Tag: South Yorkshire


Jan
2015

Latest from the Freedom Riders

categories: Freedom Ride
We had a very large meeting again last Thursday to decide what we are doing this coming year. There was a very good discussion and the following activities have been arranged.

Monday 26th January 11am: meet at Barnsley train station. We will have a short rally there and then go round to Midland Street where Stagecoach have their offices. We are going to demand that they consider bringing in the same offer that TM Travel have introduced of a £1 fare between 9am and 9.30am and after 11pm.

Monday 2nd February 1pm: lobby outside Transport Committee on Regent Street Barnsley. Their minutes show that they have reserves of £12.2 million pounds. This is 15% of their previous year’s spending! We are going to demand that they ‘clean up’ their budget by spending some of this on returning our concessions. Bring a brush or a broom if you can to show we are there to help with the ‘cleaning up’ of the budget. Following the lobby we will go down to the interchange to use our brushes and brooms to clean up the interchange to protest at jobs being cut which will reduce cleaning among other things.

Thursday 5th February 11am: Next Freedom Ride planning meeting in Barnsley Library. We decided to hold meetings every two weeks so the next meeting after this will be 19th February.

Monday 2nd March: Protest outside Northern Rail headquarters in York. We are going to hire a coach to take people there. We hope to pick up Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster getting to York about 11.45am. If you want to take part in this protest then let me know so I can book a seat for you.We also discussed arranging Freedom Rides again in the near future. A number of new ideas were put forward about how to organise these. There will be more discussion about how to do this at the rally at Barnsley station on 26th January.

Other things happing: I have just been informed that Barnsley Council have decided to cut funding of the mobility shop between Alhambra and Holland and Barrett. This will have a devastating effect on many disabled and elderly people who use the mobility scooters to travel round town to do their shopping. It is an issue that we should take up. Any ideas welcome.

Thursday 22nd January: the Yorkshire and Humber National Pensioners Convention quarterly meeting is taking place at Hillsborough Arena. Some people at Thursday’s meeting said that they were interested in going. The meeting starts at 11am. We will have a chance to report on Freedom Riders but most of the meeting will be dealing with other items of concern to pensioners. If you are intending going let me know and I’ll pass on details of how to find the venue which is 3 minutes walk from the Hillsborough Park tram stop.

Thursday 29th January 2.30pm: Barnsley Retirees Action Group meeting Age UK offices bottom of Queens Road. We will be discussing how to fight back against other cuts being made to pensioners.

Tuesday March 31st: will be exactly one year since our first Freedom Ride. Do think about something exciting we can do to mark that anniversary.
George
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Jan
2015

Message from George

categories: Freedom Ride
Hi all Freedom Ride supporters.

Happy New Year to everyone (we can always hope!)

A reminder that our next planning meeting is this Thursday 15th January 11am Barnsley Library.

The Passenger Transport Executive have begun the New Year with customary arrogance.

In spite of a brilliant Freedom Ride lobby of 40 outside their meeting last Monday and good arguments put forward by Tony they ignored all the evidence from our consultation last year.

It is true that they backed off from cutting our concessions any more this year which shows they knew that would have created mass protests.

But they have not met any of our suggestions about how to look for a compromise and they have made cuts which affect everyone. The ending of printed timetables will be a serious concern to all those who have no access to the internet which includes many elderly. The cutting of cleaning facilities at the interchanges and bus stops will make the travelling experience worse for all of us.

On Thursday we can look at plans for the Freedom Rides this year. Apart from still campaigning about the train travel a number of people have suggested issues around bus travel, particularly looking at the issue of not being able to use passes until 9.30am.

Finally, thanks to those who turned out at stations on January 5th to leaflet against the train fare increases as part of the national campaign. 35 stations were leafleted around the country. People everywhere are starting to stand up for better treatment on public transport across the country.

Hope to see many of you on Thursday,

George

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Dec
2014

Message of Solidarity to Freedom Riders

categories: Freedom Ride

Ged Dempsey
Wath upon Dearne
Rotherham

Dave/Comrades,

I am disappointed that owing to being at a union conference, that was arranged months ago, I can not be with you this time to celebrate this massive victory for this magnificiant campaign that has grabbed the attention of our Movement and country.

