SWP Edinburgh

Arguments about how we tackle the climate crisis are raging at every level of society, from those at the top to activists on the ground. As war in Ukraine grinds on, states are sprinting to invest in more fossil fuels. Martin Empson’s new book, Socialism or Extinction—The meaning of Revolution in a Time of Ecological Disaster, takes on what sort of revolution we need to stop climate destruction.

Join us tomorrow at our meeting, 7pm friends mtg house to discuss more.

📚 Read more here: https://socialistworker.co.uk/features/why-its-socialism-or-extinction/

Round three for our student society! Join the discussion on 'Refugees Welcome! Can we live in a world without borders?' 6pm Bar 50 Thur 19 Oct 🔥

Slavery was not a one-off event – a single horror confined to the 18th century or simply to Africa.

It was one of the products of the rise of capitalism, and in turn it gave a great boost to capitalism’s growth. The black historian Eric Williams wrote that slavery “fertilised the entire productive system”. We'll be discussin Scotlands links to slavery and more at tomorrow nights meeting, join the discussion...

As voters go to the polls in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, the profound crisis consuming the Scottish National Party (SNP) shows no sign of abating.

For many activists, this crisis has revealed deep-rooted problems within the SNP and its strategy to win independence and bring about change.
Socialist Worker spoke to three young activists on why they have broken with the SNP to embrace revolutionary politics.

📚 Read full article here:

Why I left the SNP—and joined the socialists As voters go to the polls in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, the profound crisis consuming the Scottish National Party

It's been a busy couple of weeks for Edinburgh Uni Socialist Worker Student Society !
In two weeks we've had a packed room of students, 45 at our first meeting and 55 at our second on how to smash sexism.

Fantastic discussion on 'From Andrew Tate to Incels; Are Men the Problem?' Also with contributions about upcoming actions, strikes and Marxism in Scotland festival

Join us at the next one week today! 6pm Bar 50 🔥

*🚨Venue Change!*🚨

💥Unfortunately, due to the racist backlash in the media and from the government against Palestine, we have had our meeting this evening cancelled by two venues.

✊In light of this, it even more important to discuss why it is right to resist Israel and to support the Palestinian cause for freedom. So tonight we will have our meeting *outdoors at Grassmarket, EH1 2JR, at 7PM*

🚩 It’s such a vital meeting to discuss the arguments and how to fight back at home.

FREE PALESTINE 🇵🇸✊

Arm yourselves with the arguments: why it’s right to back the Palestinian resistance

This has links to all of Socialist Worker’s key articles and videos on Palestine, the foundation of Israel, its links to imperialism and Palestinian resistance to it.

https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/arm-yourselves-with-the-arguments-about-why-it-s-right-to-oppose-israel/

Join us for more discussion tonight! 7pm Friends meeting house

🇵🇸 🚨 CITY WIDE EMERGENCY DEMO - STAND WITH PALESTINE 🚨 🇵🇸

⏰ Saturday 14 October, 2pm
📌 Foot of the Mound, Princes St

Join us on Saturday when we take to the streets to demand Israel end its violent imposition of a system of occupation, apartheid and colonisation over the Palestinian people.

We will be meeting at 2pm sharp to...
🗞 Sell the socialist worker
🪧 Hand out our Freedom for Palestine placards
🚩 Distribute Marxism in Scotland leaflets
🇵🇸 Hold a party stall
📄 Distribute the SW leaflet on 'Why it's right to support Palestine'

Join us and hundreds more to say viva viva Palestina!

🇵🇸EMERGENCY STUDENT PROTEST🇵🇸

the Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine soc and MENA soc have called a demonstration to show solidarity with Palestinians and denounce the brutal action of the Israeli government

⏰WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER, 1PM
📍BRISTO SQUARE

Join the march for Scottish independence

⏰ TODAY Sat 7 Oct, 12:30pm
📍 March from Holyrood Park to The Meadows

We will be distributing placards that say:

💥 SCRAP TRIDENT: FUND CLIMATE JOBS
💥 BREAK UP THE BRITISH STATE
💥 SCOT GOVERNMENT USE YOUR POWERS: MAKE THE RICH PAY

We will be having a BIG party stall at the end of the march in the meadows, please be sure to stop by and say hello!

