Tagged: picket
Bristol Joins Actions Against Byron
Setting up the banners for the picket
This weekend, responding to a call out from ourselves and SolFed, forty people gathered to picket the Bristol branch of Byron Burgers.
We wanted to show our opposition to their owner’s cowardly & selfish decision to lay a trap for their own workers, rather than risk a fine. By joining in with the UK wide campaign we aim to hurt Byron Burgers economically and show our solidarity with ALL workers – regardless of where they are from.
The demonstration certainly had an impact, the entire time we were present (7pm-9pm on a Saturday night!) only one group of people went into the chain, and there were only a handful of deliveries. Whilst it was a ‘little’ empty inside, the entire front of the shop was taken up with protesters, who were spilling out either side in front of the neighboring (closed) shops. The response from passers by was largely positive, many reminded of the news story and talking about it as they went past after seeing us. We handed out hundreds of leaflets, only stopping near the end when we simply ran out. Meanwhile, the trouble makers down in Wessex Solidarity Continue reading
Demo Against Byron Burgers This Saturday
The Byron Burgers chain called dozens of their London staff to a ‘health and safety’ briefing. Instead of facing a mundane meeting, immigration officers burst into the room detaining everyone present for hours, and deporting 35 people.
After the story broke in Spanish language newspaper El Iberico a number of groups and unions including Byron workers have called for action against Byron, with hundreds taking part across the country. These workers had been at Byron for up to 4 years, helping to earn millions in profits for the investment fund owners and their offshore companies. These same owners were quick to jump at the chance to throw them under the bus to save their own skins, ruining peoples lives to avoid a fine.
We need to stand together with ALL workers, no matter where they are from. This is how we improve the lives of ordinary people, by fighting back against the corporate owners who drive down wages, dodge taxes and rip us off daily.
Meet: Outside Bristol Museum 6.45pm on Saturday 6th
Demo: From 7pm outside Byron Burgers, 62 Queens Road on the Triangle Continue reading
Trust Doctors, Not Tories – Support the BMA!
‘We need all concerned citizens, activists and trade unionists to stand alongside us in this fight’ – Dr Yannis Gourtsoyannis BMA Executive. Read the full call out.
On Sunday the union representing Junior doctors, the British Medical Association, held its second march through Bristol ahead of strike action this Wednesday morning. Once again Bristol AFed and scores of other supporters marched with them, and the response from others in the streets was universally positive.
The BMA’s message is simple, the government is attempting to push through ideologically driven changes to their contracts that will negatively affect not only junior doctors but the level of care they are capable of providing. Junior Doctors can already be called upon to work 70 hour weeks, often in extremely challenging and stressful roles and at nights and weekends. The Tories are seeking not only to cut their pay (whilst they continue to be burdened with an average £100,000 in university debt) but weaken their contracts, forcing unsafe working patterns on essential NHS staff. Continue reading
May Day Demonstrators Clash with Mall Security
Being removed from the galleries, video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLEj8DrsL8w
Last Friday was May Day, and as working class agitators we wanted to celebrate it with some action. Having dedicated much of our time to the Bookfair, Anti-Election Campaigning, SolNet, workplace organising, and producing Organise!84 we didn’t have quite as much time to plan and mobilise as in 2012/13. A call out for a week of action against workfare made it easy to choose what to do though. Afterall the DWP listed us as a threat to the workfare scheme – and we want to disappoint our fans. Continue reading
Santa Bloc : Spreading Anti-Capitalist Seasonal Cheer
On Saturday 13th of December, a group of spirited anarchists and other rebellious pixies, donned Christmas hats and Santa beards. Armed with several hundred leaflets, several dozen mince pies, and a handful of song sheets we set out to inject a bit of anti capitalist rebellion into the heart of the consumer season!
We’d decided that companies exploiting people via the governments ‘workfare’ forced labour schemes were particularly worthy of our scorn at this time of year. We set about demonstrating and partying outside and, despite the protests of a tag along PCSO, inside a number of serial offenders.
