Protesters Rally to Revive the NHS
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
#12 | theoccupiedtimes.com | @OccupiedTimes 21MAR2012 BLOCK THE BILL PROTESTERS RALLY TO REVIVE THE NHS NHS staff were joined last Saturday As the crowd advanced police by members of the public and activists officers made repeated attempts to including contingents from Occupy prevent the procession, succeeding only London and Anonymous UK in a in separating protesters, but failing to demonstration over the government’s stop them. Eventually, after turning onto proposed health service reforms. Chancery Lane, the last few protesters Around 200 people gathered outside still advancing were kettled by police the Department of Health building in using force. One man was tripped from Whitehall, where speakers addressed behind while running and another had his the crowd. head smashed into a window. As the crowd grew, only a minimal Officers initially informed the kettled police presence could be seen as demonstrators they would either be people discussed the impending Health arrested under a Section 12 order or and Social Care bill in a subdued could give their personal details and atmosphere. A small group then moved be escorted out - but several activists into the road and sat down with arms demanded clarification as to whether linked, blocking traffic and prompting these were the only two options open more protesters to join in solidarity. to them. Police eventually escorted Within minutes the majority of people them out one-by-one, without who had gathered for the demo - taking information, but past Forward including elderly and disabled people, Intelligence Officers filming the incident. as well as parents with small children Despite the historical importance of - were obstructing the road, chanting the government’s unmandated reforms, defiantly as surgical hats, masks and the small but spirited public defiance gloves were passed around. went totally unreported in the mainstream A proposal was then heard from media, with some commentators the crowd of protesters for mobilisation describing it as a “blackout”. towards the Virgin Healthcare offices. For comment on the NHS Consenting to the proposal, the crowd privatisation see page three. began to move towards Trafalgar Square, bearing placards with calls to keep the health service in the hands of the public. Two blocks ahead, officers from the Territorial Support Group emerged from a side street to block the road, forming the first of what was to be a series of loose kettles broken by protesters. Upon reaching the busy roundabout at Trafalgar Square protesters scattered, some encountering a police unit armed with automatic weapons. These officers, thought to be from the SO6 Diplomatic Protection Group, seemingly stumbled upon the protest by chance, but still decided to leave their vehicle and patrol the area on foot, WASI DANIJU WASI DANIJU weapons in hand. NEW BATTLES IN NATALIA SANCHEZ-BELL Editorial HIGHER EDUCATION MARK BERGFELD WHOSE NHS? & MICHAEL RICHMOND Picking up a copy of Rupert Murdoch’s in on reconstruction and unfair trade the violence on Al Jazeera. Western to unseat kings and powerful elites- Last week more than seven hundred of students have left a mark on the education to students from widening In spite of widespread public outrage, corruption. It doesn’t matter if they’ve jingoistic tabloid newspaper last agreements. After a few photo ops governments consistently sided with just look at Thatcher’s poll bounce students demonstrated in defiance against movement. Arguably it has peeled off participation background has been met nearly every Royal College opposing it and “followed the rules” (a forlorn refrain Wednesday, you could be forgiven for with Sarkozy, the people of Libya autocratic leaders until demonstrators following the Falklands War. Universities Minister David Willetts and a softer outer layer of protesters and with opposition by students and staff alike. a coalition ranging from the Conservative reminiscent of the expenses scandal) and running to a mirror to check that you were quickly forgotten. As Human were literally storming their palaces. But 2012 is not 1929. Bradley his plans to further privatise the University supporters from demonstrating. Importantly, the UCU lecturers Home blog on the right to Leftist activists at registered their interest- the problem is CONTENTS aren’t, in fact, Bill Murray’s character Rights Watch points out, Gaddafi’s The argument that diplomacy worked Manning still sits in a cell, but the that they have such an interest and how PAGES/ sector. The march called by the Education As students held their sit-down they in Further Education and post-1992 the opposite end of the political spectrum 01 Block The Bill in Groundhog Day. Since The Sun system persists in many places. Only “behind the scenes” is unlikely to video he leaked is out and doing Activist Network, ULU and various chanted ‘Who protects the 1%?, the police institutions also voted overwhelmingly who have demanded that the government painfully obvious it is that this affects the 02 Editorial drafted its infamous “45 Minutes the names on the business cards have comfort the people who stepped in the rounds, and war doesn’t look so Students’ Unions across London coincided protects the 1%’. Anyone who had been on for strike action. The government wants drop the Health and Social Care Bill, the direction of legislation. 