Philosophy Football: CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AT THE HOPEMAS PARTY!

Philosophy Football's Christmas party on Friday 17 December. Why 'Hopemas'?

The Hopemas Christmas party celebrates the victorious Hope not Hate campaign against the BNP in Barking and is generously supported by the PCS trade union. A superb line-up featuring the briliant poetry of Lemn Sissay. Performing a special version of her hit Edinburgh show 'Afroblighty' (on nationwide tour in 2011) the supremely talented comic Andi Osho. Rap mixed with comedy from Doc Brown opens the night. Mixing ideas with the entertainment contributions from Clive Bloom author of the very topical Violent London : 2000 Years of Riots, Rebels and Revolts, Owen Hatherley author of the recently published book A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, PCS National Executive Member Zita Holbourne, and Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty. Plus filling the dancefloor into the early hours, music from the Melstars sound system

Tickets are just £8.99 and each ticket is a £5 OFF voucher on shirts on the night so combine the evening with your Christmas shopping!

At Philosophy Football's usual party venue The New Red Lion 271 City Road, London EC1V 1LA.

Book either at http://www.philosophyfootball.com/view_item.php?pid=638 or call 020 8802 3499 to book.

London Calling: Dec 9th National demo against tuition fees

Dear fellow campaigners, what a long time a few weeks in politics can feel.

From Millbank to Newsnight, from Carnivals to Cat & Mouse games, ULU has certainly been at the forefront of student activism recently.

At Senate we voted to support peaceful direct actions and occupations and have been heavily involved in the building and organisation of various actions and demos and have called a National demo on Thursday Dec 9^th the day that MP’s will vote in Parliament on the raising of tuition fees.

As you can imagine, it’s been a really busy time so I’m sorry for not replying to all the thousands of requests to speak and/or attend meetings etc.

Six of ULU’s colleges are in occupation and many more actions are planned in the run up to the National Demo. ULU has been really active with all sorts of thing.

Our newly formed London Student Assembly is attracting hundreds of students each Sunday. We submit and pass motions, decide democratically what actions to take next and basically use these assemblies to coordinate our actions to ensure we have maximum unity and strength. The process was a bit painful to start with with the 1^st meeting taking over 3 hours! but we felt it was essential to make sure we are all singing off the same songsheet.

Yesterday we reconfirmed our support for a National Student Assembly sometime in early January. We will let you know more about this closer to the time.

Here’s a few more things that you can get involved in:

1) London Calling: National Demo on the day of the Fees Vote in Parliament.

Here’s a poster for Thursdays demo for you to print off and ut up or handout as flyers. I also have some available at ULU for those of you who don’t have a budget to do at your college.

http://ulucampaigner.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/london-calling-national-demo-against-tuition-fees/

It is imperative that we get as many people to ULU as possible in order to prevent more kettling and containments. If you are organising a meet up point at your campus please then bring it to ULU for 12 NOON.

...and I'm really please that NUS are now promoting this demo.

2) Please volunteer to be a Steward for the demo. Email campaigns@ulu.lon.ac.uk

3) Here also is the link to the Kings College (a ULU college) Petition that has already gathered 900 signatures in two days:http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41174/signatures.html

4) Don’t forget the ULU trip to Berlin for Holocaust Memorial Day. Book your flights and email campaigns@ulu.lon.ac.uk to let me know or call me to ask more details on 07850 177 637. See http://tinyurl.com/uluberlin for more details.

MP's Vote Against Fees Petition

In the coming week, the need to engage with the the wider public, the media and, most
importantly, the British Government, should lie at the very heart of
everything we do.

In this vein, a few of us at KCLSU have put forward a petition. In the
run-up to next week's vote, an intelligent poltical focus will prove
to be one of our greatest assets.

In it, we demand that MPs votes AGAINST the rise in tuition fees.

You can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/voteagainstfees

I would be extremely grateful if you could take the time to read what we have put forward and add your
signature if you agree with our sentiments. If you could also take a
few minutes to spread the word about this, then that would be
fantastic.

