“You are not being kettled… but contained”….

The student demo started from Malet Street and we marched all the way towards Parliament. I was with comrades Simon, Carl and Simon’s friend, Fiona. As we approached Parliament there was a heavy riot cop presence. From Horse Guards Rd walking up Great George Street towards Parliament  (the sky was turning pink from the smoke bombs) we ended up being kinda caged in Parliament Square.

There was a raised concrete and grass section which had been cordoned off but it had been kicked in, I stood on that section as it had a good vantage point (and also I had lost Simon and Carl by that point…) there were riot cops on horseback on the grass bit, one horse started to rear up which made people flee. I certainly felt scared, and trapped .

Fortunately, I got out and wandered down towards St James Park. Got back in touch with Carl, we wandered back up Great George Street where we watched more mounted cops (saw about 20 maybe more) turning off into the side streets. There was a massive police presence on Great George Street where we were allowed to walk through. Again, we wandered around, watching then running ourselves  as one of the blocked off points was being attacked by riot cops on horseback (around Westminster Abbey/Victoria Street).

It then became apparent that the line we were freely able to walk in and out of Parliament Square was being blocked off. More reinforcements appeared, some in full riot gear, visors up and shields at a ready. We asked whether we could get out, no was the answer as it was going to be “blocked off all evening”(??). We were then told to go towards Whitehall but then when we got there….. it was blocked!

The cops were telling people rubbish. We walked back towards Great George Street where we saw a a group of people rushing towards the line carrying a man who was hurt, the cops let them through the line but the guy looked bad.

Protesters were running around, frustrated and angry trying to find a way out. Fires were being lit to keep warm. I saw Jon Cruddas who let me take his picture. A Lib-Dem MP walking through Parliament where people shouted, “Shame on you”! His face looked wet not sure if he was crying or whether someone spat at him.

We heard as well from one steward that he heard that the cops were bringing in more reinforcements. It was scary, frustrating and certainly I was feeling panicky (apols to Carl) as my left ear due to a bad case of sinus was becoming blocked therefore I couldn’t hear properly and felt woozy. I just wanted, like thousands of others, to get the hell out of the trap where  riots cops charged protesters being pushed backwards and forwards clubbed with truncheons, it was like a hell on earth with fires burning, shouting, screaming. singing, dancing and people running…it was kinda surreal wandering around. But it was also a scene orchestrated and provoked by the police. You cannot contain people like this, it will inevitably boil over into anger.  And people had been kettled for a couple of hours which meant people were pissing against walls, a couple of women had hidden themselves behind their banners against a window ledge. I guess they were desperate for a piss too. And that’s one of the hideous thing about kettling is that it reduces people to nothing. When one protester asked the riot cop whether we were being kettled, the cops replied, “no you are being contained”….

Contained. Kettled. It’s the same bloody thing. I saw an elderly woman around 70 maybe older not being allowed out of the kettle, she wasn’t part of the demo, she looked confused. It was disgusting watching this. Why couldn’t they let her out?

Eventually Carl and me got out the kettle by Whitehall. As I write protesters are still being kettled, attacks on the Supreme Court and the Treasury. But what do the cops expect when you kettle, contain, corral people? Treat people like they are nothing, kettling provokes anger and distress. It’s an attack on democracy, freedom of movement and civil liberties.

And just because the ConDems got their way on tuition fees doesn’t mean the campaign is finished. It’s only just started.

Vive Le Resistance!

Open Birkbeck: An Invitation

Please see below the statement from Birkbeck. Please support and show your solidarity. You can also follow them on Twitter.

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Open Birkbeck: An Invitation

‘. . . in this spot hereafter, the charms of literature shall be displayed, and the powers of science shall be unfolded to the most humble inquirers; for to the ‘feast of reason’ . . . the invitation shall be as unbounded as the region of the intellect.’ Lord Birkbeck, 1824

Open Birkbeck is an event in which students, staff and faculty from Birkbeck College re-claim the Council Room for an intended period of 24 hours to create an open space for discussion and deliberation on how we can participate in a society committed to Higher Education for all.

