UK UK Newswire Archive
UKUncut Emergency Operation
30-05-2011 14:55
On Saturday 28th local high street branches of different banks were transformed into hospitals in a 'UK Uncut's Emergency Operation'. Anti-cuts activists from several parts of London followed the call to "tell the government to leave our NHS alone; it's the banks that are sick" [read full call].
Video reports: Emergency Operation, Camden | Save Homerton hospital | Emergency Operation: Wood Green | Angel RBS Occupation |
UK Uncut's Call to Action:
"The NHS will last as long as there are folk left to fight for it."
- Nye Bevan, founder of the NHS
"Andrew Lansley. Greedy Andrew Lansley. Tosser."
- MC NxtGen
This is an emergency. The welfare state is in peril. Under the guise of ‘efficiency' and ‘reform', this government is plotting to cut the NHS and sell off what's left. Andrew Lansley has claimed the government is in a ‘listening exercise' about the proposed NHS ‘reforms'. But despite widespread outcry from doctors, nurses and the public the government isn't listening to anyone apart from private healthcare lobbyists.
Let's make Lansley listen. We want to keep our healthy NHS and fix our broken banking system. Whilst the NHS is being dismantled, the banks that caused this crisis in the first place have been left untouched. Reckless gambling, obscene bonuses and a global financial crisis are symptoms of a disease that requires a drastic intervention.
The banks are due a check-up. On Saturday May 28th, join UK Uncut's Emergency Operation and transform your local high street bank into a hospital. Tell the government to leave our NHS alone; it's the banks that are sick.
Turn HSBC into a hospital, fill Natwest with nurses, get bandaged in Barclays and operate in RBS. As usual, it's up to you to organise an action in your area - so talk to your friends, your local union branch and anti-cuts group and then list an action on our website. All the resources you'll need will be on our website, including a flyer to tell the public about the NHS emergency. Get organised, get creative and let's make Lansley listen: leave our NHS alone and make the banks pay.
See you on the high streets.
Report from Wood Green:
28 May 2011: NHS activists joined the anti-austerity campaigning group UK Uncut to occupy Lloyd's Bank in Wood Green, London this Saturday. Up to 30 campaigners dressed in doctors' and nurses' uniforms with fake blood set up an "emergency operating theatre" inside the bank. Supporters of the Defend Whittington Hospital Coalition, Haringey Alliance for Public Services and Right To Work campaign chanted "Bail out the NHS, not the banks!" Children tried to operate on a toy version of Andrew Lansley, health secretary, and passers by signed 'Save Our NHS' petitions blaming the banks and government for the financial crisis -- not the NHS.
NHS worker Terry McGrath said, "I took part because the banks, who caused the financial crisis, are still making billions in profits, whilst the NHS is being attacked. We wanted to show that people will not stand for these cuts, and I want to see Cameron buckle under the pressure of growing strikes and widespread protests."
Report from Angel:
The NHS is not for sale!
On Saturday 28 May, Angel, North London, was the site of a drop-in surgery for people worried about the bad effects of the cuts on their health. This event was called by Fight racism! Fight Imperialism as part of the UK Uncut day of action to save the NHS.
Doctors, nurses and patients set up their cuts consultation inside the Angel branch of RBS, recipient of £45 billion of bail out money -- 40% of the annual NHS budget!
The patients' recovery was assisted by ukulele players and energetic speeches, making sure that the public understood why we were there.
The banks got bailed out, and now we are being sold out. Hospitals are making swingeing cuts and the health and social care bill is about to abolish the duty of the secretary of state for health to ensure health provision for everyone.
We are being told we have to swallow this bad medicine because of the national debt. However, as one of the speakers pointed out, the national debt in post-war Britain, when the NHS was set up, was greater than it is now.
Speakers also talked about Private Finance Initiatives and the debt that hospitals are in due to the 30-60 year contracts that they have signed, which will see them paying many times over the costs of the initial investment from private firms.
The condition of the patients in the bank got worse as they heard this depressing news, however, they perked up immensely when one of the nurses took to the megaphone and talked about Cuba and their incredible achievements in health and education: their low infant mortality, their high doctor to patient ratio and their health internationalism. In fact, during the most difficult economic times of the Special Period in the 1990s, Cuba increased their health coverage, increased the numbers of doctors and nurses and didn't shut down a single health clinic, service or hospital.
The security staff and tellers in RBS seemed receptive to our words - clearly they aren't the ones getting the bonuses.
Now is the time to collectively make our voices heard and this event, along with all the other banks occupied on the day, was a very good start.
