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Save ESOL! March and Rally 3rd March 2007

Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR) | 07.03.2007 02:38 | Anti-racism | Migration | Social Struggles

On Saturday 3rd March 2007 Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR) joined with Newcastle College Student Union and ESOL staff and students to organise a march and rally against the Labour government's proposed cuts to funding for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). Under the proposed changes, from September 2007 asylum seekers will be totally excluded from English classes, and other will be expected to pay, effectively excluding many low paid migrant workers.







Along with denial of the right to work and a parallel and inferior welfare system, cuts to ESOL funding are another attempt by the Labour government to divide asylum seekers from others in Britain who are also under attack, and to prevent any united fightback.

Over 200 people joined the march, which was part of a national week of action called by the University and College Union (UCU). The rally in the centre of Newcastle heard from speakers from TCAR, the Revolutionary Communist Group, Newcastle College Student Union, UCU and Northern TUC, as well as many other speakers who took the opportunity of an open mic.

TCAR has already initiated discussion with other forces involved in the Save ESOL campaign on how the struggle can be taken forward.

Together We Are Stronger! Together WE WILL WIN!

Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR)
- e-mail: tynesidecarn@yahoo.co.uk

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

why oh why all the blanked faces

07.03.2007 14:32

Makes it rather hard to tell if anyone is having a good time or not on the action. Peoples facial expressions can convey so much about what is going on, how people are feeling, angry, sad, optimistic, despairing, jubilant. Might as well line up a load of shop window dummies.

faceless

Gotta be considerate folks...

07.03.2007 19:14

Yeh I knwo what yer saying, but blanking peoples faces out is just considerate and also (unfortunately) sensible. For one thing, it just respects that not everyone will want their mug flashed all across the internet. But also, it is sensible, in that both state (i.e. cops) and right-wing thugs can use photos from indymedia to target activists for repression or violence, (Ive allready got my face on Redwatch - where fascists are incited to use violence against pictured activists - cos of Indymedia photos not being blanked) so better safe than sorry eh? Keep blanking faces folks!

And to Tyneside crew, well done for this protest!

Gerrard

oh come on

08.03.2007 01:22

If you're going to roll over and play dead so easily to those pathetic tossers running redwatch then we might as well all smash our cameras and give up activism of any kind. Please don't anyone else accept this insane advice and blank faces.

faceless

Ever thought...?

08.03.2007 17:05

...It's not about Redwatch etc. Most people on this demo would have been asylum seekers who want to come out and protest but maybe don't want to advertise their presence to the immigration authorities etc (and freelance fash in their area, its true). Some people's status may not be 100% within the parameters of British law - get my drift. Personally, I think that the blanking is pretty pointless as cops have cameras, there is CCTV etc, but if you are organising an event on which the majority of the participants are vulnerable to state attack already, you should at least be able to take whatever steps you agree are best for the protection of all concerned...

N