“FESTIVAL OF DEATH” AT EDINBURGH MP’S OFFICE – Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty

Protestors held a “Festival of Death” at Edinburgh Labour MP Ian Murray’s office on Saturday 31^st May to oppose the UK government’s cuts to disability benefits.

Demonstrators plastered the office of the Secretary of State for Scotland with posters proclaiming “CUTTING DISABILITY BENEFITS KILLS”. One protester was dressed as the Grim Reaper to emphasise the life-threatening impact of proposed cuts.

One attendee broke down in tears describing the effect the proposed cuts to disability benefits would have on their life. A protestor sang of how Ian Murray’s cuts will kill bairns while Murray grows rich at the people’s expense. Passing vehicles tooted support.

An open discussion took place, in which all were invited to speak:

John McArdle, co-founder of the Scotland-based grassroots Black Triangle who have been campaigning for 15 years against DWP brutality and documenting hundreds of benefit deaths, said :“We have read the ‘Riot Act’ to the Parliamentary Labour Party now. We have done our homework and the whole community is on our side: if you vote for these cuts, if you continue your betrayal of us; if you remove our support and try to starve us, make us homeless and ultimately kill us, we and our allies will ensure that your constituency majorities will be wiped out and that the Labour Party ceases to be a political force here in Scotland, Wales or the United Kingdom generally. We will take you down with our ship. You know it.”

NO APOLOGIES

Sasha Saben Callaghan, disabled artist, Crips Against Cuts, said: ‘We knew that a Labour government at Westminster would continue with the failed politics of austerity but these eugenicist attacks on disabled people are the most serious we have faced since Churchill’s Mental Deficiency Act of 1913. We must make no apologies for fighting back and taking that fight directly to Labour MPs who are colluding in this brutality.’

A local resident with Parkinson’s disease spoke: “There are a lot of elements of Parkinson’s disease which are not included in the measurements for assessing disability. Like me, without medication I sleep about four hours a night and day after day, week after week, that’s really hard. They way they cut it, it’s just so arbitrary.

If you can tell from my voice, I’m American. I’ve been here twenty years, my life is here. But I’ve been getting some close reports with what’s been going on with the Trump Administration, which is in power partly because the democrats did not support the people enough and gave rise to populism. [Applause and drums] I think that is going to happen here. I just want to thank every single one of you for showing up today [tears], for making this issue viable. Please continue to do so. Thank you. [Applause and drums].”

Video with an excerpt from this speech here

DIRECT ACTION

Bill Scott, former chair of the Poverty & Inequality Commission for Scotland and a member of Disabled People Against Cuts Steering Group said: “These cuts are worse than anything that the Tories did because they come on top of those cuts. There are already over three and a half million disabled people living in poverty and these cuts will plunge hundreds of thousands of them into destitution. We are winning the battle for public support but we need to keep it up by continuing to protest and taking direct action”.

A member of the Austerity Resistance Forum said: ”The Austerity Resistance Forum is a political group based in the local community, and on regular assemblies. We are sick of years of failed and disastrous austerity policies which are tearing up working class communities. A crumbling NHS, a sky-high cost of living, and social desperation are the direct result of endless government cuts”.

Mike from Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty said: “Along with mass direct action against the cuts to disability benefits, it’s important that claimants organise solidarity every day – claimants have the right to be accompanied to any benefits appointment. This includes appointments at the jobcentre, disability benefits assessments, work capability assessments and compliance or fraud interviews. Never face them alone! “

Resisting the disability benefits cuts – Ian Murray MP’s office, 31 Minto St Edinburgh 31st May

GET INVOLVED !

“Kill the new threats to reduce eligibility and lower the level of sickness and disability benefits.” urged our ECAP leaflets distributed on the day. We further demand “No to the two child benefit limit” and “Scrap the benefit cap”. We call for solidarity with migrants and the abolition of the discriminatory “No recourse to public funds” law. And we are fighting for the scrapping of the “anti fraud” bill which would allow the DWP to spy on claimants’ bank accounts.

The demonstration, organised by Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty and the Austerity Resistance Front, is part of Britain-wide opposition to the UK Labour government’s planned cuts to Personal Independence Payment and the sickness elements of Universal Credit. The attacks on social security attack all workers’ wages and conditions. Resistance is growing and we urge everyone to get involved.

For info on how you can get involved in the fight back in Edinburgh contact ECAP via ecapmail@gmail.com or Austerity Resistance Front via austerity_resistance@proton.me