Claps Don't Pay Rent.

 

        Support the nurses demonstration on Glasgow Green today, Saturday 8th August, certainly got the weather. Glorious sunshine and not much wind, though there was a fair turn out, I was a little disappointed at the numbers. Where were all those who stood outside their doors and clapped, and those that put support images up on the windows, just remember, images and claps don't pay the rent. Surely now was your opportunity to come out in numbers and show some real support for the nurses.

     Just looking and having a guess, I would say that a high percentage were nurses, this was a protest with social distancing, carried out by responsible people who know what Covid19 can do, we should all take a page out of their book.

       Here are some photos for those who didn't make the demo.

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

The UK's Crime Of The Century.

 

         In Glasgow on Saturday 17th June a demonstration in support of the victims of the Grenfell Tower man-made disaster took place. There were similar demos and protests in cities and towns across the country, the entire population is moved by both compassion and anger, we should not let either of these emotions fade. Showing support and solidarity with the victims of this crime is not only important, but necessary. However, we must direct and increase our anger, not just at the "strong and stable" May's and wealthy Oxbridge educated Hammond's, who has fingers in the private health business, but at a system, that for as far back as you care to go, has provided rabbit warrens for the "plebs" and mansions for the wealthy. The entire distress, trauma, misery and deaths of Grenfell Tower, is the direct fallout of a deliberate policy of scrimping on money being spent on the people who create all the wealth in this country. It is not as if the Kensington and Chelsea council was short of a bob or two, as far as I know, this bunch of money orientated sharks, had built up a surplus of £240 million, but it never crossed their sick thick skulls to listen to the citizens and sort out their fears and needs.

       Forget treating the Grenfell Tower inferno as an accident, treat it as a crime, not just of greed driven power hungry individuals, but the inevitable consequences of a system driven by profit. We will be fobbed off with inquiries and meaningless phrases such as "lessons will be learnt", "we will follow the findings of the inquiry", "those responsible will be held to account", which by the way, is government speak for "finding a scapegoat" The entire capitalist system is a festering cancer that grows on the misery and deaths of millions across this planet. It is not a system of compassion, it is a system of greed, where money is more important than the lives of people. Until we sort that problem, we will face ever increasing numbers of Grenfell Towers of larger or smaller proportions.

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

Unite Against Fascism.

An Appeal From Unite Against Fascism Edinburgh:

        The racist English Defence League (EDL) had planned a march in Brighton but the consistent opposition to this and previous marches has meant that the EDL have cancelled.  Here in Edinburgh we have planned protests by Pegida from Germany (Sat 21 March) and the home grown Scottish Defence League (Sat 14 March). Let us make the opposition so big, so loud and proud that they never come back again.
      Also on 21 March there is a national demonstration in Glasgow, part of worldwide protests with the theme “Stand Up To Racism and Fascism”.
       Make sure your voice is heard, please come on the following events:

14 MARCH SDL DEMONSTRATION IN EDINBURGH.
     Say no to the racist Scottish Defence League; meet 1.30 at the Scottish Parliament, foot of the Royal Mile.  Keep up to date by liking our Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/events/415161085309799/

21 MARCH PEGIDA
      There has been plenty of media coverage of the first ever march by the anti- Muslim group Pegida in Scotland (see links below). In Germany “Pegida” have built up to having thousands of people on their marches; we can’t afford to let them grow to that size here.
      They keep changing the time and location of their protest, the latest is that they will be at Wellington Statue, east end of Prince Street at 8pm. To keep up to date with the latest situation Like our Facebook event  page
https://www.facebook.com/events/439710179515899

21 MARCH; STAND UP TO RACISM & FASCISM NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION
    There has been a fantastic range of groups supporting this event, https://www.facebook.com/events/317044925169581
      Come along and join in the world wide protest on UN anti-racism day, March 21st.
Assemble 10.30 am, March & Rally 11 am, George Square, Glasgow.
We have a coach going to Glasgow so please get in touch to book a seat.
Email: StandUpToRacismScotland@gmail.com
Download printer friendly flyers and posters here:
A4 Poster:  http://goo.gl/cIWaiy
Double sided flyer:    http://goo.gl/Eb1b40
WE NEED YOU

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

Glasgow Anti-bedroom Tax Demo and Photos.

