Hundreds of leaflets handed out and for the most part well received on demo protesting against workfare in the shopping centre of Bristol last Saturday. Protest stopped outside the Post Office in the Galleries to show solidarity with postal staff who are to strike over Easter in dispute over closures, jobs and pay.

The manager in Poundland did no like the idea of a photographer taking a picture of a staff member destroying a banner and grabbing a phone from a demonstrator but to make up for that when the demo went inside the Marriott Hotel all they seemed worried about was a loud hailer disturbing a wedding party upstairs - lets hope it gave them something to think about!

‘Fifty years on, Beeching’s still wrong’ is the message rail campaigners will be sending out on Saturday 23 March 2013.

Bristol agrees. Bernard Kennedy, Bristol secretary of the rail union ASLEF, said “History has proved that although promoted in glowing terms of 'financial viability' the Beeching Report was, in reality, an axeman's charter."

James White, Bristol Civic Society, said "The single most disastrous decision in the history of public transport anywhere in the world" followed by the deliberate sale of the land assets means we are now facing a public transport crisis. The deliberate dismantling of the system built by our Victorian ancestors will take a huge investment to replace, far more than was received for the sales. The demand for trains can be seen everyday and we must enable the system to react to this demand much faster”. 

Severn Beach station was one of the 2,363 stations identified for closure in 1963. On Saturday, Friends Of Suburban Bristol Railways (FOSBR), with song sheets, and key players from the Tarka Rail Association (Barnstaple line) and AVOCET (Exmouth line) will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Beeching cuts on the scenic train route to Severn Beach station and back. The train is scheduled to arrive at Montpelier Station at 14.21 where a display of placards, maps and graphs on the station will be recorded for posterity by a Bristol film maker.

Boycotting Primark

As the government (and 'opposition') vote through new legislation to help the beligured workfare scheme after it was ruled illegal in the high court, Boycott Workfare inspired protests are taking place across the country.  Online campaigning against a different target is taking place each day (see boycottworkfare.org for more info), and street protests are planned throughout the week.

In Bristol the Anarchist Federation & Solidarity Federation have called for a rolling picket this Saturday meeting 2pm at the castle park bandstand. We plan to hold accountable those companies who profit from the forced labour of benefit claimants. Previous pickets, demonstrations and occupations have led to companies such as Holland & Barratt and Tesco pulling out of the scheme, if enough companies drop out the scheme will be unworkable!

Not wanting to missout on the fun Bath Anarchists (BARF) are joining in with a picket outside the (newly opened) westgate street poundland at 3.30pm on Friday.

If you can't wait 'till the weekend to express your rage against workfare come to the art room at Kebele (14 robertson road) at 7pm on Thursday where we will be making banners, painting placards, and thinking up last minute schemes for the demos ahead!

Facebook Event for Bristol:https://www.facebook.com/events/343005925817975/

Facebook Event for Bath: https://www.facebook.com/events/118006825055652/