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Disabled People Against Cuts 'week of action' on rights/decent life has begun.

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Hate crime against disabled people rises 41 per cent in one year
Exclusive: Campaigners say the figures are just 'the tip of the iceberg'

Recorded hate crime against disabled people has increased a staggering 41 per cent in just one year but campaigners say the figures are just the tip of the iceberg.

According to data acquired by The Independent via Freedom of Information request, hate crimes recorded by police have risen to 2,765 incidents in 2014-15 compared to 1,955 incidents in 2013-14.

Stephen Brookes, who coordinates the Disability Hate Crime Network, said the figures uncovered by The Independent underestimated the true scale of the problem as many cases go unreported.

He said that there were 60,000 hate crimes against disabled people every year and “the majority were never reported."

Hate crime against disabled people rises 41 per cent in one year
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hate-crime-against-disabled-people-rises-41-per-cent-in-one-year-a6713546.html
 
treelover said:
Sheffield one, again limited number, time for a debate why this is the case.
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There has been a pretty large group of people working on this across the UK for over 5 years now, sometimes full time and mostly claimants and disabled people themselves. That this week shows the momentum is still going strong is pretty impressive. In that time Atos have been chased out of the WCA, workfare schemes thrown into chaos and eventually scrapped, and various DWP initiatives been abandoned in the face of widespread protest and mockery. The big disability charities, the Labour Party, the left-wing press, the unions and think tanks have all been dragged into line behind an agenda set by disabled people and claimants - or at least forced into mealy mouthed defences of their positions and constant conflict. There has been constant pressure, in the streets, online, in the courts, everywhere. When all this started, in 2011 they were all cheering the work programme and workfare, all the charities and civil institutions were on boards, no-one is calling for workfare and more benefit cuts now, not even Tories. Osborne having to scrap this tax credit cuts was perhaps the best example of this. Meanwhile IDS resigned and the DWP has been staffed with non-entities. Sanctions, the WCA, disablist abuse, the scrounger rhetoric had been normalised for over a decade, now it looks like the argument is shifting. Few other groups have won such victories in the last five years.

That does not mean there is not a shit storm coming, or that people aren't still really struggling, it is a long way from over or won. We don't even know what the government's social security policy is at the moment. But that DPAC can pull off a well attended and well supported week like this at a time of relative political inactivity is encouraging.

Yes there hasnt been a big SWP march, thank fuck for that. When has that ever helped? Yes the big unions and the usual suspects have not been able to co-opt a movement that is too diverse and spiky. Yes sometimes it is a bit frustrating to see hundreds of people going out up for getting nicked and fighting at anti-fascist demos and much smaller demos for disabled people and claimants. But then no-one is getting big numbers at the moment, its a pretty bleak affair, and it will pick up, always does. And there aren't a huge number of young full time trouble makers living on the dole like there used to be so this is not something that resonates with the young in the way you might have hoped. Even so, its made it a difference, its forced concessions and its changed the conversation. That it hasn't been the trot left/liberal/labour/greens that have achieved this, but instead real people, is the reason that it appears undermined, or under-reported, or unsupported. In truth shaking those cunts off has meant we've actually won some shit for a change.
 
Westminster Bridge blockade has been trending, ironically largely down to the Tory MP Benyon and his comments, but also a very good photo taken from the HOC by the swine.
 
Why do we do it? A week of action reflection » DPAC

Campaigning is bloody hard work. People see the hours of standoff with the police on Westminster Bridge, or the Pop Up Art Exhibition at Tate Modern, or the Street Theatre outside Downing Street.

What people don’t see is the weeks, sometimes months or planning, arranging and preparation that goes into these events. But that’s OK, the people who take it on know what’s involved and they do it gladly.

What’s harder is the sense that sometimes hits every campaigner that it’s all futile. That all the hard work isn’t getting anywhere. It usually hits when people are tired, overloaded and they read the news and see another wave of cuts on the way in. At times like that, people get close to giving up. But we’re a stubborn, tenacious lot at DPAC, and we don’t give up easy. So we keep going. It gets past the point of understanding why you carry on, but you still keep going.

And then someone sends us something like the video shown below and it reminds you exactly what you are fighting for. It tells you what all the long hours are for, the old sense of anger returns.

Please watch it, it is liable to make you cry but please watch it if you can. It was made by Nichole Drury and sent to us by her yesterday for the liveprotest tool. But it served to remind us at DPAC why we do it. And why all the campaigners from our allied groups Black Triangle, Mental Health Resistance Network, Winvisible, Boycott Workfare and so many other groups and individual campaigners keep on going even when exhausted and things look bleaker than ever.

