We won't pay for their crisis!

March on Guildhall - Saturday 22nd of Nov - assemble 12.30pm @ Abbey courtyard



In response to the current financial crisis and looming recession, Bath Activist Network, along with other groups will be marching on Guildhall on Sat 22nd of Nov. The protest will not be a stand alone event, and will be the start of a campaign which will be aimed at guarding our communities against the most damaging effects of the coming recession and taking the fight to the forces that have caused the financial crisis. We see no reason why our taxes should be used to bail out and pay for the bonuses of the people and institutions that are to blame for the crisis. We also take the view that the recession will hit average people hardest, whilst for bosses, politicians and bankers it will be buisness and bonuses as usual. The campaign will have 5 initial demands -



1.Greater subsidies on gas and electric bills

2.Bailiffs and repossesion companies out of our communities

3.Affordable food, housing and living costs

4.Protection of jobs, wages and benefits

5.Control over the banks our money has bailed out



While the campaign will aim to raise awareness of the causes of the recession, we intend to be more than just a protest group. This recession is going to hit average people hard, and we are serious about organising to defend ourselves against increasing gas and electricity prices, growing home repossesions and soaring unemployment - we are organising to win!



In unity is strength!

We are calling on as many groups and individuals as possible to join us in this campaign. We are all going to be (and already are) affected by the financial crisis and looming recession, so it makes sense that we unite to fight against it. We are calling on all pensioners, anarchists, trade unionists, single mothers, benefit claimants, disbled people, radicals, workers and everyone inbetween to join us and make this a campaign that can protect all of our rights and fight back against recession and those who caused it.



We are hoping to build a campaign in which all groups, and tactics can be respected. We do not expect everyone in the group to unite behind a particular ideology, but will not make right wing or xenophobic viewpoints welcome within the campaign.



The campaign will be holding a stall to build support for the upcoming protest on Stall street , near Holland and Barrett on Saturday the 15th Nov from 12 - 3 pm.



Some facts -

*Unemployment is up 20%

*Home repossesions are up over 70%

*Food prices are still rising

*Gas and electric bills are up over 40% (an estimated 22,000 pensioners in the UK are estimated to die from illnesses contacted as a direct result of an inability to afford sufficient heating this winter)

*Bank bosses continue to recieve multi million pond a year bonuses, some of which has come from funds allocated from the recent bank bailout.

The campaign has recently come under fire from a small section of Baths' wealthy elite, who have suggested that the solution to the problem lies in us cutting back our spending (not an option for many). One right wing commentator even suggested that he was sick of paying for council housing with his tax money!



For more information, or to recieve flyers and posters, e-mail  bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk