Saturday 28 April 2012

May 2012 - a good month for rising up


MAY 2012 looks set to be another big month for the global uprising against neoliberalism.

May 1 itself is, of course, a traditional day of protest, with demonstrations and strikes expected all across the world.

More specifically, Occupy Wall Street have called for May 1 blockades of New York bridges, tunnels and ferries.

Said a statement: "We are announcing these blockades now as a fair warning to the rest of the working people of New York and New Jersey who are considering joining the strikes and mobilizations of the day: the city will be shut down, so enjoy the day without the 99%!"

In the UK the Bristol First of May Group says: "This is a national call-out for a week of anti-capitalist action, events and celebration throughout the UK in the first week of May 2012 to show resistance to capitalism and remember all those workers who lost their lives for a better life for us all.

"Beneath the road, the banks, the shopping malls and prisons lies the Beach,  Behind the politicians, the bureaucrats, the cops AND the robbers lies Freedom, Outside wage and debt slavery, false democracy, capitalism and state control lies our Future."

Spanish indignados are calling for people across the world to take to the streets on May 12 and May 15.

And this call has also been echoed in the UK with this statement: "Occupy London is set to strike back this May as people around the world take to the streets to mark one year since the indignados reclaimed their squares in Spain and Greece, and six months since the Occupy movement went global.

"The next wave is about to begin. Put May Day, 12 May and 15 May in your diary."

The rebellious season got off to an early start in Brighton, UK, where anti-fascists took to the streets on April 22 to oppose an extreme right march in the city and successfully delayed it and diverted its route, building barricades to block streets.