Thursday 30th June saw the first attempt to a General Strike in Britain for more than 80 years, although it was primarily a Public Sector workers' strike.

As part of the support for the strike from people who are not necessarily public sector workers, a Critical Mass happened in South London,  visiting the picket lines that had been announced and showing support.

We met at about eight in the morning in Burgess Park. About 50 people on bikes set off at about half past eight, with more and more people joining as we biked.

The first drivers showed their solidarity by tooting, and soon we reached Elephant and Castle, where we greeted the picket outside the London College of Communication. After two rounds to the roundabout, the Mass continued towards Brixton, on the way meeting another picket line. We stayed with the workers for a few minutes while the mobile sound system got fixed, and we had music from then on.  

Once in Brixton Oval (the public open space where Reclaim Your Food used to give away food every Sunday) we also joined some workers demonstrating there for a few minutes, and then what look like a hundred-strong crowd appeared at the door of Lambeth Town Hall.

After a brief spell up Brixton Hill we headed East again, towards Camberwell and on to New Cross. Up to that point the cyclists had managed to deal with the traffic by doing things like corking (staying static at junctions while the mass passed safely unrammed by cars and bigger vehicles). From New Cross on we had the kind help of Police (seven vans at one point) which made a difference in terms of respect showed by motorists. Amazing what the mere presence of a well-marked police vehicle can do to motorists' behaviour. On the occasions when we lost sight of them and then they appeared behind us again, all yelling at us, insulting and generally threatening behaviour from drivers on four wheels dissapeared. So in that sense their presence had a positive effect except on one occasion when a driver almost knocked off one of the bikers and a police officer just threatened to arrest both the aggressor and the victim.

When the mass arrived outside Deptford Town Hall, at about ten, it joined the demonstration that was taking place there. Lots of flags and a banner of South London Solidarity Federation were the landmark of a brief street party interrupted by the forces of law and order. The joint demonstration became a march towards Deptford and once there, the march and the mass went their own separate ways.

Police did not seem to realise it though, and a line of police on foot started to follow the critical mass. When it was obvious they would not keep up with the bikers, they were picked up – and apparently seven vans were needed for the picking up operation.

Critical Mass then made its way to Whitehall and Parliament Square, where it melted itself in the crowd.

Watch live broadcasts from all over London, from the point of view of a cyclist! Follow live broadcasts from the critical mass cyslists who set off early this morning to ride around London to give support and encouragement to public section workers who are striking today. Brixton, Peckham, New Cross are some of the areas they will be passing.

x

Following on from the call for an open assembly to discuss, propose and organise for the first round of co-ordinated strike actions on June 30th, over 100 people turned up and squeezed into the Marchmont Centre in Bloomsbury on Monday 23rd May. Public sector workers, parents, carers, workers, unemployed, teachers, precarious workers were joined by spanish students who had been, since May 15th, holding self-organised assemblies as part of a new international movement that has seen hundreds of thousands take to the streets occupying main squares across Spain and beyond against crippling austerity and raising unemployment.

The purpose of the meeting was to focus on the June 30th public sectors strikes and how those of us “officially” on strike can connect with the rest of the population, to generalise the strike as a day of action for all those fighting against the cuts and the wider austerity measures. There was a implicit understanding that we should be calling for people not to go to work in solidarity ( taking day off work, calling in sick..etc ) to enable a bigger participation on the various pickets, actions and demonstrations.

Hundreds of thousands of workers could be involved in strike action, from as many as four or five different unions including NUT, PCS, UCU and ATL, possibly involving over 800,000 workers fighting against pension reforms, an integral part of the coalition governments austerity measures.

A brief overview was given by a teacher at an FE college about the effect the pension reforms will have ( pay more for less ), understandable a growing anger is being felt by many in the public sector who have worked all their lives in the hope that they can live in dignity when they retire. All this is being threatened, consequences of which would not be felt on younger generations until its too late.

School students from secondary to FE colleges were also spoken about and the need to encourage walk outs from schools in solidarity with their teachers, which could link into more vibrant localised demonstrations in the morning. Individuals from NCAFC and EAN which were instrumental in calling demonstrations during the student rebellion in November/December 2010 were keen to follow this up so that students continue to be a key feature of this movement.

