[Mon 27th Aug 2012] DPAC Presents the ATOS games (UK)

[BigTom]

So during the paralympics, DPAC are holding a national week of action, because ATOS who run the WCA (disability benefit test) are one of the major sponsors of the paralympics.

We recently found out from a Dispatches program that the WCA has effective targets to find 89% of people fit for work, and that the test is (according to the person who trained the doctor who did the undercover filming) designed to remove people from benefits.

40% of people who appeal succeed - a rate that rises to something around 70%-80% for people who have advocates/legal advice, in fact some support groups/advice workers have reported 100% appeal success rates. The appeals process costs us £50m/year in addition to the £100m/year contract we have with ATOS.

There's more info here about ATOS / WCA if you don't already know about it:

http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/08/latest-information-on-atos-games-week/

Anyway, here are the latest details on the week of action:

Monday 27th: We’ll hold a spoof Paralympic awards ceremony, hopefully with some very special guests…

· Tuesday 28th: Pay a visit to your local Atos office – and maybe even take your protest inside!
Events currently arranged for Plymouth, Sheffield, Birmingham & Manchester.

· Wednesday 29th: A coffin full of your messages about Atos will be delivered to its doorstep.

· Thursday 30th: Phone jam! Let’s flood Atos with calls, and generate a Twitter-storm they can’t ignore!

· Then on Friday 31st, join us in London where we’re teaming up with UK Uncut for the Grand Finale – an audacious, daring and disruptive action. Last time we shut down Oxford Circus, this time we will be performing miracles…!

More details of the event and about the local actions can be found here:
http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/08/latest-information-on-atos-games-week/

 

[smokedout]

Latest info from around the UK:

Plymouth: 11am – Tuesday 28th August
Argosy House, Marsh Mills (next to McDonald’s)

For lifts from the City Centre and Mutley, please contact PCU at: plymouthclaimantsunion@yahoo.co.uk​

​

Manchester: Noon - Tuesday 28th August​

ATOS, Manchester, Albert Bridge House​

Protest outside the offices of ATOS Healthcare, the company profiting from sick and disabled people’s misery: https://www.facebook.com/events/408151362575794/​

​

Birmingham: 1pm - Tuesday 28th August ​

Islington Row, Five Ways House, Five Ways: https://www.facebook.com/events/334907739929304/​

​

Sheffield: 12.30pm – Tuesday 28th August​

Hartshead Square, Sheffield – UKUncut Sheffield have joined forces with Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC)to make sure it’s Games over for Atos during the Paralympics: http://www.facebook.com/events/196007200530031/

Bournemouth: 12.05pm - Tuesday 28th August
ATOS Healthcare WCA Assessment Centre, 1st floor Tamarisk House, c/o Job Centre Plus, 1, Cotlands Road, BH1 3BG: https://www.facebook.com/events/427050914002653/

Northampton: 11.30am – Tuesday 28th August
Disabled People will be demonstrating at the offices of Atos in Gladstone Road Northampton on Tuesday 28 August from 11:30 to 1:30 and are calling on the whole of the anti-cuts movement to join them.

Liverpool: Noon – Tuesday 28th August
Mann Island Lower Ground Floor, Port of Liverpool Buildings, Liverpool, L3 1LT: https://www.facebook.com/events/211880045607754/

Swansea: Noon - Tuesday 28th August
A static protest outside of the Swansea ATOS
assessment centre from 12:00 to 1:00 at Grove House, Grove Place,
Swansea. (This is a big building across the road from the police
station): https://www.facebook.com/events/515813221766234/

Cardiff: 4.00pm - Tuesday 29th August
Atos KIlls- mass die in to commerate lives lost. 29th August at 16:00 at Aneuren Bevan Statue, Queen Street, see DPAC Caerdydd-Cardiff: https://www.facebook.com/#!/bronwen.caerdydd

London: 12.45pm - Friday 31 August
UK Uncut and DPAC will be shutting down Atos’ London HQ for the Closing ATOS Ceremony. Meet in Triton Square at 12:45pm for direct action and creative protest, with plenty of surprises: https://www.facebook.com/events/217652368360892/

Other actions currently being planned:
Join in The Atos Games however you can – online, on the phone, or on the streets!
· Monday 27th: We’ll hold a spoof Paralympic awards ceremony, hopefully with some very special guests…
· Tuesday 28th: Pay a visit to your local Atos office – and maybe even take your protest inside!
· Wednesday 29th: A coffin full of your messages about Atos will be delivered to its doorstep.
· Thursday 30th: Phone jam! Let’s flood Atos with calls, and generate a Twitter-storm they can’t ignore!

