Free Events.

 

          If you are in and around Glasgow on the dates on the poster below, it would be well worth paying a visit to the Electron Club CCA 350 Sauchiehall Street Glasgow. There will be a very interesting series of events, See the poster below. talks/discussion/information/ and all the events are free. Glasgow's Spirit of Revolt will be there, Hope to see you there.

Visit ann arky at htps://spiritofrevolt.info  

May Day.

 

          Spirit of Revolt's May Day picnic on the Green, despite changing weather, can be counted as a success. Though not as many turned up as we would have liked, but the Workers Memorial display attracted lots of passers-by, and by the amount of literature that we managed to hand out, it certainly was a great success. We managed to distribute lots of Anarchist Critic, Glasgow Keelies, Red and Black Poetry night leaflets, Red and Black Bookfair and Gathering leaflets, Spirit of Revolt business cards, plus lots of Radical Glasgow History Project leaflets. Encouragingly they were all taken with some enthusiasm. A big thank you to all those who turned up.

Two further coming events to mark Red and Black Clydeside May Week

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

Anger.

 

            Back from a wee break in the wilderness I thought I would re-start my rantings with a video from Sub Media. Here they bring together a series of May Day happenings across the world. It is impossible today to find a country where the people are not on the streets in anger at the system that shackles millions to poverty, destitution and war, and where the public's opinion of politicians has sunk somewhere low in the sewage system, from Sudan to Sri Lanka, from Paris to Montreal, from Berlin to Chile. The people are angry, the privileged parasites are nervous, expect the unexpected.

A note from SubMedia regarding this video:

         During the production of this episode we were working with the most up to date information at the time when we had said nobody had died at the May Day protests in Chile. Unfortunately we have since learned that Francisca Sandoval, a journalist age 29 died several days later in the hospital. Our condolences go out to her family and loved ones.

We're sorry for any confusion this may have caused

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

Bookfair.

         Another reminder of the Red and Black Clydeside Bookfair coming up as part of Glasgow May Day celebrations. May Day is important to the ordinary people, as it it is a time to celebrate our struggles, our successes and honour our class warriors, but also a day to come together with old and new friends, to strengthen those bonds of solidarity among the ordinary people of our cities towns and villages. Why not get a stall, come and give a talk, join in the discussions, what ever, but do come along and just browse and mingle, meet new friends, and old acquaintances.
        With all the present brutal attacks on our living standards, there has never been a more important time for all the ordinary people to come together and defend our living standards against this unnecessary vicious avalanche of austerity and hardship that is being heaped on us, all in the name of the economy and profit. 

The following from the Red and Black Bookfair website, have a look.

        Glasgow has one of the richest histories of anarchist organising in these islands. Our founding mothers include Ethel MacDonald, Jenny Patrick, Margaret Duff, and Mollie Baird. Our history includes names such as Guy Aldred, John Taylor Caldwell and Stuart Christie, organisations such as the Anti-Parliamentary Communist Federation, and publishing houses such as the Strickland Press.
       Anarchist pamphlets, leaflets, newspapers, books, speakers, organisers, agitators, and groups have informed and excited radical and working class life in Glasgow since the 19th Century.
       That tradition continues today, and Red and Black Clydeside is just its latest expression.
       The event is a showcase for the libertarian left and beyond in Glasgow today. As well as talks, discussions, and stalls, we are providing a long overdue chance, curtailed by the pandemic, to mingle in person.
       Red and Black Clydeside is part of working class Glasgow’s May Day celebrations, and follows from the previous weekend’s May Day on the Green. It is organised by groups including Glasgow ACG, the Glasgow Keelie and other individuals.
       The event will take place in the CCA on Sauchiehall Street on 7th May 2022, but we hope its effects will be much longer lasting.

Saturday 7th May 2022

3pm – 9pm
The Clubroom
Centre for Contemporary Arts
350 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow G2 3JD

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

Keelie 18.