It is a peaceful event that welcomes discussion, debate, and exchange from all who are concerned with the fate of higher education, particularly in light of the cuts recently proposed by the coalition government. In the spirit of George Birkbeck and others who founded the London Mechanics Institution in 1823 (later to become Birkbeck College), we begin from the position that education should not be reserved for an elite and that as a society we have a duty to provide access to education for any who seek it. In rejection of its marketisation, the duty to provide education is seen to be of value not only as a means for economic development, but as a fundamental way in which we open space to share and exchange ideas and inspiration; as well as to challenge assumptions, values and ideologies. It is a space that should be accessible to all.

Among other activities we intend to complete a statement during the event addressed to both the college and to our Members of Parliament concerning the recent proposed cuts which we consider antithetical to a commitment to education for all. As the name ‘Open Birkbeck’ suggest, this is a process which is inclusive and welcomes anyone who wishes to participate.

We welcome anyone who is interested in the future of Higher Education to participate!

At 12:00 noon, December 9th, we intend to adjourn ‘Open Birkbeck’ until the next event.

WHAT
An event re-claiming the Birkbeck Council Room to create an open space to deliberate on how we can participate in a society committed to Higher Education for all – a commitment threatened by the cuts recently proposed by the coalition government.

WHEN
12:00 noon, 8th December 2010 to 12:00 noon, 9th December 2010, at which time we will adjourn until the next event

WHERE
Council Room, Birkbeck College (Main Building), Malet Street

WHO
Anyone who is concerned about the future of Birkbeck College and the future of Higher Education!

Further thoughts on Julian Assange

Further thoughts…..I have found this discussion about Assange within the blogosphere really shocking with this belief (based on what…erm assumptions?) that these women are somewhat lying, along with commentators devaluing rape, or just denigrating and dismissing these women (CIA honeytrap is my favourite at the moment along with me being accused as being an “unbalanced radical feminist”). It gives as well, generally, licence for some blogs to denounce feminism as the class enemy, including comments like “no platform for feminists” and “feminists are men-haters”… Yada..Yada…

I have seen this stuff before and it’s sickening. Misogyny unbound, in these situations the misogynists do crawl out of the woodwork.  You also find out what some so-called leftie men (not all btw many leftie blokes have made good insightful comments/posts both here and in the blogosphere) think of rape and sexual violence; hero of the people vs two women… Women lie QED especially when it’s one of your own. It also shows a noxious contempt for feminism and women’s liberation (but that’s a separate post…) which is flowing out of this debate and leaving one nasty stench. The smearing and denigrating of these women reminds me of allegations against Daniel Ortega and Jacob Zuma and how those women were condemned too.

Also there’s this picking away like vultures at testimonies of these two women from translated (badly) media stories , hear-say, naming the women, making assumptions about whether it’s rape or not, devaluing, denigrating and dismissing the allegations. by creating ill-thought and ill-judge articles. It makes the situation worse. And it also exposes lefties needing to defend the latest hero on the block without stopping to pause, to step back and to take stock of the allegations. Also making assumptions about the politics of these women, what they have written ….etc. etc. My own belief is so what? Doesn’t mean these women are lying. Pretty much throwing these women to the wolves with all this speculation. How about waiting to see the evidence before anyone pre-judges the situation? How about waiting and seeing the evidence tested in court?

Yes, the global establishment hate Assange because of Wikileaks, and yes I support him on that and Wikileaks. Yes the USA want him shut-up and the turbo-charged demand for extradition. Yes, all true. All worrying. All shocking. All terrible. All wrong.

BUT that doesn’t mean he hasn’t committed an offence. Surely these women deserve due process as well as Assange? We have to untangle Wikileaks and the attacks made by the global bourgeoise and the allegations made against Assange. The two have to be separated.

Few words on Julian Assange

I have been cautious in making any comment about the allegations made against Julian Assange by two women because we don’t know what happened. He has not been charged but will be questioned by the police.

My own view is that wouldn’t it be better to see the evidence tested in court rather than pre-judge the situation, a case of due process? I am getting really sick and tired that there’s an assumption out there that these allegations are smears and are dismissed as such which therefore makes these women out to be liars, that it was, for example, some kind of “CIA honey trap”…!!!!!! We don’t know the full story. Wait for the full story, wait to see the evidence tested in court.

And it is also becoming clear just because Assange is becoming the hero of the Left there is an assumption just because of the Wikileaks and hatred of him by the global establishment there’s a belief he is being set-up.

But how do we know?

