Sunday 30 November 2014

Enjoy The Ecstacy Of Your Righteous Anger.


       The poll tax was unjust, people got angry, and the poll tax was gone. People have the right to get angry at injustice, and if the powers that be, insist on pushing ahead with that injustice, the anger will surely grow. Today they seemed to have filtered anger out of our range of normal emotions. Get angry and you are told to seek anger management treatment, but we have a right to anger, it is not a crime, or an abnormality, to get angry, it is a perfectly human reaction. We live in a world where injustice mocks humanity, and violence is licensed by the state, where the system we live under inflicts poverty and deprivation on the innocent, anger should be the normal reaction. Here in this country when the system continues to push injustice in our face, such as workfare, bedroom tax, slashing of social services to appease the financial Mafia, while the country is awash with wealth, we have a right to anger. We should enjoy the ecstasy of our righteous anger.

Time To Rage.

Time to rage, like a river running wild.
Time to rise, to save the child.
Time to rage, like a mountain flood.
Time to rise, to stop the blood.
Time to rage, with righteous anger.
Time to rise, to point the finger.

Famine. misery, sickness, death,
stretch across these pleasant lands,
war, greed, hunger, blood,
sour the lovely desert sands,
charity, chat, quiet dismay,
is not enough,
prayers, thoughts, what MP's say,
is useless stuff.

Time to rage, like a river running wild.
Time to rise, to save the child.
Time to rage, like a mountain flood.
Time to rise, to stop the blood.
Time to rage, with righteous anger.
Time to rise , to point the finger.


Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Some Things Never Change.

       Came across this rather grainy movie, listen to the reporter's use of words, hooligan element, brave police, they are still at the same propaganda ranting today.
     The 1932 Jarrow Hunger March was held to draw attention to the plight of the jobless. Its final event was a mass meeting in London's Hyde Park. Official concerns about the potential for public disturbance led to a high police presence and some clashes ensued.


Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Saturday 29 November 2014

Glasgow, Anti-Racism March With Everybody And Their Dog.


        This year, as in the past, Glasgow's Anti-Racism March on Saturday 29th. November, was a friendly, colourful and well attended affair. I always find it exciting to part of a large gathering of friendly, like minded people, who are prepared to make a stand in favour of justice and equality, I could wax lyrically about it all, but instead, I'll let some of the photos tell the story.






























       Of course no march, protest, demonstration would be complete without its dancing dog.
 

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk


There Are State Executions, And There Are State Executions.


     The state has many ways of killing its opponents, The state's vicious vindictiveness will willing see a person go to their death, especially if that person is one who exposes and fights the brutal repressive activities of that state. 
     Anarchist prisoner Nikos Romanos is on hunger strike since November 10, 2014, requesting to make use of educational furloughs from prison, to which he is entitled since September 2014. Nikos is currently in Athens general hospital Gennimatas, under a strong custody of the police. Physician Pantelia (Lina) Vergopoulou, who visited him today 28/11, reports that the comrade remains in a critical condition, threatened with life-threatening complications. Late at night over 200 comrades and friends of Nikos gathered once again opposite the hospital to send their direct solidarity (audio).
      Anarchist prisoner Yannis Michailidis is on hunger strike since November 17, 2014, as a form of solidarity with the struggle of Nikos Romanos. As of today Yannis Michailidis needed to be hospitalized, too, after he was diagnosed with bradycardia. Yannis is currently in Piraeus general hospital Tzaneio, under a strong custody of the police.
      Both comrades stand firm and continue their hunger strike.

Active solidarity across borders! Solidarity is our weapon for success!
Let's Not Live Like Slaves.
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Friday 28 November 2014

Solidarity Is Our Weapon For Success.


 

     We should make no mistake about it, TTIP, if it goes ahead, finally blows any illusion of democracy out of the water. Gone are any control we may have had over our water, our health service, our education, and a raft of other services essential to a civilised society. All will be controlled and shaped by the parasites in the boardrooms of the corporate greed machine. All will be shaped according to the amount of profit that can be squeezed from them, with no consideration for the end users, you and I. TTIP is the corporate boardroom dream come true, total control over every aspect of our lives, everything moulded to suit the needs of the shareholders. It will take a concerted effort by the largest of mass movements to stop it, and kill it dead, before it devours what little democracy we may have.
      The campaign to stop the EU-US trade deal (TTIP) is having great effect. As a result of growing public pressure negotiations have been delayed by almost two months. If we keep up the pressure, we can stop TTIP altogether.
      The EU have now taken steps to publish some documents from the negotiations, in a desperate attempt to claim real transparency. But this is still a long way short of open and democratic negotiations.
It has been a hectic few weeks in the campaign against TTIP as the media seems to be warming up to our message. Letters were published in the Financial Times, The Independent and The Guardian and articles in the New Internationalist, Independent Voices.
       On Tuesday, our head of campaigns Polly Jones gave evidence to MPs on TTIP (here’s the Parliament TV coverage - start from 10:45:00) and our director Nick Dearden gave an interview to Russia Today TV (Preview) . The campaign is also going strong in Scotland. This weekend we spoke at the Radical independence Conference and today Liz Murray, our head of Scottish campaigns, gave evidence about TTIP to the Scottish parliament.
 
 Banner drop in Brigton last week.
       Our (self-organised) European Citizens’ Initiative is breaking records and is attracting hundreds of thousands of signatures. With your help we can reach 1 million signatures before the end of this year! If you haven’t already done so, sign it here: www.wdm.org.uk/TTIP
        Faced with the growing campaign against TTIP negotiators are preparing a huge PR offensive to promote TTIP throughout the EU promoting TTIP, offering reassurances on the NHS. Articles blaming campaigners for the woes of the negotiators are starting to appear. If anything that shows that our campaign is working and that we’ve got the EU on the back foot on TTIP.
There are a number of significant events coming up:
  • This Monday, 1 December, 6pm there’s TTIP: Turning the Tide in Westminster. This mass training event, led by leading politicians and campigners, will help you learn how to pressure politicians about TTIP, make networks with other citizens and activists and develop plans for the future. A limited number of places remain available, book now if you’d like to attend. 
  • We are planning a mobilisation to Brussels on late January or early February to lobby MEPs, protest against TTIP and meet civil society activists from around Europe – watch this space.
     Currently under way at WDM are briefings on aspects of TTIP and its expected impacts and more campaigning – with an accent on Local Authorities. Keep in touch. #NoTTIP.
Best wishes,
Guy Taylor
Trade campaigner, WDM
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk