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Aberdeen City Council price-out democracy and discontent


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From the Aberdeen Trades Council:

"Please note that this year there will be no traditional May Day March

down Union Street due to Aberdeen City Council imposing a 2100 charge

for the democratic right to march on our own streets. We will be

campaigning against this outrageous and unfair local taxation on the

right to peacefully march on our own streets so hopefully the right to

march free of charge will be reinstated in time for our anti-racist

and anti-facist March and Rally on St. Andrew's Day later this year."

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From the Aberdeen Trades Council:

"Please note that this year there will be no traditional May Day March

down Union Street due to Aberdeen City Council imposing a 2100 charge

for the democratic right to march on our own streets. We will be

campaigning against this outrageous and unfair local taxation on the

right to peacefully march on our own streets so hopefully the right to

march free of charge will be reinstated in time for our anti-racist

and anti-facist March and Rally on St. Andrew's Day later this year."

The ideal way to protest would be to promise never to march again unless this ridiculous charge is revoked

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From the Aberdeen Trades Council:

"Please note that this year there will be no traditional May Day March

down Union Street due to Aberdeen City Council imposing a 2100 charge

for the democratic right to march on our own streets. We will be

campaigning against this outrageous and unfair local taxation on the

right to peacefully march on our own streets so hopefully the right to

march free of charge will be reinstated in time for our anti-racist

and anti-facist March and Rally on St. Andrew's Day later this year."

Who pays for the cost of policing such marches? 2100 quid seems fair enough given the disruption to traffic and the costs of looking after the march. ACC are in enough financial trouble without subsidising political movements.

As for the 'democratic right' - does anyone genuinely believe that the goons behind 'anti fascism' and 'anti racism' are interested in democracy?

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Who pays for the cost of policing such marches? 2100 quid seems fair enough given the disruption to traffic and the costs of looking after the march. ACC are in enough financial trouble without subsidising political movements.

As for the 'democratic right' - does anyone genuinely believe that the goons behind 'anti fascism' and 'anti racism' are interested in democracy?

exactly! spot on!

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Who pays for the cost of policing such marches?

As far as I am aware, The Scottish Executive allocates money to local policing authorities who get to decide how to spend it. Aberdeen City Council does not pay for policing.

edit: not sure how accurate my description is but the fact remains that Aberdeen City Council does not pay for policing.

Scottish Executive: Web site currently unavailable.

As for the 'democratic right' - does anyone genuinely believe that the goons behind 'anti fascism' and 'anti racism' are interested in democracy?

Cloud, do you actually try to offend people?

Referring to people as 'goons' becuase they oppose facism and racism in a way that you have not done is hardly fair or balanced. I also wasn't aware this was the theme of the May Day March in Aberdeen.

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edit: not sure how accurate my description is but the fact remains that Aberdeen City Council does not pay for policing.

Scottish Executive: Web site currently unavailable.

Happy to clarify how accurate your description is, that is, not at all.

Central Scotland Police - Police in Scotland | Executive | About us

Councils do indeed pay around 50% of the police's cost, although the vast majority of the councils' budgets come from central government in the first place.

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Who pays for the cost of policing such marches? 2100 quid seems fair enough given the disruption to traffic and the costs of looking after the march.

Aye, a fair point and I've been paying my SWP subs for 8 years. The theory is spot on but marches never did fuck all, not even the anti-war marches 6 years ago. Disrupting and inconveniencing folks going about their daily lives isn't going to gain any sympathy and is a general pain in the arse all round. Only in it for the reading, me...

:up:

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Sultan loves a good march though...

I wonder if this decision has anything to do with this? -

Council billed for costs of anti-cuts demo - Press & Journal

Aberdeen Trade Union Council organised a trip to Edinburgh last year to protest about Aberdeen City Council having no money, then tried to charge said Council for the costs...

Best served cold, indeed. Shame it's possibly fucked it up for anyone else wanting to voice their opinion down Union Street.

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As far as I am aware, The Scottish Executive allocates money to local policing authorities who get to decide how to spend it. Aberdeen City Council does not pay for policing.

edit: not sure how accurate my description is but the fact remains that Aberdeen City Council does not pay for policing.

Scottish Executive: Web site currently unavailable.

You've already been shown that ACC would be paying for part of it - but regardless of how you look at it, they want to spend taxpayers money on something that is absolutely frivolous and isn't required. The Scottish Goverment is looking at a huge budget shortfall in coming years, ACC is skint - and you think it's sensible to waste money on pointless marches?

Anyway, why do they have to march down the street? Can't they just set up a load of stalls throughout the city and educate people as they wish? Much less hassle and gets them into contact with ordinary people, rather than simply bothering the vast majority of people that don't really care less.

Cloud, do you actually try to offend people?

Referring to people as 'goons' becuase they oppose facism and racism in a way that you have not done is hardly fair or balanced. I also wasn't aware this was the theme of the May Day March in Aberdeen.

Given the fact that many high profile people behind 'anti fascism' and 'anti racism' are the same ones who seek to supress the BNP by any means - it seems rather hypocritical to talk about 'democracy' when they have no real interest in it, doesn't it?

Antifa England News Anarchists Arrested After Clash With BNP Activists In East End.

Just one example among many where 'anti fascists' have indulged in mindless violence to make their point. The whole 'anti-racist' and 'anti-fascist' bandwagon was stolen a long time ago by people who have no qualms about using whatever means to achieve their aims - and you think they're really interested in democracy?

Wouldn't it be better to march about workers rights, seeing as they're a trade union council? Disrupting traffic/people for the sake of highlighting the crappy conditions that many workers have, protesting against the UK refusing to give up the opt-out from the Working Time Directive - this would make sense. But marching about 'anti-racism' and 'anti-fascism' is simply an attempt to score points over the Right.

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