Sam PF's Journal
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Below are the 2 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Sam PF" journal:
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01:22 am
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Decisions, decisions
So, tomorrow is the 1st of May, international labour day, and here in Sweden they take it quite seriously and there are all sorts of demonstrations and stuff by left parties (and, curiously, the centre party), trade unions and others. I'm rather inclined to go on one in Stockholm, the question is which?
The Anarchists could be fun, but they meet at 9.30am. Since when did Anarchists get out of bed so early?
The VänsterPartiet (Left Party), who seem to be Socialist Feminists (Marxist origins but now fluffier), meet at 12pm at Medborgarsplatsen down in Södermalm, marching up to Kungsträdgården, which is a nice route and a civilised time.
There's a Syndicalist gathering in Sergels Torg at 11am. Another leftist party with them, just called something like "The Socialists". Not sure who exactly they are. Still a little early, particularly if I watch the episode of Bones that's just downloaded.
The Socialdemokraterna (Social Democrats), all I can find on their website is the talk by some of their leader-like people in the afternoon. I can't believe they don't have a march as well, but I can't find it. They're wishy-washy reformists of course, but they'd probably have the unions with them. Hmm. From the Swedish Trade Unions federation (Landsorganisationen) website, they give exactly the same as the Social Dems. Just talking the talk, not walking the walk. Very strange.
Oh, finally. Shoulda been looking at the local website, not the national. Ah, a whole program which actually includes the Anarchists' thing. It's a demonstration for the Spanienfrivilliga. Spanish free will? Aaaaaaaah, the monument to the volunteers in the Spanish Civil War. Then there's visits to Anna Lindh's and Olof Palme's graves, then a gathering at 1 and a march at 2 followed by the talks. That's better.
Pretty much comes down to a choice bewteen the main moderaty socialist/trade union demo or the Vänsters, and either way there's an option on getting up hideously early for a holiday to honour the Spanish Civil War martyrs. The Vänsterpartiet are probably closer to me ideologically (apart from wanting to leave the EU which I don't), although there's something to be said for the big demo with all the trade unions and stuff.
Either way, I clearly need to learn the Internationale properly. (Yes I know, shocking that I haven't already.) But will they be singing it in Swedish or the original French?
Well, all this calls for:
Poll #1180499
Open to: All, results viewable to: AllWhich 1st May demo should I go to? Should I honour the Spanish Civil War martyrs? What language should I learn the Internationale in?
And Happy May Day/Beltaine!
ETAOh yes, and Happy Ascencion Day too! (Yep, going to that too later on.)
Tags: politics, sweden
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09:08 pm
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Stoppa kriget!
Went on an anti-Iraq war demonstration today, one of a number around the world to mark the fifth anniversary of the war in a few days time. Hum, trying to find a picture. Ah, here are a few. Not such a trendy activity these days, but the turnout was better than I expected - maybe up to 1,000. Dagens Nyheter said 'hundreds', which is consistent with that.
A lot of Iraqis there, who were carrying a giganimous Iraqi flag near the head of the demo. Sweden has been very good at taking in Iraqi refugees from the war, compared to other EU countries - though now they are apparently being monumentally stupid, with the immigration authorities apparently now deciding that there is not a war in Iraq, so they can refuse asylum claims to new arrivals. (Not sure of the details, whether they're actually sending people back). Also a large number of Iraqis, principally Kurds, from a previous generation of refugees, though I imagine many of their attitudes towards the war might be (understandably) rather different.
A plus point compared to the British demos was that there was a bit of a rally at the start as well as the end. With music, including a blues band from the Left Party, who gained loads of awesome points in my books by playing A las Barricadas. Also some hip-hoppers.
Lots of chanting in Swedish of course, which makes a change from the British ones - also quite good for language in terms of getting one's mouth properly round the sounds - somewhat like. I think my favourite was
Vad tänker vi om Bush?
Illa! Illa!
Hur illa?
Skit illa! Usch! Usch! Usch!
Also nice clear, slowly-spoken speeches, which is good listening practice, as my ear is lagging badly behind my reading and even my speaking. Could actually get a reasonable proportion of what they were saying, which is encouraging.
More seriously, a young Iraqi teenager, Ayat Suleiman and her father Ismail spoke - she had been badly injured by a US cluster bomb, leaving her with 65% burns. Four of her brothers, Ishak, Yakub, Yosef and Yassin (sp?) were killed in the explosion.
Cluster munitions are weapons that spread a large number - sometimes hundreds of small submunitions or bomblets over a wide area. Delivered from land or air, their aim is to act as an area-denial weapon. This makes them fundamentally indiscriminate, and even if there are no civilians in the area at the time, a significant proportion of submunitions (even so-called 'smart' ones) fail to explode, and remain as a deadly leftover - especially as a lot of them are brightly coloured and can look like children's toys. (One of Ayat's brothers did just that and brought one home, the source of the Suleimans' tragedy.) War is always hell, but cluster bombs add one more gruesome circle. There is an international campaign to ban them.
Current Music: A las barricadas
Tags: peace, politics, sweden, war
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