Saturday 18th February “ACT NOW TO SAVE OUR NHS”
12noon outside Moor Market. Stall and cake give away. Please bring cakes and yourselves to hand out flyers and talk to the public about the National Demonstration on March 11th. All welcome. Last time we had 100’s visit the stall and had huge support to Save Our NHS.
Saturday 18th February COUNTER PROTEST v YORKSHIRE ROSE FASCISTS
Meet up 1pm at Holiday Inn hotel, Manvers Way, Wath upon Dearne, Rotherham S65 3EQ.
STOP PRESS: Sheffield TUC has filled 3 coaches! Coaches depart 1145hrs and 12 noon from Paternoster Way, 5pm return. No charge for seats but donation accepted. Not booked a place? Please turn up and we’ll get you there. People with cars wanted!
Sheffield TUC says “We have seen a dangerous mobilisation of fascists and racists in other towns in the UK surrounding hotels housing asylum seekers and refugees, shouting racist abuse and intimidating and at times attacking those inside. We need to mobilise a huge presence to protest their hatred. This is the direct consequence of the race hatred whipped up by politicians and their Hostile Environment policy.”
ROTHERHAM TUC and Rotherham Stand Up to Racism statement:
Rotherham TUC and Rotherham Stand Up to Racism will be holding a counter protest outside the Holiday Inn hotel on Saturday February 18 at 1pm against various fascists seeking to stir up racist hatred towards refugees housed there. Members of fascist groups variously calling themselves Patriotic Alternative, Yorkshire Rose and English Bulldogs have said they will be targeting the hotel and their aim is to intimidate and endanger those refugees seeking safety after fleeing war and other horrors. Communities in Rotherham need to stick together at a time of the huge cost of living crisis and not be divided by racists. Asylum seekers are being subjected to dehumanising treatment as a result of the government’s hostile environment. We say no to scapegoating – refugees are welcome here. Demo jointly organised by Rotherham TUC, Stand Up to Racism and Rotherham Unite Against Fascism in association with other anti-racist, anti-fascist groups. Please add the name of your trade union, trades council or community group.”
Monday 29th February “Drowning in promises” demonstration
Assemble 1pm outside Sheffield Town Hall. Demonstration outside the Sheffield City Council meeting organised by the South Yorkshire Climate Alliance to mark 4 years since the council declared a climate emergency. Remarkably little action to tackle that emergency has been forthcoming – it’s all words!
The theme of the demo is: “Drowning in Promises”. The petition on www.southyorkshireclimatealliance.org.uk calling for urgent action will be presented at the Council meeting. Supported by Better Buses S Yorks campaign who will have leaflets and stickers there.
Thursday 23rd February “Palestinian Struggle and International Solidarity”
6pm Online meeting with Sami Abu Shehadeh, Palestinian politician from Jaffa, chair of Tajamu Party. Organised by Sheffield Labour Friends of Palestine
Combined brutal actions by the Israeli state in May 2021 were met by a level of united Palestinian resistance ‘from river to sea’ and an outpouring of global mass solidarity unprecedented in recent times. Sami Abu Shehadeh is credited for “connecting with the Palestinian street during the May 2021 Palestinian uprising inside Israel”. His party, Tajamu (Balad in Hebrew) split from the Arab Joint List, seeking election to the Knesset in November and refusing to cooperate with Zionist parties.
Sheffield Labour Friends of Palestine and Seeds Association for Development and Culture, Nablus are pleased to welcome Sami Abu Shehadeh to discuss ways forward for the international solidarity movement in the context of the accession to power of the Israeli extreme right.
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95424596833?pwd=OVpjSnd5N0I1S0VWVmNLaDJlMHV2dz09 Meeting number: 95424596833 Password: 988707
Saturday 25th February “Stop the War!” protest
12 noon outside Sheffield Town Hall
“It has become clear that Boris Johnson’s intervention damaged the prospects for successful peace between Ukraine and Russia at talks back in March 22*. We need to push the UK into a less belligerent stance. President Zelensky’s visit to parliament took us a big step closer to open war with Russia. The UK stop on Zelensky’s whirlwind European tour was the first and most important. He used it to push for more tanks and crucially for fighter jets. Boris Johnson demanded Typhoons be shipped out immediately. Sunak responded by saying planes would likely be sent.
