Hackney Solidarity Group

Hackney Solidarity Group

A community politics group active in the early to mid nineties. Published The Hackney Heckler newsletter.

Introductory leaflet, distributed at the Anarchist Bookfair:

DO YOU LIVE IN HACKNEY? IF YOU DO . . . THEN GET STUCK IN!

There are a lot of things wrong with this world. It’s not a matter of moralism, it’s a matter of our lives and survival. You already know that – that’s why you’re at the Anarchist Bookfair. You know that things are shit. You know that things could be much better. So we won’t bore you telling you what you already know.

But reading books won’t change this world for the better – though it can help. Nor will socialising with friends and comrades – though it is part of the revolutionary process. One way of changing this world (but it’s definitely not the be all and end all ) is by organising together as revolutionaries for agitation and struggle in the local area. But this does not mean that we are “localist”. This is a global struggle for our liberation – but this struggle starst at home: as that old saying goes: “think global, act local”.

Anyone and everyone can join – as long as they agree with our basic Aims and Principles. Our main form of activity is based around the production of our free newssheet the “Hackney Heckler”. This comes out every two months and we normally print 10,000 copies, most of which are delivered door to door on the estates of Hackney.

The “heckler” has managed to wind up the Labour council so much that they are threatening to take us to court for libel! We’re about to bring out the tenth issue and we’re still going to dig the dirt on those above us.

In the past, we were heavily involved in the anti poll tax struggle in Hackney (possibly the highest non-payment rate in the country): we helped to set up the coalition grouping of “No War But The Class War” which opposed all states in the Gulf War – and loads of other things as well! We also believe that self education is crucial. We are neither dogmatists or gurus.

Our ideas are dynamic and we seek to learn from each other all the time – so to this end we have monthly discussion meetings which cover everything from sexuality to the Russian Revolution via platformism!

We meet every week and try to structure the meetings so that they are as interesting and open as possible.

We don’t always succed but at least we’re aware of some of the problems of organising together. We provide a babysitting service for anyone with children who wants to come.

Our meetings are on Tuesdays, 7:30pm kick-off – and the location is the Old Fire Station, 61 Leswin Rd, Hackney, N16. Come along if your interested or drop us a line at our mailing ad-dress below.

FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION
HACKNEY SOLIDARITY GROUP, PO BOX824, LONDON N1 9DL

AIMS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE HACKNEY SOLIDARITY GROUP

WE are a working class organisation of people living or working in Hackney.
WE seek to help build resistance to attacks on our class front government (local and national) and the bosses.
WE aim to give practical assistance and solidarity to ali strikers.
WE support local resistance to the Poll Tax, dole cuts and forced labour schemes for the unemployed, the deportation of refugees and immigrants, major new road plans, bad housing and homelessness and the yuppification of our area.
WE are for active opposition to racism and racist attacks from the police and other racists and fascists.
WE are for active opposition to sexism and support women’s self organisation and struggles.
WE are opposed to discrimination on the grounds of sexuality
WE reject the Labour Party, t.u.c bureaucrats and Parliament.
WE are for the direct control of struggles by everyone involved and are for direct action in the workplace and community.
ULTIMATELY we seek the abolition of the present system where the rich exploit the rest of us.
WE want a social system based on freedom, equality and social justice.