       How time flies, here we are already with the latest issue of the Glasgow Keelie, Issue No.18. As usual it is pact full with current affairs, criticisms of our sleaze filled system and info. This wee pocket rocket is still on line but there are a few hard copies of issue 18, available, specially printed for May Day, if your local to Glasgow make contact and we will try to get a copy to you. We also hope with the covid19 beast somewhat in retreat, we can get hard copies into the pubs, clubs, cafes and on the street etc. as before.

READ ONLINE HERE:   

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

Let Us Alone.

 

      May Day has passed with lots of different ways of celebrating our day, from virtual get-togethers to May Day strikes, I must say I prefer the latter. Though the day has passed I hope the spirit and idea behind it will live on and grow rapidly. One thing that hasn't gone away is covid19, it still stays with us, and will be with us for some time to come as it shapes the way we live.

    So to get away from that continuing presence I thought I would just stick in a couple of verses of poetry. These are from Charles Mackay, Scottish poet one I don't particularly like, too patriotic and too much reliance on God to sort things out. However, even people like that can produce the odd words of wisdom. These might be a wee bit tame, but they do point in a direction not too happy with the powers that be. These are the last three verses for his poem "Let Us Alone":

Let Us Alone.

Though dwellers in a little isle,
We bear no hate to other lands,
And think that Peace on earth might smile
If we and others join'd our hands.
In Reason's spite why should we fight?
We'll war no more-we're wiser grown.
Quibblers and stirrers up of hate,
Let us alone-let us alone.

White man or black, to us alike;
Foemen of no men we will live,
We will not lift our hands to strike.
Or evil for advantage give.
Our hands are free to earn their fee,
Our tongues to let the truth be known;
So despots, knaves, and foes of right,
Let us alone-let us alone.

Great are our destinies: our task,
Long since begun, shall never end
While suffering has a boon to ask,
Or truth needs spokesmen to defend;
While vice or crime pollute the time,
While nations bleed, or patriots groan.
Rulers be wise! and meddling fools,
Let us alone-let us alone. 

And, The Little Moles:

 

The Little Moles

When grasping tyranny offends,
Or angry bigots frown;
When rulers plot, for selfish ends,
To keep the nations down;
When statesmen form unholy league
To drive the world to war;
When knaves in palaces intrigue
For ribbons or a star
We raise our heads, survey their deeds,
And cheerily reply,
Grub, little moles, grub under ground,
There's sunshine in the sky.

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

May Day.

     May Day, a day when the ordinary people should be on the green, in the park, on the streets, celebrating their solidarity, struggles, victories and meeting up with old friends, making new friends, and building on that solidarity between the ordinary people of this world for future battles to create that better world for all. A time to recall those past champions of working class struggles and discussing how we can take their dream forward.

      Of course the pandemic has put a hold on those celebrations in the open air, but we can still let our voices be heard through what ever method that is available to us, we are the creators, the builders, in this world, we can use our imagination to keep those May Day ideas and that solidarity and community spirit alive. There will be virtual groupings, individual renderings, but whatever, join in, or do your own thing to remember why we celebrate  May Day, our day, a day to show we are all one people and one day we will take this world and shape it for benefit of all our people. 

A May Day greeting from Kate Sharpley Library:

Welcome! First off, some listening:     The Final Straw Radio Podcast have put up a long conversation with Barry Pateman in which they ‘talk about anarchist history, community, repression, defeat, insularity, popular front with authoritarian Marxists, class analysis and how to beat back capitalism.’       If you’ve heard Barry talk before, you’ll know he’s not one to dish out easy answers. This is no exception, and he demands that we respect the lives of past anarchists, and never reduce them to ‘pawns to support our arguments now.’ (38 min. mark) There’s a fair bit on how important (and how challenging) it is to record the lives of the unknown militants. These are the ones who made up the movement: without writing anything, sometimes never reading any of the ‘essential anarchist texts’. There’s plenty, too, on the need (and challenge of how) to talk to non-anarchists. Interesting stuff, and well put together.      You can listen at https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2020/04/26/barrypateman2020/

Happy Mayday!