This first assembly reached consensus on the following:

To mobilise and support early morning pickets of striking workers

To organise local initiatives to link up pickets with marches between different sites.

To promote diverse forms of actions to publicise and circulate the struggles

To take these decisions forward, those in the meeting who live or worked in the same boroughs will be put in contact with each other and were encouraged to meet up and work within local anti-cuts campaigns who have already started to publicise the 30th. Already there are meetings being organised ( email june30action@gmail.com if you would like to get in contact with others in your area ).

The items we couldn't reach consensus on were felt to be important to continue discussing including ideas to call to participate on the main trade union demo in Central London - tentatively being organised by the PCS. Several suggestions to organise various feeder marches and possibly a mass action later on in the day against a specific target were also discussed. There were also proposals to hold on public assemblies, in similar fashion to the recent events in Spain, that could further open up inclusivity and participation than perhaps less engaging forms of actions. These ideas could be included as suggestions for local initiatives. An idea of an all night camp was also talked about. There was no consensus on us organising public assemblies or a camp – and there were concerns that such ideas had failed in the past due to police repression - but it is an idea that will be revisited in future meetings. Economic blockades/disruption were also discussed and there was a general support for the idea throughout the meeting as a possible forms of actions, no doubt this too will be revisited at the next assemblies.

There were a wide ranging participation from radical left, anarchist, autonomist and socialist tendencies as well as people from no “political position” at the meeting but the meeting itself was one of the most respectful, dynamic and inspirational meetings for a long time. We hope to continue with this spirit in the lead up to June 30th with the sole intention to generalise the strikes in London and across the UK, radicalising many more people into taking action for their future.

Next Assembly - 7pm Monday June 6th ( Bloomsbury / University venue tbc )

The next assembly will be held at 7pm Monday June 6th ( University venue tbc ) in a bigger venue. We encourage everyone interested, engaged and up for it to come down and get involved. We especially like more workers who will potentially be on strike ( bearing in mind that at this stage strike ballots have yet to be taken ) to attend and help us organise towards June 30th.

Please contact us if we may be able to help with childcare, if there is enough interest we will try to arrange a creche.

General contact email is: june30action@gmail.com

Subscribe to the announcements list by sending a blank email to:

j30strikeassembly-updates-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The protest and camp outside London's Spanish embasy that started almost a week ago grew in strenght during the weekend. On Friday night around 50 people set up camp, and on Saturday more people joined in to spend the night on the pavement opposite to the embassy. But it was during the day when the protest grew to several hundred, specially on Saturday when around 500 people joined in throughout the afternoon till well into the night.

Several working groups were formed and started to work on different aspects of the protest. These included logistics, communications & media, international, and art & action. The days were mostly spent in working groups meetings and plenary assemblies that discussed issues ranging from logistics and the future of the London protest, to people debating the characteristics and aims of this 'movement' both here in London and in Spain, as well as how it can be expanded beyond Spain. People from Italy and Portugal were present at the Sunday's assembly where they announced that people are starting to discuss plans for similar square occupations in their countries.

There was also time for spontaneous protest as people periodically gathered shouting "they (politicians) don't represent us!" whilst banging pots and pans. The bigger, loudest and more festive protest of the weekend was on Saturday night, with people improvising chants and slogans against politicians, representative democracy, bankers, political parties and demanding a system change.

On Sunday the plenary assembly decided to dismantle the camp until next weekend - starting on Friday 27th - but to continue the protest outside the embassy every day from 7 to 9pm, in solidarity with the camps in Madrid's Puerta del Sol [live webcam] and Barcelona's Plaça de Catalunya that announced they would continue for at least another week. During the daily protests this week there are plans for working groups meetings, workshops and further assemblies that  will decide on the shape of the protest for nesxt weekend as well as how to continue is 'movement' in London.

Here there are some photos from Sunday afternoon and evening ...

Related articles in London Indymedia:

• They all must go...
• A shout from Madrid

More information about the protests in London:

• Real Democracy London blog

More information about the square occupations in Spain:

• Puerta del Sol Occupation blog 
• 24h live webcam from Puerta del Sol
• Plaça Catalunya Occupation blog
• Video Gallery from Barcelona's La Tele
• Live feeds from Spain an across Europe

... people kept shouting last night outside the Spanish embassy in Belgravia. Since Wednesday 18th large crowds of mainly spaniards living in London are following a call to demonstrate and to express anger about the "political, economic, and social outlook which we see around us: corruption among politicians, businessmen, bankers, leaving us helpless, without voice."

