Anti-ATOS Protester Arrested At Queen's Baton Parade..

Games Monitor · in Actions, ATOS

 http://gamesmonitor2014.org

      Police accompanying the Queen’s Baton near Barrhead, East Renfrewshire arrest protesting disability activists, pinning one to the ground. The group, Glasgow Against Atos, has staged a series of increasingly high-profile direct actions demanding the removal of IT giant Atos as a sponsor.

      The firm has sought to boost its public profile by sponsoring database software for international sporting events, but campaigners have fought to expose its role in deadly cuts to disability benefits.

       The firm has seen a string of scandals and wrongful sanctions arising from its contracts quizzing sickness benefit claimants with “work capability assessments” for the Department of Work and Pensions.

      The affair has even seen silent protest from Paralympic athletes who hid their branded lanyards from cameras at London’s 2012 opening ceremony, while Sport Disability Scotland told MSPs in April of athletes who could no longer afford to continue their sporting careers after losing out to a work capability assessment.

      Games organisers insist they are “very proud” of Atos’ involvement, while press officers have refused to comment on whether they are contractually obliged to offer public shows of support. 

      This is the latest in a series of protests and occupations from the Glasgow Against ATOS group including two occupations of the Commonwealth Games Gift shop in Central Station and an occupation of the main CG store in George Square.

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

Class Warriors See Off ATOS.

 More photos on Glasgow Against ATOS.
 

       Friday, 30th. May, saw the last picket held by Glasgow Against ATOS, and though I couldn't make it, I think I can safely say, from all accounts, it was a large, colourful, noisy, cheerful picket, that can claim success. All of us must take our hats off to this ever growing army of class warriors, that saw injustice, got together, and stood on the line. For almost two years, month after month, in wind, rain, hail and frost, there they were, outside the ATOS offices at Corruna House in Cadogan Street in Glasgow. 

 

      The dogged determined campaign to highlight the traumatizing, intimidation, and humiliation heaped on our most vulnerable, by the profit junkies ATOS at the direction of the Cameron millionaire cabal, spread nation wide. Through the continued bad publicity being brought to the public's notice by this army of class warriors, ATOS decided to pull the plug on its despicable operation. The campaign succeeded in doing what it set out to do, getting ATOS off the backs of our disabled. 

 

    ATOS may have gone, but the millionaire vermin that sits in the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, has in no way changed its policies. They still want to remove benefits from our disabled. Their first hatchet man has gone, we can rest assured that they are already looking at what vampire squid to hand the lucrative contract to next. Will it be the ruthless, bungling G4S, or perhaps the mighty  Serco, the company that has been dogged by scandals from overcharging for prisoner tagging to allegations of sexual assault at an immigration detention centre. The choice our parasitical millionaire government has to do its dirty work, is wide and vile.

 

     So Glasgow Against ATOS, well done, you are class war heroes, but, keep your powder dry, the enemy is re-arming.

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

Important Diary Dates.

    A couple of dates for next week, the first is on Tuesday, April 22 and is hosted by Glasgow Games Monitor 2014. The subject matter, "housing", focusing on Glasgow's East End, though not exclusively. The East End of Glasgow has seen approximately 3,000 resident shunted out to make way for "The Games". A spectacle to feed the corporate greed machine with an estimated £524 million. Of course we all know what happens to the "estimates" in all these types of affairs, they are just the starting point of the rip-off. What would £524 million do if spent on simple improving the housing and social conditions of the East End?

From Glasgow Games Monitor:

Hi all,

     Two new posts online:

(1) 'THE MEETING THEY TRIED TO BAN! HOUSING IS IN CRISIS: WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?'

     Public Meeting, Speakers and Discussion, 7-9pm, Tuesday 22nd April, St.Mungo's Academy, 235 Crownpoint Road, Bridgeton, Glasgow, G40 2RA. All Welcome!

http://gamesmonitor2014.org/2014/04/15/public-housing-meeting-tuesday-22nd-april/

    (2) 'Games Monitor on Newsnight

Scotland':http://gamesmonitor2014.org/2014/04/15/games-monitor-on-newsnight-scotland/

     Please circulate news of the housing meeting widely if possible. We want to engage with local people's experience in particular, but housing for the games and clyde gateway is a citywide issue and we welcome all those with an interest in housing issues.

Cheers,http://gamesmonitor2014.org/

       The other date is Friday, April 25, the monthly picket outside the ATOS offices in Cadogan street Glasgow. It is important that this picket continues and gains in strength. ATOS may have decided to withdraw early from its contract with the government, mainly due to the unpleasant publicity created by such pickets up and down the country. However, that doesn't mean that the government will abandon its attack on the sick and disabled. The millionaire cabal at the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, have a bucketful of leeches ready and waiting to be unleashed on the vulnerable, when ATOS leaves by the back door, having made millions at the expense of the sick and disabled. 
This from Glasgow Against ATOS:

Friday April 25, 12:30 - 15:00

ATOS Assessment Centre

Carunna House

29 Cadogan Street

Glasgow.

