Update #87

Hello everyone,
Welcome to this week's update from Derby Socialist Workers Party.

In this week's update:

• Next branch meeting - Fortress Europe: refugees, racism and the state
• Emergency protest against forced school academisation called by Derby NUT this Wednesday!
• Report back from National Demonstration - Stand Up To Racism & Fascism, refugees welcome here #M19
• People's Assembly National Demonstration April 16th - get the coach and join in!
• Marxism 2016 - have you got your tickets yet? Discount on tickets until end of March!

Branch Meetings

The SWP is a party of activists who know that we need to understand the world to be effective in our actions. Our meetings have a discussion about key issues: economic, political, historical and cultural; as well as planning for events and activities.

Last week's branch meeting was really brilliant - lively and with a great discussion. This week's topic follows naturally from Saturday's #M19 Refugees Welcome Here demonstration. Fortress Europe: refugees, racism and the state Racism from the far right is a reaction to racism at a structural level. How and why do the capitalist classes of the EU create and reinforce racism? Join us for a lively discussion on Thursday 24th March, 7 pm at the West End Community Centre on Mackworth Road (next to Britannia Mill).

All welcome. See you there!

Emergency Demonstration against forced academisation - Wednesday 23rd March 5 pm outside the Council House

On Wednesday the Tories announced, alongside its swingeing attacks on the disabled and improved benefits for millionaires, its education white paper which will force all schools in the country into becoming academies - effectively private companies which will make profit out of our children's education.

Derby NUT has called an emergency demonstration this Wednesday night at 5 pm outside the council house.

Academies are undemocratic, bad for students and bad for teachers. Join the demonstration and make some noise!

Facebook page for the demonstration: click here!

20,000 people say: Refugees Are Welcome Here!

Saturday's national Stand Up To Racism demonstration was a huge success! Read the report here!

People's Assembly Against Austerity - National Demonstration 16th April

In the wake of Osborne's budget and with the Tories tearing themselves apart, now is the time to ramp up the pressure and bring them down! Join the national demonstration organised by the People's Assembly on 16th April.

There is transport going down - book your ticket here!

Marxism Festival 2016

The first peek at this year's Marxism Festival is out now.

Marxism festival is the biggest event of its kind in Europe - thousands of people attending a five day festival of ideas, with meetings on a vast range of subjects and loads of activities.

It is a fantastic event and anyone who wants to change the world should get down to it!

There's £5 off ticket prices if you book before the end of March. For more details see the official website here: http://www.marxismfestival.org.uk/

If you want to go but are worried that you will not be able to afford it please get in touch. 

We will do everything we can to help you to attend this fantastic event. email derbyswp@gmail.com or find us on Facebook, Derby SWP or on Twitter @derbywsp



Can't make our meetings?
If you want to find out more about us, meet some of our comrades, sign up to any of our petitions, find out about campaigns we are involved in, buy our paper or get hold of some of our other literature, why not come along to the campaign stall on Saturdays?

Find us on St Peter's St from 12 pm!

Fantastic #M19 Stand Up To Racism Demonstration - 20,000 on the streets!

Several SWP comrades from Derby were on the huge, lively and positive Stand Up To Racism demonstration on Saturday 19th March.


This is the third annual celebration of multiculturalism and diversity, held to celebrate UN Anti-Racism Day.

The demonstration had the messages:

• No to Islamophobia and anti-Semitism
• No to racism
• REFUGEES WELCOME HERE!

About 20,000 people took to the streets!

This was the biggest demonstration yet, and there were plenty of delegations from trades unions too - it shows that there is a real strength of feeling to resist the attempts by the ruling class in government, the media and the bosses to create hate and fear of migrants and to try to make some of the most vulnerable people take the blame for the mess they have created.

Nazi organisation Britain First held a racist demonstration of its own. A couple of dozen fascists stood behind a heavy police cordon holding racist placards. Many protesters replied by singing songs or chanting anti-racist slogans: "Say it loud, say it clear - refugees are welcome here!" echoed down Regent Street, accompanied by some fantastic drummers and choirs.

In Trafalgar Square were some fantastic speakers, including Diane Abbott, Michael Rosen, Jeremy Hardy and Maz Saleem among many others (you can see the full list on the Stand Up To Racism website here)

Derby SWP is fully supportive of the Stand Up To Racism group and yesterday's demonstration enthused and energised its members. We will do all we can to help it grow by helping to build the largest possible alliance of people and organisations in the city opposed to racism and fascism, and we want to help to make future activities even more successful than the events we have already seen.

Update #86

Hello everyone,
Welcome to this week's update from Derby Socialist Workers Party.

In this week's update:

• Next branch meeting - is Sanders the new Corbyn? Guest speaker Dave Hayes confirmed!
• Stand Up To Racism stall on Saturday
• National Demonstration - Stand Up To Racism & Fascism, refugees welcome here #M19
• Marxism 2016 - have you got your tickets yet? Discount on tickets until end of March!

Branch Meetings

The SWP is a party of activists who know that we need to understand the world to be effective in our actions. Our meetings have a discussion about key issues: economic, political, historical and cultural; as well as planning for events and activities.

This week we have no branch meeting but next Thursday, 17th March, should be exceptionally good: is Bernie Sanders America's Jeremy Corbyn? With so much media attention focused on the ongoing atrocity exhibition that is Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders' spectacular electoral performance is increasingly marginalised. But what do his significant victories so far and on Super Tuesday mean for progressive politics in the USA? And meanwhile, what is happening to the Corbyn team in its supporters in the UK? Join us for a lively discussion on Thursday 17th March, 7 pm at the West End Community Centre on Mackworth Road (next to Britannia Mill).

All welcome. See you there!

Stand Up To Racism stall

After last week's successful rally for Derby's fledgling Stand Up To Racism campaign, the group are holding a stall to promote the group and the upcoming national #M19 Stand Up To Racism demonstration.

There will be a stall on St Peter's St from 11 am to 1 pm. Socialists should do whatever they can to make this stall as big as possible. Spread the word, and come down to help out!

All Out for #M19!Over the last two years the annual Stand Up To Racism demonstration in London on the UN's Anti-Racism Day has become a bigger and bigger event.

It is a celebration of our diversity and a powerful riposte to the forces within the ruling class that seek to divide us and promote racism, and the vultures of the far right that feed off its leftovers.

A big turnout from Derby will help to build a strong anti-racist campaign in the city. Come on the demonstration if you can - spread the word and make sure people know how to get a seat on the coach!

Marxism Festival 2016

The first peek at this year's Marxism Festival is out now.

Marxism festival is the biggest event of its kind in Europe - thousands of people attending a five day festival of ideas, with meetings on a vast range of subjects and loads of activities.

It is a fantastic event and anyone who wants to change the world should get down to it!

There's £5 off ticket prices if you book before the end of March. For more details see the official website here: http://www.marxismfestival.org.uk/

If you want to go but are worried that you will not be able to afford it please get in touch. 

We will do everything we can to help you to attend this fantastic event. email derbyswp@gmail.com or find us on Facebook, Derby SWP or on Twitter @derbywsp



Can't make our meetings?
If you want to find out more about us, meet some of our comrades, sign up to any of our petitions, find out about campaigns we are involved in, buy our paper or get hold of some of our other literature, why not come along to the campaign stall on Saturdays?

Find us on St Peter's St from 12 pm!