Solidarity from Bristol to Ferguson – Fight police repression everywhere
On Saturday some Bristol AFed members and friends took the streets to express our Solidarity with the Ferguson, Mo. Since their community rose up to protest the police murder of an unarmed teenager, Mike Brown and the racist harassment they have suffered for years, they face near total repression at the hands of a militarised police force. We came out to add our voice in solidarity, and to amplify their views and their voice. The strength shown in resisting both the crack down and the attempts at pacification from politicians and self declared leaders has been inspiring. Continue reading
No excuses for being bored this weekend!
Four actions in under 24 hours this Friday & Saturday!
Things kick off (as in start that is, not, you know, kick off) with the Anti-Police harassment demonstration 6.30pm, Assembling at Newton Park, Old Market going to Trinity Police Station (MAP) Bring noise, banners, lanterns etc.
A little later in the evening some of us will be taking the short walk to the central fire station to support the FBU members who are staging a four hour strike as part of their fight to prevent the raising of their retirement age.
On Saturday at 12.30pm, the ‘Save Our City’ coalition of anticuts groupings in Bristol are organising a demo against George Ferguson and his plan to cut 1000 jobs, they’re making it a personal and will be protesting outside the Tobacco Factory bar/cafe that he owns and uses as his central bristol base. Facebook Event.
Finally, just down the road from the anti cuts demonstration over in East Street, our friends at Sol Fed have organised a picket of Santander beginning at 2.30pm. This is part of an international campaign of solidarity with a CNT member in Spain who was fired from his job at Santander for union organising, facebook event!
Hope to see you in the streets, let us know if you attend all four and we might give you a cookie.
Love & Rage,
Bristol Anarchist Federation
Stuff the Banks – Take Action This Saturday
Crowd outside a Starbucks that was shutdown during our last UK Uncut action
Whilst hundreds of thousands of people in the UK rely on foodbanks, and millions around the world starve, the wealthiest millionaires (&billionaires) continue to accumalate yet more wealth – and mostly avoid giving any of it back as tax. The capitalist system is rigged, and if we don’t smash it soon it’s going to smash us.
We’re here to say we DO mind the gap between the richest and the rest of us, they are certainly not ‘in it together’ with us.
We will turn a branch of HSBC (notorious for their tax avoidance schemes) into a bank that serves the rest of us – a food bank.
Bring flags, placards, noise, friends and food to share (or if you can’t spare any just a hungry stomach – we’ll be bringing lots).
Meet up at Queen Square 1pm on Saturday, look for the flags & placards
See you in the banks!
UK Uncut Page Facebook Event Indymedia Event
Global Reports of May Day Actions 2013
MAY DAY – May 1st – has been celebrated as International Worker’s Day since 1890. The date was chosen by members of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket Affair which occurred in Chicago, United States in 1886: On May 1st 1886 American unions held a nationwide general strike. An estimated 400,000 workers went on strike in Chicago. In the days following the strike, seven anarchists were framed and sentenced to death after a bomb was thrown at the police during a rally called on May 4th in response to an act of police violence following the strike outside the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company on May 3rd that left six workers dead.
For a full history of the Haymarket Affair, the Haymarket Martyrs and the origins of May Day please watch this talk by Bristol Radical History Group from 2012 at Hydra Books.
Across the world yesterday workers took to the streets to celebrate International Worker’s Day (1st May)! We have complied below a incomplete list of actions from around the globe. With this list we hope to showcase the sheer size and diversity of the modern worker’s movements:
Homebase update – Demonstrations This Weekend
The big weekend! Homebase have been quiet since Wednesday, when they released a frankly lame statement about maybe suspending further commitment to workfare. They’re probably waiting to see what happens so lets make sure we get their attention.
If you can, get down to a protest, listed on facebook and indymedia (Bristol Bath) or grab a friend, print some of the boycott workfare leaflets and head to your local homebase to talk to staff/customers!
If neither is possible call them on 0845 077 8888 or try 0800 0850565 (always be polite to ppl who work in call centres).
You can also drop them a fax for free using Continue reading
Bristol Anarchist Federation 