Parents have seized control of the closure threatened Wyndford Primary and St. Gregory's Primary Wyndford in the Maryhill area of Glasgow.
School occupations of Wyndford Primary and St. Gregory's Primary Wyndford both now running through the night.
Both schools are threatened with closure by Glasgow City Council.
An originally tense situation with police - who had threatened to storm the buildings around 6pm - has been resolved through negotiation, and the peaceful protests are being allowed to continue unharmed.
A rally in support of both schools to be held outside the school buildings (which adjoin each other) at 12 noon on Saturday 4th April.
Messages supporting the parents have been coming in from across Europe, including from the Dundee workers carrying out the Prisme Packaging factory occupation.
Comments
Heres some background from
Heres some background from Resistance:
Plans hatched by Glasgow City Council to close 25 primary schools and nurseries have been met with fury by both parents and the wider Glasgow community. Reaction to these plans have seen thousands-strong demonstrations, roof top occupations and lock-ins as parents and the community make their anger heard.
Despite the city council, over recent years, selling off its social housing stock and passing common good property such as libraries, museums and sports facilities to private concerns, they still seem to have managed to spend £6,000,000 over-budget. Due to the council displaying the financial acumen of a jakey on giro day* they now claim that it's the city's children, and by extension its future, that has to suffer.
Council plans to force children out of grade A and B (i.e. top) quality buildings into less suitable and even grade D (dangerous) buildings has been met with staunch resistance.
The 31st of January saw parents chain themselves to the entrance to a council shindig, forcing the politicians to clamber underneath them to gain entrance. this followed parent earlier chaining themselves to the entrance of the city chambers in protest at the council meeting on the school closures.
On the 14th of February the city saw a massive march as kids, parents, teachers and other Glaswegians marched in protest around the city centre. Many realised however that protest marches are not going to stop the councils schemes and parents have begun to take more militant action. Parents at Our Lady of the Assumption primary school in north west Glasgow mounted a protest on their kids school roof. When asked by a reporter whether they thought they were setting a good example to the children the occupier shouted back from the rooftop “Aye! Got to fight for your rights!”.
These attacks by the council cannot be seen in isolation, the Labour controlled
council has been on a fiscal bender ever for years now and will not stop cutting back services and destroying Glaswegian culture and communities until they are stopped and removed by the people of the city.
Without a doubt this struggle will go on, the people of Glasgow can only be pushed so far. The city council will be deciding upon the fate of these schools, kids and communities on April 21st. Pressure will continue to mount to keep the schools open until that point and beyond. The anarchist federation in Glasgow will continue to offer practical support and solidarity in this struggle.
*The Anarchist Federation would like to apologise to Glasgow's colourful street drinking community for implying association with the city cooncil.
discussion and updates
discussion and updates here:
http://libcom.org/forums/news/school-occupations-glasgow-04042009#comment-322905