AWL discussion meetings

How could Thatcher have been beaten? (Workers' Liberty London Forum)

Submitted on

Date: 
24 April, 2013 - 19:00 - 21:00
Location: 

University of London Union (ULU), Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY

Description: 

Speaker: John Bloxam

Facebook event here.

Margaret Thatcher, one of the British ruling class's greatest ever fighters, died on Monday 8 April.

Widely reviled for policies that inflicted misery on working-class people at home and abroad, she reshaped British society in the interests of capital and, by breaking the power of organised labour, established a political consensus that remains dominant today.

But her victory wasn't inevitable. If, for example, the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers (NACODS) had joined the National Union of Mineworkers on strike in 1984-85, the miners' strike could have ended very differently. And if the Labour Party and the TUC could have been forced into mobilising real support for the miners, the entire government would have been threatened.

Those key turning points are often less well-known than the outcome of the big struggles. We discuss the moments at which Thatcher could have beaten, why she wasn't, and what they tell us about the kind of movement we need to win.

Downloadable/copyable leaflet below.

Sheffield Workers Liberty Public Discussion: The Police...whose interests do they serve?

Submitted on

Date: 
5 December, 2012 - 18:30
Location: 

Central United Reformed Church, Chapel Street, Sheffield, S1 2JB

Description: 

After 23 years of police lies and propaganda the
public have finally seen the report on the Hillsborough
disaster.
The report exposes the deliberate cover up and
smear campaign by the ruling class to shift the
blame onto the fans. But the Hillsborough
disaster was not the only case of police brutality
and calculated attacks on working class people
in South Yorkshire in the 1980s. Many are now
calling for a similar investigation into the action
of the police during the Miner’s Strike. Could we
soon be seeing calls to investigate the police’s
actions at the 2010 student demonstrations?
How many more cases like this are yet to come
to light?

Sheffield Workers Liberty Public Discussion: Reproductive Rights and Freedoms

Submitted on

Date: 
21 November, 2012 - 19:30
Location: 

Red Deer Pub, 18 Pitt Street, Sheffield, S1 4DD

Description: 

In October Nadine Dorries secured a debate in
Parliament on the abortion time limit.
The Society for the Protection of the unborn
child has been holding vigils harassing women
entering abortion clinics as those women face
a horrible personal experience.
We need to organise a fight to defend our right
to choose. But what else effects our right to
choose whether to have or not have children?
What issues do working class women face with
childcare, cuts to child benefit, and positive sex
and relationships education?

The "Arab Spring", political Islam and the counter-revolution (Marxism 2012 fringe meeting)

Submitted on

Date: 
8 July, 2012 - 17:15 - 19:00
Location: 

Room G07, Chadwick building, University College London, Gower Street (go through main entrance and turn right)

Description: 

Facebook event

A fringe meeting at "Marxism 2012", sponsored by Workers' Liberty and the Iranian Revolutionary Marxists' Tendency

From Egypt to Syria to Iran, what is the role of political Islam in the North African and Middle Eastern revolutions, and how should socialists relate to it?

In Egypt, the military is cracking down, has annulled parliamentary election results and, despite acknowledging the Muslim Brotherhood's presidential election victory, will still retain huge power. Does opposition to the military imply support for the the Muslim Brotherhood? Why did the SWP advocate a vote for the Brotherhood's presidential candidate, Muhammad Morsi - the candidate of a party that is reactionary and theocratic, as well as straightforwardly neoliberal and anti-working class?

We believe the SWP's attitude to political Islam is deeply misguided. In Iran after the revolution of 1978-79, a similar attitude on the part of socialists led to disaster. Come and discuss the issues, and how we can build support for independent working-class forces in the region.

Feminist Show and Tell!: August Women's Fightback London discussion meeting

Submitted on

Date: 
3 August, 2012 - 19:30 - 21:30
Location: 

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank (meet outside poetry library on fifth floor)

Description: 

August’s Women’s Fightback will be a more relaxed affair with discussion, socialising, a picnic and “Feminist Show and Tell”!

