Notts SOS campaigners meet each week in Nottingham to share information and to discuss and organise anti-cuts activities. Groups and inidividuals who are fighting cuts to services are welcome to participate in these meetings. Venue details are on our contacts page.
Forthcoming events include continued action against student fees on Tuesday 30th November, a second demonstration outside Vodafone in December and a Notts SOS conference in January. We will also discuss holding a joint stall with Nottingham CND who are campaigning to scrap Trident 2.
Read a round-up of last weeks cuts and anti-cuts news: Notts Cuts Watch #7 on Nottingham Indymedia.
March between Portland Building and Trent Building on University of Nottingham campus on 24th November 2010Today (November 24th) in Nottingham saw at least three events that will help us fight the hike in student tuition fees;
At 4.00pm there was a ‘Teach In’ inside the Portland Building, where 40 students, staff and other NottsSOS members met to work towards future activities: Watch this space!
And all day the Tory Party HQ in Nottingham was closed because they thought it would be attacked again. It’s good that they have had to acknowledge the strength of feeling against them, and nice of them to save us the trouble of demonstrating there by closing down anyway!
Let us know if we have missed any events you were involved in.
We want to encourage more students – at school, college and uni – to take action and work together. Nottingham has never been especially radical in terms of student politics. However, direct action has been taken at University of Nottingham several times on various issues. When the war in Iraq began hundreds of school children walked out of class to join a massive city centre demo. So we can do it!
If we could get a massive reaction in Nottingham against the introduction of higher tuition fees and threats to Educational Maintenance Allowance for younger students, that would be proof that this current unrest is no flash in the pan but indicative of a desire for real social change. Young people will take what they are entitled to if the ConDems won’t listen, and their teachers and Notts SOS will support them.
24 November: National Walkout against Student Fees and Cuts. In our region, so far there are walkouts being advertised in Leicester, Lincoln and Loughborough and Nottingham. University of Nottingham action confirmed for Wed 24th is as follows: Rally at 2pm on Portland Building steps [view campus map – PDF]. Download Teach-in Leaflet. Then meeting at University of Nottingham, 4PM, ROOM D138 PORTLAND BUILDING, NOTTINGHAM UNI to join students and staff in open discussion. Speakers from University and College Union (UCU), Notts Save Our Services + Many more TBC. Info: 07849392842.
25 November: WE ARE ONE ‘Night of Light’ demonstration in Gedling to protest at the government closure of Gedling School – meet 5:30pm in the Phoenix pub car park [directions here]. Bring Glo sticks, torches … anything bright. Call Dale Vizzard for details: 07833762387. All welcome. Support from NUT: http://www.nottsnut.co.uk/index.html
Save Gedling School campaign on the Notts SOS march in Nottingham, 20th November 2010
SAVE GEDLING SCHOOL
The campaign to save Gedling School and Specialist Science College from possible closure is organising a ‘night of lights’ evening demonstration this week. The event will demonstrate the widespread community support for the school.
The campaign began when Nottinghamshire council officers indicated they were minded to recommend the closure of Gedling School, with a decision to be taken by the council’s cabinet members on December 15.
Gedling is a popular and friendly school that excels in many areas – in 2009 it achieved the best science results in the whole of Nottinghamshire. Since the possibility of closure has been publicised there has been an upsurge of support for the school across community and party lines. In a meeting on Monday afternoon both Conservative and Labour Gedling District councillors told Nottinghamshire officials that their plans were based on incorrect statistics and muddled thinking.
The event will begin on Thursday November 25 at 5.30pm. Supporters are asked to assemble at the Phoenix Pub (on Wollaton Avenue. Nottingham NG4 4HU), before marching down Wollaton Avenue to a campaign rally that will take place within the grounds of the school. Bring torches,
glo sticks….anything bright!
Chair of the campaign committee, and parent governor, Caroline Diss, said:
“Any possible withdrawal of our local school, with its specialism and outstanding results in science, and which is at the heart of the local community, would represent a blow to any notion of parental choice.
There are no places in neighbouring schools that perform well in the area leaving the only alternative option for Gedling parents a school that is in special measures.
