DPAC 4th July Tea Celebration: One of many many unusual questions that Individuals ask on Quora (a website online I often waste a while on and normally remorse) is why we British don’t rejoice the 4th of July. It’s truly a moderately higher query than most – maybe we must always rejoice once we removed a nation that may produce Trump and Biden, one in all whom nonetheless appears prone to be the following president when clearly neither is appropriate.
After all, right here within the UK now we have our personal contest at present between Sunak and Starmer, neither of whom in my estimation match to manipulate, and, as within the USA elected by an archaic system designed to frustrate moderately than present democracy. Should you had been unlucky to not have heard the late David Graeber talking in individual about US Democracy (and haven’t learn his ebook on the topic) you may hear him speaking on video (and browse a transcript) on The Misplaced Byway, the positioning on which extra normally John Rogers publishes the movies of his remarkably upbeat walks round London.
After all I don’t consider that there are Individuals dumb sufficient to put in writing many of the silly questions which can be posted on Quora, which should absolutely make use of an entire squad of AI-driven bots to generate and submit them.
Ought to we want an excuse for a celebration within the first half of July we’d in fact do higher to attend 10 days and rejoice with the French (additionally this 12 months embroiled in election insanity.) That will virtually definitely be way more enjoyable and a superb excuse to drink wine, although I would draw the road at accordions. Its 58 years since I discovered myself within the sq. in entrance of the Mairie in a small French municipality a couple of mile south of Paris and I haven’t forgotten it.
However I’ve photographed at protests over time which have intentionally been timed for varied causes for US Independence Day in addition to moderately extra that absolutely ignored any significance the day may need.
On Friday 4th of July 2014 Disabled Folks In opposition to Cuts (DPAC) celebrated Unbiased Dwelling Day with an Unbiased Dwelling Tea Celebration on the Dept of Work & Pensions, calling for a cease to the elimination of the Unbiased Dwelling Fund which gives funding, schooling and transport that permits disabled folks to stay locally.
The selected American Independence Day stating “The well-known Boston teaparty led to a revolution towards the British authorities let’s see the place our teaparty leads….”
It wasn’t an enormous protest however “Fifteen or so folks in wheelchairs together with round as many strolling however with different disabilities together with carers and supporters crammed the pavement in entrance of the DWP in Caxton St, and at instances made a substantial noise. In addition to their voices and a megaphone, some had introduced whistles and different musical devices (and a few much less musical) to enliven the occasion. For these with listening to difficulties there was a BSL signer.“
The longer term regarded determined for the virtually 18,000 who then acquired help via the fund, they usually had been engaged in a protracted battle to attempt to stop it being closed. In 2013 the federal government had misplaced a courtroom case over its closure, however 4 months later the federal government had determined to go forward and shut it anyway in 2015. A recent authorized problem failed.
Duty for supporting disabled folks being handed to native authorities who got funding roughly 12% lower than the ILF – and this was not ring-fenced. DPAC stated that given councils had been having already to make large cuts it appears unlikely that each one of this can make its strategy to the disabled and that councils will largely be unable to seek out the workers to correctly implement honest schemes. They level out that the ILF is a nicely organised and cost-effective scheme and any alternative is sort of sure to be much less environment friendly and to severely impacting the standard of lifetime of severely disabled folks.
DPAC concern that many presently usefully employed disabled folks should surrender work and can not have the ability to stay independently however should go into residential care – at a lot larger price.
Protests which can be well-behaved and observe the principles seldom get protection within the media – as final weekends large Restore Nature Now confirmed – 60,000 folks supported by an enormous vary of teams marching via London was not ‘information’ for BBC Radio 4, and there was an enormous information blackout on all the numerous peaceable marches calling for a ceasefire in Palestine.
So DPAC at all times like to finish their occasions with slightly disruptive motion, normally within the type of a highway block, though regardless of this their protests are nonetheless ignored by the mass media. Round half of these participating determined to participate and blocked busy Victoria St by stopping their wheelchairs and holding banners on the pedestrian crossing.
Police arrived a couple of minutes later and tried to influence them to maneuver, getting slightly firmer and finally threatening protesters with the potential of arrest for obstructing the freeway.
“Earlier than lengthy there have been round 4 instances as many police as protesters and when it started to look as if the police would possibly perform their risk of arrest, the protesters who had been receiving a substantial amount of help from vacationers and others – even together with some within the site visitors being held up or diverted away down Nice Smith St – determined it was time to finish the protest and wheeled their chairs away.”
Regardless of this motion I don’t assume the occasion acquired any publicity outdoors some specialist print and on-line media. There have been a few celeb weddings, one other getting sentenced for indecently assaulting ladies, a hurricane within the US, an underpass collapse in Brazil – and a few celebrations within the USA and plenty of different tales.
Extra at Unbiased Dwelling Tea get together.
Flickr – Fb – My London Diary – Hull Images – Lea Valley – Paris
London’s Industrial Heritage – London Images
All images on this web page are copyright © Peter Marshall.
Contact me to purchase prints or licence to breed.
Tags: 4th July, David Graeber, democracy, Dept of Work & Pensions, Disable Folks In opposition to Cuts, DPAC, ILF, Unbiased Dwelling Day, Unbiased Dwelling Fund, London, media protection, not information, peter Marshall, police, protest, Quora, highway block, tea get together, The Misplaced Byway, US Independence Day, wheelchairs
You possibly can depart a response, or trackback from your personal web site.
