demonstration – Page 4 – Notts Save Our Services

Notts County Council workers to strike – and County Hall march/demo on 24th February 2011

Workers at Nottinghamshire County Council are to strike on Thursday 24th February, following the announcement of a yes vote in the ballot for industrial action. Full story:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/957

Thursday 24th Feb – Nottinghamshire County Council Lobby. Major lobby of County Hall, West Bridgford on the day the full council meets to set its Council Tax budget. Download Lobby flyer: Alternative to Notts County cuts lobby 24 Feb 2011. Assemble Embankment, 10am for an 11am start of a march to County Hall. It will set off from the war memorial which is about half a mile down the embankment from Trent Bridge. The lobby will finish at 1pm. There are free coaches laid on from round the county. Details are on the notts unison website: http://www.nottsunison.org.uk/coachtickets.pdf

NO CUTS IN NOTTINGHAM! Notts SOS demands to City Councillors about budget meeting on 7th March 2011 – plus other events leading up to it

Nottingham City Council are planning to cut tens of millions from their spending in the year from April 2011.

These cuts will reduce services and support for vulnerable people such as:

– Sick, disabled and old people needing support
– People who need help because of mental illness, drink and drugs misuse
– Women fleeing domestic violence and children at risk

In addition there are to be cuts in leisure and cultural facilities such as public libraries. Also 368 Council employees are scheduled to lose their jobs. Further cuts to public services in coming years are planned.

Notts Save Our Services, the local anti-cuts campaign, are urging Nottingham City Councillors not to adopt their cuts budget when they meet on 7th March. They should:

• Declare that the financial situation of the Council is an emergency

• Work with relevant organisations in the City to draw up a budget based on the real needs of local people

• Demand that the Government return the £60 million it has chopped from Nottingham City’s allocation

Sign the paper petition and/or e-petition to the Council urging them to resist bringing in cuts to public services. You, your family and friends can sign this petition at one of our many stalls in the Nottingham Old Market Square, Clifton, Sherwood or Hyson Green (Market Place) or at the Playhouse: download the schedule. Please phone the number on the schedule if you want to help. You can also collect signatures yourself and get them to us before March 7th. Again – phone the number on the schedule to find out where to send them. Alternatively send the e-petition link to all your friends, put on social networking sites etc.

TELL THEM ‘NO’ TO CUTS!

It was the reckless folly of speculative bankers that in 2008 necessitated a £86 billion government bail-out of big banks to prevent them failing. Now the Coalition Government want us to foot the bill for propping up their rich banker friends. That is why the Government is imposing public spending cuts, especially on local councils. Notts SOS says that ordinary people should not pay the debts of the billionaire bankers.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Sign the petition to Nottingham City Council. Here is the e-petition which is easy to sign online. If you want to collect petitions use this form and contact us to return them when complete, before 7th March.

• Phone-up your ward councillors to tell them not to vote for the cuts budget. (Download a full list of phone numbers here [Word] [PDF])

• Come to the UNISON picket outside the Council House at 12.30 on Tuesday, 22nd February. (Download leaflet Budget cuts protest 22 Feb 2011 Nottingham City Unison).

• Notts SOS rally in Market Square against the City Council budget. Starts 12 noon on Saturday March 5th. All welcome. Bring banners, placards & things to make noise including yourself!

• Come to the Notts SOS picket outside the Council House at 1.00pm on Monday 7th March (stall set up from 12 noon), the day the Council vote on their cuts budget (Budget meeting starts 2pm when the public gallery will be open – will probably last many hours). We will also be outside 5-7pm for those who cannot be there earlier in the day (feel free to participate in both of course).

• Go on the TUC March for the Alternative in London on Saturday, 26th March.

NOTTS SAVE OUR SERVICES – Defending jobs, services, welfare & education against cuts in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

https://nottssos.org.uk

There are also events against County cuts – see https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/02/06/anti-cuts-diary-dates-from-monday-7th-february-2011-nottingham-notts/
for details of all anti-cuts events that we know about.

Anti-cuts diary dates – UPDATED for Feb 16th onwards – Nottingham & Notts

PLEASE RECHECK UPDATES BELOW – NEW DATES AND DETAILS ADDED. See also NO CUTS IN NOTTINGHAM – BUDGET SETTING EVENTS.

Here are anti-cuts events coming up. Also take a look at our Recent Events, Comments and Twitter feed columns for more info and comments. Join Notts SOS Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=129772307075242

Anti-cuts diary dates from Monday 7th February 2011

Running at least until 10th Feb Budget consultation events: Nottingham City Council from 31st Jan until 10th Feb.

