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G20 demonstration – the bureaucracy's radical day out

Once again my estimate of the size of a demonstration is different from the cops’. They say that 35 000 people took part in today’s G20 protest march in London. It felt smaller, more like 20 000. On the plus side the slogan “jobs, justice, climate” pulled out more union banners than any recent London…

Liam
2–3 minutes

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Once again my estimate of the size of a demonstration is different from the cops’. They say that 35 000 people took part in today’s G20 protest march in London. It felt smaller, more like 20 000. On the plus side the slogan “jobs, justice, climate” pulled out more union banners than any recent London protest with a big representation from the public sector, especially UNISON. This self consciously working class element was complemented by a big range of religious organisations, charities and NGOs.

The cops were much more low key and less confrontationally abusive than they have been on the Gaza mobilisations. There was none of the body armour, close contact and intrusive surveillance that they enjoy so much.

An unfavourable wind combined with a low boredom threshold to prevent me hearing too much of the speeches. This was probably just as well since the snatches tended towards Tony Robinsonrhetorical earnest bureaucratic pleading. TV presenter and sometime Labour Party NEC member Tony Robinson introduced one speaker with the words “he has spent all his life fighting for workers’ rights and he is the best possible general secretary the TUC could have”. Brendan Barber took the stage. My inner cynic reflected that Barber’s battle for the proletariat had been waged without one worker or one boss noticing that it had been going on. He droned on as if he had no connection or influence with British capitalism’s governing party and as if he was not the leader of an organisation of millions of workers. His was the first of many appeals to the better natures of the world’s rulers. Workers Power though had predicted how rubbish he was going to be and had an impressively young and lively contingent marching into the park chanting a slogan demanding that the TUC call a general strike. Like a well tailored suit that’s one catchphrase that never goes out of fashion and can be used on any occasion.

Depending which report you read this demonstration was organised by between 100 and 150 groups. It proves that there are networks of people all over the country who are looking at the world and realise that there is great inequality which they oppose, that jobs are being lost every day and that capitalism is in the process of making swathes of the planet uninhabitable at the expense of the poor. What today’s event lacked was the numbers that matched the seriousness of the situation or the sense that an organisation has the reach or the programme to connect with that understanding.

15 responses to “G20 demonstration – the bureaucracy's radical day out”

  1. Duncan Avatar
    Duncan

    When did the cops last over-estimate attendance at a demo? I wonder if the police are planning to use this as a counterpoint to their violence this Wednesday. By overstating the impact of today’s match, they will try to minimise the impact of the divergent pranks planned for April 1st.

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  2. maeve66 Avatar
    maeve66

    Reading the snarky commentary in the Guardian, the “News of the World Tent” reporter estimated 15,000, so I bet you’re on the money. I’ve always thought your estimates were on target.

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  3. jim jay Avatar
    jim jay

    I also thought the police estimate was on the high side – which I find confusing.

    Now they did split the demo up and create huge gaps in between which does make estimation difficult, particualrly when its a bit cold and wet so many people don’t stay for the speeches – fascinating though I’m sure Tony Robinson was…

    I liked the amount of union flags and the smattering of Europeans there – but I have had more exciting days out….

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  4. prianikoff Avatar
    prianikoff

    So many groups that the message they were trying to get across was totally confused….
    Instead of coat-trailing behind the NG0’s, Charities, Religious Groups and the TU bureaucrats, what’s needed is a campaign organised and led by rank and file trade unionists.
    This should be aimed at winning the labour movement to a fighting policy against the Capitalist Recession.
    If that’s achieved, all the peripheral groups would fall in behind the only force in society capable of providing a solution.

    * Protest and “getting active” isn’t enough;
    What’s needed is for socialists to provide a political focus for the spontaneous movements of workers, such as occurred during the Refinery Dispute.
    As this showed, there was a fine line between workers taking progressive union positions and being diverted into narrow British chauvinism.
    Only the intervention of socialists can ensure that the line is held.
    Being prepared to go beyond these local disputes and provide wider political solutions is the key to that.
    * International resistance to the failure of capitalism;

    The resistance to the capitalist crisis is international, as has been shown in Greece, by the occupations at Republic Windows in Chicago, Waterford Crystal in Ireland, Prisme Packaging in Dundee and the strikes, occupations and marches occurring in France. Last week, three million workers and youth demonstrated in over 200 cities across France. The interests of workers in Britain aren’t separate to those in the USA, Ireland or France. We applaud their actions and can learn from them.
    We should be working towards a day of action and one day general strike in Britain.
    But, without a government which supports the interests of workers, even an open ended general strike will only win partial victory.
    Workers need a government which acts in their interests.

