Siobhán McGuirk

Why Does This Happen? A video mash-up made in response to the killing of 17 Afghan civilians by a US soldier on March 10, 2012 and the media coverage it provoked. Winner: Best Super…

Seeing as mashups of war and pop culture are doing the rounds, here’s an alternate take on US militarism, chauvinism and war crimes through that lens

vimeo.com/40127773?fl=...

One from the archives. I co-wrote this in Mexico in 2011… Context and history for those interested in how cartels and the war on drugs has shaped daily life for decades

The front cover of a graphic novella “The Ton Pot Foreign General and the Old Iron Woman” by Raymond Briggs. It shows two metal faces, with wild eyes and clenched teeth, saying “mine!” over a tiny island, which is saying “help!” The backdrop is a red white and blue cross

I’m so glad my parents had this book at home—and let me read it even when very young. I’m so glad Raymond Briggs wrote a comic, so simply conveying the folly and horrors of war

As we learned about war at primary school, this taught me to be anti-war. I’m so glad it’s on my local pub bookshelf now

Hola Lourdes. Trabajo por una revista (sin fines de lucro) @redpeppermag.bsky.social. Nuestro comrade Íker Suárez ha escrito un artículo para la próxima edición. El me recomendó para preguntarte si podíamos publicar algunas de tus photos, junto con su texto… ¿Sería posible? Podemos pagarte :)

When Trump’s first term began, Bezos added a slogan to The Washington Post: ‘Democracy dies in darkness’

Media barons *always* have power to turn off the lights. There is no surprise here

Support independent media; now, always

Looking forward to this important day of learning, discussion and strategy from @declassifieduk.org

Challenging the War Machine — join us in London or online!

I’ll be there with @redpeppermag.bsky.social exploring the media’s role in contesting militarisation

In practice, asylum systems have always favoured elites (able to articulate experiences, afford good lawyers, appear suitably deserving to adjudicators, charities etc). But a government putting +/- *years* on process on basis of health, earning power, etc is stark

Basic premise of asylum is that war + persecution impact people who are poor; ‘unskilled’; don’t have assets needed to secure visas otherwise etc. New UK laws are overly designed to punish those who lack social+financial capital (working class); reward rich elites (already hyper-mobile)

A real treat to write about Jurassic Park as anticapitalist inspiration for the new @leftcultures.bsky.social (with brilliant illustration as ever)

A great project celebrating radical politics in unexpected places

🚨BREAKING: We’re deeply concerned at the use of counter terrorism powers to target protest groups.

This is the latest in a succession of measures taken by the UK government to clamp down on protest in the UK.

It has always been genocide

Israeli politicians state clear intent
Palestinians livestream atrocity
Millions protest, face arrest & smears
Experts present data & facts

Arms sales-handshakes-passive voice-excuses-denials continue

‘New’ headlines echo a truth foretold
It has always been genocide

Feeling energised and inspired to action by the sharp insights, provocations, debates and ideas suggested in our rapid-fire workshop

Right wing influence/ dominance in the media *can* be opposed, through alliance & action beyond media spheres…

“Off the doom scroll into communities!” Great advice

Do not give up hope, do not look away, do not stop doing what you can do (and you can do a lot) to end genocide and occupation 👇

Article embracing the challenges of collaboration in research and curation — and celebrating queer sensibilities in action. (Hat tip to Halberstam!)

🚨 for academics exploring applications of queer theory, creative methods, participation

intellectdiscover.com/content/jour... 🌈🎓

The @pef-online.bsky.social Conference showed in every moment that different, fair, data-driven economic (& related social) policies are on the table… but ignored by politicians locked into neoliberalism. An inspiring but painful event, as Labour sinks itself & squanders opportunity for change

I have frequently been racially harassed by police and civilians. I have been detained and cross examined by racist border guards just because I have a Muslim first name. No newspaper has ever said people like me have “legitimate concerns” about racism in Europe. We don’t get that privilege.

If you’ve somehow not left Labour yet, as a member or a voter, go now.

Tell your MP why on the way out…

Racist rhetoric, cruel cuts, promoting transphobia, punishing disability, illegally selling weaponry, supporting genocide, protecting private industry, refusing to tax millionaires… 🥀🥀🥀

WEER at @sohotheatre.bsky.social is astoundingly good.

One of the best physical theatre/ clowning performances I’ve ever seen, complemented by archly queer pop-culture skewering from Natalie Palamides

(Seeing a packed house (700+…?) for alt. theatre with affordable tickets is also magic 🪄)

Article embracing the challenges of collaboration in research and curation — and celebrating queer sensibilities in action. (Hat tip to Halberstam!)

🚨 for academics exploring applications of queer theory, creative methods, participation

intellectdiscover.com/content/jour... 🌈🎓

A Law Letter on FWS v Scottish Ministers A coalition of legal academics have drafted a letter setting out our support for trans rights and our concerns about the FWS v Scottish Ministers UKSC ruling. We are opening it up for signature to ev...

A coalition of legal academics have drafted a letter supporting trans rights & sharing concerns about the FWS v Scottish Ministers ruling.

If you work in the legal profession in the UK (eg, academics, practitioners, anyone else 'doing law') please consider signing:

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Our social relationships are never unphysical. Our physical relationships are never unsocial. Our bodies are ourselves and they are situated in a social environment at the same time. The projections onto our varied bodies and minds based on this are expansive and unavoidable everywhere.

Red Pepper is entering a new era.

Help shape our future at our first community forum on 5 April at 12 pm BST online.

Readers from all corners of the globe are invited. 🌶️

www.redpepper.org.uk/community-co...

Left media is facing tough challenges as production costs rise & digital platforms push paid, clickbait & fact-free content

@redpeppermag.bsky.social wants to hear from YOU: what’s needed now?

Share your insights in our survey & community forums. First up: online, 5 April, 12-1.15pm

Details ⤵️

A hard decision—but this is not the end

Independent, accessible & trustworthy journalism needs investment. If we want better than “free” platforms run by millionaires fuelled by algorithms, ads & dishonesty we must build it

Join our upcoming Community Consultation to forge a stronger left media

Will be thinking long on #TheYears, so thoughtfully staged & layered. Both tribute to feminist movements & indictment of how the bourgeois can benefit while removed; mistaking knowledge of global liberation struggle for engagement. Complex complexities. Incredible cast.

Local independent news co-operatives like Bristol Cable doing essential work. Institutional racist police forces are not going to hold themselves to account — only communities can do that

A man in a white hat pokes his head through an artwork that says: My Head is Disconnected

A person with grey hair looks at a series of framed micro paintings

Only a few filmmakers make art, fewer still can make serious work that captures & revels in the utter bizarreness of human emotion & everyday life. A rare gift

Anyway. Here are my parents enjoying David Lynch’s invitation to loose their heads in his work

(Manchester International Festival 2019)

It's been obvious for some time that the scale of Israel's mass slaughter of civilians in Gaza has been grossly underreported.

This won't stop the denialists here and elsewhere, of course.

Mark Zuckerberg has gone full Maga | Siva Vaidhyanathan It’s a mistake to describe the Meta CEO’s move as a retreat from ‘fact-checking’: it’s a retreat from limiting harm to users

“Zuckerberg [believes] that he knows better than the rest of us and that his company’s services are good for us. He is not acting as a mercenary capitalist. He is acting as a megalomaniacal ideologue”

Informed, historical analysis of #Meta (ignore the headline)

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Headline

The same headline must have been repeated over a dozen times already - America ‘trying’ to get a ceasefire in Gaza while its ally Israel, the one America arms and funds, commits another massacre