REEL NEWS NIGHT
France in Revolt; Education Strikes
Wednesday January 30th, 7:30pm
Effra Social, 89 Effra Road, SW2 1DF
Our regular bimonthly night in Brixton, with films and discussion on current struggles – and what an exciting start to the year we’ve got.
1) France: Yellow vests – the new anti-austerity movement?
Mainstream media here have been quick to accept President Macron’s portrayal of the yellow vests as a violent, far-right movement against action on climate change. Reel News went to Paris and found the opposite is true; a movement rapidly shifting to the left, with demands for reducing the inequality between rich and poor, defending public services, real solutions to climate change and more decision making for the people rather than politicians. We also found an enormous student movement, completely ignored in the media here and being led for the first time in France’s history by working-class students from the banlieues. Films from Act IV and V in Paris, plus an incredible school student strike; plus photo slideshow from Act X.
2) Education: Strikes against privatisation
Short films and speakers from the brilliant staff and parents campaign at John Roan School in Greenwich against forced academisation. Strikes have already won a significant first victory by seeing off academy sponsors UST just before Xmas; come and talk about how we can build support for the next phase of action and increase the struggle against academies and privatisation generally.
PLUS Latest news and footage from the huge teachers strike in Los Angeles against charter schools, their version of academies. 33,000 teachers are out on strike, with demos of 50,000 daily. The power and militancy of the strike, fully supported by parents, has already forced the school board back to the negotiating table – but significantly the teachers are continuing strike action during negotiations.
Drinks, chat and music in our usual informal atmosphere – and as always, FREE!