This Is The Week That Is!!

    

  

         Great week leading up to May Day, some events in Glasgow that are worth a visit. The first is the Glasgow Anarchist Collective (GAC) event Thursday 28th April.

      GAC invite you to a screening of 'Culture Jam: Hijacking Commercial Culture'
        "Culturejam: Hijacking Commercial Culture delivers a fascinating rap on the 20th Century movement called Culture Jamming. Pranksters and subversive artists are causing a bit of brand damage to corporate mindshare. Jammers, cultural commentators, a billboard advertiser and a constitutional lawyer take us on a wild roller coaster ride through the back streets of our mental environment. Stopping over in San Francisco, New York's Times Square, and Toronto, we catch the jamming in action with Batman-inspired Jack Napier of the Billboard Liberation Front, Disney arch-enemy Reverend Billy from the Church of Stop Shopping and Media Tigress Carly Stasko. Culturejam asks: Is Culture Jamming civil disobedience? Senseless vandalism? The only form of self defence left?"
        Please feel free to come down from 7.00pm as we look to start about 7.30pm. Tea and coffee will be provided!
        If you've any questions about the event or how to get there, feel free to get in touch. We're showing the film at the Fred Paton Centre, a short 5 minute walk from George's X underground.
Hopefully see you there! GAC

      Then the following night, Friday 29th. April, there is the story of one of Glasgow's larger than life woman anarchists, Ethel MacDonald.

     GMB Glasgow General Apex Branch have organised a free screening of ‘An Anarchist's Story: The Life of Ethel MacDonald’ based on local writer Chris Dolan’s biography of the same title.
       In 1936, with civil war sweeping through Spain, Ethel Macdonald – a working-class girl from Motherwell – was to become, for a year, one of the world's most famous voices as she sent dispatches and broadcasts back from the Spanish Anarchist camp in Barcelona to the UK. ‘An Anarchist's Story: The Life of Ethel MacDonald’ uses contemporary accounts, Ethel’s own words and those of her close associates to unravel the mystery of this activist and examines the unique impact that she had during this fascinating period of European history.
      The film will be introduced by a local trade unionist and Chris Dolan. The screening will be followed by an opportunity to discuss some of the issues raised in the film with Chris Dolan, David Archibald and others.

       Then, let's not forget that there will be a May Day picnic on The Green, Sunday May 1st.

          An other appeal for those interested in getting May Day back on the Green, get in touch, bring what you expect to find, come and do your thing, just let us know what you hope to do.
MAY DAY IN THE GREEN
        Sunday 1st May from 1.30pm (to around 4pm) informal picnic with poets, singers, musicians. The location will be at the other side of the Peoples Palace in Glasgow Green, near the "washing lines" and canopy. Part of a project to return Mayday to the people from the Bureaucrats of the STUC & Politicians. This will be after the May Day march from George Square at 11.30 and complementary to street stalls at Buchanan St.

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

 

The Disappearing Common Good Fund.

       The Common Good Fund, money that could improve the quality of life of the citizens of this country, lost, disappeared, misused, mismanaged, shrouded in mystery. It is ours and those deemed to be responsible for looking after it, can't even tell us what it is worth. Pop along and ask about it, find out what you can do about it, find out exactly what it is and how it is supposed to be used.

Thursday, 24th. September, 19:00

The Fred Paton Centre

Carrington Street 

St. George's Cross 

Glasgow G4 9AJ

Five minutes walk from St. George's Cross underground.

 

The Common Good: What is it and how do we take it back?

        Scotland was formerly divided into 196 Burghs, each containing between the people of each Burgh, what is known as a Common Good Fund. The Common Good Fund of each Burgh consisted of properties, land and money which was available to the common benefit of all the people of each Burgh. Since the demarcations of localities across Scotland has changed over time, Burgh councils have been folded and all responsibility of the Common Good Fund has been transferred to each District Council in Scotland. It has become apparent, however, that the responsibilities of District Councils to keep a proper account of Common Good assets has not been properly fulfilled, even so far as property of the Common Good being illegally sold to private bodies. As a result, the public at large have been so removed from this knowledge of the Common Good that as a people we have been alienated from what is commonly belonging between us. The discussion GAC would like to invite you to is to pursue the questions as to what the Common Good is and how we go about taking back what has been purposefully allowed to fade into the past by our so-called local authorities.

The venue is the Fred Paton Centre a 5 minute walk from St George's X underground on Carrington Street.

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

Workers Know Your History, Death On The Picket Line.

