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Lancaster and Morecame: fightback against the cuts

21-10-2010 08:24

Report from a demo at Lancaster against the austerity measures on 20th Oct 2010, with photos

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World Education Forum - Palestine - International Collaboration

21-10-2010 08:23

On October 31, at 10:00 am Eastern (4:00 pm in Jerusalem), activists from cities around the world will meet, on-line, with activists from several Palestinian cities and locations to develop a joint program of Educational Rights. The workshop is part of the World Education Forum being held in Palestine this year.

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Companies supporting the cuts

21-10-2010 08:22

Many based in Bristol
These are the names and companies of the business people calling for the government to continue its slash and burn tactics and supported yesterdays spending review. Some of these have bases in Bristol, avoid if possible.


Below is the letter and list of those businesses supporting the cuts.

Funny thing is I doubt any of these cuts are going to affect them, surprise, surprise.

SIR – It has been suggested that the deficit reduction programme set out by George Osborne in his emergency Budget should be watered down and spread over more than one parliament. We believe that this would be a mistake.

Addressing the debt problem in a decisive way will improve business and consumer confidence. Reducing the deficit more slowly would mean additional borrowing every year, higher national debt, and therefore higher spending on interest payments.

The cost of delay would result in almost £100 billion of additional national debt by the end of this parliament alone. In the end, the result would be deeper cuts, or further tax rises, in order to pay for the extra debt interest.

The cost of delay could be even greater than this. As recent events in some European countries have demonstrated, if the markets lose faith in Britain, interest rates will rise for all of us.

There is no reason to think that the pace of consolidation envisaged in the Budget will undermine the recovery.

The private sector should be more than capable of generating additional jobs to replace those lost in the public sector, and the redeployment of people to more productive activities will improve economic performance, so generating more employment opportunities.

So, each writing in our personal capacity, we would encourage George Osborne and the Government to press ahead with his plans to reduce the deficit.

In the long run it will deliver a healthier and more stable economy.

These are the names and companies of the business people calling for the government to continue its slash and burn tactics.

Will Adderley
CEO, Dunelm Group
Robert Bensoussan
Chairman, L.K. Bennett
Andy Bond
Chairman, ASDA
Ian Cheshire
Chief Executive, Kingfisher
Gerald Corbett
Chairman, SSL International, moneysupermarket.com, Britvic
Peter Cullum
Executive Chairman, Towergate
Tej Dhillon
Chairman and CEO, Dhillon Group
Philip Dilley
Chairman, Arup
Charles Dunstone
Chairman, Carphone Warehouse Group
Chairman, TalkTalk Telecom Group
Warren East
CEO, ARM Holdings
Gordon Frazer
Managing Director, Microsoft UK
Sir Christopher Gent
Non-Executive Chairman, GlaxoSmithKline
Ben Gordon
Chief Executive, Mothercare
Anthony Habgood
Chairman, Whitbread
Chairman, Reed Elsevier
Aidan Heavey
Chief Executive, Tullow Oil
Neil Johnson
Chairman, UMECO
Nick Leslau
Chairman, Prestbury Group
Ian Livingston
CEO, BT Group
Ruby McGregor-Smith
CEO, MITIE Group
Rick Medlock
CFO, Inmarsat; Non-Executive Director lovefilms.com, The Betting Group
John Nelson
Chairman, Hammerson
Stefano Pessina
Executive Chairman, Alliance Boots
Nick Prest
Chairman, AVEVA
Nick Robertson
CEO, ASOS
Sir Stuart Rose
Chairman, Marks & Spencer
Tim Steiner
CEO, Ocado
Andrew Sukawaty
Chairman and CEO, Inmarsat
Michael Turner
Executive Chairman, Fuller, Smith and Turner
Moni Varma
Chairman, Veetee
Paul Walker
Chief Executive, Sage
Paul Walsh
Chief Executive, Diageo
Robert Walters
CEO, Robert Walters
Joseph Wan
Chief Executive, Harvey Nichols
Bob Wigley
Chairman, Expansys, Stonehaven Associates, Yell Group
Simon Wolfson
Chief Executive, Next

Each and every one them is now boycotted by me. I will never deal with any of these companies ever again.

