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

Rent Strike, A Well Tested And Tried Working Class Weapon.

          Mention "rent strike" in Glasgow and you will get a response of 1915. However the rent strike is not just a part of history of working class struggles from the past, it is still a valid weapon in the armoury of the ordinary people. It is encouraging to see it is still alive and functioning well. This report is from Canada, but I'm sure across the globe, the rent strike is a powerful weapon being used against the greed of landlords and their policy of gentrification.

      This from It's Going Down:

         What follows is a call to support the Flemingdon Park rent strike, yet another rent strike popping off in so-called Ontario in Canada.
BACKGROUND
        On August 1st more than 200 tenants at 31-35 St. Dennis Drive will withhold their rent. Rent strikers demand Minto Properties withdraws its application to raise rent above the guideline. Despite serious and persistent disrepair in the building, Minto wants to raise tenants’ rent by $180 over three years. This would mean that every month Minto would take $70,000 more in rents from the pockets of tenants in the building.
           Minto bought the building 31-35 St. Dennis Drive last year. The company anticipates rising rents in the area with the arrival of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The landlord is now beginning to price out working class and immigrant tenants, renovate units, and raise rents even higher. The building is owned by Roger Greenberg, one of Canada’s richest 100 people in 2018.
           31-35 St. Dennis is home to many immigrant families. More than half the residents are Roma people from Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Roma people who are new to the country after having fled persecution at home are once more being threatened with displacement.
For more information please contact: stdennistenants@gmail.com
CALL AND WRITE TO MINTO

Phone Script:

            I’m calling to demand that Minto immediately withdraw its application to raise rent above the guideline at 31-35 St. Dennis. Should you choose to ignore tenants’ demands, you will face further action from tenants and community members who support them.

Email Example:

Rob Pike,
            I am writing in support of rent strikers at 31-35 St. Dennis Drive. I demand Minto immediately withdraw its application to raise rent above the guideline at 31-35 St. Dennis.
           Minto’s bid to price working class and immigrant tenants out of their homes will not go unopposed. Should you ignore your tenants’ demands you will face further action against your company by tenants and we community members who support them.

Sincerely,
XXXXXXX

Contacts:

Rob Pike
President of Minto Properties
rpike@minto.com

George Van Noten
VP Property Operations (Ottawa)
613.230.7051
GVanNoten@minto.com

Amanda Mitchell
VP Marketing and Communications
416-301-0017
amitchell@minto.com

Michael Kidd
Regional Manager
647-255-3466
mkidd@minto.com

           *Minto is a member of the Federation of Rental Housing Providers (FRPO), the Ontario landlords’ association. Rob Pike of Minto sits on FRPO’s Board of Directors. Please cc Daryl Chong of FRPO on your emails *

Daryl Chong
Interim President & CEO
416-385-1100 ext.20
president@frpo.org

RENT STRIKE DEFENSE FUND

            The Flemingdon Park rent strikers are not only up against their predatory landlord, Minto Properties; they will also have to contend with Landlord and Tenant Board. Far from a fair and even arbiter of landlord-tenant disputes, the Board is a veritable eviction factory – 90% of the Orders it makes each year are for vacant possession of tenants’ homes.
              If Minto drags hundreds of rent strikers to the Board, they will need a defense fund. The Board may require each rent striker to pay Minto’s eviction application filing fee of $190. It is the Board’s practice to apply these fees as a punitive measure against tenants.
      For information on how you can donate please contact stdennistenants@gmail.com. A donation of $190 sponsors one rent striker, ensuring they have their eviction fee covered going forward. If you’re a union member or a member of another organization interested in making a larger donation.

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

The Natives Are Revolting.

        Spirit of Revolt in its continuing process of making the history of the ordinary people's struggles accessible to the public at large, is working in conjunction with The Mitchell Library, on putting on a free event. This event should be of interest to everyone who lives, or has lived in Glasgow or has connections with the city. So mark your diary, phone for a place, or pop in to Granville Street and book you spot.

Spirit of Revolt – Archives of Dissent
 
Show and Tell
Monday 12th February 2018, 12–2pm
Blythsewood Room, The Mitchell Library, Glasgow
Free event
Limited places, please book on 0141 287 2999 or at Granville Street
reception desk.

The Natives Are Revolting – over 40 years of organising & direct action in Castlemilk and beyond.

       A display of material from the Spirit of Revolt's John Cooper Collection.
John Cooper and Paula Larkin (Project Archivist) will be on hand to answer any
questions and inform the session.

http://spiritofrevolt.info/john-cooper-finding-collection/

Admission Free

All Welcome.

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