A Desk, COP21, Refugees and Santas On Saturday 12 December 2015 I began on the ‘Free the Focus E15 Desk’ protest in Stratford, got here to Westminster the place local weather activists have been protesting on the ultimate day of the COP21 Paris talks, then to a solidarity vigil for refugees at Downing Road. Since Christmas was approaching there have been additionally santas on the streets, together with some on BMX bikes collaborating in a charity experience in addition to others collaborating within the annual Santacon.
Free the Focus E15 Desk – Stratford
Focus E15 had since they started over two years earlier been a significant irritant for Newham Council, drawing consideration to the failure of Newham Council to sensibly deal with the acute housing drawback within the borough, which has round 5,000 individuals dwelling in short-term lodging.
On the similar time 400 council properties within the Carpenters Property near the centre of Stratford have remained empty, some for over ten years because the Labour council beneath Mayor Robin Wales have been making an attempt to promote it off.
Focus E15 have opposed, at first on their very own behalf and later for others of their ‘Housing For All’ campaigns the council coverage they label ‘social cleaning’, which makes an attempt to pressure these needing housing out of London and into non-public rented property in cities and cities throughout the country- Hastings, Birmingham, Manchester and so forth – and even in Wales.
In addition to organising protests, opposing evictions, demanding the borough meet its statutory obligations to accommodate homeless people by going with them to the housing workplace they’d for over two years held a weekly road stall each Saturday on a large space of pavement on Stratford Broadway, talking, offering recommendation and handing out leaflets.
On the earlier Saturday in a clearly deliberate operation, Newham’s Legislation Enforcement officer John Oddie assisted by a number of cops, confronted the campaigners and advised them they weren’t allowed to protest there, and that except they instantly packed up their stall, sound system, banners and different gear it could be seized. Council and police cited authorized powers that have been clearly inapplicable to this case and this was clearly an unlawful act.
When Focus E15 stood their floor, police took the desk they have been utilizing and threw it into the again of their van and drove away with it. It was in all probability on the recommendation of their legal professionals that a few days later the council wrote a letter to the protesters asking them to reclaim the desk; Focus E15 requested them to return it to them on Stratford Broadway this Saturday – however it didn’t arrive.
However there have been loads of tables there after I arrived with a number of teams coming to indicate solidarity and defend the appropriate to protest together with Welwyn Backyard Metropolis, South Essex Heckler, Basildon and Southend Housing Motion, Clapton Ultras, East London Radical Meeting, Anarchist Federation, Carpenters Property, Aylesbury Property Southwark, Squatters & Homeless Autonomy and extra. Some got here with tables and Focus E15 had additionally introduced a alternative.
The protest was energetic with speeches, singing and dancing, and though the native paper, an excessive amount of within the council’s pocket, was ignoring ‘Tablegate’ a BBC native crew did come and movie a couple of interviews. Police and Newham Council appeared to have learnt from the earlier week’s farce and saved away.
Local weather Activists Pink Line protest – Westminster Bridge
Marketing campaign towards Local weather Change protested by carrying a ‘pink line’ throughout Westminster Bridge towards the insufficient response to international temperature rise reached at COP21 which was on its ultimate day.
Many local weather activists have been nonetheless in Paris, so the protest was reasonably smaller than normal. They met for a form rally reverse Parliament in Outdated Palace Yard earlier than marching behind the Marketing campaign towards Local weather Change banner and a trumpeter on to the pavement throughout Westminster Bridge.
There they unrolled a 300m pink size of material, carrying it above their heads throughout the bridge as a ‘pink line’. For a lot of international locations, a most international temperature rise of greater than 1.5°C will imply catastrophe, and the Paris talks haven’t dedicated to this nor have they arrange any actual mechanism for holding international locations to the extra restricted commitments they’ve made.
The world wants a much more pressing change to renewable vitality, with fossil fuels being left within the floor – or solely extracted to be used a chemical feedstock. However enormous vested pursuits within the fossil gasoline foyer are nonetheless dominating the pondering of most governments – and the annual COP conferences.
The protest referred to as for the UK authorities to reverse the anti-Inexperienced measures launched for the reason that 2015 election, and to get behind inexperienced jobs, vitality use discount measures and renewable vitality and t abandon its plans for carbon burning applied sciences and fracking particularly. Very important for the way forward for the world, these modifications would additionally assist the UK financial system.
Extra at Local weather Activists Pink Line protest.
Christmas Solidarity Vigil for Refugees – Downing St
As darkness fell refugees, solidarity campaigners and Syrian activists got here to a Downing St vigil demanding justice for refugees, opening of EU borders to these fleeing battle and terrorism and a way more beneficiant response from the UK authorities.
A powerful and gusty wind made it arduous to maintain candles alight and so they needed to be pushed via the underside of plastic cups to offer windshields to remain alight.
In addition to Syrians, there have been different refugees from world wide, in addition to among the many British who’re disgusted on the depressing response of the Tory authorities. Regardless of a lot lobbying which pressured David Cameron to extend the UK response, the UK nonetheless solely agreeing to take 20,000 refugees within the subsequent 5 years, whereas Canada will take extra – 25,000 – in a single yr.
Christmas Solidarity Vigil for Refugees
Santas in London
Whereas I used to be photographing the local weather ‘pink line’ on Westminster Bridge a big group of Santas rode previous on BMX bicycles on a charity experience and I rushed throughout in time to {photograph} a couple of of them. These BMXLife ‘Santa Cruises’, in 2023 of their ninth yr, have now raised over £135,000 for Youngsters’s Coronary heart charity ECHO. The 2023 experience begins from Leake Road at 11am on sixteenth December.
After the Refugee Vigil I walked as much as Trafalgar Sq. the place santas have been starting to reach on the finish of a protracted day strolling round London within the annual Santacon, an alcohol-fuelled annual enjoyable occasion which describes itself as “a non-profit, non-corporate, non-commercial and non-sensical parade of festive cheer.” This yr’s occasion was final Saturday, ninth December.
Extra photos at Santas in London.
Tags: Aylesbury Property, BMXLife, CaCC, Marketing campaign In opposition to Local weather Change, candlelit vigil, Carpenters Property, Christmas Solidarity, local weather activists, COP21, Echo, estminster Bridge, Focus E15, fossil fuels, Housing for All, housing drawback, unlawful seizure, Legislation Enforcement officer, London, Newham Council, Paris settlement, peter Marshall, police, protest, pink line, refugees, Refugees Welcome, Robin Wales, Santa Cruises, Santacon, Santas, Stratford, Stratford Broadway, road stall, Syrian refugees, desk, Tablegate, vigil
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