     We are Glasgow Against Atos, a dynamic campaign group, defending the sick and disabled. We have been picketing the Atos, Glasgow assessment centre since early 2012.
     Please come and join us in fighting Atos, the DWP and the government cuts against disabled people, their families and carers.
        The weather is getting better – so no excuses, and we’ll see you all outside the assessment centre. All welcome!

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

When Does The Killing Stop?

 

      

      Day and daily vulnerable people are dying after being assessed as fit to look for work, and having their disability benefit cut by ATOS. This vicious penny-pinching scheme devised by Ian Duncan Smith continues to cause anxiety, stress and trauma and in a number of cases, death to some of the most vulnerable in our society. Despite this, our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, keeps very quiet on this matter. Thankfully people across the country are taking action to support and show solidarity with all those in the firing line of this brutal ideological attack by our millionaire lords and masters.

 

     

     The group, Glasgow Against ATOS, has been holding a monthly pickets on the last Friday of the month, outside the doors of the Glasgow offices of ATOS. This Friday, in spite of the dreadful weather, saw a very colourful and imaginative group once again show their support for those vulnerable people being victimised and to show their anger and disgust at this attempt at a cull on the working class.

 

Photos from Glasgow Against ATOS.

These figures are from Black Triangle Campaign, and though out of date give an indication of the devastation and misery caused by this unjust, brutal attack on the vulnerable in our communities.

Number of deaths for Jan. to Nov. 2011 = 10,600 - supplied by DWP via Atos from page 6 of following pdf

http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/incap_decd_recips_0712.pdf

THIS BREAKS DOWN THUS:

Those with Assessment not complete 2,200 (50.6 per week)

Those in Work Related Activity Group 1,300 (29.9 per week)

Those in Support Group 7,100 (153.6 per week)

Total number of deaths 10,600 (to nearest 100)

Jan to Nov inclusive is 11 months = 47.5 weeks

10,600 deaths divided by 47.5 weeks = 223.2 deaths per week

Total approximation in EACH group is 223.2 divide by 3

Approximation of deaths in each of 3 groups = 74.4 per week

1. It’s important to know how 73 (74.4) was sourced, and

2. That this number is an average within 3 different groups and

3. That the overall number of deaths is 223.3 per week

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

Glasgow Against ATOS Monthly Picket.

       Glasgow against ATOS is a Grassroots disabled activist campaign opposing Atos (Atos HealthCare) and supporting rights of disabled people in Glasgow and beyond. On the last Friday of each month the group picket outside the ATOS offices in Cadogan Street Glasgow. The next picket will be Friday January 31 at 12:30.

    Ian Duncan Smith's "reforms" of disability allowance, is administered by ATOS and since they started their brutal campaign against the most vulnerable in our society, we have seen more than 1,300 people died after being assessed and told to start work related activities. Whichever way you look at this, it is unacceptable, Ian Duncan Smith has blood on his hands. Some disabled people have committed suicide after being assessed as fit to start looking for work. People who force vulnerable people into this sort of situation have changed the category from suicide to murder, and should be held accountable.

Photo From Glasgow against ATOS

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

Glasgow Against ATOS.

A call out from  Glasgow Games Monitor 2014

Thursday 31st October 1pm.

Drop ATOS from the Commonwealth Games – 

Lobby of Glasgow City Council
George Square, Glasgow G2 1DU

Lobby of Glasgow City Council, 

organised by Glasgow Against ATOS.

    We need you! On the 31st October, Councillors of Glasgow City Council will be
debating a motion to drop ATOS as a commonwealth games sponsor. Please come to George Square for a lobby of those councillors who are debating this motion.
     Thousands of people have died after going through the ATOS work capability assessment, ATOS are not fit to be a sponsor of the games and we ask that as many people and organisations let them now how we feel about this immoral company’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games next year.

      FANCY DRESS VERY MUCH ENCOURAGED, ITS HALLOWEEN AFTER ALL SO IF YOU’RE UP FOR IT GET YOUR BEST HAUNTING GEAR ON !

https://www.facebook.com/events/219037268264562/

See previous GM 2014 posts,

commentary and short film of testimonials:
Background: http://gamesmonitor2014.org/2013/10/04/crunch-vote-on-atos-commonwealth-games-role/
Commentary: http://gamesmonitor2014.org/2013/08/08/atos-kills-and-it-has-accomplices/
Short film of testimonials against ATOS: http://gamesmonitor2014.org/2013/10/24/unfit-for-2014-campaign-film/

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

Anti-ATOS, Glasgow Picket, Wrong Date.

         I appears that I have made a bit of a blunder, I advertised the Glasgow Against ATOS monthly picket as being on Friday, 23 August, when in actual fact it is, as always, the last Friday of the month, which would make it Friday, August 30, 12:30 to 14:30.  Cadogan Street Glasgow. To those who may have turned up on Friday 23, and I know there was at least one, (sorry Stevie), I can only say I am very sorry for my misinformation and any inconvenience that it may have caused. I have now corrected the original post. Again sorry for the mistake.

       However it gives you another week to get organised, make placards, get in touch with Glasgow Against ATOS, and make this a massive protest against the killers ATOS.

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

Glasgow's Monthly Anti-ATOS Picket.