On Friday 20th around 300 people showed up at Chesham Place for a 'pots & pans' protest, coinciding with hundreds of 'cacerolazo' protests called thorughout Spain as part of the 'Spanish Revolution' currently taking place all over the country. After the protest, a public assembly took place where, amongst other things, people debated the practicalities of setting up camp till Sunday 22nd. As a result, around 50 people spent the night outside the embassy, and there are plans for further demonstrations today Saturday and Tomorrow sunday [See Democracy London blog]

See pics of the London protest and read about the background story ...

What is all this about then?

Well, summing up the story began a few weeks ago when an anonymous call demanding 'True Democracy now!" went viral through social networking sites and twitter. The initial proposal was to take to the streets in as many Spanish towns and cities as possible on Sunday 15th of May, to express anger to the current  'democratic system' that puts the rule of the market above social needs and rights.

Currently in Spain there's 21% unemployment, which means that over 5 million people are out of work, 40% of which are young people. This, together with the massive 'austerity measures that Spanish government is imposing to the country affecting employment laws, cuts in public pensions and services, privatisation, and precarity in almost all aspects of people's lives,  is fast creating a general unrest that eventually exploded in  hugely successful demonstrations on over 50 Spanish cities last Sunday 15th.

The huge demonstrations in Madrid and Barcelona ended in  the occupations of Puerta del Sol and Plaça de Catalunya squares respectively. In both cities a few hundred people set up public assemblies that decided to set up camps immediately. In Madrid the camp was evicted by police the very first night whilst in Barcelona it was allowed to stay. The assembly of Madrid immediately called for another occupation of the central square for Monday night, and in the event, thousands of people turned up re-taking the square and setting up infrastructure for a long lasting protest. The camp in Barcelona was not evicted and by Monday night it also grow to thousands of people setting up kitchens, sleeping areas, debating forums, communications infrastructure and so on. By Tuesday, many more Spanish cities and towns started to mobilise too setting up their own protests, assemblies and camps, turning the spontaneous citizen mobilisation into something resembling and uprising. 

As a background to all this, there are the local elections taking place this Sunday all over Spain, together with, elections in some regional parliaments. It is for this reason why many of the communiques and manifestos coming out from the different camps talk about the need to go beyond parliamentary 'democracy' and into grass-roots and directly participatory ways of organising. It is for this reason that there's a general call from all the occupied squares to not vote on Sunday and to organise in local assemblies instead.

The main two camps in Madrid and barcelona are growing in numbers and strength (see live webcam from Madrid's Puerta del Sol) even though the protests are currently declared illegal since midnight Friday, due to the fact that Saturday is officially the "reflection day' during elections and as a result all public political expressions are banned by law. Madrid's local government had announced that they would not allow the camp to go into the weekend provoking fears of repression and the eviction of the camp, but the response was to gather in mass at Puerta del Sol and at midnight last night there where over 15,000 people occupying the square. The evictions has therefore not happened, and it now seems the camp will be allowed to stay, mainly due tothe fact that any violent eviction would play very badly in the hands of all parties seeking to get elected on Sunday.

The protests and occupations are due to continue till this Sunday (the election day), but the same as in the London's protest, there are now  many calls to turn them indefinite. It is yet not clear how this protest will continue and what it will turn into, nor whether this new 'movement' made of a new anonimous subject will actually become such a movement. At the moment it seems that it is a clear expression of anger, disgust and defiance to the current status quo, but whether this general unrest will actually politize itself it is still to be seen. What is clear though is that it intrinsically carries a lot of potential.

Note: solidarity protests have been called throughout Europe for today, including in Italy, Germany, Portugal, France and Belgium

===============================
Communique from Real Democracy in Manchester

Fake democracies all across Europe are in great danger because the Revolution has just started. This is a time for action, for rising up together and changing the system.

Europe is suffering from political regimes that set the citizens aside and lack from a plural representation and by doing so, they become false democracies that do not represent the wishes, aspirations and needs of men and women of each country.

