Count Down To May Day 2012 in Bristol

Wow, quite a lot of cobwebs on this site, we brushed ’em off and dusted the place down as we figured it was time to get this blog going again. We have been putting all our time into our partner site recently and neglected this one.

The plan for this blog was that it would straddle all left leaning revolutionary groups but this didn’t happen in the way we hoped and as we didn’t want to just be running a front group it’s been shelved. But now, finally we have something to talk about.

Last week twenty-seven people including individuals from Bristol Anarchist Federation, Industrial Workers of the World, Socialist Party, Solidarity Federation, Socialist Workers Party, South West Against Nuclear, unaligned individuals and representatives of other events and student groups gathered to kick-start planning for International Workers Day 2012 in Bristol.

I for one, was really surprised at how well the meeting went. Turn out was far better than I expected and the meeting flowed pretty smoothly. We came to a decision to organise events on both Tuesday 1st May itself and then a second, larger day of action on Saturday 5th, as unfortunately in this country May 1st is not a bank holiday.

Lots of ideas came out of the meeting including a large central march as well as smaller local demos/events around the city. Others liked the idea of dong something fun to celebrate International Workers Day including plans for events and games in Bristol’s Parks and even live music or some sort of party. There were also some other very interesting ideas that it is probably best not to put up here quite yet. Our plan was to use the links the BADACA has with the Unions to organise a large demonstration. We also wanted to look to encourage single issue campaign groups and other organisation to organise events and demos to make it a week of fun and action.

Many people wanted to Focus on the NHS but at the same time be clear that all the cuts are an attack on the Working Classes.

Working groups have already formed to take on press, publicity, liasing with other groups, local events and writing a call out. As you can appreciate the first meeting of a large groups who don’t know each other well and in some cases actively avoid working together was mainly about idea generating. But such was the interest and energy to get things moving we set our next meting day for just four days later.

Obviously that doesn’t give us time to expand the invite to more people to come along to the meeting but our next meeting after that is Sunday 8th April, 5pm upstairs  at the Stag & Hounds on Old Market Street. (This may change so e-mail us anticustactionbristol@riseup.net if you are interested in getting involved or join this Facebook group).

See You In The Meeting Halls, See You In The Streets!

Individual from Bristol 1st of May Group

Liberal Democrats would prefer anarchy over Nick Clegg

Yesterday Nick Clegg gave a talk in Bristol to some lucky ticket holders. Around 30 people had responded to a call out from the anti cuts alliance and were there to greet him. However they’d hardly even started chanting “shame on you” before he scurried inside surrounded by security. His exit 90 minutes later was more eventful, as people got in front of his car before litterally chasing him out of Bristol, one person caught up with him in traffic and managed to throw an egg at him before the car sped away on the wrong side of the road.

He probably relaxed a little as he arrived in Cirencester later that evening for a meeting of libdem councilers, candidates and supporters. However even the cotswolds aren’t safe for clegg, and a small group of anarchists gatherd outside with bannners to proclaim their hatred of him and the system he represents.

As people left the talk, ten showed their support for the protest, with only two declaring support for their leader. This incredibly unscientific survey reveals that over 83% would prefer anarchy to Nick! Whilst waiting for Clegg, protesters were entertained by security and two vans of police who threatened to arrest anyone who crossed the road (yes, really). The police also attempted to get everyone’s details via an incredibly inaccurate quoting of Section 50, after being quoted it correctly they responded with “we don’t care what you quote” but eventually gave up after a protester retorted “but its the law?“.

When Clegg himself did appear everyone present was treated to the site of him looking back shocked over his back seat as people shouted at him, hopefully he’ll think twice before coming back to the west country!

The West gets radical

After all the build up and subsequent attention on the march 26th demo in london, and the national calls for a general strike it’s easy to forget how active and important local organising is.

Here at Anti Cuts Action, we thought we’d give a round up of events across the (south)west as the fight against austerity cuts heats up across the UK (and internationally).

Warning: Solidarity can Seriously Damage Your Freedom

Saturday February 19th saw just over 1000 (300 if you listen to the BBC and 3000 if you trust the organisers magic attendance counter) march through Bristol city centre in protest against government public spending cuts ahead of the councils budget setting meeting on the following Tuesday. The event was organised by Bristol and District Anti Cuts Alliance.

Anti Cuts Actions 13th – 19th

Heres the latest of your (nearly) weekly updates on how the restiance is fighting back against the state bank and business backed attacks on the working class, students, elderly, disabled and just about everyone who isn’t them and their rich mates.

Monday 13th:
The Daily mail wanted to get its readers to vote against the students since the riots, however a backlash against the paper got them the opposite result.

Tuesday 14th:
The Education Activist Network holds a protest at the department of business against the cut of EMA.

In Italy blockades, riots and street protests errupt around the country as Berlusconi narrowly avoids loosing a no confidence vote. (remember, the movement is international!)

Action Update 6-12th December

Well, its a week that saw council chambers and the treasury stormed, gurilla orchestras and 12 year old boys facing up to the cuts, the coalition start to crumble, credit card websites taken down by wikileaks supporters, more new and ongoing university occupations than we care to count and fires burning around parliment.

So heres the round up for the last 7 days in the fight against the cuts, if you’re anything like us its getting hard to keep track!