Lovely to meet you all at freshers! Join us for a LOUUUD climate justice bloc today! 👌 🌊 😎 🔥 🤙

Meet at the Mound 11am 🌏

👀 look out for our system change not climate change placards 🪧 and join our stall at Parliament where the march finishes.

EiS Edinburgh College lecturers on strike this morning in Sighthill💥🚩

Join us tomorrow for our weekly campaign stall, 1pm Wellington statue on Princes St to speak about the inspiring struggle taking place at colleges across Scotland right now. How can we build the resistance against the Tories?

We're gearing up... 😎

Marxism In Scotland Festival 2023: socialist strategy for the age of catastrophe
🗓️11-12 Nov weekend
📍QMU, Glasgow

With 3 months to go, over 100 have already registered for the event. Don't miss out on a weekend of debates, music, discussion, art and ideas to change the world.

🎟️ If you haven't done it yet, book here today: marxism.scot
📝You can also fill in a form at branch meetings, every wednesday friends meeting house 7pm.
📢 spread the word on social media & send the link to your contacts

Essential reading for tonight's branch meeting: A rebels's guide to Antonio Gramsci.

📚 Check out Chris Harman’s ISJ article, Gramsci vs Eurocommunism https://www.marxists.org/archive/harman/1977/05/gramsci1.html

💥 More info on tonight’s meeting at 7pm, friends meeting house… https://www.facebook.com/events/314597607740906?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22search%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22your_upcoming_events_unit%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

Join us this Thursday 🔥
Support the strikes!
Reinstate Kevin Scally!
Revive the Resistance!

Please note new venue!

Let's bring together the growing rejectionist minority and build a stronger rank and file movement

👉Can you raise the summit in your union branch asking them to support it and send a delegation?

Model motion to raise in your next branch/district/campaign meeting
To add a name to supporting branches and organisations, please email [email protected]

🎟️ Book here and also click to see the list of +70 trade union bodies already the event, including several union branches in Edinburgh

🔁 send it to your contacts in the union movement and workplaces

From our branch meetings to our student meetings, campaign stalls to campus stalls, interventions around strikes and picket lines, climate justice, abortion rights, trans liberation, cost of living crisis & anti racist work, we've injected revolutionary politics into a lot of our areas of work and helped to build the fight back against the Tories.

Join us at this week's campaign stall to sell the socialist worker and talk to people about the fight back.

📍 Wellington Statue Princes St
⏰ Tomorrow, 1pm

Get the date's in your diaries!!! How can we boost more action like that being taken from the EIS and RMT? Join the picket lines and demonstrations. Details below...

🚂 RMT picket line Waverly station Sat 2nd Sep 8am-12pm
🏫 EIS FELA demonstration Scot Parl Thur 7th Sep 11:30am

Brilliant Stop the War stall in Edinburgh last saturday 🛑 💣

We are helping to relaunch STW in Edinburgh. We joined other activists and campaigners on saturday to chat to people, leaflet and boost the STW contact list. The success of Saturdays stall was a beginning step in that direction.

We should support any action taken by STW in Edinburgh. While the war in the Ukraine drags on with no sign of victory for either side, despite the propaganda coming from both sides, there is a greater need more than ever to campaign for a ceasefire and peace negotiations.

We need to encourage more activity around anti war actions.

> Please take a moment to follow, like the Edinburgh STW page

> Join the STW mailing list by contacting: [email protected]

The People's Assembly Against Austerity are organising a national demonstration at the Tory party conference in Manchester on Sunday 1st October.

