Hundreds of local residents and people from across Glasgow marched through the city earlier today in memory of Red Road flat residents the Serykh family, who were driven to suicide last weekend reportedly following the failure of their asylum application.
The demonstration gathered at the Red Road flats, one of the main areas in which Asylum families are ‘dispersed’ in the city, and marched on a route to the city centre, before a rally just off George Square. The march was noisy (with a samba band!) and got a really good reception from passers-by, especially when we reached the city centre and held a brief sit-down protest outside the City Chambers. Despite the overhanging sadness of last weekend’s events, the march had a celebratory atmosphere – of hundreds of people coming together to show Glasgow’s true face as a welcoming city that opens its doors to refugees and asylum seekers, and refuses to be taken in by the lies of the mainstream media and politicians who try to use those seeking sanctuary in our country as scapegoats for the problems of the system. You can read more from Leftfield about the asylum system and the Red Road flats here.
SSP PUBLIC MEETING: end the government’s terror against asylum seekers! for decent housing, jobs and incomes for ALL!
Wednesday 17 March, 7.30pm. Church Hall, Quarrywood Avenue, Barmulloch.
With speakers Kevin McVey (SSP candidate in Glasgow North East) & Waheed Totakhyl (Scottish Afghan Society).
As Leftfield reported a couple of days ago, Greece is currently in the midst of a huge economic crisis (well, everywhere is, but it’s ESPECIALLY bad there), with the government attempting to push through billions of Euros worth of cuts in the public sector - basically cause otherwise they’re running the risk of going bankrupt.
Thankfully though, the Greek working class are pretty militant, and they sure as hell aren’t going to let these cuts and austerity measures – in wages, jobs, pensions, services ETC – be pushed through without putting up a fight. This week, there was a huge general strike on Thursday, which saw airports, ports, factories and government offices all closed down, and even the police, who have a reputation for being a bit of nasty bunch, holding demonstrations in the street.
But it’s not just the Greek people that are militant. Oh no, Greece also has some of the most militant, revolutionary canines in Europe! Writes a Greek anarchist of their four-legged friends: “They always hated police and authority, lived in Exarchia and the university and came with us in every demo. Some are still with us, some have died, always dreaming of a free world.”
One dog in particular, who we believe to go by the name of Kellanos, has become a minor celebrity round Athens, as a regular participant in every demonstration there over the past few years, never shying away from the front line of battle. Think I’m joking? Take a look at these…
18 December 2008
24 February 2010
PAWS-ING FOR THOUGHT: 4 March 2009
9 May 2009
12 December 2008
24 February 2010
Leftfield salutes the efforts of Comrade Kellanos and the street dogs of Athens in their valiant struggle to bring about a fairer world for all creatures, two-legged and four-legged alike, and thinks the dogs of Scotland could learn much from their waggy-tailed comrades of Greece. Canines of the world unite! You have nothing to lose except your collars and leads!
Young people are lazy, illiterate, untidy, useless and have an ‘attitude problem’, one of the most highly-paid people in the country revealed yesterday to a conference of supermarket executives. Lucy Neville-Rolf, who earned £1.6 million last year in her job as an executive director of Tesco, blames the ‘education system’ for its failings to create a perfect society of conformist minimum wage robot clones, in a speech which rolled out just about every clichéd anti-youth prejudice in the book. I mean, it is about time these pesky young folk were brought into line and started showing some fucking gratitude for their shitty minimum wage temp contracts, isn’t it?
Well, Lucy agrees, adding into her anti-youth tirade that ‘a society where people don’t feel the need to work to gain material possessions will not be a stable or successful society.’ Well, Leftfield disagrees. The reality is that Lucy Neville-Rolf, Terry Leahy and all the other Tesco executives are an unnecessary bunch of parasites who scrounge off the hard work of tens of thousands of low-waged workers in supermarkets in the UK, in banana plantations inthe Caribbean, and all over the world. Obviously, Lucy, Terry and co. are deeply concerned with the continuation of a society that places an obsession with ‘material possessions’ above all else, as they’ve managed to get bloody well jolly rich off the back of it. Indeed, Tesco’s turnover continues to grow, with profits now topping £3 billion annually, and that’s even with a workforce that’re apparently all lazy, barely employable teenage slackers!
