Edinburgh RIC attended the Cop26 demo in Glasgow on November 6th with our new banner (seen behind the national banner below)
Nan Spowart wrote the following article in the Sunday Herald about RIC”s activities around Cop26.
RADICAL INDEPENDENCE CAMPAIGN BUILDS BRIDGES WITH GROUPS AROUND THR WORLD
CAMPAIGNERS are calling for an independent Scotland to be founded on climate justice.
The call comes from the Radical Independence Campaign (RIC) which was originally set up in 2012 and is now forging more international links and ramping up activity ahead of a new referendum.
The group is taking part in COP26, with members joining protesters on the climate change march yesterday carrying banners emblazoned with the slogan “It’s Scotland’s oil, keep it in the soil”.
Tomorrow it is supporting two meetings, including one on self-determination, climate justice and democracy, featuring people from various countries around the world seeking independence. They will speak about their experience of climate change and their frustration at the lack of an official presence at COP26.
Group member Jack Ferguson said: “We are looking forward to hearing from our friends struggling for self-determination across three different continents at the People’s Summit for Climate Justice on Monday, where RIC has organised a session with activists from other stateless nations.”
Paul Figueroa of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, Joe Williams of the Welsh Underground Network and Anazar U Chavah of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia will help lead a discussion on how independence and climate justice go hand-in-hand.
It is the latest in a series of in-person meetings through which RIC has been strengthening its international links, having last week met privately with seven women from the Zapatista communities in southern Mexico to learn of, and offer solidarity with, their inspirational struggle for self-determination.
Ferguson said: “RIC sees international links as vital so that we can offer our support to people struggling around the world, but also so that Scotland can call on global help when demanding our own right to self-determination from Westminster.
We’re also seeking to build links with the Scottish diaspora globally, encouraging them to support the independence struggle here.”
Recently, RIC wrote to pro-independence organisations in Wales, Cornwall and the north of England as well as groups promoting the re-unification of the island of Ireland to propose an All Islands International group.
“We want to come together in alliance with all those throughout these islands who see breaking up the British state as the way to achieve major social progress, and work together to end the undemocratic rule of Westminster,” said Ferguson.
“We’re also seeking to build links with the Scottish diaspora globally, encouraging them to support the independence struggle here.”
Recently, RIC wrote to pro-independence organisations in Wales, Cornwall and the north of England as well as groups promoting the re-unification of the island of Ireland to propose an All Islands International group.
“We want to come together in alliance with all those throughout these islands who see breaking up the British state as the way to achieve major social progress, and work together to end the undemocratic rule of Westminster,” said Ferguson.
Tomorrow, the RIC is also speaking at an event to discuss building a fairer, greener, nuclear-free Scotland.
Ferguson said: “This is the start – not the end – of our action as we will be looking at how we can ramp up protest and direct action in the New Year.
“Climate justice has to be central to independence now. Our slogan for the march yesterday played off the slogan of ‘It’s Scotland’s Oil’, which gave the SNP its big breakthrough, but this is a new time and we need to recognise the reality of climate change and our responsibility to take a lead in helping end the fossil fuel economy.
“It is Scotland’s oil and we want an independent Scotland to say we will do the responsible thing and keep it in the ground. The UK Government seems determined to press ahead with the Cambo oil field despite warnings against it from the IPCC and world scientists.
“We need the power in Scotland to regulate the energy industry and be able to say we are going to end oil extraction and put efforts towards a just transition that allows workers in these industries to get new jobs.”
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JOIN THE RIC CONTINGENT ON
THE COP26 INDEPENDENCE BLOC
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6th, 12 noon
Gather at the Lord Roberts monument, Kelvin Grove Park
for location see https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lord+Roberts+Monument/@55.8703184,-4.2818544,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x5c1835a9062d00a3!8m2!3d55.8703184!4d-4.2818544)
COP26 EVENTS
Coach Travel to Mass Mobilisation in Glasgow on Saturday 6 November
Cost: £15 solidarity price, £10 regular price, £1 low waged etc. Get your coach tickets here:
Click on this link:
Or cut and paste this link:
HOST A CLIMATE JUSTICE GUEST
Here is a report from one of the Coalition activists: “I looked this up and eventually managed to fill in their form. Almost immediately I had a request from a young German woman who wants a bed for 3 nights, 4th – 7th November. There is a waiting list of 3,000 people from around the world desperate for accommodation. SO, if you have any space at all, do please consider putting someone up and contacting this network. For most of the time, they will just need a bed and an early breakfast, and maybe some help on the first day to get to the bus station. They will be given other meals in Glasgow.
Climate strike, Edinburgh, Friday 29th October
Fridays for Future Edinburgh school strike for climate justice, 2 days before COP so anyone who can’t make it to Glasgow can protest.
https://facebook.com/events/s/school-strike-for-climate/399658455201284/
Halloween, Sunday Oct 31, STOP CLIMATE HORROR
Assemble 10.30, The Meadows. The march will leave around 11am and be heading along the bridges and down the Royal Mile before ending at the Parliament by around 1pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/616361926221096
For wider events see: Global Justice event at-
SAVE OUR CARE HOME DEMO, EDINBURGH CITY CHAMBERS, 28.9.21
ALL UNDER ONE BANNER DEMO, EDINBURGH,
Saturday 25th September
EDINBURGH REPORT FOR RIC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, 4.9.21
- Edinburgh RIC Organising Meetings
26.7.21.
Organising the next Edinburgh RIC Assembly, for 18.8.21 was discussed (see below). Allan gave report of the RIC National Forum, 24.7.21. Allan to make enquiries about new banner.
Future events were also discussed.
23.8.21
The Edinburgh RIC Assembly held on 18.8.21 was discussed.
It was agreed to organise another Edinburgh RIC Assembly on 29.9.21 (see below).
It was agreed that Edinburgh RIC should support the delay of the next RIC National Forum from 28.8.21 to 4.9.21 to facilitate the AUOB demo at Faslane.
Bob and Nick elected delegates to RIC National Forum
Future events were also discussed.
- Edinburgh RIC Assembly
18.8.21 Organising for Cop26 – Mim Black, Cop26 Coalition
A report of this meeting can be seen at:-
Matters arising
- Mim asked Edinburgh RIC to get national RIC to organise a Scottish independence contingent at the Cop26 demo. We could approach others to organise a joint Left Independence contingent, e.g. RIC, SNP Socialists, Now Scotland, conter, SSP etc. (Nick thought that the Scottish Greens would organise its own contingent)
- Mim also said there would be a Peoples Summit coinciding with the official Cop26 gathering. She invited RIC to provide a speaker.
It was agreed that the Edinburgh RIC delegates would raise this.
- Future Edinburgh RIC Assembly (Zoom meeting), 30.9.21. 71000
The SNP Green governmental alliance
Allan to contact SNP Socialists and Nick to contact Greens for speakers
- Other events
- AUOB demo, Faslane. 28.8.21, 13.00 -15.00
Event to be posted on Edinburgh RIC blog. Allan to take national banners. (Some concern was later expressed by RIC members on the Mattermost List about some of the speakers). Allan agreed not to take banner, but attend so he could write a report.
- Save Our Care Homes demo, 14.9.21, 9.30
This will be posted on the Edinburgh RIC blog. Allan will take the banner
- AUOB demo, Edinburgh, 2.10.21
This to be discussed further
- Next Organising Meeting. 11.10.21
Allan Armstrong, Minutes Secretary, Edinburgh RIC, 29.8.21
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