Category: Events & meetings

Anti-cuts events, related events, and all meetings

Notts SOS conference and EMA protests – reports from Saturday 15th January 2011

Combating the Cuts: planning for action! – conference held yesterday

Yesterday Notts SOS held it’s first conference in the Dunkirk and Old Lenton community centre.

Over 70 people were present during the day to discuss cuts and plan anti-cuts activity from now on in 7 sub-groups: Trades Unions, Local Government, Health/NHS, Education, Environment, Benefits/Pensions and Local Communities. A plenary session in the afternoon allowed space for participants to feedback from the groups and to discuss general points about the way forward for the Nottingham and Notts anti-cuts campaigning. A card was signed to be sent to Edward Woollard, the 18 year old student who was recently jailed after the Millbank demonstration. Food and refreshments were provided by Veggies.

A full report from the conference will come soon, but be assured there is lot to get involved with. Get in touch! Notts SOS meets next on Monday 24th January and there will be several events between now and then. So watch this space! In the meantime look at a couple of photos from the gathering:
http://www.nottstuc.org/2011/01/pics-from-yesterdays-notts-sos.html

Loads more photos on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/5umej6x

Nottingham Protests against the scrapping of Educational Support Allowance

On the same day students took to the streets again in Nottingham with a demonstration in the Market Square against the scrapping of EMA. For details see:

Nttm Students another Protest Against Scrapping EMA: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/887

Notts students protest EMA cuts http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/888

More is planned, especially leading up to the demonstrations in Manchester and London on 29th Jan.

Also on the same day in Manchester, the first day of the Network X gathering went ahead, continuing today. Students from Nottingham participated.

Nottingham protest against cut to Educational Maintenance Allowance [plus link to Central TV video] – and update about next demo on Saturday 15th.

Nottingham students against fees and cuts inside Vodaphone during EMA protest on 11th Jan 2011
Nottingham students against fees and cuts inside Vodaphone during EMA protest on 11th Jan 2011

Update 13/1/11 – another EMA demonstration is going ahead Saturday – Market Square at 12 noon until 2pm : http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=119710288094364

See inspiring photos from todays protest against the cut to Educational Maintenance Allowance that will affect 16-18 year olds, that can be found on the Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts (NSAFC) website: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/ema-demo/.

The protest was supported by university students and also focused on the increase of fees to £9000 a year due to begin 2012 that was passed in the House of Lords in December.

More photos can be found on Nottingham Indymedia: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/875

Central TV footage: http://www.itv.com/central-east/student-protests98684/

Also today, the courts jailed Edward Woollard, the 18 year old student who dropped a fire extinguisher from the roof of the Tory HQ, for 32 months for the public order offence of ‘Violent Disorder’: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/471869.html. Many other cases are due from the same day. For their support see Stop the hunt on the Millbank protestors (Facebook) and We need unity – defend the Millbank protestors. Also (support statement immediately after protest): Sign this statement to stand with the Millbank protesters against victimisation!

Clearly if you are going down to the next demo it’s a good idea to have some legal knowledge. If you don’t have local legal support on your coach, the ‘Bust Card’ of the Legal Defence and Monitoring Group in London is a very good resource worth taking with you. LDMG are very experienced with police repression, coming as they did out of the anti-Poll Tax ‘Trafalgar Square Defence Campaign’, whose http://www.ldmg.org.uk/ members of have recently supported the anti-fees demos and occupations.

PRESS RELEASE – Notts SOS ‘Combating the Cuts: Planning for Action’ conference on Saturday 15th January 2011

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/01/11

COMBATING THE CUTS: PLANNING FOR ACTION

The anti-public spending cuts campaign, Notts Save Our Services, is holding a one day event on Saturday, 15th. January at Dunkirk and Old Lenton Community Centre. We are bringing together a wide range of providers and users of vital services. The aim is to develop effective, challenging ways of opposing and obstructing the Coalition Government’s assault upon both the public and voluntary sectors.

Brainstorming groups will focus on areas such as local government, education, benefits/pensions, health services, military spending, etc.. The conference runs from 10.30 to 16.00 with food and refreshments available. All opponents of the public spending cuts are welcome and further details are available on our website https://nottssos.org.uk

For more information contact Ross Longhurst on 0115 837 7937.

Additional info for participants – please follow this link: http://wp.me/p15Eeo-gx

Notts Cuts Watch #12 and Diary Dates for weeks beginning 10th & 17th Jan 2011

New year, new cuts. After an unplanned two week break, Notts Cuts Watch is back with a rundown of the cuts and resistance in Nottinghamshire since Christmas. Read Notts Cuts Watch #12 (covering last week Jan 3th-9th 2011): http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/859

Here are forthcoming events this week and next – follow links for details:

Monday 10th Jan – the first Notts SOS meeting of the year, at the ICC/YMCA. All welcome. Full venue details.

Tuesday 11th Jan – Nottingham protest against the cut of Educational Support Allowance.

Tuesday 11th Jan – Anarchists Against the Cuts meeting.

Saturday 15th Jan – COMBATING THE CUTS: PLANNING FOR ACTION! – come to the first Notts SOS conference & get involved!

Tuesday 18th January – Mansfield Notts SOS group next meets at 7pm on Tuesday 18th January at the Gas Club, off Lime Tree Place (At the bottom of Ratcliffe Gate). Mansfield Group of Notts SOS are planning a demonstration against the cuts in Mansfield in Mid February – more information soon. Come along if you want to help organise and build for a demo in Mansfield to fight the cuts.

Thursday 20th Jan – Beeston & Chilwell Defend Library Services meeting.

Thursday 20th Jan – Save Gedling School – Phoenix pub at 6.30. The fight to save Gedling school continues.