Undoubtedly, Neville-Rolf hinted in her speech at serious issues in our education system, in her claims that school-leavers “Cannot do reading. They cannot do arithmetic. They cannot do writing.”. There are tens of thousands of young people every year slipping through the system and leaving school lacking basic numeracy and literacy skills -- but the only reason this concerns Tesco is that it’s affecting their profit margins, not because they actually give a shit about the state of education in this country. If they really do care that much, maybe they could consider not going to such extreme lengths to avoid paying their taxes here…?
Tesco already employees 40,000 people under the age of 19, and seemingly want to see the whole school-system re-oriented to be a rolling production line of cheap labour to suit their own interests. In all their moaning about the state of education, something they’ve done in the past too, they seem to miss the point that education is important for education’s sake. This sentiment the education system purely acts to ready people for a live of wage slavery is pretty worrying at a time when schools and colleges are facing massive budget cuts from central government.
Lucy Neville-Rolf says that young people seem to think that the ‘world owes them a living’. Why the hell shouldn’t it? Everyone has the right to a job with decent pay and conditions, and just because the bosses at Tesco would rather we lived in a corporate paradise of low-taxes and the conditions of cheap labour (ie. mass unemployment), doesn’t mean it’s suddenly acceptable to start shitting all over young people. After all, do you think Lucy Neville-Rolf would go into her work smiling, happy and looking forward to a fun day of shelf-stacking if she was on £5.86 an hour? I doubt it.
Over the past couple of days, Glasgow’s famous Red Road flats - situated in Springburn, one of the most deprived areas of the city – have been the focus of huge media attention following the deaths of three asylum seekers, who took their own lives early on Sunday morning. The three family members, believed to be Russian nationals, were said to have been facing deportation after having their asylum application rejected. Much remains unexplained about the case, and rumours abound that immigration officials were at the door directly before the three took the decision to jump. This remains impossible to verify though, and the Home Office have issued a stringent denial that any UK Border Agency officials were in the vicinity at the time of the tragedy.
What is certain to anyone even vaguely familiar with the subject, however, is that the UK continues to have a deeply inhumane and flawed asylum system. The three tragic deaths at the weekend are not an isolated incident and are only one example among many cases of the desperate measures which those facing deportation can be driven to. As a recent report from Swansea University showed, the vast majority of those seeking refugee status in the UK are not, in fact, here to steal our benefits, our jobs or our taxes, but because they’re genuinely fleeing persecution in their home country. But these er, facts are all a little bit too inconvenient for the government, who’d rather hammer out again and again that they’re the TOUGHEST on immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers… the lot o’ them, in a pathetic bid to appease the right-wing press.
Indeed, the fact is that asylum seekers are usually given the very worst of the stock when it comes to housing – the Red Road flats are used to house dozens of families seeking aslylum, through a lease to the YMCA, yet are so dilapidated that demolition is scheduled to begin in a few weeks. Not to mention that asylum seekers aren’t even allowed to work and forced to survive on £35 a week – which was cut from £42 last November, which pretty much sums up the attitude of the government on this issue.
Recently, we’ve reported on the ongoing hunger strike at the Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre in the south of England, and the lies that the government have scandalously been spreading about it. Meanwhile in Scotland, it was reported only last week that children as young as five continue to be held at the Dungavel Detention Centre in South Lanarkshire. A few years ago, when the dawn raids on refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland were at their height, Dungavel became the focus for huge demonstrations against the horrific treatment of people seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. It’s time that we once again stepped up the campaign against ridiculous asylum laws that see some of the most vulnerable people in society constantly abused and let-down by the system, as the tragic events of Sunday morning only too graphically display.
A protest outside Dungavel in 2003
Earlier this evening, around 150 local residents, community campaigners and those wishing to show their solidarity from across Glasgow held a vigil for the Russian family outside the Red Road flats. The mood at the rally, where several asylum seekers spoke and told us their own experiences, was sombre, but beneath this grief lay a huge amount of anger at the dreadful way in which they are treated by the system, and the politicians who do nothing to help their desperate situation. On Saturday, the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees, and the Unity Centre - who do loads of really good work helping asylum seekers on a day to day basis, through their centre in Govan – have called a demonstration in support of asylum seekers, and as a memorial to the Russian family who took their lives at the weekend.
