10/5/12: Shafted by AEI Cables
Workers at the AEI Cables plant in Birtley, Co. Durham, who are campaigning against the illegal loss of full-time jobs and their replacement with de-skilled and casualised labour, have asked for solidarity. They are planning a march and demo in the town.
Full background story
9/5/12: Black Star Launch
This Sunday, NEA are launching the Black Star Mixed Martial Arts Co-op. This is a self-defence class, open to people of all ages and levels of fitness. Although further dates have yet to be confirmed, the first meeting will be this Sunday 13th May, 5pm at the Star & Shadow Cinema (which is also hosting the Canny Little Library, every Sunday from 3pm, so why not come along early and combine the two?)
Full story
5/5/12: May Day March
NEA joined a couple of hundred people for a belated May Day march through Newcastle, annoying the police in the process by breaking away from the march with comrades from the Anti-Cuts Network to have flash pickets outside Greggs and McDonalds to protest against their use of Workfare slave labour. No point in a protest that causes no disruption is there? ;-)
Full report
28/4/12: Class War at the Micklegate
NEA took a trip to York to meet up with comrades there for drinks and a natter about improving links and co-ordination between anarchist groups across the North. While there we took a big banner on a little sight-seeing trip along the old city walls...
27/4/12: Our Bodies Our Choice - Pussy Riot Benefit
A brilliant benefit gig at the Star & Shadow for feminist Punk prisoners Pussy Riot saw a hundred people and the bands Women in Revolt, No Fit State & Executive Legs raise over £300 for the Pussy Riot defence fund. From the stage, the bands also helped to mobilise for a demonstration on the following Saturday morning against religious fundies who want to ban abortion. Apparently after many months of organising, the fundies in question managed an impressive turn out of four people. The feminist counter-demonstration comfortably out-weighted it by 10-1.
Short video of the counter-demo
26/4/12: ATOS Don't Give a Toss
Occupy Newcastle occupied the offices of ATOS in a successful direct action which exposed the tossers hostility to disabled people.
More details at Indymedia
10/3/12: Kick the Yellow Tories Out Of Toon!
There was a good turn out and a lively march today against the Lib Dem Conference being held in Gateshead. The march, which started in Byker to the accompaniment of smoke grenades, went through Newcastle city centre and across the Tyne to the Sage and ended with groups of younger and more agile protestors giving the police the runaround as we tried to get to the conference itself. Only downside to the day (apart from the SWP's attempt to hijack the march as it approached the town centre) was an arrest. We'll hopefully have more details on that soon. Full report of the day to follow, but meanwhile, here's a video of some of the action
POSTSCRIPT: The arrested comrade got a two year conditional discharge for minor public order offences.
24/2/12: Bugger Me, We've Won!
We've just had confirmation that the remaining Electrical contractors who were pushing the new BESNA contracts have ALL withdrawn - the Sparks and their campaign of militant wildcat action have WON! With Unite now apparently back in control of the dispute, it remains to be seen how their negotiations will match the demands of the rank and file workers, particularly regarding the issue of blacklisting and possible victimisation. For the moment though, there's plenty to celebrate and an excellent lesson to be learned: DIRECT ACTION WORKS!
A list of demands from the Rank and File17/2/12: Balfour Beatten!
Excellent news from the Sparks' BESNA dispute: following the High Court's refusal yesterday to grant Balfour Beatty a second injunction against Unite's strike ballot, Balfour have withdrawn their proposed new contracts. There is some expectation now that the remaining 6 firms may now also capitulate. The working class are on the verge of scoring a rare and much needed victory!
Statement from Unite The UnionReel News video report from Sparks blockade of Grosvenor Hotel
7/12/11: Whose Roundabout? OUR ROUNDABOUT!"
There was a good turnout early this morning in Hartlepool for the Sparks' picket of Heerema - one of the companies with a Balfour Beatty contract. Around 150 people picketed gates at two sites and marched between them, causing gridlock on the return march when we insisted on marching on the road. Things got a little frisky towards the end when the police made the idiotic mistake of trying to make us take a completely pointless diversion - seemingly just to reassert control over the situation. Needless to say, it backfired and came close to blowing up in their faces (as a banger had done at this picket's feet earlier in the morning)...
Full report30/11/11: Workers Strike Back
North East Anarchists were out today, touring picket lines and distributing jellybabies from 7am in support of the public sector strike. The TUC march in Newcastle was quite impressive, despite the crap route and destination they negotiated with police. It's not every day you see something upwards of 8500 angry people on the streets in the NE. Following the official action, NEA joined up with students and Newcastle Anti-Cuts Network to take the protest into the city centre, where it should have been in the first place, visiting the thieving banker bastards for a bit of shouting and agitprop.
