Yearly Archives: 2024

New Popular Front gains support from French health activists

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Original article by Peoples Health Dispatch republished from peoples dispatch under a CC licence.

French health activists stage a protest.

Social movements and trade unions in France are rallying behind the New Popular Front, which promises a genuine alternative to the far-right and liberal health policies

Trade unions and activists warn that a National Rally victory would spell disaster for public healthcare in France. If the far-right wins the upcoming election, as polls currently predict, changes would come at the expense of sexual and reproductive health services and migrant health, among other things.

Marine Le Pen’s party recently dominated the European Parliament elections, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to call for a snap election, hoping to mobilize voters against the far-right. According to analysts, Macron gambled that the people of France would go to great lengths to keep the National Rally out of power, perhaps even reaffirming his mandate.

However, Macron’s policies, including privatization and commodification of health services, have fueled the far-right’s growth. His administration has caused closures of local hospitals, creating health deserts, and continues to push for more privatization, causing patient suffering. Despite the failures of this approach, liberals continue to pursue the same strategy in the current campaign, advocating for a more profit-driven logic in healthcare. The Trade Union of Health Centers’ Physicians (USMCS) stated: “We are experiencing the consequences of this policy on a daily basis. Patients suffer. We want no more of it.”

The far-right is expected to continue liberalizing the sector while introducing intolerance and xenophobia by prioritizing French citizens and marginalizing other residents. “If implemented, the [far-right policies] will pose a major risk to public health, not only for these ‘excluded’ individuals but also for the population as a whole,” USMCS warned.

“Abandoning the values of solidarity and universalism that underpin our healthcare system, a right-wing program will worsen social and territorial inequalities. We reject any program that proposes a healthcare policy based on exclusion and discrimination.”

Trade unions and organizations, united under the Tour de France pour la Santé, are backing the New Popular Front (NFP), a left-wing coalition opposing Macron’s policies as much as the far-right. The NFP plans to retract the controversial pension reform, curb living costs, and rebuild the healthcare system by recruiting healthcare workers, increasing incomes, and regulating the private sector. For example, the program states that new private clinics will only be allowed if they provide guarantees that patients will not face any out-of-pocket costs.

Read more: Left and progressives form New Popular Front to counter far-right in French elections

The USMCS emphasized that the NFP’s program is the only one to offer real prospects for healthcare reform. To support this, the Tour de France pour la Santé announced a series of actions during the election campaign, starting with an assembly in Lille on June 27, where activists will discuss the importance of resisting the far-right. Speakers will include Françoise Nay from the People’s Health Movement (PHM) France and Ramon Vila from the trade union SUD Santé Sociaux.

“Confronted with the threat of the extreme right, now more than ever, we urge citizens, trade unions, associations, mutual insurance societies, and progressive parties to unite in defending the right to health for all,” the platform said in its press release.

Ahead of the first round of the election on June 30, the National Rally leads with approximately 35% in polls, followed by the NFP at more than 29%, and Macron’s party at 19.5%. Bridging the gap between the far-right and the progressives might be possible with strong social movement support.

People’s Health Dispatch is a fortnightly bulletin published by the People’s Health Movement and Peoples Dispatch. For more articles and subscription to People’s Health Dispatch, click here. 

Original article by Peoples Health Dispatch republished from peoples dispatch under a CC licence.

Continue ReadingNew Popular Front gains support from French health activists

Memo to GCHQ and Home Secretary James Cleverly

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I am aware that I have a unique internet connection which I assume is your doing. I certainly hold you responsible for it anyway. I am aware for example that BBC Radio is delayed by 40 seconds for me and I can’t access it at all on my phone.

I’d like to place some bets on the election which I am prevented from doing. Please withdraw this restriction. I confirm that I don’t have any inside knowledge and am not intending to commit frauds like fifteen is it now? of James Cleverly’s mates.

27/6/24

I’ve found a convoluted way to do it which I would not normally do, not sure that I want to bet anymore!

Continue ReadingMemo to GCHQ and Home Secretary James Cleverly

As she is arrested, a Youth Demand Activist explains “the Labour Party is complicit in Genocide.”

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As she was arrested following a flash sit down Gaza ceasefire now protest at Oxford Circus earlier this afternoon (Saturday 22 June 2024), a Youth Demand Activist declared that “the Labour Party is complicit in genocide. They refuse to call for a ceasefire. They refuse to stop buy and selling weapons with Israel. These weapons are creating tens of thousands of deaths. Our government is able to do something about this but they refuse to;” adding “We can not vote Tory. We can not vote Labour. We must act. We must take to the streets. We must civilly resist. Join us at YouthDemand.org.” My own comment – Although some Labour Party MPs have made some fairly empty and vague declarations in support of a “sustainable” ceasefire, it’s clear they are not willing to declare that Israel must commit to one immediately, let alone to exert any real pressure on the Israeli government.

As of 11 June 2024, at least 37,702 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October, including more than 15,000 children. An estimated 10,000 are missing, of whom most are probably dead.

There is also an unknown number of additional deaths due to excess mortality from food shortages, disease and difficulties in obtaining essential medical care and medicines, while more than 84,000 Palestinians have been injured, many of them with life-changing injuries including many amputations.

