National Camapign Against Fees and Cuts conference
This
weekend a group of activists from Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts
travelled to Manchester to attend the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts conference, joining other Free Education university and sixth form
students from across the country, including people from Warwick,
London, Birmingham, Hastings, Manchester, Sheffield and Oxford.
Topics
discussed included the future of the Free Education movement, upcoming
days of action, and direct action tactics. A series of workshops
throughout the weekend conference covered subjects such as safer spaces,
the housing crisis, building the movement and education privatisation. There
was a strong emphasis on linking together with other "active minorites"
and trying to bring the activist movement together as a whole,
acknowledging educational activism as being part of a broader struggle. One
of the Bath activists said: "It was encouraging to see such a broad
range of people gathered together in support of Free Education. It felt
like a productive weekend and this movement is only going to build in
anticipation of the general election in May."
"We
now have links with other universities and will be working closely with
them on future actions. It was very useful to speak to people and share
ideas. The workshops were also very useful and there was a very
constructive atmosphere."
"There was a real feeling at the conference that this is the real start of the reinvigoration of the student movement."
Bath
Students Against Fees and Cuts are currently planning actions for the
new year. In the meantime, if you want to get involved, follow them on
Facebook and Twitter.
Students from Free Education UWE have been occupying the lecture theatre since Monday, in opposition to tuition fees, police brutality towards student protestors in Britain and elsewhere, and in support of Free Education. They would also like to see an end to the university's connections to the arms trade, which has long been a cause for concern for UWE students.
Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts at the Free Education UWE occupation this afternoon
Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts found
the UWE occupiers in good spirits. The lecture space is occupied 24 hours a
day, however disruption to lectures in the theatre have been kept to a
minimum. On Friday a day of free lectures is planned and is open to
all.
We had a chat with one of the UWE occupiers about how things are going. They told us : "This has been a chance to get students together, particularly first year students, who make up the majority of the students involved. The occupation will end this week due to the Christmas break, but when we come back the campaign will continue with regular meetings, looking towards further action."
Members of Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts are intending to join with other Free Education activists from around the country at the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) conference in Manchester at the weekend, and promise to continue the fight into the new year, with plans for further actions in work.
Following a national demonstration in London on November 19th and subsequent occupations, blockades and marches over the last week throughout the country, including Bath and Warwick, students at the University of the West of England (UWE) have occupied a lecture room in a demonstration in support of free education and an end to tuition fees as well, as an end to police brutality of protestors in America, Mexico and the University of Warwick. The occupiers issued a statement earlier this evening:
UWE Free Education statement of occupation
Students at the
University of the West of England have gone into occupation in support
of Free Education for all. Education is a human right that has
increasingly been annexed off by the political elite for the privileged
few, for those able to take on the £44,000 worth of debt that an
undergraduate degree incurs. In protesting this system over the past
week students at Warwick University have been met with police brutality,
pepper sprayed and threatened with
tasers; students at Sheffield University have been illegally and
dangerously locked into their occupation, with security blocking fire
exits with the use of chains and padlocks.
Bristol’s students are united in solidarity with their comrades
nationally and across the world that are standing up for their rights,
and resisting oppression by the elite. We send our full hearted support
to the students of Mexico who live in constant fear of being abducted
and killed for demanding what is theirs and those in the United States
suffering and resisting police brutality.
Join us in lecture room 2B025 to stand up for:
• Free Education
• Cancellation of student debt
• Unconditional student grants
• Our freedom to protest
• A living wage and fair conditions for all staff who work for UWE directly or indirectly
• Divestment of arms trade connections
• Police off campus
Universities are not factories, nor prisons. Knowledge is not a consumer product and we are not your clients.
In other #FreeEducation news, the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) have announced a conference for student #FreeEducation activists and supporters in Manchester this weekend. http://anticuts.com/register-2014/
Over in Bath, after a heavy week of campaigning, blockading and marching, Bath Students Against Fees And Cuts are holding an open meeting today (Tuesday, 9th December) at 7.30pm in The Westgate to discuss future actions.
Local activist and one-time resident of Occupy Bath in Queen Square, Simon Jilley, reports on Occupy Democracy and the continuing efforts of Bath activists to create a better world for all...
Just over three
weeks ago, several Bath Occupiers headed over to London with the TUC
wagon to be a part of something pretty massive. Not only was there
to be an 80,000-strong march on Hyde Park to add ourselves to, but,
perhaps more current to our sentiments, the day marked an energetic
beginning to a 9-day occupation of Parliament Square.
