Interesting Facts

25th March 1306 - Robert the Bruce became King of Scotland. 1807 - The Slave Trade Act "An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade" was signed. It made slave trading illegal throughout the British Empire. "Slavery is still practised in new forms that today affect millions of men, women and children across the world." Koichiro Matsuura 1957 - The European Economic Community was established. The members were West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. 1969 - During their honeymoon, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their first Bed-In for Peace in the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel. 1975 - King Faisal of Saudi Arabia was shot and killed at his palace in Riyadh, by his mentally ill nephew. March 25th also used to be the start of the new year in England, Wales, Ireland, and the future United States until the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752. (The year 1751 began on 25 March; the year 1752 began on 1 January.)

For three months, John McArthur has spent two hours each weekday morning parading outside LAMH Recycle in Motherwell, Scotland, wearing a placard reading: “Say no to slave labour”. (Why? Well, after the organisation "let him go" from a temporary job, he was ordered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to work for the same firm for six months without pay, in order to continue receiving unemployment benefit. Welcome to Britain 2014.)

Today is the international day of remembrance for the abolition of slavery, but according to The International Organization for Migration up to 4 million people around the world are still being trafficked for labour and sexual exploitation every year. (The actual figures are vague, but human trafficking is the fastest-growing source of profit for organized crime. I can only quote from the Manic Street Preachers: "If you tolerate this. Then your children will be next.")