Thousands show solidarity with refugees at London demo
Steve Eason reports: Following the public response to news reports of refugee deaths in the Mediterranean and the recent publicity of the struggles of refugees camped at Calais, and ahead of Monday’s EU emergency meeting on the refugee crisis, on Saturday marches and rallies were held in solidarity with refugees across Europe. The two biggest marches […]
Indian workers resist Modi’s reforms
More than 150 million workers in India participated in a general strike on 2 September, in a nationwide day of protest called by 10 major unions to protest the anti-worker labour “reforms” of the right-wing BJP government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kavita Krishnan, a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), reports on the […]
Refugee crisis: Merkel’s double game
The media has shown refugees being welcomed to Germany, and Cameron’s response has been so inadequate he’s made even Angela Merkel look good. But, as Mark Bergfeld writes from Germany, the government there has its own motivations – and the welcome of the last few days may quickly sour. The media here is full of photos, videos […]
Cambridge rallies to refugee cause
Mitch Mitchell reports on a march and rally in support of refugees in Cambridge.
RISE: new socialist organisation builds on participation and activism of Scottish independence campaign
Up to seven hundred people attended the launch conference of RISE in Glasgow on Saturday 29 August. Supporters of International Socialism Scotland have been involved in the building for the launch of “Scotland’s Left Alliance”. IS Scotland comrades, including some who chaired conference sessions or spoke during the day, have compiled this report. The run […]
Nazis routed and humiliated in Liverpool as hundreds turn out to block their march
Pat D reports and reflects on last Saturday’s successful anti-fascist mobilisation in Merseyside Liverpool is a famous city. National Action, a neo-Nazi group, wanted to be famous too, which is why they chose the “Red City” as the location for their “White Man March”, planned for Saturday 16 August. The problem was that Liverpool is famous, […]
Convoy to Calais part 2
Mitch Mitchell continues his report from the convoy to Calais, bringing food, clothes and solidarity to the migrants camped there.
Bel Druce 1940-2015
Our dear friend and comrade, Bel, passed away on 12 August 2015 after a short illness. I met Bel quite by accident when I spotted her dear friend Ian Birchall in the foyer of a theatre in Oxford in 2012. I was struck immediately by her witty banter and her kindness. I got to know Bel […]
Convoy to Calais
Mitch Mitchell reports on the convoy that he and others are taking to Calais this weekend with food, clothes and other things that have been donated by people in the UK to show solidarity with the migrants there.
Tear-gas in Syntagma Square
The capitulation of Syriza’s leadership to the demands of the Troika is not the end of Greece’s struggle, but the start of a new phase. Social confrontation and workers’ militancy might still succeed where parliamentarianism failed, write Matt Myers and Barnaby Raine. In Athens last night, Molotov cocktails and tear-gas flowed. The SYRIZA government, which […]
The Magpie: Tories attack workers’ right to resist
The Magpie takes on the Tories latest attacks on workers’ rights to organise in their latest column The Tories have now published their much-trailed Trade Union Bill. It goes much further than their manifesto in restricting workers’ rights. Key elements are: All strikes will be unlawful without a 50% ballot turnout Strikes in health, education, […]
Greece: the fight goes on, and we can all support it
The news from Greece has gone from the inspiring referendum result to the collapse of the government into implementing austerity. Colin Wilson asks how this happened, and looks at the prospects for future struggles. The last ten days have seen historic developments in Greece. First, we saw the unexpected and inspiring “No” vote in the […]
Saying OXI to the bogeymen
In the face of relentless blackmail from international institutions and the Greek establishment, Greece’s NO vote to austerity has sent shock-waves through Europe and the wider world. Vanessa Patta, a member of DEA, a revolutionary socialist group in SYRIZA, writes on fear, defiance, and what comes next. In times of intense struggle, when there […]
Stopping Elbit’s death factory
Outside a small factory in Shepstone, we were acting at one with protestors outside other plants in the UK and in Melbourne, Australia.
