Colin Sparks
Hong Kong: opportunities for the movement
A new union organisation drive in Hong Kong might hold the key to breaking the deadlock, argues Colin Sparks.
Hong Kong voters back protests
Hong Kong's 'silent majority' has spoken: they support the protestors and their five demands.
Hong Kong: the occupation of Poly U
Colin Sparks reports on the ongoing occupation of the Polytechnic University in Hong Kong.
Battles rage across Hong Kong
The confrontation in Hong Kong has entered a new phase with pitched battles across the city running through the week.
Grief and anger in Hong Kong
Following the death of student Chow Tsz Lok, the protests are intensifying, but the need to link up with the mainland is pressing.
Halloween in Hong Kong
Protesters defied the mask ban to take to the streets in Hong Kong reports Colin Sparks.
Hong Kong revolt: no end in sight
The formal withdrawal of the extradition bill and half-measures to solve the housing crisis will not be enough to satisfy the pro-democracy movement, writes Colin Sparks.
Repression and resistance in Hong Kong
The ban on face-masks on public demonstrations has been met with defiance. Colin Sparks argues that a moment of choice now faces the authorities in Beijing.
Hong Kong celebrates ’70 years of oppression’
Police repression in Hong Kong entered a dangerous new phase as protests intensified on China's National Day.
100 days of protests in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has now seen 100 days of protests. Colin Sparks explains about how the movement is organised, and the role of socialists, workers and migrants within it.
Latest articles
Interview: Dealing with the mess
Junior Doctor Stacey Williams speaks about the prospects for organising to defend lives and the NHS through the coronavirus crisis.
Bollocks to the Poll Tax
Colin Revolting remembers the day 30 years ago when one of the biggest marches ever turned into a mass riot which sunk the Tory flagship Poll Tax policy and took Prime Minister Thatcher down with it.
Education in Palestine
Education is a key battlefield in the Palestinian struggle in the wake of Trump's 'Deal of the Century'. #ExistResistReturn
Other people are not the problem
Whilst the government continues to condemn millions by asset stripping the healthcare service and backing landlords and bosses, we must remember that we are all united by their contempt for us.
revolutionary reflections | The Anti-Poll Tax Federation: Organisation and spontaneity
The anti-poll tax movement was arguably the most successful social movement in Great Britain since the 1970s. In advance of the 30th anniversary of the poll tax riot (31 March 1990), Andrew Stone explores how political organisations and grassroots initiative interacted.
The Scottish government needs to defy Johnson’s Tories and act independently to save lives
Ray M argues that the Scottish government must break with Westminster in order to tackle the Covid-19 crisis appropriately.
Safer sex – lessons from the AIDS crisis
Colin Wilson remembers the community responses to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
Strikes in the time of coronavirus
How can workers respond to the unfolding coronavirus crisis, without forfeiting our collective power? A UCU member reflects. Originally published on Notes from Below.
The cradle will rock
The social crisis produced by the coronavirus has had a major impact on children and the way their care is organised. Here, a nursery worker reflects on a fortnight of uncertainty and change.
Mods and Rockers: the 1960s youth cult
Following his earlier A brief history of the Teddy Boys, Mitch Mitchell recalls the rivalries, real and manufactured, between the Mods and Rockers.
Highlights
Acting on COVID-19
With cases of the pandemic rising rapidly, we cannot rely on government or business to put health before profits. rs21 members have produced a set of actions and demands to campaign around and a summary of the safety legislation can allow workers to take action or leave work.
University strikes escalate from Monday
UCU and EIS members are briefly returning to work before escalating their strike on Monday. rs21 reports from the higher education strike around Britain.
Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en!
As Canada’s rail network is shut down by indigenous and allied land defenders, the struggle against a fracking pipeline project on Wet’suwet’en territory has received international attention.
Reject the Ten Pledges
Sai Englert argues that the ten pledges represent a continuation of an attack on the left and the Palestine solidarity movement, rather than a serious attempt to tackle antisemitism in Britain.
How we fight back
A devastating electoral defeat for Labour brings with it an inevitable battle for interpretation. It also sharply illustrates the need for our side to build power beyond parliament.