UK Newswire Archive
Fightback Against Atos Censorship!
25-08-2011 12:13
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Oxford social centre gets stay of execution
25-08-2011 12:06
The squatted social centre known as "Plebs' college" was in court this morning for an eviction hearing.Bristol To Misrata (part 3)
25-08-2011 11:55
This is the third in a series of articles I have written about my decision to travel to Libya, initially to support the rebels and then what I saw and heard over here (Benghazi and Misrata) that has led me to stay and help the Libyan people on a humanitarian level only
This is the third in a series of articles I have written about my decision to travel to Libya, initially to support the rebels and then what I saw and heard over here (Benghazi and Misrata) that has led me to stay and help the Libyan people on a humanitarian level only.
When I crossed the border from Egypt the war was only 5 weeks old and I didnt have a lot of information about what was happening but i admit I did have a grand preintention of wanting to support a rebel army ousting a dictator. The more time I spent in (east) Libya, talking to and working with locals, living with journalists and reading/heeding comments on Indymedia about articles I have put up already the more my opinion formed.
They say a week is a long time in politics, over here in Misrata it definitely is. Ive been in this country for over 4 months now since about the 24 March and was just about to leave. I have my place booked on the World Food Programme (UN) boat to Malta , its the last one. But then in the last 4 days it all seems to be happening for the rebels Zlitan has fallen, Taurghas been overrun and now Tripoli is crumbling. I'm glad I'm still here to witness what surely must be the end to a bloody civil war.
This is the third in a series of articles I have written about my decision to travel to Libya, initially to support the rebels and then what I saw and heard over here (Benghazi and Misrata) that has led me to stay and help the Libyan people on a humanitarian level only.When I crossed the border from Egypt the war was only 5 weeks old and I didnt have a lot of information about what was happening but i admit I did have a grand preintention of wanting to support a rebel army ousting a dictator. The more time I spent in (east) Libya, talking to and working with locals, living with journalists and reading/heeding comments on Indymedia about articles I have put up already the more my opinion formed.
BRISTOL TO MISRATA
They say a week is a long time in politics, over here in Misrata it definitely is. Ive been in this country for over 4 months now since about the 24 March and was just about to leave. I have my place booked on the World Food Programme (UN) boat to Malta , its the last one. But then in the last 4 days it all seems to be happening for the rebels Zlitan has fallen, Taurghas been overrun and now Tripoli is crumbling. I'm glad I'm still here to witness what surely must be the end to a bloody civil war.
The first 5 weeks of my stay in Libya were spent in Benghazi. During this period i spend most of my time running around trying to find work with organisations or people. I never settled there or "lived" in the city as for Tobruk and Ajdabia I only passed through spending a day in each. It wasn't till I took a boat to Misrata (36 hours) and lived and worked there that I really got to see a bit more as to what is going on in this country and what motivates people to kill each other
The fishing boat docked in the morning while it was still dark and unloaded us into the hands of the local rebels . I was the only non Libyan out of a complement of 10 passengers, 2 were soldiers returning from a family visit 6 seemed to be Misrata residents returning from "exile" and one guy who was found with a couple of kilos of hash (we were all searched coming in) He was promptly arrested ,some things never change.
I was driven from the port into town to stay at a physiotherapy clinic beside the main (only) hospital. It housed volunteer doctors and medics from all over the world , mainly Middle Eastern and Libyan ex-pat. They had no organisation just showed up and offered their services , a pretty laid back friendly bunch considering what they have to deal with sometimes 7 days a week.