It is fair to say that we are sick of being branded lazy, apathetic
trouble-makers. A petition such as this provides a formal and academic
lobbying of our MPs. Our aim is to present this petition to Parliament
on Thursday and we need as many signatures as possible for this to
work. Tell your friends, family, dog - whoever. We need to get this
message out there.

Through this we can show them that we are not the uneducated, naive,
disaffected generation they would so readily have us be.

Thanks,

Natasha

Natasha Wynarczyk,

Editor-in-Chief of Roar,

VP Media and Engagement at KCLSU

Carnival of Resistance 24th Nov 2010 for National Day of Action

Nick Clegg talks to the hand

Daily Mail report and brilliant photos HERE.

The Guardian HERE

We were in the Financial Times, the Metro, on BBC News at 6 & 10pm then also the next day.

On Wednesday, what Nick Clegg intended to be a beautiful publicity stunt turned into a PR disaster when students

managed to grab the media attention. This photo I took inside 70 Whitehall demonstrates, perhaps, how scared the government are at the moment.

12 students from higher education and school students were invited to ‘discuss developing policy on the future of Higher Education Funding’ on the day that the coalition government released their report on education cuts.

He invited me, Clare Solomon, and 11 other education representatives, all of whom have colleges in Lib Dem constituencies, to what I can only describe as a sham consultation.

At 12.30 he released his report into the Brown Review. We were to meet him at 1pm. This gave us no time to download, digest and analyse the content therefore making a mockery of his attempt to pass off the meeting as though he had discussed it thoroughly with us.

Prior to the meeting we decided to write Hands Off Education on the palms of our hands a couple of us wore t-shirts with slogans on them underneath our regular clothes and managed to get past security with them concealed.

When Clegg invited the BBC to do a 3 minute panoramic shot of him looking cosy with students I was able to remove my shirt and tie and expose the message “Remember, Remember, the 3^rd of November: The Coalition Government Plot Blows Up Education’. His minders quickly tried to hide my striking t-shirt by surrounding me but I kept moving and waving my palm in the air.

This set the tone of the meeting, at which all students were very angry with Clegg, his bogus meeting and his defending of the massive cuts to education that he and his party are supporting.

Mr Clegg, along with all his Liberal Democrat colleagues, signed a pledge to vote against any rise in tuition fees. This Wednesday it was confirmed that the Deputy Prime Minister intends to break his promise and vote for fees to be trebled to £9,000 a year, despite having proposed their abolition at the general election and signing a pledge to “vote against any increase in fees.”

We demanded to know why the LibDems broke their manifesto promise of removing fees. Clegg said ‘you may live in a bubble but in the real world we have no alternative; what’s YOUR alternative then?’ he asked!! What a cheek. We told him to stop allowing companies like Vodaphone to dodge taxes, to halt the 55% pay increases for the bosses, to implement a progressive tax system across society, to stop funding war and Trident.

He said ‘that is complete nonsense’!!

When he tried to justify the loans scheme that poorer students will have to take to afford the fees one of the school students asked ‘are you saying that debt is acceptable?’

Elliot from Leeds Uni brought up the fact that Muslim students may not be able to take out loans because of the interest that is associated with the loans so large swathes of people will also not be able to afford the fees.

Elliot also pointed out that since education benefits the whole of society not just the individual who receives it (an educated society is more likely to vote, to have lower infant mortality, is more healthy etc etc) and that, therefore, it should not be the individual that pays. We need to push for progressive taxation across the whole of society so that the rich pay more tax and the poor less. This is the only fair way to fund the best education system.
We told him that we are committed to fighting both the cuts to education and to wider society and also against fees. We told him about the NUS & UCU demo; and we told him we will be hounding the LibDems wherever they go (like the EducCamp students in London have been doing to Vince Cable)

See you on November 10^th. Don’t forget the Big Demo and Breakfast at ULU from 8am, banner & placard making and student press conference at 10.15 all at ULU. Ask your coach to drop you at Mallet St.

