We Are One NHS Demo, Bristol

We Are One NHS Demo, Bristol, December 2012

On Saturday 1st December, hundreds of people, including union members, anarchists, socialists, occupiers, anti-cuts protestors and other members of the public marched in solidarity against proposed cuts to the NHS.

"Build a bonfire, build a bonfire, put the Tories on the 
top... Put the Lib Dems in the middle and we'll burn the 
fucking lot"

- Popular variation on a chant sung widely during 
demonstrations in the era of the ConDem coalition, 
2010-present

The NHS that we know and love is under threat. One of the biggest challenges is the pressure to cut costs and make savings. This has resulted in 20 NHS Trusts across the South West, including University Hospitals Bristol Trust and North Bristol Trust, paying £200,000 of tax payer’s money to form the South West Pay Terms and Conditions Consortium which is proposing radical changes to pay and conditions and the creation of a regional pay system.

Plans published by these employers envisaging changes which could cut pay, terms and conditions for nurses and other healthcare staff by up to 15% demonstrate yet another example of how working people are being forced to bear the brunt of cuts to vital services.

This will be bad for the NHS, bad for patients and bad for all NHS staff across the UK*

Local pay hurts the local economy, compromises patient safety, seriously damages staff morale and creates instability in the workforce at a time when the NHS is going through unprecedented change.

The rally started at College Green at 11am. I travelled up with members of Occupy Bath and BARF, and we arrived just as people were starting to assemble. Marching under our usual BARF banner, we set off with chants, whistles, flags and a huge Unison ballon through the streets of Bristol. The editors of the Westcountry Mutineer, the finest anarchist paper this side of London (which I may or may not have contributed articles to), joined the march also, and gave out free copies, amongst all the other literature being handed out. The march ended at Castle Park, where flags and banners were planted in the ground and speeches were given.

The NHS has never been under threat as much as it is now. The rich Tories don't care, and would sooner see it abolished. We must fight the fuckers at every opportunity, at every corner, and make sure that it is protected.

*Note: Part of this article was taken from the Facebook event description

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Anti-EDL Demo in Bristol this July

The English Defence League (EDL) are planning a demonstration in Bristol on 14th July, according to this source (note that the original date of 21st July has been changed to 14th in the most recent sources).

Two separate counter-demonstrations are being planned, with events set up on Facebook. The first has nearly 700 people confirmed as attending and has attracted a lot trolling from EDL supporters, while the second, advocating a peaceful demonstration, has nearly 100 people confirmed as attending.

Unite Against Fascism has built up an alliance of groups in Bristol opposed to the EDL. Bristol and District Anti-Cuts Alliance have also stated on their website that they will be supporting action on the day.

The alliance, calling themselves "We Are Bristol" have put out the following statement (the original source is here):

The English Defence League (EDL) has announced its intention to hold a March and Rally here in Bristol on July 14th.

The EDL is a violent, racist group riddled with fascists, dedicated to promoting hatred and intolerance in society. We agree that Islamophobia -  bigotry against Muslims - is as unacceptable as any other form of racism. The EDL aims to create divisions in society by using diversity as a cause for hatred rather than celebration. The EDL is trying to create a street movement to terrorise ethnic minority communities and attack socialist and Trade Union organisations.

They have staged many provocative demonstrations across the UK over the past three years. Whenever the EDL march they bring disruption and violence. We do not want that here in Bristol.

The route they are planning is through the city centre and coincides with Bristol Pride – We are: Proud - , itself a celebration of diversity. Pride is a celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. It is organised by the LGBT community for the people of the South West. There is no place for the EDL here in Bristol's multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-faith community.

WE ARE BRISTOL is a broad-based network of local community groups, political organisations and Trade Unionists and, supported by Unite Against Fascism, will organise a counter demonstration to keep the EDL out of our city. We urge all decent people of this community - irrespective of colour, faith or beliefs to join us in opposing the EDL. They want to create hatred and division - Let's Unite to stop them.
Please add your name to the growing list of supporters.

WE ARE BRISTOL can offer speakers and publicity for your union branch, community group, church or mosque.

For more information or to send messages of support please contact southwestuaf@gmail.com

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Save the NHS March - Bristol 5th May 2012

At 11am, around 400 people from all walks of life congregated on the bland and sterile new grass on College Green for the final event in the May week of action for the Save Our NHS march.
Organisations and campaigns represented included various unions (including Unite, Unision and UCU), Bristol and District Anti-Cuts Alliance, South West Against Nuclear, Bristol Anarchist Federation, Bristol Fawcett, Occupiers from Bath and Bristol and lots of other members of the public.

A rally with a variety of speeches took place outside the council building. Although there were some great speeches, the highlight was a couple of smartly-dressed women with Virgin badges, posing as company reps and outlining exactly what they were going to do to the NHS.

Following the rally, banners were held up high and all assembled for the march. People joined in along the way, and we caused quite a scene marching through town to chants of "Whose NHS? Our NHS" and a selection of reggae, rock and punk from a stereo system in a wheelie bin, as well as an excellent cover of Pulp's Common People sung from David Cameron's perspective.


Will this march change anything? On its own, no. But if we don't want the NHS to be privatised by this sham of a government - made up of two parties that vowed to protect the NHS - then we need to keep showing that we're not happy. Keep it in the public eye, keep piling the pressure on and maybe someone will listen. But even if it changes nothing, I'm going to keep doing it. I'm here to change the world, not be changed by those trying to destroy it. Be the change you want to see.

Peace all.

Video here:

More reporting from The Shittro here: http://theshittro.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/pro-nhs-rally-bristol-saturday-5th-may.html

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