As Alex and
myself arrived at Parliament Square, having taken a planned detour
whilst en-route to the march, we were greeted by vivacious greetings
from the Big Ben-side of the Square, as our drumming was warmly
welcomed over to a small group of pavement-occupiers. Strategically,
we worked our way around the square before joining the group, as to
suss out the situation police/security-wise. In the 1-minute journey
across the square towards the demonstrators, we met a kindly warden
who advised that we were not allowed to drum on that particular
30-metre path that crossed the square; then we met a couple of Met's
finest profilers, who asked us all about ourselves and our drums and
what we were doing, yadayada. To add to tensions, two GBC Legal
Observers rushed over to us as the Met were trying to spark
conversation, apparently assuming that our arrests were imminent.
We got to
our group, about 30-or-so there, and brought the drumming vibrantly
to the surface. We drummed, shouted 'FREEDOM!', sang our 'freedom
song', and chanted some more about freedom. Within a few minutes
some Westminster Council fellows came on over, seemingly claiming
[but we couldn't hear for sure...everyone started shouting and
chanting and singing and we drummed when they came over] that we
couldn't play there despite having been specifically told by our
profiling coppers a few minutes previous that we could. So, we kept
our tune, as it was raising spirits, and people were really
encouraging us. We continued playing for quite a while, till another
friend came along, and played some more before Alex was given
direction to do the speech from The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin).
Greed
has poisoned men’s souls...more than machinery we need humanity.
More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness...the hate of
men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the
people will return to the people...you are not machines! You are not
cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts!
You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the
unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!
Soon we had rounded up
a few people for the rally, and promised others that we would return
with a huge crowd more. I didn't quite expect that we could do that
– but the intentions were out there, and there were thousands on
the march, so why not?
The march was very
regimented, with lovely neatly formed groups from particular unions
and groups that we rounded past with our drums and chants for
freedom. The black block darted off, over the railings, shortly
followed by the 20 cops that had been following them probably for the
whole march.
We got to Hyde Park,
where a Green Party spokesman from Taunton was slamming the talk
about how 'THIS IS GOING TO BE A FIVE PARTY ELECTION!!!'. The whole
situation, combined with my lack of sleep, reminded me of Alex Jones'
appearance on Waking Life. But, it precipitated what was then to
come for the Green Party – an absolute onslaught on the media for
failing to represent the party at an acceptable level. Hash-tagged
as #invitetheGreens, the campaign has pushed the party into a bit of
a publicity limelight over the past fortnight.
A Hare Krishna stall
was there, serving up the same kind of irresistible nourishment that
they continuously provided throughout the 2011 Occupy St Paul’s,
and at plenty of other demos, completely for free. It felt like I was on
another march that had climaxed in the middle of nowhere, and I was
starting to get anxious to move on back to Parliament Square. The
idea of a rally, anyway, has never appealed to me in the slightest –
let alone a rally, as was apparent in this instance, that didn't seem
to even physically exist (I saw no stage, nor knew of there being any
main gathering place anywhere in Hyde Park..). We'd all finished our
prasadam curry, and my two friends were stretched out on the grass,
seemingly getting ready for a siesta. The samba band, who had been
playing about 50 metres away from us, had stopped playing, and all
was becoming quiet.
I noticed that one of
these two towers, which we'd marched near for some of the march, read
'democracy'. I was jubilant as I read the other: 'OCCUPY'. They had
each been carried upright by a few people, but now were being brought
to a horizontal, like as if a movement was being planned. Five or
six people took each tower, red and black flags started waving, and
the samba band were about to start up again.
I rushed my friends to
get themselves ready to go – we had another march to get on! As
Occupy Democracy, Reclaim The Power, the Black Block, and plenty of
non-affiliateds gathered and started moving on out of Hyde Park, a
police van rushed to a stop and a squad of maybe ten cops shyly
marched alongside the group. Their presence was weak, and largely
ignored.
We joined as the march
was working its way out of Hyde Park, and reclaiming the streets
towards Parliament Square. 'Whose streets? OUR STREETS!' roared our
crowd, the samba gave the pulse, myself and Alex drummed too, and we
gave our lungs to 'FREEDOM!', too. I met a few activists I hadn't
seen in quite a long while, which was fantastic. The camaraderie was
really really strong. We are united, together in whatever happens.
I suspected that we may miss our bus home through this – but it
didn't matter. This was something more important than a safe trip
home.
A police line were
waiting for us at the end of one road, about halfway to Parliament
Square, lined up. They were hardly formidable-looking, lacking the
riot shields and batons that I came to expect through my time last
year at Balcombe. There was a park on our left, so we all hopped the
railings and walked through the park, leaving the cops a little
embarrassed by their stunt.
We got back onto the
road, causing very little road disruption and even being supported by
a few motorists along the way. As we approached Parliament Square, I
was feeling very excited at what was soon to follow. The
hundred-or-so of us in our march were to return to Parliament Square
as a huge wave of energy, taking the Square from the oppressive
forces that dictate this 'democracy'. A slim line of police stood
between us and the Square. We weaved around them, and marched
straight into the centre of the square. I remembered finishing a Stop
The War march in 2007 in this square, as a samba band kept rhythms
going and police started surrounding the square. This was a similar
scene – but there were plenty more of us than them, and we were
committed to doing something incredible. We weren't going to be
moved.