“We know that no member of the cabinet would want that for their children. They have the power to stop this nightmare scenario happening to ours We implore them to reject the local authority’s recommendation to consult on closure of Gedling School”
Terry Chambers, Head of Year 9, said: “We feel it was important to show the strength of feeling, not only from the pupils but also the parents, the staff, ex-pupils and the whole community against the closure of our school. Any closure would have a devastating effect on the whole community. It seems crucial decisions of this kind are based on spurious data and statistics when the reality is that they will be
destroying the future of so many people.”
Events this week include Gedling school protest march on Thursday and student fees actions on Wednesday.
Also this week: Thursday 25th November. Sumac Debates: Cutting up our Communities
Venue: The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham, NG7 6HX. 7.30pm. This is one of an ongoing new series of open discussions at the Sumac Centre with an anti-capitalist theme. Come to listen or talk or both.
You may have picked up a copy of our first newsletter at the Market Square stall in Nottingham City Centre on Saturday. If not, you can download it here. Send us your contributions and we’ll aim to put them in the next one. alternatively email us copies of your own anti-cuts newsletters and leaflets. As well as articles and opinion, the Newsletter
contains details of the march and demonstration in Nottingham on 20th November, mentioned elsewhere on our site. We really want to make it a big one and hope you’ll join it. See leaflet advertising demo.
Monday 8th November. Regular Notts SOS planning meeting. The International Community Centre, YMCA, 61b Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG1 3FN. 7.30pm until 9.30pm. All welcome.
Tuesday 9th November. Anarchists against the Cuts, The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham, NG7 6HX. 7.30pm. This is the second meeting. Details.
Wednesday 10th November. UCU and NUS demonstration in London. Nottingham coach details are here as mentioned previously on Nott SOS website. Some coaches are going from Castle College and we will have leaflets to give out to those going on the demo, about Notts SOS campaign and the forthcoming Nottingham demo on the 20th. Please phone Stewart on 07599 735853 if you’d like to join him to do the leafleting.
Thursday 11th November. Sumac Debates: Is Capitalism the Crisis? The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham, NG7 6HX. 7.30pm. This is one of a new series of open debates at the Sumac Centre.
Saturday 13th November. Notts SOS street stalls. There will be at least the following. Come and talk to us! Even better come along and help us give out leaflets.
Nottingham Market Square (near the Lions): 12 noon – 2pm.
Beeston: 11 am on the High Road outside Boots the Chemist.
Last night’s Notts SOS planning meeting was very well attended with 30 participants in all. As well as the three major Nottingham demonstrations last week, and our interventions at the City Council consultation, we were pleased to hear from a new campaign in Lincoln that had held an anti-cuts meeting and march. The attack on welfare claimants in the Spending Review was highlighted. Sub-groups were formed to put together publicity, handle communications, and collect funds. A Nottingham demonstration was proposed for Saturday, November 20th.
A leaflet and Notts SOS newsletter will be produced for this. Please send us your stories and news of workplace or community campaigns and events for the newsletter. Individuals as well as groups are encouraged to share experiences which we would like to put in the newsletter and on the website. We know that the cuts and economic crisis will affect many people in many different ways, and all are important. You can add them as comments to the website or facebook page. We agreed to meet weekly at least until after the demonstration so the next meeting will be Monday November 1st at 7.30pm at the usual venue (ICC/YMCA on Mansfield Road). The campaign welcomes new participants at these.
Wednesday 20th October – COME TO THE FIRST NOTTS SOS GENERAL ANTI-CUTS PROTEST IN THE MARKET SQUARE ON THE DAY OF THE SPENDING REVIEW. Starts 5pm and will continue at least an hour. All welcome. Bring banners, noisy things, leaflets and most importantly your workmates, friends and family.
Thursday 21st October – Anti-cuts event at Nottinghamshire County Council. Lobby of County Hall, West Bridgford from 12.30pm when the County Council is due to publicise massive proposed cuts and privatising most of its services. If you want coach seats for the protest at Notts County Council on Thurs 21st Oct please contact Pete Watson pete.watson1@ntlworld.com; or the Notts CC Unison website www.nottsunison.org.uk Coaches are coming from Worksop, Mansfield, Newark & Beeston.. All welcome.
