Diary of Events June July 2021

Wednesday 16th June   “Peace and Democracy for Kurdish People”

6.30pm Webinar organised by GFTU

“One of the most worrying attacks on a democratic political party and a people in the world today is what is happening to the Parliamentary Party the HDP (People’s Democratic Party) in Turkey and the Kurds. We asked our lawyer Paul Scholey and TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes to visit Turkey and the Kurdish regions for us. Manuel and Paul now strongly encourage you to get informed about the situation by joining in with this webinar.

The situation is so bad now that we are holding a webinar on the situation. An introduction will be given by Dr Hisyar Ozsoy, Co-spokesperson of HDP Responsible for Foreign Affairs, Member of Parliament, and Bedia Ozgukce Ertan, a former MP and Co-Mayor of Van.

The world knows too well from the 1930s what consequences can follow from the banning of well supported parliamentary parties and attacks on ethnic groups. We hope you will join us for this important discussion.”

The joining details are as follows: Topic: Peace and Democracy for Kurdish People.

Time: Jun 16, 2021, 06:30 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82813640293?pwd=RG9pNkFRakdoOGZ3aDJJaGhrM1ZIUT09

Meeting ID: 828 1364 0293    Passcode: 745724

Doug Nicholls, General Secretary, General Federation of Trade Unions.

 

Thursday 17th June Celebrate 10 Years of UNITE Community

3pm – 4.15pm Join @Unite_Community  as we celebrate the centenary of the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement and our 10th anniversary. Register today

https://tinyurl.com/4muh3jt8 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 17th June “Talks for Change-Asylum and Legal Support

Sheffield Refugee Week Day of Action! New Plan, Same Old Hostile Environment.

7pm -8.30pm The fourth in our series of talks focussing on asylum and legal support, legislative restrictions and countering government hostility. Organised by SYMAAG. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/symaag-talks-for-change-4-legal-issues-tickets-157229099469

“Legal support for asylum seekers is essential, from mounting a successful claim to appealing negative decisions with fresh evidence to reopen cases; good legal support can mean the difference between achieving refugee status and being left destitute as a result of a negative decision. Inevitably, the government policy of creating a hostile environment in the UK for all migrants has permeated into the legal system. In this talk we will be hearing from a range of speakers who will discuss both the issues facing asylum seekers and refugees in the legal system as well as their work to resist these issues either directly through campaigning or through creating alternative systems of support.”

Stuart Crosthwaite

Secretary, South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group (SYMAAG)

Speaking at this event:

Frances Webber is a retired barrister who specialised in human rights, immigration and asylum law.

Denise McDowell has been the Director of the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) since 2008.

Kingsley Sheteh is a Political Economy specialist, currently training to become a Barrister. She has extensive working experience within the field of International Development and the media

There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion, register now here

 

Friday 18th June

Sheffield Refugee Week Day of Action! New Plan, Same Old Hostile Environment.

WE CALL ON THE MANAGEMENT AT VULCAN HOUSE TO END MANDATORY REPORTING FOR

MIGRANTS. WE CALL ON THEM TO STOP USING RACIST RAIDS VANS. WE DEMAND AN END TO THE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT AND A HALT TO THE NEW PLAN.

Join us on outside Vulcan House, Sheffield Home Office to demand an end mandatory reporting, immigration raids and Priti Patel’s new plan to persecute people seeking asylum.

There are actions going on from 8:30am-6:30pm, and the plan is below. If you can take part in any of these, click the buttons below and join the action!

From 8:30-9:30am, a group of protestors will be picketing the office with banners as the managers arrive at work, with banners showing that Sheffield will not stand for the harm and violence to our friends by the decisions made in this building every day. It would be good to know you’re coming, let us know by sending an email to otto.wolf.95@gmail.com

with your name and phone number: I can be part of the Morning Picket at Vulcan House!

12:45pm-1:15pm – Noisy Demo! Bring pots and pans, vuvuzelas, anything that makes a loud noise. It would be good to know you’re coming, let us know by sending an email to  otto.wolf.95@gmail.com with your name and phone number: I can join the lunchtime Noisy Demo!

