civil disobedience in manchester against education cuts

Mark Harrison writes his personal recollections of today’s great events in Manchester as part of the national day of action against tuition fees.

Student Protest, scaling new heights.

Fortunately today I slept in and missed my 11am lecture and decided to go to what I expected to be a piddly little demo.

What a pleasant surprise awaited me! By 12:30 approximately 3000 people had gathered at the designated meeting point at the University of Manchester, these were not the usual faces. The vast majority of those present were college and school students playing truant, many had travelled from Cheshire, ‘the left’ was completely swamped, The SWP had made an obvious effort to mobilise all their members, there were a few members of the Revolutionary Communist Group, a guy from the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty and a comrade of the Anarchist Federation distributing Anarchist Student. The militancy on display was inspiring. Despite being promised on social networking websites that we would be marching to the town hall, the consensus loving, ultra democratic officers of the University’s Student Union had apparently decided that we would instead be diverted to the Castlefield arena on the edge of the city, out of harms way. I think ‘health and safety’ was the reason given – political correctness gone mad!

the battle of millbank and occupation at manchester university

The mass media may have already covered yesterday’s demo in London but a personal account can never be a bad thing.

The NUS and police were completely unprepared for the 50,000 angry students who descended on Central London. The demonstration was completely chaotic, people were travelling in all directions, hand made placards ranged from the uninspired ‘keep the cap’, the “hilarious” (David Cameron engaging in anal sex with Nick Clegg), to the visionary “University for Everyone”. Finding the much discussed ‘free education bloc’ was an impossibility, let along finding your own comrades.

occupation at manchester

Personally, direction was only given to the demonstration when a NUS steward said to me, “Don’t go off the right, that’s Tory HQ, carry on forward for the NUS route”. It seems that great minds think alike as most chose to ignore the mind numbing speeches made by NUS and UCU tops and aimed for the headquarters of the traditional party of the bourgeoisie.

tom hurndall memorial lecture 2010

welfare capitalism and the cuts – sheffield, wednesday 3rd november

The next meeting of the Sheffield communist forum takes place from 7pm on Wednesday 3rd November at the Rutland Arms, 86 Brown Street, S1 2BS. Considering the current historic attacks on the welfare state we will be considering defending ‘welfare capitalism’ and the need for an alternative.

Questions which we hope to discuss:

1 Are the cuts an economic necessity?

2 Will the cuts smash or restructure the Welfare state?

3 Do we simply defend the welfare state?

4 Can trade unions defend jobs and services?

The texts listed below may provide an insight to differing views on this issue.

Essential reading:

Are the cuts Necessary, and does it matter? – Oisín Mac Giollamóir
and subsequent comments.

Other suggestions:

A war on the welfare state – Keith Harvey in Permanent Revolution issue 17 summer 2010.

Where does resistance come from? – Sheila Cohen

In and against the state (1979) – London Edinburgh Weekend Return Group

People over profit – Noam Chomsky

Karl Marx on the nature of trade unions, in Results of the Direct Production Process of Capital Volume 1.

Contradictions of the welfare state – Claus Offe

The future of the capitalist state – Bob Jessop.

Trade unions under capitalism – Tom Clarke and Laurie Clements.

The political Economy of the welfare state – Ian Gough.

Class capital and Social policy – Norman Ginsburg.

State and capital – John Holloway and Sol Picciotto.

Crack Capitalism – John Holloway

Housing and the welfare state – Peter Malpass

All welcome. Email uncaptiveminds@gmail.com for more details.

solidarity screenings of ‘offside’ with comedy from shappi khorsandi

Wednesday, May 12, 6pm. Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1

With an introduction by John McDonnell MP. The event is co-sponsored by the Labour Representation Committee (click here to read their letter, urging support for the event). For details of screenings in Glasgow and Manchester, click here.

Jafar Panahi – the well known Iranian film maker – was arrested on March 1 and is still being held without any charges. He has twice been offered bail, but has refused in solidarity with all those incarcerated for their participation in the mass demonstrations against the regime that have shaken Iran since June 2009.

The Hopi showing of the director’s most popular film in the West – ‘Offside’ – is an important opportunity to raise the profile of Panahi and step up the pressure on the regime in Tehran. We believe that international solidarity of this sort – not the threat of military strikes or sanctions – is the way to deliver effective aid to the struggle of ordinary people in Iran for freedom and social change.

To buy your tickets and to find out more, please click here.