Protest against Israeli Army Recruitment
XR Families and Children at the Treasury
50 days anti-racist occupation at Goldsmiths
Protests at Anglo-American mining AGM
Southall rally for unity against racism
Disabled protest against Facebook
XR March back from City protests
Azerbaijanis & Armenians at Turkish Embassy
Extinction Rebellion at Marble Arch
Extinction Rebellion in Parliament Square
Free Julian Assange
Capital Ring - Hendon to Highgate
Police clear XR from Oxford Circus
Emma Thompson speaks at XR
Knife crime Operation Shutdown
Drax Protest at BEIS
XR around Parliament Square
Drax wood burning must end
XR Waterloo 'Garden Bridge' continues
Save Lambeth Children's Centres
Extinction Rebellion at Shell
Extinction Rebellion Funeral Procession
Extinction Rebellion Marble Arch
Anti-capitalist environmental action
Extinction Rebellion Sea at Oxford Circus
Extinction Rebellion Garden Bridge
Brexiteers march at Westminster
Sewol Ferry Disaster 5 years on
Love the Elephant
Against extinction and trophy hunting
Times end transphobic articles
Regent's Canal
Scrap Universal Credit Jobcentre protest
Tottenham and Spurs
Brexit protesters
Living wage at Dept of Business
Staines Walk
Brunei Sultan gay sex stoning protest
Sudanese for Freedom, Peace and Justice
Private hire drivers protest congestion charge
Windsor walk
january |
Other sites with my pictures include
london pictures
londons industrial history
hull photos
lea valley / river lea
and at my blog you can read
>Re:PHOTO my thoughts on photography.
Protesters, many Jewish, picketed the JW3 Jewish Community Centre on the Finchley Road which was hosting a fundraiser to recruit young people to the Israeli army.
The protesters say that no foreign armies should be allowed to recruit here, and certainly not the Israeli Defence Force, with its horrific record of attacks on Gaza and killing Palestinian protesters. The UN Human Rights Council reported that between 30th March and the end of 2018 the IDF unlawfully killed 189 people, including 35 children, and injured over 9,000, including over 1,500 children. They called for a boycott of the film festival and protested in solidarity with Israeli conscientious objectors who refuse to oppress Palestinians.
The fundraiser is part of a film festival supported and funded by the Israeli state.
Several Zionist protesters came to film and abuse the picket, accusing
them in an anti-Semitic slur of not being "the right kind of Jew".
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Families from Extinction Rebellion met in Parliament Square to walk to hold a children's party on the steps of the Treasury.
They called on the Treasury to end to all subsidies for carbon-based fuels which are polluting our air and causing many premature deaths as well as respiratory illnesses that choke our children.
Children are particularly vulnerable and many London streets and schools
have illegal levels of air pollution. They say we need to end the addiction
to these fuels for transport and home heating.
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Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action celebrated 50 days of occupation of the management building, the former Deptford Town Hall with a party.
The occupation began when the university failed to respond adequately to racist abuse of a candidate in the student elections. Students claim the university fails to treat BAME students and workers fairly, and among other demands insist Goldsmiths produces a strategic plan to tackle racism. The dropout rate for BAME students is much higher and academic outcomes significantly lower than for white students.
The long list of demands posted on boards in the Council Chamber begins with a call for the University to bring its security, catering and other support staff in-house and pay them a living wage, backing the IWGB campaign at Goldsmiths.
Deptford Town Hall is a magnificent listed building and the occupiers have
taken over much of the first floor, including the large council chamber.
They also have a meeting room, a prayer room, kitchen and toilet. Security
staff still operate inside the building, at the reception desk and sitting
on the landing. I was taken in by one of the occupiers who took me on a
tour of the occupation, but had to sign in (and out) in the official register.
Another of the complaints made by the occupiers is that Goldsmiths have
not carried out one of the conditions made when they were allowed to take
over the building, to make it available to the local community.
