(en) Britain, Radical Block Marches in Solidarity with Bangladeshi Workers at Bristol May Day

Bristol was awash with a sea of red & black flags today as anarchists, radicals and trade 
unionists took to the streets for May Day. Five hundred people descended on College Green 
for a march and rally organised by Bristol Trades Council to commemorate International 
Worker?s Day (May1st). A large Radical Block made up of members of Bristol Anarchist 
Federation, Solidarity Federation, IWW and other revolutionaries numbering around 50 were 
present from the beginning handing out leaflets about the true origin of May Day. 
http://bristol1stofmay.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/history-of-may-day/ As the march began the 
Radical Block took position near the front of the procession. The demonstration snaked out 
of College Green and down Park Street towards the Fountains as chants rung out from the 
block. There were some old favourites in there as well as a few new ones including a 
variation of ?Solidarity Forever? called ?Aristocracy Forever?.

The purpose of the Radical Block ? as well as giving the radical movement in Bristol a 
visible presence on the march ? was to show solidarity with the Bangladeshi Garment 
Workers who are currently fighting for better working conditions and rights after a 
factory collapsed leaving over 400 workers dead. We handed out leaflets about the 
situation in Bangladesh, implicating Primark (who have a flag ship store in Bristol) and 
capitalism in the death of the workers.

When we arrived outside Primark our place at the front allowed us to stop the march. We 
chanted, handed out leaflets and stood outside with a banner which read: ?Fire to the 
Bosses ? Power to the Bangladeshi Workers?. There we made sure we had our photo taken so 
we could send it to the struggling workers in Bangladesh so that they knew that Bristol 
was with them!

May Day March arrives at Primark (pic by red orbital)
The march continued making its way through town and finishing in Castle Park where we 
unfurled another banner which read: ?Remember Haymarket May 4th 1886-2013? with the words: 
?TUC Censored? scrawled over the top in red paint. This was in reference to Bristol Trades 
Council who refused to allow an anarchist speaker to talk at the May Day rally, despite 
the anarchist origins of International Worker?s Day. Though after speaking to a couple of 
us, Andy Robertson assured us that we can have a speaker at the next demonstration, we 
look forward to that!

After the speakers had finished, the Radical Block moved off again, this time marching 
down Union Street accompanied by a cycle-powered sound system. It descended on Primark for 
a second time. The police seemed well aware of our plans after successfully dragging two 
comrades out of the building prior to the march arriving, and threatening to arrest one 
person if they tried to leaflet outside Primark.

Radical Block returns to Primark (picture from redorbital rob@redorbital.co.uk)
Little did they know that a third person was already inside Primark. As the Radical Block 
pulled up outside they broke into action pulling out a megaphone and started talking about 
the situation in Bangladesh and how companies like Primark where complicit in the death of 
the Garment Workers there. They were met with lots of positive responses by the people 
shopping in Primark, even more looks of shock and confusion, no doubt at the sheer lack of 
care Primark seems to pay to its workers (both in the UK and across the world).

They were eventually escorted out of the premises by a security guard and several police 
but not before successfully leafletting the store. Once they were outside they joined the 
main demonstration out front where people were talking on megaphones about the situation 
in Bangladesh and the general crisis that is capitalism.

There was a positive response from inside and outside the store, with some people opting 
to boycott Primark, join the protest and in one case even give an impromtu speech on the 
megaphone!

We left having made our point and having arranged to have our message of solidarity sent 
to Bangladesh (via some existing contacts and from a Bangladeshi person who spontaneously 
joined our demo). Today has shown that May Day in Bristol can be marked with more radical 
action than just the A to B march with the unions, we look forward to an even bigger and 
more effective demo next May Day, and a year of resistance until then.

Remember Haymarket : 4th May 1886 ? 2013
Share this:
Facebook98
Twitter17
More
Written by Bristol Anarchist Federation