They only consider our vote as a mean to reach the power and, as soon as they get it, they forget that their duty is to represent the people. It is then when, as it happened in Spain and other European countries, they give way to the market and banking dictates.
Because of this, our intention is to change the current system, this miscalled democracy, into a new one where the citizenship play a significant role in political decisions via assemblies and other means of participation, with a freer communication media available to them and with a true separation of powers. A democracy to serve the people instead of the markets.

We moved from "I have a dream" to the "We have a dream". We walk together in this with other people from the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Holland and many other European countries. What happens in London, Madrid, Milan, Berlin, Amsterdam... is also happening in other cities and thus we all want to get together under this revolution.

A revolution with the only labels of participation, freedom and no violence. Without flags or political parties; just with the people.  With honest men and women who have risen up to change a system that rejects them, a world that does not work at all. Because in the end, we are world citizens tired of enduring this situation.

People from Manchester: http://realdemocracymanchester.blogspot.com

The entirely peaceful student occupation of the Graduate Centre on the Holloway Road was raided tonight by 16 thugs, including private security guards, 10 bailiffs, 4 police officers and only ONE London Met Security guard, John Hunt.

They forced entry to deliver a high court injunction at about 11.55pm, which was ordered against 5 named individuals and Persons Unknown. It required the defendants to cease their current trespass, or they would be in breach of court and “could be arrested or imprisoned”.

The students had no time to prepare their defence, read the paperwork OR call lawyers. This is a disgrace and shows Malcolm Gillies (VC) is just as much of a thug as the sexist and racist individuals he has placed inside and outside the occupation, at an alleged cost of £35,000.

The eviction came as a surprise, as Malcolm Gillies had agreed to meet the students tomorrow morning at 9.30am to begin a dialogue about their futures. Clearly this was all false information and proves that his view of ‘consultation’ is that it is worthless. Tonight’s events illustrate how Gillies continues to cowardly refuse to communicate, even though his plans will devastate hundreds of lives.

Worried that they were about to be arrested, the students decided to leave the occupation peacefully, and now face having to find their ways home when public transport is closed.

The fight for our futures is now hanging in the balance. Please join us for a mass lobby of the Board of Governors on Wednesday at 4.30pm in Moorgate, to make a public protest to save London Met, and call for the resignation of Malcolm Gillies. This is disgraceful behaviour and such actions by Management should not be acceptable in a University environment.

http://wearelondonmet.wordpress.com/

A short clipbfrom today's TakeVAT protest at Heathrow airport - where people were inside terminal 3 chanting from the underpass / stairwell

See pics and background at http://london.indymedia.org/articles/7342

http://takevat20.blog.com/

http://twitter.com/takevat

A few quick pics from today's TakeVAT protest at Heathrow airport - see below for leaflet text. What struck me was the number of conversations people were having with holidaymakers and other passengers whilst watching the protest. There's a growing realisation about the unfair way in which the government(s) makes the rich richer, and hits the rest of us making us pay for their crisis. 

http://takevat20.blog.com/

http://twitter.com/takevat

Leaflet text:

Why we are doing this:

Did you know that the aviation industry pays no VAT?

This year it went up to 20% for the rest of us.

We think its unfair.

Aviation fuel is also tax free.

These tax dodgers cost the person on an average wage an extra £500 a year in taxes.

One of the dirtiest and noisiest industries in the world pays the least tax.

That’s plain stupid!

TakeVAT!

In central London, 23 activists have staged a 'sleep-in' [1] as the £2bn that HSBC will save could have paid for the estimated £1.8bn cuts to housing benefit which will force many to lose their homes. 20 Activists are also currently occupying an HSBC branch in central Liverpool.

Emi Summers says "Its bad enough Vodafone got let off, but now other companies like HSBC are all pushing to get the same deal from HMRC. With a current Minister having led the bank while this tax dodging was happening who knows what dodgy back room deals are going on. These companies should be made to pay the full tax so we can save our vital public services from being slashed"

This comes as Ukuncut holds its biggest day of action yet with protests taking place in over 50 towns and cities across the country against the coalition's public sector cuts and wide-spread tax avoidance by the wealthiest in society.