So as myself and my
two friends ducked out of the square some minutes later, as we had a
coach back to Bath to catch as well as thirty-or-so comrades on the
coach to elate to, we left realising that this is the start of
something beautiful, again. What began as a mere idea, conjured by a
collective of 'subvertivists' under the 'Adbusters' motif, became an
assembly of whoever and whatever, all across the world. Reclaim The
Square became a common reality. What is strange for me, though, is
that since early 2012, when the last of the camps were decamping and
people getting burnt out, there has been little motion towards taking
this much, much further.
Now we are over two
weeks since that initial action, and just over a week since Occupy
Democracy ended the 24/7 occupation of Parliament Square. Russell
Brand brought the occupiers pizza, but occupiers were warned that,
should they fall asleep on the pizza boxes, they would be prosecuted
under the 2011 Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill for using
'sleeping equipment' in Parliament Square. Tents and structures are
banned in Parliament Square, to which police also claimed that
umbrellas were banned as a form of 'structure'. Tarpaulins were
banned, leading to two 'Battles of the Tarpaulin' between the
occupiers and the police. The police kicked the occupiers out of the
central square after the second Battle of the Tarpaulin, creating a
#TarpaulinRevolution on the periphery of the 2-metre police fence
guarded by police dogs. Banners and posters were banned from
Parliament Square, in one of the most obscure depictions of policing
in a 'democratic nation' that can possibly be imagined. People were
arrested
for giving food and drink to activists, and the
Police even arrested
the deputy chair of the London Assembly's Police & Crime
Committee, Jenny Jones, in one particularly
embarrassing episode for the London Met/the government. The
Occupiers persisted through wind and rain, through police brutality,
and through a media blackout for the first few days. And what has
come of this?
The Occupation of
Parliament Square made the TUC rally mean something to me. I am
often one for quite controversial statements, and will not hold back
again this time. 'Britain Needs A Pay Rise' is a shallow and fairly
arrogant idea. What will a pay rise do, when we are living in a
society of broken communities? In my experience, money does not save
any troubles around us, but often leads to increased isolationism and
paranoia. In this time of austerity, we need to look beyond the
financial ripping-off that we are experiencing.
We are living in a
society that claims to be democratic, and where we are fooled into
thinking that we can actively change anything that is happening by
voting for another party, or by going on a march. I felt unwelcome
at the 'Britain Needs A Payrise' demo, and I know a fair few other
Occupiers refused to join the march because of a complete
disconnection with the focal point of the march. It was a big,
digitally-printed, banner-waving, boxed-in march for the
middle-class/Unionised working class to feel like as if they were
actively doing something about austerity. The feeling on the coach
to and from Bath reflected this. People spoke of this year's march
in relation to last year's march, like as if the march is a yearly
commodity, that it's just a day out strolling with thousands of other
people through the city and occasionally, should the occasion arise,
shouting a pre-printed slogan. There was a general feeling of a
reluctance to actually do
anything. The Occupy Democracy and Reclaim The Power activists
emblazoned the march with a meaningful purpose. Through the march,
we gathered energy and pace to march powerfully on Parliament Square,
and kick-start Occupy Democracy. It is in rooting myself with
collectives that actually are as direct as RtP and Occupy, as well as
the countless grassroots activists that are occupying, resisting, and
risking arrest and personal livelihoods through standing up for what
they believe in, that I continue to believe and feel that change is
happening, and that the world around me is gradually becoming
liberated. For now, just as much as any other time, a question
resounds in my mind: if not now, when?
This year's Earth Hour - organised by WWF - saw up to 70 environmentally aware people of all ages and many different backgrounds gather together on the green in front of the Royal Crescent to celebrate the event. Earth Hour, in which people are invited to switch off all electrical devices between 8.30 and 9.30pm, is an international campaign to raise awareness about energy usage. It began in 2007 in Sydney, Austrailia and has since become a worldwide hour of action.
The event saw people from all over the city congregate en masse with candles, acoustic guitars and blankets. The combination of a growing sense of environmental awareness, good weather, and the great job undertaken by the people who organised the event were key factors in its success. Even residents of the Royal Crescent came down to the event. At the end of the evening several people did a litter pick and everyone took home a bag of rubbish, to ensure that Earth Hour stuck to its environmental principles.
Due to the success, there are now plans to make "Earth Saturday" a regular event, on the last Saturday of every month, with the next event scheduled for 26th April. Organisers say that if the weather is looking bad, the event will be moved to the following Saturday.
So come on down, this could be the start of something big!
Just in from campaigners against the arms fair at the University of the West of England, Frenchay, Bristol. The arms fair will be taking place on Wednesday this week. More info on the arms fair and plans for protests here: http://standingstonesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/stop-uwe-arms-fair.html
Drop
beats not bombs rally
4pm
@ UWE, Frenchay campus
by
the bus stops
Tuesday19th.