If NATO planes confront Russian fighters over Ukraine, we would be on the brink of a great power confrontation. If the demand for jets is agreed, we can be sure it will be followed by calls for ground troops. The anti-war movement needs to respond and respond decisively. We are calling for all Stop the War groups and all our members and supporters to spend the next two weeks mobilising urgently for the Peace Talks Now – Stop the War in Ukraine demonstration on 25 February. Nationally there is a call for protests in London on 25th February.
If you can get there that would be very good. If time and money prevent you getting to London, we urge you to come to the Sheffield protest 12 noon 25th February Sheffield Town Hall” – Dick Pitt (Acting secretary)
“I fear the world is not sleepwalking into a wider war. I fear it is doing so with its eyes wide open.” Guterres
Thursday 2nd March Resist Racism Public meeting
7pm Central United Reform Church, 60 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB
Speakers:
- Brendon Woodhouse FBU/ Sea watch
- Juliana Ojinnaka UCU black members committee
- Nahella Ashraf SUTR
and report back from Delegation
Organised by Sheffield Stand Up to racism
Tuesday 7th March “25 years since the Good Friday Agreement”
7.00 – 9:00pm Central United Reformed Church, 60 Norfolk St, Sheffield S1 2JB
Where next for Ireland? Speakers:
- Geoff Bell, author The Twilight of Unionism
- Helen Jackson, MP for Sheffield Hillsborough (1992 -2005)
- Sinn Fein MP
- Chair: Nadine Finch, Labour for Irish Unity
On Geoffrey Bell’s latest book:
“The leading thinker of our time on the role and future of unionism, Geoffrey Bell delivers an incisive and up-to-date analysis of the history and ideology of unionism that is indispensable to any debate about the future of Ireland and its relationship with Britain.”
Organised by Labour for Irish Unity
Wednesday 8th March Better Buses S Yorks zoom meeting
2pm – 3.15pm Meeting. Interested in joining this vibrant local campaign to stop the bus cuts and for a world class bus service and help with planning future activities?
ID: 842 3669 8968 Passcode: 698590 click on this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84236698968?pwd=R3NsbzFpVDAwY29hd2NKYnl2QlF1QT09
Please continue to share the link to our petition for public control:
www.megaphone.org.uk/p/BetterBusesSY
Send if you need leaflets or stickers and we will get some to you.
Wednesday 8th March International Women’s Day rally
5pm outside Sheffield Town Hall. The theme is women in work.
BFAWU have just stepped up their campaign against sexual harassment of women workers at McDonalds. There is clear link with zero hours contracts and the disempowerment of women. If you complain you may not get any hours next week. Sheffield Needs a Pay Rise research found that 80% of young women on zero hours contracts reported being harassed at work. Hardly any of them complained.
Speakers include:
Chris Peace -Zero Hour Campaign
Annie Lawson-Foley – Sheffield Needs a Pay Rise
Kate Flannery – Orgreave Truth and Justice campaign
Maureen – Safer Streets
Chair – Maxine Bowler Sheffield TUC Vice Chair
Saturday 11th March David Jones and Joe Green Memorial Event
10.45 am National Union of Mineworkers Yorkshire Area, Miners Offices, Barnsley S70 2LS. We can never forget!
Speakers
- Bill Adams Regional Secretary, Yorkshire & The Humber TUC
- Sarah Woolley General Secretary BFAWU
Followed by Buffet & Entertainment at Gawber Road Working Men’s Club S75 2PR
Facebook event here https://fb.me/e/3p4Kcz7nf
Saturday 11th March “ END THE NHS CRISIS – SUPPORT THE STRIKES!”
