Some impressions

The LSX Occupation is continuing and the day-to-day running of the site is improving with campers and supporters holding strong. The goal now will be to hold out, engage with supporters and to spread the message of their demands beyond the occupation. With many actions on the horizon like the direct action against Balfour Beatty, the Disabilty Rally this Saturday, the Jarrow marchers on 5th Nov, Student Marches on 9th Nov and the National Union Strikes on 30th Nov we are likely to see many connections being made across the movement. Other occupations continue in; Bristol [2], Nottingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Read more for a list of UK and International occupations.

Initial Timelines: Day One | Day Two | Day Three  
Ongoing Live Video streams: Occupy London  | Worldwide streams | Tumblewire updates
Day1: Reports + Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12  Video: 1  Analysis: 1
Day2: Reports + Pics: 1 | 2 | 3   Videos of General assembly: 1 | 2 | Video Interviews: 1
Day3: Reports: working group report back  | 2 | 3 | 4  Analysis: 1 
Day4: Tuesday General Assembly report back
Day5: Blackfriars electrician blockade | Video link
Day6: BHP Billiton AGM Protest, + site pics and report | Thursday report \ update 
Day7: Cathedral closes - Letter + reaction | Friday update | Pics 1 | 2 | Videos: 1 | 2
Day8: occupylsx tent university teach out at BOE | Report & pics
Day9: Monday: schedule and signs
Day10: Tues Street gallery poster displays | Assembly and working groups feedback
Day11: Wed Occupied Times newspaper launch | Report on the camps | Sparks Siteworker Action
Day12: Thurs St Pauls Canon resigns over attitude to occupation | Armed police raid tent

Links: Occupy London Indymedia Newswire
OccupyLondon | Occupy Britain 
OccupyLSX | wiki |  twitter 
OccupyLFS on twitter
Tent City University [twitter]
Occupied Times [twitter]

"This is certainly disappointing. But over the last few days the 38 Degrees petition had a real impact, bringing the concerns of the public into the chamber of the House of Lords. It is not over yet. The legislative process will take several more months. It won't be easy but there's still a chance we can secure changes."
Lord David Owen, proposer of the amendment for a special scrutiny committee

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

We have seen an incredible spread of what some have been calling "rioting", "looting", "mindless thuggery", or simply "anarchy in the UK." What is certain is no-one quite knows what it actually is or means. Even experienced political activists are not quite sure how to respond, but as more and more analysis begins to filter through the non-stop social and hysterical corporate media, where now for UKPLC? Just because rioters do not express overtly political aims does not mean the riots aren't political in origin. How else can disenfranchised, un-politicised youth make their voices  heard by the bourgeois middle and ruling classes?

Thursday 30th June saw the first attempt to a General Strike in Britain for more than 80 years, although it was primarily a Public Sector workers' strike.

As part of the support for the strike from people who are not necessarily public sector workers, a Critical Mass happened in South London,  visiting the picket lines that had been announced and showing support.

The massive March for the Alternative demonstration and day of action has come and gone, and what a day it was! Indymedia London was busy reporting the whole day and, together with other radical media projects such as the x26radio live streaming, it offered reporting infrasructure so those taking part in the demonstrations, occupations and actions could tell the story collectively in real time, first-hand and in an unmediated manner.

Reports kept coming in throughout the day whilst updates direct from the streets were being published to the Tumblewire. As the day went on people also contributed photos and videos, and post-action evaluation and analysis posts are still coming in. As a result it has been possible to document the day in this comprehensive roundup feature as well as in the timeline of events. IMC-London would like to thank all of you that made the reporting possible!

We are now presenting all these contributions in a thematic order hopefully making it more comprehensive. See it all here ….

Everyone was out in the streets!

300 - 500 thousand people marched through central London on March 26th. The demonstrators protested against government austerity measures which force the bulk of the population, and especially public sector workers, to pay for the economic crisis which erupted out of the banking sector two years ago.