Email campaigns@ulu.lon.ac.uk to book your breakfast. We have over 1,200 booked in so far so make sure you let me know asap.

see: http://ulucampaigner.wordpress.com

See more videos on this playlist: http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=5A612FD02298763C

Fees rise to £9k, 100% cut to Arts & H-tell me ur protest details by 1-2pm...

Remember, remember, the 3rd of November. And I'm going to parliament! I've just heard that 20 coaches from Sheffield University are fully booked up for the demo next Wednesday. If this is representative Nov 10th will be the biggest anti-cuts demo yet. The uprising starts here and with the students...send me photos of your protests today so I can tell the government!

Fees to rise to £9k, 100% cut to Arts & Humanities funding and much worse.

This is the beginning of the proverbial nail in the coffin.

We need huge response from students today.

As you may know, I've been invited to Nick Cleggs office today. I need msgs from students and unions by 1-2pm about what your response is.

Hold a flash protest or more at 1pm today, email, twitter, Facebook, leaflet if poss etc to get as many people out on the streets, shout at something, make some visuals, a3 paper makes a simple placard!

Dress up in funeral black. Paint messages on your hands/face/Walls and anything visual.

Send photos/videos to me atc.Solomon@ulu.lon.ac.uk by 1-2pmand/or by text on both 07850177637 and07535629289 so I can inform media at Parliament. Spread the news.

Sent from my iPhone

t 07850 177 637

w www.ulucampaigner.wordpress.com

w www.counterfire.org

BOOK EARLY! Philosophy Football's Christmas 'Hopemas' party

I know, it seems crazy asking you to book up for a Christmas party when October isn't even over but our Christmas party always sell out and with the line up we have for this year's, Friday 17 Dec will be no exception. So do book early to ensure the best seats!  

Why Hopemas?  The brilliant Hope not Hate campaign in Barking and Dagenham which helped secure the defeat of the BNP and their odious leader Nick Griffin was undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2010. Join our Hopemas party to celebrate this victory. 

Our Hopemas party is support of Hope not Hate and generously supported by the PCS trade union. A seasonal night out of ideas and entertainment featuring the superb poetry of  Lemn Sissay . Performing a special version of her hit Edinburgh show 'Afroblighty' (on nationwide tour in 2011) the supremely talented comic Andi Osho. Hackney Empire New Act of the Year 2010 award winners, the hilarious hip comedy improv of Abandoman. And filling the dancefloor into the early hours, music from the Melstars sound system. With contributions from Zaiba Malik author of the August R4 book of the week We are a Muslim,Please,  Nick Lowles, editor of  Searchlight magazine, Owen Hatherley author of the recently published book A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain, PCS National Executive Member Zita Holbourne, and Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty.

At our usual party venue 'Offside' on City Road in Islington, completely refurbished and renamed the 'New Red Lion'. Tickets with or without supper.  And combine the night with your Philosophy Football Christmas shopping - your ticket is a £5 discount on shirts bought on the night!

Book either at http://www.philosophyfootball.com/view_item.php?pid=638  or call me on 020 8802 3499 to book.

But don't delay. Our Christmas parties ALWAYS sell out!

Mark

Education on Trial at ULU. Tickets now on sale

Another fantastic line up of discussion, poetry, video and totally Sh!t Theatre are lined up for your debating pleasure.

Set a week before the NUS, UCU & UNISON national demonstration 'Education Cuts: Fund Our Future' this event hopes to build for the demo and beyond. With LSE now announcing they are looking into privatisation these discussions are more than ever important.

Click on the images for provisional lineup and agenda. Feel free to print off and put up round your campuses and workplaces.

Buy your advance tickets HERE before they sell out. And bring slogans to paint on your very own banner at Sky Yarlett's Banner and Placard Making Session :-)

Email, facebook and twitter away this post and feel free to invite anyone you like...

Tony Benn headlines our ReThink Education conference and campaigns launch

You are cordially invited to ULU’s first major event of the year.

