Occupy ALL Streets
By Kwadwo Kari-Kari
“All day, all week, we sleep on London’s freezing streets.” – Occupy LSX placard
Let me start with a confession: I have not spent a single night sleeping at any of the occupations. If that appalls you, I can only apologise. However, I was one of two protesters that successfully “occupied” Paternoster Square from noon to 2pm on 15th October (mainly by hanging out in Starbucks).
Yet still, I see myself as part of the Occupy Movement, and admire those who camp at St. Paul’s and Finsbury Square. And I believe that many others share my point of view. Many sympathisers and supporters are not attracted to sleeping on freezing streets as a means of enabling social change. It might thus be useful to diversity the movement and engage more of the 99% we claim to represent.
Whilst many take inspiration from Occupy Wall Street, my inspiration comes from the South: From the “Indignados” of Spain, the uprisings in Egypt and Uganda, the Women of Zimbabwe Arise movement, the international peasant movement: Via Campesina and the South African shack-dwellers movement: Abahlali baseMjondolo.
Yesterday’s Prime Ministers Questions – Condensed in Tweets
As some followers of The Multicultural Politic, are aware, every now and then I translate the waffle and guff spoken during Prime Minister’s questions into ordinary language. The words in quotes are literal, everything else is inferred by me.
DISCLAIMER: This is only for fun not an accurate reporting of the event.
Was the Dale Farm eviction really “Ethnic Cleansing”?
Over the past day, weeks and months, we have witnessed an unprecedented use of force and power towards one section of an ethnic minority community based in Essex. The local police constabulary and Basildon Council have admitted that the residents of Dale Farm pose no criminal threat nor are a source of other social antagonism other than simply wanting to live among the more “settled” elements. However the “peaceful eviction” was initiated by riot police bludgeoning faces with batons and firing tasers at protestors.
This was we are led to believe part of “facilitating” the enforcement of civil law. It is clear that the state is going beyond its normal throes of oppression. “Yeah it is really bad”, a friend tells me, “but is it really ‘ethnic cleansing’? Doesn’t that hyperbole totally demean all those people that really are suffering from ethnic cleansing and genocide?”
Migrant Stories: The story of my father, the story of myself
From Migrant Rights’ Network:
Mihir Bose speaking at TEDxEastEnd:
A letter from Troy Davis to his supporters
I want to thank all of you for your efforts and dedication to Human Rights and Human Kindness, in the past year I have experienced such emotion, joy, sadness and never ending faith. It is because of all of you that I am alive today, as I look at my sister Martina I am marveled by the love she has for me and of course I worry about her and her health, but as she tells me she is the eldest and she will not back down from this fight to save my life and prove to the world that I am innocent of this terrible crime.
As I look at my mail from across the globe, from places I have never ever dreamed I would know about and people speaking languages and expressing cultures and religions I could only hope to one day see first hand. I am humbled by the emotion that fills my heart with overwhelming, overflowing Joy. I can’t even explain the insurgence of emotion I feel when I try to express the strength I draw from you all, it compounds my faith and it shows me yet again that this is not a case about the death penalty, this is not a case about Troy Davis, this is a case about Justice and the Human Spirit to see Justice prevail.
I cannot answer all of your letters but I do read them all, I cannot see you all but I can imagine your faces, I cannot hear you speak but your letters take me to the far reaches of the world, I cannot touch you physically but I feel your warmth everyday I exist.
A few thoughts on the UK Riots debates
The events of last week has fuelled lots of discussion on the riots. From Parliament to the streets, we’ve seen blame being laid at the door of bankers to single parents. But if you sought insightful analysis, you’d do better to look at your local street and listen to the young people themselves rather than the usual commentariat or the institutions of power.
Last week’s Prime Ministers’ Questions was held at a record length of over 2 hours… yet it was abymsal as a meaningful discussion and totally barren in terms of containing any revelatory ideas.
How we should respond to the riots
An African-Caribbean woman venting her frustration at the rioters [contains swearing]
Looted: The Money Shop on Rye Lane, Peckham
On Tuesday morning, I took the time to go around Peckham Rye and High Street to survey the damage of Monday night’s riots. It wasn’t as bad as I had feared but the damage was considerable. Gregg’s the bakers was burnt out, destroying the several homes above it and endangering the families that contained them. It was fortunate that no one was killed. Sadly this was not true in Birmingham where 3 people have tragically died whilst trying to protect their community.
This phenomenon isn’t rooted in purely economic or social failings but a complex web of factors. Rather than seeking the causes or motivations of the rioters, we should recognise what this represents and discuss how we should respond to it.
PCS statement on the UK Riots
Thousands of our members live and work in the communities that have been hit by the vandalism and looting of recent days. Tragically many people have lost their homes, and many more their workplace, potentially their job and income too.
We echo the words of the Fire Brigades Union, “these events illustrate the bravery and commitment of London’s firefighters, and the entire capital will be grateful to them”. Our emergency services in London and other cities have once again shown that they play a vital role in protecting the public.
Public sector workers, from police community support officers to welfare advisers and from teachers to youth workers, will have a huge role to play in rebuilding and in maintaining a sense of community. The government has spent recent months disrespecting these workers and attacking their jobs, pensions and pay; it is time for that to stop and for them to recognise their valuable contribution to society.
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The Big Bill Die In
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