They also complain about the statues across the front of the building, which commemorate some of Deptford's leading historical figures. The fortunes of the town, which enabled the opulent nature of this building with its marble staircase, came from the exploitation of the British Empire, and in the era before it was built, the slave trade. Many of the students at Goldsmiths derive from the countries that were exploited, either overseas students or from families which have settled here.
The occupiers and a few visitors were busy getting ready for a party to
celebrate 50 days of the occupation, but I had to leave before it started.
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London Mining Network and others including Medact, Global Women's Strike and War on Want protested outside the AGM of London-listed mining company Anglo American as shareholders arrived.
They protested against its disregard for human rights, the environmental devastation caused by its projects, and its neo-colonial policies in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Chile, South Africa and elsewhere. Some protesters were shareholders and went inside to ask questions at the AGM.
Inminds were also protesting outside the AGM as De Beers supplies
diamonds to be cut in Israel, providing the money to fund the IDF and Israeli
apartheid, and some people took part in both protests.
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People marched in Southall remembering the murders there of Gurdip Singh Chaggar and Blair Peach, calling for unity against racism.
Chaggar, an 18 year old student, was murdered by racist skinheads in June 1976 and Peach was killed by a police officer when several thousand police rioted against protesters and the local community who had gathers to oppose a National Front rally at Southall Town Hall on St George's Day, April 23rd 1979, 40 years ago.
The march met up close to where Chaggar was murdered after leaving the Dominion Cinema, and there was a karate display which his family had requested before the march moved off.
At its front was an Parkistani decorated van with a large banner with the message 'ONE RACE the HUMAN RACE' along one side, followed by two lines of school children with black and red flags, and behind them the main banner, 'UNITE AGAINST RACISM'. Among those marching holding this was Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, MP for the neighbouring constituency.
The march halted for a minute's silence close to where Chaggar was murdered, and then proceeded to the Ramgarhia Sabha Gurdwara which he and his family attended in Oswald Road, where it halted for prayers. Unfortunately we did not have time to stop and go inside, but many took the offered drinks and bananas before moving on to Southall Broadway.
Red and white roses were handed out to the marchers, and the march turned off down Beechcroft Road to the corner of Orchard Ave, where they were laid where Blair Peach was murdered by an officer of the police Special Patrol Group.
The marchers then moved on to rally outside Southall Town Hall. The speakers
included a number of people who had been there when the police rioted 40
years ago, as well as John McDonnell MP, Pragna Patel who was inspired by
the event to form Southall Black Sisters, trade unionists, Anti Nazi league
founder Paul Holborow, and local councillor Jaskiran Chohan. Notable by
his absence was the local MP.
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Disabled People Against cuts (DPAC) protest outside Facebook's London HQ against the discriminatory treatment by Facebook of disability-related pages.
A phone call recorded by Access Ability with a Facebook help line recently told them their site which was set up to empower disabled people had been blocked from inviting 'likes' by an FB algorithm because "some people find it disturbing to see pictures of disabled people".
Disabled people, some in wheelchairs or on mobility scooters, along with supporters, displayed banners with photographs of disabled people and handed out leaflets, and spoke and played a recording of the phone call, calling on Facebook to change their policy which discriminates against the disabled. Among those who stopped to talk with them were visitors to Facebook including journalists who all expressed support.
I left when DPAC were told a manager from Facebook would only come out
and talk with them if the meeting was not photographed, videoed or recorded
in any way.
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Extinction Rebellion protesters marched back through Holborn to Marble Arch after taking action in the City of London.
They had marched there at the start of the morning for a day of action in the City which had hardly been affected by their ten days of actions in the West End.
As they marched they sang and chanted their demands for the government
to declare a Climate Emergency, for Zero net carbon emissions by 2025 and
a Citizen's Assembly. Later there was a closing ceremony at Marble Arch
and after 11 days the protesters dispersed. A continuing programme of actions
is planned.
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Armenians came to the Turkish Embassy to protest against the continuing refusal by Turkey to recognise the Armenian Genocide.
The protest marked the anniversary of the arrests of several hundred Armenian intellectuals on 24th April 1915 at the start of the systematic extermination by the Ottoman regime of around 1.5million Armenians.
