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Left: video of George Square demo against Israel’s atrocities. Lower left: video of onboard invasion of aid flotilla by Israel. More footage of Glasgow demonstration.
A national Scottish demo also took place in Edinburgh on 5th June. It lasted all day and went from the mound and passed the US consulate. On the way back along Princes St some demonstrators also got into pro-Israel M&S. The demo then proceeded to the First Minister’s house where a statement was read out before returning to a rally where speakers included relatives of some of those who had been on the attacked flotilla. Father’s speech. Brother’s speech. Photos of the Edinburgh march here.
Irish-flagged aid boat Rachel Corrie, named after an American woman killed in the Gaza Strip in 2003 was also heading towards Gaza but was a few days further behind than the boats that were attacked. As expected, Israeli forces did not let it reach Gaza with the remaining aid. Other aid convoys are planned. |
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REDSHIRTS IN GLASGOW! Cuts are continuing under the new LibDem-Conservative government. When people elected New Labour in 1997 they got a continuation and worsening of Thatcher’s cuts. Now the new government is continuing New Labour’s savage cuts while continuing to fund Trident and illegal wars. SSP activists descended on the offices of LibDem MSP Robert Brown ask him to explain how the LibDems claim to favour progressive taxation yet are instrumental in a coalition that has just announced its first £6 billion of cuts to the public sector and plans to assault the vulnerable and low-incomed, the sick, the pensioners, and people on benefits while cutting corporation tax and tax on the wealthy. |
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Demonstrations were called at short notice around the world on 31st May to protest the murders of humanitarian workers and the seizure of their vessel on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters by the Israeli navy in what is an act of piracy and war. There were protests in 8 Scottish towns including Glasgow’s George Square (pictured.) More photos. Video of Haq Ghani father of Hassan, a journalist on board the flotilla here.
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SCHOOLS SLASHED BY PENNY PINCHING COUNCIL
Glasgow City Council have closed 22 out of the 25 primaries and nurseries they proposed closing despite widespread opposition among the public and non-Labour politicians and a long hard-fought campaign by parents and local activists- and it’s not over yet as another 34 closures are on the cards. Labour’s excuse for the closures was that they were to transfer the kids to better quality buildings (from list C and D to list A and B.) This has been proven to be false as some of the closed schools were of a higher grade than the ones where pupils have been transferred. The fact of the matter is that they want fewer classes in fewer buildings in order to reduce running costs and cut the numbers of school staff. This means larger classes, heavier workload for staff and poorer quality education for children. It has been proven that kids do better when their class sizes are smaller, so forcing them to join classes in other schools, thereby doubling the class sizes, is bound to harm the education of both the incoming children and the ones already at the new school. Many public buildings such as former schools, once knocked down or vacated have been turned into luxury flats for non-local house-buyers so that the council can make money from developers who in turn cream off a huge profit while robbing the local community of its much-needed facilities. Parents went through what turned out to be a sham consultation process but despite the vast majority being against the closures their concerns were ignored and they started campaigning to save their schools and many households in threatened areas could be seen displaying large save our schools banners. The SSP is in full support of the parents and against the destruction of local communities and right from the beginning gave as much support as possible. SSP’s Richie Venton in particular championed their cause and along with the parents and supporters from Glasgow Save Our Schools Campaign organised protests against the closures. Demonstrations took place in Glasgow’s George Square and in Drumchapel and Maryhill. Campaigners created online petitions and participated in various stunts including balloon launches and visiting the City Chambers dressed as clowns. Click here for various photos from throughout the SOS campaign including balloon launch Parents also occupied school buildings including rooftop protests in an attempt to save them. Many of the schools that the council voted to close were in the Maryhill area which has already seen the loss of several schools over the last few years. Maryhill SSP and other local activists attended various meetings, rallies and demonstrations along with the parents and popped in to give the occupiers support. As a result of the Save Our Schools Campaign 2 nurseries and 1 primary were spared. Ruchill primary was spared after campaigners pointed out that it contained an autism unit. Despite the council’s decision to close the twenty-two schools parents fought on. “We shall not be moved” became a familiar chant among the campaigners and after a second reoccupation of Wyndford Primary School for 2 and a half weeks in June 2009 took place after a legal challenge concerning the council’s sham consultation fell through, they physically obstructed council vehicles trying to remove materials from the schools. The council turned the water off in their efforts to force the parents to leave the school but campaigners supported them with donations of bottled water and the parents held a water festival in the school grounds with inflatable paddling pools etc. Read more here Parents vowed to campaign against Labour in the next elections in return for the contempt that the Labour Council has shown them, and campaign they did. They stood outside polling stations asking people not to vote Labour. It’s ironic that the very schools that Labour wants to close were used as polling stations. As one parent said: “The school buildings are good enough when it comes to them being used as polling stations.” It is a scandal that Labour want to save money by closing schools while they waste much more in expenses for luxuries and things that normal people have to pay out of their own wages. Two of them spoke at the SSP 2009 European election rally. Speeches here and here. Parents also campaigned against Labour in the general election 2010 and in the Glasgow North-East by election in November 2009. Richie Venton wrote to all 129 MSPs and the First Minister seeking the support of the Scottish government in opposing