right, to get the ball rolling, we do have a problem reconciling a desire to target jeremy hunt in the demo and wanting to have the demo in south east london.
So, may i propose, probably foolishly, that we attempt a week of
action that ends with a big demo…
A week of action allows for targetting Hunt, building within Lewisham, and getting stories into press. Things that could be included are ideas i’ve heard other people say at meetings over the last few weeks:
Start the week with coaches and cars to Jeremy Hunt’s constituency?
Weekday Boycott Barclays event?
Something aimed at simon hughes or bojo? – pretenders to their party thrones who are complicit in the destruction of the NHS. Lewisham KONP tried to doorstep Simon Hughes at a surgery, but it was more difficult than you’d think. For starters, we needed someone who lives in his borough to help out.
Any other ideas people may have? Maybe a fundraiser or gig/dj’s
run by some young people in the borough? Would the other boroughs want to organise a public meeting on a weeknight that we push?
The thing is, I’m well aware this could involve a phenomenal amount of work which I am not able to help with, so it would only work if people actually turn up to Monday’s meeting and take ownership for specific events they want to do/propose. There are lots of people who want to get more involved, and lots more ideas out there than i have listed, i’m sure. We could hand them that chance. And if it’s not possible because of the size of the commitment, I completely understand if this idea is disregarded.
re: multiple start points, I favour a demo that has 1 or 2 start points (Lewisham and/or Greenwich/Woolwich?), because i believe numbers would fall if we confuse the public by providing multiple start points.
admin says:
That sound like a good idea Iain – different groups/people to take charge of different bits – but maybe just 2-3 key events through week? need to build for demo.
Suggest demo called something like Lewisham People’s march or People’s march for our right to healthcare – Lewisham most deprived borough in area. Hands off Our Hospital.
Olivia
Sheila Amrouche says:
I’d like to throw some ideas into the mix. At our last campaign meeting we voted for two proposals: one for a protest on 26th January, and the other to join a coordinated day of action on 16th February, building a demo in S.E. London. Two campaign meetings in Ealing and Hammersmith have since confirmed that they will hold marches locally in a London-wide co-ordinated day of action to save the NHS, on 16th February. I think it is vital that Lewisham is a part of this.
There was consensus that we need a big focus before Jeremy Hunt announces his decision, but also concern that it would be very hard to build for two big demos in close succession. I think that the best way to resolve this is to make the two dates quite different events.
26th January – this should be a protest that sends a clear and unambiguous message to Jeremy Hunt that we will not stand for the closure of Lewisham A&E and cuts to services at Lewisham hospital. People have some brilliant ideas for this, including days of action during the preceding week. I’d like to throw in some suggestions:
• a morning cavalcade of decorated vehicles from Lewisham hospital to other SLHT hospitals, via shopping centres and high streets, with a “battle bus”
• followed by an afternoon rally on Blackheath, with an effigy burning of Jeremy Hunt/Matthew Kershaw, music (Gareth Malone’s Lewisham Hospital choir? A band?) high profile as well as local speakers (e.g. a well known footballer, a media personality, a high profile trade unionist etc) entertainment,etc.
We build this day of action as big as possible, and aim to get thousands of people to it from across South East London. We also use this to build towards 16th February.
16th February – We can organise a big demonstration on 16th February to coincide with the Hammersmith and Ealing etc demos on the same day, for maximum effect. This will send a clear signal that whatever Hunt’s final proposals, we will not stand for the ripping up of health care in the NHS across South East London and beyond.
Publicity – Any publicity should link the two complementary events. Building them in this way will mean that we can have both a strong protest before the decision is announced and a strategy for after the decision, whatever it is.
right, to get the ball rolling, we do have a problem reconciling a desire to target jeremy hunt in the demo and wanting to have the demo in south east london.
So, may i propose, probably foolishly, that we attempt a week of
action that ends with a big demo…
A week of action allows for targetting Hunt, building within Lewisham, and getting stories into press. Things that could be included are ideas i’ve heard other people say at meetings over the last few weeks:
Start the week with coaches and cars to Jeremy Hunt’s constituency?
Weekday Boycott Barclays event?
Something aimed at simon hughes or bojo? – pretenders to their party thrones who are complicit in the destruction of the NHS. Lewisham KONP tried to doorstep Simon Hughes at a surgery, but it was more difficult than you’d think. For starters, we needed someone who lives in his borough to help out.
Any other ideas people may have? Maybe a fundraiser or gig/dj’s
run by some young people in the borough? Would the other boroughs want to organise a public meeting on a weeknight that we push?
The thing is, I’m well aware this could involve a phenomenal amount of work which I am not able to help with, so it would only work if people actually turn up to Monday’s meeting and take ownership for specific events they want to do/propose. There are lots of people who want to get more involved, and lots more ideas out there than i have listed, i’m sure. We could hand them that chance. And if it’s not possible because of the size of the commitment, I completely understand if this idea is disregarded.
re: multiple start points, I favour a demo that has 1 or 2 start points (Lewisham and/or Greenwich/Woolwich?), because i believe numbers would fall if we confuse the public by providing multiple start points.
That sound like a good idea Iain – different groups/people to take charge of different bits – but maybe just 2-3 key events through week? need to build for demo.
Suggest demo called something like Lewisham People’s march or People’s march for our right to healthcare – Lewisham most deprived borough in area. Hands off Our Hospital.
Olivia
I’d like to throw some ideas into the mix. At our last campaign meeting we voted for two proposals: one for a protest on 26th January, and the other to join a coordinated day of action on 16th February, building a demo in S.E. London. Two campaign meetings in Ealing and Hammersmith have since confirmed that they will hold marches locally in a London-wide co-ordinated day of action to save the NHS, on 16th February. I think it is vital that Lewisham is a part of this.
There was consensus that we need a big focus before Jeremy Hunt announces his decision, but also concern that it would be very hard to build for two big demos in close succession. I think that the best way to resolve this is to make the two dates quite different events.
26th January – this should be a protest that sends a clear and unambiguous message to Jeremy Hunt that we will not stand for the closure of Lewisham A&E and cuts to services at Lewisham hospital. People have some brilliant ideas for this, including days of action during the preceding week. I’d like to throw in some suggestions:
• a morning cavalcade of decorated vehicles from Lewisham hospital to other SLHT hospitals, via shopping centres and high streets, with a “battle bus”
• followed by an afternoon rally on Blackheath, with an effigy burning of Jeremy Hunt/Matthew Kershaw, music (Gareth Malone’s Lewisham Hospital choir? A band?) high profile as well as local speakers (e.g. a well known footballer, a media personality, a high profile trade unionist etc) entertainment,etc.
We build this day of action as big as possible, and aim to get thousands of people to it from across South East London. We also use this to build towards 16th February.
16th February – We can organise a big demonstration on 16th February to coincide with the Hammersmith and Ealing etc demos on the same day, for maximum effect. This will send a clear signal that whatever Hunt’s final proposals, we will not stand for the ripping up of health care in the NHS across South East London and beyond.
Publicity – Any publicity should link the two complementary events. Building them in this way will mean that we can have both a strong protest before the decision is announced and a strategy for after the decision, whatever it is.