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German anti-nuclear activists to cripple railway

21-10-2010 03:31

German anti-nuclear activists will try to sabotage a railway line to stop nuclear waste being transported from the Normandy coast of France to a village of 600 people between Hamburg and Hanover in central-north Germany.

A consignment of about a dozen caskets for the transportation and storage of nuclear waste, CASTOR for short, is expected in Gorleben between 5 and 7 November, although the schedule is officially secret.

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Coalition Against Austerity Cuts, Downing Street, London - Pictures

21-10-2010 02:00

Scuffles Outside Downing Street.
On the day the coalition Government announce major and severe cuts in public sector spending in the domestic British economy, and a day after the announcement of an 8% cut in military spending, campaigners against the cuts assemble in London to march on Downing Street to object to the scale of the cuts.

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Photos - Oct 20th - Lancaster protest against the cuts!

21-10-2010 01:52

Lancaster Protest Rally Outside Town Hall
There was a good turnout - estimated to be between 250 - 300 local people, who assembled to show their outrage against the massive cuts announced today.

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around two thousand at downing street cuts protest

21-10-2010 00:22

protestors filled whitehall this evening in protest at the savage cuts announced by the con-dem government today.

the 'coalition of resistance' organisers had arranged with police that whitehall would close for traffic at 6pm. although the student and union marches had not yet arrived, there were several hundred people on the pavement opposite downing street, and the speaker urged them to take the road at the appointed time. traffic soon backed up, and police lines began to move in to push people back to the pavement.

police seemed amateurish and disorganised, and some as usual took the opportunity to be heavy-handed. a few minutes later, it was obvious that traffic had been stopped into whitehall, and some police began allowing people back onto the road, but others kept pushing and shouting until they realised they were completely in the wrong and withdrew.

after this chaotic start, tony benn took the platform. he sounded tired and quite possibly ill, but called for massive action against the cuts. jeremy dear from the NUJ told us he was shame-faced because he'd come from a TUC general council meeting where they had agreed to work towards a national protest next year in march. he felt the time to fight the cuts should be now.

as other speakers took the small stage, the union march and student march made a noisy approach down whitehall. seeing central barriers along whitehall to force the protest away from downing street, a large group of students made a run for the right hand side and caught police unaware.

they were stopped by police lines about a hundred yards short of downing street, and scuffles ensued.

among the police was a three strong forward intelligence team including a police photographer - one of the team, talking into an audio recorder describing various student protestors, was constable smellie, still wearing TSG U prefix lapels. in case you're not familiar with the name, he's the TSG officer who backslapped G20 protestor nicola fisher, and then whacked her across the legs with a baton (all caught on youtube). he was acquitted of the charge of assault on the basis that he was defending himself (from a woman half his size who was armed with a juice carton)! it is widely thought that her decision not to attend the trial was a contributory factor in his acquittal. at least he appears to have been taken off frontline duty.

after a few minutes in which the north bound traffic was halted outside downing street, more police reinforcements moved in and aggressively pushed the students and their SOAS samba band back onto the other side of the road.

during more speeches, including one from human rights lawyer inran khan, warning of the effects on equality of justice that huge cuts to legal aid would have, police formed lines in front of downing street and along the central barriers in the road.

at one point, someone in the crowd threw a smoke bomb towards downing street which landed in the main road in front of the gates and spewed out foul-smelling red smoke.

by 8pm, the last of the speeches were made, and despite unrealistic talk of british people taking to the streets to oppose the cuts like they have in greece, spain, and france, almost everyone packed up and went home.

however a dozen or so plucky students decided to visit the department of business and skills in victoria street, and entering the large glass foyer, opened up tents and occupied the reception. after nearly an hour, police arrested four of them apparently for aggravated trespass, and the others decided to leave voluntarily.