the closures. The Glasgow council’s vote to close schools contradict the Scottish parliament’s stated intention to cut class sizes. Read more here On 14th May 2009 Richie and a large group of parents went to lobby the Scottish parliament. Some parents and Richie went inside to lobby while the other parents and some SSP activists demonstrated outside. More about the lobby including photos and and links to videos. The 2009 Glasgow May Day march was attended by SOS protestors. The May Day speaking platform is traditionally dominated by Labour but they are out of touch with the workers they claim to represent. They have slashed jobs, cut pensions, cut services. SOS campaigners let Labour know exactly what they think. On Mon 27 Apr there were protests forming rings around the threatened schools. Short video of hands round schools protest. On 23rd April there was a blockade of the council meeting in the City Chambers but despite this the council voted to close 22 out of 25 schools and it has emerged that a further 34 schools are earmarked for closure. Parents from Our Lady of the Assumption and Victoria primaries began an occupation of their children’s schools on Monday 20th April. At Our Lady of the Assumption (OLA), Bilsland Drive, Ruchill, parents occupied the school roof for several days until the results from the council meeting. They slept on the windy roof in all weathers with just a couple of tents between them. Passers-by and motorists waved and tooted their support from the main road. Those capable of scaling the locked school gate and climbing a ladder visited the parents in person with donations of food etc or simply to chat to them to help boost their morale and relieve the monotony of waiting. View video of rooftop protest. View photos of Our Lady of the Assumption rooftop protest The parents marched out of the two schools on April 18th with continued defiance, and gave speeches showing their determination to continue the fight to save their schools. On 17th April a Glasgow demonstration and lobby of the City Council executive took place. Parents spoke out about how moving small children to far-off schools will affect them. Watch video clip of one of the speeches A local demonstration against the council’s proposed school closures also took place on 9th April which marched round the Wyndford area with much local support. Videos: part 1, part 2, part 3. Part 3 contains the speeches from a rally at the end of the march. On Friday 3rd April 2009 Maryhill parents responded to Glasgow City Council’s threat to close 25 schools and nurseries by occupying two of the schools earmarked for closure St Gregory’s and Wyndford primaries. They marked the beginning of the Easter holidays by entering and occupying the schools for 15 days starting at the end of the last day of term’s lessons. The Wyndford nursery has already been threatened with closure in the past and was saved by vigorous campaigning. As one local resident said: “If the schools close, it will have a knock-on effect on the few remaining facilities and the small shop will likely go too and the Wyndford will become a ghetto.” Two groups of parents, one of which contained at least 17 people, locked themselves in the school buildings using chains and a crowd of supporters steadily grew outside. There was a large police presence who threatened to bodily remove the parents if they did not come out by 6pm. 6pm came and went and the police were still standing there. Other parents, friends, relatives and well-wishers used innovative means to get provisions inside, passing food, soft drinks, sleeping bags, a portable DVD player and DVDs through the windows. One window was too high up to reach and a hooked pole was used to catch a sleeping bag being passed up. Read more and view photos of the Wyndford & St Gregory’s occupations. More from the Sunday Herald on the closures here. |
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POSTIES IN BITTER STRUGGLE TO SAVE OUR POSTAL SERVICE
For years Royal Mail bosses have been cutting more and more jobs in the postal service resulting in increased workloads for postal workers and a poorer service to the public. Despite the extra workload there has been no extra pay for the workers – this in spite of record profits for the company in the middle of a recession. Two years ago a national strike forced the bosses to the negotiating table and the Pay and Modernization Agreement was set up. Any change was supposed to be introduced by agreement but in practice the exact opposite has been the case. New conditions involving even higher job losses and increased workloads have been imposed using intimidation, threats of disciplinary action and workers taken off pay. There has been no pay rise and the Final Salary Pension Scheme has been abolished. Despite the record profits there is also a record pension fund deficit: why? - because the government who are the sole shareholders allowed Royal Mail bosses to pay nothing into it for 13 years. But the bosses continue to pay themselves huge bonuses. Adam Crozier is the highest paid public sector boss and in the space of a year his “earnings” have jumped between two and three times to more than £3 million last year. He has been overseeing the breakdown of the postal service including the closure of thousands of post offices and the abolition of one of the two daily household deliveries and is preparing for the sell-off of the most profitable parts of the service and has been ruthless in his determination to smash the CWU Communication Workers’ Union as part of this process. Read more here by Richie Venton November 2009: Royal Mail bosses have recently persuaded union officials to cancel a 2-day national strike by implying they are willing to negotiate but they haven’t given any concrete promises. What they really want is a truce over Christmas, the busy period, when a national strike would have the most effect. Once they are by the peak season when they make the most of their profits it will be easier for RM bosses to weather any future strikes and make no concessions and further intensify their brutal cuts. More here Picket photos by Rikki Reid |
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The Scottish Socialist Party is a party that campaigns for fairness, peace and justice and against poverty, exploitation and inequality. The meetings of the Maryhill local branch are held once a fortnight, and consist of discussion to organise activity and we also have speakers and debate on various topics. We hold stalls in the local area with petitions to campaign on various issues such as free school meals and transport. We support workers in struggle who have included firefighters, nursery nurses, care workers and postal workers and we campaign to save public services. We have campaigned against against post office closures and against school closures.