Listen
out for the sound system!
The University of the West
of England in Bristol is hosting an arms and 'defence' business fair
on the 20th November 2013. This conference portrays itself as the
main networking and business event in the UK for the MOD and the
military community. See their website:
http://www.dprte.co.uk
Students
are coming together and welcome support to kick them off campus!
Students at UWE believe a decision to host this
event is not in the interest of students or education but part of a
wider shift towards profit-driven interests. We are calling on UWE
not to invest itself into, promote, support or enable profit-making
from/of/through wars, military uses of research, military networks,
and violent approaches towards conflicts. Students also denounce the
University's strategy of investing into large infrastructures which
are largely useless to students and education, like the planned
20,000 seats 'UWE stadium' or UWE's massive Conference Centre, where
this conference is to take place. Please sign our petition
here:
Two years ago, the hot topic in the city was a small encampment in Queen Square. In six weeks, so much happened there. Many friendships were made, many people decided that enough was enough and made the decision to make a stand, and many people were inspired - and this legacy still continues today.
A few weeks ago, a friend informed me that they had received a mysterious package with my name on it, and finally got round to giving it to me earlier today. Inside was a wire-bound notebook and a card from someone I hadn't heard from in many months, the person who without a doubt spent more time at the camp than anyone else. Inside was a collection of thoughts, questions, statements, a camping rota and some loose pieces of paper with messages of support from members of the public - all written during the time of the original camp. As we have now reached the second anniversary of Occupy Bath, I thought I might share some of the contents, so that people can be reminded of exactly what the camp meant to the citizens of Bath.
Comments from the Public
The majority of these comments were simple - things like "good luck" and
"keep going" - but here's a selection of the more interesting ones from the 100 or so comments. At
least one is from a very well-known person, but I'll leave it to you to
guess who it was and what they said...
"Very happy you're here!"
"This is great! Time for the silent majority to speak up!"
"Well done to you all - good luck and hope the weather gets better soon!"
"Keep the presence going - it's time the majority in this country had a voice"
"Excellent. There's a need for a voice!!"
"Politics is about the personal - it's about the people"
"Speaking for many"
"Keep going and be very much more ambitious"
"Well done - hope you link with the strike on 30 Nov"
"Thank you, you're speaking for many of us"
"Don't let the bastards grind you down! Support and solidarity to Occupy!"
"Let's get talking!"
"Be the change you want to see - Occupy everywhere!"
"We need to be heard!"
"Very grateful to you for being here"
"You are my heroes, I'm so heart-warmed by your commitment"
"Democracy only works with a level playing field - so state funded campaigns by parties means also no vested interest or lobbying by big money!! Governments are in the pockets of big business"
"The web widens!"
"Down with central banking!"
"Freedom is a valuable thing!"
"You are representing so many people who can't be here"
"Good to see you here. Solidarity from an NUT member"
"Thank you for representing me!"
"Sack the bankers!"
"Good luck, solidarity from Wales!"
"Hopefully the Occupy Movement can keep going and get stronger. Keep up the good work!"
"Thank you for making this statement and taking this action - do it IN MY NAME! With love"
"Sorry I can't join you all but keep it up please, you're speaking for us all!"
"I'm supporting every peaceful movement towards the better"
Questions The following questions were put forward to be considered to give to the BRLSI for a debate on the Occupy Movement. Most are still relevant today, perhaps more so. If you weren't there, these are some of the things we were talking about at the camp:
1. Is it time for a legal ratio between minimum wage and a maximum wage?
2. Do we need more women in politics?
3. Should manifesto pledges be legally binding (at least key ones)?
4. Should we consider a universal allowance/credit ensuring food and energy for citizens?
5. Will the virtual removal of legal aid make society fairer?
6. Should MPs have a genuine local connection to their constituency (i.e. long-term residency)?
7. Should Bath have a local minimum wage as in London?
8. Do we want American insurance companies running the NHS?
9. What defines growth and competitiveness in a global economy?
10. 80% of the world's population do not have freedom of movement across all borders - is this right?
11. Does the bombing of a country for their resources influence immigration?
12. Is there a link between poverty, wars, inequality, economic instability and climate change?
13. Is growth and international competitiveness conducive to human happiness?
Ideas for Placards Most of these suggestions came from visitors to the camp.
- We are the 99%
- Stop the Traders Gambling with Our Money
- XXX Cities Occupied Around the World
- Education for All
- Are You Happy About Minimum Wage?
- Is Your Rent Eating All Your Income?
- Slaves of the Banks
- We Didn't Vote for Traders
- There's Enough for Everyone's Need, But Not for Everyone's Greed
- 1 Job for 50 People... Are You One of the 49 Left Over?