Palestine Today 05 30 2011
30-05-2011 14:14
Leeds J30 planning meeting - Mon 6th
30-05-2011 12:42
On Mon 6th LEEDS is having it's planning meeting for J30, as part of a national tide to agitate around June 30th, with and beyond striking action!From Hiroshima to Fukushima
30-05-2011 12:40
From COMMUNIST LEFT review of International Communist PartyKroll and Police spend £1m to Gag plumber Ian Puddick
30-05-2011 12:18
Abuse of Power - Kroll and City of London Counter Terrorism Directorate spent £1m of tax payers money to gag whistle blower Ian Puddick who exposed corruption and cronyism.Facebook Twitter on Trial 15 June Westminster Magistrates Court
30-05-2011 11:33
Mass Seedbombing - Brighton Mound
30-05-2011 10:08
Coalition Govt. caught out re: circus animals
30-05-2011 01:55
The Tory/ LibDem coalition have been exposed as lying about their decision not to ban the use of animals in circuses due to a current court case in Austria brought by circus companies to overrule a ban there.
Return of the Big Society Hospital
29-05-2011 23:30
Cambridge Uncut comes out in defence of the NHS
29-05-2011 21:34
Come to Peace News' 75th Birthday Party on 4 June!
29-05-2011 17:22
Inviting all past and present staff, readers and friends of Peace News for a feast of conviviality, sharing food, drink, memories and entertainment. Bring instruments, friends and party pieces.Demonstrate tomorrow against Chinese state crack down in Southern Mongolia, and the killing of Mongolians by coal companies
29-05-2011 16:55
Demonstrate against the killing of Mr Mergen by Chinese coal companies, and against the crack down by the Chinese State on Mongolian protesters. Monday the 30th, 12pm, the Chinese Consulate in Edinburgh (see here for a map).
Full article | 1 addition | 3 comments
** j30 - Generalise the Strike - Day of action against the cuts **
29-05-2011 16:13
30th June 2011 may well turn out to be the most important step forward in a mass fight against public sector cuts. Hundreds of thousands of workers could be involved in strike action, from as many as four or five different unions including NUT, PCS, UCU and ATL.Fans and protesters united in Barcelona
29-05-2011 15:47
Rossport: The Pipe Film Screenings
29-05-2011 14:47
The film is also available for screenings at social centres, gatherings and festivals.
New School Curriculum is 'Anthropometry' (eugenics) now active in schools.
29-05-2011 12:38
The 'Opening Minds' school curriculum is eugenics, (anthropometry) devised by the Royal Society of the Arts, and now in schools in the UK, and elsewhere.Cardiff Uncut occupy Top Shop, Queen street
29-05-2011 12:05
Saturday 28th May, Top Shop in central is occupied by Cardiff Uncut, and then shut down by Top Shop themselvesEat the Rich!
29-05-2011 11:55
Yesterday some anarchists joined the UK Uncut demonstration in Nottingham with an EAT THE RICH banner and our own leaflets. The banner went down well with the public and started a few interesting conversations. We got rid of all of the leaflets we took (a few hundred) and found a fair amount of support for our ideas.
Eat the rich
The current cuts being administrated by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat government are already having an affect on our everyday lives. We’ve become so accustomed to having certain services provided to us by our oh so kind government, that when they begin to go away we feel the loss. When they go we also notice that other things have gone, our ability to control our own lives, our ability to live a life we think is worth living.
Heavy policing in our communities, CCTV cameras, credit card bills we have to pay off, housing situations which leave us at the mercy of the banks and property owners, all these seemed bearable as long as there were good schools for our children, healthcare for our families, and financial support when we could not get work. Now though we see the prices weren’t worth paying, that we were lied to. First by a Labour government who sold ideas of prosperity and equality, and now the Con-Dem coalition who pretended they would bring security to all. Between them and their counterparts in previous decades, they have helped the rich to steal our lives.
Does it appear to us now that the whole idea of democratically elected government has been a lie? Yes, it does.
Does it appear to us now that every government this country has ever had has had as its goal the protection of wealth and power that the rich call their own? Yes, it does.
Does it appear to us now that the government and the banks are lying scum that are in it for themselves, and hell bent on keeping everyone else down and in line? Yes, it does.
Does it appear to us now that we need to take control back? That we need to force the government and their friends out of our communities and make sure they never come back? Yes, it does.
Does it appear to us now that no political party will ever represent our interests, whether the party calls itself Liberal, Conservative, Labour, socialist or nationalist? Yes, it does.
Does it appear to us that the cuts currently taking place are just the same old politics of attack against those who don’t own property, those who don’t have rich parents, those who are just trying to get by? Yes, it does.
We think there’s only one choice now. Eat the rich.
Eat away at their power by working together, building communities, and learning to look after each other.
Eat away at their control over us by striking, occupying, stealing, destroying everything they ever claimed as their own. If we want we should take it. If we don’t want it we should destroy it so they don’t use it against us again.
We already know that everything is ours, the only thing we need to do is make sure we and they never forget this.