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London Anarchist Bookfair 2010

20-10-2010 23:22

Autumn, and the leaves are turning golden, and with the success of Saturdays ’Crude Awakening’ still ringing in our ears, and with mass civil unrest in Greece, Spain and France, and the world financial markets crumbling around us, this years London Anarchist Bookfair’s call to ‘start making anarchism a threat again’ has never sounded so ripe. If you have never been, the Anarchist Bookfair is certainly worth going to. Read on to find out why…

SATURDAY 23 OCTOBER 2010. 10am-7pm Queen Mary, University Of London, Mile End Road, Mile End tube

Last year the Anarchist Bookfair had 50 meetings, 100 stalls, an all day cabaret starring assorted ranters, poets, singers and comics; all day film showings and, two kids spaces.

Speakers this year include: Paul Mason, Hillel Ticktin, Endnotes, Chris Knight, Milan Rai , John Pilger and Michael Albert

  • Paul Mason, Hillel Ticktin and Endnotes debate: ‘Will Cameron’s Cuts lead to working-class defeat or to a new anti-capitalist movement?’ (Paul Mason’s writings can be found at his blog at bbc.co.uk and Ticktin and Endnotes articles are at libcom.org
  • Chris Knight and Milan Rai debate Noam Chomsky’s science and politics
  • Plus talks with John Pilger and Michael Albert
  • Also meetings on: India, Croatia, feminism, Palestine, Zapatistas, Gandhi, Proudhon, pirates, co-ops, prisons, EDL, education, healthworkers, shop stewards and more.

Indymedia London will have a presence together with Dissident Island at the Anarchist Bookfair. Among other publications, the articles “Indymedia and the Enclosure of the Internet”, “How to publish your news on indymedia” and “Their business and ours (Google is not a search company)” will be given out for a donation, and here available free as PDFs along with Hacktionlabs "Tech Tools for Activists". We will also have our usual array of DVD’s on offer, including the ever popular Arundhati Roy’s ’WE’, a stunning film, and '‘Brad – Death in Oaxaca’ the film of indymedia reporter Brad Wills inspiring life and untimely death.

Attached Files

Last years was a big event, full of really useful and inspiring people and ideas, some of which London indymedia managed to capture and can be found here as audio streams.

As capitalism collapses around us in the market of ideas the anarchist pound is bouyant and the 28th London Anarchist Bookfair is back at Queen Mary College in London’s East End.

Link_go www.anarchistbookfair.org.uk/whatson.html

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occupation dept for business innovation and skills

20-10-2010 23:22

Student activists have set up an education camp within the department for business innovation and skills on 20.10.10 after a demonstration rally.

Student activists have set up an education camp within the department for business innovation and skills.

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They say cut back we say fight back!

20-10-2010 23:22

On the day the cuts were announced, about 7000 people took to the street to protest against paying for the capitalist crisis.

A first march started at the University of London, protesting against cuts in education and met up with Camden Traders at Lincoln's Inn Fields. Together they continued down to Downing Street to join the rally there.

 

More reports coming soon...

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Bristol Rally Against Cuts [1]

20-10-2010 23:22

Around 200 people attended a demonstration in Bristol city centre this evening, against the cuts announced today by the Tory-Liberal government.
Around 200 people attended a demonstration in Bristol city centre this evening, against the cuts announced today by the Tory-Liberal government.

The protesters ranged from school and university students, to trade union activists and concerned citizens. Their message was clear - they should not be punished for the greed of the bankers who caused the crisis. They were keen to press home the idea that there is an alternative to cuts. Some protesters expressed anger at the pro-cuts propaganda of the corporate media.

The banners used pushed this point home, the hand written school student banners reading, "Eton Boys Steal Our Future", "Defend Education, Tax the Rich" and "Students and Workers Unite and Fight". Union banners argued the value of public service over private profit.

Having distributed leaflets to passers-by at Broad Quay, the protesters left in good spirits to march on the Lloyds building on the harbour side, highlighting the culpability of the banks in the crisis. Some protesters attempted to enter the building but security guards locked the inner doors leaving the protesters to express their angry in the porch area. After some time chanting that bankers, not workers, should pay for the crisis, the march moved back to Broad Quay to listen to speeches.

Speaker after speaker, representing the anti-cuts alliance, trade unions and other activists, explained that there are other options, that we don't need to accept the rationale of crushing the least well off. They reminded the enthusiastic crowd of the unfair implications of the cuts agenda, hitting students, the poor, the infirm, the elderly and those most in need. They also stressed the importance of building the resistance movement across the country.

