1980s
1989: The Risley prisoners' uprising
In 1989 prisoners at Risley Remand Centre celebrated 1 May in style by taking over a wing of the notoriously squalid, brutal prison and spending three days on the roof. We remember the Risley uprising and analyse its legacy for prisoners' struggle in Britain.
Gris Ris
In 1988 the Chief Inspector of Prisons Stephen Tumim described Risley as 'barbarous and squalid', `appalling and totally unacceptable', `dirty and dilapidated'.
1981: The Brixton riots
The following article is a personal account of the run-up to the anti-police riots in Brixton, South London, and the riots themselves.
By now the social and economic background to the Brixton riots will be familiar to most people.
1980: The Kwangju uprising
The history of the week-long uprising of the South Korean town of Kwangju against the regime of the West-backed dictator General Chun Doo-Hwan.
Though it was bloodily suppressed it helped ignite a chain of similar rebellions across Asia, winning people many democratic rights.
1986-1996: Anarchism in Turkey
A brief history of the still-young anarchist movement in Turkey.
The anarchist movement came to the political scene of Turkey not very many years ago. The publication of Kara a monthly magazine, was the starting point of anarchism in Turkey in 1986. Before the publication of this monthly magazine, there had not been any anarchist periodical or any anarchist circle which attempted to express itself.
1985-2001: Anti-Fascist Action (AFA)
A short history of Anti-Fascist Action (AFA), which fought a secret war against the far right in Britain and drove them off the streets.
AFA was originally set up in 1985 as a broad front anti-fascist organisation. The main fascist organisation at this time, following the demise of the National Front after Thatcher took power in 1979, was the British National Party (BNP), a more extreme split from the NF.
1960-today: Skinhead culture
A short history of Skinhead culture from its birth in 1960s Britain, and its relation to racist, anti-racist and working class politics.
Oi Oi Oi! A brief history of skinheads
1988: The Halabja Massacre
The history of the Saddam Hussein's poison gas attack, with the complicity of the West, in the working class stronghold of Halabja.
Eyewitness in Halabja
1989: Australian pilots strike
An account of the 1989 strike of the highly democratic and self-managed Australian Federation of Air Pilots union, which was the biggest industrial struggle of the period.
John Pilger in his book Secret Country wrote about graft and corruption in Australia Today. He mentions several various powerful individuals. These same individuals – Sir Peter Ables, Rupert Murdoch, Bob Hawke all were involved in the conspiracy to smash the Australian Federation of Air Pilots.
1988-1989: P&O seafarers' strike
The history of P&O shipping workers who struck against wage and job cuts for 16 months. The company tried to break the strike, the government requisitioned the union's funds. The union eventually ordered the strikers back to work, defeated.
In March 1987 the ferry 'Herald of Free Enterprise' overturned in the Belgium
Port of Zeebrugge and 191 passengers and crew members lost their lives. The
owners, P&O plc, expressed regret but pushed on with trying to maximise
their profits by cutting jobs, lengthening the remaining workers hours and
cutting their pay.
1987: Puerto Real shipyard strike
The history of a large strike of shipyard workers in Spain against closure. An important feature of this strike was not just the high level of militance but the active involvement of the local community and the directly democratic way the struggle was organised.
In
1987, the shipyards in Puerto Real were to be shut down by the governing Thatcherite
"Socialist" Party, PSOE. However, a militant strike and solidarity
of local people saved the yards and won huge gains for the staff. In this
not only did the great determination and ingenuity on the part of the workers