Monday 6th:
– Art Against Cuts occupy tate britain on the day of the turner prize.
– Bristol university occupied
– Bath and Bath Spa occupied
– UAL occupied
– Bradford Uni occupied

Tuesday 7th:
– Demonstrators in newcastle storm the civic centre, occupy the council chambers, then phone libdem councilers and get them to come in, hear their demands and issue a statement opposing tuition fees. Not bad for a few hours work!

Rebellion is in the air – report from the front lines of london

While we’re sure most of you have already seen the news reports, for a slightly more radical take on todays events read on…

(We’ve collated the first hand reports friends and comrades who were on the streets of london have relayed to us, no hearsay, rumours or corporate media lies).

From the start of the day police attempted to control the march (with the infamous TSG lining up at the front to lead the way) and failed. Hundreds of protesters ran down side streets to keep ahead of the police lines, rendering them useless.
As people made their way into parliment square, fists, battons, horses (and the existing fencing) were used to attempt to keep the demonstration on the whitehall side, and perhaps feed it to the rally point on embankment. Again the police couldn’t contain the angry students who quickly took the whole of parliment square. As police battled the main group there, hundreds broke through police lines into the surrounding area. Many came back to catch the police unaware, charging in to weak spots behind their lines, at one point they ran through lines of parked and empty police vans getting to within a stones throw of parliment.

Action Update – 29th Nov to 5th Dec

This is only a fraction of what happened last week. Been busy doing other things but take a look anyway. Sorry for missing out last week too, the person responsible has been handed over to the authorities.

Monday 29th November – Lewisham – Protestors clash with Police as they storm the town hall – More Info

Wednesday 1st – National – In London thousands of students and austerity cuts protestors took to the streets on DayX2 in another national day of action with many cities across the UK also having demos – More Info

Friday 3rd – Bristol – A group of 200-300 demonstrators, mainly higher education students attended a demonstration that went from the University of Bristol to the council house on College Green, where Lib Dem MP Stephen Williams was holding a surgery. They quizzed him on his plans for the upcoming vote on tuition fees after he went back on his pledge to vote against tuition fees. More info

Friday 3rd – Athens – 1000-2000 students march on the British embassy in solidarity for the struggle of British students. A few clashes with police, tear gas was fired and 5 arrests were made but all were latter released. there were very few injured. More rallies are planed for the next week.

Friday 3rd- Spain – Spain’s air space is clear of ex-pats migrating south for Christmas for the first time since Britons first heard of Menorca. Spanish air traffic controllers went on strike in protest over working conditions and plans to privatize some of Spanish airports. the strike was called unauthorized by the Spanish government who very quickly called in the army to deal with the situation. Juan Ignacio Lema, president of the air traffic authority, Aena, claimed that the air traffic controllers were ‘blackmailing the Spanish people’ even though other Spanish industry workers are planing solidarity strikes.

Saturday 4th – London – Libdems call off their conference on feat of protests – More info

Saturday 4th – Nottingham – Student March and Tax-dodger pickets merged and took to the streets of the city – More info

Saturday 4th December – In a national day of action called by Ukuncut against tax dodging corporations Topshops flagship store in Oxford Street, London was closed
along with Vodafone, Boots and Topshops stores closed in – Nottingham, Birmingham, Brighton, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Oxford, Newcastle and Haringey – with protests occurring in an additional 13 locations – Southampton, Stroud, Portsmouth, Lewisham, Reading, Wood Green, York, Liecester, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, Cambridge and Edinburgh.
For more info http://www.ukuncut.org.uk

WE ARE EVERYWHERE!!!

Sat 4th – Sheffield – Students from University occupation and supporters anti-cuts march – More info

Sat 4th – Students from Brunel University protested at Vince cables surgery to protest against his proposal to raise tuition fees.

Sunday 5th – Bristol – A Few hundred students and supporters braved the cold for a march through Bristol. The cops has other ideas and prevented the march traveling more than a hundred metres. After a bit of running around the crowd was kettled and walked back to its starting point were it we forced to disperse under section 12. About 15-20 escaped the kettle to close Vodafone and picket other stores, even partaking in some street theater.

Roundup 15th – 21st November

This weeks anti-cuts news.

Action Roundup 8th-14th Novermber

Welcome to the second of our weekly anticuts action round ups.
Something you think should be included? Email us and let us know!

10/11/10 Student Protest:
Well this is obviously the big one this week – 50,000 students, lecturers and supporters took to the streets of london. Double the number of people the organisers were expeting, and certainly far above the number the 250 met police were expecting to deal with. Then of course the march became an occupation of tory party HQ and the windows came smasing down.
Our report
Half decent guardian article
AFED Report of the day

11/10/11
Students in Manchester occupied their uni’s finance dept in protest at the rise in fees.

11/10/11 Student Protest : The aftermath
As could be expected the right wing press went nuts about this one. After years of refering to anarchists as “middle class students”, they decided we were all “violent yobs, who infiltrated a march of middle class students”. Well they really can’t have it both ways can they? Maybe they should realise that ‘anarchist’ does not exclude being a student, worker, parent, or many other things, and that not being an anarchist doesn’t mean you can’t get angry and smash up tory party HQ!
Many papers are calling on people to snitch on those involved, and some people are currently clogging up their inboxes. Why not send your own  ‘useful pointers’ to studentriots@telegraph.co.uk or exclusive@the-sun.co.uk.