Monday 7th Feb Regular Notts SOS planning meeting, at ICC/YMCA, 7.30-9.15pm.

Saturday 12th Feb – Pre-Valentines day ‘We love Nottingham Services – Cards against the cuts’. Nottingham City Centre. Nottingham, Old Market Square in front of the Council House, 1pm until 3pm. Giant cards. Here are a couple of designs:

Saturday 12th Feb – Anti-academy schools stall in Rushcliffe. Details to be announced. Previous meeting in Broxtowe: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/01/05/fighting-academies-in-nottingham-and-nottinghamshire-broxtowe-meeting-thursday-6-january-2011/

Saturday 12th Feb – Mansfield SOS demo. March/Protest/Rally. Starts ‘Feather’ 11am. Short march finishes Mansfield Market Place for rally, 11.10am. Download leaflet [Word] [PDF] & poster [Word] [PDF]

Monday 14th Feb Extra Notts SOS planning meeting, at ICC/YMCA, 7.30-9.15pm.

Tuesday 15th February 2011 Budget Consultation Meeting for St. Anns & Dales will take place on Tuesday 15th February 2011, 5.30pm – 8pm at Carlton Road Library. Organised through Neighbourhood Action Officer for the St. Anns Ward; working as part of the Neighbourhood Management Team for Area 6 – St. Anns & the Dales. Download: Your City Your Services, R3 consultation meeting agenda – 15.02.11

Saturday 19th Feb – Keep The Post Public. CWU demo. Date: Saturday 19th February 2011. Assemble from 1pm (march will commence at 2pm). Place: Mail Centre, Padge Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 2RR. Details: http://www.cwu.org/keep-the-post-public-march-and-rally-in-beeston-nottingham.html. See also: http://www.eclectech.co.uk/savethepostoffice.php in case anyone forgets privatisation started under Labour. Notts TUC event listing: http://www.nottstuc.org/p/keep-post-public-demo-19-feb.html

Tuesday 22th February Nottingham City Unison is organising a public protest at 12.30-1.30pm in the Market Square, in front of the Council House. This is the day that the City Council Executive Board discusses and recommends the 2011/12 budget to the full council. All welcome. Public demonstration with speakers. Download leaflet: Budget cuts protest 22 Feb 2011 Nottingham City Unison

Wednesday 23rd Feb – Mencap Big Cuts Event, Nottingham Racecourse. One of a series of roadshow events across the country to tell people about the cuts happening in their area, and to look at ways we can work together to fight them. Details: http://www.mencap.org.uk/page.asp?id=20547. However – their aim to engage as a workfare provider as ‘Disability Works UK’ consortium seems problematic: http://wheresthebenefit.blogspot.com/2010/12/disability-works-does-it.html. If you are going to this event maybe this issue could be raised?

Friday 25th March – mass woodland walk on Fri 25th to highlight the potential privatisation of the forests. Facebook event link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181968331845270. Mind you, the same MP who is organising this voted for foundation hospitals.

Monday 28th Feb Regular Notts SOS planning meeting, at ICC/YMCA, 7.30-9.15pm.

Saturday 5th March Notts SOS rally in Market Square against the City Council budget. 12 noon. All welcome. Bring banners, placards & things to make noise including yourself!

Monday 7th March – Demonstrate at Nottingham City Council meeting, starting at 1.00 pm (meeting starts 2.00pm). The City Council’s budget for 2011/12 will be considered at a meeting of the full City Council to be held at the Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham. The agenda for the meeting will be published a week in advance and agendas for Council meetings can be viewed by following this link http://open.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/comm/goto.asp?Type=1|32. Previously, from Unison: previous article on Notts SOS. See also: http://www.nottinghamcityunison.org.uk/.

Tuesday 8th March Anarchists Against the Cuts meeting, 7.00-9.30pm. Venue to be confirmed.

Tuesday 8th March Anti-Academies Alliance public meeting, 7.00pm. Friends Meeting House, 25 Clarendon Street Nottingham NG1 5JD. Download flyer [Word] [PDF].

Wednesday 16th March – Bassetlaw SOS Public Meeting at the Crossing Church & Centre, Newcastle Street, Worksop. Starts 7pm. Download public meeting flyer. Download Bassetlaw anti-cuts flyer.

Saturday 19th March Nottingham CND & Notts SOS are holding a joint stall in the Market Square, at 11.30am. The theme is ‘Cut Trident not Public Sevices/Jobs’.

Saturday 26th March – TUC ‘March for the alternative’: http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/. Put this in your diary now! London – initial details of route are here – http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/march-logistics/getting-there/.