In Scotland, Stand Up to Racism is organising a coach from Glasgow to enable activists to join the demonstration. SUTR is organising a major anti-racist bloc on the demo to oppose the Tories' racist offensive against refugees which is emboldening the far-righ. But as SUTR Scotland says, this coach is for all who want to do say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH to the Tory government. Striking workers and trade unionists, pensioners, the unemployed, disabled people, women, LGBT+ communities, students, climate activists facing draconian repression and others across society all have reasons to protest.

🎟 Book your seat on the coach with the QR code below 👇

We're looking forward to this week's meeting on Germany's Lost 1918 Revolution. Want to find out more? Heres some reading ahead of the meeting this Wed 7pm Leith community centre

📚

Days of hope - the 1918 German Revolution - Socialist Worker A revolution in Germany that erupted 100 years ago this month rocked Europe’s rulers and put a socialist world on the agenda. Tomáš Tengely-Evans looks at how the revolt showed the power of workers to liberate themselves—and to end bloody war.

☝️ TOMORROW.

The next phase of the public inquiry into Sheku's death begins tomorrow. It's vital we make every effort to attend, to support the family, demand justice and stand up to racism.

🪧 There will be placards from edinburgh sutr. Please bring your trade union/swss/campaign banners.
❗️Please share the above graphic round your groups and help get the word out
📚 Read the fantastic article in the socialist worker written by some of our student comrades at the last inquiry: https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/pressure-may-have-caused-injuries-to-sheku-bayoh-inquiry-hears/

Support the strikers! Both the RMT and EIS are fighting their bosses over pay and conditions.

We'll be at the National strike day on Sep 7th - join the demonstration outside Scottish Parliament 11:30am to support the strikers fighting for the future of our education.

**kthetories

Burn the Tories, not the planet?!!

After a brilliant stall last saturday, Join us for our next BUSY campaign stall, tomorrow 1pm Wellington statue to discuss the climate movement, how to fight the tory attacks on refugees and mirgants and much more...

📚Read more at: socialistworker.co.uk

Drag Queen Story Hour opening at the Edinburgh Fringe last week. Unfortunately a small group of around 6 bigots and transphobes arrived. We had a large group counter protesting with posters and flags for LGBT liberation. We kept spirits high with music, dancing and chants. They couldn’t be heard over our singing and it was clear passers by and assembly staff were on our side. After the show ended Drag Queen Aida Dee came out to join us.

While drag queen story hour continues at the fringe we need to keep our eyes peeled for how it develops on the streets outside - solidarity not hate!

Wonderful picket this morning at the RMT picket line at Waverly station, victory to the strikers!

📚 read more here: https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/rail-strike-as-tories-throw-billion-to-bosses/

Next Sunday! Join us at the Greta Thunberg book launch as part of the Edinburgh International Book festival. Let's speak to people attending the event about climate justice and our upcoming meeting: Socialism or Extinction: Where next for the climate movement?

Edinburgh International Book Festival: Greta Thunberg | Edinburgh International Festival Despite the alarming evidence of global heating, many refuse to despair. Greta Thunberg is among them and her activism has inspired people worldwide as she

📚 Reading ahead of this weeks meeting on how to stop the war in Ukraine...

Socialists argue that this war in the consequence of a system of Imperialism that pits nations against each other in the interest of perpetuating a system of profit. It is in the interest of working people in Ukraine, Russia and everywhere else to stop this war before it escalates into a more widespread conflict.

So what sort of movement is needed to stop it and how do we get it?
Join the discussion

https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/arm-yourselves-with-the-arguments-ukraine-war/

Out supporting RMT strike on Saturday

🚂 Book to the Worker's Summit here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/workers-summit-and-social-tickets-644846161227

📚 Read more here: https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/rail-strike-as-tories-throw-billion-to-bosses/

Rest in power, Sinead ✊

Introducing...🔥
Marxism in Scotland 2022 festival: revolutionary ideas in an era of crises 🌏🚩

🗓️ Save the dates! Sat 22 & Sun 23 October
📋 Book your place now: https://MiS2022.eventbrite.co.uk

Wherever you look, you see the signs of a world in deep crisis. But wherever you look, you also see resistance to the system.
Join hundreds of socialists, authors and campaigners for 2 days of debates, workshops and radical culture at Scotland's largest annual anti-capitalist event.

