The Red Pepper round-up: 14 September
14 September 2012: A selection of ace articles and videos from this week and upcoming actions for the following week, by Izzy Koksal
And the booing of politicians continues... this time it was Ed Balls who was put in his place by angry trade unionists after he refused to promise them pay rises if the Labour government come into power.
There was good news for the majority of the 182 Critical Mass cyclists who were arrested on the night of the Olympics Opening Ceremony for the crime of cycling; realising that they had no case whatsoever the Metropolitan police will be taking no further action against them. The police’s actions on that night – which saw people detained on buses, denied food and water, and given punitive bail conditions – were a clear abuse of police power as they sought to use the Olympics as an excuse for heavy handed tactics.
After anti-workfare campaigners forced the retreat of workfare in corporate stores across the country, the government have shifted their workfare schemes into the charity sector in the hope of rebranding workfare. Here are 10 arguments detailing what is wrong with charity workfare. In other workfare news, yet another case study has emerged of workfare being used to replace paid workers jobs.
As the housing crisis intensifies, resistance to it is building. Brum Tenants and Homeless Action Group have produced a report and an interactive map showing the 607 empty houses owned by Birmingham city council. If the council do not act, they will use the information they have gathered and take action themselves. In west London, West Ken and Gibbs Green tenants have been campaigning against Hammersmith and Fulham council’s plans to sell of their homes to private developers. The council agreed a £105 million land sale to developer CapCo last Monday, but local residents promise ‘we shall never surrender!’
Climate protesters built a giant ice pyramid blockading Shell’s London HQ in protest against their Arctic drilling.
Listen to Open Democracy’s ‘What was the true legacy of the Olympics?’ discussion with Suzanne Moore and Dan Hancox and join in the debate online.
The Centre for Labour and Social Studies has published a pamphlet presenting the key findings from Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson’s ground breaking book ‘The Spirit Level’.This is a great resource for furthering our discussions on inequality and what we can do about it. Owen Jones discusses the pamphlet here.
The latest edition of ‘Social Movements Studies’ is a special issue dedicated to the Occupy movement to mark its one year anniversary. The articles will be free to access and download until mid-November. Follow this link and register to access.
Upcoming events
Pussy Riot protest London as part of the Global Day of Action, Saturday 15 September, 11am, opposite the Russian Consulate at Bayswater Road
UK Feminista Summer School, 15-16 September, 10am, University of Bristol Students’ Union
Lambeth Save Our Services ‘Stop the Cuts’ lobby of Lambeth Council, Wednesday 19 September, 6pm, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton
Fight for Sites public meeting organised by the Traveller Solidarity Network, Thursday 20 September, 7.30pm, Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street, E1 6LS
Equal marriage: DUP homophobia shames Northern Ireland Equal marriage must come to Northern Ireland, writes Adam McGibbon
To ‘Camp Frack’, and beyond! Paul Mobbs reflects on the national extreme energy gathering, and the challenges for our campaigns during the coming year
After Woolwich – Stand together against the politics of hate Michael Calderbank says nothing excuses the Woolwich killing - but the hands of our political classes are no less besmirched with blood
Dawkins vs democracy Leigh Phillips looks at Richard Dawkins’ proposal to put scientists instead of bishops in the House of Lords
The Spark of learning Morten Thaysen Laurberg previews a week of workshops, skill shares, organising, and talks in London in the lead up to the G8
Right-to-buy in the great rip-off economy On the Woodberry Down estate in Hackney, all the council homes are being demolished in a £1billion regeneration project. It is a perfect illustration of why we have such a housing shortage says Koos Couvée
Fasting to support Guantanamo Bay hunger strikers We spoke to Maya Evans during her fast over the weekend in solidarity with Guantanamo Bay hunger-strikers
A new party of the left comes one step closer Salman Shaheen of Left Unity, the group supporting Ken Loach’s call for a new left party in Britain, reports from its first national meeting
Diary of a ‘wannabe MP’: local elections, UKIP and the left Davy Jones is Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown at the next general election and a member of Red Pepper’s board. This is the second of a series of regular blogs on his campaign
South Africa’s poor resist home attacks Amid Britain's decision to cut aid for South Africa by 2015, Caroline Elliot hears from poor shack dwellers who vow to resist the destruction of their homes.
Confronting the Climate Crisis: Graham Petersen interview On Saturday 8 June the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group is holding a conference bringing together climate scientists, trade unionists and environmental activists. Red Pepper's environment editor Kara Moses speaks to Graham Petersen, UCU environment and Greener Jobs Alliance co-ordinator
Tapping the resistance in Greece A combination of opposing privatisation and putting forward practical alternatives is helping water campaigners mount an effective challenge to austerity in Greece. Hilary Wainwright reports
The seven faces of Michael Gove Mike Peters looks at how the Tory education secretary uses the words and ideas of the left to win support for his policies
The Brighton pay dispute: the union view GMB union organiser Rob Macey puts the workers' side of the argument
The pay dispute at Brighton council: a Green view Davy Jones, Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown, gives his view of a dispute that has caused huge debate among Green Party members in the city and across the country
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