Block the Bridge NHS Action Reports
Published:
October 10, 2011 12:38
by
imc london
Neighbourhoods:
Published by group:
Cuts Reporting
Around 2500-3000 people blockaded Westminster bridge on Sun 9th October in an action to oppose the Health and Social Care bill and defend the NHS from privatisation. Called by UKuncut and supported by several Trade Unions, the mass act of civil disobedience also saw an assembly to discuss the wave of occupations seen around the world and plans to occupy the London stock exchange on 15th October (more)
Further reports and pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Videos: 1 | 2
The action started around 1pm with people blocking the bridge by lying down, many dressed as health workers. Two massive banners stretched across the bridge, one suspended from bamboo tripods reading "Save Our NHS" and "Block the Bill".
The blockade dissolved just after 4.30pm, following which a group of around 70 people were kettled by police on Lambeth Bridge [youtube video]
During the action and the occupy london assembly many people were also talking about the student protests planned for 9th November and the strikes on 30th November.
Other coverage:
http://www.urban75.org/blog/block-the-bridge-save-the-nhs-protest-westminster-bridge-photos/
http://storyful.com/stories/1000009328
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattietk/sets/72157627729597953/
http://entoptika.co.uk/block-the-bridge/
http://arbolioto.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupation-of-westminster-bridge-by.html
Previous NHS Features:
Jan 30th: UKuncut Shut Ox St Boots in NHS cuts action
Boots on Oxford street was shut down by protesters campaigning against cuts on Sunday 30th January. The Ukuncut protest was part of a nationwide series of around 30 actions. Hundreds of leaflets were handed out to passers by with many engaging in discussions about the cuts: "The Tories and Lib Dems are lying to us when they say these brutal cuts are based on necessity. The truth is that they are a political choice. They choose to cut vital public services and they choose to protect the interests of super-rich individuals and corporations, allowing them to dodge £25bn tax every year. The governments cuts are not 'fair', we're 'not all in this together', and there are alternatives."
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/7170
Feb 27th: Save Whittington Hospital's A&E
Thousands of protesters have gathered to march against proposals to close the accident and emergency (A&E) department at north London's Whittington Hospital. The protest was organised by the Defend Whittington Hospital Coalition. The hospital may have to merge its A&E with London's Royal Free Hospital due to NHS cutback plans.
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/4378
March 10th: 'Day X for the NHS' Demonstration
More than 500 people followed the call to demonstrate in defense of the NHS on Wednesday 9th. They included many medical staff concerned at NHS cuts which will close hospitals and privatise the NHS by stealth. The march started at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, and ended at the St Bartholomew's Hospital in Spitafields.
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/7795
May 17th: March to save the NHS
Following a call to "march for the NHS" around 1500 demonstrated on Tuesday 17th from Euston to Whitehall to protest the planned cuts for the NHS. The NHS bill currently pushed through by the Government will ultimatelly allow neoliberal capitalist thinking and its belief in the markets to dictate the type of services the NHS will provide, causing irreparable damage to it.
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/9082
May 30th: UKUncut Emergency Operation
On Saturday 28th local high street branches of different banks were transformed into hospitals in a 'UK Uncut's Emergency Operation'. Anti-cuts activists from several parts of London followed the call to "tell the government to leave our NHS alone; it's the banks that are sick"
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/9172
Additions
Recommended videos
Published: October 11, 2011 20:50
by
vids
Video Roundup Reports:
Block The Bridge, Block The Bill
http://www.vimeo.com/30308717
Occupy Britain - Block The Bridge! Block The Bill!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY3fLGey0AA
Block the Bridge: 'one-shot' of UKuncut Occupy Westminster Bridge pro-NHS protest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xClCJMbhKU
Block The Bridge protest, inc assembly footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zXMtMfi5YM
Channel 4 news report on UK Uncut Block The Bridge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTgLKE67ve4
BBC News report on Block The Bridge Block The Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahjLEqardAg
Short video of westminster blockade and lambeth kettle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBAIYNbNboY
COMEDY - All performances from the bridge:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Miggiuk
Background:
EMERGENCY! The Battle to Save the NHS BY ReelNews
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-ncHbEQemA
Geeky photo numbers
Published: October 13, 2011 10:26
by
snap snap snap
Over 610 photographs of the Block the Bridge action were published on the Demotix website spread over 31 reports and so far totalling 4339 views.
