UK Newswire Archive
Outdoor Skillshare 2011 location released!
28-07-2011 14:38
Solidarity Breaks Chains!
28-07-2011 12:55
RAWA Solidarity Scotland is a grassroots group based in Edinburgh that actively supports the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA).
RAWA is the oldest political/social organisation of Afghan women struggling for peace, freedom, democracy and women’s rights in fundamentalism-blighted Afghanistan since 1977.
LaDIY Cinema Fundraiser Presents: Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007)
28-07-2011 10:16
On Sunday, July 31 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm at the Rutland Arms, 86 Brown Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 2BSLaDIY Festival presents a first in a series of feminist film screenings
Starting with Jamie Babbit's light hearted comedy approach to radical feminism in 'Itty Bitty Titty Committee' (2007).
Youtube(8 mins)-Police Interview with Bryan Law, Helicopter Gunship Ploughshares
28-07-2011 07:34
YOUTUBE (8 mins) -Police Record ofInterview by Queenlsand/ Australia Criminal Investigation Bureau of Bryan Law who explains ploughshares actions and his intentions to disarm a helicopter gunship
in Australia in nonviolent resistance to the war on Afghainstan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvZgfbGCLRk Interview With Roisin Lynch - Free Brendan Lillis Campaign
28-07-2011 06:02
An interview like interview was undertaken by Street Voice with Roisin the Lynch the partner of Brendan Lillis the Irish political prisoner being held captive by the British State and It's agents.Solidarity with Omar Ibrahim March 26th Anti-Cuts Protest Defendant
27-07-2011 23:30
Omar Ibrahim, a comrade from Glasgow, was charged with violent disorder following his arrest outside Topshop in Oxford Street London on March 26th during the anti-cuts demonstrations.Since then he has managed to get some very restrictive bail conditions reduced with curfew hours being lessened, so that he can take up work offers.
Sab Benefit: Active Minds/Jew-Dis/Shankland/Powered By Tofu/Fear The Wolfingtons
27-07-2011 22:56
The Riverside, 1 Mobray ST, Sheffield
Sea Shepherd Film Showing In Sheffield
27-07-2011 22:47
Upstairs in The Rutland Arms, Brown Street, Sheffield. S1 2BS
The Left has lost its way over Libya
27-07-2011 22:08
In an essentially excellent piece Sarah Flounders ‘Libya: Demonization and Self-determination‘, near the beginning under the sub-hed ‘What should be the response to this terror?’ she writes:“Unfortunately, a minority of groups or individuals who present themselves as opponents of war spend more time cataloguing Gadhafi’s past real or alleged shortcomings than rallying people to respond to this criminal, all-out U.S. attack. Their influence would be small, except that it coincides with the opinions of the U.S. ruling class. Thus it is important to thoroughly answer their arguments.”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=FLO20110724&articleId=25760
WikiLeaks documents shed light on US-backed intervention in Libya
27-07-2011 21:42
US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks expose some of the real reasons and diplomatic tensions behind NATO’s ongoing bombardment of Libya. Far from initiating a “humanitarian” intervention to protect civilians against Muammar Gaddafi’s government, Washington backed the NATO intervention for one reason only—the installation of a regime that better serves the strategic interests of the US, as well as the operations of the giant oil and gas companies.
No Mill Road Sainsburys Petition Handed In Tonight.
27-07-2011 18:40
Why George Osbourne Is Happy With 'Plan A'
27-07-2011 17:00
An Open Letter to Mike Weatherly Conservative MP for Hove, from the occupiers of
27-07-2011 16:06
A letter on the criminalization of squattingPalestine Today 07 27 2011
27-07-2011 15:54
Report on HAG Library InfoNight
27-07-2011 11:55
Hackney libraries are an essential community resource which are under threat from cuts in public services. Staff face redundancies and down-grading and the many services which libraries provide, like community events are threatened. Hackney Anarchist Group held a Libraries InfoNight at Well Furnished on July 21st to draw attention to the role of libraries in social cohesion and education to hear from campaigns to save libraries and protect jobs around London.
What emerged from the night were some very inspiring stories of solidarity. We learned how ESOL workers at Hackney Community College had won the fight against redundancies and the wholesale closure of courses and had, at the same time, recognised their own strength as a community and ability to determine their own futures. Similarly, we were the first to hear the news that Hackney council had acceded to the demands of library workers and that, voluntary redundancies aside, had backed down on plans to downgrade existing workers and slash services. This was due, in no small part, to the collectively formulating alternatives to the councils slash-and-burn polices and making the case for the value of the services that libraries provide.