UKuncut have revealed today that HSBC is their latest target after it emerged yesterday that the bank is trying to be let off a £2billion tax bill. Ukuncut activists have today secretly targeted two of its branches in central London and Liverpool.

This follows on from an investigation printed only yesterday in Private-Eye by the former HMRC tax-inspector Richard Brookes. In it, he states that following the decision by HMRC to reduce Vodafone's tax bill by up to £6billion, it is thought that HSBC are trying to reach a similar settlement which will reduce their tax bill by £2billion. The current Trade Minister, Stephen Green, was also the Chief Executive of HSBC throughout the period that this tax avoidance took place.

Elsewhere, Sir Philip Green and Vodafone are likely to remain the focus of the growing public anger against tax avoidance by multi-national corporations and extremely wealthy individuals, that is estimated to cost the public purse £25billion every single year [2].

Each protest around the country has been organised autonomously by local people, often rapidly via Twitter and Facebook. Protests planned for today include pickets, sit-ins and flashmobs. There will be a disruptive tour of tax dodgers in Brighton and a 'Monaco Grand Prix' around Topshop in Oxford.

In London, hundreds of protesters will hit Oxford Street. Divided into two groups, they will stage a 'read in' at Vodafone's flagship store and a 'sports day' inside Topshop's flagship store, to highlight cuts to local libraries and school sports. Philip Green's £285m tax dodge could pay for two years of school sports and Vodafone's tax dodge could pay for every single cut to local governments this year.

Protesters have even designed an iPhone app to help people angry at the cuts to locate their local tax avoider and join their nearest protest [3].

Sir Philip Green owns the fashion empire Arcadia, which spreads across 2,500 UK stores and includes top brands such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins [4]

Green's empire Acardia is owned by Taveta Investments Limited - a holding company registered to a small office on the tax-haven island of Jersey [5]

Sir Philip Green is not however the official owner of Taveta Investments. Instead, the owners are his wife and immediate family, who reside in Monaco [6]

Monaco is of course famous for its 0% income tax. As a result, when Sir Philip Green - the 9th richest man in the UK with wealth estimated at £4.4bn in 2008 - in 2005 made the largest single dividend payout in UK corporate history to his wife of £1.2bn, he avoided paying a reported £285million in tax to the British public purse [7]

Amid criticism from key MPs, Sir Philip Green was also asked by the coalition government this year to advise them on austerity and cuts within the civil service [7]

Steven Hall, 31, said "Philip Green is a multi-billionaire tax avoider, and yet is regarded by David Cameron as an appropriate man to advise the government on austerity. His missing millions need to be reclaimed and invested into public services, not into his wife's bank account."

The UK uncut movement started in October, when over 30 Vodafone stores were closed by ordinary people who blockaded and picketed the store's entrances to stop trading 13 [8]

Those protests were sparked after Vodafone reached a ‘settlement' on a long standing tax dispute with HMRC earlier this year, following the change in government. Some experts believe the deal meant that Vodafone saved up to £6bn in tax [9].

Rebecca Davies, 32, said: "Over four years £100bn is expected to be lost the public purse to tax avoidance, which could pay for so many of the cuts that will hit the poorest in our society"

"The argument that only way to cut the public deficit is to cut public services is a lie. The coalition is ideologically smashing a public sector that supports the poorest in society."

She continued today that "Ordinary people around Britain will stand up and show that they will not be lied to, and that we will not let these unnecessary cuts happen without a fight."

...............................................
For further comment:
UK Uncut: | ukuncut@gmail.com | 07597354939 | 07591992825 |
..............................................

Notes to editors:

[1] http://twitpic.com/3h29it

http://twitpic.com/3h2884

[2] Richard Murphy, a long standing and respected campaigner on the issue of tax-avoidance has produced a report stating that 25bn is lost to the public purse by tax avoidance. £13bn through individuals. £12bn through large corporations.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/touchstone/Missingbillions/1missingbillions.pdf

[3] http://ukuncut.mobi/

[4] http://www.arcadiagroup.co.uk/about/index.html Arcadia also own, Burton, Wallis, Evans and Topman.