We are against profit-driven wars that victimize innocent civilians and damage the environment, waste young people’s lives and cost the economy a fortune which would be better spent on health, housing, education, transport and other public services. We are for an independent socialist Scotland where Scotland’s resources would be spent on bettering living conditions for the majority and not squandered on needless wars or subsidies to capitalistic companies which frequently take millions of pounds in grants to create jobs then switch to countries with cheaper labour leaving Scots jobless.
Our campaigning both on the streets and in the Scottish Parliament on issues like free prescriptions and the abolition of the Council Tax has helped raise awareness about the injustice to low-paid workers and pensioners, and although most MSPs have voted down SSP bills when we first raised these issues, the SNP since they replaced the Labour leadership in the Scottish parliament have promised to introduce a watered-down version of the SSP’s abolition of the council tax bill i.e to replace it with a local income tax instead of our proposed Scottish-wide income tax. This would still be better than the existing council tax - but then the SNP said they are ditching the plan as a result of the new Labour Westminster government’s threats to penalise them financially if they go ahead. There is one solution to that: go for full independence and let Scotland control our full finances. We challenge the SNP-led Scottish parliament to have the guts to stand up to the Westminster government, implement the abolition of the Council Tax in favour of a fairer income tax, let Westminster carry out their threats, then implement independence and take Scottish income tax money back into Scotland where it belongs. It may be difficult but not impossible to break Westminster’s stranglehold. We need to elect people to the Scottish parliament who have the will and the guts to do this, namely the SSP.
Our branch campaigns on various issues in the Maryhill constituency area and in the Maryhill/Kelvin and Canal wards as well as joining with Scottish Socialists in other parts of Glasgow and Scotland for Glasgow- and Scottish-wide events and activities. The constituency area is wide and includes Summerston and areas adjacent to Maryhill Road down through Burgh Hall area, Wyndford, North Kelvinside, Ruchill, Possil, Milton, Firhill, Woodlands. The wards include the Dawsholm and Kelvindale areas. Our most frequent stalls are held at Tesco, Maryhill Shopping Centre and Lidl, Firhill or St George’s X underground. We also work with other local activists in the community in encouraging local residents to stand up for themselves and know their rights regarding things like housing and services. More information about stalls and other activities can be obtained from our branch meetings or by contacting our mobile no. listed below.
If you are angry about poverty, ill-health, low pay and lack of facilities, don’t be a silent victim! It doesn’t matter whether you are a student, a pensioner, a worker, disabled or unwaged: whether it’s through letter-writing, e-mailing or campaigning on the streets, you have a voice and the power to change things. We in the SSP firmly believe this and will keep on fighting for what is right. If you are interested in getting involved in campaigning against injustice and for a fairer society you are welcome to attend one of our meetings or join in the activity at the stall. For more information about the party or on how to join or get involved, contact
Direct phone number for Maryhill branch: 07981 305362
For other information visit: |
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ANTI-FASCISM
In the run-up to the European parliamentary elections the BBC gave Britain’s most racist party an hour’s free publicity with a phone-in on TV, while as usual, any publicity on progressive parties is blanked. One of the SSP’s Euro candidates Dr Nick McKerrell from Glasgow launched a formal complaint into how a blatantly racist organisation like the BNP can be promoted by a government-backed channel like the BBC. By allowing people to phone in with racist comments it could legitimize them and incite more race hatred. Read more: http://news.scotsman.com/politics/BBC-phonein-incites-race-hate.5298324.jp
October 2009: Now it seems that the BBC is further legitimizing the racist organization by inviting its leader Nick Griffin onto Question Time. Although he was made to feel most unwelcome by most of those who spoke or heckled, this could actually serve to win him sympathy from some quarters. It would have been better not to allow him to appear on the program at all. His French counterpart Jean-Marie le Pen has enjoyed an increase in support since being given a platform by the French media for the first time in the 80’s. It is especially dangerous during a recession heading for a depression to give these people a platform as similar conditions allowed the Nazis to rise in power in Germany in the 30’s. We should take a lesson from history and not allow the same thing to happen in Britain in the 21st century.