The extraordinary story of the Feminist Library’s 35 year survival as a voluntary organisation was also presented as a caution against the encroaching ‘big society’ and problems faced by volunteers battling to provide a service with extremely limited resources. We also heard how prison libraries, that receive their funding from council budgets, are struggling protect their resources and their role in enabling prisoners, many of whom have learning difficulties, to take steps into education.
Many of the steps proposed by local councils to reduce spending on libraries have already been implemented in universities where the value of library services should not be in question. Many university libraries are now open 24 hours but the extended opening hours and cuts to university budgets have meant a reduction in library staff in favour of self service electronic borrowing and the employment of security guards to police the space during the night. The result, as we heard from an employee of Queen Mary University of London library, has been an increase in mis-shelved and missing books with staff powerless to provide an adequate service. Further restructuring at Queen Mary has been mooted at a time when academics, who’s support is vital in enabling library staff to argue for maintaining essential services, areaway from the campus.
We also heard from Kim, a library user of Friern Barnet library where a library users’ group have mounted successful events to the many services that libraries provide apart from lending books and providing a space for reading and the hardships that the loss of library services would entail. 150 people crammed into a space designed for 25 to hold a read-in and demonstrate to council management that library users in Barnet are in full support of staff demands.
Libraries have, traditionally, existed as much more than a place to read and borrow books. Despite that the internet has replaced many of the functions previously provided by libraries, the fact remains that many in the community do not have access to cheap broadband or the necessary skills to navigate the web. Libraries are one the few remaining social spaces that are free to use and are also sources of both information and knowledge. Local libraries are the archives of our everyday lives, a resource for self education and a meeting place for the community. The HAG Libraries InfoNIght was an essential part of our campaign to support library workers and connect communities struggling to preserve valuable public services against the encroachments of the free market.
EDL & Norway
27-07-2011 10:55
It's been a busy week for the EDL following the Norway massacre.
Dear, oh dear, oh dear. What a week it's been for the English Defence League's Tommy Robinson AKA Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Much of the UK media have been busy trying to finger the EDL for connections with nutjob Norwegian murderer Anders Breivik and with the EDL's Facebook pages and web forums featuring tacit support for his ‘politics' then it has proved to be not a difficult job.
Twitching Tommy!
Tommy has been in the media this week, the best of which was on Newsnight with a bored looking Jeremy Paxman that showed Tommy to be a twitching sweaty coke fiend ranting away and having difficulty keeping his toys aboard the pram. Despite the EDL's ludicrous claims to be a ‘non-violent, non-profit making, human rights organisation' Twitching Tom had been found guilty earlier that day of football related violence. Something that Paxman failed to mention. Tommy was sentenced to a 12-month community rehabilitation order, 150 hours of unpaid work and was banned from football grounds for three years. Tommy was very keen on stressing that the Norwegian massacre could happen in the UK in 5-10 years time if anti-Islamic sentiment keeps being suppressed. Although he was a bit vague on how killing 76 white kids and blowing up a nice old building is going to help his ‘non-violent' cause. One of the unsurprising things about fanatics like Breivik is that they are so often attracted to far right groups as are many others. Check here for further details.
http://malatesta32.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/nazis-jailed/
A couple of things come out of the BBC and other appearances. Firstly, after his arrest for public order offences a couple of months back Twitching Tommy's bail restrictions stated that he was not to have anything to do with the EDL until the case comes up in October. Forgive one's naivety but isn't appearing on Newsnight representing the EDL somehow contrary to these conditions? And secondly, why is the BBC interviewing a career criminal who has done a year inside for assaulting a girl and also has been arrested at least 7 times since the start of 2009? As he is currently awaiting trial for other offences as well as being under investigation for fraud - hence his bank account being frozen - should the BBC be featuring him on their flagship programme? Twitching Tom is currently asking for 50 quid a pop for any media interviews claiming variously that he needs the cash to rent a hotel conference room for meetings in Luton and that because of the limited access to his bank account he could do with half a ton pocket money (and isn't 50 quid the going rate for a wrap of Charlie?) Tommy is rapidly becoming a general without an army as the North West Infidels appear to be heading off on their own and the North East Infidels are being steered into a more virulent direction by that other career criminal and arse clown Derek Fender. Read all about it here:
http://www.edlnews.co.uk/edl-news/the-inner-workings-of-edls-secret-groups
Meshuggenahs!