As cuts will be hitting us all we need to be thinking about what education is for, how it should be funded, how we prevent cuts and what an ideal education system would look like.

Practical workshops on banner and placard making, video virals and Media communications will give us the tools needed to get our message out there as strong as possible.

But to do all this we need you guys with new ideas. Please bring as many people as you can to prepare yourselves for the year ahead.

TONY BENN is the keynote speaker! And NUS President Aaron Porter will give us an update on the Road to the National Demo.

During the day Vic Langer from the NUS is coordinating a Make Your Own Banner and/or Placard workshop all day long so just bring along some slogans, union logos etc and we’ll provide the rest.

Followed by fab Vintage Party theme: Weimar Republic. Clothes, hair & makeup will be available to dress up in on the night : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=155020487848660

SHAPPI KHORSANDI JOINS TUC NIGHT OUT FOR DECENT WORK

Half-price ticket offer for students! By phone only 020 8802 3499.

Across the world this Thursday, 7 October, will be marked by Trade Unions as 'World Day for Decent Work' (see http://www.wddw.org) The campaign's core message is for an economics that put speople first couldn't be more timely with the Con-Dem government onslaught on jobs and working conditions.

For the second year running the TUC is working with Philosophy Football on their Stand Up Decent Work event. A night of ideas and entertainment will mix TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber opening the night with the superb comedy of Shappi Khorsandi closing it. Contributions include the performance poetry of Luke Wright, Kat Banyard author of 'The Equality Illusion' and the soulful sounds of East European brass from marching band Fanfara. And adding an international dimension, from Bangladesh ZM Kamrul Anam, leader of the country's textile workers trade union who with their recent strike are at the cutting edge of the global campaign against sweatshop labour.

Thursday 7 October at TUC Congress Centre, 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1. Starts 7pm, Advance booking essential from www.philosophyfootball.com or call 020 8802 3499

Image >

LEADING ARTISTS SAY NO TO BLAIR'S TATE MODERN PARTY

LEADING ARTISTS SAY NO TO BLAIR'S TATE MODERN PARTY

Tracey Emin, Vivienne Westwood, Brian Eno and Katharine Hamnet are among the many artists and designers who are objecting to the Tate Modern art gallery hosting a party on Wednesday 8 September at which Tony Blair will be celebrating the publication of his memoir, A Journey.

Stop the War's demonstration outside the gallery from 5.30, calling for no war criminals at the Tate Modern, will be joined by artists and other public figures.

Art "happenings" and other events are planned for the protest, including the appearance of a pack (substitute your own collective noun) of Tony Blairs.

If you are joining the protest, feel free to bring your own imaginative expressions of outrage at one of Britain's foremost art galleries hosting a party for someone who should be indicted for the illegal war in Iraq that has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians.

NO WAR CRIMINALS AT TATE MODERN
PROTEST FROM 5.30PM WEDNESDAY 8 SEPTEMBER
Tate Modern Gallery, Park Street,
Bankside, London SE1 9TG.
Nearest tube Mansion House