14 Nov 2009: Emboldened by all the media attention given to their partners in crime the BNP, the fascist “Scottish Defence League” have been planning racist activity around mosques but they did not succeed in Glasgow where there were demonstrations and rallies against the racist thugs. 20 Feb 2010: The fascists also failed to march in Edinburgh. 6/7th May 2010 UK general election: BNP heckled at Glasgow vote count 19th June 2010 SDL thugs show their true colours at Kilmarnock station. 2011 Once again anti-fascists countered the far-right’s attempts to march in Edinburgh. 2012 The SDL again attempted a march in Glasgow but were again kettled by police while anti-fascists turned out to oppose the SDL. |
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GREEDY BANKERS CAUSE RECESSION, UNEMPLOYMENT AND MISERY
The ongoing greed of the capitalist speculators has artificially inflated the value of shares and houses for years and now the bloated, get-rich-quick bubble has burst and the fake value that was put on shares and houses has taken a dive, causing great losses for people who bought them when they were overvalued and even bigger losses for society and the world as a whole as firms go bust due to shares plummeting causing escalating unemployment as well as money not being able to buy as much with soaring prices of essentials and basics like food and fuel. Numbers of genuine jobseekers are soaring just at a time when the government is hammering people on benefits. People made redundant because of the current recession will have to suffer the double injustice of not only losing their jobs, their salaries and maybe their house, but also the bad attitudes and treatment at the hands of the welfare system. The government bails out the biggest banks with gifts of billions of pounds and takes from the poorest and most vulnerable to pay for it e.g. the genuine sick who are being forced off benefits after being put through intimidating interrogations.
Instead of cutting essential public services and throwing good money after bad by bailing out banks, governments across the world should be nationalising the banks they have practically already bought anyway with their bail-out packages instead of letting bankers continue to pay themselves obscenely high salaries and bonuses and retirement packages while continuing to let the bank go down the plug-hole for the ordinary customers.
The SSP believes that a 10% tax on the super-rich would be a fairer way of generating the income that is needed to supply jobs, housing and services, given that it was the super-rich who got us into this mess in the first place with their reckless gambling. For more information click here: http://scottishsocialistparty.co.uk/makegreedhistory/?page_id=137
Read the SSP’s financial expert Raphie de Santos here |
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Free fares to tackle poverty, pollution and ill health
Free public transport would go a long way towards alleviating poverty and pollution. Traffic congestion caused by too many cars causes not only excess pollution and contributes to the destruction of the planet but increases childhood asthma, taxes the immune system and contributes to other diseases, but also causes more accidents, stress, road rage, violence and deaths. The high cost of fares currently makes work prohibitive or difficult for low-waged and part-time workers. Private bus companies are there to make a profit which means that certain routes are not well-served for buses, resulting in people being trapped in their homes or forced to buy a car which they can ill-afford. Pensioners, while they are already eligible for free transport cannot use it when there isn't a bus service in their area! Socializing with friends or going to clubs is very important for the elderly as they can easily become isolated. If they can't get a bus at all or the service is so poor that they would need to wait 2 hours for a bus, it effectively prohibits them from social contact. Expensive bus fares also prohibit many families from taking their kids out for the day or sending them to classes to learn and practise their hobbies. Some Scottish children have never been to the seaside despite living on an island! Free fares would not only help workers but would increase culture and tourism. Most low-incomed families have seen very little of their own country due to lack of affordable transport. When you add transport costs to accommodation costs, some of the most beautiful sights in Scotland are out of the reach of ordinary people. The cost to the government of free transport would be more than offset by the savings to the NHS through a reduction in road accidents, pollution, stress and poverty-related illnesses, the increased revenue from tourism and participation in culture, hobbies, music, cinema etc, an increase in job uptake, more spending power for low-paid workers not to mention the non-material benefits of better health and happiness from being able to participate fully in life. Above election video is on the subject of our free public transport campaign. For more information visit http://www.freepublictransport.org/ |
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MARYHILL SSP |
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NO PASARAN! On 16/11/09 the SSP held a public meeting in Glasgow against racism and fascism. The meeting was addressed by several speakers and a lively discussion followed with plenty of ideas from the audience concerning future action. Some spoke of personal experiences of racism and fascism e.g. one of the guest speakers Carolina Perez described how her father had fled Chile in the 70’s during fascist dictator Pinochet’s reign of terror and how, during the Falklands war between Britain and Argentina her family received a brick through the window as obviously the racists couldn’t tell the difference between Chile and Argentina! Moreover Chilean dictator Pinochet actually aided right-wing Thatcher during the war. Others spoke of their experiences of being involved in the anti-racist and anti-fascist movement.