- "The Future Isn't Inherited From Our Ancestors, It's Borrowed From Our Children" - Native American Proverb
- There's Enough For 2 Tennis Courts Per Person of Land in the UK
- Maldives, Bangladesh, Philippines Overflown By Global Warming.... Should Bath Host the Climatic Refugees?
- Having a Job = The Most Important Thing in Life?
- No, We Haven't Found a Magic Solution For Global Warming
- You Don't Change Things By Fighting the Existing System, Instead Design a New System Which Makes the Old One Obsolete
- Non-Violent Resistance Does Not Seek to Defeat or Humiliate the Opponent, But to Win His Friendship and Understanding
- We Can Have Democracy in This Country, Or We Can Have Great Wealth Concentrated in the Hands of a Few, But We Cannot Have Both
- If Not Now, When? If Not You, Who?
From campaigners against the arms fair at the University of the West of England (UWE), Frenchay Campus, Bristol:
STOP
THE UWE ARMS FAIR
PROTEST
OUTSIDE THE ECC ALL DAY. WEDNESDAY 20TH NOVEMBER.
BRING
SOMETHING TO MAKE LOTS OF NOISE.
UWE
will be hosting an Arms fair in the ECC on the 20th of
November. UWE is giving them the space to network and plan the
selling and buying of weapons! This includes exporting to other
countries, new technology in weaponry and manufacturing of these
weapons.
Angry
with this happening? Then come to the PROTEST. If you do not have
enough time then email the vice chancellor at Steven.West@uwe.ac.uk
to voice your complaints.
MONDAY-
banner making and planning, core24 from noon.
TUESDAY- Drop Beats Not Bombs - rally/party against the arms trade, student village. Meet 4pm at the Frenchay bus stops. Bring people.
WEDNESDAY-
PROTEST OUTSIDE THE ECC!
The UK is one of the worlds largest exporters of weapons, most of
the arms sold go to middle east, and South & East Asia. There are
very few legal restrictions on where arms can be sold, even exporting
to countries with highly questionable human rights records is
considered legal.
In 2010 the UK Government Human Rights Annual Report identified
26 countries “of Concern”,. Despite these concerns the UK
approved arms exports to 16 of these countries, including Libya,
Israel and Saudi Arabia. During the Arab spring uprisings in 2011, UK
brought weapons were routinely used in the crack down against
protesters. The UK often sells weapons to both sides of a war,
prolonging conflicts to increase profits for arms dealers at cost of
the lives of soldiers and civilians. During the Falklands war
Argentina was legally sold weapons, which were then used against
British soldiers!
War creates poverty, any African nation at war economy shrinks 15%
each year. It looses infrastructure, spreads disease, makes land
infertile and kills a lot of the population. Most war related deaths
are civilian; around 90%.
At the same time we create stricter border control policies. We
promote war to countries, sell them weapons, increasing their
poverty, while decreasing their ability to live. We then refuse
refuge to those who try to escape these terrifying situations we help
to create.
If they do manage to get to the UK, refugees often face
discrimination. Like the disgusting “go Home” anti immigration
vans, that the government were proudly driving around earlier this
year. Go Home and be shot at, by our weapons!
The Government has always had incredibly close ties with the arms
companies.The Government’s UK
Trade & Investment (UKTI) department is a vital element of
the UK’s arms dealing. In 2008 it opened the Defence & Security
Organisation (DSO) which promotes weaponry on behalf of arms
companies. 54% of UKTI staff now only invested in selling Arms.
The Government’s main arguments to defend it's behaviour fit
into three categories: arms exports are important for national
security; they are vital to the UK economy and jobs;
and they are stringently regulated.
These are all false
There is no “security of supply”. Arms production takes place
across the globe and all significant Ministry of Defence purchases
include hundreds or thousands of imported components and sub-systems.
If we were to go to war with any of those countries, or run out of
money, then why would those countries still supply us with weapons?
This argument also falls through in that it looks at the world
through a military lens, It marginalises major security threats such
as climate change, energy insecurity and inequality that are
acknowledged by Government but absent in terms of meaningful policies
and funding.
The arms trade is heavily subsidised to the tune of £852 million
a year - that's more than £13,000 per job per year! Imagine what
could be done if all those skills and resources were devoted to
socially beneficial projects.
Selling Arms is a drain on the public purse, causes human rights
atrocities and destruction of the environment, and is riddled with
accusations of fraud and illegality – none of which the government
has put much effort into investigating. The only reason to sustain
the arms trade is to make the politicians rich mates even richer,
and for those in power in our country to feel 'big' and important.
The companies which attend Arms Fairs are guaranteed potential
customers in vast numbers, including military delegations and
individual trade, government and armed forces representatives. They
make contact, negotiate and sign contracts over the course of a
number of arms fairs and interim meetings.
