Saturday 9 October 2010

Right to Work protest at Tory Conference

7000 marched against Tory cuts in Birminghamlast Sunday!!

See photos here: http://sites.google.com/site/righttoworkconference/home/tory-conference-demonstration/picturesfromthedemonstration

Activists prepare for protests on Wednesday 20thOctober.

The day of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

In locations all over the U.K., including Oxford!!

Other locations:

http://sites.google.com/site/righttoworkconference/home/future-events-1/protestsagainstthecondemspendingreview

Last Sunday

We came in our thousands, defying pouring rain, to tell David Cameron and the Tories we won't pay for a crisis we did not create.


A physically impaired contingent led the way, expressing their anger over attacks on benefits, and behind them came a sea of trade union banners. Large contingents of trade unionists were joined by campaign bodies, students, pensioners and the unemployed.


There were people from the Labour Party, the Green Party, the Socialist Workers Party and no party.


The chief steward, Chris Bambery, said 7000 marched, not to be outdone the PCS general secretary quoted a figure of 10,000.

As one civil servant said, 'with this rain everyone whose marching is here to be counted.'


MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell were joined at the pre-march rally with a diverse range of speakers - reflecting all those who will be targeted by George Osborne on 20 October.


After the march some 300 people crammed into a lively meeting on "Building the Resistance in Europe to Cuts & Austerity" with Jorge Costa, a Portuguese Left Bloc MP, Greek trade unionist Dina Garane and Chris Bambery of Right to Work.


Sunday's protest exceeded organisers expectations. This has been the biggest protest against the Con-Dem cuts but as Paul Brandon, chair of Right to Work, said this was just the firing of the starting pistol.

We need to use Sunday to build the protests on 19, 20 and 23 October; to build for the TUC national demonstration next march and to argue the need for a French, Greek and Spanish style general strike.

The alliances we need locally and nationally need to reflect Sunday's unity. It requires co-operation not competition. A national anti-cuts movement needs to grow organically, not to be imposed by one group.

Right to Work wants to talk to all those pledged to build the resistance in that spirit.


On Sunday 5 December we will host a national meeting on how to fight the cuts. We do not intend to launch another campaign but instead to provide a forum where can learn from each other and work together.

In the mean time we wish to extend and deepen local Right to Work groups to help create strong and vibrant networks of resistance.


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