Sent from my iPhone

Coalition of Resistance Update 25 August

Coalition of Resistance Against Cuts & Privatisation | Newsletter 2 | August 26 Coalition of Resistance against Cuts & Privatisation "Resistance is the secret of Joy!" Alice Walker. Coalition of Resistance supporters meeting: Thursday September 2, 6.30pm University of London Union Malet Street London WC1E 7HY (Map) Signatories this week include the Ryde and East Wight Trades Council, UCU National Executive member Caroline Gray, campaigner and journalist George Monbiot, Clive Searle, National Secretary of Respect, Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the FBU, writer, activist and cricket lover Mike Marqusee, Alex Kenny National Executive of the NUT, the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Sally Ingrey UCU anti-casualisation rep at City and Islington college, musician Katy Marchant, actor Celia Mitchell, artists Peter Kennard and Cat Phillipps (Thanks for above image)and many others. At their meeting this week The Haringey Alliance for Public Services agreed, after hearing from Paul Mackney, to support the Coalition and send delegates to the conference . COR will be supporting and sending speakers to a number of important anti-cuts meetings in Gateshead, Bath, Northampton and Leeds. Website Following our appeal for web help we have have had many offers of support A new website is under construction and will be live by Friday. It will compile news and information about the cuts and the opposition from around the country. http://coalitionofresistance.org.uk Thanks both to Mark Thomas and Mark Steel who have agreed to link their own websites to ours. Thanks also to Mike and Rebecca for their design ideas (see image left). A number of artists, musicians, filmmakers and actors have initiated projects to support the work of the Coalition. What you can do to help Keep circulating the statement to get more support and send in new signatures - the bigger our network the stronger the resistance. Some groups have been doing street stalls to spread the word. If there is no existing anti-cuts group in your area to join then please set one up. We will put you in touch with others and help with speakers Pass resolutions in your union, anti cuts campaign, trades council, tenants group, backing the statement and supporting the conference. Send us reports of cuts and local campaigns. Donate to the coalition. Please make cheques out to Coalition of Resistance and send to 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX. ( thanks to the Green Left for their £100 donation towards the conference costs ) Coalition Conference Saturday Nov 27 10 am - 5pm Camden Centre, London WC1H 9JE (Map) Download the CoR statement Leaflet for the London meeting. Registration forms for the conference will be available at next weeks meeting. Contact details Email: coalitionofresistance@mail.com Phone: Andrew on 07939 242229 Website: http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk Unsubscribe revolution@soas.ac.uk from this list | Forward to a friend | Update your profile Coalition of Resistance - you are receiving this email because you added your name to the coalition of Resistance statement or signed up to our mailing list Our mailing address is: Coalition of Resistance Coalition of Resistance, c/o Housman's Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road London, London N1 9DX Add us to your address book Copyright (C) 2010 Coalition of Resistance All rights reserved.

Protest at Tony Blair's book signing 8 September 2010

FORWARD TO ANYONE IN THE U.K.

 
JOIN US AT:
 
TONY BLAIR'S BOOK-SIGNING
ON WEDNESDAY, 8TH SEPTEMBER 2010
AT WATERSTONES PICADILLY
203-206 PICADILLY
LONDON W1V 9LE
AT 12 MIDDAY

Join us to demonstrate against Tony Blair's book-signing and bring banners and something which will make a lot of noise!
 
Not known for his generosity, Blair has stated he will donate the proceeds of his book to charity, ironically to a charity where most of the victim's injuries were caused by his decision and the direct result of his lies!  This is only a PR stunt and comes from fear of the mounting criticism and hatred from the British Public and media. We know this man will not do anything unless there is something in it for himself.  Does he think a few million is going to make up for the devastation he has caused to millions of people, taking us into an unnecessary war in Iraq with lies, just so he can personally benefit?
 
Before the war, he was not only broke, but in debt, but he has amassed a personal fortune worth conservatively, £45 million, (US$72 million), the true figure is not know, as he has it  hidden in a maze of secret companies, as any corrupt person would do!
 
This very clever and malevolent man persuaded and intimidated his own government for his own ends to invade Iraq, without any justification and based, now we know on lies, resulting in the deaths of our soldiers and over a million Iraqis, many of them innocent children. How do you make up for the total devastation of a country and the ever-lasting grief of millions of people,  with a few measly pounds from such an extremely wealthy person? A so-called Catholic convert, even a billion "Hail Mary's" will not give him absolution from this sin!
 
A pariah in his own country, but a hero in America?  But Blair's continuing involvement in Libya and friendship with Gaddafi is a slap in the face for all the American Lockerbie victims and their families, including the other atrocities Gaddafi has been involved in. Americans are now looking again at this man they think is such a hero. Making a fortune is not a crime, but the way you do it, can be.
 
His actions have proved that this ex-Labour Prime Minister is an amoral, self-serving and arrogant man who will go anywhere and do anything to increase his wealth, regardless of ethics or integrity and totally ignoring the suffering to others.  How can Blair continue to profit from this blood money, when many believe he should be tried as a war criminal? His actions brought terrorism to our shores and has divided its citizens.
 