Next to them was a counter-protest by Azerbaijanis over the massacres by
Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, the largest of at Khojaly in 1992
killed between 161 and 613 civilians. This conflict is still unresolved,
ending with a ceasefire in 1994 with around a million displaced persons
and no peace treaty.
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Police were removing people blocking Oxford St, the final road block around Marble Arch this afternoon.
Some people were locked on and being carefully cut out by officers, while others sat quietly surrounded by police and waited to be arrested while a small crowd watched through several lines of police as officers tried to get them to move away.
At Marble Arch the occupation continued with some drumming and dancing,
free food and hundreds of tents.
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Extinction Rebellion hold a general assembly and workshops in Parliament Square while some were attending mass lobby meetings with MPs.
Some protesters were up in the trees and hidden by the leaves while others
picnicked on the grass. When reports reached them that police were beginning
to clear the road blocks at Marble Arch a group assembled behind a samba
band and started to march to support the protesters there and I followed
them across St James Park and down the Mall, before rushing ahead to Marble
Arch.
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Protesters in Parliament Square support Julian Assange and call for his release.
They say he should not be extradited to the US as once there he will be charged with more serious crimes and locked away for life as a deterrent to other whistle blowers.
Speakers included Human Rights activist Peter Tatchell and Afshin Rattansi
from RT's 'Going Underground' news programme. They condemned the corrupt
Ecuadorian President Moreno for withdrawing his asylum and allowing UK police
to enter the embassy and arrest him.
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This section of the Capital Ring is only a little over 5 miles, though by the time I had wandered around a bit taking pictures and a short trip off route to a rest in a pub I think we probably walked almost double that.
Like most of the Capital Ring, the route is generally well waymarked, though there are a few places where it is possible to go astray. The best guide is the OS map, though there is a good PDF about this and every other stage online. There is a book about the Capital Ring which we have, and it does give you some interesting information about things you might see, but we find its directions often confusing.
We had a fine day, and got rather hot walking. THe OS map rather helpfully prints a pint glass a little north of East Finchley station which made a good halfway stopping point.
Of course it's the things you come across that aren't in the guide or on
the map that makes walks more interesting, including an unusual and controversial
structure in Queen's Wood near the end of the walk.
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Soon after Emma Thompson spoke at Extinction Rebellion's Sea of Protest, while I had left the area for a few minutes, police surrounded the pink yacht and put a ring of officers around Oxford Circus.
They began the slow process of persuading protesters to leave by threatening them with arrest and cutting off those who were locked on around the bottom of the yacht. There were a number of arrests of protesters who refused to leave.
A few tried to get the large crowd to protect the yacht, but XR organisers persuaded them not to physically oppose the police action as this went against the non-violent principles of Extinction Rebellion. Many other radical groups have criticised their attitudes to the police, and their strategy of getting as many people as possible to be arrested at the protests.
The large number of arrests has put a great deal of stress on existing organisations which provide legal observers and arrestee support, and although XR has provided some training for volunteers in these areas, much of the work during their protests has fallen to Green and Black Cross, "an independent grassroots project set up in the spirit of mutual aid to support social and environmental struggles within the UK" whose members were handing out bust cards at the protest.
Green and Black Cross will also be supplying much of the legal assistance
needed when the cases of those who are charged come to court, although probably
many arrested will not be charged. Although XR has received relatively large
sums in donations, so far they have made no contributions for these services,
something which has led to considerable criticism.
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Dame Emma Thompson came to speak at Extinction Rebellion's Sea of Protest in Oxford Circus around the large pink yacht, names after the Honduran environmental activist Berta Cáceres, assassinated in 2016.
Emma Thompson was a part of the day's activities to show 'Love For The Earth' on the 5th day of the occupation, but these were interrupted by police shortly after she spoke.