NO DEPORTATIONS – SUPPORT ASYLUM SEEKERS! Meet this Saturday 13 March, 11.00am outside the Red Road flats, 63 Petershill Drive (nearest station: Barnhill), before marching into the city centre, with a rally at George Square. Facebook event page here.
Thirty thousand civil servants (people who work in places like the Scottish Parliament, job centres, courts and tax offices) are on strike in Scotland today.
The action is being taken by members of the PCS trade union, over changes to redundancy entitlement which mean that if staff lose their job, they could also lose up to a third of what they would’ve previously been paid as compensation. The government is hoping to save £500,000 through this scheme.
What makes this so important at the current time, is that both Labour and the Tories are intent on pushing through massive cuts in the public sector, including job losses - and now they don’t even want workers taking redundancy to even get decent compensation!
Meanwhile at the Student Loans Company – where workers are also represented by the PCS union – management are looking to lay off around around 150 staff in Glasgow – 20% of the total workforce!
Now, if you’re a student, you’re probably already pretty familiar with the SLC – last year, the issuing of loans was left in chaos, with tens of thousands of students starting the year with no money whatsoever. And these are the loans that have to be paid back, with interest, remember – no student grants for us! Predictably enough, it soon emerged that at the same time as students weren’t receiving their loans, senior executives in the SLC were getting massive bonuses – in some cases, up to five figures. And now, the same management have unveiled their plan to slash nearly 200 jobs across the country, which will presumably make the whole loans thing be even more efficient this year than it was last year, while hundreds of workers are thrown onto the scrapheap at the same time. Logic!
Mairi Cranie, an SSY member who works at the SLC in Glasgow, explained: “The Student Loans Company is cutting almost 200 jobs, the majority of which are in Glasgow. Forty-five of these jobs are moving from Hillington to Darlington at no saving to the tax payer. This will impact families across the west of Scotland and the service for both current students and people in the process of repaying their loans.”
You can sign a petition against the cuts at the SLC here: http://www.gopetition.com/online/34078.html The PCS strike continues tomorrow, so get down yr local picket line and offer them some support!
Anti-fascists & local yoof block the route of the NF: Lewisham 1977
The dieing days of a Labour government, discontent bubbling away in the trade unions, a resurgent Conservative party, mass unemployment, cuts – everywhere – cuts!, the far-right gaining limited electoral success, the SWP falling apart .. fuck me, haven’t we been here before?
Well, um not strictly, seeing as SSY are all under-the-age-of-26 and that, but you get the picture. We seem to be heading towards a bad re-run of the late 70s, but this time, the economic crisis is that bit worse and we’re going to see the biggest erosion of the welfare state and attacks on the working class since like um… Thatcher as it happens.
And now, to top it all off, the National Front are back. Allegedly. They’ve been trying for a while to play on the back of discontent with the direction Fuhrer Nick Griffin is taking the BNP (not enough hitler worshiping, too many jews) with some limited success. But, I mean, it’s hardly like we’re about to see a resurgent threat of the far-right marching on our streets, victimising minorities, and taking over OUR chain-pubs though, is it?
OH NO WAIT, we already are - it’s just being done under the, ahem, respectable guise of the English/Scottish Defence League, that’s all.
Now the Scottish section of the NF have announced that they’re having a wee get-together this Saturday, in Glasgow. All five of them, presumably, but it’s good to know that they’ve advertised it on the internet just in case they get a few keen new members. Do the fash never learn? Posting details of yr gatherings on the internet = a silly idea.
Glasgow Anti-Fascist Alliance are mobilising to oppose the National Front. They will be assembling at 12 noon at Borders on Buchanan Street, Saturday 13 February.
Next Saturday, 20th February, is the date of the Scottish Defence League’s planned second outing – this time in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Anti-Fascist Alliance are calling a counter-demo to confront the SDL, assembling at 9.30am on Princes Street, outside Princes Mall.
There’ll also be some pish Scotland United ‘let’s listen to speeches by boring mainstream politicians about why teh racists are bad ‘ one, but you’re nae missing much with that.
