from livestreams of the day with Bambuser
https://vimeo.com/48640242
The Closing ATOS ceremony DPAC UKUNCUT from Small Axe Films on Vimeo.
Disability protesters clash with police
Report by Sam Datta-Paulin (ITN video)
Atos protest: Disability rights groups target firm BBC News London (video)
Channel 5 news: Atos Closing Ceremony
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Today saw another demonstration by disability activists against Atos Origin.
The company won a £300 million contract to re asses people on benefits which activists say is no more than cuts and are forcing many hundreds of thousands of genuinely sick and disabled people off benefits altogether.
As one activist commented: Atos is a ‘professional healthcare’ company. It’s motives are profit driven and they are more concerned with the health of their bank balance than that of the claimants. The testing is a tick box system and you don’t need any medical knowledge to tick a box. The use of such a private so-called ‘healthcare’ company is being used by the Coalition to give them some sort of unwarranted credibility to justify their despicable policies of attacking those who can least defend themselves.
At one point tensions were raised when the police removed demonstrators from the entrance to the building.
Demotix Report and photos from Howard Jones
More photos from DPAC flickr
French TV camera crew interviewing Adam
London Triton Sq Party and Picnic 2pm
More photo accounts from Pete Riches Flickr
Photos also from Howard Jones at Demotix
From DPAC Flickr
Cambridge
Protesters occupied a city-based office building that is home to Atos Healthcare, claiming the firm is “victimising” those with specific needs.
Banners were strung from the roof of the building and dozens of campaigners entered the office building in Hills Road, Cambridge, pledging to stay overnight.
The office was chosen because Atos won a recent Government contract to reassess incapacity benefit claimants and the demonstration was part of UK-wide action.
More at https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Protesters-occupy-healthcare-building-12052011.htm
Picket and Picnic at Atos Glasgow 12 May 5pm-6pm
More from https://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com
Over a dozen claimants and supporters managed to get our message out about Atos, that ‘They Rob From The Poor To Give To The Rich’ to hundreds of shoppers and people going home from work outside the Atos offices at 45 Gordon Street in the centre of Glasgow between 5pm and 6pm. Banners proclaimed that ‘Atos Are Making The Sick Pay For The Greedy Bankers Debt. ‘Atos Make A Profit Out Of The Misery Of The Sick’ was screamed out to passersby.
New people signed up to take part in the next anti-Atos demo on Monday 6th June between 6pm and 8pm at the Atos recruitment evening at the assessment centre, Corunna House, 29 Cadogan Street
Friday May 13th at noon outside Waterstones bookshop opposite bull statue in Bullring centre DPAC was joined by supporters for leafleting and street theatre ‘ The Computer Says NO’ an adaptation of a Brighton Benefit Campaign play.
'Atos Kill' protestors DPAC Birmingham
DPAC co founders Linda Burnip, Eleanor Lisney and Bob Williams-Findlay and supporters were at Birmingham handing out leaflets to interested shoppers and doing an adaptation of ‘The Computer Says No’ . The bystanders /audience were supportive and responded with gusto.Visitors who dropped by to say hello included Birmingham People First and from nearby EHRC regional office.
Photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/disabledpeopleprotest/sets/72157626712433434/