It is also obscene that we, the taxpayer are still paying for his personal security and for security on all his many homes, even when he is not there.  This is totally unacceptable in such a recession, when many are suffering and he has more than enough money to protect himself and his family.  He has betrayed this country and its people and we do not owe him anything. Please contact your MP and demand that this protection from the Public purse stops now!
 
We would ask you to stop buying from Waterstones, who are also making a profit from this blood money. There are many other bookstores just as good. Foyles, WH Smith, Blackwells, Stanfords,
Grant & Cutler, Travel Book Store and many others.
 
Join us on 8th September to show your opposition to Blair!
 
FORWARD TO ALL IN THE U.K.
...........................................................................................................................................

--

Clare Solomon

University of London Union President

020 7664 2001

http://ulucampaigner.wordpress.com

Israeli army's female recruits denounce treatment of Palestinians

Facebook images of an Israeli servicewoman posing with blindfolded Palestinians have caused a storm. Now two former female conscripts have spoken out about their own experiences

Harriet Sherwood

The Observer, Sunday 22 August 2010

It was a single word scrawled on a wall at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that unlocked something deep inside Inbar Michelzon, two years after she had completed compulsory military service in the Israeli Defence Force.

The word was "occupation". "I really felt like someone was speaking the unspoken," she recalled last week in a Tel Aviv cafe. "It was really shocking to me. There was graffiti saying, 'end the occupation'. And I felt like, OK, now I can talk about what I saw."

Michelzon became one of a handful of former Israeli servicewomen who have spoken out about their military experiences, a move that has brought accusations of betrayal and disloyalty. It is impossible to know how representative their testimonies are, but they provide an alternative picture of the "most moral army in the world", as the IDF describes itself.

Concerns about Israeli army culture were raised last week following the publication on Facebook of photographs of a servicewoman posing alongside blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinians. The images were reminiscent of the Abu Ghraib scandal in Iraq. But the former soldier, Eden Abergil, said she didn't understand what was wrong with the pictures, which were described by the IDF as "ugly and callous".

Israel is unique in enlisting women at the age of 18 into two years of compulsory military service. The experience can be brutalising for the 10% who serve in the occupied territories, as Michelzon did.

"I left the army with a ticking bomb in my belly," she said. "I felt I saw the backyard of Israel. I saw something that people don't speak about. It's almost like I know a dirty secret of a nation and I need to speak out."

Michelzon, now 29, began her military service in September 2000, just when the second intifada was breaking out. "I joined the army with a very idealistic point of view – I really wanted to serve my country." She was posted to Erez, the crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, to work in the radio control room.

"There was a lot of tension, a lot of shootings and suicide bombings," she said. "Little by little you understand the rules of the game. You need to make it hard for the Arabs – that's the main rule – because they are the enemy."

She cited a routine example of a Palestinian woman waiting at the crossing. Michelzon called her officer, asking permission to allow the woman through. She was told to make such a request once the woman had been kept waiting for hours. "I felt very alone in the army. I couldn't talk about the things I felt were misplaced," she said. "I didn't have strong views but I felt uncomfortable about the talk, about soldiers hitting Arabs and laughing. I thought everyone else was normal and I was the one who wasn't. I felt an outsider to the group experience."

At the end of her service, in June 2002, Michelzon said she felt the need to escape and took off to India. "I went through a breakdown little by little," she said. It was only when she returned to enrol in university, and two years of therapy, that she began to consider her "duty" to speak out. She also came across Breaking the Silence, an organisation of army veterans who publish testimonies from former soldiers on life in the occupied territories to stimulate debate about the "moral price" of the occupation.

Michelzon gave evidence to the group and two years ago appeared in a documentary, To See If I'm Smiling, about the experiences of young women in the army. The film, she said, was criticised by all sides. The left focused on "the bad things we did and not on the fact that we wanted to start a discussion. We wanted to put up a mirror and tell Israeli society to look itself in the eyes.