See video
27/11/11: Fuck the Homophobes - Student Protest At Northumbria Uni
Students and LGBT activists held a protest against a homophobic Christian group being allowed to use the Student Uni to hold a service. Around sixty people turned out to protest against Newcastle Christian Life Centre - a group which claims to be able to "cure" homosexuality - being allowed on campus as part of the uni's anti-bullying week. Bouncers were hired to prevent students from getting in the building, though word has reached us that a passing ninja did manage to get in and let off a stink-bomb....
22/11/11: Sparks Protest at Unite Office
There was a protest held outside the Unite offices in Newcastle this morning, with the Sparks seeking to highlight the lack of support they've been receiving from the union. It appears to have had some positive result as an official came out to talk to us (and subsequently invited us in for a cup of coffee out of the rain). The discussion was constructive and a list was made of ways the union could give more unofficial support to the rank and file.
16/11/11: Sparks Blockade Corus on Teeside
Excellent work by the Sparks who managed to surprise the police and blockade the Corus plant on Teeside on Monday morning, causing a two-mile tailback up the A19 in the process...
11/11/11: Students and Sparks, Unite and Fight!
Activists from NEA joined thousands of others in London on Wednesday for a national protest - or rather for a number of simultaneous national protests. The day started early with Sparks picketing, blockading and breaking police kettles, crossing and re-crossing central London repeatedly. Then the afternoon was all about the student protest and their attempts to link up with the Sparks - attempts largely thwarted by police who had clearly been given orders to prevent the various actions from coming together. Clearly the state is starting to shit itself.
Report Here
4/11/11: Sparks Action Round Up
Wildcat action by electricians protesting against deskilling and 35% pay cuts have been continuing in the North-East, with blockades and occupations of sites around Tyneside. Better still, links have been established with Sparks on Teeside too, so we can look forward to joint action across the region.
Full Report Here
29-30/10/11: Wor Story People's History Film Festival
Good fun was had at the Wor Story event organised by the Canny Little Library at the Star & Shadow cinema. The two day event sought to highlight the forgotten (and hidden) history of working class struggle in the area, and featured among other stuff, talks on the Anti-Poll Tax campaign, Women in the Miner's Strike, the Follonsby miner's banner, direct action in the 1960s and 70s and present wildcat actions being taken by the Sparks in their fight against 35% pay cuts.
Event Programme
29/10/11: Fascists Attack Newcastle Occupation
Although the planned Rise Against Islamophobia event was cancelled on Friday, fascists from the EDL, SDL and NF came to Newcastle on Saturday, and instead of their counter-demo against Muslims, hassled the Newcastle Occupation. Although a police presence prevented it from getting out of hand, a group of nazis returned in the early hours of Sunday morning and attacked the Occupation.
More here
22/10/11: London Anarchist Bookfair
Several North East Anarchists went down to London for the annual London Anarchist Bookfair on October 22nd this year, which is an international gathering of anarchists, but mainly a place where the British Anarchist movement gets together once a year for 1 day. As a result it is a tremendously busy and exciting experience with a lot going on (over 40 meetings, bands playing outside, 80ish stalls, etc), large rooms and halls filled with people, over 200 listening to prominent anarchist speakers such as Ian Bone and Martin Wright, and much more.
It is the most busy alternative political one day event in Britain, all round it is larger than the Marxism timetable on saturday, which is organised by the SWP. In fact, the London Bookfair is getting so busy the question now is whether the anarchist movement is capable of making the event bigger by adding extra days, probably a Sunday at first.
The North East Anarchists had their banner prominently displayed in the main hall, which was very busy all day, and we met and talked to many old friends and met some new ones. All in all we had a great day out, and we will be going again next year. Experienced people said that this year's bookfair was the biggest ever, in terms of numbers attending, and a lot of people were browsing and hanging out.
From the early days of the Bookfair in the 1980s the Anarchist movement is certainly many times bigger, and the search for a suitable venue continues. The London Anarchist bookfair is normally on the 3rd Saturday of October every year.
Anarchist Bookfair
16/10/11: Class Struggle Anarchism Today
It was a completely packed room (literally - people were having to sit on the floor) for our contribution to the Newcastle Philosophical Society's Philosphy Festival. Two of our comrades gave a presentation on Class Struggle Anarchism Today, with Trevor Bark opening the session with a discussion about the broad anarchist tradition and Ben Franks following it with a talk on the ethics of Direct Action. Audio from the presentation should hopefully be available soon.
15/10/11: Occupy Newcastle: "Wheese streets!? Wor streets!"
