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Rare sighting of endangered Leftists in Walworth, South London

William Davidson | 27.09.2008 17:40 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | London

On Saturday 27th September, the South-East Council of Action organised demo to defend local council housing estates in Walworth, London was held. An estimated 40 people, young and old, marched through Aylesbury Estate, down a busy Walworth Rd and onto Heygate Estate where a meeting was held.

Graphic Design for the Revolution - Old School

Demo moves down East Street

Parading along the Walworth Rd

All along the route, slogans were communicated via megaphone:
'What Do We Want? Council Housing! When Do We Want It? Now'
'Defend Heygate Estate! No Evictions!'
'Halt The Privatisation! Kick The Government Out!' etc.

The demo was to protest the carve-up of two large local estates, the Heygate and the Aylesbury, tenants on both estates being subjected to the disorganised whims of a useless decant process or demolition plan. It's seems vital to support the tenants due for eviction for failing, essentially, to find home for themselves through the Southwark Council housing process. It's good to call into question the the part privitisation of the land and the new builds where there is significantly less social housing being built. Local tenants also want to stay as council tenants and not be forced into weaker, often more expensive, Housing Association tenancies.

Unfortunately, for this grizzled hack, the demo seemed in no way to garner support for these objectives and mainly consisted of pissing local people off. Most people I spoke to seemed to find it a ridiculous spectacle (which it was) or were pissed off by delays to buses.

So where is politics these days? The South-East Council of Action is a group made up Workers Revolutionary Party / Young Socialist types. There must be a little sympathy for the organisers who mean well. But when will Leftists come out of the old ways they cling to? The poster and the slogans for the demo were archaic. There was no sense of fun about this demo, and the hectoring slogans boosted this joylessness. 'What Do We Want? Council Housing! When Do We Want It? Now' - this is such a bizarre slogan. There already is Council Housing, here and now! 'Halt The Privatisation! Kick The Government Out!' etc. Which government will provide non-privatised solutions.

Community politics has to foster a sense of belonging and enjoyment. It seems like nothing has been learned from this group from earlier incarnations of local politics - open days, festivals of resistance etc. Or learned from some of the more upbeat and inspiring methods of organising seen over the last 15 years of the anti-capitalist movement.

William Davidson

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Respect to the protesters, man!

27.09.2008 18:22

Indymedia, as I understand it, is a place primarily for participants in an action to report on it. If people are going to go out ‘Indymediaing’ (and it can be helpful) the least they can do is show a little respect to the action they are covering. If you think this group are going about it the wrong way, start something yourself that is the ‘right way’. Be the change. Don’t spend your time criticising others when you could be organising yourself.

To the participants and organisers of this demo it sounds like a nice demo don’t be put off by negative people.

ARC

Unfair

27.09.2008 19:09

im sorry, but i find this report extremely unfair on those involved. These are the local people making a very direct statement too the local and national authorities concerned instead of an attempt at protest by a group of distanced students. For the left to succeed in its objectives and begin to make a genuine come back it is the ordinary people concerned in such situations who need to be speerheading such campaigns. Not being able to relate to the people is why the new left of the 1960's disappeared so quickly.

Rob Abrams
mail e-mail: doogleohyeah@hotmail.com

Quick replies from William Davidson

28.09.2008 17:33

Ignore the crap comment above. It wasn't from me.

1) reply to ARC :
I don't think Indymedia has to be so positive all the time. I have total respect for the organisers of this demo. They are the only group locally out on the streets. However, I don't think it's wrong to criticise the demo either just because it might sound 'negative'. It's called debate, ideas, communication. If you were there on the side streets you would have heard what local people thought of it. It wasn't positive in the main. Telling me to 'be the change' is ridiculous. I am active locally and I went on the demo. But I can still be critical.

2) reply to Rob:
'These are the local people making a very direct statement too the local and national authorities concerned instead of an attempt at protest by a group of distanced students'.

I don't think many of them were that local to be honest and who was talking about distanced students anyway? The demo was made up mainly of WRP / YS folks. Anyway 40 people marching down a road isn't a very direct statement too the local and national authorities really. It could hardly interest anyone on Walworth Rd on a Saturday afternoon as the demo and slogans were so alienating.

'For the left to succeed in its objectives and begin to make a genuine come back it is the ordinary people concerned in such situations who need to be speerheading such campaigns. Not being able to relate to the people is why the new left of the 1960's disappeared so quickly'.

Exactly resistance has too come from local people no matter how much solidarity is extended or offered. But WRP front organisations that shout non-sensical slogans aren't relating very well to local.

W Davidson

Be ridiculous

28.09.2008 23:09

It’s not ridiculous. You think there should be a carnival or whatever strongly enough to criticise others about it. So why not set it up yourself how is it there job any more than it is yours.

ARC

;-)

29.09.2008 22:56

Reply to ARC:
It's a criticism for sure. But it's also a suggestion. Of course, people can do what they like and will do.

W Davidson

Engagement

30.09.2008 15:12

40 people on the demo - 7,200 dwellings on the Aylesbury Estate alone with 10,000 plus residents.....I think you can safely say that this demo did not reach out to the residents, did not engage with them to attend in an effective way and hence why other locals on Walworth Rd were wondering what the hell it was even about.

Lobster

UK Indymedia