Some have criticised XR because she flew from New York to speak here; critics like to pick on irrelevancies such as this to attack the movement. There is little alternative to flying to travel from America to this country, and although Emma tries to fly as little as possible, some flights are necessary for her work. And as she says, she is in the fortunate position of being able to offset the carbon produced by paying for schemes such as planting trees.
Cutting our dependence on aviation isn't about individual journeys such as hers which are made for good reasons, but for making large cuts in the total numbers of flights.The cost of flying should reflect the actual costs by removing the current subsidies and imposing in their place a tax on journeys; a system with per person annual carbon allowances and heavy penalties for exceeding these might be more fair.
XR's protest continues demanding the government tells the truth and takes
the urgent actions needed on the global climate and ecological emergency
to avoid the extinction of life on Earth.
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Knife crime campaigners Operation Shutdown, a consortium of mums, dad's and other bereaved family members and loved ones supported by other campaigners, called for the community to unite and demanded more urgent action by the government to halt the growing epidemic of knife crime.
They held a rally at Downing Street and made a long list of demands, calling for new laws and stiffer penalties for knife and gun crime, as well as an end to cuts to local services including youth work and the restoration of these to pre-austerity levels, along with police budgets and numbers. They demand adequate safeguarding, a coordinated approach to trafficking and grooming and abuse of children and young people and a proper sharing of information and accountability for recently announced public health approach to knife crime.
At the end of the rally there where many representatives of bereaved families
spoke, they marched the short distance to Bridge Street where they presented
two wreaths to the police close to where PC Keith Palmer was murdered before
going on to block Westminster Bridge for more speeches.
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Axe Drax protesters against burning wood at Drax come to protest at the Dept for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy demanding an end to environmental subsidies for massive pollution.
Drax burns more wood each year than the UK produces, and it comes mainly
from environmentally disastrous clear-felling of US forests. Drax also burns
coal from opencast mining, again with huge environmental damage. The mining
activities also disrupt some communities and lead to human rights abuses,
particularly in Colombia.
Drax's latest plans are to move from coal to burning natural gas - another
carbon-based fuel, and likely to be produced by environmentally harmful
fracking with a huge 3.6-Gigawatt gas plant - 2.7 times larger than the
UK's existing largest gas-fired generator slated to come on line in 2015,
the year by which XR says we need to aim for Zero carbon. And for all its
incredibly polluting activities Drax is currently awarded huge environmental
subsidies. You just could not make this up.
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Two days after Extinction Rebellion blocked the roads in Parliament Square it remained closed to traffic.
Activities continue in and around the square with new protesters arriving.
They intend to continue the protest until the government takes urgent real
action on the global climate and ecological emergency, tells the truth about
the imminent disaster, halts biodiversity loss, cuts greenhouse gas emissions
and is led by a Citizen's Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
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Protesters at the Drax AGM in the City of London demand an end to burning wood at Drax power station, the UK's biggest carbon emitter.
Drax emitted over 13m tonnes of CO2 from burning wood in 2018, and plans to become the largest gas powered generating station in the UK. AxeDrax demand an end to the environmental subsidies for burning wood for which Drax got £789m in 2018 and for an end to the nonsensical accounting system which makes it qualify for any subsidy despite the huge contribution wood burning makes to climate change.
The money for the subsidy comes from our electricity bills and is intended
to combat climate change not contribute to it. These subsidies and more
should be used to encourage genuine renewables including solar and onshore/offshore
wind and more grants for home insulation and other energy saving measures.
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Two days after Extinction Rebellion closed Waterloo Bridge turning it into a 'Garden Bridge' it remained closed to traffic despite a couple of hundred arrests.
Activities continue on the bridge with new protesters arriving. They intend
to keep the bridge closed to vehicles until the government takes real action
on the global climate and ecological emergency, tells the truth about the
imminent disaster, halts biodiversity loss, cuts greenhouse gas emissions
and is led by a Citizen's Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
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Campaigners in Brixton, including staff, families and children protest opposite the council offices against plans by Lambeth Council to close 5 children's centres and make drastic cuts in another 7, with many staff losing their jobs.