NAE TAE G20 The financial leaders of the twenty richest countries met for closed door meetings in St Andrew’s on the 6th & 7th November 2009 Protests took place over their visit. Photos of the events. Why we demonstrate against the summit of the leaders of the richest countries: Article and photos from the anti-G8 march at Gleneagles in 2005.
WAR FOR OIL: Photos of Glasgow 5th anniversary march against the war in Iraq
Scottish Socialist Voice newspaper
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The more links you click, the more the page will turn red! |
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Welcome to Maryhill Scottish Socialist Party branch website! |
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There have been mass demonstrations against Johnny Walker owner Diageo’s plans to lay off 700 workers in Kilmarnock and 140 in Glasgow despite making billions in profit per year over the last decade. Read more here |
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On the picket line: Richie Venton (above) and Kevin McVey (below) give support to striking postal workers |
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Thousands of Palestinian civilians massacred in besieged gaza.
In December 2008 and January 2009 attacks were stepped up against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Between 1300 and 1400 were killed in a few weeks and thousands more injured.
White phosphorous which is an internationally banned substance has been used by the Israeli soldiers. International criticism of Israel’s war crimes has resulted in a UN building being bombed as well. The Palestinians have been continuously driven out of their homes or bombed while still in them and Israeli forces have been continually surrounding any new gained territory and have built a thick iron wall around what little territory remains for the Palestinians in what is now known as the biggest prison on earth. The Palestinians have been left with little land suitable for farming and they can only get out to trade by queuing for hours at military checkpoints (if indeed they are let out at all and much of what they buy is confiscated.) Humanitarian aid is rarely allowed in and only by land where most of it is confiscated by Israel
The SSP held a public meeting in Glasgow addressed by Mick Napier of the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign in early 2009 on the crisis and we resolved to campaign for a boycott against all products and ambassadors from Israel. Boycotting products from South Africa assisted in bringing apartheid to an end. The boycott also brought encouragement to the South African people knowing that people around the world cared which prevented them from completely despairing in a very difficult situation. Please aid the Palestinians by asking your local supermarket to stop stocking Israeli goods. The Scottish Palestinian Solidarity campaign has organised weekly pickets outside Waitrose in Byres Rd on Saturdays from 1-3pm. Waitrose not only imports Israeli goods but produce that has been grown on Palestinian land illegally occupied by Zionist settlers. The STUC launched an official BDS campaign - Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions in Dec 2009. They held a public meeting on Dec 9th, and a week before that they and others distributed leaflets and posters of Palestinian flags at Celtic Park where a match was being held between Celtic and an Israeli team. Most fans accepted the posters and some brought their own large flags. One employee of the football management tried to stop the leafletters as seen in this video but this did not deter them.
It has emerged that not only are the Palestinians being denied a proper homeland in the Middle East but are being killed in a slow genocide as Israel which has control over the Palestinian water supply has added high levels of nitrates to their water causing a new blood disorder and breathing disorders in the newborn. In Israel T-shirts with pictures of Palestinian women with targets on their pregnant bellies accompanied by slogans like “one bullet two dead” are popular. On Dec 31st 2009 a worldwide attended demonstration in Gaza was planned but Egypt, an ally of the US and Israel wouldn’t let a convoy of demonstrators through. Eventually they did but obviously this would have affected the time, resources and stamina of the demonstrators some of whom may have had to catch a return flight or return to work by a certain date. London-based Scots politician George Galloway, known for his interest in the Middle East was deported from Egypt. Zionism - Israel’s holocaust in Gaza Why the UK media does not report the facts Read SSP’s Allan Armstrong on the five campaigners facing “racially aggravated breach of the peace” charges. Update May 2010: Mick Napier announced that he was cleared of the charges. Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign: http://spsc.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php |
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MARCH FOR JOBS IN GLASGOW’S SPRINGBURN