4pm – Letter Hand In. We will be handing in a letter to Vulcan House management showing the harm they cause to us and our community. Join us to hand in the letter! It would be good to know you’re coming, let us know by sending Rosie an email with your name and phone number: rosie@righttoremain.org.uk I can help to hand in the letter to Vulcan House management!

4pm-6:30pm – Rally hosted by South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group with speeches, music and snacks. Speakers with experience of the hostile environment and allies will be speaking outside Vulcan House. We will share some food and drink and come together. Please join us! Click here  to join the Facebook event: https://u1584542.ct.sendgrid.net/ss/c/atcYNHk4Eh2YdGnwBh-YDPAZiEt8wwS6hp5wOIb3CiLRzc7foToE19u9SEhiD0OMq_0qK0BZKLdfyBh_1-tcyRYrVdHsE7hBHaGEVhAnl3uiSwS-LnDOcRj_GTIetSPZZOhj-WGMrmrTLAiTNN8iCK2Y_QNxw-wF-pGuIUijhDTYEmaMp2bVWnB8cARuG9lNDD9BrUIzDYmiLWSqIH3rgxr9Q0XcwzVh9TysQ5ltBjP7HHKPpi_8cF5-FxRn-8vHP6G6xZZXa3_bFHkfnfTs6ED0QTTWd7H8F80eRu3BXeoUMf9CTEig_LYah6TFyogUlj-59_7QN-ybSCIpezagRh8RvZOmWdQBPH-MHWWmeT5x3880Gpu1RUjwa_BaXywYs6po7jt1zSMCLtGhreCwTQ/3cm/UZCh45p-SvaZ0fHU2mRdCg/h1/wDY6ZTL0xN03MQabe3gQ722b1SWXgUqrDlYzgvofbIs

I’m coming to the rally!

This local day of action is organised by South Yorkshire Migration and Asylum Action Group, Voice for Voiceless Immigration Detainees Yorkshire, These Walls Must Fall, Mount Pleasant Park FC, Anti Raids Sheffield, Sheffield Against Asylum Evictions, One Rainbow Bridge Network. If your group or organisation wants to be added to the list of hosts, please email Rosie the These Walls Must Fall Organiser and we will add you to future publicity.

 

Friday 18th June “Tell Dan Jarvis to take back control of our buses!”

Rally and march by South Yorks Better Buses campaign

Meet 11.30 outside the Sheffield City Region offices (what were the SYPTE offices) at 11 Broad St West, Sheffield S1 2BQ. At the end of the short rally we will march through the bus station and up to the Town Hall.

“We will hold a rally outside with banners and placards (please bring one if you can!) and hand over the petition we have used recently in Barnsley and Sheffield. Thanks to all of you who came to Thursday’s meeting of the Better Buses campaign. The meeting agreed that we need to keep up the pressure on our council leaders and Jarvis to ensure that franchising is not just “still an option” (as Jarvis says) but is a definite commitment. The statement of intent which has to be submitted by the end of June can include this commitment even if the immediate plan is to develop an enhanced partnership – which as we know will not begin to address the changes we need to see. We aim to get the press and other media there for publicity.” Fran Postlethwaite, Better Buses South Yorkshire

PLUS – we have a new Megaphone campaign set up for us by “We Own It” to urge the council leaders and Mayor to make a definite commitment to franchising. The report from Monday’s meeting included the statement that the attendees had been “heavily lobbied” for public control- we need to let them know we’re still putting on the pressure!

You can sign the message with this link (you only need to add your name and email):

https://weownit.org.uk/south-yorkshire-demands-better-buses-now

Please share the link and encourage others to sign too.

Hoping to see some of you on Friday!

Solidarity, Fran

 

Saturday 19th June “End the US blockade on Cuba! Pres Biden: get your knee off Cuba’s neck!”  12 noon Devonshire Green to march to Sheffield Town Hall!

“For 60 years US governments have enforced a vicious economic blockade on Cuba, attempting, in its words, “to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.” Trump escalated this economic war with 243 new sanctions, plunging Cuba into a crisis made worse by covid-19, which has shut down tourism, a vital source of hard currency. Breaking campaign promises, Pres. Biden has decided to continue Trump’s policy of extreme aggression, aiming to turn economic crisis into political crisis by paying “dissidents” to organise protests—which fizzle out because Cuban people refuse to join in.