Interesting articles here  by Feministe, Feminism and Tea & Cath Elliott. Another post here by Cath. And this one from Madam Miaow. Also see Carl Raincoat. See as well Dawn Foster.

NB: Assange has been remanded in custody in London after appearing in court. The article includes the 4 allegations.

More pix from the Top Shop day of action

Please also see my Flickr account.

Day of action

So it seems Boots was closed in Oxford Street, along with Dorothy Perkins. And there was a mass sit-down protest outside Top Shop. Today was December 4th…. a day of action against tax cheats! Great atmosphere, vibrant, lively, loud, dynamic with young people leading the struggle.

Also engaging with people walking past the store, some pausing to watch the protest. A group of women stopped and asked what was happening. I told her Philip Green is a tax dodger. That made her angry (“I pay my taxes…Why can’t he”? ..Precisely!) and asked what other shops are involved in this tax dodge. Once explaining to people why we were protesting some were pissed some didn’t want to know and saw the protest as an inconvenience stopping them from shopping at Top Shop.

Sgt Smellie

Before I forget, saw Sgt Smellie standing by Top Shop with a FIT officer. I couldn’t get a pic of Smellie standing with the other cops but got one of him. He then wandered off with FIT officer to Regent Street.

Later in the day I attended the UCL occupation, big shout out to Laurie Penny (who I saw as well at Oxford Street), Simon, Carl and the whole occupation. They have lots of discussions, pretty amazing as it seemed like one big political consciousness raising session. Certainly, the session on the cuts to legal aid and civil liberties was very interesting and useful.

I would really recommend that people should visit and/or send emails of support and solidarity to the occupations. These young people are leading the way, a new generation of resistance …..

The picture below is of students from other universities who came to visit UCL occupation.

LSE student occupation interview

Here’s another interview with LSE student occupation. Many thanks and solidarity!!

1. Why are you in occupation?
LSE students have occupied the university in protest at the government’s fees and cuts agenda and more specifically the Director of LSE’s inaction to protect this university and the rest of the sector from the coalitions proposals.

2. What are your demands?
Our demands can be found on our website (as well as all other updates).

3. What solidarity and links have you been making?
We have already received solidarity from universities in Croatia, New York, and Boston, and closer to home from occupations like those at SOAS. We have also been supported by the lecturers union at LSE, UCU, and other branches from across the country, as well as independent university departments.

4. Have the attacks by the ConDems on education politically galvanised students in LSE to take action?
LSE students have been engaged in political action since the start of term, running up to mass protests on campus, joining the tens of thousands of other students that are also mobilising against the coalition’s regressive policies. This occupation is just another step in the fight to defend our education and the education of those that will come after us.

5. What are your thoughts on the student protests generally?
LSE students have supported the student demonstrations since they began on November 10th. Hundreds of students from LSE have been campaigning on these issues for many weeks and we will continue to do so until the government backs down.

6. What has been, if any, your relationship with the Labour movement such as the trade union movement and the Labour Party?
We are working with the local UCU branch; Mike Cushman, Branch Secretary, came to the occupation yesterday and offered his full support.

7. Tuition fees will be debated in Parliament on the 9th December, what do you hope will be the outcome?
We expect MPs in Parliament to keep to their pledges they made before the election; particularly the Liberal Democrats need to stick to the personal promise they made to their constituents and vote against these fees increasing.

8. Will any of you ever vote Lib-Dem again?
There are occupiers that campaigned for the Lib Dems at the general election and supported them because of their student friendly policy. If they don’t vote against these proposals, they won’t receive any support again, in fact some would campaign against them. They need to remember where their core vote comes from.

KCL occupation

Unfortunately, due to being snow bound I haven’t been able to visit the student occupations in London. I emailed KCL (King’s College London) occupation some questions about the student occupation which will also be in next issue of Labour Briefing. Many thanks to the student supplying the answers to these questions. Solidarity!

Why are you in occupation?

I am in occupation to put pressure on my university to in turn put pressure on the government to reject the proposed rise in student fees and the cuts to education. I believe that education is a right and not a privilege, and the rise in fees would make it much harder for students who aren’t from wealthy backgrounds to go to university and pay off the massive debt they will start their adult lives with. For me, the value of a university education is not a monetary one – it should be paid for in time and effort and earned through hard work and a desire to learn.

What are your demands?

