Ten radical poems for National Poetry Day
Like the song says, socialism is about bread, but also roses. With the help of rs21 members we’ve gathered ten poems about the fight against capitalism, racism and women’s oppression, and our dreams for a better world. We’ve put them together with images into a short publication. With writers from William Blake to Maya Angelou, we hope […]
Rolling coverage from Manchester anti-austerity demo
At least 85,000 people took part in today’s anti-austerity protest at Tory Conference in Manchester, called by the People’s Assembly and the TUC.
Stop this college closure: support the occupation
Lewisham Southwark college plan to close their Camberwell site and sell it for £5 million. Police have threatened to evict occupiers trying to save the site. We share here a video report by Alex John for Radical Assembly South East London and Left Unity. Ian from the Radical Assembly explains the campaign to save the Camberwell […]
Solidarity with Greece: round-up
Yesterday there were protests in cities across Europe in solidarity with the people of Greece. Here are reports from some of them. London Around 150 people attended the London demonstration, outside the German Embassy, organised by the Greek Solidarity Campaign. The mood was subdued, with a series of speeches to a static crowd. People were […]
Understanding the Corbyn campaign: an interview with Max Shanly
Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign for Labour leader is in full swing. Max Shanly is a member of Young Labour’s National Committee. We interviewed him about his hopes and expectations for the campaign. Max spoke to us in a personal capacity and is not an official representative of the campaign. Can you start off by explaining what role […]
10 years on: Timeline of anti-terror legislation since the July bombings
There has been an almost constant ramping-up of anti-terror legislation in the UK since the 9/11 bombings in 2001. Legislation passed that year set the context for subsequent laws. In the wake of the 7/7 bombings, 10 years ago today, the New Labour government introduced a new wave of legislation. This timeline tells the story […]
Solidarity from Carlisle to Greece: eyewitness report
Stephen, Hazel and their two year-old daughter, left the UK back in April in order to travel to Greece on a three-month solidarity trip. Stephen resigned from his permanent job in order to travel to Greece; Hazel took an unpaid sabbatical from work. They doubled the length of their mortgage term so that they could […]
No to austerity in Greece – support the protests
Statement by rs21 on the situation in Greece. The Greek government has called a referendum next Sunday: the Greek people will be able to vote yes or no to the latest round of austerity proposed by Greece’s international creditors. Austerity has been a disaster for Greece. 1 in 4 people are unemployed. Half of people […]
London FE colleges hit by six strikes
UCU members in Further Education report on strikes that took place across London yesterday Seven London Further Education colleges took coordinated strike action yesterday against course closures and massive job cuts. Members of the University and Colleges Union (UCU) have been campaigning since the election in May against draconian cuts to college budgets, most notably […]
rs21 magazine summer 2015 launches at People’s Assembly demonstration on Saturday
Issue 4 of rs21 magazine will be out on Saturday, and available to buy from stalls and individuals at the People’s Assembly demonstration against Austerity in Central London. The election of a majority Tory government in May was not the result that most of us expected when the UK went to the polls. It will […]
Filling the vacuum in Scottish politics
Around 40 to 50 people attended a meeting in Kirkcaldy last week to hear speakers from the Scottish Left Project (SLP), a new grouping of socialists and leftwing activists that has emerged following the referendum for Scottish independence and which plans to run candidates in the 2016 Scottish parliamentary elections. Nick and Mike went along to […]
1915 Glasgow Rent Strike: how workers fought and won over housing
One hundred years ago the workers and housewives of Glasgow forced the government to place on the statute book the first-ever Rent Restrictions Act.
National Gallery strikers continue fighting privatisation and attack on their union rep
National Gallery staff have taken further strike action to stop privatisation and win the reinstatement of sacked union rep Candy Udwin, and are celebrating a legal victory. The National Gallery campaign gained a victory yesterday, Wednesday 10 June, when Candy won her “Interim Relief” hearing at Employment Tribunal. The campaign say, “The judge ruled it was likely […]
Lessons from Europe – Marina Prentoulis, Shane Fitzgerald, Cat Boyd
Video from the ‘Lessons from Europe’ session at They Don’t Represent Us featuring activists from Greece, Scotland and Ireland.
GE2015: Analyse this – Barnaby Raine and Owen Jones
Barnaby Raine and Owen Jones speak at the opening session of They Don’t Represent Us, 16th May 2015, on the implications of the 2015 election.