    * New Labour policies have failed;
    Under its New Labour leadership, the government is providing political ammunition for growth of the BNP and a future election victory by the Tories.
    Their domestic policies mean subsidising failed bankers and capitalists rather than replacing them. Their international policies will prevent Britain disengaging from failed wars.
    This is not inevitable. To prevent it we need:-

    * A United Front against the return of a Tory Government and the BNP;
    Replacing the New Labour leadership is the only way to turn around the political situation.
    But this involves recognising that there are still substantial forces which will rally to Labour against the BNP and the Tories, even though they have deep criticisms of the policies of Brown and co.
    A United Front tactic, not moralistic condemnation, is the only way to achieve unity with Labour’s traditional supporters.

    * A Socialist Programme

    Such a united front means fighting together with all the elements who want to stop the Tories and BNP, but does not exclude putting forward an explicitly Socialist programme.
    The two tasks are inseparable. It requires spelling out the policies that the current Labour government *should* be implementing, were its leadership replaced by Socialists.
    An approach which is completely distinct to that of the sectarians in the micro sects, who would best be employed on soap boxes at Speakers’ Corner.
    This gives a cutting edge to socialist demands, both within the Labour Party and the Unions, while not compromising the ability of socialists to take positions independent of the LP leadership.
    Key demands should include:-
    * Legislation to reduce the Working Week;

    An average working week of 35 hours and a maximum enforceable working week of 40 hours should be introduced immediately.
    Rather than forcing workers to pay for this, as at Toyota, there should be sacrifices at the top.
    Profits, dividends and management bonuses need to be cut in order to save jobs.
    Measures to enforce Progressive taxation and stop tax avoidance need to be enforced.
    *Stop the layoffs;

    Penalties should be introduced against Companies which lay off workers, then attempt to shift production abroad and benefit from cheaper labour, laxer health and safety and anti-pollution laws.
    The assets of companies which engage in mass layoffs due to bankruptcy, such as Woolworth, need to be taken over by the state as part of a programme to restructure the economy.
    At present, many Woolworth stores remain empty, since private buyers can’t be found for them.
    Only intervention by the state can stop to the growing dereliction of the British High Street.
    * Increase the minimum wage
    A minimum wage of £8 per hour needs to be enforced for all workers over 16.
    This would be an immediate vote winner amongst youth.

    * Neo-Keynesian policies won’t work;
    Near-zero percent interest rates and “Quantitative Easing” will fail
    Although Brown’s measures have prevented a complete collapse of the banking system, there is little evidence that they will revive the economy, or break the logjam in the housing market.
    Meanwhile they’ve led to big drop in income for pensioners dependent on savings interest and a huge build up in public debt. This will cause growing pressure on public spending and long term inflationary pressures. In the current economic climate, any return to inflation will devastate living standards. Only a government which directly controls investment can stop the recession.
    The best vehicle for achieving that would be a nationalised State Bank.
    *Nationalise the Banks
    The government’s hand outs to bankers haven’t been accompanied by political control of the banks. Instead, New Labour has taken non-voting shares and failed to reorganise their boards.
    This policy has to stop. The remaining banks need to be nationalised and amalgamated.
    Their boards of directors need to be replaced by elected officials, with trade union representation and the power of veto. This will be a vehicle to restart the economy with different priorities to those which have led to the current credit crunch.
    * Affordable, Secure Housing

    As a result of the credit crunch, many young people face a future stuck in the private rented sector. What they need is affordable starter homes, with security of tenure.
    This can only be provided by the re-expansion of the social housing stock.
    Local councils could provide this by taking over the properties they pay private landlord to let out. Many of these landlords took out speculative mortgages during the housing boom and are unable to sustain. Rather than being sold at foreclosure auctions, these homes should become council property.
    * Rebuild Manufacturing;

    The UK economy must be shifted away from its dependence on the failed “Financial Services Sector”. That means quickly rebuilding its manufacturing capacity.
    Using a State Bank the government would need to take action in the following areas.

    (i) The Motor Industry;
    The entire “UK motor industry” needs to be restructured;
    Aside from a few boutique niche producers like Morgan, making retro hand built vehicles, all of it is now owned by foreign multinationals; Ford, Vauxhall, Toyota, Honda, Peugeot, Land Rover and Jaguar are all the UK assembly arms for multinational companies.

