London Mayday Weekend

London Mayday Weekend

Saturday 29th April – Monday May 1st 2006

At: The Square

The Square Social Centre

21 Russell Square

London WC1

(nearest tube: Russell Square or 10min walk from Euston Station)

SATURDAY 29th APRIL

ANARCHISM 06

A 2 day conference celebrating the politics, ideas & history of anarchism.

A way of getting the various strands and political movements together (as well as those new to anarchism), feeding off, and hopefully learning, from each other, building trust and confidence in our abilities to connect and develop strategies together, as well as fostering solidarity and a sense of collective purpose in what we do.

email: anarchism06@hushmail.com

website: www.londonsocialcentre.org.uk

1pm - 4pm

everything you wanted to know about anarchism but were afraid to ask.

4 pm – 6pm

WORKPLACE ORGANISING TRAINING

with Adam Lincoln, IWW dual carder and experienced trade unionist.

6pm – 7.30pm

80th Anniversary Commemoration of the 1926 GENERAL STRIKE

Presentation by Dave Douglass, NUM & Wobbly veteran on the bitter lock-out, days of hope in the General Strike, and the betrayal by the TUC.

Both Organised by the London Industrial Workers of the World

email: londoniww@iww.org

website: www.iww.org.uk

7.30pm – 9pm

Land and Freedom. A moving Ken Loach film about a young Liverpudlian who joins the fight against fascism during the Spanish civil war

9pm – 1am

Benefit Night. Fundraiser for the sacked Gate Gourmet workers

featuring live bands, the Sattelites ('combat rock') the Loveless (downtrodden blues) others tbc, d.js, food & drink (donation on the door £5/£3)

SUNDAY 30TH APRIL

1pm - 5pm

ANARCHISM 06 Discussion day

Programme:

1-2pm autonomous workers struggles / / Social centres – open radical public space

2–3pm The political significance of Mayday / / Broadway Market campaign & the gentrification of Hackney

3-4pm class struggles in France / / Anarchist newspaper

4-5pm solidarity groups for London / / Iranian labour struggles an capital

* autonomous workers struggles

sacked Gate Gourmet workers, Laing O’rourke workers & tube cleaners talk about their experiences & how we can successfully organise ourselves in the workplace. A chance for us to create some kind of dialogue with ongoing struggles

* Social centres – open radical public space

The idea and practice of social centres has developed over the past five years. Though few in number, social centres provides a radical public space which challenge the logic of the market, wage labour and authority. This discussion aims to further clarify and develop some ideas around social centres and how they can fully realise their potential.

* The political significance of Mayday

What does mayday mean to anarchists, why it’s celebrated & why an autonomous bloc has be organised on the TUC march.

* class struggles in France – French radicals talk about the recent uprisings in Paris & across France against the governments new labour laws. University occupations to running street battles and mass demonstrations; comparisons to Paris 68 are obvious, yet what is the lasting political significance of these events?

* Broadway Market campaign & the gentrification of Hackney.

The recent occupation of Tony's Cafe in Hackney is an example of how grassroots organising can be effective especially when people get together and fight against issues that concern them. Those involved in the campaign talk about what happened and the wider issue of gentrification destroying communities

* An anarchist newspaper

Can we produce a mass circulation anarchist newspaper? Ian Bone thinks we can and draws on his experience with 'Alarm' in Swansea, the 'Bristolian' and 'Class War' to make the case. Then....lets do it!'

* Solidarity Groups for London - Why Anarchists Should Organise Locally

As anarchists, we often see our ideas as being different from the rest of society’s, but on every street there are people who despise authority, are sick of their boss’s pay rises and tired of watching their area turn into a yuppie playground. We can’t change society on our own, we need a mass wide-reaching movement. By organising locally, we can develop networks and initiatives to dismantle the isolated existence of modern capitalism and build on our common dreams. Haringey Solidarity Group has been organising with relative success for nearly 15 years and are keen to encourage other people to get active on a community level. Come along to find out what you can do in your area.

* Iranian labour struggles and capital

Non party aligned anti-authoritarian Iran workers discuss the relationship between oil & capital, especially significant given the way the US is laying claims in the area of the middle east.

The Square Social Centre

21 Russell Square

London WC1

(nearest tube: Russell Square or 10 min walk from Euston station)

Map: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=530091&y=18203

4&z=1&sv=russell+square&st=6&tl=Russell+Square,+London,+WC1b&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf

Monday May 1st – MAYDAY

Autonomous bloc on the TUC march. Meet Midday, Clerkenwell Green, EC1 (Nearest tube:Farringdon)

website: www.ourmayday.org.uk

unfortunately no child care available, although kids welcome, maybe if people would like to 'self-organise' something i think it would be more than appreciated.

Benefit Night. SATURDAY 29TH APRIL. Fundraiser for the sacked Gate Gourmet workers

featuring live bands, Known (Dark rock from south london), the Sattelites (combat rock) the Loveless (downtrodden blues), d.js, film screenings, food & drink (donation on the door £5/£3)

150 workers sacked by Gate Gourmet last year are still fighting to regain their jobs. Unable to claim benefits or find new employment (plus the T & G one of the 'big four' unions who were supposed to represent them have stopped their hardship fund) they are struggling to make ends meet. This benefit is to show solidarity for those workers.