The next morning I showed up at the Media Centre and registered my Benghazi press pass , was given my letter of permission for the press hotel and access code for the Internet. The hotel is situated in the city centre a few minutes from the worst hit areas, it had been closed for renovations before the war started and as it stood it didn't have a lot going for it , no hot water, no air conditioning, no food except some random concoction once a day if you were "lucky" . It was run by a team of well meaning but increasingly cranky volunteers. On the plus side it was free, the rooms were huge and private, the cold showers cancelled out the lack of air con., About 20 people were housed there mostly journos including Guardian, Telegraph, Times, Economist, Figaro, Le monde, Figaro, Reuters, Photojournalists, freelancers and a couple of war tourists. (BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera and Fox News all stayed in the most expensive hotel in town Al Baraka at $120 a night). This damp and dusty place complete with compliment of lizards and stray cats was our home for the next 5 weeks until a new team came to take over and without improving anything decided to charge up to $300 dollars a week for the same rooms! Some how this crass attempt to cash in was a comforting indication that normality was beginning to return. Misrata has always been a town that has had money, its port is deep water (18 metres) so the biggest ships can dock there , most vehicles in Libya get imported there , a lot of civil engineering projects road and water schemes are based out of here. The largest steel manufacturing plant in North Africa is in Misrata. It is this wealth that has kept Misrata alive they bought most of there weapons and all there ammunition (from Benghazi). What this rent increase did bring about was me making a decision as to weather I wanted to stay on in Libya or not . Up to this I had joined the Libyan Red Crescent on its maintenance team, working in its social service centres, refugee camp and field hospital. I also volunteered with the Engineering Support Group who did non military work in the city, electrics and sewage to defence barricades and rubbish clearance. But neither of these jobs offered accommodation. So I reluctantly went to the NGO office and applied with the charities that were starting to set up there. I say reluctantly because i came to Libya to work as directly with Libyans not with a bunch of Europeans. Within an hour i was hired and accommodated by a french charity. They put me up in an empty but clean apartment in the city and paid me $300 a month , the rate of an intern. My job was electrics ,woodwork and general maintenance on there office and out reach premises. This turns out to have been a good move I still got to work for Red Crescent 2 days a week and most of their staff including drivers, interpreters, finance, human resources, logistics, admin, data entry, reception, cleaning and security are local Misratans it was through these people and others that i got a look at what Libyans think.Here are three of the common topics that i came across
Reason For Fighting
Ive been to two places in Libya, Benghazi and Misrata, in Benghazi people stick to the party line of anything but Gadafi, they talk a good game but not with a lot of emotion or feeling. I guess this is because there was no real war in Benghazi beyond the initial Feb 17 uprising and burning of every single police station, courthouse and army building in town. Even the attack on the main army barracks, when most of the people were killed, ended in a negotiated ceasefire and safe passage out of town for the soldiers inside.I got the feeling that the average Benghazian was happily taking the historic role of being part of the rebellious east, embracing the long history of anti Gadafi activities embittered by decades of obvious neglect. My abiding memory of Benghazi streets is the smell of open/blocked sewers and burning rubbish. In Misrata its a lot clearer why they are fighting, the city when i arrived had two major fronts both quite close to the city centre with bombs falling everyday, some times all day.An average of 6 people were dying everyday (38 a week). The city's 500,000 population had their backs up against the sea and no good reason to stop fighting.The markets area and main street were the worst hit with all buildings damaged some burned completely. When a fire started there was nothing to stop it. When I asked people the obvious question about why they are fighting I was suprised by the lack of bravado or front. I guess after 3 months of war ,food and water shortages, power cuts, constant threat of bombs the people were just quietly resolute in their will to continue, they talked of the fear of losing more than winning they can see whats in store if that happens. Everyone at this stage has a family member who has been killed either civilian or rebel . They are still enthusiastic its an all volunteer army with no conscription and they believe the worst has passed. No one I talked to appears bloodthirsty or talked of retribution they want to get back on with their lives, no schools or colleges have been open since Feb, few wages have been paid, peoples visas to travel are invalid but everyone seems convinced that the future is going to be better than the past.Rascism
This is the one topic that has thrown me, Ive seen no occurrence of it , but having been made aware and watched the You Tubed footage of beatings and lynchings it is this issue alone that has made me switch to helping the Libyan people on a humanitarian basis only. Misrata is the only place I've really researched what the attitudes are to black people and its not good. Besides the myth/fact of black mercenaries there is an issue closer to home , Taurgha. Taurgha is 30km from Misrata its population is mainly black, for most of the war, up until last week, it was on the Gaddafi side of the front line. By most local accounts a militia was raised that entered Misrata and did "terrible things" looting , sexual assaults and kidnapping. Weather this is true or not I don't know but what is important is that a lot of the locals believe it. It has worked its way into history, people even want to rename Taurgha street to Martyr street. Some thing similar is alleged to have happened on a local level. When Gaddafi's troops occupied and held the Misrata people say that from the mainly black and poor areas militias were formed and armed they fought on the side of Gaddafi army and they left with it when Misrata was liberated.The houses in these areas have already been re allocated to others. The "housing authority" that is doing this seems to be doing it as officially as possible including doing an audit to whats in the house at hand over cookers, fridges etc. and talks of facilitating the owner if or when they return.
