Direct Action against Railtrack
Corvus | 21.10.2000 11:48
A relatively small group of trades unionists, including RMT and CATP assembled in the rain for what appeared destined to be a token protest against Railtrack, the private transport monopoly the Labour government repeatedly refuses to break up despite carnage on the tracks.
Then just before mid day, a protester took the loudspeaker and called for an immediate vote to block the main road outside Euston station. The vote was unanimous: the assembled workers (predominantly older in years) all expressed the opinion that if the Seattle protesters and fuel tax campaigners could blockade, then so could they.
So they did. The main junction of Euston Rd and Gordon St was effectively shut down, incidentally taking the small police presence completely off guard, (not expecting such sudden radicalism).
The lesson is clear: all across the range of protest, direct action is becoming the norm. Workers, students, women, ethnic minorities and all oppressed people can stand together !
There will be another protest for rail safety at
the GLA open day for London
The Emmannuel Center, 9 - 23 Marsham St, London SW1, (Pimlico or Westminster tube)
9:30 am tuesday 24th october
(see Workers Unite paper for details of this)
Then just before mid day, a protester took the loudspeaker and called for an immediate vote to block the main road outside Euston station. The vote was unanimous: the assembled workers (predominantly older in years) all expressed the opinion that if the Seattle protesters and fuel tax campaigners could blockade, then so could they.
So they did. The main junction of Euston Rd and Gordon St was effectively shut down, incidentally taking the small police presence completely off guard, (not expecting such sudden radicalism).
The lesson is clear: all across the range of protest, direct action is becoming the norm. Workers, students, women, ethnic minorities and all oppressed people can stand together !
There will be another protest for rail safety at
the GLA open day for London
The Emmannuel Center, 9 - 23 Marsham St, London SW1, (Pimlico or Westminster tube)
9:30 am tuesday 24th october
(see Workers Unite paper for details of this)
Corvus
Comments
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Profits before people
24.10.2000 16:50
The public were very supportive, though somewhat resigned to their fate, when we articulated our sense of frustration and anger at the corporate manslaughter which has been unfolding on the UK's rail networks.
Railtrack staff themselves were either indifferent or smug when we asked them questions about their employer's questionable safety track record. Asked what they felt about the announcement that the UK Government is planning to inject £5 billion of tax-payer's money in order to bolster safety plans for the privatised company one man replied "excellent". Most shrugged when we asked if the company was placing people before profits.
Half way through our protest a British Transport police officer came and asked us to stop shouting and wanted to know what time we intended to leave. It was a good-natured intervention but we were definately forced to compromise our action as a result.
Even if our action was small we both left feeling like we had released lots of built-up frustration and resentment and hoped that - in a small way - we made Railtrack realise the sense of public anger .... during their lunch break!
A commuter
Nice Protest - Good Technique
30.10.2000 21:20
you can often get footage like that onto the local if not national news and greatly increase the scope and outreach of your protest.
If Labour takes on direct action techniques it only makes them more effective.
Check our site for more details about how to use video as as a strategic tool for campaigning.
undercurrents.org
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