Willie Mc.

            Glasgow has a long history of anarchist activists one being Willie McDougal, born 1894, Willie was an active anarchist from his teens until his death in 1981. As a conscientious object he was in several prisons, escaping from Dartmoor, after stealing a bike cycled part way back to Glasgow, where he continued his anti war public stance. He kept the Anti-parliamentary Communist Federation going until 1941, Guy Aldred having left in 1932. Willie held street meetings at the bottom of Buchanan St. Arrested for speaking on Glasgow Green without a permit during the "Fight for Freedom of Speech on Glasgow Green". He published printed and edited numerous papers, among them, Advance, Fighting Call, Barcelona Bulletin, Workers Free Press, Solidarity,  He also formed Workers Revolutionary League. Also with others formed The Workers Open Form and kept it going until 1950's. The last issue of his paper Sense was at the printers when he died in 1981. We owe his dedicated life a gift of gratitude for helping to keep that vision of a better world alive for us to take up the struggle and carry forward. See https://spiritofrevolt.info and Clck on STRUGGLEPEDIA.

Image courtesy of LibCom.

 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info     

Barrett.

 

    
             How have anarchists fared in Glasgow since 1910? Have we grown, shrunk or remained that same little band of dedicated individuals. The reason I ask is after reading a George Barrett essay written while he was in Glasgow in 1910. In the essay he posts the question, "What is the matter with Glasgow anarchists?"
           The following is an extract from that essay, taken from the book published by Freedom Press, The essays of George Barrett, "Our Masters are Helpless." Though written in the early 1900's, George Barrett's words are always worth a read.

      "What is the matter with Glasgow anarchists?
Since May Day a little band, a very little band of us have been holding meetings with more or less regularity, averaging at least more than one a week. We have occasionally received words of encouragement from some local comrades; nay, more, we have even received promises to fix up meetings in outlying districts; but herein ends the "assistance" offered us. The regular sales of Freedom in Glasgow indicates that there are many sympathisers here. But to live a life of sympathy is not to live, it is only to wistfully watch other people live. The meaning of life is in the anarchist movement. Let us live. - - - -"

 Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info 

Leaflets.

 

         This month for our “Read of the Month”, Spirit of Revolt, instead of a pamphlet booklet or serial, we have chosen a bundle of leaflets, all with interesting information or comments, most still as relevant today as they were the day they were produced. Put together they make for some very interesting reading and some great ideas.

 

Read online HERE:

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info   

1940's Glasgow.

        For those youngster, and not so young, interested in the history of Glasgow's anarchism, you could do well to have a wee read of the Charlie Baird Snr.'s interview on libcom. Part WW2 period experience and part post war. My one little criticism of the interview is no mention of Willie McDougal, a very active Glasgow anarchist, who published several papers, spent time in prison as a conscientious objector, and kept the Workers Open Forum running when others had moved on, and very little on Guy Aldred, a very active and well known anarchist in Glasgow. It would be interesting to hear what people think of where we are now in Glasgow. Have we grown, shrunk, on track, lost our way, are we grasping the opportunities the way we should, have we lost the streets in favour of the internet?

 Willie McDougal.

Anarchism, in 1940's Glasgow:

1) Charlie Baird Sr. : An Interview

6th June 1977

Before the war I’d been sympathetic to the Communist Party, as early as 16 or 17 years of age. It wasn’t until the war, when Russia had signed the pact with Hitler, that I started to have my doubts about the CP. But even prior to that I’d drifted away from them. When the war started, I took up the Conscientious Objector position, and finished up, of course, in jail. It was in jail - I hadn’t been conscious that there was such a movement as the libertarian movement, the anarchist movement - I thought that the CP was the last thing in left-wing movements.

I met two lads in prison (I also knew one prior to going in, who’d told me to look out for these two lads) ; one was Jimmy Dick. He’d managed to get some anarchist literature in. I went through that and discovered that was what I’d been looking for. It was what I’d believed, even when I was in the CP ; I was dissatisfied with the centralised character of the movement.

Then, of course, when we came out, there was an anarchist movement in Glasgow at that particular time. We came out of jail and teamed up with them. It was around 1942 when I came out of jail,and there were about 40 active members of the group. By 1944-45 it was probably around 70-80 members.

The peculiar thing about the Glasgow group was that there was no such thing as recognised members of the group. The only way you could recognise a regular member of the group was by his activities ; there were no things like membership cards or anything like that. The 70 or 80 would include the lads from Burnbank and Hamilton - miners, the small groups out there with 3 or 4 members. They organised meetings and we supplied them with speakers.

Continue Reading HERE: 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Charlie Baird Sn.

 

      Spirit of Revolt has for the latest "Read of the Month", posted, Charlie Baird Sn.: An Interview. Charlie was a Glasgow anarchist from the WW2 period through to the 60s, a very colourful period in Glasgow anarchist history. It should be of interest to younger activist in the city and wider afield. If anybody has a photo of Charlie, I'd love to have a copy.

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

 

Student Unity.