London demo Assemble 12pm, Central London Tottenham Court Rd NW1 3AA
Contact – Mick on 07380139142 for further information re coach transport from Sheffield
SOSNHS.ORG (the largest coalition ever formed to defend the NHS and led by Keep Our NHS Public, Health Campaigns Together, NHS Workers Say No and representatives from the trade union movement) has called a major national demonstration:
“We’re receiving huge support from unions such as RMT, FBU, PCS, NEU, UCU, ADCU, UNITE, BMA and more. We’re also being backed by a range of social justice campaigns, including We Own It, The People’s Assembly, Patients not Passports, Socialist Health Association, Migrants Organise, Doctors Association UK, Frontline19, Stop the War Coalition and many more. The first coaches to the demonstration are being booked too. “
Wednesday 15th March Budget Day protest
Watch this space! Nothing concrete planned as yet but we will be on the street somewhere protesting the Tories’ “Small State -Low Tax” dystopia which has given us 12 years of austerity, the most unequal distribution of wealth anywhere in the developed world outside of USA, and pay rises well below the cost of living. Support the strikes! Tories OUT!
Saturday 18th March UN Anti-Racism Day London Demo
Resist racism – #M18 demo The #ResistRacism protests on Saturday 18 March in London, Glasgow & Cardiff, organised with the TUC are a big chance to show the movement against #CostOfLivingCrisis says #RefugeesWelcome
We have already secured financial support from the NEU, Sheffield TUC, Unite NE/405/5, Rotherham TUC – so that we can keep the cost down for the transport
We want to see thousands on the streets marching against racism on 18 March in London, Glasgow and Cardiff, as part of international protests taking place across the globe.
Book your tickets here from Sheffield and Barnsley – book early – so we can book more coaches. Cost £25 and £10 concessions tinyurl.com/sheff2023a
Saturday 18th March “No to Hassockfield” protest rally
SYMAAG are organising to join the No to Hassockfield (Derwentside IRC) campaign protest to be held 12-2pm Saturday 18th March outside Hassockfield Detention Centre, County Durham. The campaign is calling for the closure of Hassockfield, the main immigration detention centre for women in the UK. If you would like to learn more about the campaign their website is here: https://notohassockfield.org.uk/ The Derwentside detention centre is just for women, The woman asylum seekers who have done no crime and nothing wrong.
According the United nation 1951 convention, claiming asylum is not crime and UK government was one of the 149 countries signed it, but there are still Immigration Detentions open to asylum seekers.
Sunday 19th March “Boycott“ documentary film:
4.00 – 6.30pm Broomhall Centre https://ff.hrw.org/film/boycott
These are a few of the organizations profiled in the film as fighting for the right to protest: CAIR, Palestine Legal, Centre for Constitutional Rights.
Tuesday 21st March Better Buses S. Yorks protest outside MCA
1pm outside Mayoral Combine Authority office
South Yorks Better Buses campaign will be standing noisily outside MCA office where the Enhanced Partnership Board meeting is taking place. Private bus operators could be making big cuts to services this April if Government funding isn’t extended. We say NO MORE BUS CUTS! We want FRANCHISING NOW! Bring your banners!
Friday 28th April International Workers Memorial Day
12 noon till 1pm outside Sheffield Town Hall. Organised by Sheffield TUC
International Day of Action on Health and Safety at Work. Wreath laying ceremony and speeches
Remember the Dead – Fight for the Living!”
MAY DAY in Sheffield
Sheffield TUC will once again be organising a May Day parade with a rally and speeches. We will not wish to clash with Chesterfield TUC so precise date this weekend and other details are to be confirmed.
Saturday 13th May With Banners Held High!
11am and all day, Wakefield. Labour and trade union history and cultural event with speeches, poetry, music and theatre. Bring your banners!
Saturday 17th June “Campaigning for outstanding bus services”
11am – 4pm National conference Hybrid event – in York face to face, and on Zoom.
The conference has been called by the Yorkshire and Humber Pensioners Convention (YHPC) with the aim of bringing together all those groups across the UK concerned about our failing bus services to build national campaigns for the funding and legislative changes we need.