[5] http://www.arcadiagroup.co.uk/about/index.html
And the office in jersey was shown by Channel 4's Dispatches broadcast on Monday 18th October.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/episode-guide/series-72/episode-1

[6] http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2004/nov/03/money

[7] http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2010/08/13/sir-philip-green-the-wrong-man-to-head-a-review-of-public-spending/

[8] see www.ukuncut.org.uk

[9] The original investigation was completed by Richard Brookes, a tax inspector, at Private-Eye, but has since been written about by other journalists.
http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=in_the_back
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=514832&in_page_id=2
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/14/vodafone-tax-evasion-revenue-customs

…You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows: occupation of universities everywhere in Europe, blockage of the cities, manif sauvage, rage. This is the answer of a generation to whom they want to cut the future with debts for studying, cuts of welfare state and increasing of tuition fees. 

The determination of thousand of students in London, the rage of who assault the Italian Senate house against the austerity and the education cuts, has opened the present time: this is because the future is something to gain that start when you decide collectively to take risk and to struggle.

The extraordinary struggles that we are living have the capacity to show a present with an intensity that exceed the linearity of the time, that refuse our precarity condition: it is an assault to the future!

We don’t want to get into debt, we don’t want to pay more fees to study in London as well as in Paris, Wien, Rome, Athens, Madrid, Dublin, Lisbon. This European movement is about refusing austerity policies, refusing to get into debt for these miserable politicians. Que se vayan todos!

What is happening nowadays in Rome first spread out in Athens and Paris, then in Dublin and London: it is the irruption of a movement who speaks a common language, the same young generation in revolt, who inhabits different cities but shares the same determination to struggle, «floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee».

We have to meet each other and invent a new political grammar against the weakness of the Nation-state and their strategy to face the crisis: their receipt is just austerity, cuts and debt.          

In Italy we have occupied not only universities, but also blocked motorways and the mobility of the country in order to circulate struggles outside the national borders and coming in Europe and beyond. The circulation of struggles is living within the Book Block and the wild demonstration in London, Paris and Rome.

This autumn we are living a real European student movement, that is various and radical, really heterogeneous. Its common reclaim comes from a protest that is born in the middle of the crisis, and that represents the most courageous answer. It is a struggle composed by different struggles, heterogeneous temporalities that reclaim more scholarships for student and a public university for everyone.  

Within the book block a new generation recognized and found itself in the protest. Today in lots of cities the Italian student movement is showing something more than just solidarity: this is because your struggle is our struggle and all around Europe students are against the increasing of fees, the privatisation of the university and the education cuts.  You are not alone in UK: an European event, a new generation do not want to stop. We have the force whom want to change the world and we have the intelligence to do it. It is just the beginning!

We propose to students, researchers, precarious workers and PhD students to build up together an European meeting at the beginning of the 2011, to continue the struggle, to transform this wind in a tempest!

Uniriot Roma, Anomalia Sapienza

>> more info: www.uniriot.org

Inspired by and in solidarity with the Italian protesters in Rome, and all those fighting austerity cuts

The Book Bloc joins the student and public sector workers' protest to affirm and defend what is under attack: Our universities and public libraries, literacy, thought, culture and jobs. In the past few weeks our attempts to do so peacefully have been met by police with batons, riot shields and horses. These are not isolated incidents of brutality but part of a system of institutional violence. By bringing books into the streets we are drawing attention to the violence at the heart of the neo-liberal ideology of the Con-Dem government.

When the police kettle us, baton us or charge us we will not only see police violence against individuals but the state's violence against free thought, expression and education.

Books are our tools – we teach with them, we learn with them, we play with them, we create with them, we make love with them and, sometimes, we must fight with them.
Book Bloc

University of the Arts London, Camberwell College of Art is now OCCUPIED!We now have an Amazing space at Wilson Road (SE5 8LU) which is occupied…!! The Lecture Theatre will become a space for students to plan action, make work and perform. It will act as a student union and catalyst to create ideas for action and organisation. We call for more support and involvement! The space is open and everyone is invited to be involved in discussion making and workshop building. Open meeting today: 6.12.10 at 3.30pm.

We, the students of Camberwell College of Arts, believe that if the massive cuts proposed for education happen, it is unlikely that academies such as ours will continue to exist. Arts and humanities courses are being targeted with the largest cuts, while still requiring a great deal of funding, which even a rise in fees will not cover. In response, we have decided to occupy the Wilson’s Road building at our college.
We see the arts as occupying a vital place within society, one which benefits us all, both culturally and economically. If arts education ceases to be a viable route for students, that benefit will be lost.

