As if sleazy corporate sponsors for the London Olympics were not enough, now at least one sleazy corporate sponsor for the London Paralympics.
This video from Britain is called Disabled people protest against Atos Origin. That corporation now calls itself Atos, without the “Origin”.
From daily The Morning Star in Britain:
Anti-cuts demo targets Atos HQ
Tuesday 14 August 2012
by Paddy McGuffin, Home Affairs Reporter
Disability and anti-cuts groups have vowed to shut down the headquarters of controversial Paralympic sponsors Atos in protest against its involvement in the games.
UK Uncut and Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) are set to stage the Closing Atos Ceremony at 12.45pm on Friday August 31 – the second day of the Paralympics.
Atos has been fiercely criticised over its handling of the Department for Work and Pensions £100 million-a-year contract to assess people claiming incapacity benefit.
Campaigners said that 1,100 claimants died last year while under compulsory work-related activity for benefit and a number of those found “fit for work” and stripped of their benefits have committed or attempted suicide.
The British Medical Association, disabled groups and MPs have all demanded the work capability assessments be scrapped immediately.
An early day motion tabled by John McDonnell and signed by 83 MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn and Ian Lavery, deplored the fact that “thousands of sick and disabled constituents are experiencing immense hardship after being deprived of benefits following a work capability assessment carried out by Atos Healthcare.”
Earlier this month the High Court granted permission for two disabled people to bring a claim for judicial review against the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, challenging the operation of the assessments.
UK Uncut and DPAC have pledged to engage in direct action, creative protests and promised “plenty of surprises.”
The groups stress they are not opposed to the Paralympics but Atos’s “hypocritical” involvement.
DPAC spokesman Paddy Murphy said: “Atos receives hundreds of millions of pounds while many disabled people are being forced to live in abject poverty because of their decisions.
“By sponsoring the Paralympics, Atos is trying to give the impression of supporting disabled people. Don’t be fooled. This is just another opportunity for it to cash in.”
And UK Uncut activist Kat Templeton said: “Atos are spearheading the government’s attacks on welfare.
“This is about making ordinary people pay for a crisis caused by the bankers. It’s about making disabled people pay, instead of super-rich tax dodgers who cost us over £25 billion every year.”
Thousands expressed outrage today over the confusing and “disgraceful” Paralympic ticketing system that allegedly “bans” disabled people sitting with their families: here.
The Paralympic flames will be created on the summit of the highest peaks of the four home nations, London 2012 announced today: here.
Labour peer Lord Morris of Manchester, a pioneer of disabled rights legislation, has died at the age of 84: here.
Reblogged this on NonviolentConflict.
I was in the ATOS office yesterday. We had to wait an hour after the appointment time to see a sad-looking nurse. When I asked why the wait she said, “We’re busy…” “So it’s not because of the holiday then?” She just frowned.
It’s very painful and debilitating
I’ve got a rare type of auto-immune illness called Palindromic Arthritis – it’s like Rheumatoid Arthritis but the symptoms come and go really quickly. You can imagine trying to explain that to these people
First she called it something else. When I corrected her she argued at first but then had to go and consult a doctor and eventually conceded I was right.
What was really scary was that she didn’t know the medical terms for the wrist, ankle and finger joints. “I’m not that kind of nurse,” she explained. I didn’t like to ask what kind of nurse she actually was, but if I had been lacking in confidence she would have argued I was mistaken or making it all up.
I’m waiting now to see what her opinion was.
I feel sorry for loads of folk that will see their benefits cut with little hope of getting a job.
I’ll keep you informed when I hear more
Regards Dave
How awful for you. I wish I could say that your story is unusual but we’ve heard quite a few such Atos horrors on LiveJournal too. I run a disability community there, friendly_crips, and I’m going to post the link to Dear Kitty’s post about it there. http://friendly-crips.livejournal.com/
Cool – lovely to meet you. I’ll come and say “hi” x
This is one of the horrors of the Thatcherite “privatisation” ideology in practice. Best wishes to both of you in your fight against it!
Cheers – it’s going on all over the world.
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