Ontario Coalition Against Poverty pioneered the “direct action casework” style of fighting grievances and winning real battles against poverty and its ill effects in Canada. This meeting (organised by ECAP) is sure to be interesting.
Community Organizing and Anti-Poverty Work: The OCAP Story
plus speakers from ECAP
7.30pm Mon 13 Sept
Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30-36 Dalmeny Street (off Leith Walk near Pilrig church), Edinburgh EH6 8RG
OCAP write: “The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty has fought for justice and dignity for poor people for 20 years. Using direct action we have won individual cases including social assistance benefits, housing repairs, and withheld wages. Through mass mobilization, we have won housing and millions of dollars for poor people in Ontario.
“We mount campaigns against regressive government policies as they affect poor and working people. In addition, we provide direct-action advocacy for individuals against welfare and ODSP (disability benefits), public housing and others who deny poor people what they are entitled to. We believe in the power of people to organize themselves. We believe in the power of resistance.”
This meeting will discuss OCAP’s model of fighting back against the harsh ways that neo-liberal capitalism plays out in the lives of poor and working class people. This is a rare opportunity to learn about an organisation which has involved large numbers of people in taking direct action against poverty and has achieved a striking level of success.
“The world can change its rules, it’s laws, and it’s opinions as frequently as it chooses but I will remain standing beside you, that will not change”
Now that Corrie’s got transphobia beat, all that remains is for Sophie Webster to go out & proud and the Underworld sans-cullotes to defenestrate their boss (with Janice as Louise Michel) then we can rename the show Abdication Street, or Revolution Street, (or something: what’s a good opposite to “Coronation”?).
While the Tories get all the abuse about the new government, their partners in the cuts coalition don’t deserve to get off scot-free. SolFed in Liverpool are calling for a Radical Workers’ Bloc at the demonstration against the LibDem’s conference:
The Merseyside Trades Union Council have called a demonstration at the Liberal Democrats’ annual conference. This has been billed as “against coalition cuts in public jobs and services” – but we want more.
Of course, we need to protect jobs. Every job lost to redundancy means more workload for those who remain. An injury to one really is an injury to all. We also need to stop the cuts that take away vital services, hard-won by generations of struggle. But these are not Liberal Democrat, Tory, or even coalition cuts – they are cuts by the ruling class, which we would be facing whoever got into power.
Liverpool Solidarity Federation and others are forming a Radical Workers’ Bloc on the demonstration. We reject the notion that a different government will bring about a solution for us – the cuts will be defeated on the streets and on the picket lines, not at the ballot box.
We need to send a message not only to this coalition government but to all political parties. The working class will not take these attacks on our livelihood lying down. We do not need anyone’s permission to fight back, and we do not need politicians or bureaucrats to lead us.
Join us on the Radical Workers’ Bloc on Sunday 19th September (new date, see comment below) at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. Look for the red & black flags and the Liverpool Solidarity Federation banner.
The siege tower is packed up and the acres of land behind RBS’s Gogarburn site once again returned to their natural state, a golf course. As every year, the debate about tactics, strategy, approach, politics, appearance, style, media, veganism, sociological class, Lady Gaga vs. M.I.A. papier mache and compost has begun within Climate Camp (never as politically naïve as its opponents like to claim) and the wider anti-capitalist movement.
Indymedia Scotland provides a place to start following that.
At 9.15PM tonight Climate Camp took the site on RBS HQ. Get on site as
fast as you can! Defence help urgently needed. Come to RBS Gogarburn
Gardens, off Gogar Station Rd. More info later. x
Privatisation for council services, climate-change promoting oil-intensive industries. Opposite concerns? No, linked by the need for the rich to keep making money off of our backs. Fight one, you should fight the other too.
Handily, you can do one then the other, with time for coffee in between
Join the Lobby of Edinburgh City Council
Thursday 19 August 8.30am, Quadrangle Edinburgh City Chambers.
We will call on the council not to privatise our services and not to cut our jobs and attack our working conditions STOP THE CUTS – FIGHT FOR EVERY JOB – DON’T PRIVATISE OUR SERVICES
Edinburgh Council leader Jenny Dawe said: “The council faces increasingly difficult financial times in the years ahead due to the unprecedented nature and scale of the global recession and the UK budget deficit. This will be starkly reflected in the government settlements we can expect”. Edinburgh City Council aims to cut it’s budget by more than £90 million by 2012 and states it will be forced to “slash” core services. Council chiefs have short-listed 15 firms to take part in talks about running everything from bin collections to school meals and payroll.