      You can get the full text of our "Mayday and Anarchism" pamphlet here https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/59zwk6
(Just find the 'view PDF' button at the end)
      We've put up a report about Alexandria's mayday in 1921: "May Day in the Land of the Pharaohs" https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/sqvcj3
      "The 1918 flu pandemic in the CNT media" by Miguel G is here https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/k6dm37
      and finally, for some true unknown militants, we have a translation of Imanol's article on "Women's participation in the Allied escape lines" https://www.katesharpleylibrary.net/18948f. That's Ana María Martínez Sagi – anarchist, poet, sports star, journalist, lesbian and member of the resistance in France – at the top of the email.

Take care of yourselves, from all at the KSL

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

Information Pack.

      Some comrades and my self in conjunction with Spirit of Revolt have put together a handy pack for those interested in anarchism/libertarian socialism. This is a real education, it contains events from Glasgow's radical past, including a short explanation of May Day and what it stands for, issues of the reborn Glasgow Keelie free newspaper, lots of links to further information and much more info. These packs are a wealth of interesting information and free to those interested, but confined to UK only, and will be posted out post free, but they are limited in number.
     If you are interested, please drop your details in an email to annarky at annarky(at)radicalglasgow(dot)me(dot)uk and we will get your pack to you as soon as possible. Also information on Class War Facebook page.

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

Glasgow's May Picnic On The Green, 2019.

 

        Glasgow, Sunday May 5th. saw our annual May Picnic on The Green. This is the 4th. year that the Glasgow May Day Organising Group have held these picnics plus a host of other events round May Day. Each year the events grow and the picnic is no exception. This year despite the cold wind it was as usual well attended and had a stalls, variety of performers, poets, a piper, singers, individual and  groups, plus a young dance group. Something we try to encourage is to bring food to share, this year there was an abundance of food, fresh fruit, vegan food and a mix of other delicacies. A big thank you to all those who contributed, no matter in which fashion it was done. A special thanks to the performers, without who it would not happen, but let's not forget all those who turned up and sat through the cold and enjoyed the event. We hope you will return next year with more friends and family, no matter how well we felt we all done, with your help we can do much better, and turn this into a "must go" Glasgow May event for as wide a public as possible. 

     The Green belongs to us, May Day belongs to us, let's continue to bring the two together in a family fun celebration of solidarity between the ordinary people of our city. 

      A few photos and some videos of the event, enjoy, and regret if you weren't there.

May Day, Our Day.

May Day 2003 (Glasgow, Scotland) from Camcorder Guerrillas on Vimeo.

      Just on the horizon there is the glimmer of that special day, May Day, Workers Day, May 1st. A day that this society seems to have tamed into a sedate march that doesn't interrupt the flow of the economy, a little display, a few speeches and then go home or get busy with the consumer addiction. We have to free May Day from the dead hands of the political ballerinas and take it back to do our own thing, in our own way. May Day is not dead, it has just been sedated by the political messiahs. We can bring it back to life.

       It should be a day of fun, of celebration, a family day, a day to throw of the shackles of conformity and be yourself, a day shaped by you and your friends.

      To this end the Glasgow May Day Organising Group have put together a series of events, to try to remind us of what May Day is all about, to help us remember our history, the history of the ordinary people, and bring back that fun and family feeling to our day. 

     This May Day, celebrations will begin on May 1st. short march and rally, with music, singers, poets and stalls. May 2nd. a radical history walk through our city centre, stopping at points of interest and a wee discussion from one or more of our members. Saturday May 4th. a film show, Salt of The Earth. Then on May 5th. the culmination of the May Day celebrations, our now annual Picnic on The Green with stalls, poets, singers, dancers, musicians, food to share, bring the family, bring your street, bring what you expect to find.

Details of all these events can be found on these links:

 https://mayday.link/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/416201145855377/

https://mayday.link/blog/

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

The Green, Free Speech, May Day.

        If you are in or around Glasgow on Monday April 15th. why not come along to Spirit of Revolt's regular free event? Every three months or so we hold an open free event in the Mitchell Library, where we put on display material from our archive and arrange for some members to give a short introduction to the content of the event, and then it is an open discussion where those attending can contribute their own ideas, experiences, and thoughts on the subject matter. The subject of this particular Show and Tell is The Glasgow Green - May Day and the important part The Green has played in the history of our city.