Update: The PDF of the new issue is now available on the Leftfield page, spam it to all your friends!
The wait is over. The new Leftfield ‘zine from SSY is here and ready to go. For now, we’ve got a sneak preview, but check back in a couple of days and we should have a PDF up for download under the Leftfield page of the site.
The new issue is jam packed full of exciting features and articles, including an interview with the director of Palestinian hip hop documentary Slingshot Hip Hop, the launch of our new Sex Drugs & On The Dole campaign, a report from the frontline of the battle against Donald Trump’s golf course plans in Aberdeenshire, film reviews, islamogeddon, the shadowy figure behind the English Defence League, Nick Griffin being creepy, mephedrone, electoral turmoil, positive solutions for a socialist future… AND SO MUCH MORE!!! Get it from SSY members now for a very small sum. Like fifty pence will do.
It seems that Fearne ‘talent vacuum’ Cotton got herself into a little bit of bother yesterday morning, with a slightly careless reference to cotton pickin’ in an interview with Morgan Freeman, who as The Sun helpfully reminded us, is a ‘black actor’.
Now, in a Leftfield exclusive, we can reveal Freeman’s quick-fire response which listeners to the show may’ve missed, since, attempting to cover up any awkwardness her remark may’ve created, Fearne quickly bursting into a fit of giggles, before cracking a joke about lynch mobs.
The Tories new advertising campaign.
What the fuck were they thinking? It hardly takes a genius to figure out that an election poster consisting of a) masses of white space b) a heavily airbrushed portrait of the country’s biggest tosser & c) the words ‘I’ll cut’ is just ASKING to be modified. And modified it shall be, and I’m not talking about yr crazy internet phenonemon. Oh no, this is the real thing… so now, after the roaring success that was Leftfield’s Top Fifteen Placards of 2009, we’re very excited to present the… TOP FIVE DAVID CAMERON DEFACED BILLBOARDS IN REAL LIFE!!!111
Award for ingenuity.
Let’s hope so.
Whitechapel Anarchist Group, guilty as charged. video here!
Simple, but effective.
So what’re you waiting for… get out there and join in with this most exciting of new national sports!!!
Since June of last year, environmental activists have been occupying the site of a proposed new open-cast coal mine in Mainshill, Lanarkshire.
Despite vehement opposition to the mine from the local community, and the devastating environmental impact of open-cast mining locally, not to mention the impact on climate change globally, South Lanarkshire Council, Scottish Coal and wealthy landowner Lord Home have pressed on with their plans to tear up Mainshill wood and proceed with the mine. Now… a conglomeration of big business, local government bureaucrats and a Conservative peer putting their own interests before that of the local community and environment… who’d have thought it?!
This video shows the hypocrisy and corruption of some of the politicians involved in the decision making process, and exposes the cosy relationship many of them enjoy with Scottish Coal, who operate on numerous sites across Lanarkshire.
Over the past seven months, those occupying the site have been resisting any attempt to begin work at the site. This has involved the sabotage and destruction of machinery, lock-ons and blockades, as well as maintaining a sizeable human presence in the wood. However, this morning (Monday 25 January), bailliffs acting under the instruction of Lord Home moved into to begin the eviction of the Solidarity Camp, assisted by police. This morning saw the arrest of several activists, with many more still dug into tunnels and in treehouses, and the eviction is expected to last several days, if not longer.
The camp have had full community support throughout, who know the devastating effects that open-cast mining can have first hand, with the landscape around the village of Douglas scarred by them.
As the utter failure of the Copenhagen talks to reach any worthwhile deal on carbon emissions demonstrated, capitalism cannot, and will not, sacrifice profit for the sake of environmental or human concerns. It’s now up to us to halt the potential environmental catastrophe that climate change will bring, fighting alongside local communties who’re facing the brunt of the system that pits profit above all else.
There’s regular updates from Mainshill Solidarity Camp on Indymedia Scotland & on their twitter at https://twitter.com/MainshillCamp.
Hundreds of local residents and people from across Glasgow marched through the city earlier today in memory of Red Road flat residents the Serykh family, who were driven to suicide last weekend reportedly following the failure of their asylum application.
Let’s hope so.
Whitechapel Anarchist Group, guilty as charged. 
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