Activism
Why adding surfing to the Olympic Games is bad news for surfers
From Where I Stand — So, it's official. Surfing has been added to the list of sports competed in at the Olympic Games, starting in Tokyo 2020. Despite the PR puff presentation of this being great news for the surf community, for surfers the reality is there's nothing to celebrate.
Written by: Dr Clifton Evers
The poet-turned-hero fighting for her country's future
Speaking up for silenced voices — Ketty Nivyabandi was a little-known Burundian poet until she led a dangerous protest against her country's president. But becoming an unlikely leader meant having to flee for her life. Now she's campaigning from afar.
Written by: Alex King
UK set to break promise of resettling 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020
MPs condemn lack of progress — A new report by the Home Affairs Select Committee has concluded that David Cameron’s target of resettling 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020 is unlikely to be met. It also blames European countries for not anticipating the crisis and criticises their response to ‘colossal’ numbers of asylum seekers.
Written by: Tenelle Ottley-Matthew
Black Lives Matter activists #shutdown Heathrow Airport in London
We shut shit down — Black Lives Matter campaigners have shut down roads leading down to Heathrow Airport and other city centres in the UK this morning in a day of action.
Written by: Michael Segalov
Black Lives Matter: Why we #Shutdown Heathrow Airport this morning
We shut shit down — London Heathrow Airport was brought to a standstill this morning, as black lives matter activists blockaded roads by locking themselves together, in London and cities across the UK. Black Lives Matter might sound to you like an American movement, but the we're in a state of crisis in Britain too.
Written by: Wail Qasim
I asked three nine-year-olds and a dog about UK politics
Journalism in 2016 — UK politics is seriously messy right now, as it is across the Atlantic, and pundits and commentators are struggling to keep up. But a new trend has swept through the sitting-rooms of North East London: tweeting nonsense about what your children make of politics instead. Disingenuous rhetoric, or irrelevant thoughts of toddlers? We went to find out.
Written by: Michael Segalov
What could a new UK recession mean for young people?
We need an economy that works — We spoke to economist Laurie MacFarlane, who explains young people are likely to bear the brunt of another economic downturn.
Written by: Alex King
I'm backing Jeremy Corbyn, but his message and tactics need to change fast
From Where I Stand — 'Doing politics differently’ was a key promise of Jeremy Corbyn’s remarkable victory in the heady summer of 2015. But since then he has focused on his economic message, not a vision for political change. Those of us set to vote for him again as Labour leader are entitled to demand a new course - not least because Labour faces electoral annihilation unless it considers entering pacts with other progressive parties.
Written by: Luke Cooper
Anger over unaffordable homes isn't self-entitlement, us renters are treated like shit
From Where I Stand — Too often we're told by the generation before us, who benefited from the housing boom, that we should stop complaining. But Abi Wilkinson argues that feeling angry that owning a home is nothing more than an impossible pipe-dream isn't self-entitlement, it's the reality of living in a country that treats renters so awfully.
Written by: Abi Wilkinson
We watched angry activists release thousands of bugs in a busy London restaurant
#BoycottByron — Earlier this week burger restaurant chain Byron hit the headlines for allegedly lying to their staff and calling fake meetings so immigration officials could swoop and make arrests. It's an incident that's been met with outrage, and last night we were invited to join a group of activists as they took matters into their own hands.
Written by: Michael Segalov