Hundreds attend general assembly of the left in London
Up to 1000 people attended the General Assembly of the Radical Left last night in Logan Hall in London. Called by the activist group Brick Lane Debates, the assembly brought together people from across the radical left to discuss building “a new joined-up radical left movement or network… something that is truly democratic, bottom-up, radical, and […]
National Gallery sacks union rep as fight against privatisation continues
Management at the National Gallery have sacked a union rep who has played a leading role in fighting privatisation – but that fight continues, with strike action and a demo in the next two weeks. Management at the National Gallery have today sacked trade unionist Candy Udwin. The No Privatisation at the National Gallery campaign have made […]
Walthamstow EDL protest: outnumbered by cops, undefeated by Nazis
rs21 members report from yesterday’s protest, which aimed to stop the EDL marching in Walthamstow, north east London On 9 May the nazi English Defence League (EDL) returned to Walthamstow, the scene of one of their biggest humiliations in 2012. Three years ago, over 4,000 people, overwhelmingly local, rallied and marched against the nazis, […]
Angry central London protest attacked by police
The first full day of the Tory government has seen inspiring resistance – but also police attacks on the right to protest. The protest was defiant from the beginning, as Neil Rogall reports. “In the wake of the election demoralisation and depression the last thing I expected when I got off the bus by Westminster Cathedral […]
Despair in England – hope in Scotland
rs21 first reaction to the UK General Election results. This is just the beginning of ongoing analysis. We hope readers will send in comment and pieces in the coming days. Against all predictions, the Tories have won a majority, and David Cameron will be Prime Minister again. This will feel like a punch in the stomach […]
Election results: rolling coverage
Welcome to our election night coverage, which we’re planning to continue till 7am. rs21 stands in the tradition of socialism from below. In our view protests, strikes and demonstrations – and ultimately, revolutions – are what really bring change in society. Sometimes, elections can play a part in that process, mobilising people and giving them […]
Stop the Tories clinging on to power
[UPDATE: The People’s Assembly Against Austerity has called a demonstration on Saturday 9 May at 1pm at Downing St if the Tory coup happens, which we are more than happy to support. Please attend and share the Facebook event.] There is a very real risk of the Tories clinging on to power in the event of a […]
They Don’t Represent Us
“They don’t represent us” is a day conference drawing together anti-capitalists who want to discuss how best we understand the current situation in order to change it.
Unison National Executive elections – vote for Reclaim the Union candidates
A Unison Branch secretary recommends that Unison members vote for Reclaim the Union candidates in the National Executive elections. Unison members are voting this month and next for the union’s national executive, and in almost all the contests voters face a very clear choice between supports of the present leadership and activists who want change. […]
Laboratories Of Hope
An invitation to build a ‘laboratory of hope’… When things are difficult, and we all feel that twinge of desperation. When the Media is full of scaremongering about the imminent threat of ISIS, and you can’t see any way, or any time, to actually change anything. That’s when we need ‘Laboratories of Hope’. It’s what […]
Remember Fukushima – no to nuclear power
Just over 70 protesters on Saturday’s CND “Remember Fukushima – No to nuclear power” march in London. Near half the protesters were Japanese and there were a wide range of ages. We had a long march from Hyde park corner to Parliament. We stopped briefly at the Japanese embassy and had a noisy protest at […]
Residents and supporters march against plans to demolish the Aylesbury estate
Around 200 people joined the March for Aylesbury in Southwark, south London, yesterday to protest against longstanding plans to demolish the Aylesbury council estate. Residents are demanding that Labour-run Southwark council refurbishes their 2,400 homes instead. The march started with a rally at Burgess Park before marching down Albany Road, through the estate, past its […]
rs21 magazine Spring 2015 launches tomorrow
The Spring 2015 issue of the rs21 magazine will be launching at our event for International Women’s day 50 Shades of Struggle: Women and the New Social Movements taking place at LSE tomorrow (Wednesday 11 March, 7pm, East Building, Room E304) – get your copy at the meeting, from your local rs21 group, by subscribing or […]
EDL outnumbered by anti-fascists in Manchester
About 200 to 300 supporters of the racist English Defence League (EDL) were bussed in to Manchester’s Albert Square today (Saturday). They held a rally inside a police kettle. Meanwhile around 500 anti-fascists gathered in Piccadilly Gardens for a rally organised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and other groups. This was followed by a brief march around the city centre. […]
On the murder of Boris Nemtsov
Tens of thousands demonstrated in Moscow and other cities around Russia today against the murder of Boris Nemtsov on Friday night. Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister, was a prominent critic of president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. He had been due to lead today’s demonstration in Moscow against the war, marking a year since […]