An artless society is a heartless society!

We oppose the transformation of education into a market. Education should be a forum for all publics, not just those who can afford, to learn, experiment and debate.

Therefore, we call for all arts students, especially those from UAL to join this occupation, and call for more arts-led occupation and actions. We propose to use our space for a practice led resistance.  We will run workshops, performances, debates and experiments, creating a collective space of generative discourse. At no point will we disrupt any fellow student’s education, allowing all scheduled lectures to continue. We wish to propose, rather than simply oppose!

We demand that UAL:

• Issue a statement condemning all cuts to Arts education, and the rise in tuition fees and defending the value (economically and culturally) of Arts education for society, and its place within government funded education.
• Put pressure on the MP of every borough that UAL has a college in to vote against the educational reforms.
• Guarantee that there be no more course closures, or course amalgamations. This includes, if possible, the re-instatement of the Ceramics course at Camberwell.
• Safeguard all jobs for our teaching, research and support staff.
• Issue a statement guaranteeing no further cuts in access time to workshops and facilities. This means no losses of current facilities, studio space or access time to workshops.
• Provide full details of the existing budgets, and any projections of how the budget is likely to be spent if cuts and fee reforms do happen.
• Provide all cleaning, catering and security staff with a full living wage package, again with no loss of jobs or hours, and that all outsourced staff and services are brought back in-house.
• Provide a more effective, regular structure for student feedback which effects positive change, in the normal running of the University.
• Do not victimize anyone taking part in this occupation.
• Allow free access in and out of the occupation for all students, staff, speakers and other visitors.

The Occupiers, Camberwell College of Arts

An angry crowd of Haringey residents marched on Wood Green Topman and Boots shops this morning (Sat 4th Dec) in protest against the corporations' tax-dodging activities and against the government's cuts. Protesters gathered outside Boots with placards, leaflets and a banner reading "Make corporations not people pay".

A tax collector from the Haringey Big Society for Revenue and Customs was amongst the protesters. He led the crowd into the shop as customers were alerted of Boots's dodgy tax practices by protesters. He then gave the store manager a bill for £86 million bill to pass on to the company's management. It was made clear to staff beforehand that the action was targeted at management not workers. The crowd only left the shop when it was agreed that the tax bill would be passed on to management.

The scene was then repeated at Topman a few yards further down the High Road. Retail billionaire Philip Green's tax bill was left to the store manager. Outside, a megaphone was used to inform the public of the corporation's tax evasion tactics, which are damaging everyone.

Rather than fighting tax avoidance, the government is making us pay for the bill by imposing cuts to all services. This morning, the Big Society for Revenue and Customs sent a clear message to corporations and politicians that we will not bow down to this!

How Boots are walking right all over us

As exposed by the media, Boots the Chemist are stealing £86 million a year from the public thanks to a tax dodge. They moved their headquarters to Switzerland to avoid paying UK taxes and the government are letting them get away with it.

Retail billionaire Philip Green, head of the Arcadia Group (Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfrdige, Burton, etc) dodged a £300m tax bill in 2005! The group is registered in the name of his wife who lives in Monaco. Despite this, David Cameron has recently appointed Philip Green as a public spending adviser!

From tax haven to public services hell

This is all happening at the same time as massive cuts are made to public services. What we are seeing is a deliberate attack on the majority of the population by corrupt politicians who work hand in hand with greedy global businesses. The rich are getting away without paying taxes while the poor, the unemployed, the disabled, students and public service workers face the brunt of the cuts.

This is no coincidence! The cuts aren't made out of economical necessity but are driven by the government's anti-working class agenda.

Resist the cuts

We say we have to fight back! The anti-Vodafone protests, the students protesters in London and striking London Underground workers have shown us the way. We have to make it quite clear to the ruling elite that we will not put up with DAYLIGHT ROBBERY from Boots, Vodafone, Bankers or any other Fat Cat criminals!