Greece says Oxi! Reaction roundup
Dan Swain rounds up initial online reaction to Greece’s momentous vote.
Victory in Lancashire campaign against fracking
Ewa Barker reports What wonderful news yesterday! Lancashire Councillors, who have been besieged by demonstrations against fracking every day last week, have, against expectations, refused to grant Cuadrilla permits to explore for shale gas at two sites in Lancashire. Everyone said their decision would set a precedent for the many applications still to come. And […]
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 Pride 2015: a snapshot of struggles past, present and to come
The Pride march in London was a snapshot of the strides LGBT politics have made over the years, writes Colin Wilson. And despite the huge corporate presence, it showed signs of a growing left. Photographs by Steve Eason. I went on my first Pride march in 1980. A few thousand people took part. I was 19, […]
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 […]
Thousands rally in George Square – report from Glasgow anti-austerity protest
North and south of the border, last Saturday was an important day in the process of building a mass fight back against austerity. Pete Cannell, from Edinburgh, and Joe Sabatini from Carlisle report from the anti-austerity rally in Glasgow. Thousands rally in George Square Pete, from Edinburgh, reports: As tens of thousands marched against austerity […]
Hundreds of thousands march against austerity in London
Amy Gilligan reports from yesterday’s impressive anti-austerity demo. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through London from the Bank of England to Parliament Square yesterday on the “End Austerity Now” demonstration, organised by the People’s Assembly. The demonstration was so large that getting an accurate figure for the number taking part is difficult, but the organisers’ […]
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 […]
Support the 12-day London Newsquest strike
This morning sees the beginning of industrial action by Journalists at the very profitable Newsquest group, in Sutton, south London, reports Adam DC. The workers are striking over their pay and conditions and the proposed restructuring and introduction of new processes, which it is feared will lead to job losses, and the inevitable decline in […]
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 […]
Back Corbyn (but rely on ourselves, not Labour)
Ian Allinson comments on the news that socialist Jeremy Corbyn has secured enough nominations to enter the Labour leadership contest. The news that socialist Jeremy Corbyn has secured enough nominations from MPs to be a candidate in the Labour leadership has unleashed a surge of activists signing up to join the Labour Party or register […]
Battles in Bromley
Four hundred people marched in Bromley this weekend over cuts to the council. Paul Summers reports: Four hundred people marched this Saturday (13 June) as part of the ongoing fight between Bromley council and Unite members. The council wants to reduce the staff from 3,000 to 300. The council has withdrawn facility time simply stating the […]
Colossal cuts for further education
With colossal cuts looming, Barbara Jeffery and Mark Winter outline the devastating impact that the Tory plans for further education will have on colleges At the onset of their second term, the Government outlined their plans for adult further education. Excluding funding for apprenticeships, the budget for 2015/16 will be […]
20 June: your chance to undermine the Tories
The Tories have been confident since the election, but the big People’s Assembly demo on 20 June can start to change that. Jen W lists six things you can do to make it as big as possible. If you are reading this you probably woke up on the Friday after the election, like me, in a pretty […]
It IS racist to worry about “foreign” nurses – a reply to Dr Max Pemberton
The problem isn’t nurses from abroad – it’s understaffing, pay reductions and bureaucracy, writes Mark Boothroyd, himself a nurse. Max Pemberton’s Daily Mail comment piece “It’s NOT racist to worry about foreign nurses” is a truly shameful article of writing. Using the deranged actions of a single individual who happens to be Filipino as an […]
Yes to marriage equality in Ireland – an inspiration for battles to come
Irish socialist Jen O’Leary analyses the politics of the No and Yes campaigns, and argues that the Yes victory must be a step in the ongoing struggle for wider LGBTQ liberation. We received Jen’s article after the polls closed, but before the results started coming in. Around Saturday lunchtime, it became clear not only that Yes had won, but […]