Please tweet, share, blog, spread the word.
Organise locally – contact DPAC to be added to the list of events around the UK: mail@dpac.uk.net
For latest updates visit: http://www.dpac.uk.net/

 

[pengaleng]

Is anyone going on the 31st? I'm gonna drag my sorry arse down there if it kills me. They are fucking SCUM.

 

[tufty79]

if anyone wants to get involved but isn't able to go to any of the actions for whatever reason, DPAC have put this together:
http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/08/join...er-you-are-minute-menu-of-protest-activities/

You don’t need to take part in a direct action to be part of the Atos Games. Here we have a list of ways that you can be involved even if you only have a small amount of time to spare and from wherever you are.

 

[purenarcotic]

Thanks for posting that, tufty. Don't think I'll be able to get out to the protests cos of kidda's ankle, but we'll see what we can do from the sofa.

Our keyboards are at the ready.

 

[tufty79]

nice one, purenarcotic and kidda


Updated list of local actions (sorry if I've missed any links etc):

Birmingham - Tuesday 28th, 13:00 - protest at Five Ways House. Islington Row. Edgbaston. Birmingham. B15 1SL

Bournemouth - Tuesday 28th, 12:05 - protest at ATOS Centre, 1st floor Tamarisk House, c/o Job Centre Plus, 1, Cotlands Road, BH1 3BG (assemble outside the JobCentre Plus building)

Bristol - Thursday 30th August, 15:00 - picket/protest outside ATOS offices, Government Buildings, Flowers Hill, Bristol, BS4 6LA .

Cardiff - Wednesday 29th August,17:00 - mass 'die-in' to commemorate lives lost. Aneuren Bevan Statue, Queen Street

Derby - Tuesday 28th, 12:00 - protest outside ATOS assessment centre, 7, Southgate Retail Park, Normanton Road, Town Centre, Derby, DE1 2GH. More details from Derby Mental Health Action Group mhactiongroup[at]yahoo.co.uk

Edinburgh - Tuesday 28th, 12:00 - protest outside ATOS offices, 44 York Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3JW

Exeter - Tuesday 28th, 12:30 - protest outside ATOS office Killerton Road, Park Five, Harrier Way EX2 7HU (with Exeter Anti-Cuts Alliance)

Hull - Tuesday 28th, 11:00 - demonstration outside the ATOS medical assessment centre on Stanley Street, Spring Bank, Hull, HU3 1JP

Lancaster - Tuesday 28th, 13:00 - protest at Mitre House, Church Street, Lancaster LA1 1EQ. In conjunction with Lancaster and Morecambe against the Cuts ; local Trades Union congress; occupy Lancaster UK; and led by local disabled people

Leeds - Tuesday 28th, 13:00 - Meet in City Square, LS1 2ES. Bring banners. We will have leaflets.

Liverpool - Tuesday 28th, 12:00 - demonstration outside ATOS offices, Mann Island, Port of Liverpool building, L3 1LT

London - Monday 27th, 17:30 - meet at City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA. Opening ceremony and medal awards
and
Wednesday 29th, 15:30 - Meet near Starbucks/Pret-a-Manger on Triton Square, Regents Place, London NW1 3HG - Delivery of a coffin with messages to ATOS and a memorial of their victims, many of whom have have died.
and
Friday 31st, 12:45 - Grand Finale with UK Uncut. Direct action and protest at ATOS HQ, 4 Triton Square, Regents Place, London NW1 3HG

Manchester - Tuesday 28th, 12:00 - protest outside ATOS Manchester, Albert Bridge House Bridge Street, Manchester M60 9DA

Medway - Tuesday 28th, 12:00 - Atos Medical Assessment Centre in Batchelor St Chatham ME4 4BJ (just off the High St next to the Jolly Caulkers) - Medway Against the Cuts are organising a picket/protest.

Newcastle - Tuesday 28th, 13:00 - protest outside ATOS offices Arden House, Regent Centre, Regent Farm Road, Gosforth, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 3LZ (opposite Gosforth library).

Northampton - Tuesday 28th, 11:00 - demonstration at ATOS offices, Gladstone Road, Dallington, Northampton, NN5 7QA

Plymouth - Tuesday 28th, 11:00 - demonstration at ATOS offices, Argosy House (next to McDonald’s) , Marsh Mills, Plympton, Plymouth, PL6 8LS
For lifts from the City Centre and Mutley, please contact PCU at: plymouthclaimantsunion[at]yahoo.co.uk

Reading - Tuesday 28th, 11:30 - Eaton Place (off the Oxford Rd), Reading, RG1 7LP. Join us there for solidarity, songs and fun, fun fun. Bring banners with appropriate messages. Banners and leaflets will be available (can also be downloaded and printed) for distribution to curious and info-hungry passers-by. Songsheets will be provided for the tunefully inclined.