All self-defining women are invited to bring your favourite feminist ‘something’ to share, explain and discuss – a book, story, song, picture, magazine, poster, toy, t-shirt, badge, hat – anything that, for you, relates to feminism and what that means for you.

In and amongst all this we’ll think of future topics for the group, and make plans for the Women’s Fightback newspaper and blog.

Bring some snacks and drinks to share – if it’s nice weather we’ll walk together to a nearby park, if not we’ll have an indoor picnic!

More info: 07883 520 852 or women@workersliberty.org Facebook event soon.

Sport and sex: sex workers organising for the Olympics (Women's Fightback London discussion meeting)

Submitted on

Date: 
13 July, 2012 - 19:30 - 21:30
Location: 

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank (meet outside poetry library on fifth floor)

Description: 

The Olympics will lead to more than just transport nightmares and hiked up rents this summer. Sensationalised government claims that sporting events lead to increased trafficking means anti-trafficking policies and policing targeting sex workers. "Clean up efforts" are already underway - raids and closures, harassment and arbitrary arrests are creating fear among sex workers.

Sex work remains a contentious issue for feminists - join us to discuss what socialist feminists say about sex work and how we can best make solidarity with sex workers this summer. We welcome open discussion and debate at this Women's Fightback discussion open to all self-defining women.

More info: women@workersliberty.org or 07883 520 852 or Facebook.

**Please note the date change - we usually meet the 1st Friday of every month, but are moving the July meeting so we can go to an important meeting of the Save the Women's Library campaign. For more info on the WL meeting: Facebook event. **

Feminism vs religion? (Women's Fightback London discussion meeting)

Submitted on

Date: 
1 June, 2012 - 19:30 - 21:30
Location: 

Royal Festival Hall, Southbank (meet outside poetry library on fifth floor)

Description: 

Why are we hearing more from fundamentalist religious groups in social and political life? Do they represent a real threat to a woman's right to choose? If so how do we combat that threat?

What do we mean by, and what do we want from, secularism? Can secularism be compatible with freedom of religious expression? Why are democratic rights important to feminists, socialists and all anti-capitalist activists?

Come, engage with and take part in the discussion, open to all self-defining women.

Facebook event here.

Marxism and art (AWL London forum)

Submitted on

Date: 
17 May, 2012 - 19:00 - 21:00
Location: 

The Lucas Arms, 245a Grays Inn Road, Kings Cross, London WC1X 8JR

Description: 

Is a "Marxist" attitude to art possible? Can works of art be judged according to political theory, or do they have to be related to and understood on their own terms? Is art only valuable if it serves a political purpose? How have Marxists and other revolutionaries debated these issues in the past?

Filmmaker and screenwriter Clive Bradley, whose work includes the feature film 'WAZ' and the Channel 4 drama 'City of Vice', and Daniel Randall (aka hip-hop artist and spoken-word poet The Ruby Kid) lead a discussion of the issues.

Facebook event here. Click attachment below for leaflet.

The threat of war on Iran: Iranian socialists speak

Submitted on

Date: 
29 March, 2012 - 19:30 - 21:30
Location: 

The Lucas Arms, 245a Grays Inn Road, Kings Cross, London

Description: 

A meeting organised by London Workers' Liberty, with speakers from the Iranian Revolutionary Marxist Tendency, the Worker-communist Party of Iran (Hekmatist) and the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (tbc).

As the threat of an Israeli strike on Iran grows, Workers' Liberty is organising this forum with Iranian socialist activists to discuss the issues facing socialists and the labour movement internationally. Should we take sides in the conflict? What is our attitude to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons? What should we say about economic sanctions? What should we say about Israel? What about the claims made by some on the British left that sharp criticism of the Iranian regime only strengthens the drive to war?

All welcome. Plenty of time for debate and discussion

Leaflet for meeting downloadable below.

Facebook event