Socialist Worker

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Global revolt shows we have had enough

The number of serious revolts erupting across the globe is growing. Many protests sparked by a specific issue quickly turn into more general challenges to the system.

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International Comment Features Reviews What We Think Other

News

Extinction Rebellion activists defy police ban on protests

Activists took to the streets despite a police crackdown

Boris Johnson and EU agree a racist, neoliberal Brexit deal

The deal, backed by the EU, is even more neoliberal than Theresa May’s

Don’t use XR tube action to attack the climate rebels

Protests are often disruptive—does anyone think that the protests in Hong Kong or Ecuador or Catalonia recently weren’t?

Enthusiastic support for sixth form college strikes over funding and pay

At college after college, strikers reported that new faces had joined big picket lines and that there was a buoyant mood.

Extinction Rebellion activists show determination with new disruptive protest

Thousands of Extinction Rebellion protesters brought traffic in central London to a standstill for several hours

Stand Up To Racism conference unites struggles for the urgent battles ahead

A major conference debated how to fight racism as the prospect of a general election campaign against Boris Johnson looms.

Health workers round-up: NHS support staff stage defiant action

Hundreds of health workers across the north west of England are holding firm against bosses’ plans to impose a new pay deal.

Forbo floor strikers aren’t fobbed off by greedy bosses

Some 75 Unite union members at Forbo Flooring in Ripley, Derbyshire, have begun a ten-week campaign to win a pay rise and to stop bullying and harassment by management.

UCU activists fight to get the vote out in two ballots

UCU union activists are making a final push this week to get the vote out in two strike ballots.

Prospect members get set for walkouts

Workers at two sets of museums were set to strike over pay on Thursday of this week.

Celebrate the rebellion, and build the climate movement

Two weeks of action by Extinction Rebellion (XR) activists has brought the issue of climate change onto the streets and into the headlines.

Climate round-up: ‘Saladarity’ with animal protesters and demo for ‘educational revolution’

Activists from the “Learning Rebellion” group marched to the Department for Education on Monday.

Wave of sixth form strikes gets top marks

Action at 23 colleges is about more than anger at employers’ paltry pay offer, reports Sadie Robinson

Post workers ready to fight

Postal workers are working to build support for a possible national strike in Royal Mail following an astonishing strike vote last week.

Bradford library workers bring the bosses to book

Library and museum workers in West Yorkshire staged the first of 14 walkouts against funding cuts this week.

Reports round-up: Success for UCL fightback and more

Cleaners, security workers and caterers at University College London (UCL) have scored a victory.

Sacked for Xmas at Asda?

Asda supermarket workers facing the imposition of harsh new contracts handed in a petition with 23,000 signatures to bosses in Leeds last week.

The EU is a bad answer to a racist, neoliberal Brexit deal

Boris Johnson’s rotten deal with the European Union (EU) faced key tests in parliament this week.

Leading left Labour figures fall in behind the right’s push for Remain

The Labour Party has taken a big step towards full support for remaining in the racist, neoliberal European Union.

DUP—Don’t Undertake Pact with these bigots

The bigots of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) tried to recall the Stormont Assembly in Northern Ireland for the first time in two and half years on Monday.

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International

Mass protests and strikes for democracy in Catalonia

A general strike brought much of Catalonia to a standstill on Friday.

Revolt over cost of living defies troops on the streets of Chile

Protests over a fares hike quickly became a much broader struggle—and stayed on the streets despite a crackdown

Marchers fight cops back in Hong Kong

Hundreds of thousands of people protested in Kowloon, Hong Kong

GM auto strikers debate new deal, while Chicago teachers take action

Workers at General Motors (GM) plants and factories across the US are voting on a tentative deal

Movement in Lebanon demands fall of the government

Protesters in Lebanon are calling for “revolution”. They are demanding an end to corruption and poverty—and the fall of the government.

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Comment

What actually makes a ­person middle class?

Tomáš Tengely-Evans argues that being middle class isn’t about your lifestyle, accent, or whether you do a manual job

Johnson faces a crisis—but he isn’t finished

He may have lost a battle last Saturday, but he hasn’t lost the war

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Features

The Kurds—a history of agony

The Kurds once again find themselves under attack and under pressure from imperial powers

Whose streets? Our streets! Why it matters to fight for control of our space to resist

As disruption flares up around the globe, Simon Basketter looks at how the architecture of cities, institutions and the system is designed to dampen dissent—but how these can face a radical challenge from below

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Reviews

Jesse Pinkman makes his welcome return in El Camino

The film follow-up to Breaking Bad brings back one of its best characters—along with much of what made the series so good

Cold War Steve creates nonsense scenes of liberal contempt

What on the surface look like send-ups of right wing politicians turn out to be full of liberal prejudice.

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What We Think

Say no to a second referendum and a People’s Vote on the European Union

A very big protest took place in London last weekend calling for a “People’s Vote” on leaving the European Union (EU).

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Other Categories

Obituary - Drew McEwan, 1947-2019

Comrades in Glasgow were saddened to hear of the death of Drew McEwan, who passed away after a courageous battle with asbestos-linked mesothelioma.

LETTERS - The racism in football is not only about Bulgarian Nazis

The racist behaviour by Bulgarian fans against black English footballers was disgusting.

The Troublemaker—Fresh questions for Prince Andrew over Epstein abuse

Prince Andrew met Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire paedophile, at least ten times over the course of their 12-year friendship, according to an investigator.

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