South London

On Saturday South London Solfed's roaming anti-workfare picket targeted businesses on Lewisham High Street exploiting unpaid labour.

Despite autumn choosing Saturday to finally arrive, a determined group took to the streets in support of Boycott Workfare's week of action. Marks & Spencer, Primark and Poundworld were all picketed, as well as Iceland who have reportedly signed up to the new 'Help To Work' scheme, the newest and most punitive version of workfare yet, involving six months' unpaid traineeships. Information leaflets were distributed to the public, including know your rights advice for those facing workfare placements. Despite the rain there were plenty of positive responses.

The Ritzy cinema in Brixton was again closed yesterday, 7 June, as workers called another one day strike as part of their ongoing campaign for the London living wage.  Workers at the Ritzy, who are members of BECTU, have organised well and shown great solidarity, the cinema has had to close every strike day.  The only workers who crossed the picket line yesterday were some painters hired by the Ritzy to do some work for the day, who went in despite being told about the strike.

The Ritzy workers were joined by some of the many local residents who have been very supportive of the strikes, and by Cinema Workers Solidarity,  who have been helping with the campaign.

A North London SF member was down at the picket line for the strike at Ritzy Cinema yesterday over the firm's refusal to pay a living wage to staff. Below is their report:

"I got to the Ritzy at about 8pm. I believe there had been a picket line of some form since 9am in the morning. Even though it was at the end of a long day there was still quite a sizeable presence with others probably joining them after work was over, perhaps around 40-50 people.

"For the last hour the samba band Rhythms of Resistance played, the band and a lot of chanting for the living wage drew quite a bit of attention from people passing by (the Ritzy is in a great place if you want to grab
peoples attention). They even marched up and down Brixton High Street a bit. It was a good atmosphere, a lot of energy, quite festival-like with a young crowd.

This summer, Jason, a young black man from South London, was assaulted by police officers in an unprompted attack. He had been using a public telephone when officers interrupted him and demanded he submit to a Stop and Search. When he refused, arguing the search was unjustified, officers pepper sprayed him, assaulted him and beat him to the ground. After this attack Jason was charged with obstructing a police officer.

In response, Jason and his family and friends called a number of protests outside Walworth Police Station, and Camberwell Magistrates Court, both in south London. Realising that the case of Jason was not an isolated incident, but part of the systemic criminalisation and harassment of black people by the police, these protests developed into the London Campaign Against Police and State Violence (LCAPSV).