AUSTERITY, INJUSTICE & THE POWER OF PROTEST

Sunday 14th October, 11:30am - 5:30pm, London. 

  Defend the Right to Protest National Conference

Across the world people are resisting austerity. They also have to confront violent tactics by the police and the draconian use of the law.

In Britain students demonstrating against fees were subject to kettling and mounted horse charges. In Quebec the authorities responded to an all out strike with emergency laws.

Governments are attempting to undermine effective protest at a time of unprecedented cuts. Faced with public sector strikes, Coalition ministers threatened to introduce more hard line anti-trade union laws. Such attacks also take place against a wider context of injustice and clampdown involving stop and search, police racism and deaths in custody. They include the use of protester “ASBOs”, pre-crime arrests and other infringements of civil liberties as seen around the Royal Wedding and the Olympics.

This conference will take place as people prepare for an autumn of struggle: the TUC march against austerity, the NUS education demonstration and strikes in the private and public sector. It will examine the nature of the current attacks on protest, what laws and tactics are being employed and why. It will look at how protest movements have confronted these challenges in the past and discuss the future of resistance here and internationally. Practical workshops will also inform people of their rights and how to run a defence campaign.

Who’s Speaking?

DARCUS HOWE, OWEN JONES, NINA POWER, MARCIA AND SAM RIGG [SEAN RIGG JUSTICE & CHANGE CAMPAIGN], JANET ALDER [JUSTICE FOR CHRISTOPHER ALDER], JOHN MCDONNELL, TONY BENN, ALFIE MEADOWS [INJURED STUDENT PROTESTER], MATT FOOT [CAMPAIGNING LAWYER] KEN FERO [FILM MAKER/DIRECTOR OF ‘INJUSTICE’], NICK WRACK [SOCIALIST LAWYER]. UNJUM MIRZA [RMT]. DANNIE GRUFFERTY [NUS VP], DEBORAH COLES [INQUEST], FAHIM ALAM [ACQUITTED AFTER POST-RIOT ARREST], SUSAN MATTHEWS [MOTHER OF DEFENDANT], ESTELLE BOULAY [NEWHAM MONITORING PROJECT], JOHN TIPPLE [POLL TAX DEFENDANT], JELENA TIMOTIJEVIC [UCU NEC], MAGGIE MITCHELL [MOTHER OF IMPRISONED STUDENT PROTESTER], NADINE EL-ENANY [EGYPTIAN ACTIVIST], JENNIFER HILLIARD [MOTHER OF ACQUITTED STUDENT],  SARA TOMLINSON [NUT], HANNAH DEE [CHAIR OF DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST],  JUSTICE FOR BOLTON, OCCUPY, UKUNCUT, A MINER ACQUITTED FROM ORGREAVES… PLUS MANY MORE. **NEW SPEAKER ANNOUNCED** MARK SERWOTKA [PCS GENERAL SECRETARY]

Workshops and Forums include:  

 * Policing austerity – How Do We Resist the Clampdown?

* How to Run an Effective Defence Campaign

* Defending the Right to Strike

* Know Your Rights – The Law and Protest

* Police Racism – The Fight For Justice

* Defending the Right to Protest on Campus

* Reading The Riots

* From Egypt to Quebec – Organising Solidarity with Global Protest Movements

* Whose Streets? – A Guide to Protesting Against Austerity

Book your conference tickets now!