The world we live in is turbulent. It is also polarised. Trump’s victory is a devastating signal of this.
The job of socialists is not to despair or commentate, but to look reality in the face and analyse it as a guide to action.
Fast food action in US
On 29 November tens of thousands of fast food employees, airport workers, childcare and home care providers, and university graduate students are set to hold the “largest, most disruptive protest” in the US so far. They are demanding a living wage of $15 an hour and the right to unionise.
The strikes and actions will take place in 340 cities across the US and will include civil disobedience at McDonald’s and 20 of the nation’s largest airports.
The acquittal at Sheffield Crown Court of ten Asian men accused of violent disorder is a victory for anti-fascists everywhere.
The men were arrested along with two others following their involvement in an anti-fascist protest in Rotherham in September 2015.
In the aftermath of the Rotherham child abuse scandal, the town had become a target for fascist groups, who were escorted by police in a series of provocative marches in the town.
A terrifying choice between two unpopular options confronts voters in the US this month.
When Barack Obama was elected in 2008 there were high hopes for what he could achieve. Eight years on the excitement was encapsulated in Bernie Sanders’ left wing challenge for the Democratic nomination.
The Polish government is terrified of women. Its efforts to introduce a total abortion ban have created a massive backlash with hundreds of thousands of people, mainly young women, demonstrating, taking days off and wearing black at school, college or work.
The draft law had proposed a prison term of up to five years for women who had an abortion.
A summit meeting in London last month to plan next steps against the Housing and Planning Act drew 250 people in a serious and determined mood. They included council, housing association, co-op and private tenants, union members and several local councillors.
Among them was the elected mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, who repeated his council’s opposition to the Act and called on other councils to join the campaign against it.
As we go to press, thousands of refugees are being herded out of the Calais “Jungle” camp and transported to other parts of France.
Amid harrowing scenes, we have seen people rightly resisting this forced relocation, riot police teargassing refugees, and unaccompanied children being left to wander alone — only to find that, if they weren’t yet “registered”, they were to be arrested.
The campaign by Lord Dubs to let in the unaccompanied refugee children is more crucial than ever.
The news that the Irish government is to appeal the European Commission’s ruling that it must collect €13 billion in unpaid back taxes from Apple seems like a particularly vicious Irish joke.
Jeremy Corbyn’s keynote speech to the Labour Party conference was a defiant response to his critics in the parliamentary party who have been doing their best to undermine him since his re-election as leader at the start of the conference.
On education, arms sales, housing and especially on immigration, he offered a refreshingly radical agenda in complete contrast to that of his deputy and chief tormentor, Tom Watson, the previous day.
*UPDATE* The first round of strikes in September have been suspended by the BMA, whose leaders have caved in to pressure from managers. The subsequent strikes set for October, November and December are still going ahead (so far).
Junior doctors will be on strike for five days from 12 September. This escalation comes out of a rejection by members of the deal put to them by the leadership of their union, the BMA.
Further action has already been announced for October, November and December.
