The Day They Drove Old Glasgow Down
Jan. 31st, 2009 12:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
f4f3I know, I'm in posting overdrive, but I couldn't let the 90th anniversary of the last reading of the Riot Act in Britain pass unmentioned. Note that the government sent in troops from England when they already had a sizeable (Scottish) garrison at the Maryhill Barracks.
This was an event that shaped the city I grew up in. My grandfather was in the square, or at least said he was, and many of my father's political mentors learnt their socialism at the feet of Jimmy Maxton or Manny Shinwell. It was an international socialism that reached out to Spain and Russia (probably for too long, to Russia) and drew its strength from the shipyards and coal mines.
The Red Flag has flown over the City Chambers many times since then, and Glasgow's Council had links to Palestine and the ANC in the 70's and 80's which I'm still proud of.
Ninety years is all that separates us from a London government sending troops to Glasgow. And people wonder why I want independence.
This was an event that shaped the city I grew up in. My grandfather was in the square, or at least said he was, and many of my father's political mentors learnt their socialism at the feet of Jimmy Maxton or Manny Shinwell. It was an international socialism that reached out to Spain and Russia (probably for too long, to Russia) and drew its strength from the shipyards and coal mines.
The Red Flag has flown over the City Chambers many times since then, and Glasgow's Council had links to Palestine and the ANC in the 70's and 80's which I'm still proud of.
Ninety years is all that separates us from a London government sending troops to Glasgow. And people wonder why I want independence.
