 far-right activists, bolstered by Loyalist and veterans’ organisations, were able to control parts of the town centre as they mobilised against a parade organised by Liverpool Irish Patriots. The combination of their numbers and the fairly relaxed attitude taken by Merseyside Police meant they were at liberty to harass and racially abuse the demonstration, other political activists in town, and black people who were simply out of a Saturday afternoon.

This increased confrontational street presence of the far right is extremely concerning. The British National Party seems to be abandoning its recent strategy of trying to gain electoral ‘respectability’ and is therefore becoming less hostile to its members getting publicly involved in street thuggery. The EDL seems to also be changing tactics. In addition to its set piece rallies and marches ‘against Islamic extremism’ some of its splinter groups have begun specifically targeting left-wing and labour movement meetings and stalls. The Unite regional office in Liverpool as well as the Occupy group in the city have already had hassle.

One of these splinter groups, the North West Infidels (NWI), have called a day of action on Saturday March 24th. It is possible that they will want to follow up their recent successes in this city and target Liverpool.

The response of our movement has left quite a lot to be desired. Much of this is understandable given many of us have been occupied with the enormous task of responding to the attacks this government is launching on health, education, welfare, pensions and the rest of it. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that the cuts and the uncertainty and misery created by them will create opportunities for racists and fascists, especially if there is not a serious fight against them.

We are therefore calling a meeting open to all anti-fascists and anti-racists, to discuss how to respond to the immediate question of March 24th and beyond.

Liverpool Antifascists coordinating meeting
Sunday 4th March, 1pm-3pm
Liverpool Guild of Students, 160 Mount Pleasant, L3 5TR
facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/152298701557574/#!/events/152298701557574/
Contact: liverpoolantifascists@hotmail.co.uk
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BOYCOTT WORK-FARE. 2:12 pm / 28 February 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


      Slavery has been with us from time immemorial and reasonable people have always, on principle, fought against the idea of slavery. One of the first records of slavery being forbidden was in 550 BC in Achaemenid Persia where it was generally banned, their religion Zoroastrianism explicitly forbid slavery. As we move through history, over time we see scores of places introducing laws to forbid slavery or the slave trade. In 960 the Doge of Venice approved a law prohibiting slavery. Even on these islands in 1102 the Council of London made the trade in slaves illegal and in 1569 the English Court ruled that English law could not recognise slavery and again here in 1701, Lord Chief Justice ruled that a slave became free as soon as he arrived in England. Now here we are in the 21st. century and we have a government of millionaires trying their damnedest to reintroduce slavery in this country. They have tried to dress it up in more modern language and have given it a nice sounding name, they call it "Work-fare". The idea is that if you are unemployed and are receiving the princely sum of £67 a week job seekers allowance, to survive on, then you are obliged to accept being sent to some extremely rich company and work there for "NOTHING" failing to do so could see you lose your £67 benefit money. They say it is voluntary, voluntary slavery, but those who have been unfortunate enough to be put in this position make it quite clear that you are under pressure to go to your newly prescribed master and do his bidding, for nothing. The big businesses would love to grab this opportunity to have an army of unpaid young people scurrying around with the sweat dripping off their forehead, filling their selves or what ever they demand. However some are drawing back from the scheme, not out of compassion for the young slaves, but for the bad publicity that is coming their way when they do participate. People are objecting to this humiliating way of treating our young people, groups are demonstrating outside and in their premises and they public is beginning to see through the tinsel dressing and fancy words that they have dressed up this degrading scheme of modern slavery.



Saturday 3rd March
Protest against Work fare - Protest against slave labour

MEET TOP SHOP BUCHANAN STREET (OUTSIDE BUCHANAN GALLERIES) 1PM
        In solidarity with Liverpool Uncut’s action against workfare on Saturday 3rd March, Boycott Workfare has called a national day of action against workfare. There will be a Boycott Workfare action in Central London on this day and people all over the UK are to take action on their high streets.
         So many high street stores are involved in taking on forced unpaid labour that there is plenty of choice –Asda, Holland & Barrett, Primark, HMV, TK Maxx and Topshop to name but a few. Get a group together, make a plan, and head to the streets. Workfare means that those on benefits are forced into unpaid work for multi-million pound companies. Instead of the living wage – they receive £2.25 an hour in benefits for 30 hours of work.
       Workfare means those in paid positions may see their jobs replaced by this unpaid labour. Why would a company pay for people to do these jobs when they can get free labour from the Job Centre?
       We can put a stop to this forced unpaid labour – Waterstones and Sainsburys recently announced that they would no longer take unpaid placements – the other companies just need a bit more encouragement to stop this exploitation. We demand an end to this exploitation and call for welfare rights and living wages for all!

If you continue to exploit us, we WILL shut you down!
http://www.facebook.com/events/163269033789710/

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