A number of NEA activists joined the Occupy Newcastle protest today at Monument. Initially it seemed to just be the usual Leftie suspects making speeches and failing to sell newspapers. The highlight of the rally itself was undoubtedly the lovely soundclash of dubstep on a mobile soundsystem mixing with a busker playing bagpipes outside Eldon Square Mall. Eventually though a decision was taken to do something, and a group of us broke away to go and protest against the banks, successfully shutting down a branch of HSBC, occupying and being eventually removed from Lloyds TSB and then being foiled by NatWest, who sneakily pre-empted us by a long-standing policy of closing at 2pm on Saturday afternoons anyway. Afterwards, a number of people decided to make the occupation of Monument more or less permanent, and the first tents started to appear...
2/10/11: Tory Conference Protest - Manchester
North East Anarchists were among some 35,000 people in Manchester protesting against the Tory scum on Sunday. Nine of us made the trip and joined up with comrades from around the country to form a highly-visible anarchist bloc.
Full report
27/9/11: One Down, Seven To Go!
It seems the direct action taken by electricians all over the country is starting to pay off: today, MJN Colston, one of the big eight construction firms have caved in and abandoned their plan to impose 35% pay cuts. As the saying goes, "direct action gets the goods!"
More details at Jerry Hicks' blog21/9/11: Electricians Wildcat Strike
Militant action by construction industry electricians is spreading rapidly around the country in response to an attempt by the 'big eight' construction companies to impose a 35% pay cut and other reductions in working conditions.
Full report
10/9/11: Sunderland Carnival Against The Cuts
Sunderland Public Services Alliance (PSA) and Sunderland Against The Cuts held a 'Carnival against The Cuts' in Mowbray Park, Sunderland. Comrades from NEA leafleted the small but friendly crowd and had fun listening to some cracking ska, punk and rock music. The only disappointment was the PSA's Unison stewards' attempt to stop the SWP setting up their stall in a public park! After our intervention, the SWP stayed and set up where our group was. They were soon joined by the Socialist Party stall who moved over in solidarity. I never thought I'd ever see the day I'd stick up for the SWP...strange times, comrades, strange times!
3/9/11: National Mobilisation Against the EDL @ Tower Hamlets
A group of us travelled to London for a large anti-fascist mobilisation, joining up with London comrades and local youths to keep the racist boneheads of the EDL out of Tower Hamlets. The call-out proved successful, with the police putting on a massive operation to keep the EDL out of the borough and safe from a proper kicking at the hands (or rather boots) of anti-fascists. Cheers to our London comrades for putting us up for the weekend.
Full report18/8/11: Pirates of the Tax Havens
A crew of mangy pirates from the Newcastle Anti-Cuts Network were spotted wandering up and down Northumberland Street today, distributing leaflets and chocolate gold coins to highlight corporate tax dodgers like Vodaphone and other greedy swine. Although we drew some interest from the police, the event passed off in high spirits and we all retired to the tavern for some grog...
See video
17/7/11: 75th Anniversary of the Spanish Revolution
Today marked the 75th anniversary of the fascist coup in Spain and the start of a three year civil war in which the Spanish working class fought back against the fascists and began a social revolution in the areas they liberated.
A memorial service was held in the gardens of Newcastle Civic Centre, where there is a plaque commemorating the 32 International Brigade Volunteers from the North-East who were killed fighting in Spain. After the wreath-laying, it was off to the Percy Arms, where talks were given by Brian Bamford, Lewis Mates and Don Watson and excellent live Spanish folk/punk music was provided by Gallo Rojo.
Excerpts from the event programme9/7/11: Durham Miners Gala
NEA attended the 127th Durham Miners Gala, along with the wandering Working Class Bookfair and Tyne & Wear IWW. Unfortunately, the weather turned rotten, but still we were inspired to draw up plans for our own miner's lodge style banner, probably involving a portrait of "Freeborn" John Lilburne...
4/6/11: Generalising The Strike - June 30th Organising Assembly
Hundreds of thousands of workers in trade unions such as NUT, PCS, UCU & ATL could be on strike on June 30th against the government's cuts and austerity measures.
This is a call for all trade unionists, agency workers, school, college and university students, claimants and everyone else affected by the cuts to support the strike and take to the streets on 30th June.
Come to the Organising Assembly at the Star & Shadow to discuss what action we can take - let's make something happen!
Details of time and location on Facebook Event Page
13/5/11: Office Angels Picket - and Victory!
In response to a call-out by Solidarity Federation, NEAG held a picket of Office Angels temp agency in Newcastle. The action was called in support of a temp worker who'd been ripped off by Office Angels, and it saw pickets take place outside their offices all over the country. We distributed hundreds of leaflets to passers-by and at the end of the day, got the news that Office Angels had caved in and paid the worker the wages he was owed - proof that solidarity and direct action works! Full story and analysis on SolFed website
30/4/11: Reclaim May Day March
On Saturday, the newly-formed North-East Anarchist Group made it's street debut on the annual May Day march, with a good-sized anarchist bloc forming up behind a massive red and black banner...Full report on Indymedia