UK Newswire Archive
Bristol Anarchist Bookfair Latest
04-04-2011 22:22
Roll up, roll up, yer Bristol anarchist bookfair is only 5 weeks away on Saturday 7 May. It'll be the perfect antidote to the next royal parasite's wedding, the ConDem Coalition's austerity measures, and the latest electoral scam they've tried to hoodwink us with. So get ready to come on down, step over the broken glass and through media smokescreen, and find out what it's all about. It wont break the bank either, as usual entry is free, although donations are welcomed.
The Bookfair Collective writes: Roll up, roll up, yer Bristol anarchist bookfair is only 5 weeks away on Saturday 7 May. It'll be the perfect antidote to the next royal parasite's wedding, the ConDem Coalition's austerity measures, and the latest electoral scam they've tried to hoodwink us with. So get ready to come on down, step over the broken glass and through media smokescreen, and find out what it's all about. It wont break the bank either, as usual entry is free, although donations are welcomed. Here's some Bookfair updates: Last call for Meeting & Workshop proposals - we welcome your offers. The deadline for them is noon on 6 April. Note our suggestion that these could be themed around 'Resistance and Alternatives to Cuts'. Please read the proposal form carefully and provide full details. The Bookfair collective will be considering all proposals after the deadline as space is limited, and the accepted proposals will be notified soon after, and published in the programme. Expect some surprises on the day. Proposal forms and relevant info are here.
Full Article
The line-up for the Bristol Indymedia room at the Bookfair has now been finalised and you can find the running order here . The room will play host to activist films from Bristol Indymedia along with other audio-visual activist groups such as Schmovies and ReelNews, along with a range of workshops covering topics from Wikileaks to the student protest movement to security and privacy for online activism.
This is the plan for the Bristol Indymedia room at the Anarchist Bookfair on the 7th of May at Hamilton House. All the events are free
Bristol Indymedia present
11-1230 Schmovies/Reelnews/Bristol Indymedia
Radical and activist film screenings from alternative local media collectives
1230-130 Schmovies/Reelnews/Bristol Indymedia
Why is it important to have a diversity of media? What are the implications of the growing dominance of a handful of media giants? Local media collectives take part in a panel discussion on the growing importance of an alternative media in an era of news monopoly.
130-230 Wikileaks and Bradley Manning
Indymedia presents a talk about the significance of Wikileaks, which continues to rupture the global political and media landscapes in directions impossible to predict. Bradley Manning remains in solitary confinement in Virginia for allegedly leaking military documents to Wikileaks. We look at the politics surrounding his continued detention and the implications of this for whistleblowers and journalists everywhere. Discussion to follow
230-330 Hacktionlab
UK tech activist collective discuss issues around security and privacy
whilst doing activism on the internet and present their booklet 'Tech Tools
for Activists' aimed at non-techs. Copies of the booklet will also be
available for free or a donation
330-430 The student resistance
The UK is seeing a rising wave of popular protest and dissent triggered by the sweeping budget cuts of the liberal-conservative coalition. Dr Lee Salter discusses the anti-capitalist movement unfolding in the student generation with regard to the recent widespread protests against the tuition fee hike
430-5
Message From Merthyr
Message from Merthyr is a short documentary looking at how this year’s benefit cuts will impact the town of Merthyr Tydfil. Filmmaker sisters Gemma and Donna Griffith identify several people in their community who will suffer as a consequence of the cuts, and in response to Iain Duncan Smith's comment suggesting many people in Merthyr don't realise they can get on a bus to Cardiff to look for work, they travel to Cardiff to see what jobs are going. Film screening with introduction by the filmmakers (to be confirmed).
5-6 Performance poetry workshop with Rebecca Tantony
Performance poetry can give you a voice with which to ignite. Access your passion, thoughts, rebellion and power with the magic of the spoken word. An hour-long poetry workshop from the inspiring and courageous creator of Shhh it’s Sunday, a monthly Bristol celebration of words which raises money for good causes. All welcome to this supportive non-judgemental exploration of language
juliano mer khamis murdered in jenin, palestine.
04-04-2011 22:05
juliano mer khamis the founder of the freedom theatre in jenin has been murdered by an unknown gunman in jenin today. tomorrow there will be a big demonstration in ramallah.
http://maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=375522
Flashback: Way past time to break silence on militarism
04-04-2011 21:31
The speech was titled “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence.” It was delivered exactly one year to the day before his 1968 assassination in Memphis.
The people who heard that speech recognized it as one of the most powerful speeches ever given articulating the immorality of the Vietnam War and its destructive impact on social progress in the United States.
Century Films Mark Kennedy Documentary
04-04-2011 21:03
This is an attempt at a polite request about infiltrators and the media.Please do not talk to the media any more about PC Mark Kennedy, PC “Marco Jacobs” and PC “Lyn Watson”.