"From the right, the reaction was, why are you doing this to your own people? Do you hate your country? But I did it because I love my country. We had to fight to say we want to talk about the political situation."

The psychological impact of military service on women is undeniable, according to the testimonies of Michelzon and others, particularly those who serve in the occupied territories. "If you want to survive as a woman in the army, you have to be manly," she said. "There is no room for feeling. It's like a competition to see who can be tougher. A lot of the time girls are trying to be more aggressive than the guys."

Her experience is echoed by that of Dana Golan, who served in the West Bank city of Hebron in 2001-02 as one of about 25 women among 300 male soldiers. Like Michelzon, Golan only spoke out after finishing her service. "If I had raised my anxieties, it would have been seen as a weakness," she said.

Golan, now 27, said the "most shaky moment" of her military service came during a search for weapons in a Palestinian home. The family were awoken at 2am by soldiers who "turned their whole house inside out". No weapons were found. The small children of the house were terrified, she recalled. "I thought, what would I feel if I was this four-year-old kid? How would I grow up? At that moment it occurred to me that sometimes we're doing things that just create victims. To be a good occupier, we have to create conflict."

On a separate occasion she witnessed soldiers stealing from a Palestinian electronics shop. She tried to report it, only to be told "there were things I shouldn't interfere with".

She said that she also saw elderly Palestinians being humiliated on the streets, "and I thought these could be my parents or grandparents".

Israel is discomfited by these testimonies, she said, partly because of the universality of military service. "We grew up believing the IDF is the most moral army in the world. Everyone knows people serving in the army. Now when I say we are doing immoral things, I am talking about your sister or your daughter. People do not want to hear."

The IDF is proud that 90% of its roles are open equally to men and women. "Serving in a combat unit where you have daily contact with people who might do you harm is not easy – you have to be tough," said Captain Arye Shalicar, an army spokesman. "It's not only a female thing, it's the same for everyone. In the end, a combat unit is a combat unit. Sometimes things happen, not every deed is 100% correct or fair." The army, he said, has procedures for reporting misdeeds which soldiers are encouraged to follow.

Both Michelzon and Golan have no regrets about speaking out. "For two years I saw people suffering and I didn't do anything – and that's really scary," said Michelzon. "At the end, it felt like the army betrayed me – they used me, I couldn't recognise myself. What we call protecting our country is destroying lives."

Counterfire Magazine

Open publication - Free publishing

The time to organise resistance is now: sign up HERE

The time to organise resistance is now

We reject these cuts as simply malicious ideological vandalism, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. Join us in the fight

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• • Tony Benn and 73 others
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 August 2010 15.32 BST
  • Article history

It is time to organise a broad movement of active resistance to the Con-Dem government's budget intentions. They plan the most savage spending cuts since the 1930s, which will wreck the lives of millions by devastating our jobs, pay, pensions, NHS, education, transport, postal and other services.

The government claims the cuts are unavoidable because the welfare state has been too generous. This is nonsense. Ordinary people are being forced to pay for the bankers' profligacy.

The £11bn welfare cuts, rise in VAT to 20%, and 25% reductions across government departments target the most vulnerable – disabled people, single parents, those on housing benefit, black and other ethnic minority communities, students, migrant workers, LGBT people and pensioners.

Women are expected to bear 75% of the burden. The poorest will be hit six times harder than the richest. Internal Treasury documents estimate 1.3 million job losses in public and private sectors.

We reject this malicious vandalism and resolve to campaign for a radical alternative, with the level of determination shown by trade unionists and social movements in Greece and other European countries.

This government of millionaires says "we're all in it together" and "there is no alternative". But, for the wealthy, corporation tax is being cut, the bank levy is a pittance, and top salaries and bonuses have already been restored to pre-crash levels.

An alternative budget would place the banks under democratic control, and raise revenue by increasing tax for the rich, plugging tax loopholes, withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, abolishing the nuclear "deterrent" by cancelling the Trident replacement.