According to the United Nations, as of 9 June, more than half of all residential buildings have been destroyed or damaged but with some key infrastructure the destruction is even more devastating – including 130 ambulances, 267 places of worship, 80% of commercial facilities and 88% of school buildings damaged or destroyed. Additionally some 83% of groundwater wells are no longer operational.

Zionist Keir Starmes is quoted "I support Zionism without qualification." He's asked whether that means that he supports Zionism under all circumstances, whatever Zionists do.
Zionist Keir Starmes is quoted “I support Zionism without qualification.” He’s asked whether that means that he supports Zionism under all circumstances, whatever Zionists do.

Continue ReadingAs she is arrested, a Youth Demand Activist explains “the Labour Party is complicit in Genocide.”

Youth Demand shit in Rishi Sunak’s private lake

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Youth Demand shit in Rishi Sunak's private lake 25/6/24
Youth Demand shit in Rishi Sunak’s private lake 25/6/24

As a thankyou and a parting gift to Rishi Sunak and the Tories for the last 14 years of service, a Youth Demand supporter has ‘sunk the Bismarck’ in Rishi Sunak’s lake. Youth Demand is a campaign calling for a two-way arms embargo on Israel and for the incoming UK government to revoke all new oil and gas licences granted since 2021.

At around 12:50 pm, Oliver, 21, a student from Manchester visited Rishi Sunak’s North Yorkshire mansion and ‘murdered a brown snake’ in the multi-millionaires’ lake, whilst wearing a shirt emblazoned with ‘Eat Shit Rishi’. Police arrived on the scene almost immediately and detained four people, including a press photographer, which may lead to their arrest.

Before shitting in the lake, Oliver said: 

“We have so much to thank the Tories for: from crumbling schools, shit in the rivers and a collapsing NHS; to creating a nation with more food banks than McDonalds and 4.3 million UK children living in poverty. From allowing their mates to get filthy rich from selling weapons to battle-test on toddlers in Gaza, or by drilling for more oil as the world burns – it’s quite a legacy!” 

“Yet this shit-show is set to continue with yet another party led by a pathological liar who will be taking office next. Both Labour and the Tories are content to keep shitting on Gaza, and on every future generation, by continuing weapons trading with Israel and by not revoking all oil and gas licences granted since 2021. The two party system is just two cheeks of the same arse. We deserve better! Take action at youthdemand.org.”

Youth Demand shit in Rishi Sunak's private lake 25/6/24
Youth Demand shit in Rishi Sunak’s private lake 25/6/24

A Youth Demand spokesperson said:

“From Number 10 to Number 2, let’s face it: he’s done a shit job, and the Tories are facing an electoral wipe-out. As a final goodbye, we’re issuing a ‘code-brown’ to Mr Sunak and his colleagues in government for 14 years of total failure, by delivering them some much needed moral fibre. They’ve landed us all up shit-creek and so we hope they accept these ‘gorilla fingers’ as a heartfelt gesture of our feelings towards them.” 

“But although we’ve unloaded some timber, we’re not out of the woods yet. Our political system is broken. Labour has to lose the policies from the bottom-drawer and convince floating voters by putting the skids on arms trading with Israel and flushing all oil and gas projects licensed since 2021- policies which stain the UK’s reputation. It’s a big job, but it’s time to sort shit out. Join us for a week of action in London from the 13th July, sign up at youth demand.org.” 

This mansion is one of several properties owned by Mr Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty. Murty owns a reported £400 million stake in her billionaire father’s company Infosys, which  signed a $1.5 billion deal with BP in May 2023. Sunak and Murty bought the £2 million Grade-II listed Georgian manor house in the picturesque village of Kirby Sigston, before Mr Sunak became MP for Richmond in 2015. However, this isn’t the only property in the couple’s extensive repertoire, which include a £6.6 million mansion in Kensington, London, and a vacation home in California. The couple have an estimated combined net worth of £730 million.

Last year 16 Just Stop Oil supporters were arrested outside Sunak’s London Mansion, after Louise Harris sang her chart-topping track ‘We Tried’.

Young people are sick of the shit-show. We deserve better. People from all over the country are coming together to resist. Youth Demand will be taking action in Central London from the 13th-20th July. 

Continue ReadingYouth Demand shit in Rishi Sunak’s private lake

Netanyahu refuses to end Gaza war

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/netanyahu-refuses-to-end-gaza-war

A Palestinian family mourns a loved one killed by Israeli bombardment, as they take a last look before their funeral in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, June 21, 2024

Israeli air strike kills director of Gaza’s Ambulance and Emergency Department

ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today said that he would not agree to a deal to end his war in Gaza but only to a “partial” ceasefire agreement.

In an interview with Israeli Channel 14, Mr Netanyahu said that he was “prepared to make a partial deal — this is no secret — that will return to us some of the people,” referring to the roughly 120 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.

“But we are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas,” he said.

“I’m not willing to give up on that.”

Hamas has insisted it will not release the remaining hostages unless there is a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

When US President Joe Biden announced the latest proposal last month, he said it included both.

In the interview, Mr Netanyahu said that the current phase of fighting is ending, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

But he said that did not mean the war in Gaza was over.

Hamas said Mr Netanyahu’s comment was “in contrast” to what the US administration said Israel had approved.

…

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/netanyahu-refuses-to-end-gaza-war

Continue ReadingNetanyahu refuses to end Gaza war