Sheffield - Tuesday 28th, 12:30 - demonstration at Hartshead Square, S1 2FD

Southampton - Tuesday 28th, 12:00 - meet at Queens Park, Southampton SO14 3BQ.

Stroud - Wednesday 29th, 12:00 - Flyering the public about ATOS - meet outside Stroud JobCentre, Unicorn House, Cornhill Shopping Centre (Union Street), GL5 2JT.
and
Saturday 1st September, 11:00 - same location.

Swansea - Tuesday 28th, 12:00 - static protest outside Grove House, Grove Place, Swansea SA1 5DF . (This is a big building across the road from the police station).

 

[Kidda]

Thanks for posting that, tufty. Don't think I'll be able to get out to the protests cos of kidda's ankle, but we'll see what we can do from the sofa.

Our keyboards are at the ready.

The irony

 

[BigTom]

http://birminghamagainstthecuts.wor...from-todays-dpac-demonstration-in-birmingham/

Report and photos from today's protest in Birmingham

I think I'll be coming to the London demo as well now.

 

[weepiper]

Damnit, I have only just seen this thread or I'd have gone down to the Edinburgh one today.

here is a pic from twitter from it

 

[BigTom]

http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/08/tuesday-28th-august-swansea-atos-protest/

Report & photos from swansea

 

[BigTom]

http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/08/remembering-those-whove-died-at-the-hands-of-atos-healthcare/

Yesterday a coffin of messages was delivered to ATOS hq, remembering those who have died and suffered at their hands.

Today is the online communications flood, and then tomorrow the closing ATOS ceremenony at the ATOS HQ in London.

 

[Treacle Toes]

Great suggestions of how peeps can get involved in the Atos Armchair Olympics today:

http://www.dpac.uk.net/2012/08/dpac-atos-armchair-games-30th-august-the-truth-is-revolutionary/

 

[ddraig]

video from Cardiff yesterday

and thread in Cymru / Wales forum
http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/atos-demo-cardiff-29-08-12.298443/

 

[tufty79]

Yorkshire Evening Post clipping about the Leeds protest on Tuesday:

 

[tufty79]

(oops - dp)

 

[cesare]

The Government and Atos don’t give a toss about disabled people. This is about making ordinary people pay for a crisis caused by the bankers. It’s about making disabled people pay, instead of super-rich tax dodgers who cost us over £25 billion every year. This is an ideological attack on the welfare state; these cuts are a political choice. But we’re fighting back.

On Friday 31 August, UK Uncut and DPAC will be shutting down Atos’ London HQ for the Closing ATOS Ceremony. Meet in Triton Square at 12:45pm for direct action and creative protest, with plenty of surprises…

http://atosvictimsgroup.co.uk/2012/08/16/the-closing-atos-ceremony-ukuncut-dpac/

Bump, cos this is tomorrow.


The nearest fully accessible British Rail station is Kings Cross. From there, catch Bus 30 towards Marble Arch or Bus 205 towards Paddington from stop R or A, and get off at Warren Street, bus stop V.

 

[cesare]

Bump again.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Hope the event goes well

Another bump!

 

[cesare]

Hope the event goes well

Another bump!

Got to go to work in the morning but hoping to get there for when it starts.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Got to go to work in the morning but hoping to get there for when it starts.

Hospital tomorrow

 

[cesare]

Hospital tomorrow

Good luck!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Good luck!

Just routine, nothing important(ish!)

 

[cesare]

Just routine, nothing important(ish!)

Hope all goes to plan, and not too much waiting time, then!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Cheers

 

[BigTom]

bump before I leave for london ..

 

[Treacle Toes]

Livestream will be available on this bambuser channel for those who want to watch:
http://bambuser.com/node/3011189

 

[tufty79]

best of lucks to everyone

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Livestream will be available on this bambuser channel for those who want to watch:
http://bambuser.com/node/3011189

Cheers Rutita

 

[Treacle Toes]

These guys are gonna be there too:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occup...gn=t.co&utm_source=11808409&utm_medium=social

 

[Treacle Toes]

...and if those two let you down, this lady will be streaming as well:

http://bambuser.com/search/bambuser_search/tammy+samede+olsx