On Wednesday there is likely to be the largest strike Britain has seen since the General Strike of 1926. Many Conservatives have condemned the strike but do the workers of this country have the right to not go to work?
Showing posts with label Protests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Protests. Show all posts
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Occupy Clearance: Clean-up or Subjugation?
Over the past few days the eviction notices have been served to the campers outside Saint Paul's and those across America have been forced to leave. These moves of defiance across the globe by governments are said to be on the grounds of health and safety or cleaning up the area but is this just a smoke screen for the ruthless crack down on the world wide protests.
They came in the middle of the night and told people they had to leave, the ones who didn't were forcibly moved and arrested. The following two days the Occupy Wall St. protestors have been on the streets and the police have arrested them for any offence they can. About 80 people were arrested for not using the sidewalk. This heavy handed policing has not been seen in the UK but the legal process is in motion for a forceful eviction. But why?
Health and Safety
One of the arguments that is being used to justify these methods is health and safety. The protestors are a harm to themselves and the people around them. In what way I am unsure, is it the well organised system each camp has. Which involves a kitchen, a toilet and congregation areas? Is it the clear outlines of camps and the brightly coloured tents which allow people to choose whether to walk through them or not? I'm not sure, maybe health and safety regulations really have gone mad and camping isn't safe anymore but whose going to tell the scouts? Or maybe there is another reason?
Clean the Streets
The other argument the authorities are using is that the camps are messing up the streets, they produce large amounts of litter (even though most camps have an extensive recycling programme) and are an eye sore. This is not only annoying to local people but is also bad for tourism. The one problem with this argument is that this is world wide! There are camps in Berlin, Tokyo and Paris. Cities across America from Denver to LA and across the UK from Sheffield to Leeds. Hundreds of cities have seen camps pop up so the likely hood is that tourists will have seen it all before.
REVOLUTION?
Both of these arguments to me feel like excuses,they don't hold a great deal of water so why is this action being taken with such urgency? The mass world wide protest has got governments scared, this crisis has been going for nearly three years and does not look like it will finish for another two at least. People are finding it hard already and it looks like its about to get worse. So are the authorities clearing these protests in fear they will spread and create a challenge to their power? Maybe not that extreme but they definitely have politicians across the world on the edge of their seats and that is when the police come in with an iron fist.
They came in the middle of the night and told people they had to leave, the ones who didn't were forcibly moved and arrested. The following two days the Occupy Wall St. protestors have been on the streets and the police have arrested them for any offence they can. About 80 people were arrested for not using the sidewalk. This heavy handed policing has not been seen in the UK but the legal process is in motion for a forceful eviction. But why?
Health and Safety
One of the arguments that is being used to justify these methods is health and safety. The protestors are a harm to themselves and the people around them. In what way I am unsure, is it the well organised system each camp has. Which involves a kitchen, a toilet and congregation areas? Is it the clear outlines of camps and the brightly coloured tents which allow people to choose whether to walk through them or not? I'm not sure, maybe health and safety regulations really have gone mad and camping isn't safe anymore but whose going to tell the scouts? Or maybe there is another reason?
Clean the Streets
The other argument the authorities are using is that the camps are messing up the streets, they produce large amounts of litter (even though most camps have an extensive recycling programme) and are an eye sore. This is not only annoying to local people but is also bad for tourism. The one problem with this argument is that this is world wide! There are camps in Berlin, Tokyo and Paris. Cities across America from Denver to LA and across the UK from Sheffield to Leeds. Hundreds of cities have seen camps pop up so the likely hood is that tourists will have seen it all before.
REVOLUTION?
Both of these arguments to me feel like excuses,they don't hold a great deal of water so why is this action being taken with such urgency? The mass world wide protest has got governments scared, this crisis has been going for nearly three years and does not look like it will finish for another two at least. People are finding it hard already and it looks like its about to get worse. So are the authorities clearing these protests in fear they will spread and create a challenge to their power? Maybe not that extreme but they definitely have politicians across the world on the edge of their seats and that is when the police come in with an iron fist.
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
The White Poppy - Hated and Confused
As the 11th of November approaches I decided to think about whether or not to wear a poppy and if so which colour. After a few internet searches I realised the hostility many felt towards the white poppy and some confusions about exactly what it is and what it signifies.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
The Month in Updates
This month has seen the resignation of a cabinet Minister, the death of a great mind and the death of a dictator. You may notice that at J.G.W. Politics we write updates on a regular basis and here are some of the most influential, shocking or important moments of October.
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Occupy Everywhere - Too Lazy to Care
A small group of activists who decided to set up camp in Wall St. and voice there concerns about the financial system in America has created a global phenomenon, with camps popping up all over America and recently in London outside St. Paul's cathedral. However, these are relatively small groups of people and many have voiced there amazement at how few people are protesting. So have we, as a country or even as a world lost the drive to protest or do we now believe it makes no difference.
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