A huge backlash from parents had delayed a decision until today's council
Cabinet meeting, but no details of any suggested revisions to the cuts have
been released.
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Extinction Rebellion activists forced their way into the Shell offices to protest at the companies activities, both in making a huge contribution to greenhouse gases through its promotion of fossil fuels, but also its terrible human rights record.
I was too late for the initial action which had been kept secret, but the
protest was continuing when I arrived. Two protesters were occupying a glass
porch above the main entrance and others had daubed slogans across the front
of the building using spray chalk, and broken the glass in one of the doors.
The damage was deliberate, though fairly minor, with the protesters hoping
that this would mean that their trial would be held in a court with a jury
rather than by magistrates, enabling them to present the reasons for their
action. There had been 3 arrests before I arrived.
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Extinction Rebellion closed the roads at Parliament Square for a New Orleans funeral procession with jazz band and a group of mourners in red to represent the blood of species made extinct and many others followed the coffin around the square.
After several circuits of the square the procession came to the centre of the square and was laid on the grass. After a silence there were improvisatory group activities.
XR intend to stay in the square until the government takes necessary action
on the global climate and ecological emergency. They say it must tell people
the truth about the disaster we are facing, halt biodiversity loss, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025, and set up and be led by a
Citizen's Assembly on climate and ecological justice. They occupied the
square and kept the roads blocked for over a week despite police efforts
to remove them.
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Extinction Rebellion environmental campaigners close the whole area around Marble Arch to traffic, with a stage and performers, various tents and activities and road blocks on the streets leading to the gyratory system.
Many had been there overnight and they intend to stay and block traffic
until the government takes necessary action on the global climate and ecological
emergency. They say it must tell people the truth about the disaster we
are facing, halt biodiversity loss, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net
zero by 2025, and set up and be led by a Citizen's Assembly on climate and
ecological justice. It was only after ten days that police managed to get
the traffic moving again, and XR decided to call an end to the camp there
the following day.
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A small group met in front of St Paul's Cathedral for a protest organised by the Green Anti-Capitalist Front, Earth Strike and London Students for Climate Justice.
While supporting the environmentalist actions by Extinction Rebellion they
wanted to go to workplaces at the heart of the capitalist system in the
City of London to make it clear that climate struggle is class struggle.
People were slow to arrive and the protest didn't seem to be likely to start
for some time, and I left before anything happened, missing the action.
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Extinction Rebellion campaigners close Oxford Circus to traffic and create a "sea of protest" around a large pink yacht, named after the Honduran environmental activist and indigenous leader, Berta Cáceres, assassinated for her activism in 2016.
XR intend to keep the roads closed until the government takes necessary
action on the global climate and ecological emergency. They say it must
tell people the truth about the disaster we are facing, halt biodiversity
loss, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025, and set up and
be led by a Citizen's Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
more pictures
Waterloo Bridge was closed to traffic by Extinction Rebellion activists who were bringing trees and plants and to turn it into a 'Garden Bridge'.
They intend to keep the bridge closed to vehicles until the government
takes necessary action on the global climate and ecological emergency. They
say it must tell people the truth about the disaster we are facing, halt
biodiversity loss, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025,
and set up and be led by a Citizen's Assembly on climate and ecological
justice. Despite many arrests the bridge remained occupied by the gardeners
and closed to traffic for over a week.
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Extreme right Brexiteers, many wearing yellow jackets, continue their protests walking around London every Saturday holding up traffic.
As well as Union flags and England flags they have flags and banners supporting members of the armed forces and also for the Islamophobic campaign 'Our Boys' which seeks to have a drunk driver of Hindu origin who killed three young men prosecuted as a terrorist.
Five years after the Sewol Ferry Disaster of 16 April 2014 campaigners
meet for the 60th monthly vigil in remembrance of the victims and in support
of their families.
They call for a full inquiry, the recovery of all bodies of victims, punishment
for those responsible and new laws to prevent another similar disaster.
They tie cards on lines with the class and name of the 250 high school children
who were drowned after being told to 'stay put below deck'. The tragedy
has claimed 304 lives.