    Likewise, most UK bus manufacturers are just coachwork fabricators, putting together parts around engines and transmissions manufactured by Volvo, Daimler etc…

    Their near bankruptcy provides the perfect opportunity for a UK government to introduce legislation on pollution and safety, which will force these disparate private manufacturers into amalgamation. A nationalised motor vehicle industry with a planned emphasis on public transport, safety and low-pollution vehicles is the way forward.
    The unions need to stop colluding with the laying-off of casual workers, which also mean pay cuts for permanent staff. Like their comrades in the French Car-Making unions, who demonstrated last week, they need to join a national movement against redundancies.
    That means stopping acting like company unionists and promoting a national strategy for the rebuilding the motor industry to meet social and environmental needs.
    (ii) Energy and Water
    Privatisation of energy and water companies must be reversed and an integrated energy policy needs to be introduced.
    This should involve affirming national labour agreements and taking decisive measures to achieve C02 emission reduction targets, with 5 year mini-targets up to 2030.
    Decisive action needs to be taken to push through industrial scale schemes for renewable energy production, including new manufacturing facilities for wind turbines, wave generators and HVDC power lines.

    An “intelligent grid” which integrates with renewable energy sources, can help to reduce fossil fuel emissions. But there is no contradiction between such an aim and supporting the revival of UK coal-mining. This would redress the historic injustice committed against mining communities by the Thatcher government.
    The UK coal mining industry should be renationalised under the control of the NUM, with a policy of expanding production to 60 m tonnes per annum. This can be achieved through a policy of import substitution. Any future expansion of UK coal-generated electricity should be predicated on the development of CCS. The use of IGCC power plants would also tie in with moves towards greater use of hydrogen, both to generate electricity and to power fuel cell vehicles.
    Such meaures should make the proposed expansion of nuclear power unecessary.
    (iii) Transportation
    No to the expansion of Heathrow and the third Stansted runway. Re-nationalise the railways and private bus companies.
    Rebuild metropolitan transport authorities with free inner city public transport.
    For a big programme to introduce electric and fuel cell buses.
    * An anti-Imperialist foreign policy.
    Withdraw all occupying British forces from conflicts such as Afghanistan, the North of Ireland and from the NATO alliance. Permanent US air and naval facilities in the UK should be closed down. National Defence would best be achieved through a democratically organised Militia system, with the annual election of officers and no privileged officer caste.
    An independent Defence policy would promote international opposition to all nuclear weapons. The best way to do this would be by offering to completely scrap them in the UK, as part of an international agreement. This would also involve de-commissioning all nuclear plants capable of producing weapons-grade Plutonium.
    *For a republic and the separation of Church and State
    The privileged positions of the Monarchy and Church need to be ended and replaced by a secular Republic. The populations of Scotland and Wales should to be offered referenda on full independence, with the choice of joining a new Federal Republic a preferred option. The North of Ireland should join a 32 county republic and Ireland offered a new federal relationship with England, Scotland and Wales.
    *No to the EU, Yes to a Socialist Europe
    The EU doesn’t represent the interests of the workers of Europe, but the capitalists of its dominant nations.
    Its laws promote the free movement of labour and capital wherever is most profitable.
    A socialist Europe would be free federation of Socialist states.
    Within it, there would be safeguards of the social and cultural gains of the working class in its national components.
    Within that framework, it will be possible to develop genuine internationalism.

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  5. PhilW Avatar
    PhilW

    Prianikoff:

    1) I think your energy programme is utopian. There is no element of energy conservation, which has to be at the core of any carbon-free programme: otherwise, the RE components are just too big. The same goes for carbon sequestration, which has its potential dangers (remember Lake Nyos) AND requires 20-40% more energy than a non-sequestration power station.

    2) There is no getting away from the fact that the economy needs to be smaller. As part of a socialist programme, this reduction does not mean a reduction in living standards, as so much of of the capitalist economy is waste (inlcuding ill health due to stress, pollution, poor diet etc., the military, cleaning up the mess capitalism makes, advertising and sales promotion, competition, packaging, forced excess travel etc.) e need a 20-hour week, not a 35 hour week.

    3) I don’t see anything wrong in including what is now basically an immediate demand, rather than a transitional demand – i.e. that the incomes of individuals from all sources should be capped at £70,000 by instituting a 100% tax above that level. Abolishing the laws of inheritance would help too, as well a confiscation of second homes.

