NO, YOU MUSTN’T TAKE ONE!
I just had a really funny experience. A couple of us from Swindon Stop the War Coalition went to leaflet Swindon College, which is an FE college that mainly has vocational, non-academic courses, with our anti-recruitment leaflet.
We had a good experience for the first 15 minutes, and we were definitely reaching the right target audience, working class kids 16 to 18 years old. We met one who was thinking of joining the RAF, another who had work experience with the army, and a few who were thinking about it.
And then a woman from the admin staff and two security guards descended on us, very aggressively. After the usual sort of arguments we were escorted from the site, and also made to move my car out the car park. This is the sort of thing you expect.
But when we started to leaflet again, this time on the public pavement. The security guard started saying we couldn’t do it there either, and as we handed leaflets to student he shouted at them at the top of his voice “No, you mustn’t take one”. Of course they did anyway. He continued shouting “You haven’t got permission”.
I confronted him about this, pointing out we didn’t need his permission on a public highway off of their premises. But he couldn’t see this at all, arguing that they were still “our students”
Anyway, it was a qualified success, and we found out that the spot on the pavement near the bus stop is really busy, so we shall go back and do it again, and we don’t need to go on their land.
You can order leaflets from me, e-mail Swindon_socialists@yahoo.co.uk; or you can download it as a PDF here.
An interesting leaflet. Can you explain why you thought it better not to include material explicity opposing the War? Do armed forces members have the same political rights (obviously not right to organise etc.) as civilians?
Also, do you know anything about the TA? This seems to have premises in large cities and would therefore seem to be good places where similar leafletting could be carried out. I do know that they have been made to go to Iraq since 2003.
Comment by PhilW — 12 December, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
Phil
Our thinking was that this was a leaflet specifically for people who are actually thinking of joining up.
A good criticism has been made of it that we should include the argument that the use of the army in wars that perhaps do not have the support of the majority of the population is an abuse of the social contract between the forces and civil society. And as the Afghan and Iraq wars are nor supported generally, then soldiers should decline to fight in them.
(though we wouldn’t phrase it like that for 16 year ols thinking of joining up)
Comment by Andy — 12 December, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
How weird of the security guards.
I mean, if I was a 16 yr old being told by someone not to take a leaflet, I would darn well do the opposite like most teenagers (actually I would still do it now).
Again, how bizarre…..!!
Comment by Louise — 12 December, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
He wasn’t the sharpest pencil, and he was one of those people that when in uniform …
Actually he reminded me of the cartaker character from “Please Sir” (was that Derek Guyler?), “Now, when I was in the Desert Rats .. )
Comment by Andy — 12 December, 2007 @ 2:35 pm
The whole story’s wierd. What’s the point of reporting it? Surely we all come against the controlling nature of society when ever established views are challeged. Remember the manager of M&S and his heavies trying to stop me handing out leaflets on Palestine outside the Edinburgh store. Did not find it surprising. Just like the behavoir of the SWP. But neither are newsworthy.
Comment by RedRaph — 12 December, 2007 @ 2:49 pm
Raphie
What is the point of you posting that comment?
Comment by Andy — 12 December, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
Very good leaflet and typical behaviour from jobsworths security guards, come across them all the time when doing low pay stalls outside places like tescos, ironically those security guards are usually among the lowest paid workers of the lot!
My main criticism of the leaflet is that it only addresses the army, which is the most unpopular of the 3 services anyway, but a lot of young people think that the navy or raf offer better career opportunities and are a “softer” option, forgetting that they are just as much part of the imperialist war machine as the army.
Comment by paddy garcia — 12 December, 2007 @ 5:18 pm
Funny I had the same sort of experiance when leafleting for the STWC ouside Milton Keynes college, Woughton Campus. The ‘Facilities Manger’ came up to us and told us to move off ‘their’ proporty (I must add we had set up a stall with leaflets etc right outside the front door but at least 20 yards away!). The cheeky guy even asked for my name which I refused and asked for his and his role and made a point of writing it down but ofcouse did not give him my name (who does he think he is?)
Anway we carried on without the stall but handed out leaflets right ouside both sides of the front door - I was wearing a tea shirt with Stop The War all over it! Went down well with the students and we did it all again the next week!. Your article reminds me we must do this again and I think all STWC and Respect groups should do this sort of think outside local colleges in a more coordinated way. Its important we reach out to young people aged 15-20.
Comment by Neil Williams — 12 December, 2007 @ 6:46 pm
Surely the UCU branch should be contacted?
Comment by Alex Nichols — 12 December, 2007 @ 7:44 pm
Andy: “Actually he reminded me of the cartaker character from “Please Sir” (was that Derek Guyler?), “Now, when I was in the Desert Rats .. )”
Deffo Derek Guyler…the school janitor
Comment by Louise — 12 December, 2007 @ 9:34 pm
Good point about the union Alex - i will take that up.
Comment by Andy — 12 December, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
# 11 Especially as UCU supports and campaing against bullying at work and is nationally is affiliated to the StWC.
In May, the outgoing joint General Secretary, Paul Mackney said:-
“We need peace not war, grants not bombs.
We want an end to detention, torture, rendition, Abu Ghraib, Belmarsh and Guantanamo … an end to cluster bombs, daisy cutters, white phosphorous and all the instruments of illegal occupation. We want an end to the death of hundreds of British and American troops and thousands upon thousands of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon.
We want the troops withdrawn – now!
It seems too easy to say that the money spent on war could have gone to education but that actual decision was made when the government decided to ally with the US in the so-called war on terror. ”
The fact that the security guards felt that they could act in this way implies some form of management directive. If so the principal and governors are accountable for their actions. A profile of the governors is can be found on their web site at http://www.swindon-college.ac.uk, in the College Governance section.
I note that the student governor position is vacant. I wonder how students take to being ordered not to take leaflets by security guards?
In my day that would have been “Occupation!” talk.
Comment by Alex Nichols — 13 December, 2007 @ 9:23 pm
In my day that would have been “Occupation!” talk.
We had that Lord Goldsmith come to speak at our university last term. Us old geezers were in despair at the [non-]reaction from the students - I don’t think there was even a token picket. Time was you wouldn’t have been able to get in the hall.
(Blimey, it gets worse. I google “battle of Brittan” and I find one - one - reference to the event in question & approximately fifty squillion mis-spellings. O tempura, o morays!)
Comment by Phil — 13 December, 2007 @ 10:04 pm