     Glasgow's march and protest on Saturday, against the bedroom tax, was well attended and a very colourful and pleasant affair. The full spectrum of ages were represented, which is always a good sign, it means that the young are up for the struggle as well as the old die-hards. The pleasant atmosphere probably concealed the real anger felt by the majority of the people of this country against this continued assault against their living standards. It also concealed the disgust and in some cases downright hatred for the politicians and the financial mafia that rule this country. A cabal of millionaires who rule and shape this country to benefit their own wealthy class. They know it is class war, it is time we reacted in similar fashion.

      This kind of large turnout on a holiday weekend, before the brutal "austerity" cuts really start to kick in, is an indication of what has yet to come  when the real pain of this vicious policy of plundering the public purse gets into full swing.

      Sweeping changes to benefits will affect both workers and the unemployed as the Coalition’s ideology is brutally enforced. At present we have ATOS snatching disability allowance away from the sick and vulnerable. 

       From April 1st. the bedroom tax will be rolled out across the country.  The bedroom tax isn’t a tax in the real sense, but it hits you just as hard,  it’s a reduction in the amount of housing benefit that certain families will be able to claim. If you claim housing benefit and, for what ever reason, you have one or more spare bedrooms, you will be faced with a cut in the amount of benefit you receive.  A 14% cut for one spare room, and 25% cut if you have two spare rooms. It is estimated that well on the way to a million tenants will be adversely affected.

  

     Your idea of a spare room and that of our mansion living millionaire masters, will be somewhat different. Children under the age of 16 of the same gender, like it or not, are expected to share a room, while children under 10, irrespective of gender, are supposed to share the same room. What this translates as, is that we peasants, should not be expected to give our kids a room each, that sort of treatment is meant for the mansion class. For you and I, cuts in benefits, poorer living conditions, all because the bankers and bond merchants don't want to lose the money the gambled.

     As you go into this struggle, remember the rent strikes of 1915, and the poll tax of 1980/90's both resounding victories for the ordinary people of this country, both achieved by numbers and solidarity. The millionaire class can never win against the united will of the ordinary people.

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Glasgow's Bedroom Tax, Day of Action.

     Time to show your anger at the millionaires booting the poor, the sick and the vulnerable.

Bedroom tax day of Day of Action

Saturday, March, 30, 2013.

Glasgow Green, 11:30.

      Let's make this the ConDem's poll tax moment.

     It is worth repeating what it is about the Bedroom Tax that we are protesting against:

   “The under occupancy penalty, does exactly what it is supposed to, it penalises. The Bedroom Tax penalises 660,000 households, and a total of nearly 2 million men, women and children are affected. According to the government’s own figures, 63% of those penalised are disabled. Nearly one quarter of those penalised are lone parents. Neither of these groups of people deserves to be punished for the Global Financial Crash in 2008. Other people affected by the Bedroom Tax include married people fleeing abusive households.

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REMEBER REMEMBER - DAY OF ACTION.

       

         Glasgow Trades Councill will be having a March & Rally on the Day of Action, REMEMBER, REMEMBER, the 30th November. Let's make it a Wednesday to remember,  let's put down a marker, we don't like the way this country is run and we intend to change that. The March will start in Shuttle Street (near High St Station) gathering at 12noon and moving off at 12.30pm.
The students’ meeting point will be the Royal Concert Hall steps at the top of Buchanan Street, at 11:30am, to meet the main demo thereafter.

        The main march route will then be, George Street, Cochrane Street, George Square (South), Hanover Street, Ingram Street, Glassford Street, Trongate and then finishing at Glasgow Barrowland.

Speakers will start at 1.15

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STUDENTS DEMO DECEMBER 9.