Most of the demonstrators - trade unionists, families, and people against the austerity measures - took part in the officially-sanctioned TUC demonstration that made its way from Embankment to Hyde Park. In addition, many groups signaled their willingness to do more than march, with protest actions being called for by multiple groups. Fast-moving direct action groups moved through London's West End, the high-class shopping district. They spent some time smashing in windows and paintbombing symbolic buildings. Others did non-violent sit-ins at corporate targets which have been identified as tax-dodgers or in some way responsible for the economic crisis. Fortnum and Mason was occupied by protestors in a UKuncut action [video] that followed the closure and occupation of multiple shops and banks in Oxford Street [video round-up]. 149 people were arrested following the occupation. The day ended with a stand off and kettle in Trafalgar Sq after hundreds of riot police attacked the crowd that was partying in the square. The total number of arrests for the day stands at 202.

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |  Reports & Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Analysis and Evaluation: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | x26radio audio archives: 10am-2pm | 2pm-5pm | 5pm-6pm | 6pm-7pm | 7pm-8pm

Timeline of Events | Tumblewire Updates

Several hundred university workers, lecturers and students marched today following a call for a national strike by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) This was the first national strike in higher education for five years, and the first in further education since 2008. It is clear the opposition to Government spending cuts and austerity measures is growing, and this became obvious today as the most common subject people talked about was the 'March for the Alternative' demo and day of action called for this Saturday 26th. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3

The march followed a day of picket lines held outside many colleges and universities across London and the UK. The day also saw legal proceedings served against 13 people at UCLoccupation, an action and a new convergence centre squatted. Read more

Students from Goldsmiths and UCL universities have occupied buildings in their campuses in solidarity with the UCU strike action called for today and for Thursday 26th. The Deptford town hall university building in Goldsmiths college, and the UCL REGISTRY admin building are currently under occupation.

This is the first national strike in higher education for five years and will be taking place two days before the March for the Alternative on March 26th. Students support this march and hope to use the occupation as a space to organize and build for it.

Hundreds of thousands are expected to march in the biggest street mobilisation since the anti-war march of 2003. Following several calls for people to do more than simply march from A to B [NetworkX | Rallying Call | UK Ungoverned] there are a range of actions planned including feeder marches, sit downs, UKuncut occupations on Oxford Street, people's assemblies, and yet more occupations of different locations, including Hyde park and Trafalgar Square. It's clear March 26th willl be an important expression of anger, and solidarity, and one which will show that these are issues which are increasingly affecting the majority of us. Read more

TUC Info | Events listing + links | Freedom listing | Political Dynamite Listing | Resist26  

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.

The march passed trough The City, staging a protest outside the RBS in Aldgate, and a sit down blockade of Bishopsgate. Meanwhile, most bankers hid in their offices or ran out the back doors so as not to be seen, although Deutsche Bank staff heckled protestors with shouts of "get a job" whilst waving wads of money from the windows.

See photos 1 | 2 and Video | Tumblewire updates

Around 300 people marched on Camden Town Hall from Mornington Crescent in protest at the £35 million cuts the council was due to vote through. As more people joined the demonstration it became clear that only a few people were being allowed inside. Chanting "let us in!" the crowd pulled away barriers and surged towards the entrance but were pushed back by police. In the end only around 15 people were allowed into the public galleries (though they still managed to make their voices heard) whilst the seats for around 90 people remained empty.
Outside people made more attempts to talk or push their way inside until the crowd moved to blockade the crossroads by the town hall on Euston road for over an hour and a half in protest at not being allowed into the meeting. The councillors later voted for the cuts. Meanwhile around 200 people also protested outside Newham Town Hall.

See Pics | Videos [1,2,3] Tumblewire | Cuts newswire

 

Following a callout by UK Uncut, different actions closed down several banks this Saturday around London, including Natwest in Marylebone [video clip], Camden , Brixton , Haringey and Lloyds in Oxford Street. See the Tumblewire for updates straight from the actions.

Yesterday RBS/Natwest announced their profits and bonuses. After receiving £20bn of public money in 2008, RBS is now 84% owned by the taxpayer. But instead of being made to pay for the crisis it caused, RBS continues to gamble recklessly with our money and continues to reward its executives with massive bonuses.

IMC-London 'Cuts' wire | Uk Uncut  | What is a bail-in?