On Saturday 7th November 2009 people took to the streets to demand jobs. Photos of march here. Youth unemployment is soaring thanks to the recession caused by greedy bankers gambling the country’s money. Super-rich investors have become billionaires by doing no work other than to artificially inflate the value of shares and houses, then sell them on quickly before the value plummeted, causing businesses to collapse and ordinary people to lose their jobs and their houses. Our economy is in a mess thanks to their greed. Glasgow has some of the worst poverty-stricken areas in Britain. Springburn already suffers high unemployment, poverty, poor health and short life-expectancy, and the recession is exacerbating those conditions. Services have been cut, schools have been closed, community and advice centres have been closed, the postal service is gradually being sold off with many job losses. Loss of services and loss of jobs go hand-in-hand, a double blow for already impoverished communities. A whole generation of youth will never work and all generations will suffer from the lack of services unless the government gets its act together. Kevin McVey, the SSP’s candidate for Glasgow North East by-election and general election, who led the march said: “scrap Trident and implement a one-off greed tax of 10% for every millionaire and not only would you pay off our public debt but you’d have billions to create jobs, building much needed housing and improving public services.” Video of Kevin speaking at rally
The north-east of Glasgow has suffered its share of school closures and parents who campaigned long and hard against the closures vowed to punish New Labour at future elections since they are no longer representative of the ordinary people. Primary kids now have to walk past an asbestos disposal site (the largest in Europe) with a construction site giving off chemicals on the other side of the road. Click here for a short video of one parent’s speech concerning the asbestos issue. |
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Striking postal workers picketing to save their jobs and your postal service. |
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Photo: J Lanigan |
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RACISTS ROUTED ONCE AGAIN! Anti-fascists gathered and demonstrated in Edinburgh on February 20th to prevent the so-called “Scottish Defence League” from marching and spreading their race hatred. As a result some fascists were turned back at the train stations. Those that made it to a pub were trapped in there surrounded by anti-fascists and police and were eventually ejected one by one onto a bus. An anti-racist rally also took place during the day. Read the Scottish Socialist Youth’s report on the day’s events. Photos of events. Videos of antifascist march: part 1, part 2. A rally speech urged students to register to vote to ensure fascists do not get elected in forthcoming elections. Top left: antifascists fill Edinburgh streets on 20th Feb 2010 Left: SSP banner declares “No pasaran!” “They shall not pass” referring to fascists. Bottom left: on 14th Nov 2009 fascists frustrated at not being allowed to march in Glasgow argue with police.
Three months earlier on 14th November antifascists also prevented the racist SDL from marching on a Glasgow mosque. Thousands of people marched in Glasgow to condemn and prevent them from organising racist activity in the city. Scotland United Against Racism and Fascism held a rally and organised a march from Glasgow Green in the early afternoon.
The SSP and other anti-fascists organised a feeder march in the morning to join up with the main rally where there were numerous speakers from both small organisations and main parties, all condemning the racist and fascist SDL. The morning march started from Glasgow’s St Enoch underground and marched up as far as the Thistle Hotel in Cambridge St where large police cordons were lined up. The fascists were in the Cambridge Bar and the side streets were blocked off by police. Demonstrators waited a long time then some continued on to Glasgow Green for the rally while others stayed to keep an eye on the situation. After a time the police allowed the neo-Nazis out but tightly surrounded them. The cordons which had been blocking access to the street had relaxed and let people through as the huge numbers of police outnumbered the neo-Nazis and easily kept them away from the anti-fascists. The SDL waved a couple of banners and chanted a couple of songs, still surrounded by police, while anti-Nazis shouted back at the fascists but the fascists were very limited in what they could do. Thanks to the antifascist presence the police did not let the racists anywhere near the mosque as they did not want any trouble, but herded them onto chartered buses to send them away. A great victory against racism and fascism! Meanwhile, as the fascist thugs left, the anti-racist rally at Glasgow Green was finishing and anti-racists who had gone to the Green for the rally began to march back to the centre of Glasgow. Photos of Glasgow anti-fascist march here. Video of Main march. Video of feeder march and SDL thugs surrounded by police. |
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o aid peole in finding our site in the event of typographical errors , the following keyword misspellings/typos or phrases including misspelled words havebeen included: Glasgoe Maryhi;; Scottiash socialaim, partyt equaltiy globalisatino politica; antiglobalisatuon, justive profteering cmapignging Sprinburn Envirmomentalisn cooncil tax healthcare prsewcriptions countires racsm fascit |
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OTHER SSP SITES:
Scottish Socialist Youth:
Edinburgh north: http://
Edinburgh south:
Co-spokesperson for the SSP: http://ssp
Euro election candidate 2009 http://drnik68.