So don't even think a strongly worded letter to your local MP
will change anything. It is time to take action into our own hands
and Stop the Arms Trade. Lets kick the Arms Fair out of our
university!
Bath and North-East Somerset Council are planning to cut the budget of the local Citizen's Advice Bureau by 55%. Many people rely on the services our local CAB provides, and we can't let the council cut the funding.
If you haven't already used the CAB, it's very possible that you or someone you know will need to at some point in their lives. These are some of the reasons why people have needed to use the Bath CAB in the past:
Help! I've been diagnosed with a serious illness and I can't work any more - what am I entitled to?
Help! I've got rent arrears and I've lost my job. What can I do?
Help! My employer sacked me while I was pregnant - can they do this?
Help! My landlord threatened to evict my family because I complained that the roof is leaking
The CAB is often the only thing that stands between a lot of people and families becoming "vulnerable and greatest in need".
So what can you do? Three actions have been planned to attempt to get the council to change their minds - if you can help with one or more of these then it will go a long way to helping the campaign.
A demo will be taking place on the steps of the Guildhall at 1pm on Tuesday 5th November. If you can make it, please come along and show that you care, and tell your family and friends.
Local resident Lin Patterson has managed to get 3 mins to speak about the CAB at the full council meeting on Thursday 14th November. There will be a demonstration at 6pm outside the Guildhall, just prior to her slot. Please come along and support her!
Press release from BARF, the Bath-based anarchist collective...
Anarchy vs Chaos: An Introduction to Anarchism
On
Saturday 5th October, from 4 until 7pm in the Coffee Lounge of
Manvers Street Baptist Church in Bath (a minute's walk from Bath Spa
train station), the Black And Red Federation will be organising a
discussion on anarchism, and invite members of the public to come
along and take part. The group feels that recent government policy
and business lobbyists have made the UK a better place for
millionaires and right-wing politicians, but an increasingly uncertain
and unhealthy place for everyone else.
Anarchism
has received a bad press ever since its birth 173 years ago, with
anarchists forced into stereotypes of either violent thugs or
sandal-footed hippies – caricatures repeated by both the media and
political establishment on one side, but also by self-proclaimed
anarchists on the other. But many anarchists see it differently: the
philosophy has come a long way since its roots amongst the Taoists of
ancient China and the Christian Anabaptists of 16th
Century Europe, promoting mutual respect, equality and rationality,
and opposing oppression wherever it appears. Indeed, anarchism had
become a mass movement of hundreds of thousands of everyday people
fighting for and winning freedom from the 1920s to the 1930s in the
Ukraine, Spain and Korea, however briefly. Far from embracing
destruction and chaos, anarchists say that 'Anarchism is Order'!
In
Bath on Saturday, a handful of local speakers will make short
presentations on the ideas and history of this important but
controversial political philosophy, before breaking down into longer
group sessions where all present are invited to discuss and offer
their two cents. The group will ask whether, in this current climate
of biting austerity and growing global unrest, anarchists and their
ideas have any role to play?
Entry
is free, food and hot drinks will be available, as will stalls of
literature, and all are welcome to come along and join them on the
day! This will be the first in a series of talks this year.
Once more, College Green in Bristol is due to be occupied - this time against an imminent attack on Syria. A Facebook event page has been set up to promote the protest, from 5pm this Thursday. The page reads:
Britain, France and the
US are committing to another disastrous military intervention. Apart
from the inevitable casualties, any attack on Syria can only inflame an
already disastrous civil war and would risk pulling in regional powers
further.
Most people in this country have learned from the
disasters of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. According to a Telegraph poll
today only 9% of British people support an attack. Our politicians
however have learned nothing.
We are to congregate in full force and OCCUPY College Green in protest against this possible "intervention" in Syria.
Kit List:
Tent Sleeping Bag Water Food Loud Things Musical Instruments Medication Banners Water Proofs
We've tried everything. Legal challenges, petitions, marches, boycotts, celebrity support, trying to get landowners to pull out, music videos, getting the press on board and getting a vote in parliament. All of the measures that could possibly be undertaken to stand up for the badgers, the scientific evidence and the wishes of the general public against the barbaric measures proposed by the Tory government, DEFRA and the NFU have been tried and failed. This is more than a horrific slaughter of our wildlife - this is the cold face of an undemocratic system that does not listen to reason or public opinion. They have left us with no other choice - the only option left is to get out in the field and make damn sure that no badgers die.
There will be night patrols in the two cull zones in Somerset and Gloucestershire. Last night the cull began and there was an estimated 500 activists in the cull zones. There will be badger rescuers out looking and taking care of injured badgers. There is an activist camp in Somerset - for directions ring 01386 761455. All who are willing and able are needed in the cull zones. The badgers need you!!!
If the rumour mill and the national press is to be believed, the slaughter is about to start - possibly tonight. The government haven't listened to the scientists and the public, and they are going ahead with the biggest mindless slaughter of wildlife in British history.
