Tha Glaschu ag ionnsachadh dhomh leasanan eadar-dhealaichte fad na h-ùine.  Tha mi ag ionnsachadh bhon teagasg a tha mi a’ dèanamh air greis-obrach ann am bunsgoil an-dràsta, a’ feuchainn prògraman ann an litireachd sgrùdach agus eachdraidh ionadail a chur air dòigh sa chlas agam.  Tha mi ag ionnsachadh aig an taigh gu bheil dòigh beatha agus cleachdaidhean gu mi-fhòrtanach fada nas cudromaiche na tha beachdan poiliteagach nuair a thig e gu fuireach còmhla ri strainnsearan.

Leasan a dh’ionnsaich mi bhon togail-fianais an aghaidh nam faisisteach (SDL) ann an Glaschu Disathairne:

Tha megaphone feumail.  Bu choir dha bhith barrachd na h-aon ann ge-tà, gus nach bi aon ghuth a-mhàin a’ toirt stiùireadh gu càch.  Nuair a tha àireamhan phoilis cho àrd ri sin, bidh an gràisg iomaigeanach.  Cha bhi fios aig a’ mhòr-chuid dè tha a’ dòl a thachairt agus bidh iad ag iarraidh comhairle bho chuideigin aig a bheil eòlas – ach uaireannan tha daoine ann mar cheannard an SWP (Socialist Worker’s Party) aig a bheil amasan eile, is dìreach nuair a ràinig na luchd-fianais an t-àite far an robh na fasistich, chuir esan a h-uile duine air falbh gu Glasgow Green, far nach bhiodh iad gu feum sam bith.  Gu soilleir, chan e an t-amas a bh’ aige na fasistich a chumail bho shràidean Ghlaschu, is an ath-thuras, tha mi an dòchas gum bi mise is na h-anargaich eile ullaichte a ràdh “Fuirich an seo!  Seo far am bu chòir dhuinn a bhith!  Lorg sinn iad agus cha bhi sinn gan leigeil facal a ràdh air ar stràidean!”  Bha e cho miorbhallach an gràisg fhaicinn a’ tighinn a-nios Sauchiehall agus cho brònach am faicinn a’ falbh a-rithist far an tàinig iad.  Bhiodh daoine air an cur ann an “coire” nan robh iad air fuireach ann, ach aig a char as lugha bhiodh iad anns an àite ceart.

Bha dragh orm a bhith an sàs, air sgàth mo shuidheachadh mar oileanach eadar-nàiseanta agus mo rùn a bhith a’ fuireach an seo – bhiodh e dona dhomh a bhith air mo chur an greim.  Chaidh mi gu coinneamh gus ionnsachadh ciamar a bhithinn nam “neach-coimhid laghail” agus bha coltas ro chunnartach dhomh; a-nis tha mi a’ smaointinn gum b’ urrainn dhomh a bhith an sàs a’ togail fianais gu ceart an àite air an oir, ann an teas-mheadhain na gràisg, a’ smèideadh bratach anargach agus ag èigheachd “no pasaran!”  ’S e loidhne caran duilich a dh’fheumas sinn coiseachd, inimrichean.  Anns an t-siostam inimricheas ùr, nuair a chuireas tu a-steach airson cead-fuireach maireannach, coisinnidh tu puingean airson seòrsa “giùlain mhath,” airson obair phoiliteagach (is cha chreid mi gum bi togail-fianais a’ cunntadh) agus ballrachd ann an aonaidhean ciùird, m.s.a.a.  Is cha choisinn thu cead idir ma tha puingean air a’ chunntas laghail agad, no gus am bi iad seachad.  Mar sin, bidh faiceallach nach bi thu anns an àite cheàrr aig togail-fianais!

An robh sibhse an sin Disathairne?  Dè ur beachd?

Protesting and Learning

Glasgow is always teaching me something new. I am learning from my current primary teaching placement, trying to deliver programmes on critical literacy and local history in class. I’m learning from my flat that that unfortunately, lifestyle and habits are far more important than shared political beliefs when it comes to living with strangers.

Lessons I learned Saturday from the counter-protest against the SDL fascists in Glasgow:

Megaphones are useful. There should be more than one present, though, so that there isn’t just one voice giving instructions to many. When there are that many police in one place, the crowd is going to be nervous. Most people won’t be sure exactly what is happening, or going to happen, and they will want advice from someone experienced – but sometimes people like the head of the SWP (Socialist Worker’s Pary) have other aims, and when the respectably large crowd of protesters reached the spot where the fascists had gathered, he sent them all back to Glasgow Green, where they would be of no use whatsoever. Clearly, his goal was not to keep fascists off the streets of Glasgow, and the next time I hope that I and the other anarchists will be there with another megaphone to say, “Stay here! This is where we should be! We found them and we won’t let them say a word on our streets!” It was so great to see the crowd coming up Sauchiehall and so sad to see them leave the way they came. People would have been kettled if they had stayed, but at least they’d be kettled in the right place.

I was worried about getting properly stuck in, because of my situation as an international student and my long-term desire to stay here – it wouldn’t be good for me to get arrested. I went to a meeting to learn how to be a “legal observer,” and it looked too dangerous – now I’m thinking I could have been as involved as I would have liked, instead of hanging about on the edges, could have been right in the middle of the crowd, waving an anarchist flag and shouting “no pasaran!” It is a fine line that immigrants have to walk. In the new points-based immigration system, when you apply for indefinite leave to remain, you can earn points for a sort of “good behaviour,” for political involvement (and I doubt protesting counts), membership in trade unions, etc., every sort of government-sanctioned bourgeois and capitalist activity. And you won’t get leave to remain at all if you have points on your record, or at least until the points expire. So be careful you don’t end up in the wrong place during a protest!

Were you there in Glasgow on Saturday? What did you think?