An alternative strategy could use these resources to: support welfare; develop homes, schools, and hospitals; and foster a green approach to public spending – investing in renewable energy and public transport, thereby creating a million jobs.

We commit ourselves to:

• Oppose cuts and privatisation in our workplaces, community and welfare services.

• Fight rising unemployment and support organisations of unemployed people.

• Develop and support an alternative programme for economic and social recovery.

• Oppose all proposals to "solve" the crisis through racism and other forms of scapegoating.

• Liaise closely with similar opposition movements in other countries.

• Organise information, meetings, conferences, marches and demonstrations.

• Support the development of a national co-ordinating coalition of resistance.

We urge those who support this statement to attend the Organising Conference on 27 November 2010 (10am-5pm), at Camden Centre, Town Hall, London, WC1H 9JE.

Signed:

Tony Benn

Caroline Lucas MP

John McDonnell MP

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Mark Serwotka - General Secretary PCS

Bob Crow - General Secretary RMT

Jeremy Dear - General Secretary NUJ

Michelle Stanistreet - Deputy General Secretary, NUJ

Frank Cooper, President of the National Pensioners Convention

Dot Gibson, General Secretary of the National Pensioners Convention

Ken Loach

John Pilger

John Hendy QC

Mark Steel

Kevin Courtney - Deputy General Secretary NUT

Cllr Salma Yaqoob

Lee Jasper - Joint Coordnator Black Activists Rise Against Cuts [BARAC]

Zita Holbourne - Joint Coordinator of BARAC campaign & PCS National Executive

Ashok Kumar - VP Education & Welfare LSE Student Union (SU)

Hilary Wainwright - Red Pepper

Francis Beckett - Author

David Weaver Chair of the 1990 Trust

Viv Ahmun Director Equanomics UK

Paul Mackney - former General Secretary NATFHE/UCU

Clare Solomon - President University of London Union (ULU)

Lindsey German - Convenor, Stop the War Coalition (personal capacity)

Andrew Burgin - Archivist

John Rees - Counterfire

Romayne Phoenix - Green Party

Joseph Healy - Secretary Green Left

Fred Leplat - Islington Unison

Jane Shallice

Neil Faulkner - Archaeologist and Historian

Alf Filer - Socialist Resistance

Chris Nineham

James Meadway - economist

Cherry Sewell - UCU

Alan Thornett - Socialist Resistance

Peter Hallward - Professor of Modern European Philosophy

Matteo Mandarini - Historical Materialism Editorial Board

John Nicholson - Secretary Convention of the Left

Michael Chessum - UCL SU Education & Campaigns Officer

Mark Curtis - Writer

Nick Broomfield

Sean Rillo Raczka - Chair, Birkbeck College Students' Union, NUS NEC

Robyn Minogue - UoArts NUS Officer

Prince Johnson - President Institute of Education SU

Roy Bailey - Fuse Records

Doug Nicholls

Granville Williams

Gary Herman - (CPBF National Council member, in personal capacity)

Louis Hartnoll - President UoArts SU

Sarah Ruiz - former RESPECT Councillor and Community Activist in Newham

Michael Gavan

Mary Pearson - National Union of Teachers, Vice President Birmingham Trades Union Council

Joe Glenholmes - Unison, Life Member Birmingham Trades Union Council Baljeet Ghale - NUT Past President

Jane Holgate - Chair of Hackney Unite and Secretary of Hackney TUC

Marshajane Thompson - Labour Representation Committee NC

Richard Kuper

Chris Baugh, PCS Assistant General Secretary

Trevor Phillips - Campaigner

Stathis Kouvelakis, UCU, King's College London

Carole Regan

Bernard Regan

Roger Kline

Hugh Kerr, former MEP

Nina Power Senior lecturer in Philosophy, Roehampton University

Norman Jemmison, NATFHE Past President, NPC

Kitty Fitzgerald, Poet and Novelist

Iain Banks. Author

Arthur Smith, Comedian

David Landau

Anne Orwin Actor

To sign the statement email: coalitionofresistance@gmail.com