A weekend of anti-cuts activity in Nottingham & Notts (5th/6th February 2011) – Libraries, Shelters & Housing, Vodafone

Yesterday, Saturday 5th February, as part of a countrywide protest against library closures ‘Voices for the Library’, library read-ins and other protests were taking place in Beeston, Carlton, Chilwell, Stapleford, Sneinton and Toton. In London at New Cross one library was occupied last night. Read more in Evening Post prior to Nottingham and Notts library events.

carlton library protest 5th Feb 2011 — Carlton Library, Station Road, Carlton - 5th Feb 2011

say no to cuts nottingham 5th Feb 2011 (1) — Say No To Cuts stall, Market Square, Nottingham, 5/2/2011

Also on the same day in the Market Square, Nottingham, a ‘Say No To Cuts’ stall was run by some of those involved with local homeless shelters and women’s refuges that are facing huge cuts or closure, also highlighting cuts to Refugee Action and housing support for vulnerable young people and adults. Leaflets and petitions were used to encourage more people to get involved. A set of letters written by local homeless teenagers was on display, explaining the vital importance to them of the housing and shelter facilities in Notts that are threatened by funding cuts. Campaign organisers described the cuts as ‘disgusting’ and vowed to prevent a return to large numbers of people sleeping in city centre doorways.

UKUncut
Update post-event. See some photos on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=100001814289529

On Sunday 7th February 2011 at 1pm a UKUncut protest is due to take place at the Vodafone store on Clumber Street. Vodafone was let off billions off its tax bill by HM Revenue and Customs, money which could have been used to avoid public sector cuts. This is also the next local demonstration since one week ago it became clear that police had used CS spray and hospitalised UKUncut activists at the Oxford Road, London branch of Boots (who are another subject of this ongoing campaign against corporate tax avoidance).

Today’s UKUncut protest in Nottingham makes a further link with the situation in Egypt where revolutionaries are being subjected to CS gas and worse. According to the Financial Times, both France Telecom and Vodafone transmitted pro-government text messages and “Some texts on Vodafone’s network appeared to urge Mr Mubarak’s supporters to confront the anti-government protesters.” According to Mark Steel, writing on Egypt in the Independent newspaper last week, “The Big Society taking place in Egypt means for a moment that the place has become the most democratic country on the planet.” UK UNCUT will therefore be highlighting demands that Vodafone pay their taxes and that they do not support dictators.

See also: Report from a previous UKUncut protest in Nottingham, 30th Jan 2011.

ukuncut demo photo nottingham — Previous demonstration outside Vodafone in Nottingham

Lots more photos on Notts SOS Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=129772307075242&v=photos

What’s coming up next week? Take a look at https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/02/06/anti-cuts-diary-dates-from-monday-7th-february-2011-nottingham-notts/

Anti-cuts events from Monday 31st Jan 2011 and into February and March – mainly Nottingham & Notts [updated as new events come in]

Here is advance notice of (mostly local or regional) anti-cuts events we know about from Monday 31st Jan 2011. These will be added to as more events are announced so please revisit this page. See also: Budget consultation events: Nottingham City Council from 31st Jan until 10th Feb.. Also take a look at our Recent Events, Comments and Twitter feed columns for more info and comments.

Monday 31st Jan – “1 million green jobs”, 7:00–8:30 pm. Friends Meeting House, St Helen’s Street, Derby DE1 3GY.
Details: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/01/18/one-million-climate-jobs-now-solving-the-economic-and-environmental-crises-public-meeting-in-derby-on-31st-jan-2011/.

Tuesday 1st February. What’s happened to the Big Society? An open meeting to be addressed by Andrew Redfern, Chief Executive, Framework – the umbrella organization for the homeless in Nottingham and Notts. Hosted by St Barnabas’ Cathedral Justice & Peace Group. All welcome! Time/Date: 7.30pm – 9pm, Venue: St Barnabas Cathedral, McGuiness Room, Derby Rd, Nottingham, NG1 5AE. Details: httphttps://nottssos.org.uk/2011/01/18/whats-happened-to-the-big-society-open-meeting-on-1st-feb-2011/

Saturday 5th Feb – National Read-In event. Events being organised in Nottingham & Notts on the day include a read-in at Beeston library. Others include Stapleford and Sneinton. All start at 11am.

Saturday 7th Feb Regular Notts SOS planning meeting. Monday 7th February 2011, at ICC/YMCA, 7.30-9.15pm. Fortnightly, but check website for next meeting on 21st as venue may be changed.

Tuesday 22th February Nottingham City Unison is organising a public protest on 12.30 in the Market Square . This is the day that the City Council Executive Board discusses and recommends the 2011/12 budget to the full council. All welcome. Public demonstration with speakers.