The campaign has been fantastic and is a justification for fighting for free travel for the elderly and disabled who have paid into the big pot all their lives. Concessionary travel should be extended to cover the unwaged and low paid too.

As we know, it was not the elderly, disabled, unemployed or workers that caused the mess that lead to austerity.

Instead it was the madcap casino economics of the so called political elite and the vested interests and greed of fatcats, bankers and big business.

They have returned to business, as usual, whilst the rest of us as victims pay the price and face ever more swingeing cuts and get shafted!

This result is a vindication of the courage and solidarity by the freedom riders.

That standing together and being counted does work.

That not “kow towing” to the brutal force and thuggery of the state works for our class.

That the transport police and those behind the brutal attacks and manipulation should be put in the dock to face justice.

We have been proud and honoured to stand with you in this valiant struggle.

On behalf of our GPM comrades within the Print Sector, the General Secretary & Chair of Unite and all the Executive Council we salute you.

In Solidarity

Bro Ged Dempsey
Member of Unite EC

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Dec
2014

Seconds out, round three!

categories: Freedom Ride
10822594_751459111602080_1951433753_nRound 1 was getting the cuts to diasbled passes completely 100% overturned.

Round 2 was the charges against Tony and George were thrown out of court.

Round 3 will be the reinstatement of the Freedom Rides unless the local Transport people reinstate the pensioners free train travel!

The t-shirts should be available at the Freedom Ride victory celebration.

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Nov
2014

Charges dropped against arrested Sheffield rail protest OAPs

categories: Freedom Ride

This article by Alex Evan originally appeared in The Star.

Charges against two rail cuts protesters aged in their 60s who were arrested at Sheffield Railway Station have been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

GeorgeArthur_LoRes
The CPS confirmed to The Star that charges of obstructing police and fare evasion against Tony Nuttall and George Arthur will no longer be taken to trial.

The ‘Freedom Riders’ from Barnsley Retirees Action Group were arrested on June 23 during protests against cuts to travel passes for elderly and disabled people.

The pair, aged 65 and 64, were handcuffed, arrested and bundled away by British Transport Police officers – prompting outrage from Sheffield Disabled People Against The Cuts and BRAG.

A video showing Mr Arthur being arrested by a group of officers and security guards went viral online.

Comments on The Star’s website accused officers of being ‘heavy handed’ in the way they dealt with the protesters.

Tony Nuttall was charged with obstructing a police officer and George Arthur with obstruction and fare evasion.

The pair had been due to face trial at Sheffield Magistrates Court on December 8.

Mr Nuttall said he felt ‘relieved’, and that the Freedom Riders campaign will continue to protest against cuts to rail passes for the elderly.

He said: “I personally feel very relieved but I think more than that, I feel pleased for the travel pass campaign.

“It’s not the final victory but I think this will be a real boost to the campaign.

“People at our meeting were elated.”

Mr Nuttall said himself and Mr Arthur have filed formal complaints against British Transport Police for the way the pair were arrested.

The BRAG protest organised for the date of the trial will now be changed to a ‘celebration’ of the charges being dropped, he said, with transport being laid on across South Yorkshire.

That will be followed by the group lobbying the next meeting of the South Yorkshire Transport Committee on December 15 at Regent Street, Barnsley, and again on January 5.

The ‘Freedom Rides’ which involve protesters travelling on trains across the region without paying as a form of protest, had been put on hold while Mr Arthur and Mr Nuttall faced trial.

But Mr Nuttall said the rides could re-start in January if the group is unsuccessful at getting free travel for the elderly reinstated.

He added: “This is another win for the freedom riders in our on-going battle. We won round one in June when we got back free travel for disabled people and half-price on the train for older people.

“Now we have won round two.

“Round three is coming up and we intend to keep on fighting as hard as we can.

“We are not going to do any freedom rides at the moment.

“But If the Transport Committee and the Combined Authority do not give us a commitment to reinstating free train travel by January, then we will re-start the freedom rides.”

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Nov
2014

Travel pass campaign update

categories: Freedom Ride

Join lobby at Sheffield Magistrates Court 9am December 8 to defend Tony and George. Coach from Barnsley at 8.15am.

The date of the court case is now rapidly approaching. Support for the rally outside the Magistrates Court is building and we need to re-double our efforts to make it as big as possible.