We are demanding that there is: no rise in tuition fees, no  abolishment of EMA and no cuts in the teaching budget. On a local level, we are calling for King’s to defend publicly funded education and condemn the coalition government’s attacks to education in a public statement. We want our management to practically facilitate our campaign to defend education, and provide us with a genuine consultation process which involves staff and students in all major financial decisions to effect our university. Finally, we demand that no student or staff member involved in this legitimate and peaceful protest will face reprisals or victimisation.

What solidarity and links have you been making?

We have been building links with members of the local community who are facing the same struggle, for example: PCS, UCU, UNISON, Members of UNITE the union, other occupations such as UCL, LSE, Manchester, SOAS, Students for Justice etc.

Have the attacks by the ConDems on education politically galvanised students in KCL to take action?

A lot of students feel let down by the false promises made by the Lib Dems with regards to education. Many students voted for the Lib Dems based on these promises, often casting their very first vote in a general election. For these students, their first experience of political participation has been one of betrayal, and the natural response to this is anger.

What are your thoughts on the student protests generally?

I believe that protest is an important part of any democratic society, and that students should take advantage of the unique time in their lives in which they have access to so many resources and various ways of learning about their society and ways in which they are empowered to actively improve it. I think that if the political establishment genuinely had the best interests of the younger generations at heart, they would be delighted to see so many young people sacrificing their time and comfort for a cause about which they care deeply.

What has been, if any, your relationship with the Labour movement such as the trade union movement and the Labour Party?

Some members of the occupation are Labour members. However we need more support from KCL Labour society as well as the Labour party.

Tuition fees will be debated in Parliament on the 9th December, what do you hope will be the outcome?

I hope that members of parliament, specifically the Lib Dems, will stand up for a fairer education system, even against the Conservative members of the coalition. I would hope that the Lib Dems retain their credibility as a party and any hope they have of being re-elected by this younger generation by standing by the promises they made, and this doesn’t include shying away from and abstaining from the vote.

Has this been a political learning process for you all?

For many students who had never voted before, I believe this has been a huge learning process with regards to the government and how little say the majority of the population actually has in how it is run. It has however, also made more students aware of their power within this society to affect change, through various methods of protest.

Will any of you ever vote Lib-Dem again?

I did not vote Lib-Dem, and therefore cannot speak for anyone who did, but I understand that there is a general feeling of regret and disillusionment for those of my friends that did vote that way.

 

Please support:

KCL occupation on Twitter

LSE occupation

SOAS occupation

UCL occupation

UEL occupation

Another snowy scene

Labour it’s ’bout time to stand up and fight!!

There was around 300 protesters outside Camden Town Hall tonight as the Council’s Labour Cabinet considers proposals to slash more than £82. 5 million from Council spending over the next three years. Nearly 1, 000 Council jobs are under threat, with rents on Council properties due to jump by more than 7%.

From reports the average age outside Camden Town Hall of the crowd was easily the clever side of 30. Primary school students have organised a petition to save their playground. Some of their parents mentioned that they will be back on benefits instead of working if playgroups are shut down. It seems there was a lot of raw anger in the raw cold. These people are looking to the Labour Party for real political leadership that will defeat these cuts and the ideology behind the attacks on ordinary people.

And Camden is of course a Labour run council. There has been discussion about what precisely should Labour councillors do about the cuts.

I think the answer is simple, resign. Call by-elections with candidates who are in a position to vote against cuts and face the consequences (although such comrades would deserve the support of the whole movement). Call for a general election when the cuts are enforced by non-elected officials acting without any democratic mandate themselves on behalf of a government without any democratic mandate itself. Strange that “democratic” socialists as many Labour politicians like to style themselves do not want to defeat the Tory government by using democracy itself.

The problem with the sweet reasonableness position is you end up building no movement and just demoralising people. Movements are built by defiance not by collaborationist sabotaging of the welfare state and of people’s lives. Labour councillors are not facing “difficult choices” as though their councils have been badly run with no thought for balancing the books…quite the contrary. They are faced with a full-scale attack on the welfare state and on working class living standards. If you manage to cut less savagely the Tories will simply come back for more next year (if they wait that long) and more after that. The only way to defeat them is to fight now.

Yes we will have to face non-elected cutters who are not part of our movement who will simply do what the Tories want. But what will make these people turn back is a powerful movement not Labour politicians asking them to consider which cuts are the kindest.