       The idea behind these events is to bring the archive to the people, and bring the people to their history, and making our history come alive.

Details:

Free Event.

Monday 15th. April.

12:00-2:00pm.

Mitchell Library, 5th. floor,

Blythswood Room. 

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

Solidarity Forever.

      Something that a lot of people, especially among the young, seem to take for granted are lunch breaks, paid holidays, etc. they seem to accept them as a given, probably given by that kind employer. Of course the young people in the "gig" economy, they know different, they are being slapped in the face with with raw capitalism. No holiday pay, no lunch break, no health and safety, no guaranteed wage, no fixed working week, just used as needed. What all of us must remember is that whatever conditions we have, we wrestled them from the employers, through solidarity and struggle. Sometimes those involved in that struggle paid with the loss of their employment and/or their freedom, some paid for them with their lives. Not one of the benefits we have, were ever give by the employer, nor legislated for by the government, without that long and bitter struggle by the ordinary people. 

     The employer class at the moment feel they can now, with the aid and protection of the government, claw back lots of those hard won benefits. Once again we must turn to solidarity, across all work places, to protect what little benefits we have, and to struggle to end the exploitation of people by capital.

     The following is a little reminder of our need for solidarity, the weapon that can defeat the greed driven class of capitalist exploiters.

This from The zine formerly known as “The Call” Issue 4, –May Day 2018: 

Read PDF ll Print PDF

Solidarity Forever!

         “What force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one?” A revolution is the product of the combined determination of individuals. Capitalism uses isolation as a tool to steal the empowerment of the people, driving a wedge between the individual and their sense of community. The ruling class knows there exists power in unity, and in that power, a threat to their system of hierarchy and inequality. Solidarity is the greatest weapon possessed by the people. Through solidarity and struggle, workers demanded and won their rights, and through solidarity greater obstacles will be conquered. “In our hands is placed the power greater than their hoarded gold. Greater than the might of armies magnified a thousandfold

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

Glasgow's May Day Celebrations.

        Our fair city of Glasgow is steeped in history, a lot of it is spread out for the public to see, captains of industry, blood soaked defenders of imperialism, Dukes and Lords. None of which tells the story of  the people of Glasgow, their history is airbrushed from view, but every street, every corner as a tale to tell of the struggles of the ordinary people. The history the powers that be, would have you forget.

     So if you are a citizen of Glasgow or just a visitor who wants to know a bit more about the real Glasgow, the Glasgow of the people, then you can have that opportunity during our May Day week celebrations.

     A group of ordinary Glasgow dwellers have put together a week of events marking May Day. It starts on Tuesday May 1st with a gathering with performers and stalls at the Donald Dewar statue 12noon. Then that history thing, on Wednesday 2nd. May, a history walk through the city where you will learn a bit more of the real heart of our fair city of Glasgow.

 Photo courtesy of Daily Record.

Some of those charged after Bloody Friday, Battle of George Square, Glasgow.

Radical History Walk: Planned itinerary

Start and Stop 1: 6pm George Square Wednesday MAY 2nd
Eric on 1915 & 1919
Supplementary info on Demos/Interaction.

Stop 2 6.15: Montrose Street:
Keith - Info on Strickland Press and Aldred, The Word etc.

Stop 3: Old Sheriff Court – Eric on Rent Strike, John McLean etc
6.25

Stop 4: opposite – Brunswick Street
40s Anarchist Federation street meetings & activities – Keith
6.35

Longest stretch of walk via Tolbooth, Gallowgate & London Rd.

Stop 5: – Calton Burial Site – 1787 Weavers – Keith
6.55

Stop 6: – Glasgow Green, via Templetons, Peoples Palace to entrance

7.05: On Free Speech Fights, tradition in the Green & 90s Workers City etc.
Keith & Eric, Summary/ interaction at end

7.20: Head back to town, perhaps after refreshment, Scotia Bar

      After your dip into Glasgow's real history, the week culminates in our annual Picnic on the Green, Sunday, May 6th. 2pm. An event of fun, chat, song, music, dance, poetry, face-painting, food sharing, and stalls, bring what you expect to find, bring the family, bring your street.  

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