” We need to lobby the council and urge them” : NOT TO CARRY OUT THE TORIES “DIRTY WORK”
Bring banners, placards, loud hailers but more importantly get others to come along. Already in Edinburgh we have had great victories against school closures, community centre closures, outsourcing of care services and the bin workers have shown great strength in resisting the cut of thousands of pounds in wages by voting recently to reject the councils deal. All our public services and thousands of jobs are at stake, which means we need to raise our level of struggle into a mass coalition of all those prepared to fightback against every attack on services, jobs and against privatisation. JOIN THE LOBBY on Thursday 19th August
And then there’s the Climate Camp “swoop”
SWOOP TO TAKE THE LAND
Thursday 19th August 2010, 12 noon, Edinburgh
This year, once again, there will be an exciting public swoop to take the land for the Camp for Climate Action 2010.
Everyone is invited to join, whether on foot or bike. The more people that join us the more successful it will be.
HOW DO I JOIN THE SWOOP?
1) CHOOSE A MEET-UP POINT Firstly, select your meet-up point in Edinburgh for the day of the Swoop. Each spot will be greeted by a different flag on the day:
The Castle Gates will be greeted by the Black and Green flag
St Andrews Square will have the Pink flag
Bristo Square there will be a Rainbow flag
The Bike B-loch will be meeting in the car park at Duddingston Loch accompanied by the Skull and Cross Bone flag.
2) SIGN UP FOR SWOOP TEXTS Sign your phone number up to our text messaging alert system. Please do this! It will keep everyone in the loop as we collectively swoop to take the land. Sign up at: http://climatecamp.org.uk/actions/edinburgh-2010/swoop and remember your phone on the day!
4) GO TO YOUR MEET-UP POINT Arrive at your chosen swoop point by 12 noon on Thursday 19th August, look out for your flag, and prepare for action!
You have I think 2 more nights to see Kieran Hurley’s one-man show Hitch as part of the Forest Fringe. It’s a simple but beguiling, feel-good illustrated talk about a trip he took to protest against the G8 in Italy in 2009. From the programme:
On the 8th of July last year, the leaders of the eight most powerful countries in the world met for three days in the earthquake-ravaged town of L’Aquila in Italy to make plans for the future of our society and our planet. On 27th June, I hitched a lift from Glasgow, alone, to be there too.
Featuring live music from experimental pop duo Over the Wall, Hitch is an intimate storytelling performance which tells of the experience of the journey, asking questions about the meaning and purpose of political protest, the limits of personal power and the possibility of change.
Fun for those of you nostalgic for summit-hopping or whatever your first experience of people power was, but I imagine it makes for decent entertainment for non-politicos as well. Anyone that’s been young and determined.
Stung by criticism that they’ve lost touch with their anti-capitalist roots, the Camp for Climate Action are this year focussing on RBS as the target of their direct action environmentalism. Want to shut it down on the 23rd August, give the workers the day off.
Message and wee video from them.
Camp for Climate Action 2010
Break the Bank!
Edinburgh
Four days of training and direct action: 21st–24th August
The Camp for Climate Action is a grassroots movement taking direct action against the root causes of climate change. We’ve already had major successes with Heathrow’s third runway and E.ON’s plans for a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth.
This year we’re targeting the Royal Bank of Scotland, one of the world’s largest investor in oil, gas and coal.
Last year RBS were bailed out with £50 billion of public money. From tar sands extraction in Canada to coal infrastructure here in the UK, we’re paying to trash our future. These projects are not just causing catastrophic climate change, but destroying the lives and livelihoods of people across the globe. Meanwhile, we’re told there is no money left in the public pot and we should be braced for decades of public sectors cuts.
What are we doing about it? In August, people from across the UK will be converging to take back the power and Break the Bank! Our sustainable and collectively organised basecamp will give you the chance to learn, train up, and meet like minded individuals. Exciting action plans are also underway for those who want to get involved.
More information: www.climatecamp.org.uk
PROTEST THIS FRIDAY OUTSIDE CROWN OFFICE AND PROCURATOR FISCAL ON CHAMBERS STREET. SOLIDARITY IS OUR WEAPON!
(THIS HAS BEEN CALLED ON VERY SHORT NOTICE, SO PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD QUICKLY AND WIDELY)
In solidarity with the protest outside the Department of public prosecution going on in London called by various people including the Tomlinson family.
Ian Tomlinson was killed by police action at the G20 and not even any charges brought. The utter disgust at what has happened by the general public has been encouraging and so to show support towards Ian’s family and the complete hatred and contempt we have for the legal system that works in the favour of them and not us – we have decided to call for demo outside the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal in Solidarity.
If you work, try and …get half a day off like many of us are doing. Most importantly spread the word to all your friends and family.
Everyone to the streets! Never forget Never forgive