Monday 7th March – Nottingham City Council, at 2.00 pm. The City Council’s budget for 2011/12 will be considered at a meeting of the full City Council to be held at the Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham. The agenda for the meeting will be published a week in advance and agendas for Council meetings can be viewed by following this link http://open.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/comm/goto.asp?Type=1|32. Previously, from Unison: previous article on Notts SOS. See also: http://www.nottinghamcityunison.org.uk/

PROTEST GROWS AGAINST LIBRARY CUTS – Beeston & Chilwell campaign report and future events including 5th Feb ‘Read-in’

Opposition to cuts to library services is growing after more than 100 people attended a public meeting in Beeston.

Protesters will gather at 11am on Saturday 5th February at Beeston Library to oppose Conservative-run Nottinghamshire County Council’s plans to reduce opening hours and to slash the new book fund by 75%.

Under the proposals, Beeston Library’s opening hours would be cut from 57 hours a week to 52, while at Inham Nook Library in Chilwell the opening hours would be cut from 20 hours to eight.

Public opposition to these plans is escalating. On Saturday 15th January more than 500 people signed a petition against the cuts during just two hours of leafleting in Beeston town centre.

More than 100 people attended a public meeting organised by the newly-formed Beeston and Chilwell Defend Library Services group (part of the wider Notts Save Our Services campaign) at College House Junior School on Thursday 20th January.

Read full story: [Word] [PDF]

Read report from public meeting: [Word] [PDF]

Beeston & Chilwell residents queue to sign petition in opposition to proposed tory county council library service cuts - photograph — Beeston & Chilwell residents queue to sign petition in opposition to proposed tory county council library service cuts

Anti-cuts events week beginning Monday 24th Jan 2011 [plus Video ‘The Rise of Street Extremism | 10.01.11’]

Anti-cuts events: January 24th-30th 2011. Follow links for details. Plenty to get involved with.
Update: find out about further meetings and events here: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/action-24th-jan-to-5th-feb/

Monday 24th Jan: Second National Day of Action Against Benefit Cuts. All day. Action in Nottingham – see http://nsafc.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/action-24th-jan-to-5th-feb/

Monday 24th Jan: NCVS meeting impact of cuts on voluntary and community groups, 2-4pm at YMCA/ICC, Nottingham.

Monday 24th Jan: Notts SOS meeting 7.30pm at YMCA/ICC, Nottingham. Our regular meeting. All welcome.

Tuesday 25th Jan – Mansfield SOS meeting, 7.15pm, at the Gas Board Sports and Social Club, Lime Tree Place, Mansfield.

Wednesday 26th Jan: UCU Open Forum, Nottingham Uni, Portland Building C11, 1pm-3pm.

Wednesday 26th Jan: Stand Up For the NHS, 7:30pm at Mechanics Institute, 3 North Sherwood Street, Nottingham.

Wednesday 26th Jan: National walkout to save EMA (Facebook). Download College students flyer about EMA produced at Network X

Thursday 27th Jan: Save Sherwood Forest meeting 7.30pm at YMCA/ICC, Nottingham.

Saturday 29th Jan: Education no-fees/cuts demo in London. Called by Education Activist Network, National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and University College Union (UCU). Coaches leave Nottingham Trent SU at 8:30am, Nottingham Uni (Portland Building) at 9am. Tickets are £7 concession, £15 waged and must be bought in advance. To book text/call 07849 392 842. Download flyer: https://nottssos.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/national-demo-fees-cuts-29-jan-2011.pdf. There is also a demo in Manchester on the same day which UCU and PCS are also supporting – there are coaches – contact respective unions. Nottingham Students now have tickets to Manchester as well. So take your pick. Email nsafac [at] gmail.com for tickets both events.

Sunday 30th Jan: Nottingham UK Uncut event 1pm Clumber Street.