An appeal from Glasgow Against ATOS:  (Corrected date)

      Please come and join us at our monthly picket of the ATOS testing centre at Cadogan Street Friday, August 30, 12:30 to 14:30, and support our fight against the cuts to the sick and disabled, we want the so called Health Care Professionals to  know we wont be going away until ATOS is removed from its role as DWP medical assessors.

    This IT company has found thousands of people fit for work who have subsequently died within weeks of assessment, plunged thousands of sick and disabled people into poverty, everyone knows a friend or has family member who has a debilitating illlness or disability that leaves them unable to work, ATOS KILLS ! KILL ATOS !

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

ATOS Kills, ATOS Has To Go.

       More from Glasgow's dirty washing on The Green last Saturday August 3rd. lifted straight from Glasgow Against ATOS, with a couple of photos.

 

The Power Of The Pen!

        Resistance comes in all different forms. For people who aren’t able to make it to our meetings or protests there are other ways you can help build the campaign. Send us your articles on news developments about the cuts (particularly those affecting the sick and disabled) or letters of your personal experiences of the Work Capability or Personal Independence Payment assessments. Include in your email if your happy for them to be published on our blog spot. Please send these to glasgowagainstatos2012@gmail.com

Norman Dickson has been sending us his poems to help spirit the fight back. Three of these are included below.

GAA calls for resistance to the cuts on all fronts!

 

    
MURDER BY SIGNATURE

          ( ATOS AND THE BEDROOM TAX )

    ITS CALLED MURDER BY SIGNATURE,
    A COWARDS FARAWAY DECREE,
    HIDDEN IN AN OFFICE SOMEWHERE,
    NEVER TO WITNESS OR SEE.

    THE MISERY, THE DYING..
    THE GRIEF AND THE PAIN,
    THE RELATIVES LIVES RUINED,
    A  WELFARE STATISTIC ERASED.


GENOCIDE

  ( 21st Century Style )

    (IAN DUNCAN SMITH )

HE SHOWS ALL SIGNS OF A PSYCHOPATH.
AS HE VILIFIES THE ILL.
THOSE ON JOBSEEKERS ALLOWANCE..
AND ALMOST EVERY OTHER THING.

A FAILED LEADER AND POLITICIAN,
DEFINITELY A FAILURE AS A MAN.
HIS NAZI LIKE POLICIES..
DESIGNED ONLY TO KILL.

THERE SHOULD BE AN EPITAPH..
BUILT VERY HIGH,
WITH NAMES OF THE DEAD AND DYING.
TILL IT REACHES THE SKY.

OVER 10,000 AT LAST COUNT.
AND ITS ONLY JUST BEGUN.
EACH AND EVERY POLITICIAN..
THE QUESTION THEY SHUN.

ITS THE 21ST CENTURY
AND ONLY 68 YEARS ON.
FROM BELSON AND AUSWITCH..
BUT GENOCIDE LIVES ON.

ITS HERE IN THE UK.
HIDDEN BEHIND LIES.
SPUN BY EVIL PEOPLE.
AS ANOTHER ONE DIES.

ITS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY..
WILL THE HAGUE TURN AWAY ?
OR WILL THE COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS..
BE BUSY THAT DAY ?



I AM HUMAN

My legs may not work.
But my pain is real.
It's not the money, 
Its my dignity,
That with hatred,
They steal.

Im a person.
Not a number.
My family they care,
Love it is real.
Not your accountants,
Cold stare.

You've destroyed the soul.
Of 10,000 now dead,
But those left behind..
I will tell you its said,
We will not lay down,
Our legacy will fight,
In 2015 you'll be ousted
You shite.

The future will speak..
In dignified refrain,
We are people not numbers,
The determination remains,

So hang your head parliament,
Each and every mp,
You turned away and let horror decree,
Where were you GPs,
When we needed you there,
Deny genocide ...I ask if you dare.

ann arky's home.

Glasgow's Anti-ATOS Army???

 

     Glasgow's dirty washing day, organised by Glasgow Against ATOS, in Glasgow Green on Saturday August 3, was a great success. With more than 30 banners fluttering in the breeze, highlighting the people of Glasgow's thoughts on their corrupt council and its skulduggery, the Green took on a very colourful look. There was passion and anger in speeches and statements, as well as the usual disgust at the council's slippery deals, there was anger at the bedroom tax and a special venom against ATOS. This is just a small sample of the banners, for more see, A Thousand Flowers.

 

      Those who know a little about Glasgow's working class history will be familiar with "Mary Barbour's Army", could we be seeing the formation of Glasgow's Anti-ATOS arm?

ann arky's home.

Glasgow's Dirty Washing.

 

        Just a reminder, 11:00am. Saturday, August 3, 2013, Glasgow Green is the opportunity to vent your feelings of disgust for the way the Glasgow City Council shows contempt for you and your communities. See Crook In Suits for more information. This event could be one of Glasgow's biggest displays of public disgust for the political class, done with an element of fun for all the family, but only if you are willing to come on down and take part. There is only about ten days left to get organised and paint up all that dirty washing, so get in touch, get involved, show how you feel about the way the Glasgow City Council rips you off.

 

 

ann arky's home.