Moss Side 1981 – riot or uprising?

Gus John was a key figure in the Moss Side Defence Committee, which formed to defend Black people charged during the violent confrontations between the police and the public in 1981.

Prior to John’s keynote speech at an online antiracism rally on Monday 1 March, Ameen Hadi reflects on the reasons this conflict erupted in 1981 and how it can inform the ongoing struggle against racism.

Breathing life back into Tom Paine’s bones – graphic novel aims to resurrect neglected political reformer

Thomas Paine was a radical human rights and political reform advocate whose work inspired the American Revolution and the formation of a democratic United States.

Artist Paul Fitzgerald is determined to re-tell the story of this forgotten hero whose work still has valid lessons to be learned in these stormy times for democracies worldwide. Kickstarter campaign aims to get this graphic novel project over the finish line. Paul answers The Meteor’s questions on why he wants to graphically re-tell Tom’s story to a new audience.

Israeli company Elbit, owner of recently occupied arms factory in Oldham, receives multi-million UK contract

Elbit Systems, the controversial arms firm with a factory in Oldham that supplies equipment to the Israeli military, has received a contract of over £100 million from the government to supply ‘battlefield technology’ to UK armed forces.

Pro-Palestinian protestors occupied the factory on Monday calling for a stop to its trade in military equipment used in attacks that kill Palestinian civilians.