Thursday 20th Jan – Racism, Cuts and the Right – Nottingham Unity meeting.

Fighting Academies in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – Broxtowe meeting Thursday 6 January 2011

Broxtowe Anti Academies Alliance is meeting in Beeston tomorrow night (Thursday 6 January 2011) at 8pm.

The Alliance was set up by a group of parents, teachers and school governors last year in opposition to George Spencer School becoming an academy and we have continued to campaign locally. A second Anti Academies Alliance has recently started up in Rushcliffe, but as far as we are aware, these are the only active campaigns (outside the teaching unions) in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

If anyone is interested in setting up an anti academy campaign in the city or county and wants to come along to our meeting to discuss how we can support you, please email broxtowe [at] antiacademies.org.uk and we can let you know the venue of the meeting.

Contact: Andrea Oates, Broxtowe Anti Academies Alliance, Email: broxtowe [at] antiacademies.org.uk

Also – according to Executive board minutes 21 December.Nottingham City Council is looking at Northgate Primary and nursery school joining up with Djanogly as a 3-19 years academy.

Beeston & Chilwell Defend Library Services campaign launched – public meeting 20th January and stalls on 15th & 16th – plus info about library cuts in the City too

A campaign has been launched against cuts at Beeston & Inham Nook Libraries and for a good local library service for all.

BEESTON & CHILWELL DEFEND LIBRARY SERVICES – PUBLIC MEETING

Venue: Chilwell College House Junior School

Date/Time: Thursday 20th Jan 2011, 7.30pm to 9pm

There will be a stall and leafleting of Beeston High Rd (outside Boots the Chemist) on Saturday 15th Jan (10.30 am – 12pm). There will also be a leafleting of Beeston West, Beeston North and Beeston Central on Sunday 16th Jan. 10.30am. Volunteers welcome and please get in touch by email or mobile (07710 903 483) if you’d like to be involved.

See also: Local corrie actor (sutton in ashfield) speaks out against the library cuts: http://m.mirror.co.uk/article?a=m4:22833474

And in the City ….

Recent news on cuts to City Libraries:
* Opening hours to be cut by 10%, with consequent cuts in staffing
* Some redundancies, including library managers
* Book budget cut by 25%
* Carlton Road Library closing later in the year (previously known)
* No cuts at senior management level
* Further cuts likely later

This is in the addition to the established campaign, which relates to County Libraries (book budget cut by 75%!).

National link: Voices for the Library.

Notts Cuts Watch #10 – cuts and anti-cuts news from Nottingham and Notts – last one for 2010

A Yuletide missive from the compiler of Notts Cuts Watch, hopefully to be resumed in 2011:

Even with Christmas only just over the horizon, the cuts have continued over the last week, with the announcement of the funding settlement for local councils hitting Nottingham particularly hard. Even Cuts Watch has been cutback, this week’s edition arriving late and in a slimmed down version. “Normal” service may or may not resume after the holiday period.

Read Cuts Watch #10 (covering December 13th-19th 2010): http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/821

Plus – somethings to amuse…

Introducing a new economic comparator: Pudsey. Ministers say charities can step into the gap caused by cuts to services. So how many Children in Need appeals would it take to fill the gap? False Economy blog. 20/12/2010.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koY6kXhQDQo]

Planning meeting to launch ‘Nottingham Solidarity Network’ – Forest Fields and Hyson Green area – Tuesday 21st December 2010

An initiative has come out of Anarchists Against the Cuts to form a network aimed at fighting cuts and fostering community action in Forest Fields and Hyson Green and hopefully across Nottingham:

The Nottingham Solidarity Network will be forming soon! We are currently a group of community activists in the Forest Fields and Hyson Green area who want to form a network of local groups across the city. The aim of this network would be to support each other and show solidarity with one another. We are committed to local community ownership of our own resources, where people genuinely take back decision making for themselves. We have no party political agenda or time for the authorities.

There will be a meeting to decide how the network will take shape at the Sumac Centre on Tue 21st Dec, 7pm.

Article continues on Notts Indymedia: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/816

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See also: Nottingham Against Austerity

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Reminder – earlier in day on 21st at 12.30 there will be a protest in the Market Square against City Council care charges:

Christmas carols subverted into anti-cuts protests [with ’12 Days of Cripmas’ and ‘tax Vodafone’ videos]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKdKzalMhXc]The 12 Days Of Cripmas is a topical take of a classic carol listing the benefits and services currently being removed from disabled people in Britain. The lyrics were written by a user of the Ouch messageboards, sent to Where’s The Benefit and the track produced and directed by BendyGirl of The Broken Of Britain. We’re all incredibly proud of Imana our 11 yr old singing star who is a child carer for her mum who has Multiple Sclerosis.

A few of reports from the recent 15th December national day of protest about cuts affecting welfare and disabled people are online:
London: Disabled People Against Cuts, “Nativity Play”, Trafalgar Square: http://london.indymedia.org/articles/6720
Glasgow: Citizens United: http://www.indymediascotland.org/node/22619
Oxford: Uninvisible Rally: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/12/470796.html

See also, about a specific cut in Notts County (courtesy of Parish of Nottingham blog, where Vogon commander would appear to be County leader Kay Cutts): http://parishofnottinghamshire.blogspot.com/2010/11/disabled-to-suffer-under-vogon.html
Creative carols were also sung on the 18th Dec anti-tax avoidance demonstrations in Nottingham.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOc2FBY7ZU0&feature=player_embedded]

[Video 1] [Video 2] [Video 3]

Look at pictures: in Notts SOS facebook gallery

See also – a comment on Notts Trades Council website about Christmas pop: http://www.nottstuc.org/2010/12/on-seasonal-note.html

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