      

      Today, Thursday 9 December, the day that the house of millionaires were to vote on the university tuition fees for England, saw massive demonstration by students and others. London saw the largest demonstration, on-going at the time of writing, with demonstrations in other cities across the UK. In Glasgow, where I live, there was a well attended march and demonstration through the city centre, The students with other supporters gathered at the top of Buchanan St and after some speeches marched off noisily and colourfully down Buchanan St. stopping at the Vodafone £6 billion tax dodging flagship shop, halting business for sometime. All the while making it plain to those passing by just why there was such anger with Vodafone, Most of the people in the vicinity seemed to agree with the demonstrators. Next the march headed off along Gordon St, creating a similar break in business for the Royal Bank of Scotland staff.

      The students seemed to take the police by surprise when they broke into a gallop as the headed for their next target, another branch of the tax dodging Vodafone. This tactic was repeated as the march made its way to George Square, where they resisted the police efforts to be directed away from the City Chambers, breaking through the police line and formed outside the city Chambers for a short period.. They then took off around the Square and back to the front of the Chambers. By this time the police numbers and been increased considerably and at this point they probably out numbered the students by about five to one.

      At this point the usual police tactic of kettling took place with students split in two groups and easily out numbered by police. In spite of this the students did manage another wee surge to change there position. After a considerable period of stand off, most of the students were released to cheers from their supporters. As I left the Square I was informed that all the students been released but later was informed that there had been at least two arrests with one student being injured.

        I think the students should be proud of their display of tactics and solidarity, my only reservation is that they see this as a student battle and all about education. It is not, it is all about the living standards of all the working class. The cuts are savage and widespread and what the students have to do is link up with the unemployed, the pensioners, council workers and local communities who will all feel the brunt of this free market ideology being inflicted on us by the millionaire front men of the corporate world. The call of the students, "United the students will never be defeated" should be modified to " United the working class will never be defeated."the

     One little word to the police, you should not be fooled that you are on the other side. Your kids are going to be hit, their education is going to be shredded, your parents health care is going to be decimated. The society that your kids and grandkids are going to inherit will be the same Victorian deprivation as the rest of us, your kids will face unemployment and cut benefits, you don't belong to that millionaire's club, you are being used by them to protect their power and wealth.

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KILL THE CUTS--CHANGE SOCIETY!!

     

     Tuesday sees well manicured millionaire Osborne, on behalf of the millionaires club, launch his attack on the working class via his emergency budget. This will be the first step to take the working class back to the thirties, back to Victorian poverty. We have to show that we are not going down that road just to save the bond markets and some of his other millionaire friends from suffering some financial loss. They want to safe guard their fortunes at our expense, they know it is a class war, we pay for the problems, not the millionaires that caused the problems. To them, that's the way it should be. We have to show that we also recognise this as a class war and we know who our enemies are. We are not in the same club as that bunch of pampered, parasitical, millionaire hypocrites.

         On Tuesday 22 June there will be a demonstration and rally in George Square Glasgow from 3pm onwards. There will be a host of speakers speaking out against the cuts but no doubt some will be asking for you to vote them into power next time round. That's not the answer, the rally and demonstration is all well and good as a first phase to show our opposition to this savage attack on our living standards and show that we will act in solidarity with all our communities. However the struggle must continue into the workplaces and the local communities. Standing in George Square listening to speakers will not stop the cuts.

        It was on July 31st 1925 that then Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin made the following statement; “All the workers of this country have got to take reductions in wages to help to put industry on its feet.” Yes, they seem to have been a wee bit more honest in those days, no crap about us all being in this together for the sake of the country. Less than a year on from that statement Britain was in the grip of a general strike. The entire working class was solid but were sold down the river by the trade unions. We must learn from that and never let control leave the grass roots. All action against the cuts must be driven and controlled by the people involved, don't play follow-my-leader into the trap of change the party in power and waving at a new smiling shiny leader.

      Workers control, communities controlled by those in that community working in federation with each other to change society, not to change the leader. We don't need leaders, prime ministers, kings or presidents, their record doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

 

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