After the scenes at Trafalgar Square on Saturday night, more actions against the legacy of Margaret Thatcher are being prepared in Southampton.
Looking down on the crowd. Credit: The featured image was borrowed from http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2013/04/508510.html
Thousands flocked to London despite the bad weather. In attendance were veterans of the miners’ struggle, who cheered as they carried the banner of the North East miners’ union down the steps behind Nelson’s column.
Some who came had lived during Thatcher’s premiership and were negatively affected by her policies. Also in attendance were students, socialists and activists opposing the coalition’s austerity and privatization programme.
The protest was marked by music, the placard ‘There IS such a thing as society,’ and a huge Thatcher puppet sneering over the crowd.
Whilst many pay public tribute to Thatcher, others are angry at her portrayal as a ‘great leader,’ seeing it as an attempt to whitewash a politician with a brutal record.
On Thursday 18th April, there will be a public meeting held entitled ‘Thatcherism is Alive and Kicking’, at 7.30pm, Avenue Campus, to raise awareness of how the coalition government’s policies are continuing Thatcher’s legacy.
Speakers include Keith Morrell, anti-cuts councillor for Coxford ward and Sue Atkins, veteran of the Southampton support group for striking miners in the 1980s.
Don’t forget the REAL cause of strikes
People need to get the fuck over this Thatcher complex.
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Why don’t these people engage with politics today if they care so much? Oh right, because making a pantomime villain out of a dead woman requires less intelligence than actually trying to understand and solve the issues of the current day.
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Since when did a public meeting on Thatcher’s legacy constitute anti-Thatcher protests as you put it on your Twitter feed?
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Tom,
There’s a protest on the high street in town at 4.30pm on Wednesday, which I stupidly forgot to include in the article as I was writing it, despite it being an obvious point, so it’s an error on my part and not one by Soton Tab.
Regards,
Meg
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I empathise without condoning this, to me it seems hateful, but if I outlive Cameron, Obsorne, Duncan-Smith et al, I will find it hard to be as diplomatic having witnessed their brutally elitist and callous changes to the welfare system in recent weeks. Though I do feel as though the current hate against a woman who has long been out of power could be re-directed towards these recent changes, which would be far more constructive.
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Hello Crimson Necklace, I hope you are sparkling brightly today.
What you say is so true.
I don’t agree though that there’s a clear distinction between people expressing hatred for past policies implemented towards Thatcher and people building solidarity against the cruelty of changes to the welfare system. Cameron’s cabinet was on the minds of everyone in Trafalgar square.
There were people of many different ages, interests and points of view. It was so much more than simply “people hating on Maggie,” making some of the commenters who’ve painted the event as a pantomine for idiots who like stereotyping guilty of their own charge.
In discussions on how best to respond to Thatcher’s death in Southampton, we’ve been focusing on highlighting cuts, privatization and welfare reform. We’re trying our best to be constructive.
(Visceral reactions to a political death in an age of complacency may not be as counterproductive as you suspect?)
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That’s very good to hear, I’m happy to be wrong on this, I really hope there are more things like the IDS petition to shake up politicians before we can vote out the Condemns in 2015 (though this isn’t me endorsing labour!). In terms of your final point, I just find it hard to find any reason to celebrate the death of anyone. Kevin Mcguire got it spot on for me: “Condolences to two children who have lost a mother but I shed no crocodile tears for Thatcherism”.
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*implemented BY Thatcher, not towards, stupid morning brain.
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