We had a great day leafleting for the rally in Doncaster last Monday. More than 20 of us turned up and we got a good reception from the people of Doncaster.

The next leafleting sessions are now:

Monday, 24th November, 11.30am, meet at the Transport Interchange In Rotherham. If you are going from Barnsley, there is a 22 bus leaving stand 19 at 10.20 that arrives in Rotherham at 11.22.

Monday, 1st December, 11.30am, meet at the Bus Station in Sheffield.

Friday, 5th December, 11.30am, meet at Barnsley Bus Station (a previous email said that this was going to be on Thursday 4th. This was a mistake – it is definitely Friday 5th.)

A reminder that there is free transport from Barnsley down to the rally on Monday, 8th December, leaving Barnsley at 8.15am. We now have over 50 booked. If you want to go down on the free transport from Barnsley, please reply by email or ring Tony Nuttall on 0775 883 6854.

We also now have a free coach going from Doncaster and stopping on the way at Rotherham. This is a great opportunity to get as many people as possible there from Doncaster and Rotherham. Further details will be circulated as soon as possible.

Our next open Freedom Rider meeting will be next Friday, 28th November, at 11.00am in Barnsley Library. I hope we can get a really big turn-out so that we can plan for the court rally and to continue our campaign.

To finish, here is the text of a letter that Ged Dempsey, a print worker, has sent to the newspapers. It shows how our campaign is getting wide support, including from industrial workers. Let’s continue to build! Unity is strength!

“Sir

The South Yorkshire Freedom Rider campaigners deserve the praise and recognition for standing up and fighting for the rights of vulnerable people and public transport with their peaceful protests.

Not only should there be affordable and accessible public transport but its right it should be free and concessionary for the elderly and disabled.

Northern Rail have used the police and private security to defend their action. How much has this cost?

The Condem austerity frenzy and funding restrictions are the root cause of this odious cutback although it was backward and not a progressive or enlightened step in the south yorkshire councils who made or defended the decision to to axe the funding.

It was politicians, bankers, casino economics and corporate greed that caused the deficit not the public. Yet again its us that pay the price whilst they return to business as usual!

The police have blocaded station platforms and kettled, yes kettled elderly people including the blind and disabled.

It is perverse that two of the voluntary group, retired Ton Nuttall and George Arthur,  find themselves in Crown court next month when it was them who were attacked by the brutality of transport police – attacking a peaceful protest and vulnerable people.

The freedom riders have been supported nationwide. The train company’s and police Action has again shamed our area across the world – in denying people the right to peacefully protest and defend their rights.

Their are plenty of footage on the interenet and on you tube for readers to view.

I urge people to protest to their MPs and  council in supporting the south yorkshire freedom riders and the above campaigners who are in the dock.

That we have free travel for the elderly and disabled who have paid into the big pot for a lifetime.

In solidarity
Ged Dempsey
Print worker”

More on this story here.

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Oct
2014

Support Tony and George

categories: Freedom Ride, Unite the Union

Lobby outside Sheffield Magistrates Court, Castle Street S3 8LU

Monday 8th December at 9am

 

DSC_5399
Tony Nuttall and George Arthur were violently arrested by British Transport Police at a Freedom Riders rally in Sheffield station on June 23rd.

This followed a series of peaceful mass ‘Freedom Rides’ by elderly and disabled pass holders from March 31st. They are charged with obstructing the police and not having a valid ticket and are summonsed for a 5 day trial.

Free bus from Barnsley 8.15am provided by Unite the Union. To book a seat on the bus please call 07758 836854.

Download the flyer: Freedom rider version 2

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Oct
2014

Up and Coming action from the Freedom Riders

categories: Freedom Ride

Reminder about what’s happening over next week:

Monday 27th October 11.30am – meet at Sheffield Town Hall to march to the Sheffield offices of the PTE to lobby and present our consultation figures.

Thursday 30th October 11am – Next open meeting for Freedom Riders Barnsley library.

Monday 3rd November 1pm – meet at SYPTE Barnsley office 18 Regent Street to lobby the next Transport Committee meeting – we have agreement that Tony can make a 5 minute presentation to Committee so we want to make sure he has lots of support.

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