Video extra: Think tank Policy Exchange worries about ‘domestic extremism’, including anti-cuts campaigns (and websites!). Apparently it’s unfairness that makes ‘the British people’ rise up and this must be addressed by the government before it’s hijacked by the Left and anarchists. It’s a long video with a range of experts, who are mostly ex-police – maybe they are getting a bit worried? They are certainly saying the state should be getting more prepared. See/listen around 3 mins in about those terrible UKUncut flash mobs that have been used to close stores (see also near end of the video a suggestion that it’s time their website be brought down – how democratic!). Then 7 mins in – an infiltrator of CND talks about the general problem of anti-parliamentary groups. Various stuff about kettling and other public order tactics and the terrible constraints of the Human Rights Act. And a suggestion that a royal wedding protest with anti-cuts flavour could be a problem. Enjoy.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3sc_prqw_s]

PolicyExchangeUK | 11 January 2011 | 0 likes, 42 dislikes
There are increasing signs that significant sections of the extreme left have little intention of confining their opposition to Coalition policies to peaceful, democratic protest. In recent weeks we have seen riots over student tuition fees, the forcible closure of high street stores by flashmobs and also growing demands for industrial action to undermine the Coalition administration, including from the leader of Britain’s biggest trade union.
Do these actions portend a dangerous new trend towards the use of physical force? If so, what can and should be done to prevent this phenomenon becoming a regular feature of the national landscape?

Speakers:
Peter Clarke CVO OBE QPM | former Head of the Counter Terrorism Command and former Borough Commander in Brixton during the 1995 riots
Rt Hon David Maclean | former Minister of State at the Home Office and Parliamentary Adviser to the Police Superintendents Association
Paul Mercer | UK’s pre-eminent expert on extremist groups and author, Longman’s Directory of British Political Organisations [who also likes to spy for arms dealers it would appear.]
Henry Robinson | Anti Terrorist community and street activist and former Irish republican prisoner

Nottingham protests before vote to scrap EMA is passed by government on 19th Jan 2011. [plus link to ITV footage of demo]

Following a Commons vote yesterday, access by 17-18 year olds in England to the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA), that supports student to stay in school/college after age 16 is closed to new applicants from now on, then to be withdrawn for existing recipients in September. The means-tested £10-£30 allowance used to be a bursary of £40 but it is now gone completely. This is not gone without significant opposition though – see Nottingham Indymedia with photos of Nottingham students’ protest on 19th Jan:
http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/910 following several other demonstrations starting last year.

Watch TV footage of the demo on ITV website including an attempt to ‘storm’ the council house prevented by police (there’s always another time!!): http://www.itv.com/central-west/fighting-ema-cuts95064/

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have their own EMA schemes which are still open but these are also under review (see Scotland example).

More info, and forthcoming events: Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts (NSAFC). School, college and university students are continuing to oppose cuts and rises in fees.

Various anti-cuts events this week (beginning 17th Jan 2011) – a reminder

Here is a reminder of anti-cuts events this week.

Tuesday 18th Jan – Mansfield Notts SOS group next meets at 7pm 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 mid February – more information soon. Come along if you want to help organise and build for a demo in Mansfield to fight the cuts.

Tuesday 18th Jan – Planning meeting for Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts. Weekly meetings are held 6pm on Tuesdays meeting outside Trent SU (Students’ Union building, Byron House). For more info please get in touch via 07849 392 842. See also NSAFC website.

Wednesday 19th Jan – Protest to Save EMA! 4.30pm Market Square, Nottingham. The Coalition government are voting on whether to scrap Educational Maintenance Allowance after the vote was postponed last week. We are holding a protest at Market Square at 4.30pm. Bring placards, banners and tell everyone you can! It’s short notice but we will still make an impact. Read background info about EMA.

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.

Friday 21st Jan – Nottingham Solidarity Network meeting, Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham.

Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts! EMA Second Day of Action – Wed 19th Jan 2011 at 4.30pm [Plus coaches to 29th Jan demos].

A couple of messages from Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts (NSAFC) …

Wednesday 19th January (Tomorrow)- Protest to Save EMA! 4.30pm Market Square, Nottingham. The Coalition government are voting on whether to scrap Educational Maintenance Allowance after the vote was postponed last week. We are holding a protest at Market Square at 4.30pm. Bring placards, banners and tell everyone you can! It’s short notice but we will still make an impact.

Saturday 29th January – National Demo against cuts and fees – London.
Called by Education Activist Network, National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts and University College Union (UCU). Coaches leave Nottingham Trent SU at 8:30am, Nottingham Uni (Portland Building) at 9am. Tickets are £7 concession, £15 waged and must be bought in advance. To book, send an e-mail to this address with your contact details and we will get in touch and arrange to get a ticket to you, or text/call 07849 392 842. Download flyer: National demo Fees Cuts 29 Jan 2011 in London
Notts SOS note: there is also a demo in Manchester on the same day which UCU is also supporting. So take your pick.

Tuesday 18th January (Tonight) Planning meeting. Weekly meeting are held 6pm on Tuesdays meeting outside Trent SU (Students’ Union building, Byron House). Apologies for the short notice but if you want to get involved in organising the campaign then please come down and get involved. These
meetings are held every week. For more info please get in touch via 07849 392 842.