Glasgow North East candidate Kevin McVey http://sspglasgow
SSP Councillor: http:/
Financial expert: http:// |
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COPENHAGEN 2009 EVENTS SSP Members took part in Glasgow’s biggest environmental “Wave” march, one of a series of demos aimed at persuading world leaders at the climate summit in Copenhagen (COP15) to act now to reduce the causes of climate change. Read more and see more pictures here. Videos of demonstration: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 See also the stopclimatechaos.org site. |
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SAVE OUR SERVICES! Glasgow City Council have voted for even more savage cuts in services. Read more here by Richie Venton, SSP workplace organiser. |
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P Kirk |
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BUDGET SET TO SLASH PUBLIC SERVICES BUT CIVIL SERVANTS FIGHT CUTS The civil servants’ union the PCS held another strike on March the 24th - budget day. This date was chosen to highlight the fact that the government budget plans are to savagely cut public sector jobs to pay for a recession not of the workers’ making. The PCS has been striking recently because of a change in the civil service compensation scheme (CSCS) which would see their redundancy money slashed. Not only are public service jobs being slashed badly, but workers made redundant after a long service, who may never be employed again, will be paid little compensation under the new changes, and to make matters worse, they are even more likely to be made redundant precisely because it will become easier for the next government to slash jobs due to the cheaper redundancy pay-outs. The PCS are seeking a judicial review because the management went ahead without consultation. They had promised to meet the union for talks on the matter then reneged on the agreement and announced in December, to the shock and anger of the public servants, that the changes had been made. Letters have been written to the government including one in Glasgow which was handed in to the Labour Party headquarters following a demonstration and rally outside. Representatives from the union Gerry McMahon and John Jamieson spoke outside and Derek Thomson handed in a letter addressed to Scottish Labour party leader Iain Gray. They won their judicial review but now the new Tory government are saying they are changing the law. If they can’t beat the law then change it seems to be the Tory motto. PCS Scotland.
There was another march against cuts in public spending on 10th April, this time called by UNISON the largest public services union which marched through Glasgow’s West End. Videos part one, part two, part three. |
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VICTORY TO THE ARAB REVOLUTIONS! People in North Africa and the Middle East have risen up in revolution against their rulers, fed up with rising food prices, job shortages and corruption. Riots have also taken place in Europe but so far have not removed corrupt governments. A combination of the world banking crisis and corrupt governments who are hand-in-glove with the rich bankers and corporations are causing the poverty and discontent. People in North Africa have bravely given their lives in their struggle against such corruption. We need more of that spirit and bravery here. Scots have come out in support of the Arab revolutions in Glasgow, Edinburgh and elsewhere (See video.) We need our own revolution too.
UNITE AGAINST THE SAVAGE BUDGET CUTS The SSP and SSY and other activists and trade unions have continued to campaign over the summer and autumn. Article on resisting cuts by Richie Venton. Video of 22 Jun rally. 26 Jun demo video Photos here. Some speeches here. Workers strike back against cuts in services. Public safety will suffer if cuts by Scotrail go ahead. Read more here. RMT site here. RMT leaflet. Photos of picket. Video The EIS teachers union marched against cuts in education Photos. Speech against cuts. Vid 1. Pt 2 here. PCS civil servants striked on 8/9th March 2010 and held a rally and walked out on 24th
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SSP campaigning against cuts across Scotland |
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Read more by Richie Venton. More photos here. Savage cuts were already announced in New Labour’s budget just 3 months before the Con-Dems’ equally ruthless budget plans. This proves that the 3 largest parties’ priorities are just the same: to promote the profits of big business before the welfare of ordinary people. They would rather bail out bankers, maintain the useless Trident and fund illegal wars started by America than spend it on services for the people. There have been savage cuts in education with 22 schools closed in the last year in Glasgow alone. Universities are also being threatened. Students (below) demonstrated in support of staff whose jobs are under threat. As a result of demonstrations and threatened strikes, talks have been held and they have been told that redundancies won’t be compulsory. |
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SCOTTISH FLOTILLA ATTACK SURVIVOR TELLS STORY Dr Hasan Nowarah, who organised and collected medical aid for Palestinians and was among those attacked on the aid flotilla bound for Gaza while in international waters, survived the ordeal and is back in Scotland. He spoke at an SSP public meeting in Glasgow on 8th June. In part 1 (left) he describes the preparations and various obstacles in setting off for Palestine. In part 2 he describes the onset of the attacks and murders and in part 3 he decribes the Israeli brutality and how the aid workers were kidnapped and imprisoned. |
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FAROOQ TARIQ, GENERAL SECRETARY, LABOUR PARTY PAKISTAN AT SCOTTISH SOCIALIST PARTY PUBLIC MEETING
FLOOD DISASTER IN PAKISTAN: Labour Relief campaign was set up by 8 social & political organisations in Pakistan working in the affected areas to provide direct help and aid communities in organising to avert the worst effects of the inundation and its aftermath. They need money and practical help. They are also organising politically to insist that the government must give first priority to the needs of the people rather than to the needs of international debt. How to help: read more here. |
