By an AF member, published in Freedom, vol. 72 no. 16.

http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/2011/09/27/june-30th-an-anarchist-teacher%E2%80%99s-perspective/

With the up and coming Nov 30th general public sector workers strike and ‘day of action’, and the Nov 9th national demonstration for education we re-visit an article written by an anarchist teacher after the recent June 30th one day strike as a useful guide to possible strategies and how we can best utilise our resources and organise as a movement against the cuts.

As an anarchist, I was not initially impressed by the idea of a one day strike. It didn’t sound very militant- going out on strike at the end of term after the exams were over when the students were about to finish in any case; there wasn’t going to be much impact. However, having now experienced the build-up to the day, the day itself and the aftermath, I now think that the were many positive benefits in helping to build more long-term resistance to both the issue of pensions and the cuts in general.

Before the strike

• There was much discussion amongst staff about the issues of pensions and what is happening to education in general.
• People began to think outside their own immediate situation and were more aware of how government policies are affecting their lives.
• There was debate about the whole idea of going on strike with people expressing a desire to ‘do something’. The act of going on strike made people feel that at long last there were able to express their anger at what is happening.
• The problem of divisions between different unions was made apparent. Many people wanted to support the strike but could not because ‘their union had not called them out’. The principal reinforced these divisions by sending out a strongly worded letter about people being in ‘breach of contract’ if they went on strike, especially if they were not in a union that was striking. There was much discussion of the issues we all have in common with support staff, who are in Unison and therefore were not officially on strike.
• The strike provided the opportunity to discuss general educational issues with students and of furthering links between staff and students. There was much sympathy for the strikes.
• In general, the strike provided the opportunity to discuss politics at work.
• The strike also provided the anarchist movement with the opportunity of developing its role as a source of solidarity as well as a sound analysis of the situation. The anarchist role was to stress the background to the attack on pensions (banking crisis and bail-out, ideological attack etc) as well as arguing for the unity all education workers, including the ‘users’ of education, in a common campaign.
• The Solidarity Federation produced useful leaflets that other anarchists could use. The focus was on unity of all staff, students and parents. In addition, the leaflet raised general issues affecting education such as EMA, rather than focusing solely on pensions. My comrades in the Anarchist Federation leafleted outside my college and I helped leaflet outside another comrade’s college.

The Day of the Strike

• The strike was almost 100% supported by union members. Very few students came in. However, other staff crossed the picket line, despite many expressing sympathy. The college was described as a ‘ghost town’ on that day.
• Many people went on the demonstration who wouldn’t normally go. There is more interaction between NUT members on a borough-wide level.

Aftermath

• There is a general feeling of anticipation- that there is more to come. However, this feeling could easily dissipate over the summer holidays.

What to do now

My role as an anarchist in my college is to make sure that the momentum to build a movement of resistance is kept up. There are a number of things to be done.

• Regular meetings that involve as many people as possible; joint meetings of teaching staff AND support staff should become the norm. Support staff may be on strike in the autumn; we need to develop solidarity between all staff and get student support.
• People need to rely less on union reps and borough officials. At the moment, people still seem to look to them for ‘leadership’ rather than taking control themselves. The whole idea of the union ‘calling out its members’ as if we are obedient sheep needs to be transformed into a situation in which workers on the ground are making these decisions for themselves.
• Education workers need to be more pro-active in gaining support within the community. The movement needs to be generalised.

Role of the anarchist movement

Though there are some anarchists in the workplaces themselves, most anarchists are supporting the struggle from ‘outside’. However, the key point we need to be making is we are not ‘outside’ but people who are very much affected by these issues and therefore the struggle of the public sector workers is everyone’s fight. The unions are highly unlikely to build a genuine mass movement against the cuts. They have their own narrow interests and in the long run their leaderships will sabotage any struggle. Anarchists have a clear role to play both within and outside of unions to help build a strong, effective movement of resistance. We need to start doing this now. Ideas include:

• Arguing for links to be made between community anti-cuts groups and the public sector workers. There shouldn’t be a separation between the workers and the ‘users’; they should come together in the same campaign.
• A campaign of propaganda must be launched that keeps the momentum going and begins to build support now for the actions that will most likely be coming in the future. Anarchists have the ideas and analysis to help the struggle succeed and we must share these ideas with others through leaflets, posters and stickers, stalls and rallies.
• Given the strength of the anarchist movement amongst students and young people, anarchists can contribute to the building of links between students and the staff at schools, colleges and universities.

