Yesterdays Guardian offered a rare insight into the class war across the water, and in particular the expansionist activities of Columbia University into Harlem.
This quote gives a flavour of the issues “I have seen the university systematically erode diversity by driving out people of colour and the poor, and replace it with a aterile conformity of white upper middle-class students and faculty.”
Only those with strong stomachs could risk reading Sundays interview with Emily Benn in The Sunday Times.
After several days milk of magnesia, Bash the Rich is now able to reprint some quotes from the piece that is guaranteed to make even those with the strongest constitutions feel bilious.
“So many people my age aren’t interested in politics, but they don’t realise what’s been done for them since 1997”.
“I work for the Labour Party at least one night a week. My political hero is Tony Blair”.
“I had my first piece of hate mail last week, a rant from a woman who had something against the name Benn. But I don’t let someone swearing about me on the Internet upset me. It’s hard enough dealing with normal 18 year old things, like friendships, boys and A-levels.”
And just to show Emily is as concerned about Green issues as everyone else:
“Before I passed my driving test, it took 90 minutes to get to school by public transport. Now I have first call on the family Toyota Yaris”.
What a relief for us all!
Monday 5th November sees Dispatches taking a look at the issues around house prices and the property ‘boom’.
The programme is at 8pm on Channel 4, and promises to tackle the issue of whether a generation now exists that will never be able to afford their own homes.
Hello to everyone who was out and about in Notting Hill yesterday!
Ratgher than repeating what others have already written, we’ll give you two reports on the events. Here’s comment from Ian Bone’s blog, and this is comment from the Class War newswire.
You can add your own feedback, using the comments section of this site.
There has been a huge response to the planned demonstrations on Saturday November 3rd. Here’s how the day is shaping up so far!
From Noon – 2pm we are inviting people to tour Notting Hill, using Tom Vague’s radical walking tour pamphlet as a guide. This is an area with a long (though now largely hidden) history of conflict and rebellion.
So – if you remember the ‘front line’ as it was, want to re-trace the steps of the Charitists or the Angry Brigade, or even just photograph the Spanish Civil War Memorial – now is your chance. All that walking will of course work up a thirst. Refreshments can then be taken in the following hostelries from roughly 2pm:
The Lonsdale – 48 Lonsdale Road, W11.
Portobello Star – 171 Portobello Road.
Duke of Wellington (Usually known as Finches). 179-181Portobello Road
The Castle (Usually known as the Warwick Castle) 225 Portobello Road.
Market Bar – 240A Portobello Road.
Inn on the Green – 3-5 Thorpe Close, Portobello Green.
Fat Badger – 310 Portobello Road.
Please note that everyone presenting their Radical History tour programme in The Fat Badger will receive 50% off the total costs of their drinks on Saturday November 3rd only!
From 2.30 – 3pm assemble under the westway at the junction of Acklam Road and Cambridge Gardens. As well as “Toffs Out”, those making their own banners/placards are encouraged to consider “We Can’t Afford The Rich” as a theme.
3pm – March off to David Cameron’s house
3.15pm – Any late comers can join us via Ladbroke Grove tube station
3.30pm – A minutes applause will be held outside the home of the Rt Hon David Cameron, to celebrate his remarkable achievements in this meritocratic, classless society.
The march will then head to Meanwhile Gardens, via Portobello Road, for a rally at 4.30pm.
After the speakers, all present are invited to bring their own fireworks and any suitable Guys for burning. Old Etonian Guys particularly welcome!
Radical walking guides are available locally for £1 from Rough Trade at 130 Talbot Road, W11. For those from other parts of London visit Housmans at 5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross or Freedom Bookshop at 84b Whitechapel High Road.
There will be a Bash The Rich public meeting at 2pm on Saturday 27th October in Room 325 at the Anarchist Bookfair.
This years bookfair is in the east end at Queen Mary and Westfield College on Mile End Road. Location details here.
The meeting will last roughly one hour and will be a chance to hear more details about the days actions, to pick up the programme produced for the radical walking tour, and a last chance to collect promotional leaflets and stickers. See you down there!
Has recently been set up.
If you are a Facebook person, go here to join.
Tom Vague’s excellent Bash the Rich Radical History Tour of Notting Hill pamphlet is now available.
A riotous, left wing, pop cultural, psychogeographic historical ramble through the streets of the forever beating heart of the capital’s most left field neighbourhood – Notting Hill – courtesy of anarcho-historian and psychgeographer Vague.
From race course riots to race riots; from Mick Farren’s Social Deviants to Shaznay Lewis’s All Saints; GK Chesterton and Orwell; the Angry Brigade and King Mob; The Clash and Class War; Rough Trade and The Roughler; Police and Thieves – it’s all here – from the Westway to the world – the secret and untold story of the other Notting Hill, where media hype, local protest and class war have gone hand-in-hand down the centuries.
“I don’t like that some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth and are able to do whatever they damn well please because of some sort of fortune. It’s shameful we allow this to go on”.
Danny DeVito quoted in The London Paper, 8th October 2007. See you in Notting Hill on November 3rd Danny!
Bash the rich 