OCCUPY! The Factory Occupation Movement in Venezuela and London.
This Wednesday 13th May at Bolivar Hall in London
OCCUPY! The Factory Occupation Movement in Venezuela and London.
7.00pm start. Videos and Speakers. Admission Free.
Britain
Guns before butter
On the day that the Pakistani army continued to be bogged down in a ferocious battle against the Taliban inside its own borders and yet another British soldier was killed in Afghanistan, the one hundred and fifty third since 2001, it is evident that the British military is engaged in a war it cannot win. Defence Minister Bob Ainsworth has outlined desperate measures which entail a wholesale reform of the Territorial Army. Gone forever will be the image of a glorified Dad’s Army as the TA is to be integrated with the rest of the army and better prepared for wars abroad.
Our enemy – the capitalist state
Editorial.The events around the G20 demonstrations have underlined the fact that, when working people stand up against capitalism, sooner or later we come slap up against the capitalist state. The police were talking up the prospects of violence well before the G20 began. Ian Tomlinson was killed by riot police on his way home. He wasn’t even part of the demonstration against the G20, just a worker going about his business. Complaints and evidence about heavy-handed and brutish policing are pouring in. Des Heemskerk led a group of workers in Basildon, concerned only about protecting their jobs, to occupy their factory – Visteon. They came up against police in full riot gear with slavering dogs on hand.
Glasgow: Brown not welcome here!
Poor old Gordon Brown, down in the polls as his part in destroying the lives of millions of working people through his mismanagement of the economy is exposed to all. With his attempts to smear the Tories blowing up in his own face, things aren’t going so well for him. He thought a cabinet meeting in Glasgow, away from the City and Fleet Street, might do some good for his popularity. He was wrong.
What can you say?
What can you say to your son when he asks, “Why is my life so sh*te?” All you can do is listen and sympathise.
Hillsborough 20 Years On
Twenty years after the event it would be fair to say that almost all football fans who went to a game that day will remember exactly where they were at 3.06pm on Saturday 15th April 1989, the day of the Hillsborough disaster. They will have little or no memory of the game they watched and what happened in it. What they will remember is groups of people on the terraces standing around radios listening as the terrible news unfolded. What they will remember is the look on the faces of players as they came out onto the pitch to start the second half, having heard the news during the break. What they will remember is the terrible silence as people left the grounds just wishing to be home, many long before the final whistle.
G20 riot police kill bystander
Video evidence now proves that the man killed at the G20 demonstration, Ian Tomlinson, was the victim of an unprovoked attack by the police. The labour movement must demand the suspension of the officers involved, the pressing of criminal charges, the organisation of effective workers’ committees to ensure safety on demonstrations, and the right to assemble freely without fear of violence.
Unprovoked brutality of the police at anti-G20 protests
The media has been trying – not too convincingly – to claim
that the brutal response of the police in London of the past few days was a
necessary response to violent anti-G20 demonstrators. All those who
participated in the events saw a different picture, a police force intent on
provoking violence. This is clearly part of a plan to portray the peaceful
protestors as "violent", in effect an attempt to criminalise ordinary people
protesting. Here is an eyewitness account.
Marching against the G20 summit in London
Around 35 thousand people packed into central London on Saturday 28th of March in a militant protest at the upcoming G20 summit.Under the slogan of “Put people first” the demonstrators aimed to bring world leaders to heel over the economic crisis.
King’s College London decides not to pay its staff!
Workers across all industries are feeling the squeeze as the bosses try to pass on the costs of the recession to them. Some workers are getting below-inflation pay-rises. Others are getting no pay rise at all. However, most would take for-granted that, if they remain in work, they will be paid something for their labour. But at King’s College London they are advertising a post which pays nothing at all.The post is voluntary! The college ‘generously’ offers to reimburse expenses!
Britain’s TV Industry in Crisis
Britain’s commercial television industry is in crisis. Channel 4 has announced plans to cut 150 jobs next year (from a total workforce of 1,000), and has reduced its programme budget by £25m, after already cutting £15m from last year’s budget. Britain’s newest Channel, Five, has announced 87 job cuts (nearly a third of its workforce). But one of the bleakest stories is that of Britain’s oldest commercial broadcaster, ITV. They have forecast the recent wave of job cuts to reach the 1,000 mark by the middle of this year, along with a £65m cut in their £1billion programming budget, putting an end to many popular programmes, including high-end costume dramas.
Glasgow pickets the BNP
March 23rd saw the BNP once again make another ugly appearance on the streets of Glasgow, the second time they have done so in three days. On this occasion they could only muster two supporters, seemingly their hardcore in the west of Scotland. As usual this pair carried out their Laurel and Hardy style act with the big intimidating one, complete with scary red bobble hat, remaining silent as the smaller overly confident character spewed out a range of contradictory positions and bigoted lies.