03 New Battles In Higher Education From Doom” headline to scare the UK been changed. front of riot police and military units to attractive up close and streaming. with the day of walkouts called by the previous student demonstrations could only to drive down costs to make it easier coalition government have adopted the Private healthcare firms and their Whose NHS? / Getting Away With Murder? population into supporting the war in In addition, the past twelve demand change. Anyone can claim to New media technologies can bring National Union of Students. agree: the police are not part of the 99%. for private companies to feed off public novel approach of sticking their fingers in lobbyists have been salivating at the very Notes On The Crisis From Greece 04 Iraq, most of us have come to agree months have highlighted the be a hero “behind the scenes”. activists together across continents 05 Occupy Buffer Zone Under the banner of ‘Willetts must There are arguments amongst education – this is why staff are fighting to their ears and forcing it through regardless. thought of the Health and Social Care bill. Haiti, The Real Canary In The Mine that the war was illegal, instigated hypocrisy of Western foreign policy. While politicians demand austerity and traditional divides. When the go!’ students marched from ULU to the activists. Some believe we should wait until defend their pensions. Motions from both the Labour benches The Private Hospitals Alliance (or H5), 06 Africa’s Hidden Hunger / Life Under Occupation on false terms, and a total failure. In 2011, while preaching the gospel at home, they are still willing to spend eviction order for St. Paul’s was Department for Business, Innovation the next general election and make higher The terrain that students, academics and the few dissenting Liberal Democrats a lobby group launched specifically to 07 Occupy Your Mind Yet here we go again, with a Prime of democracy, Great Britain signed lavishly on their imperial adventures granted and Syrian protesters and Skills, the Ministry responsible for education the number one issue. Others and university workers are fighting on is were voted down by a government majority coincide with this bill to represent the five O8 Quaker’s Epistle Minister utilising a popular tabloid arms deals with Middle Eastern abroad. If history can be a guide, we showed solidarity with a bonfire, it Anarchy Inside Higher Education. believe that we should move on to other very different to that of November and of 314 to 258 and 314 to 260, respectively. largest private hospital firms in the UK, 09 Is International Women’s’ Day Still Worth to engineer consent. In spectacular countries that totalled around 3.3 have reason for concern: When debt revealed a connection deeper than Under pressure from students, a political issues. However, new battles lines December 2010 when the government The only parliamentary recourse left to halt have spoken openly within their industry Celebrating? / Beyond Work PR fashion, David Cameron bluntly billion pounds. Half of that sum came mounted in medieval Europe, the the divisions, something more solid 20,000-strong petition by the UCU and have been drawn. announced that it would treble tuition fees. this privatising bill is in the House of Lords of “opportunities” afforded by this bill for 10 Contagion? Armageddon? Why? asserted that Iran was building a from Saudi Arabia, with its dismal crusades established a fragile alliance than the fighting talk and wheeling his own cabinet, Willetts withdrew the Students already have fewer courses Activists inside of the movement are fighting where David Owen is attempting to force the “public service outsourcing on a massive Revolution or Evolution? missile capable of striking the UK. human rights record, and around 80 between the Church and monarchs, and dealing between our respective Higher Education Bill from the Commons. to choose from and will now be obliged to to build a unified movement which can start government to publish the findings of the scale.” There is even mention of how the Money Talks: Harry Shutt 11 The intention seems clear: while the million pounds worth of weapons went with the promise of unsurpassed tragi-comic leaders. 12 Scare Stories: Scarce Stories However, he is preparing universities for take out huge loans from the government challenging the government at every twist risk register, thought to expose the dangers UK private medical insurance industry 13 The Politics Of Common Sense US and the UK governments claim to the very country now building a riches to be taken in the name of Many citizens are tired of the privatisation in similarly shambolic fashion to meet spiralling costs.