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A rally and procession by Southwark Notes, Latin Elephant and Up the Elephant at the Elephant & Castle shopping centre keeping up the pressure on Southwark Council and developers Delancey to improve their plans for the redevelopment of the area.
The campaigners, who are seeking judicial review, say the Elephant should be developed for the existing population and users, rather than as social cleansing to attract new, wealthier residents and shoppers. They would like to see a development that retains the existing character of the area which has become very much a centre for South London's Latin community many of whom live in the surrounding area.
They say the development should include more social housing and call for fairer treatment of the market traders, who should be provided with 'like for like' new spaces at affordable rents and be given adequate financial compensation for the disruption in business the development will cause.
After a rally with several speakers including local councillor Jack Buck
and Tanya Murat of Southwark Defend Council Housing, a brief procession
went up to the centre entrance and then back through the market area, where
there were a couple of speeches from the traders before security officers
came to move the protesters on.
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People meet in Cavendish Square to march through London to a rally opposite Downing St as a part of the 2019 Global March for Elephants and Rhinos.
The marchers called on the UK government to impose a ban on the import
of hunting trophies of endangered species to the UK, and supported an increase
in the protection under CITES for elephants and opposed attempts to downgrade
protection of endangered species or reopen trade in ivory and other body
parts.
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Campaigners from Transmission, a group supporting the rights of trans people, protest outside the offices of The Times newspaper against their publication of transphobic articles.
An unfair article criticised The Tavistock Centre and all medical services for trans children, which the protesters say are vital and clinically proven to help cure gender dysphoria and lower mental health and suicide rates.
They say journalist Lucy Bannerman has earlier targeted the trans charity
Mermaids and ostracised trans athletes for competing in sports, and call
on The Times to end publishing transphobic propaganda.
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Photographs from the Regent's Canal on the Bethnal Green and Hackney border close to Cambridge Heath Road.
I walked up The Oval to the canal, photographing on the route. What was once an industrial area next to the gas works is now part of a creative area, with the former car park a mixed use arts and event space with a stock of containers in use as artists' studios. The buildings which used to serve as offices for Empress Coaches in Corbridge Crescent are still standing but the yard around them is currently under development.
An alley leads down from under the railway bridge back to the Oval, and
I walked down there before coming back and along Hare Row onto Cambridge
Heath Road. I walked back up towards Mare St, turning down Andrews Road
to access the tow path, and then walking along that at first to the east,
then turning around to come back to Broadway Market before heading back
to catch a bus on Mare St.
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Activists protested at lunchtime outside Tottenham Jobcentre Plus, speaking and handing out leaflets calling for Universal Credit to be scrapped.
The introduction of Universal credit by the DWP has inflicted great misery
on many of those who have been forced to claim it, often leaving them for
weeks or months with absolutely no money to live on. Most have had to rely
on food banks, which have seen a huge rise in people seeking help because
of UC, even in relatively affluent areas such as Surrey. Some have starved
or died because they cannot afford to heat their homes.
Those hardest hit have been the working poor, single mothers and those with
disabilities. From the start it has been marked by delays and inconsistencies
by the DWP and a harsh benefits sanction regime that has unfairly penalised
many, causing great suffering, huge rent arrears and making 1 in 38 new
claimants last year homeless.
The protesters handed out leaflets calling for UC to be scrapped to people
walking past and those entering and leaving the job centre; some stopped
to talk and shared some of their experiences of hardship.
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Spurs have a new stadium which opened recently, and I took a few pictures of this from the road, as well as others on my way from Seven Sisters.
The new stadium looks impressive, but Spurs have annoyed many Tottenham residents and other Londoners by wanting the change the name of the nearby Overground station from White Hart Lane to Tottenham Hotspur. TfL apparently wants to sell off the station name and Spurs are said to be paying £14.7m. Many years ago in 1932, Gillespie Road on the Piccadilly Line had its name changed to Arsenal, though that seems a little silly now when Arsenal have moved to a new stadium which now is called Emirates.
