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

Members of GMB, UNISON and TGWU/Unite are taking part in industrial action over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.  From 4pm today (24 Dec) workers will refuse to provide emergency standby cover until Jan 5th.  The action was called after a breakdown in talks with Scottish Water over their refusal to increase this year's pay offer.

GMB organiser Richard Leonard said:

"We have met twice with senior Scottish Water directors in the last few days in a bid to avert this action.  But these directors appear to have taken a decision that they would rather see this important public service put at risk than negotiate a settlement."

Solidarity Co-Convenor, Rosemary Byrne, called on the Scottish Government to intervene:

"Alex Salmond likes to point the finger at New Labour while exercising the same wage controls on public sector workers here in Scotland.  I am quite sure that if it was Donald Trump looking to invest or a bank making a rare loss, the money would be found."

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.’