What gets me about all of this is that on the other (western) front line is the town of Zlitan it was in the same situation as Taurgha and resisted for three months only a few people in Misrata speak ill of its people. Zlitan has no significant black population.
The attitude to Gaddafi
My usual icebreaker question with people was what do you think of Gadafi? Apart from the initial mandatory condemnation came a few interesting views. In Benghazi the views in general were about how he had neglected them and people conveyed a sense of hurt at this, he has been part of their lives forty years . Hamdi, a Derna school teacher and committed rebel said that Gadafi ripped off 90% off the oil money coming in to the country but if he had of spend this amount on the people and kept 10% "He would still be our king and all his sons our princes". People I talked to in Misrata still cant believe that he attacked them the way he did with such force and armour "his own people". Some younger people tend to look at him like hes a freak some old military hippie with a different costume or eccentricity for every rambling TV appearance. After getting to know a neighbour for about 6 weeks he confided in me that it may not have been such a good idea to get rid of Gadafi it seemed to be a sense of normality and security that the guy wanted to return not so much Gadafi. At a stretch I could feel sorry for Gadafi if he had of given power over to his son 5 years ago he would be enjoying his retirement probably visiting Europe winding up old enemies including the USA, polishing his legacy, rehabilitating his past, but no now hes holed up in a shrinking Tripoli, cant go north because of war crimes arrest warrants, cant stay in Libya because he will never be safe. Saudi Arabia will be his best bet.This brings my article and time in Libya to a close i hope to be back in bristol with 2 weeks. Ive been here long enough, longer than I expected. I didnt think they would let me in at the border if I had of been refused I would have crossed Egypt and got into Gaza. Sometimes I thought that would have been an easier conflict to have gotten my head around. But Ive no regrets just a few mistakes along the way. Writing on Indymedia was a good idea it helped me shape what i was doing and made me feel more accountable , the comments that came in helped a lot some were harsh some were bonkers, about a third of them seemed to be arguing with each other.The Indymedia audience is a learned well read one. I ended up writing more words in response to comments than in the original articles.
FBI Organizes Almost All Terror Plots In the US
25-08-2011 09:07
IMC Mods - pls keep this up: it is an important angle on the war of terror and needs to be circulated widely.9/11 After A Decade: Have We Learned Anything?
25-08-2011 09:05
In a few days it will be the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001. How well has the US government’s official account of the event held up over the decade?"The August 2011 Riots in Britain" : an analysis
25-08-2011 02:15
For a few days in August 2011, the riots in Britain's cities flashed a searing light across the troubled sleep to which we, the ordinary people of that country, have been reduced by three decades of spiritless submission to the logic of capitalism. The only meaningful questions to ask about the riots are: how far did they go in repudiating the society that dominates us, and how can that repudiation be extended and deepened? Everything else is the howling of dogs.Dale Farm under Siege
25-08-2011 01:55
Notices have gone up along Oak Road, adjacent to Dale Farm, saying that the road will be closed to all but residents from Friday, Sept. 2nd. Both ends of Oak Road will be blocked (blocking access via both Hardings Elm Road and Gardiners Lane North). Additionally, the lay by on the southern end of Oak Lane (leading on to the A127; by the white ‘Basildon onion’ water tower) will be blocked.
As the launch of Camp Constant ( http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/activity/ ) on August 27th approaches, the authorities appear poised to blockade Dale Farm.
ROAD BLOCK WARNING
Notices have gone up along Oak Road, adjacent to Dale Farm, saying that the road will be closed to all but residents from Friday, Sept. 2nd. (See http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/contact for details). Both ends of Oak Road will be blocked (blocking access via both Hardings Elm Road and Gardiners Lane North). Additionally, the lay by on the southern end of Oak Lane (leading on to the A127; by the white ‘Basildon onion’ water tower) will be blocked. There will be a no stop zone on the footpaths on the A127 between A176 at Billericay and A132 at Wickford. Residents are feeling under siege, with children asking how many more nights they are going to be able to sleep in their beds. Dale Farm is a big site, so it should be possible to find routes in, but be advised that after Sept. 1, it will be harder to get in, and likely impossible to get vehicles in.