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Labour Party Pakistan is a socialist party like the SSP, not like the UK Labour Party. Farooq Tariq the general secretary of Labour Party Pakistan visited Scotland and spoke at an SSP public meeting on Jun 4th where he gave a talk on the political situation in Pakistan and building the left in Pakistan. Speech (left) Parts two, pt three, pt four, pt five. It is dangerous to be a socialist campaigner in Pakistan. Farooq has been jailed many times and 2 trade unionists were murdered in July. SSP letter. Finally the industrial action of textile workers was a success. |
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Nov 19: a large protest took place outside the Glasgow UK Borders Agency who cancelled a contract with the council to house asylum seekers as former YMCA and slum private landlord Angel were cheaper. This means eviction and dispersal. More info. Photos of event. Update: current refugees will now not be moved. Aug 2 a demonstration was called by the NUJ to protest at the UKBA decision to deport journalist Charles Atangana back to Cameroon to his almost certain death and to campaign for them to reconsider their decision. His deportation due that day was temporarily halted but he has been moved to Dover Immigration Removal Centre. He was bailed but could still be deported. Video of NUJ speech at demonstration. Update: Charles won his appeal and can now stay! |
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An SSP public meeting took place on 15 Oct in Partick, Glasgow with guest speaker Hugo Blanco, well-known for his leading role in the campesino uprisings of the 60’s in Peru. Some victories have been won over the centuries against a feudal system imposed by European invaders 500 years ago but now the indigenous struggle for land rights and human rights goes hand in hand with defence of the environment against multinational companies. SSP’s Brian Pollitt, known for his involvement in Latin American revolutionary struggle also spoke on Cuba’s move towards environmental policies in the last few years. Photos here. Video of Brian (above right.) Video of Hugo Blanco in 4 parts: part 1: unnatural disasters, global warming & final crisis of capitalism part 2: fight to save planet being destroyed by capitalism, part 3: effects of agribusiness & indigenous authorities, part 4 (embedded above): indigenous struggle & ecosocialism. |
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The SSP continues to fight against the poverty being inflicted by the Cameron government. Pensions and benefits as well as wages are being savagely attacked while the cost of living and especially the price of fuel for heating homes continues to rise drastically. Read co-spokesperson Colin Fox’s report on one of the SSP days of action on fuel poverty. A march for jobs took place recently in Troon on the Ayrshire coast. A whole generation of youth faces unemployment while the government does nothing to recoup the billions from tax-dodging corporations that could pay for jobs, welfare, pensions and services. The SSP has participated in the many strikes and demonstrations along with unions, communities and students. Mass marches and strikes occurred over 2011 and various actions have taken place this year and more mass action is planned. |
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Read SSP policies here: * SSP Election Manifesto 2011 * Candidates & results 2010 Campaigns: SSP campaigns against illegal wars Scottish Independence - the SSP is for an independent socialist Scotland and a truly independent Scotland would also be a republican Scotland. Photos & videos of SSP republican event More than one winter of discontent as cuts get ever more ferocious. SSP along with students and trade unions continues to fight the cuts. More articles on national website. |
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WEE RED BOOKSHOP 137 London Rd, Glasgow Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays |
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Above photos by Rikki Reid
ANTI-RACISM & ANTI-APARTHEID In Dec the STUC launched an official boycott campaign against apartheid Israel. They also handed out Palestinian flags at a football match involving an Israeli team. A boycott helped defeat apartheid in South Africa years ago. On the 28th Nov the STUC held their annual anti-racist march. SSP members took part in all events. The SSP condemns racism, apartheid and genocide wherever it occurs. Photos of demo.
AFGHANISTAN On 22 Feb the SSP held a public meeting in Glasgow on the illegal occupation of Afganistan. There were speakers from the Scottish Afghan society and Military Families Against War as well as SSP co-spokesperson Colin Fox. It was noted that the biggest army recruiting has being going on in the poorest areas where people are desperate for any job. Photos here. James Nesbitt has also been speaking out against the occupation of Afghanistan. More on the campaigning here with videos of their speeches: SSP campaigns against illegal wars
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On Saturday 14th April 2012 members from several SSP branches went to visit anti-nuclear protestors at the Peace Camp at Faslane which was first set up 30 years ago in 1982, then demonstrated outside Faslane nuclear submarine base. Nuclear weapons are weapons of mass destruction and as such have no legitimate place in this world. There is also the hazard of radioactive leakage which can cause cancer and other ills to the Scottish people. Many groups of people are against nuclear weapons (and also nuclear power) for these reasons, from environmental groups to faith groups to pro-independence parties who do not see why people’s lives should be endangered in Scotland or abroad for the sake of war-mongering.
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SSP ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTEST AT FASLANE |
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Photos: John Lanigan |