The EDL got into a right kosher pickle recently when paper Jewish Divsion leader Roberta ‘EDL No' Moore tried to link up with the Jewish Task Force whose leader had been in jail for terrorist offences. Oops! Moore was eventually booted out for making mental statements and generally being a PR liability. And now there are ongoing problems with her replacement Robert Bartholomeus who appears to be endorsing Breivik's actions much to the irritation of the various EDL forum posters.
After the Moore fiasco many on the EDL forums were angry that they should be seen to be supporting Israel when they were the ‘English' Defence League. Tommy responded in no uncertain terms that EDL support for Israel would continue. Is this because of Alan Lake by any chance? Lake has been accused of being a Zionist and has been bankrolling Tommy for some time now and Lake, Moore and Tommy have all been photographed together. On the neo-Nazi websites accusations of being a ‘Zionist,' ‘red' or ‘nonce' are frequently made and many have called the EDL a Zionist front and for once the accusation may prove true. If Lake is still funding Tommy then he's hardly going to allow him to renounce one of his principle interests - which is Zionism. So although a lot of EDL members thought they were flapping the Star of David to annoy ‘muslamics' the Star is now there for good and the EDL leadership, i.e., Tommy, is going to find it difficult to extricate himself from Israeli extremism. Paul Ray who was booted out of the EDL by Twitching Tom has been ranting away on his website about being a Knight's Templar and attempting to link Breivik somehow to Alan Lake but this has yet to bear fruit. (And Knight's Templar? That's soooo 12th Century!).
Plodding Along
After all the hoo-hah over Norway British plod have decided to ‘crack down on far right terrorism' but first they will have to finally admit that they were completely wrong in not classifying the EDL as a far right organisation. They are. The EDL is full of known supporters of the BNP, Combat 18 and other nutty fascist grupuscules and the documentation is extensive on antifascist websites. So maybe Plod should log on and do a bit more research. With the recent exposure of ‘Mark Stone' - and the much welcomed collapse of the trial of the eco-activists in Nottingham - it is clear that plod spend far too much time infiltrating left wing groups whilst apparently ignoring the far right.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472363.html
Without getting involved in the general weirdness of the man, one of David Shayler's concerns whilst at MI5 was their over focussing on the far left (Class War, Communist Party) whilst ignoring the far right. Plod have found themselves in a similar situation but this does not come as a surprise to antifascists: as many EDL members say on the forums the coppers at their demos are mostly sympathetic which is something that many counter-protestors can verify. The EDL's web forums and Facebook pages are full of violent threats, racist outpourings and generally deranged ranting so rather than nosing into left wing business shouldn't plod be looking into the EDL on the web and perhaps even arresting Tommy who has breached his bail conditions by being all over the national media! Surely that would mean remand as he cannot be trusted to observe the conditions laid down by the court. So why are plod content to leave him alone? Is it because he works for them? Surely not. ‘Sir'Tommy is a hero. It says so on the EDL forums!
Perhaps plod could also take a wee peak at the Redwatch site and the support it gets from some members of the EDL whilst they are logged on. This site is a potential hit list of political opponents used by far right groups to intimidate left wingers. Redwatch was started by Kevin Watmough, former member of BNP, Combat 18 and the useless British People's Party, and onetime wet nurse to ex-NF coup leader Eddy ‘Adult Diapers' Morrison. Watmough is a nasty little scrote and his address is not hard to find. Officers! Redwatch is a hitlist and the kind of thing that could be called a ‘far right terror threat.' Ask any trade unionist or antifascist who have had their windows put through or received threatening phone calls because of it.
As stated earlier the EDL still claim to be a ‘non-violent human rights group' which Robinson's recent conviction for, er violence, must repudiate. They have also been verbal against trade unionists and student protesting against the recent cuts. So for all their rhetoric about the white working class being ignored the EDL turn round and attack members of the white working class. As someone on Urban75 rightly says, the EDL are technically a scab organisation.
And Finally ...
Best article this week at Expose here:
http://exposingon.tumblr.com/post/8046023850/home-grown-breivik-to-be
Excellent.
Malatesta: No Copyright
Free activists detained at nonviolent action at military training area in Sweden
27-07-2011 10:26
War Resisters' International is calling for the release of ten activists who were detained by Swedish police during the “War Starts Here” nonviolent action at the North European Aerospace Testing Area (NEAT) near Vidsel, Sweden. The test site – covering an area the size of Belgium – is used for testing a range of innovative weapons, including planes, missiles and “drones” (remotely piloted weapons). Despite its size, NEAT is a little known site – even in Sweden – yet plays a crucial role in multi-national preparations for war.