WATER AND ELECTRICITY TO BE CUT
The Council have released information that they intend to cut water and electricity supplies from Dale Farm after the eviction notice period expires on midnight 31st August. This will leave sick, elderly, young, and pregnant residents without access to water or electricity. Amnesty International ( http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR45/013/2011/en/0faf8cdd-f5a1-4024-af41-5a26f21d51a5/eur450132011en.html ) have condemned the removal of vital water and electricity in these circumstances, and asked their supporters to put pressure on the council to cease this action which represents a serious violation of human rights. An injunction has been sought in consideration of two residents who are dependent upon a constant electricity supply for nebulisers, without access to which their lives are placed in serious jeopardy. See Amnesty’s Kartick Raj speaking to BBC Essex this week ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-14635807 )
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CAMP CONSTANT
On Saturday, 27th August, we will launch CAMP CONSTANT
( http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/activity/ ) a solidarity and resistance camp for supporters of the Dale Farm community. JOIN US. See http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/activity for more information, the long weekends schedule of workshops and a welcome pack.
INDEPENDENT MEDIA:
Any independent media people planning to come on to the site (with video, cameras, etc) please read this ( http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26043573/IND%20MEDIA%20CALL%20OUT.odt ) first and make contact…
DESPERATE PLEA TO UN
*Richard Sheridan as president of the Gypsy Council has been involved in eleventh-hour negotiations with the UN Commission on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva; the Special Raporteur has already entreated the UK Government to cease the evictions and to ensure the families at Dale Farm are offered viable culturally appropriate alternative sites. Lord Avebury will accompany Dale Farm residents to 10 Downing Street ( http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/dale-farm-petition-to-no-10-and-meeting-with-union ) Thursday, 25th August to present a petition to the PM calling for the eviction to be called off.
DONATE:
use this paypal link ( link )
to donate some money to the camp.
LONDON INFO-EVENT & MEETING
2pm, Thurs, 25th August, at the Haircut before the party <http://thehaircutbeforetheparty.net/>, Whitechapel…see here <http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26043573/DALE%20FARM%20INFO%20SESSION.odt> for more info.
MAKING THE CONNECTIONS:
Workshop, Sunday Sept. 4th, 2pm, Camp Constant, Dale Farm. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Stay!* This is the rallying cry for Roma, Gypsies and Travellers and of migrants throughout the world. A common thread of persecution, of forbidden lands, eviction and deportation connect the struggles for migrant rights and the rights of Gypsies and Travellers. These realities have met dramatically in the crack-down and deportations of Roma people from France and Italy. Come to the Workshop organised by No One Is Illegal and London No Borders including speaker who is an activist in Amnesty International's campaign against the persecution of Roma in Europe.
TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THE DEMO
Sat, 10th Sept, 1pm, see here<http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/demo/>for more
information and email: savedalefarm@gmail.com to add your group’s support to the list…
RISE UP!
We cannot stand by and do nothing while the UKs largest Travellers site, home to hundreds of families, including many children, elderly and sick residents, is brutally evicted. Travellers should not have to live in constant fear of eviction with their lives and communities under constant threat. They should not have to be forced out of their homes and off their land by bulldozers and police. This constant hounding, marginalisation, and lack of provision is how rural England does ethnic
cleansing. It is time for a resurgence of support for Gypsy and Traveller communities. Time to stand against the extreme racial discrimination faced by Gypsies and Travellers. Time to defend the right of Gypsies and Travellers to land, life, respect, and dignity.