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  6. David Ellis Avatar
    David Ellis

    The sects of all kinds were there, the bureaucrats were there. An unholy alliance indeed. The only thing missing was the people and Gordon Brown has pledged to realise the People Before Profits platform in full according to Sunday’s Independent which is not surprising as it sounds like it was taken from one of his vacuous speeches.

    Prianikoff: what you have put together above is excellent. A great effort to pick your way through and synthesise the rolling debate between opportunism and centrist sectism and produce something properly reasonable and transitional and relevant to the contemporary situation.

    `This should be aimed at winning the labour movement to a fighting policy against the Capitalist Recession.’

    This is a very nice formulation of the problem and a political call for a workers government which acts in its interests in opposition to the New Labour piss take and a potential Tory victory followed by a socialist programme is spot on. Needless to say the section on Europe I find most agreeable as is the section on Neo-Keynsianism.

    The only section I think needs a little beefing up after a preliminary reading is the one on `Legislation to Reduce the Working Week’ but I’ll get back to you on that (something less prescriptive which incorporates feminist and community concerns and the interests of the already unemployed perhaps). Otherwise this is the kind of programme I would happily promote in a movement like Respect for instance with a view to it being carried into the wider movement.

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  7. David Ellis Avatar
    David Ellis

    PhilW: the 20-hour week I would say represents a proper work-life balance. It is thoroughly feminist and child friendly as it is the only length of week that allows for full participation of male and female in the domestic and child-rearing sphere which also means women are not penalised at work for having children while their male colleagues work longer. You could even do away with long-term maternity leave which damages the career prospects of women. It also allows workers to fully participate in politics and the community reducing policing and other state intrusion into working class communities and preventing professional politicians moving in when a movement slows down. It also is the only way that the unemployed can be fully incorporated into the workforce given today’s levels of productivity. I don’t think it requires legislation either. You could do it by reducing PAYE tax on the first twenty hours which retains flexibility when needed for operational reasons and makes it in the interest of industry to uphold the 20=hour week and reduces the tax burden on it which can be spent on increased wages and higher investment in education and training for the new workforce. At the moment though I would put it like `Share the Wealth; Share the Work’ and use the above for propaganda purposes rather than be too prescriptive.

    Sorry for the rambling nature of this comment. That extra lager with lunch was perhaps one too many.

    On the energy question. It is difficult to develop a proper programme on energy until the means of production are ours to shape but certainly something has to be said.

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  8. Derek Wall Avatar
    Derek Wall

    Unsurprisingly I tend to agree with Phil W’s comments…the Jerry Hicks campaign shows that ecosocialist politics can be part of trade union activism.

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  9. David Ellis Avatar
    David Ellis

    Derek: Prianikoff offered some transitional demands regarding energy, PhilW felt they were a bit utopian. Grounds for discussion. I then said I thought we definitely need some transitional demands on this subject but that it would be impossible to come up with a complete programme for energy that can safeguard the environment this side of dispropriating the multi-nationals and monopolies. Nobody said that eco-socialist politics shouldn’t be part of trade union activism in fact they must for the demands to actually be transitional i.e. pose the question of power, but I feel sure you agree that the environment cannot actually be saved as long as the means of production are in the hands of the capitalists.

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  10. Joseph Kisolo Avatar
    Joseph Kisolo

    God your a bunch of miserable bastards! The size of the march is hard to gauge since it was split up so much (my partner who was manning a stall in Hyde park reported that after a small number came in there where then no people for over 40min’s! then another huge load) but I would say up around the 50 thou mark.

    Yes there are loads of contradictions with the bureaucrats and the unions didn’t push the demo as hard as the could but the Unite coach I came down on was full of working class militants most of whom where not regular protest goers. They where lively and enthused and represent the force we are going to have to tap if we are going to build a real resistance to the credit crunch.

    There will be more top down initiatives to come but instead of moaning about the bureaucracy not doing enough we have to use the recognition and legitimacy they bestow to build a radical network from below.

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  11. bill j Avatar
    bill j

    Its pretty clear now why the police bigged this demo up. They want to contrast the peaceful, trade union official demo, withthe unofficial anarcho run demo on Wednesday.
    Hence the arrests in Plymouth of people for having political literature and mock weapons.
    Get ready for a police provocation and serious state violence.

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  12. Liam Avatar
    Liam

    Joseph – trying to accurately assess an event is not the same as being miserable. The event was modestly successful but its parameters were set entirely by union leaderships and Labour Party fellow travellers – precisely the people who are unable to offer a challenge to either the recession or climate change.

