Demonstrate to End Israel's Slaughter and Siege of Gaza

Saturday 3rd January 12 noon. 

Edinburgh: Foot of the Mound, Princes Street

Glasgow: Protest outside Lloyds TSB, St Vincent Street and then assemble for demo at Blytheswood Square, 12.30pm 

 The Israeli massacre in Gaza continues and the number of dead and injured rises every day. (At the time of writing at least 393 Gazans dead and 1600 injured).  Protests have been called in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Please come to either demo on Saturday at 12noon to protest against this barbarity, and to show solidarity with the suffering people of Palestine .  

Bring placards and banners. 

Called by
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign www.scottishpsc.org and Stop the War Scotland

As Israel prepares to step up the slaughter in occupied Palestine, Solidarity joins the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) in protesting this latest attack on the people of Gaza.

Mick Napier of SPSC called on socialists to get involved in the campaigns beyond the protests:

"While it is important that people turn out for the protests, the campaign for boycotts and sanctions needs to be stepped up.  The boycott of Eden Springs, action against Lloyds TSB, who are preventing humanitarian funds from helping Palestinians, are important, targetted campaigns that we should all get behind." 

Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan said:

"Solidarity fully supports the SPSC and their fight for justice for Palestinians.  Israel's attacks are designed to break the collective will of the Palestinian people, on top of the blockade which has prevented food, water, medical supplies and power from reaching them.  The international community has allowed Israel to operate in this way for too long.  Get along to the protests, make your voice heard, our government is guilty by its complicity and we share that shame.  Stop the slaugher stop the starvation of the people of Gaza."

www.scottishpsc.org.uk

The Democratic Green Socialist group of Solidarity members (DGS) have welcomed the Left Unity initiative launched by the party's National Steering Committee (NSC) last week.  The DGS publish a bi-monthy, online magazine www.democraticgreensocialist.org - DGS editorial statement below: 

‘These are undoubtedly times of crisis, but a time of crisis can also be a time of opportunity.  Working class people in Scotland and across the world will face increasing pressure as the crisis deepens.  A renewed left must be there standing shoulder to shoulder with these (extra) ordinary folk, defending them from attack and helping them defend themselves. 

But this is also the time to be spelling out the case ‘for a newer world’, for a new and reinvigourated socialism, shorn of the errors of the past and claiming democracy, liberty, science, and the environment as our own, as well as the more traditional territories of workers rights, social ownership, anti-imperialism and wealth redistribution.  

All socialists, but particularly pro-independence socialists, need to make this crusade their common cause. And they will call on thinking people with a conscience everywhere to join them.’

Danny Masterton of Coalfields Solidarity secured over 7% of the vote in the by-election for the Ballochmyle Ward of East Ayrshire Council.  Despite a 'squeeze' on the other parties in what was perceived to be a close contest between Labour and the SNP, the vote for Solidarity was cause for optimism in future elections in this area.  Local organiser Jim Monaghan said:

"We are on course for a Solidarity councillor in 2011.  Danny fought a great campaign and, unlike other parties, we wont be going away until the next election.  We will still be fighting in these communties for a fairer deal for low paid workers and pensioners, when the major parties election teams return to their bases."

Solidarity's National Steering Committee (NSC) unanimously backed a proposal from Tommy Sheridan calling on members to support a "Left Unity' intitiative.  The party's Co-Convenor had been approached by leading trade unionists across the UK to advance the idea of Scotland's left parties uniting around an agreed "charter".  The NSC passed the proposal, with the following steps agreed:

• That Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan and National Secretary Graeme McIver take up the offer of observer status from the RMT Union for their conference planned for January 10th in London on the subject of working class representation.

• Both Tommy and Graeme report back to an all members meeting of the party on Saturday January 17th at a venue and time tbc.

• That the branches and regions of Solidarity are encouraged to discuss the NSC endorsed paper prior to the all members meeting on January 17th.

• The all members meeting will debate and discuss Solidarity’s next move in the process.

To read the full NSC-endorsed statement by Tommy Sheridan click 'read more' below.

Solidarity launches left response to Credit Crunch and Recession 

In a week when latest research commissioned for the BBC shows that one third of all Scottish households are “breadline poor,” Solidarity have published a new pamphlet analysing the economic crisis from a socialist perspective and calls, amongst other things, for full public ownership of the banks, utility and energy companies. 

The Bubble Bursts, written by the party’s Assistant National Secretary Steve Arnott, details the scale of the collapse of the international capitalist financial system, and pulls no punches in holding Gordon Brown and New Labour to account for their part in the creation of the housing and debt bubbles that led to the crisis. 

The figures for poverty in Scotland are contained in a new report, “Changing UK”, produced by Sheffield University, which looked at how nations and regions within Britain have altered over the past four decades.  The report confirms that even during a period of so-called economic “boom”, Scotland had the largest number of poor people in each of the last four decades, as well as the highest death rate of all 14 regions examined.  

The reports findings have been described as “a scandal” by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).  

Solidarity Co-Convenor Tommy Sheridan said; 

“The figures collated by Sheffield University on behalf of The BBC are a shameful indictment on a system that has spectacularly failed to provide for the majority of people in society. Prior to the start of the “credit crunch,” we were assured by the likes of Gordon Brown and others that we had seen the end to boom and bust economics and we were living in a period of unprecedented growth and prosperity. The myth has been exposed that it was only a small percentage of wealthy individuals who benefited whilst the majority of people, even during these so called boom times, face a daily struggle to stop themselves sinking in a sea of debt. 

Yet, events in the global economy mean that the situation will get worse for millions of ordinary people forced to pay the price for a crisis that was not of their making. Now, more than ever, we need a socialist answer to the problems facing the world.”

Solidarity members and supporters joined with almost 1,000 people on the annual STUC St Andrews Day Anti – Racism March on Saturday 29th November. 

At a time when the collapse of global economic system means that sections of the media, politicians and the far right in particular will look to marginalise and blame sections of our communities for the crisis there has never been a better time to stand shoulder to shoulder with all those opposed to racism. 

For more pictures click below.

Three Human Rights Observers with the International Solidarity Movement have begun a hunger strike in protest over the illegal confiscation of Palestinian fishing boats by Israel. The three HROs, Darlene Wallach of the U.S., Vittorio Arrigoni of Italy, and Andrew Muncie of Scotland, were forcibly abducted by the Israeli Navy on Tuesday, while accompanying unarmed Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

According to Wallach, “We were fishing about 7 miles off the shores of Gaza. The Israeli soldiers came on board the three boats via four Zodiacs. The frogmen came up and over each boat. They used a taser on Vik while he was still on the boat, then tried to push him backwards onto a sharp piece of wood. He jumped into the sea to avoid being hurt more than he already was and was in the water for quite a while. Then they came for me and forced me into the Zodiac at the point of a gun. They kidnapped me and Andrew and Vik and all of the Palestinian fishermen.”