Solidarity with workers in Europe fighting austerity

As we head out of a relatively quiet summer on the struggles of workers in the main we now enter a hot autumn of struggle this has started in Ernest in Spain tonight as a protest movement has clashed with riot police in Madrid. This blog express’s its solidarity with these protesters and opposes police brutality. Spanish police have fired rubber bullets and baton-charged protesters attending a rally against austerity. The clashes broke out as protesters tried to tear down barriers blocking access to the parliament in Madrid. Spanish media reported that at least 20 people had been arrested and more than a dozen injured. The "Occupy Congress" protest comes as the government prepares to unveil further austerity measures on Thursday in a bid to shrink its budget deficit. Spain is in its second recession in three years and unemployment is near 25%, with youth unemployment far higher. The government will unveil the draft budget for 2013 on Thursday and is expected to present new cost-saving reforms to reassure lenders about the state of the country's public finances. Emergency funds The demonstrators - known as Indignants - say "Occupy Congress" is a protest against the kidnapping of democracy. Thousands of people had massed in Plaza de Neptuno square in central Madrid for the march on parliament. But their route towards the parliament building's main entrance was blocked off by metal railings, police vans and hundreds of Spanish riot police. One of the main protest groups, Coordinadora #25S, said the Indignants only planned to march around parliament Mark Smith, who lives near the site of the protest, said: "I saw riot police with their batons charging at protesters trying to split up the crowd." Tuesday's demonstration was organised via social media sites and many young people turned out, says the BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid - but the protest's public profile meant the police were ready for them. Spain’s at a position now where a quarter of the population are unemployed and many are now struggling to feed themselves. I read earlier this week that 8000 people a day in Greece go to food banks to get fed. This is modern day Europe everyone. Austerity is biting hard but workers are fighting back. In Greece tomorrow there is another nationwide 24 hour general strike things are starting to hot up. Its essential we show solidarity with our European brothers and sisters from South Africa, Spain to Greece the best thing we can do is demand our TUC name the day for a 24 hour general strike in Britain too. Fight fire with fire. With extracts from the BBC.

Shame on Wisconsin removing trade union rights

This news story i have just read really upset me. I care alot about unions as some of you who do read this will know, i'm part of a union myself and this move here just looks likea nother heavy fisted attempt by the capitalist system to remove workers rights. Really sad this is and i think it shows how far the capitalists will go to get their cuts package through even in teh United States struggles are continuing.
I think this will only encourage protesters to come back harder with more resolve though so all may not be lost here.


The Wisconsin state assembly has voted to approve a plan to strip public-sector unions of most of their collective bargaining rights.

Senate Republicans used a procedural move to pass the bill on Wednesday.

Republican Governor Scott Walker promised to sign the bill into law as quickly as possible.

AFL-CIO union leader Richard Trumka earlier attacked the Republicans' move as a "corruption of democracy". The plan has prompted widespread protest.

Police have been ejecting demonstrators from the state capitol building after weeks of mass demonstrations in support of public workers.

Mr Walker and Republicans say the bill is necessary to help the state balance its budget deficit.

"This is about protecting the middle class and doing it in a way that avoids massive tax increases and massive lay-offs," Mr Walker said on Thursday.

He added that the bill would give local governments the "tools" they needed to balance their own budgets.

Protesters flood capitol

The US state's 14 Democratic senators had sought to prevent the bill moving forward by fleeing the state, leaving the chamber short of the number needed for a vote.

But Republicans used a procedural move to allow them to vote on the measure in committee instead on Wednesday evening.

Crowds of protesters swamped the state capitol in Madison following the vote.

The state House - the lower legislative chamber - passed the measure in a 53-43 vote on Thursday afternoon, after police had removed protesters from the building.

The state faces a $3.6bn (£2.23bn) budget deficit in the coming two-year period. The bill on labour unions would affect rubbish collectors, teachers, nurses, prison guards and other public workers.

Democrats, labour unions and their supporters, who disparage the bill as an attack on labour unions and on the middle class, spent three weeks protesting at the state capitol building.

On Thursday, Mr Trumka, head of one of the largest labour union coalitions in the US, told reporters the Republican move had engendered solidarity among union supporters.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, Mr Trumka joked that unions should give Mr Walker their "Mobiliser of the Year" award for galvanizing support for labour among thousands of protesters and in national polls.

Police tactics to be investigated

Breaking news from bbc london news today
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/brain-op-for-student-hit-by-truncheon-2156207.html
and the independant suggests the police watchdog is opening up a investigation into how a 20 year old student protester yesterday ended up with bleeding on the brain and potential brain damage due to police heavy handed tactics. I've blogged about this before and i'm glad to see something is getting investigated. After the disgrace that was the ian tomlinson incident at the G 20 protests where the guy actually died thank god these brutal attacks on protesters are being flagged up and highlighted. I'm not anti police but i just want fair justice for all. THe media has solely focused on how the police got hurt and flags and trees were rippd down but this just takes you back when you hear of a student gaining brain damage due to a police tronchun over the head. I dont know the background of course and if the student was being rowdy but this just leaves a bit of a sour taste in teh mouth when you know there is history there with how the police treat protesters.

Hope the guy concerned recovers fully, thoughts are with hima nd his family.