    In fact I think it goes some way to proving the points about the need for a mass class struggle party that I made in last week’s post. http://liammacuaid.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/revolutionaries-and-broad-parties/

    There is not an organisation which is seen as a credible pole of attraction for the mood that was expressed by the people on your coach or on the demo. That’s why I get increasingly impatient with organisations that brag that they had a “contingent” of 2,3, 400 on these things precisely because that stupid narrow mindset lets the bureaucracy off the hook. It doesn’t mean a damn thing in the real world outside the arcane world or revolutionary propaganda groups.

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  13. prianikoff Avatar
    prianikoff

    The point is that absolutely *no one* on the platform seemed to be arguing anything close to the right politics.
    (If Eco-Socialism means saying we have to argue for a contraction of the world economy, then OK, I’m a Utopian)

    But I’m not and no union members will support you.

    So the demo was smaller than expected, had a confused message and no distinct socialist politics from the platform.
    This, in response to possibly the biggest economic recession in world history and the long term threat of climate change!

    i.e. The SWP, Respect, SP, CP-B, SocAppeal, PR, WP et al were there to run stalls,flog the paper and build “networks from below”.

    But everyone else was there as footsoldiers for the TU bureaucrats, Charities, Religious groups and some questionable Greens.

    Sorry, but this is no way to operate.

    The Socialist left should be capable of independently organising a much bigger demonstration.
    It just needs to get its act together and mobilise through union branches. It could also have got across a much clearer political message too.

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  14. Flea bite Avatar
    Flea bite

    Unfortunately, I was unable to get on the march as I am working abroad but watchd it from afar .

    Given the depth of the onging global capitalist crisis and the fast slaughter of jobs in Britain especially, then this march deserved to be truly massive.

    Why was it so small?

    Hundreds of thousands marched and protested in Scotland at the G8 a few years ago under the Make Poverty (Capitalism) History banner with a similar broad colaition involved then as are involved now in “Put people first” .

    So what happened?

    Hopefully all the mid week marches and protests will grow in numbers and effectivenes as the G20 meets, as this is a huge opportunity of say that CAPITALISM ISNT WORKING, as THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL CRISIS continues apace and the powers that be havn´t really got a clue other than to “appear” united and stengthen capital by going on the offensive by continuing to bail out the banks, the multi nationals, corporations , the car manufacturers and the filthy rich,continue war and occupation in Iraq,increase imperialist troops to Afghanistan ,sp`read war to Pakistan and possibly Iran, appear to unite Nato,build yet more coal fired power stations,yet more nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants and conitunue to sell and send more arms to Israel.

    Propping up and patching up a wholly rotten, deeply corrupt and unjust,inhumane truly discredited system bent on super exploitation, death and destruction.

    Good luck to all the protests this week, from the anti war / anti imperialist protests to the anti capitalist protests to the anti climate change protests in the City and everywhere to the anti nato / anti war protest in Strasbourg (which really should be massive) and much much more, bar the not so Left leaning Adam Smith institute , which somehow seemed to have mustled in on the act of “protest” according to the dear BBC, by calling capitalism a “deeply moral system” which is simply in need of mild repair.

    You must be kidding!

    The World is waiting and watching……the struggle continues as the crisis deepens

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  15. Will Brown Avatar
    Will Brown

    Several things struck me about the march. The first was that it was the largest turnout by British trade unions that i’ve seen for a long time. Have there been bigger marches by UK trade Unions in the last 15 years? I’d be interested to hear about them – i’ve missed them if they’ve happened.

    The modest size of the march reflects the damage inflicted on the unions in the 80’s and the very limited recovery since. This fits in with the strike figures over the last 15 years.

    I was impressed by significant delegations of trade unionists from France, Germany, Holland, Spain and Italy. I’ve never seen that on a march through London.

    I walked to the front of the march and then walked back along its length. The police certainly deliberately split it into two sections – a quarter of the march – a gap of 40+ minutes – and then the rest. They did this by putting a line of police in front of a an anarchist contingent and the policeman in the middle of the line set the pace as instructed over his headset.

    Maybe the police reckon that if they wildly underestimate march sizes they’ll invite the BBC to start issuing their own estimates – like the last march i went on. Provided people stay within the law and the police retain control of protest they’re probably not too worried about numbers. And they can start lying again if numbers get big.

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