Conclusion

There are so many things anarchists can be doing.

1.We need to embed ourselves where possible in workplace organisation working along the guidelines suggested above.

2. We need to work against the cuts in the neighbourhoods and boroughs, where possible within existing anti-cuts groups. Too often, these groups are extremely small or behave in a tokenistic way. Anarchists should, where possible, attempt to open these groups up and to move them beyond narrow groupings of union militants to groups encompassing pensioners, students (whether in school, FE colleges or universities) tenants groups and others in the neighbourhoods. They need to be enlarged and to take part in actions that lead to small local victories, for example forcing the local council to retreat on the closure of a library, youth centre or community centre.

A lot of this work could be seen as boring in comparison to the “spectacular” actions of, say, March 26^th. But it needs to be done and anarchists have to seriously involve themselves in every day work in the workplace and neighbourhood. In some areas this is taking place already, but much more needs to be done.

3. Some very good anarchist propaganda has been produced and distributed on a fairly large scale in the recent few months. However this needs to be intensified in the coming period, in order to counter the extensive lies and misinformation coming from the mainstream media, lies and misinformation intended to divide and demoralise the working class.

Anarchist Federation teacher

• Anarchist Federation/Solidarity Federation Anti-cuts forum Tues 27th Sept, Freedom bookshop
• Anarchist Federation (London) weekly meetings: thursdays, Freedom bookshop

http://aflondon.wordpress.com/

A poem by one the six recently imprisoned anti-fascists who says — "It’s about how religious people (of certain faiths especially), always try to befriend people they perceive to be at a low, but they always have a hidden agenda."

A judgement from my so called peers, the sentence from an elevated seat.
A coward, a liar taken away, the chaff removed from the wheat.
Climbing down the stairs as if to Hell, it’s actually getting warmer as I talk.
As my new bling bracelets jangle, my white gleaming carriage awaits
No princess charming or a ball, as we leave the future I contemplate.
My journeys end I disembark, the man next to me wants to call me Mister.
Maybe this, my Cinderella’s Ball, and my new chaperone an ugly sister?
Surrounded by a creamy glow, four walls, a ceiling and a floor,
Excuse me I didn’t mean to lie, there’s also a window and a locked green door.
Cracks and bangs and endless sounds, is this the soundtrack to my new life?
The drummers serenade without reprieve, my sleep abused by this rusty knife.
LISTEN!
When did it go silent no more sound?All peaceful then I see a light.
Within the flame I see a pretty face, she talks and smiles so bright.
No fear I feel just a deep sweet warmth, not one solitary tear my eye leaks.
My angel brings a new found peace, like water gods words flow as she speaks...

“Hold my hand and hold it tight
I’ll take you from this land of fright
Where the sweetest fruits grow from every tree,
And life has no cost , it’s happy and free.
You’ll wake in laughter and sleep with a smile,
Your dreams the sweetest you’ve had in a while.
Hold my hand and hold it tight
I’ll take you from this land of fright.”

"Take my hand and we’ll walk through,
To this land I have saved for you.
None are hungry none are poor
No child is forgotten, none beg for more
You’ll walk in pastures glowing green for the sun
See children play, laugh and having fun
Take my hand and we’ll walk through,
To this land I’ve saved for you.”

Why am I not scared of this vision? Feelings pure of love not lust.
The jury was stupid they were idiots you see, my angel’s the one who’s just.
With her I will go and we’’ll be so happy, in god’s world is where we live.
No prison will or could ever hold me, to her and to her god my life I will now give.
FLASH!
The drummers pounding away, as do the ceilings, the walls, the door.
Her honey words from god are gone forever, to control they’ll tell any lie.
Turn to one angel or a million and one, to snare you is all they will try.

Heaven and paradise promises abound, yet no proof will they ever show.
Accept your pain and suffering now, when you die you’ll see you’re not so low
Believe them blindly never question or ask, it’s better (you’ll see) when you die.

To protect the rich, powerful and few, that’s always been the most powerful lie.
If there’s one true god why so many fights, my religion is best one thinks
Why killing of innocents, woman and child? Think about it, surely you see the links
This may be the only life you ever get, think it through find real truth too.
Don’t get down trodden, rise up break the chains, the angel lied to me and she’ll lie to you too.

Please contact Rav with your messages of support and solidarity. Stamps and paper are always welcome, too.