Out of those 30+ photo collections, none of them provided a single web link to UK Uncut or other sources of info. One report did however link to two guardian articles about the health reform bill. A few did include a couple of paragraphs explaining the basic context to accompany their photos, but only Peter Marshall attempted a proper write up.
Flickr has around 1000 photographs published by the way. I couldn't be bothered to look at anymore photos so didn't do facebook or other photo sites.
Latest articles feed
Report by PETER MARSHALL
Complete report with pics:
http://www.demotix.com/news/865643/uk-uncut-block-westminster-bridge-nhs-protest
As a protest against Government plans to destroy the National Health Service more than a thousand UK Uncut protesters blocked Westminster Bridge, calling on the House of Lords to vote against the bill. London, UK. 09/10/2011
On the stroke of one o'clock from Big Ben, more than a thousand protesters followed this signal to lie down on the road and pavements of Westminster Bridge, filling a large area of it. Police had previously stopped traffic on the road and had formed a line across Bridge Street to the north.
Many of those present were dressed as nurses or in blue doctor's scrubs, and had posters or placards against the proposals which will bring in private contractors to replace large parts of the National Health service. Already in some areas patients are being required to pay for some minor surgical treatments that were previously provided free by the NHS.
After a few minutes, everyone got up and people linked arms in several rows to block pedestrians from walking across the bridge, and the chanting of slogans that had been taking place before the lie-down resumed. One of the favourites involved pointing at the Houses of Parliament and shouting that there was hypocrisy there, as opposed to the democracy in action on the bridge. The only MP that I noticed taking part in the protest was John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, and Chair of the Socialist Campaign group of Labour MPs and the Labour Representation Committee.
Two large bamboo tripods were erected in the middle of the bridge, one at each side and eventually a large banner was stretched between them, reading:
SAVE OUR NHS
As it was being readied for erection, a letter published in the Daily Telegraph on the day before the Tory party conference was read out by one of the more than 400 senior doctors and public health experts who signed it. This called on the Lords to to throw out the government's health and social care bill, which they say will cause "irreparable harm to the NHS, to individual patients and to society as a whole" read out the letter. In it they make clear that "the proposed reforms as a whole will disrupt, fragment and weaken the country's public health capabilities" and they deny the government's claims that the changes have the backing of the profession or the support of the public.
They claim that the commercialisation will lead to fragmentation of patient care, will aggravate risks to patients, erode medical ethics and trust and waste public money in trying to regulate and manage the new system. It will also make it less efficient in combating outbreaks of diseases and other public health emergencies.
The letter is a damning indictment of ill-thought out proposals whose major driving force appears to be the enrichment of private companies - including some of which have connections with the government and Conservative party.
There was some lively street theatre, with considerable butchery being practised by two men wearing Cameron and Clegg masks, and another group held a mock trial in which health minister Andrew Lansley was found guilty and the judge but on her black cap, when there was some argument over the death penalty, with at least one person thought hanging was too good for him. A socialist choir sang, Rhythms of Revolution played their drums and people sat around and had picnics on the bridge; despite a poor forecast the sun had come out and it felt quite summery.
Everyone was then invited to a large meeting at the north end of the bridge to discuss the forthcoming occupation of London, following on from the examples earlier in the year in the Arab spring and in Spain and currently on Wall Street. Perhaps half of those present sat down in a large group to take part in this. A young man from the New York Wall Street Occupation told us about their experiences and a message from another person there was read out. Many of those present indicated an interest in the planned occupation of the London Stock Exchange area. The meeting was still continuing as I left.