We'll be leafleting for this and more at our weekly campaign stall, tomorrow! Wellington Statue, 1-2pm Sat 29th of July. Join us earlier in the morning at the RMT picket line 🔥 🔥 🔥

Marxism in Scotland 2022: revolutionary ideas for an era of crises Join hundreds of activists, authors and campaigners for 2 days of debates, workshops and radical culture

🚂 Join the picket lines! We'll be joining the RMT at Waverly Station Sat 29th July 8-12pm to show solidarity.

The mood has shifted from when the strike wave started over a year ago, with railworkers leading the way. The issues strikers in many picket lines raise today are about the lack of direction and strategy to win in the disputes and questions of union democracy and member-led action - sign up to the Workers' Summit in September to learn from one another, discuss how we can organise to have more solid action, reject bad deals and build stronger coordination:

Workers Summit and Social Link the fights, reject bad deals, fight to win! An afternoon for grassroots collaboration.

Edinburgh Socialist Workers Party Meeting - open to all 🚩

📅 Wednesday, July 26, 7pm
📍Leith Community Centre 12a Newkirkgate
Edinburgh EH6 6AD

The Liverpool dockers have a rich history of struggle. The docks have been a site of struggle since the early days of capitalism in Britain. In 1889 dock workers revolted against a system which meant they had to fight to grab a few hours of casual work. Their strike was a key part of the birth of a mass trade union movement.

Dock strikes today show that despite being drastically reduced in numbers by attempts to modernise the industry, dock workers still yield significant power.

In November 2022 Liverpool dockers won a pay rise of between 14% to 19% an increase of £3,700 to £5,800 depending on grade. Overtime rates were increased and threatened compulsory redundancies have been removed. This was the result of five solid weeks of strikes including solidarity action, in defiance of anti-union laws, by Southampton dockers.

Join the meeting to see what we can learn from the history of Liverpool dockers.

All welcome.

Also online:
Zoom ID: 868 9106 9359 Passcode: 967537
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86891069359...

Join the discussion ✊🏿✊🏽✊🏾✊🏼

SNP crisis goes deeper than Sturgeon’s arrest The crisis of the Scottish National Party (SNP) is centred this week on the arrest of former leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon

Shocker: retiring Chief Constable states that Police Scotland is institutionally racist and sexist (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65706748)

This comes as no surprise to those involved in supporting the Bayoh family's justice campaign for Sheku, who died police custody 8 years ago (https://socialistworker.co.uk/news/pressure-may-have-caused-injuries-to-sheku-bayoh-inquiry-hears/)

His family have referred to them as 'Scotland's George Floyd', and today is also the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in the US which led to a global mass movement against racism and raising the demand for defunding the police.

We say fight police brutality - abolish the police 👊🏽👊🏿👊🏼

Between 200 and 300 people on Saturday's annual May Day demo. A lot of union support and some great trade unionists (including our own Steve West) spoke at the rally. Sold about 30 papers, 2 ISJs and leafleted for the Sheku Bayoh and Erskine protests as well as our upcoming public meeting on France in Revolt this wednesday! Good anti-monarchist mood to the demo and a lot of people coming to us interested by our front page... ✊🔥🪓

Tomorrow it will be 8 years since died in police custody.

You can support the struggle for justice by joining two important events in the next week:

Wed 3 May, 5.45pm - join the vigil marking the anniversary in Glasgow, Buchanan steps

And next week, Tuesday 9th, 8.45am - join us outside Capital House in Edinburgh as the inquiry restarts

https://twitter.com/SUTRScotland/status/1653468742280462339?t=hrb1-KdEIuSgYTpq-eoDoQ&s=19