As I write this, there are brave people in the fields, prepared to do what they can to prevent this massacre. The government are trying to crack down on their democratic rights, but for many passionate people this is something that simply has to be stopped, and they will be putting themselves at risk. Others will be nearby supporting them, and carrying out less risky protest activities and tending to injured badgers and orphaned cubs. Many more will be supporting them from afar, sharing news stories, writing letters, going on marches, protesting shops selling milk from the cull zones, signing petitions and preparing legal challenges.
If you can support the anti-cull movement in any way possible, please do so. You don't have to stand in front of a gun, but there are many more activities that you can carry out. For more information contact your local hunt sabs and/or badger groups.
Standing Stone's Blog is committed to publishing anti-cull content. If you would like to contribute a piece (anonymously if you wish), especially accounts of protests in the field and badger rescue, please send it to: standingstonesblog@hotmail.co.uk
Following the occupation of Twerton Public Toilets and a lot of petition signatures, here is an update from the Save Our Public Toilets campaign:
Following the hand-in of the 2400 odd signature petition on
Friday 9th, the B&NES Democratic Services are counting the number of
B&NES post codes to ensure there are 1000 to trigger a council
debate.
Assuming that a full council debate will be triggered, possibly on Thursday
Sept 12th, we are researching other aspects, legal and
financial, to raise with various councillors and to include in a statement
to that meeting. The meeting starts at the unusually late time of 7:30pm,
preceded by another full council meeting to do with approving aldermen,
which starts at 6:30pm.
Unfortunately, John Bull, leader of the Labour group in the
council, whose support would be necessary to reverse any entrenched
policy, (along with the Independent "group"), is saying, "The Labour Group will
be discussing it (prior to the Council debate in September). But, in the
light of our difficulty in suggesting where else the axe should fall, I think
that a paying system is maybe worth looking at, certainly for
Larkhall."
So far the Independents, led by Bryan Chalker, are of the same
mind, and although we are awaiting further communication, nothing in
their previous ones engenders hope of change. Which is why it is necessary
to pursue other lines of research.
Another organisation, Bath Against the Cuts, is holding a demonstration
between 5 - 5:30pm on Sept 12th outside the Guildhall, and is planning to
make a registered statement to the council, as we will for the Save Our Public
Toilets campaign.
It's official: As of 8pm today the occupation of the Twerton public toilets has ended. After spending 3 nights in the toilet and collecting 2000 petition signatures online and a further 400 outside the toilets, Lin Patterson has left the building. On hearing the news, Occupy Bath posted on Facebook: "BREAKING
NEWS - Lin has ended the occupation! She just informed us over the
phone and said that she has accomplished what she set out to do. Lin
will be appearing as a guest on Daybreak on ITV on Monday morning. The
petition is now at 1983 signatures and additionally there are around 400
signatures on a paper petition collected outside the toilets. Well done
Lin!!!"
Earlier today, Lin issued the following statement: "A big thank you to all 38 Degrees people who
have signed the petition to save our public toilets in Bath. You are
amazing. Please ask your family, friends and work colleagues to sign the
petition and continue to share it by e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
Both Councillors for Twerton have visited outside the toilets and it
seems there may be 2 rays of hope - but nothing is certain , so it would
NOT be wise to think the Twerton toilets are safe yet.
First,
the disabled toilet is the only wheelchair accessible one in the area,
even the football ground has been relying on it to fulfill their
statutory obligation to provide equal access. So an Equalities Impact
Assessment has been called for, which MAY keep the toilets open for 3
months - possibly.
Then negotiations are going on with nearby
establishments. This is possibly the football ground or Morrisons, who
have bought the old Blockbuster building, to subsidize the existing
toilets and hold the RADAR key for the disabled cubicle. So a lot of
maybes. In the meantime the community can keep up the pressure, now that more people are aware.
So many times today and yesterday, I wished I could film the passion
and clarity of those who approached to sign, and their outrage over the
possibility of closure.
A couple of 14 year old girls held the
fort with the petition table for an hour while I took a much needed nap.
They counted the signatures, which now total 309 in 2 days.
Considering most of those people were either using the loo or making a
special trip, that is phenomenal. So between the 2 petitions in 2 days,
we've topped 2000. Has this happened in Bath before? Sometimes you can
be almost overcome by the goodness of people. Let's hope the council
will recognize the changed landscape."
Councillor David Dixon, to whom the petition is addressed said "Once I have received the petition I can ensure a full response"
Standing Stone's Blog will report on the outcome of the petition when the time comes.
Congratulations Lin, and well done for standing up for ordinary people.
The Twerton Toilet Demo has seen a successful third day. On Wednesday, Lin Patterson begun the occupation of a public toilet that was due to be closed for good yesterday. Since then her petition on the 38 Degrees website has grown to over 1800 signatures and Lin has been featured in the local and national news.