The next anti-cuts demo in Bristol will take place on 23rd October, assembling at 11am in Castle Park, marching to College Green.

Full Story | Film of 20/10/2010 Anti Cuts Demo | Anti-Cuts Demos This Week | Bristol Rally Against the Cuts | Bristol & District Anti Cuts Demo | The Cuts and the Financial Crisis - What the fuck happened? (blogger.com) | Where did our money go? (neweconomics.org) |

How To Contribute Articles A Brief Guide | Donate |Publish an Article/Event | Help Guide | Calendar | Indycycle | Bristol Just Living Positive Guide to Bristol | Get Involved with Bristol Indymedia

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Film of Bristol Anti Cuts Demo 20th October

20-10-2010 22:22

Short film of the Anti Cuts demo on the day of the comprehensive spending review, that threatens to wreck our country.
See you all on the 23rd October.

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Lancaster and Morecambe Against the Cuts!

20-10-2010 21:51

Rally against the cuts at short notice at Lancaster Town Hall, organising meeting after in WMC.

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Video-Sabbing in the SE 'Highlights' from last season

20-10-2010 20:25

Doesn't the summer always pass so quickly? Before you know it, it's sabbing season again...
Heres some footage from last season, to get you in the mood...

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Bristol Rally Against Cuts

20-10-2010 20:22

Around 200 people attended a demonstration in Bristol city centre this evening, against the cuts announced today by the Tory-Liberal government.
Around 200 people attended a demonstration in Bristol city centre this evening, against the cuts announced today by the Tory-Liberal government.

The protesters ranged from school and university students, to trade union activists and concerned citizens. Their message was clear - they should not be punished for the greed of the bankers who caused the crisis. They were keen to press home the idea that there is an alternative to cuts. Some protesters expressed anger at the pro-cuts propaganda of the corporate media.

The banners used pushed this point home, the hand written school student banners reading, "Eton Boys Steal Our Future", "Defend Education, Tax the Rich" and "Students and Workers Unite and Fight". Union banners argued the value of public service over private profit.

Having distributed leaflets to passers-by at Broad Quay, the protesters left in good spirits to march on the Lloyds building on the harbour side, highlighting the culpability of the banks in the crisis. Some protesters attempted to enter the building but security guards locked the inner doors leaving the protesters to express their angry in the porch area. After some time chanting that bankers, not workers, should pay for the crisis, the march moved back to Broad Quay to listen to speeches.

Speaker after speaker, representing the anti-cuts alliance, trade unions and other activists, explained that there are other options, that we don't need to accept the rationale of crushing the least well off. They reminded the enthusiastic crowd of the unfair implications of the cuts agenda, hitting students, the poor, the infirm, the elderly and those most in need. They also stressed the importance of building the resistance movement across the country.

The next anti-cuts demo in Bristol will take place on 23rd October, assembling at 11am in Castle Park, marching to College Green.

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Taunton Benefit Gigs: Hunt Sabs / UK Tek 6 / Stop Hinkley / Womens Refuge

20-10-2010 20:01

TOMORROW NIGHT: Bristol & Bath Hunt Sabs @ The Winchester Arms, Taunton
Sickwax, King Tuts Revenge, Room 4 1 More & Rat Bandits

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Concern mounts for thousands in mass exodus as UN envoy travels to Western Sahar

20-10-2010 19:47

The camp with approximately 600 tents
Concerns are mounting for thousands of Western Saharan citizens involved in a mass exodus from cities in Moroccan occupied Western Sahara to camp in protest at the poverty and human rights violations resulting from the Moroccan occupation of their country. Around 10,000 Saharawis are camping outside the capital city with reports that the Moroccan police are obstructing access to food and water.

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Vince Cable office reception occupied

20-10-2010 19:12

A group of students have occupied the reception area of department for business innovation and skills on Victoria street.

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Autonomous Community Oaxaca on the TV Plus Other Chiapas News

20-10-2010 18:23

 

San Juan Copala, the autonomous community features on:
Unreported World
Mexico’s Indian Rebellion
Friday 22nd October 7.30pm
Channel 4

Plus

Displaced Zapatistas from San Marcos Avilés return home

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