Protests at Topshop and other shops owned by tax evaders, Oxford Street, London, Saturday 4th December 2010

When this government let Vodafone get away with not paying a £6bn tax bill earlier this year they sent a very clear message to UK citizens: we are not all in this together. Ordinary people must accept savage public spending cuts, whilst rich corporations can avoid paying billions and billions in tax.

Sir Philip Green - owner of Topshop (and other Arcadia Group stores Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans and Miss Selfridge) transfers profits to his wife - tax-resident in Monaco - as dividends. In 2005 alone she received £1.2bn, avoiding paying a penny of that in UK tax. UK Uncut have called for protests in response.

See http://www.ukuncut.org.uk

This evening around 20 students from Brunel University visited Vince Cable's surgery in Twickenham to protest against his proposal to increase tuition fees.

This evening around 20 students from Brunel University visited Vince Cable's surgery in Twickenham to protest against his proposal to increase tuition fees.

Students set up camp outside the Business Secretary's surgery in sub-zero temperatures demanding answers for his decision to vote in favour of increasing fees. The group was joined by students from a local school, and support was offered by passers-by as well as members of the public attending surgery. The group was prevented from entering the 'public' office and so a few representatives attended to directly question the MP.

This proved fruitless, however, as the Member of Parliament's arguments were lacking in much basis or substance. When asked: "Have you thought about how to protect international students from unlimited fees?" Vince Cable replied, "Not yet." A similar tone followed throughout.

The group were then obstructed from entering the surgery in an attempt to peacefully occupy the space and threatened by a member of staff. Police arrived shortly after with two cars and a van. Threatening the group with arrest, they were told to move to the opposite side of the road invoking "Section 14." This implied that "the purpose of the persons organising it is the intimidation of others with a view to compelling them not to do an act they have a right to do, or to do an act they have a right not to do." This had no bearing on the reality of the situation.

Vince Cable was then given a Police escort away from his surgery, but not before the group blocked the road and again demanded answers. Police forcefully removed the students and Mr. Cable was able to flee without truly facing up to the group.

A video of the events is currently being compiled.

Last night some students from the London Metropolitan University occupied part of the university's North Campus in protest against the government cuts to Higher Education. They believe the suggested massive hike in fees and cuts to teaching budgets will irreparably damage student education in general and their university in particular.

A rally in support of the occupation was called for today at 12.30 pm, and this evening there's a free lecture in the university's Tower Building in Holloway road.

The occupation facebook page is at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001888688573&v=wall

Occupation Hotline: 07775531897

Thousands of students and austerity cuts protestors took to the streets of London on DayX2 in another national day of action [uk reports]. Refusing to be stopped by hundreds of police officers [1,2] they took their protest mobile, marching miles across the capital city chanting slogans, chased by a police force playing catch up [report + pics]. Later having returned to Trafalgar Square clashes saw one woman knocked unconscious. Mass arrests followed with around 140 people arrested for breach of the peace in an apparent new policing tactic [report + pics].

SEE: Full Account, Pics + Upcoming Demos | Timeline | Tumblewire | Videos [1,2,3,4,5,6] Kings Occupied | Slade Occupied | Cuts Wire | Legal Support 07946541511

Why we are on the streets

Second Lecture - University For Strategic Optimism

As part of today's DayX2 student's protests the University For Strategic Optimism has given a second lecture in a Tesco's megastore in London's Old Kent Road.

• See video here

The first lecture took place during the DayX students protests of last Thursdayy 25th November.

• See report and video here

University For Strategic Optimism blog here

Please find below the statement from the King's College London occupation, please circulate this as soon as possible


Students at King’s College London have peacefully occupied a large lecture theatre (K2.31) on the Strand Campus to express their outrage at the government’s proposed cuts and rises in tuition fees. We ask the management of King’s College London to support us in our campaign to oppose such proposed changes in the British education system. We urge all students and members of the King’s College London Students’ Union to join us. We stand together with other students, workers and citizens facing cuts from the coalition government in the UK. We also extend our solidarity internationally to those students and workers around the world who are engaged in similar movements.

Please send messages of support to  kcloccupation1@gmail.com, or visit our blog kcloccupation1.blogspot.com, our Facebook page ‘KCL occupation’ or twitter @kcloccupation

KCL Occupation
- e-mail: kcloccupation1@gmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.kcloccupation1.blogspot.com