RIC - EDINBURGH REPORT

EDINBURGH RIC REPORT TO NATIONAL FORUM IN GLASGOW ON 31.10.15

RIC Edinburgh meetings

RIC Edinburgh met fortnightly, but is now moving over to two meetings a month on the first and third Tuesday. We now have 92 RIC card carrying members in Edinburgh.

September 14th - General discussion on how to pressurise the SNP government and the likely impact of Corby's election as Labour leader- 12 people attended

September 28th - Terry Wrigley- Education Today in Scotland - 10 people attended

October 12th - Stephen McMurray - Unemployment in the Age of Austerity - 6 people attended

The Minutes Secretary was unable to attend the first 2 meetings, so only the third has a set of minutes with the Discussion Topic on the blog.

(for Discussion Topics see  http://radicalindyedinburgh.blogspot.co.uk/)

The next meeting is on November 2nd and is jointly organised with the Stop the War Coalition and RISE. Sarah Collins who was part of the Scottish Solidarity with Kurdistan delegtion, Murat Gullen from the Peoples Democracy Party and Pete Cannell of Stop the War Coalition will speak on the situation in Turkey and Kurdistan aftwer the Ankara bombing.

This follows the support given by RIC-Edinburgh at its 12th October meeting to the following motion from UNITE.

“We express our outrage at the brutal attack on the demonstration for peace that occurred on Saturday yesterday in Ankara. The blasts have left nearly 100 people dead and hundreds injured and Unite extends its solidarity and deepest sympathy to all of the victims.

“The demonstration was organised by brave trade unionists, NGOs and political activists, all of whom are desperate for peace and demand an end to the violence that Erdogan’s government is perpetrating against the Kurdish population, trade unionists and human rights activists in general.

“Unite issued a statement from its last Executive Council (September 2015) that called on the Turkish government to end its attacks, release the imprisoned Kurdish leader Ocalan and immediately restart the peace talks. We reiterate that call today.

“Unite has always been extremely concerned at the poor record of the Turkish state in relation to human and workers’ rights and has always stood shoulder to shoulder with the brave men and women who have sought to change the situation.

“The recent actions of the Turkish government are deplorable and have been undertaken with its own political self interest in mind. The language and actions used by the government are aimed at creating a climate of fear and intimidation ahead of the pending election and serve precisely to create the atmosphere in which such atrocities take place.

“Unite will continue to stand in solidarity with all those progressive forces that seek to bring about peace and change.”

RIC-Edinburgh Activities

Friday, September 11th, Allan Armstrong spoke on the situation in Scotland at the Desmond Greaves Weekend School in Dublin

Saturday, September 26th, RIC members attended the Edinburgh TUC workshop on anti-cuts/anti-austerity

Saturday, October 3rd, RIC members on anti-SDL demo in Edinburgh

Sunday, October 4th, RIC Edinburgh had members and banner at the TUC organised demo in Manchester on October 4th against the Tories anti-trade union bill

Saturday, October10th, RIC members and banner on in Hands Across Our Forth demo against fracking and underground gasification

Thursday, 22nd October, RIC members attended the Sheku Bayoh public meeting

Thursday, 19th October, RIC members attended the Anti-Cuts Lobby at Edinburgh City Chambers