Biden is the latest US President to underestimate Cubans’ resolve to defend their socialist revolution, reflected in the highest ratio of doctors to citizens and share of GDP spent on education of any country in the world. Cuba’s solidarity with other peoples in struggle is without parallel. Now it needs, and deserves, our solidarity!”

Sheffield Cuba Solidarity Campaign

Check us out on Facebook, or write to sheffieldcsc@btinternet.com

On 23 June the UN General Assembly will vote—for the 29th time—to condemn the US blockade. The last vote, in 2019, was 187 to 3, with just Israel and Bolsonaro’s Brazil siding with the USA. On the weekend of 19-20 June, protests will take place across the world demanding Hands off Cuba! End the blockade now!

See flyer attached End the US blockade on Cuba – Sheffield – June 19

 

Saturday 19th June Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign Annual Rally

1pm  “THE ROAD TO JUSTICE IS PAVED WITH TRUTH”

Come along and join us at our virtual online Rally and show your support for Truth and Justice. The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign hold our annual rally at Orgreave to commemorate the day Striking Miners were brutalised by rioting police at the Orgreave Coking plant on 18th June 1984. This gives us all an opportunity to meet and show solidarity with friends and activists and gather together with our magnificent display of banners and placards. This year our campaign for truth and justice is commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike and the events at Orgreave. Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions and safety for our supporters mean that we have taken the decision to hold our Annual Rally online again this year. We will be live streaming the event via our Facebook page, starting at 1pm on Saturday 19th June, the day we had planned to gather at Orgreave to hold our open-air rally.More information about the event and speakers here: https://otjc.org.uk/orgreave-annual-rally/

Please check our web page and social media for updates.RALLY SPEAKERS include:
Harry Chadwick: Shrewsbury 24 Campaign
Shami Chakrabarti: Human rights activist and Labour Peer
Chris Kitchen: General Secretary NUM
Neil Findlay: Trade Union activist and ex MSP
Ian Lavery: Labour MP
John Dunn: Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign
Lynn Gibson: Women’s Banner Group

Compères: Chris Peace and Joe Rollin: Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign

MUSIC: UNITE Brass Band and Jess Silk: Singer / Songwriter

 

Saturday 16th June “After COVID: Demand a new Normal”  

National demonstration in London. Assemble 12 pm outside BBC Portland Place, London, W1A 1AA and March to Parliament!

Our communities have suffered the greatest hits from Covid in the world. The loss of lives, and jobs, the economic pain, have been horrific. People have given and are still giving so much in this time of crisis; they deserve so much better than this government.  Share on your social media channels with hashtags #DemandANewNormal #ToriesOut #KillTheBill Book your transport – You can find out about available transport via the People’s Assembly

 

 

 

 

Saturday 3rd July NHS Anniversary: Rally and Demonstration – Barkers Pool

12 noon Barkers Pool   Organised by Sheffield Save Our NHS

We are writing to all trade unions inviting them to join and support the planned NHS Anniversary Rally and

Demonstration for South Yorkshire organised by Health Campaigns Together (HCT), Keep Our NHS Public (KONP), the Facebook Group, ‘NHS Workers Say No to Public Sector Pay Inequality’ Sheffield Save Our NHS, Sheffield TUC and NHS Staff Voices.

 

 

  • Reject the Government’s 1% NHS Pay Offer – Demand a substantial pay rise for all NHS and Care Staff
  • Reject the Public Sector Pay Freeze – Demand a substantial pay rise for All key workers
  • Ensure the safety of patients and workers
  • End privations bring NHS services and other services back into public ownership
  • Fully fund the NHS and public services

The unfolding tragedies of last year’s pandemic have been played out on the front line of the NHS, with underfunding and privatisation of the NHS causing unnecessary suffering and deaths. As we move closer to an announcement around NHS pay, it is very clear that the government will not fund the ‘substantial pay rise’ rightly demanded by the health service unions or other key workers.

We have 10,000 flyers so if anyone wants some physical leaflets, please contact me on 07380139142. See attached. Many Thanks Mick Suter, Chair SSONHS