Earlier today, Lin was stood outside the toilet answering questions from the public. Other Bath residents have joined in by collecting several hundred paper signatures. Local taxi drivers have also been very supportive, telling Lin that they regularly stop to use those toilets. A Twerton resident with mobility difficulties commented "I have great difficulty getting to the shops and back. If I get caught short while doing my weekly shopping, I can't just run home like a normal person. I need these toilets to stay open". It has also come to the attention of the demonstrators that Twerton public toilets are the only loos in that region of Bath with disabled access.
Lin has been overwhelmed by the amount of public support. She was stunned when a woman drove all of the way from South Gloucestershire today just to see her. Lin has been passing Occupy Bath updates to post on their Facebook page. Earlier today she commented "What
an incredible response to the 38 Degrees petition! Every signature
represents 10 others who are disabled, young, busy carers, elderly with
medical or mobility problems and the list goes on. We need the council
to take down the closure signs and acknowledge their closure plans were
unreasonable. I have a friend who absolutely relies on these toilets, which really brings it home. Today has seen a media frenzy which hopefully will generate even more signatures so the council will have to act."
Yesterday Bath resident Lin Patterson began an occupation of a public toilet due to be closed by the council today. The toilet remains open and Lin has attracted the attention of the local media, including the Bath Chronicle and the BBC, and was on BBC Points West this evening talking about the campaign.
Since her occupation began yesterday, her petition on the 38 Degrees website has reached over 1000 signatures. This afternoon she commented:
"1000
signatures in just over a day is absolutely amazing! What it means is
that we can prevail upon the council to have a debate based on achieving
1000 signatures on a petition to keep the toilets open. I have to thank
every single person who took the trouble to sign the petition and
please tell your friends and groups to do the same.
I would also like to thank a man named Adie Rawlings who single-handedly gathered almost 200 signatures on a paper petition.
The community is getting involved!"
Lin says that she intends to continue the occupation for at least a few more days.
The protest has seen support from Occupy Bath and many members of the public, many of whom were unaware that the council were closing down toilets in the city.
Political comedian Mark Thomas, who performed in Bath last week, has added his support to the campaign by tweeting the petition, and called Lin's protest "brilliant".
(updated 22:30 31/7/13) Late Wednesday afternoon, (31st July 2013)
Lin Patterson, 67, took a sleeping bag, fresh water and supplies and occupied
the public toilets in Twerton, Bath.The
local council want to close the toilets permanently the next day in order to
save £8,289 per year.It is one of three
public toilets closing that day in Bath (Combe Down and Peasedown are the
others).
Local residents attended a
demonstration at 6pm outside the toilets in support and as a last minute
attempt to save their toilets.One
father of a young boy said,” I didn’t even know the toilets were closing.I bring my young son here often, because you
know how it is with young children.”When it was pointed out that a sign had been posted on the toilets announcing
the closure, he said “I didn’t even notice that.”
Lin has been campaigning to keep the
public toilet open in Larkhall, the other side of Bath, where an extension has
been granted until April while local councillors and officers try to find
commercial subsidy.
She said, “I am occupying these
toilets for three reasons.There was
some good campaigning by Twerton people to keep the toilets open, with a
petition of 97 signatures handed in and another petition of at least 50
signatures gathered, but many people in Twerton still do not know our toilets
are closing, and we need to know and mobilise.
The second reason is that although I
have been campaigning to save the Larkhall toilets, people need all these facilities. We are stronger if
we work together.So this widens and
intensifies the campaign.
The third reason is to put this in the
context of cuts that are unnecessary, unreasonable and unwanted by people who can
vote. The priorities are wrong nationally and locally, with huge capital
budgets for massive projects that primarily serve vested interests.I
start with local toilets, which serve one of our most basic human needs, where
closure hurts the most vulnerable, elderly, women, children and disabled people.”
A local resident took a video of the occupation, below.
Councillor David Dixon, to whom the petition is addressed, was unsympathetic to the occupation, commenting on the Occupy Bath Facebook Page "Seriously,
you are occupying some loos. They will start to smell after a few
weeks. If you fancy cleaning them, opening and locking up each day, that
would be great. Enjoy!" Perhaps he will take the issue more seriously when he realises that people actually care about this issue in this city.
Occupy Bath were keen to stress that this is not one of their actions but that they are supporting it by getting word out. This evening Lin issued the following update: "9pm
on my first night occupying the Twerton Public Toilets. The cubicle is
all laid out with folded over air mattress, books perched on a handrail,
even some artificial flowers to brighten it up. People have been very
interested. When they see the big "Occupied" banner they are astonished
to learn their toilets are due to close tomorrow. It's quiet, with just
the gulls and traffic from the main High Street a block away. But
tomorrow I hope we'll see a buzz develop as the Twerton Market sets up
in the morning. I have placards ready for people if they want their
photo taken defending their right to public toilets"