This from Glasgow Anarchists website:

Call-out from the Autonomous Student Network

 

      We have been contacted by the Autonomous Student Network. They are keen to talk with student groups in Glasgow that would be interested in working with others using anarchist principals. If your group is interested being part of the network then their call-out and contact details can be found here.

From Autonomous Student Network.

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

THE BRAIN DEAD'S DAMP SQUIB.

        Saturday 25 February the fascist Scottish Defence League held their “static” demo in the centre of Glasgow. No marching waving their banners and giving their Nazi salutes, the bunch of pathetic brain dead morons were herded like a little bunch of sheep and contained at the bottom of St Enoch Square. Standing there in the rain making silly childish gestures with no audience, as the public were going about their business as usual along nearby Argyle Street and Buchanan Street. As well as a multicultural demonstration and rally in George Square, there was a considerable anti-fascist presence on the city centre streets. They were there in case some of the scum came along with their school playground bullying tactics of trying to intimidate the various political stalls in the city centre. They never appeared as they presence of any number of Glasgow anti-fascists would have them running to the nearest toilet.

I want a mirror, so I can do my nazi salute.

         This foul smelling bunch of scum have no place on the Glasgow's streets, the people of Glasgow have a proud history of working class solidarity and struggle and are well capable of flushing this shit down the sewer. Hopefully this particular bucket of sludge has slopped back down the sewer from which it leaked. However we must be eternally vigilant as this type of scum will always rise at times of economic turmoil, trying to find scapegoats to pin the problem on, we cannot let them distract us from the real root of all our problems, the capitalist system. We have to continually organise to bring an end to this unjust exploitative system of corporate capitalism that dominates our lives.

ann arky's home.

WORKERS KNOW YOUR HISTORY, ETHEL MACDONAL PART 2.

          Here we continue the story of one of Glasgow's anarchist women, Ethel MacDonald and her link with the Spanish revolution.
More on Glasgow's working class history, HERE.

ann arky's home.

INTRODUCTION TO ANARCHY - PAGE 8.

Here we go with page 8 of the Teapot Collective Introduction to Anarchy. Page 7 can be found HERE.

     This proved highly successful until the movement was crushed bt both the fascist insurgents and the democratic government.

      Anarchosyndicalism (from the French word for unions) has been a movement of worker's self-organisation in federations, which has especially flourished in Latin American countries where there is little altenative for a labour movement other than revolutionary struggle. In the early 1900's for example, anarcho-syndicalists in Argintina launched a series of spectacular strikes with the government declaring a state of emergency five times.

    Anarchist became notorious in the 19th century for 'propaganda by the deed' - sabatage, bombings and assassinations of prominent economic and political figures, for example the US president McKinley.

     A short history of Glasgow's anarchists and the Glasgow anarchist movement can be found HERE.    
ann arky's home.

GLASGOW ANARCHISTS 1915???

      The photo below is of the Glasgow Anarchist Group from 1915. The photo is known to lots of anarchists but we are all stumped as to who they all are. We have some info but haven't had it properly verified and would dearly love to know who these people were. Though it is dated the 1st January there is not a glass on the table, all cups, saucers and cakes, love and cakes, the essential of any anarchist society. Does that tell us something about the group?

       

     The info we have at the moment is;

1. Molly Loyd, she married the guy to her left No 2.

2. Charles McPherson, lived in Harmony Row, Govan, worked in Fairfield Shipyard.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. Willie MacDougal, we know a good bit about him, see; HERE. 

      As for the rest we would love to receive any info on any of them, no matter how small the detail it could help to lead us to further info. Any further info on Molly and/or Charles would also be very gratefully received.

ann arky's home.

WE NEED MORE GLASGOW ANARCHISTS.

Glasgow Anarchists, January 1st. 1915.        

       Anarchism has a long history in our city, its ideas taking root in Glasgow in the late 1800’s and since then the popularity of its ideas has risen and fallen in waves depending on the changing conditions in our society, but the ideas behind the name have never left our city. Ever since the late 1800’s anarchists have been at the forefront of all the battles of the ordinary people of our city as they struggle for a better life, They have been involved in these struggles in a positive and selfless manner putting forward ideas and giving physical support, always helping the people to achieve what they were fighting for, never for the benefit of some political party or political career.

         The people of Glasgow can be proud of their history of struggle, it stretches back to the dawn of our city. There have been great victories, for example the 1915 rent strike, the poll tax, etc. and sometimes crushing defeats but the struggle continues. The city has its legion of heroes to be proud of, some who have stood astride the political scene like a colossus, others who have struggled endlessly in the shadows, and there have been those individuals who have been crushed by the system we live under.

        Today more than ever we need to come together as a class to defend our own people against the coming increase in poverty, unemployment, repossessions, cuts in social services, etc. The party political system has shown itself to be part of the problem, not the answer. It is grass roots people based direct action that will change this society into one that sees to the needs of all our people, based on mutual aid, and brings about equality, justice and sustainability.

 
Glasgow's working class history HERE.
ann arky's home.