Trials, May Day, bookfairs and more: late April/early May round-up

There’s an awful lot going on, here’s a very quick round-up of a few upcoming events:

Saturday 23rd sees an antifascist callout against the “North East Frontline Patriots” in Newcastle, and a public meeting with Bristol Anarchist Black Cross, Bristol Defendant Solidarity and Bristol Anti-Repression Campaign about the continuing impact of the Kill the Bill cases there. 

On Monday 25th, five people from the Palestine Action campaign are appearing at Southwark Crown Court for alleged direct actions against the arms dealer Elbit, and the RMT are holding a mass meeting in Manchester as part of their national campaign over rail jobs, pay and conditions.

On Tuesday 26th, there’s an RMT meeting in Liverpool as part of the same campaign, and a call for people to turn up to court in Bristol as the next Kill the Bill defendant faces trial. 

International Workers’ Memorial Day is April 28th, and you can find details of your local event here.

On Friday 29th, Great Ormond Street Hospital security guards who’re organised through the UVW union, and have taken more than 50 days of strike action against outsourcing, are holding a strike rally, and on the 30th there’s a copwatch training happening in Leeds.

On May Day, there’ll probably be something happening near you. The May Day festival in Barnsley will be returning, the IWGB cleaners’ branch are holding a fundraising party in London,  and there’s an RMT meeting in Doncaster, but if you’re not in one of those places there’ll still probably be something on. 

Looking ahead into May, Birkbeck UCU are hosting an online rank and file meeting on the 3rd, and there are more RMT mass meetings coming up in London on the 3rd and Poole on the 4th.

On May 6th, anarchist prisoner Toby Shone will have a hearing at Bristol Crown Court against the attempt to impose a draconian monitoring order on him, and there’s a call for people to show up in solidarity. See this recent interview for more background.

There’s a few anarchist bookfairs and similar events coming up in May: one in Glasgow on the 7th, and then the 14th will see one in Liverpool, as well as a radical history festival in Bristol, and the With Banners Held High trade union festival in Wakefield. The first Newcastle Ewan Brown Anarchist Bookfair will be happening on the 21st.

Further ahead still, the Orgreave justice campaign have now confirmed that they will be holding their annual commemoration march and rally on June 18th.