It reminds us why we do all this because the story told by Nichole in the video about what happened to her mother, Moira is a massive injustice. It is simply wrong.
Why do we do it? A week of action reflection » DPAC
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Watch Nicole's video, its says everything.
 
pengaleng said:
I'm disabled and I aint got the energy for shit like this. as much as I'd like to.

really wish the whole 'lives matter' thing would fuck off tho. it's pretty obvious otherwise you wouldnt be protesting. it's just thick. and it's only applies in certain circumstances anyway, no one would protest about a disabled murderers life mattering - no they'd deserve the disability.

I'm not making myself more fucked up by protesting on the streets because it's pointless, government wont listen. Get a meeting with the cunts and I might entertain it.

and furthermore I dont really fancy the possibility of being kept somewhere for hours because the police wont let anyone leave etc kettles are not compatible with disability.
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Yeah, being VI I'm able to accomplish most mobility related tasks on my own but protests I need assistance at the best of times.

If the protests take place during the working day thats an absolute no go, and tbf asking people to go on a march with you is an undertaking in itself (esp if you don't have a big social network around you) - but protests/marches seem to be the main avenue for representation which just makes many of us feel pretty powerless to affect change.
 
Last edited:
smokedout said:
There has been a pretty large group of people working on this across the UK for over 5 years now, sometimes full time and mostly claimants and disabled people themselves. That this week shows the momentum is still going strong is pretty impressive. In that time Atos have been chased out of the WCA, workfare schemes thrown into chaos and eventually scrapped, and various DWP initiatives been abandoned in the face of widespread protest and mockery. The big disability charities, the Labour Party, the left-wing press, the unions and think tanks have all been dragged into line behind an agenda set by disabled people and claimants - or at least forced into mealy mouthed defences of their positions and constant conflict. There has been constant pressure, in the streets, online, in the courts, everywhere. When all this started, in 2011 they were all cheering the work programme and workfare, all the charities and civil institutions were on boards, no-one is calling for workfare and more benefit cuts now, not even Tories. Osborne having to scrap this tax credit cuts was perhaps the best example of this. Meanwhile IDS resigned and the DWP has been staffed with non-entities. Sanctions, the WCA, disablist abuse, the scrounger rhetoric had been normalised for over a decade, now it looks like the argument is shifting. Few other groups have won such victories in the last five years.

That does not mean there is not a shit storm coming, or that people aren't still really struggling, it is a long way from over or won. We don't even know what the government's social security policy is at the moment. But that DPAC can pull off a well attended and well supported week like this at a time of relative political inactivity is encouraging.

Yes there hasnt been a big SWP march, thank fuck for that. When has that ever helped? Yes the big unions and the usual suspects have not been able to co-opt a movement that is too diverse and spiky. Yes sometimes it is a bit frustrating to see hundreds of people going out up for getting nicked and fighting at anti-fascist demos and much smaller demos for disabled people and claimants. But then no-one is getting big numbers at the moment, its a pretty bleak affair, and it will pick up, always does. And there aren't a huge number of young full time trouble makers living on the dole like there used to be so this is not something that resonates with the young in the way you might have hoped. Even so, its made it a difference, its forced concessions and its changed the conversation. That it hasn't been the trot left/liberal/labour/greens that have achieved this, but instead real people, is the reason that it appears undermined, or under-reported, or unsupported. In truth shaking those cunts off has meant we've actually won some shit for a change.
Click to expand...
I was going to question how true it is that there have been no big marches called. It is true there have been none specifically about disability but there have been several large general anti-austerity demos, and I would say benefit cuts is a big part of austerity. But I was just having a quick look at the people's assembly website about the upcoming demo and conference in Birmingham, there isn't much detail there, but benefit cuts does not seem to get much of a mention, and I don't just meen disability benefit, but all benefits. It's basically just end privatisation, ant-racism and rights for workers. All of which I support, but what about people who don't work?
 
emanymton said:
<snip> All of which I support, but what about people who don't work?
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All of your above post I could agree with, except the bit about "people who don't work".

"Unemployed people and pensioners" would have been better, for these reasons: People who have been medically retired or who are on sick leave can't work, unpaid carers do work, parents work (even if not at paid work), and pensioners have generally worked most of their lives - having to work for money after retirement is just plain immoral.
 
Greebo said:
All of your above post I could agree with, except the bit about "people who don't work".

"Unemployed people and pensioners" would have been better, for these reasons: People who have been medically retired or who are on sick leave can't work, unpaid carers do work, parents work (even if not at paid work), and pensioners have generally worked most of their lives - having to work for money after retirement is just plain immoral.
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Yeah, I was rushing as I had to get to work, and my phone was being a pain. So I just put people who don't work, meaning anyone not currently in paid employment for whatever reason. If i'd has more time I'd hope I could have phrased it better.
 
equationgirl said:
Do you have any response to those who have tried to view the video but can't for whatever reason? Or any response to those asking for practical help suggestions?
Click to expand...
Of course not. Not that I had such problems: he only went and posted the link on the evening I cut my toenails, so was busily otherwise engaged. Quelle dommage.
 
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