Ravinder Gill
A5770CE
HMP Wayland
Griston
Thetford
Norfolk
IP25 6RL

Libcom.org has collected some great articles written by anarchists/libetarians about the riots in England over the past few days:

http://libcom.org/tags/uk-riots

In addition, Ian Bone's blog provides links to various sources of commentary including radio show and interviews: http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/the-white-terror-is-upon-us/

Community orientated 'unity' activity is being organised though neighbourhood assemblies, co-organised and supported by anarchists such as 'Give Our Kids a Future! A North London Unity Demonstration': http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=260822497262285 called for Saturday 13th August.

An account and info about other 'unity' action elsewhere in London can be found via this source: http://thethirdestate.net/2011/08/south-london-united-or-divided/

which includes a report on the South London Solfed organised event in Deptford on Wednesday and refers to one announced in Lewisham on Saturday and also the one by North Londoners linked to above. 

The following is an open letter published 28/3/2011 by sections of the Solidarity Federation who with the Anarchist Federation had called for a Radical Workers Bloc jointly on the day of the 26th March demonstration.

One video link below clearly shows how those on the UKUncut occupation of Fortnum and Mason were deceived and then arrested and charged by police giving rise to their self-professed 'record' arrest rate on March 26th. 138 of 149 charges (reported so far) were from this one event and only 11 charges from elsewhere. It seems clear that the police were following expert advice to treat UKUncut as domestic extremists and to more quickly arrest and charge.

Also the Guardian video following the police around all day shows that 'black bloc' was being used operationally as a term for any group coming and going in masks rather than more static protesters.

 

A letter to UK Uncutters from the 'violent minority'

We're writing this to you to try and prevent the anti-cuts struggle being split up and weakened by the media.

We are anarchists (well, anarcho-syndicalists, technically) – a word that is much misunderstood and misrepresented.

We are also students, workers and shop stewards. We co-organised a 'Radical Workers Bloc' on the South London feeder march. The aim was to provide a highly visible radical presence within the workers movement of which we are a part, advocating strikes, occupations and civil disobedience.

Letter continues: http://www.solfed.org.uk/?q=a-letter-to-uk-uncutters-from-the-violent-minority

Reply from Brighton Uncut: http://brightonuncut.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/open-letter-to-solfed-and-uk-uncut/

Some useful links:

UKUncut getting deceived by police, 'let go' then kettled & arrested, amounting to the vast majority of arrests and charges made on 26th March, 28/3/2011: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2011/mar/28/fortnum-mason-protesters-uk-uncut-video

BBC Newsnight, Report on Black Bloc, Interview with UK Uncut individual on Newsnight 28th March impressively countering Paul Mason's 'two demonstations' story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IhS7yBcMnE

BBC News London, London cuts march: Government sticking to plan - Cable, 27/3/2011: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12874631

The Guardian, March for the Alternative: behind police lines - video, showing intention not to allow so-called 'criminal' trespass and giving us the operational definition of Black Bloc: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2011/mar/28/march-alternative-police-video

Press release: UK Uncut condemns political policing at peaceful protest (30th Jan 2011, earlier protest where CS spray was used by police): http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/press-release-uk-uncut-condemns-political-policing-at-peaceful-protest

Video recording from thinktank Policy Exchange with Domestic Extremism panel giving advice to surpress UKUncut (mentioned around 3 mins after start of video, then near end a recommendation that their website should be taken down, and recommendations for more immediate arrests and immediate charging in general): http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/events/event.cgi?id=285 (video) and Statement about 'extremist' groups on March 26th by ex-Met 'expert', Andy Hayman.

On Saturday 26th March the Trades Union Congress has called for a march against the cuts, and there is going to be a South London feeder march starting at Kennington Park which we will be joining. South London is one of the areas to be hardest hit by the cuts and has seen some of the most inspiring resistance to their implementation with the storming and occupying of town halls, the occupying of libraries and university buildings along with large demonstrations and regular small actions. Anarchists have played a key role in these struggles arguing that we fight the cuts based on the principles of solidarity, direct action, and self-organisation. We are calling on anarchists, libertarian communists and militant workers from across the country who agree with these principles to join us on the  demonstration to provide a visible presence and a revolutionary alternative to the reformism of the TUC.

See also, leaflet: Everything we've won: they want it back (March 2011)

Read more: Radical Workers Bloc On The March For The Alternative