      Last March, at the start of the 30th. anniversary of the 1984/85 miners strike, Spirit of Revolt, along with Clydeside IWW and Glasgow Anarchist Collective, co-sponsored  a talk in Glasgow, by Dace Douglass. After the talk, Dave asked if we had any knowledge of a recording of The Ballad of Freddie Mathews. Freddie Mathews was a Hatfield miner who was killed while on the picket line.

      Sadly we drew a blank, nobody seemed to know of a recording, so I approached Alun Parry and asked if he could make a recording. This he done, and he will be performing it at the Hatfield Colliery Gala in Doncaster, later this month.

       Thanks Alun. Settle down and enjoy a tale from working class history and struggle.

After almost a year of bitter and brutal struggle, the strike ended on March 3rd. 1985.

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

Dave Douglass In Glasgow, On The Miners Strike.

       On the 24th. September, 2014, in Glasgow, to mark the 30 anniversary of the 1984/85 miners strike, Dave Douglass was invited to give a talk on that momentous class struggle. The event was co-sponsored by Clydeside IWW, Spirit of Revolt, Glasgow Anarchist Collective, Radical Independent Bookfair, and Glasgow Anarchist Federation. The event proved to be very interesting, informative, and well attended. For those who missed it, they can now see the event on video, thanks to Bob at City Strolls.

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

Learndirect Gets Some Visitors.

 

       Yesterday, a group of enthusiastic and poster armed people from far and wide descended on Edinburgh to protest against the government's inhumane and cruel policy of slave labour, that flies under the flag of workfare. A scheme of forced labour without wages, and the continual threat of benefit cuts, (sanctions). The protesters target this time round, was Learndirect, the slave dealer that supplies the market with its free labour. Well done, to all of you, your fight is for all working class people, not just the unemployed, the unemployed are the tool used by the government to undermine the wages and conditions of all workers. Workfare is also a bonus to the corporate friends of the millionaire cabal that sits in the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption. They work hand and glove to further their own wealth and power, the corporate bosses want wages to go down, the government hands them slave labour, what more could they ask for? Well plenty, if we let them get away with it, workfare must be stopped, this is everybody's struggle.

These photos from Boycott Workfare Edinburgh, and there are plenty more there and also HERE:

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

The Miners Strike In Glasgow.

      Wednesday evening Dave Douglas will be in Glasgow talking about the 1984/85 miners strike, a monumental class struggle that showed just how far the state will go to crush any working class resistance. It was the Thatcher era, the cull on the working class.

      Come along to the Fred Paton Centre, 19 Carrington St., G4 9AJ at 7pm and hear first hand experience of this legendary struggle, from a miner who was there and felt the wrath of the Thatcher state, come along and add your stories, ask questions, learn about your history. There will also be stalls and displays. an interesting and informative evening is guaranteed, and it is free.

     Carrington Street is between Great Western Road and West Princes Street, near St George's Cross, Glasgow.

      Dave talks in a Channel 4 special about what Thatcher meant to him: stoking a fire of donated old shoes just to keep his family warm through the winter.

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

Dave Douglass And The Miners Strike.

    I doubt if there is anyone, with even a passing interest in UK politics, who hasn't heard or read about the 1984/85 miner's strike. An event that lasted approximately a year, during which time the British state threw its full force of repression against the striking miners. It tried every tactic in its arsenal, short of tanks in the mining villages and towns, to crush the resistance of the miners. This epic working class struggle should not be forgotten, to this end several groups are organising and co-sponsoring a talk and discussion by Dave Douglass, a miner who was there.

     There will be an event to mark this struggle, organised by the Clydeside General Members Branch of the International Workers of the World and co-sponsored by Glasgow Anarchist Collective, Glasgow Anarchist Federation, Radical Independent Bookfair, and Spirit of Revolt. It will be held on Wednesday, September 24th. 7pm to 9pm, in the Fred Paton Centre, 19 Carrington Street Glasgow, and is a free event. Carrington Street is between Great Western Road and West Princes Street, not far from St George's Cross. There will also be stalls and displays, an event not to be missed

       Come along, hear about your history, and add your stories and opinions.

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

1st. May, Glasgow, May Day, 2014.

 

    

      Glasgow's May 1st. May Day event in the city centre, held by a variety of groups, including Clydeside IWW, Glasgow Anarchist Federation, Glasgow Anarchist Collective, Faslane Peace Camp, all armed with a plentiful supply of books, leaflets, pamphlets, badges, t-shirts, etc. was well received by the general public, comments made, questions asked, and leaflets, pamphlets and booklets, t-shirts and badges, all going to interested individuals as they lingered in their passing. As usual, friends and comrades not seen for a while met up and exchanged chat. All in all, very cold for the 1st. of May, but a great day.

 

 

 

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