Palestine Today 04 04 2011
04-04-2011 17:08
Is Brighton and Hove City Council run by criminals for criminals?
04-04-2011 17:05
Brighton tends to be a haven for low lifes, from those in council office, to the types who operate their criminal activities in the city and surrounding areas. The question is- what is the relationship between Brighton and Hove City Council and one of these crooks, the nefarious Nicholas Hoogstraten?Where U.S. Chooses to Back ‘Armed Struggle’
04-04-2011 16:15
Libya is a “unique situation,” Obama says, where the U.S.-led military intervention and the backing of an armed revolt is the exception and not the rule in U.S. foreign policy.Attack on Iran coming soon? US Bombs now being prepared for Israel
04-04-2011 15:59
US Govt documents show a contract was awarded on Jan 31st to a US firm for production of 10,000 bodies for GBU-28 bunker Buster bombs. Destinations include the UK, other NATO countries, Egypt and Israel.Is this the first move in the long expected supply chain that will finally arm Israel with the weapons it needs to bomb Iran?
Libya's Blood for Oil & CIA ties to Libyan rebels
04-04-2011 14:41
2 articles:"Libya's Blood for Oil: The Vampire War", by Susan Lindauer (former U.S. Asset who covered Libya at the United Nations from 1995 to 2003)
&
"Mounting evidence of CIA ties to Libyan rebels", by Patrick Martin
Insurrection in Liverpool
04-04-2011 14:23
Catalyst media are presenting their second blend of radical art and politics from 31st March to 12th April, under the title 'Insurrection In Liverpool'. It takes place upstairs in Gallery 2 in the FACT building on Wood Street. This is nothing like a mainstream presentation, which would show art and culture as something to be passively viewed and maybe turned into a saleable commodity. This showcases work by local visual artists, writers, poets, and musicians that speaks to ordinary people's experience and invites audience participation.
Taking Control - West Midlands Gathering
04-04-2011 14:01
Anarchists Against the Cuts: discussion points after March 26
04-04-2011 12:20
Some discussion points after March 26.Nuclear plant will release 11,500 tons of radioactive water into the sea
04-04-2011 11:18
The electricity company TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) has said that it will release 11,500 tons of contaminated radioactive water into the sea.
Ian Tomlinson inquest
04-04-2011 11:12
See live blogs from the Ian Tomlinson inquest at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2011/apr/04/ian-tomlinson-inquest-live-updates including a short clip of Harwood's arrival, uninteresting except he attempts to cover some of his facial features by wearing sunglasses.
The war on Libya and US foreign policy: Ronald Reagan, 1986 versus Barack Obama
04-04-2011 11:07
Notts TUC Newsletter
04-04-2011 09:23
Newsletter produced by Notts TUC with information on strikes by Notts County Council workers and lecturers as well as the CWU anti-privatisation march, defending pensions and more.
Ken Clarke to send in the troops
04-04-2011 09:23
Rushcliffe MP and Minister for "Justice" Ken Clarke has announced plans to privatise Birmingham Prison. There are already a number of privatised prisons in the UK, but this would be the first previously public sector prison to move into the private sector.
The proposal hasn't gone down well with staff. Around 250 of them walked out immediately after learning of the plans and the Prison Officer Association (POA) has threatened industrial action despite the fact that this would be illegal as prison staff are prohibited from striking under a reserve power renewed by Jack Straw in 2008.
Clarke also announced contingency plans in the event of industrial action which would see the army deployed. This is nothing new of course. A standing army is a reliable scab labour force and had previously been deployed during disputes with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).
This poses a number of important questions for the anarchist movement. While it speaks volumes about the British labour movement that the most militant union is the one representing screws, it is obvious that if any union were to take illegal strike action, it would be a hugely important and positive development for working class militancy in this country.
Furthermore, anarchists have traditionally been very critical of the prison system, as a crucial part of the state's repressive apparatus. It is bad enough when these institutions are run by the state, but does anybody doubt that running them for profit (turning incaceration into a commodity) will make them even worse?
The flipside of this, of course, is that prison officers are in the very heart of the state's repressive machinery and many of us may feel uncomfortable standing in solidarity with people that would have no qualms on taking away our liberty.
Crucially this is different to a police strike (not that such a thing is likely). In the event that the police were to take industrial action, we'd probably just see less coppers on the street. Most people would expect their freedom of action to increase. By contrast when prison officers strike, prisons will be locked down with the obvious impacts on inmates.
There are no easy answers to these questions, but we live in a complicated world and if we want to change that world, there's no point pretending otherwise. With Ken Clarke only just down the road, these questions are - arguably - particularly pressing for local activists.