It's a rather annoying piece of corporate branding. The station will remain
where it is in White Hart Lane (though I imagine some of that £14.7m
will go on giving it a rather necessary facelift) and I'm sure Spurs fans
will keep calling there station White Hart Lane (or perhaps for a while
New White Hart Lane.)
Spurs had rather hoped to get another corporate deal and for the new stadium
to carry the Nike name, but that branding fell through. Many hope this one
will too.
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Just a few pictures taken walking past Parliament. Things were very
quiet with no yellow jacketed protesters and no insults, just the occasional
good-natured exchange of views and mild banter.
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Campaigners at the government department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) show solidarity with catering workers at the end of their three day strike for a living wage and decent terms and conditions.
The workers are on poverty pay, outsourced by BEIS to Ararmark who have
responded with threats of redundancies to the workers and their PCS BEIS
London and South branch representatives. Many are also struggling financially
because of their employer withholding of some of their pay following a change
to their pay cycle.
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We took a short walk going across Staines Bridge to the towpath and Egham Hythe.
Going downriver the tow path ends jut before Staines Railway Bridge. Boats
would be towed along and the horses unhitched, the boat steering across
to the opposite bank and the horses going across Staines Bridge and down
Thames St to rejoin the towpath under the railway bridge. We just went down
a footpath to Chertsey Lane and walked along this to the Hythe the back
across Staines Bridge towards home.
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People protested outside the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair against the multi-billionaire Sultan of Brunei who has announced death by stoning as a punishment for gay sex, adultery and blasphemy.
They demonstrated against this barbaric abuse of international law and
human rights and calling for a boycott of his hotels around the world. After
speeches and around an hour of noisy protest behind barriers keeping them
away from the hotel, Class War took the initiative and pushed the barriers
aside to protest directly in front of the hotel doors, and were quickly
followed by the other protesters.
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Thousands of Sudanese gather outside their embassy on the 34th anniversary of the 6th April revolution in the Sudan that overthrew dictator Jaafar Nimeiri in 1985 to support the revolutionary movement in Sudan that has protested for 17 weeks demanding freedom, peace and justice.
The peaceful protests in the Sudan have been met with extreme violence
with over 70 protesters being killed and thousands injured. The protesters
in London joined them in calling for an end to the violent and corrupt Sudanese
regime and for president Omar al-Bashir to 'Just Fall' and stand trial by
the ICC for genocide in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and South Blue Nile.
I left before they began their march to Downing St to demand the UK government
end support for the Sudanese regime.
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Private hire drivers parked their cars to block London Bridge in protest against TfL making them pay the congestion charge from April 8th.
The drivers accuse TfL of discriminating against private hire drivers who are largely from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups while black cabs, whose drivers are largely white are still exempt. They have taken their legal case to the HIgh COurt, who today decided to hear their Judicial Review in July, but refused an order to delay charging until them.
After blocking both carriageways of London bridge they left their cars in place and marched to a noisy protest at City Hall, where an officer came out to speak, telling them he understood their problem and promised to do what he could for them.
A short family walk around a part of Windsor Great Park on the edge of Windsor.
Clewer is at the west of Windsor, and we parked on a road at the south, next to Windsor Cemetery in a short road, Hermitage Lane, with a gate onto Windsor Great Park. Most of the others walking around here were obviously professional dog walkers. A footbridge took us across the Bourne Ditch and we made our way to a densely wooded area (Queen Mary's Plantation.) We followed a path through the trees, which eventually gave out, but were able to make our way back to the Bourne Ditch at the point where it turns north from the plantation.
We walked along a path roughly parallel to the ditch to a footbridge, and
crossed that to a bank, probably a flood barrier, that was spotted with
clumps of cowslips in bloom, before walking back to where the car was parked
and making for a nearby pub for a couple of pints of a decent local brew
and an unexciting meal.
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Pictures as usual from Nine Elms, but also Westminster, the City, Belgravia
and a set of images from Southall Green along with a few odd images from
elsewhere.
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