http://dalefarm.wordpress.com
some more thoughts about the recent disturbances
24-08-2011 22:55
informing/ incriminating and second world war
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Just a few thoughts on the recent disturbances: I was in France and my parents were trying to understand the sun’s heading “ shop a moron” printed without translation. My mother knew of the concept of shopping and I soon established that moron was a swear word /insulting but couldn’t find the word for shop talked about delation/informing, incriminating and then my dad retranslated the caption as morons are informants. Its important to know that delation as a word is related to what French people did during the German occupation and this led to very terrible consequences for people who died in concentration camps and despite how racist French are this kind of thing is not on- eg neighbourhood watch is not happening ther is no confidential numbers appearing on busses etc- just because of history. I think it would be worth reflecting on this a little more on this side of the Channel. I recall a friend of my sister visiting London about 20 years ago and being shocked by the confidential police line: Reminding her about Jews and concentration camps. Another paper commented on the concept of delation/ informing but appears at first glance to confuse things saying ECDL some English facist group is prone on informing on the participants of the recent disturbances.
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Ground the Drones: Join the Waddington Peace Camp
24-08-2011 22:26
Join us at the new peace camp at RAF Waddington near Lincoln, LN5 9NB from September 3, (anniversary of the start of World War 2)Take banners, whistles. Be visible, vocal. Make our opposition loud and clear.
From 3 Sep: Camp at RAF Waddington, Lincs, to protest UK Drones
24-08-2011 22:19
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Waddington starting on 3 September to protest against drone warfare in general and the planned expansion of the use of armed drones by British forces. Help is needed to set up and maintain the camp.
Workers take action!
24-08-2011 22:02
Two groups of workers organise themselves to fight their particular situation. Is it not generalised yet? Zombiefied left get off the menu! And that includes you, you naughtie little anarcho hors d'oeuvres.Another possible cop murder: Media blackout?
24-08-2011 17:00
A man has died following calling the police to his house in Cheshire in need of assistance after being 'threatened with a gun'. An eyewitness describes him being severely beaten while cuffed by up to 11 officers.EGYPT: Imprisoned pacifist blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad on hunger strike
24-08-2011 16:18
Maikel Nabil Sanad, the imprisoned pacifist blogger and conscientious objector sentenced to three years' imprisonment for "insulting the military" on 10 April 2011 (see co-alert, 11 April 2011), began a hunger strike in protest against his continued imprisonment on Tuesday, 23 August 2011.Palestine Today 08 24 2011
24-08-2011 15:26
Guide to Public Order Situations updated
24-08-2011 11:02
the Guide has been updated following recent eventsProtest against Circus using animals - all needed
24-08-2011 08:55
Following the publicity about Bobby Roberts Circus having a live elephant as part of its act (no longer) this has attracted three circuses to come from overseas and tour in the UK for the first time. Yorkshire will see the Polish State Circus which will include two elephants, three lions, many horses and a tiger. Dates are so far agreed as August 14 to Sept 9th at 15 Bridge St Otley West Yorkshire, the site of the Otley Show. The German "Circus of Dreams" which includes an elephant, dogs, horses and donkeys will be at Bridge, in Pool-in-Wharfedale between September 1st and 7th
Manchester Vegan group working with concerned individuals in Yorkshire are planning a demo for Friday 26th of August and Saturday 27th of August at the Otley Show Grounds located at 15 Bridge Street, Otley West Yorkshire.
We have chosen these dates as they are expected to be the busiest of the tour for the circus. There is a piece of land directly outside where a sympathetic landowner has given his blessing for us to use. There will be banners available as well as flyers to give out but we do need PEOPLE. Please meet at 7.30 near the "STOP THE CRUEL CIRCUS" banner.
We would ask that companion animals such as dogs are left at home.
Bus services http://www.wymetro.com/BusTravel/BusStationsAndStops/BradfordInterchange
Please think of the environment and do not drive unless there is no alternative. - thank You.
Criminal Ruling Class: Financial Oligarchy & How To Stop Them
24-08-2011 01:10
Day of Chaos against Shell at Aghoos Compound
23-08-2011 22:01
A mass trespass stops work, one person on top of a digger for 4 hoursToday 25 people from Rossport Solidarity Camp sustained a barrage of actions against the site Shell is preparing for its tunnel boring machine. Despite 80 security and three vans of gardaí they were unable to keeps the protesters out. In the chaos that ensued one person got through the lines to d-lock themselves to one of the diggers and remained up there stopping work for 4 hours. Elsewhere other diggers had to stop working as protestors approached.