Sussex disciplinary hearings adjourned due to bias
Students at Sussex University “have been victimised and made examples of”, writes Jelena Timotijevic at Defend the Right to Protest: The kangaroo court set up by the university’s management managed to appoint a senior member of the university staff as a chair of the hearing panel who on previous occasions publicly condemned students’ occupations and their […]
Court victory for 7,000 New Orleans teachers
An appeal court in Louisiana has ruled that the sacking of education workers that took place in the wake of Hurricane Katrina was illegal and that everyone who was fired should get two or three years back pay. Disaster capitalism has been punished, and school workers in New Orleans have won a long fight. Right […]
Justice Alliance launches petition to save legal aid
Justice Alliance, an umbrella campaign set up by legal organisations, charities, trade unions, community groups and others, has launched an online petition to fight against government cuts to legal aid: ► Sign the Justice Alliance change.org petition here ► Read Mikhil and David’s report on the 6 Jan legal strike
Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century launch statement
We are committed to revolutionary change – the self-emancipation of the working class, liberating the whole of humanity.
Working lives: supermarkets and poverty wages
P, a supermarket worker, discusses their experiences at work: For a total of around 9 years I’ve worked in 3 of the of the ‘Big 4’ supermarkets – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s. The disparity between those at top of these companies, and the majority of the people they employ is huge. CEOs receive seven […]
Leicester teachers strike against bullying
(Report and picture from Mike Thompson) More than 50 teachers at Gateway Sixth Form College, Leicester, took strike action on Tuesday 14 January as part of a dispute over classroom observation policy. The policy, imposed without proper consultation, is a charter for bullying. Today’s strike action by NUT members is the first of five days […]
Sharon: biography of a war criminal
Sai Englert looks back at Ariel Sharon’s bloody legacy and his life of political and military service to the Zionist colonial project: The media’s attempted whitewashing of Sharon’s legacy is not just brushing the history of one man under the carpet; it is an attempt to hide the present reality of Israel as a violent […]
Demo attacks Benefits Street as ‘poverty porn’
(report and picture by Stef) Around 60 people demonstrated outside the office of TV firm Love Productions in central London today to call for an end to biased media portrayal of welfare recipients. Love Productions is responsible for Channel 4’s Benefits Street programme. One protester said: “All they’re showing you is a few snapshots taken […]
“I was unable to eat” : food banks in Tory Britain
From the Kent International Socialists The sight of Tory MPs laughing at stories of hungry families during a debate on the use of food banks in December was another demonstration of how out of touch the “Nasty Party” are with ordinary people. The Daily Mirror reported at the time: “In one of the most shameful […]
London says no to new Spanish abortion law
Around 40 people joined a protest yesterday outside the Spanish embassy in London in solidarity with those in Spain opposing the new anti-abortion law there.
Subdued anger as hundreds gather at Mark Duggan vigil
Around 1,000 gathered today outside Tottenham police station in north London at 2pm for a vigil to remember Mark Duggan, who was shot dead by police on 4 August 2011.
“Mark Duggan was executed. We still believe that.”
A wave of shock and fury swept across the country today as news broke that Mark Duggan’s inquest jury had delivered a verdict of “lawful killing”.
Lawyers walk out in protest at legal aid cuts
Solicitors and barristers withdrew from courts today across Britain in protest against proposed changes to criminal legal aid.
Egyptian socialists sentenced to two years in jail
Two leading activists with the Revolutionary Socialists in Alexandria, Egypt have been sentenced for defying anti-protest laws.
Crisis – which crisis?
Terry Wrigley argues that socialist thinking has become dogmatic and not dialectical on four key issues: precariousness, the trade union bureaucracy, electoral alliances and anti-fascism.
Hero to zero
Jamie W and Sølvi G reflect on how they and others responded to the sudden proliferation of awareness about, and anger towards, zero-hour contracts, seeking to inform the way we operate and organise in the future.
Class, Gender and Neoliberalism
Nancy Lindisfarne and Jonathan Neale present an updated version of their article on Class, Gender and Neoliberalism.
“Our necks have the rope around them but we remain firm”
Mark Bergfeld reports on unofficial strike action hitting healthcare call centres in Portugal.
‘Adapt or Die?!’
Luke Evans continues the debate that began in the International Socialism Journal on sexuality and addresses the notion of ‘primitive communism’.
2013 in YouTube videos
Mark Bergfeld collects videos showing episodes of resistance from across the world in 2013.
Craft, gender and politics
Why would a revolutionary socialist spend time knitting? Amy Gilligan writes on craft for production and pleasure.
Ukip in the Fens
Mitch Mitchell looks at the impact of UKIP where he lives in Cambridgeshire, and how the party combines racist anti-immigrant appeal with a more populist edge.
Open statement: Resignation from the SWP
The signatories to this statement can no longer remain members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) following events at its annual conference on 13-15 December 2013.
The revolutionary paper today
A website can work as “the central organ” for the party’s message and regenerating a culture of local leaflet production.
A note on intersex and transgender issues
Colin Wilson provides a 101 on trans and intersex people’s lives and struggles.
Neil Davidson on the crisis in the SWP
Neil Davidson spoke at a meeting in Edinburgh on 3 November 2013, organised by the Rebuilding the Party faction of the Socialist Workers Party.
Jonathan Neale on class struggle and neoliberalism
Neoliberalism has changed us “in ways that make struggle harder, and easier, and different, and more explosive”.
A response to John Molyneux on sexuality
Colin Wilson’s reply to John Molyneux’s views on sexuality and human nature has been published on the ISJ website.
Halloween strike: the mood on the picket lines
Here’s a round-up of mini-reports on today’s higher education strike, taken by comrades on phones and uploaded to social media.
What’s at stake in the Halloween strike
Andy Cunningham works at Manchester Met university. He explains why he’s on strike today – and why higher education workers need to escalate their action.