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Scottish authors disagree about Condoleezza Rice

29-10-2011 16:55

This is my reply to a piece by Alison Rowat in the Herald Scotland recently she titled "Condi Rice: too smart to run for the White House"
 

First my credentials as a prolific Scottish author on the subject of Condoleezza Ric

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Southend Airport protest

29-10-2011 15:53

Just found this on the beeb.

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New wave of anarchist direct action in Russia

29-10-2011 15:43

more news from the growing social war in the territory of the Russian state

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Chronology + 4th Communique from Conspiracy Cells of Fire-Mexico/FAI

29-10-2011 15:39

from the Conspiracy Cells of Fire - Mexico / Informal Anarchist Federation (translated from Spanish by thisisourjob.noblogs.org)

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Details of coach companies ferrying EDL racists to Birmingham

29-10-2011 12:12

Company details below for your information.

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This Is What Direct Democracy Feels Like

29-10-2011 10:55

If you are only a sidelines spectator of the #OccupyTogether occupations happening right now all around our world, then it’s likely you have a lot in common with moderate, liberal-minded, Oakland CA USA resident Lili Loofbourow. But when the ABC and CBS livestream news feeds of the cops’ violent attack on peaceful protesters both went dark*, just before the tear gas rounds and stun grenades started flying, Lili decided the best way to witness what was occurring in her own hometown was to show up in person. You can read how a passive, concerned, but self-sidelined observer became an active and dynamic political participant in the Occupy Oakland General Assembly, in Lili's wonderful, illustrated, well-written and well-reasoned recounting of the transformational power of participatory direct democracy:
• ‘The Livestream Ended: How I Got Off My Computer And Onto The Street At Occupy Oakland
— by Lili Loofbourow, Fri 28 Oct 2011
» http://www.theawl.com/2011/10/the-livestream-ended-how-i-got-off-my-computer-and-into-the-streets-at-occupy-oakland

FROM CONCERNED CITIZEN TO POLITICISED PARTICIPANT
Please take the time to read Lili’s piece in full, and here are two excerpts to whet your appetite.

“To sum up: the only two mainstream media live-feeds switched off at precisely the same instant—the minute before fifteen police departments working together engulfed a peaceful group of protesters in tear gas.

That crucial minute, when the media (whether by accident or in compliance with police orders) enabled the police to tear-gas peaceful American citizens untelevised, shares something with the time of day recorded by those chalk shadows on the sidewalk. It's an ephemeral moment, but it lasted much, much longer than a minute should. It's a shadow whose original has disappeared, and it's all the more significant for that.

Given our image-saturated society, it's hard to explain how the absence of an image can be more dramatic, a bigger scandal, than the hundreds of disturbing videos of citizens being attacked by police. We're used to thinking of surveillance as the enemy. Big Brother abides, and I can testify that there's something undeniably eerie about the news helicopters hovering over my neighborhood. But for those helicopters hanging in our sky for hours and hours, waiting for a story, to disappear precisely when the story breaks—that's a different kind of sinister, a different kind of wrong. [...]

And that's how I—a mealy-mouthed moderate visiting Occupy Oakland reluctantly, and for the very first time—was not only welcomed but spoke, was listened to, and was heard. I'll note here that the proposal passed, unamended, and the planning committees are open to anyone who wishes to be involved. The debate continues, and you can participate as much as you want to. After three decades as an American citizen and years of leaving messages for my representative, only last night, speaking into the human microphone, did I feel for the first time that my political participation could matter.

The best answer I can muster for the question of what an engaged citizen tired of being a spectator can do is this: try the ordinary channels and try being one of the 99%. It is not perfect. Nothing is. But there is room for more than your vote or your money: there is room for you, your body and your brain. It offers something our political system (increasingly peopled as it is by disembodied, bodiless, shadowless “corporate” persons) doesn't. It's this: talk into the human microphone, and your voice doesn't disappear. It's amplified.”

~ Lili Loofbourow
• from The Livestream Ended: How I Got Off My Computer And Onto The Street At Occupy Oakland


AUDIENCE OR ACTOR?
All of which begs the questions...

  • Passivity or participation – which is right for you?
  • What might happen to you if you too joined in with your local Occupy [PlaceName] General Assembly in some directly democratic public policy decision-making?
  • Maybe something wonderful too?

 

Here’s some assistance in locating your local Occupy [PlaceName] General Assembly...

Occupy London is at St Paul's Cathedral and Finsbury Square:
» http://occupylondon.org.uk

Occupy Britain is the hub website for the occupations occurring across the UK:
» http://www.occupybritain.co.uk

Occupy Together brings together the hundreds of cities hosting their own mass direct democracy occupations all around the world:
» http://www.occupytogether.org

I hope you’ll choose to stand up for yourself, be an actor in our world-changing global epic, and leave your seat in the audience empty.

Share and Enjoy, Peace-&-Love, Tim Dalinian Jones



HISTORICAL INSPIRATION
• C18 French Revolution:
• “Les grands ne sont grands que parce que nous sommes à genoux: Levons-nous!”  
~ Revolutionary French journalist Camille Desmoulins in Paris 1789

• C20 Irish Revolution:
• “Ní uasal aon uasal ach sinne bheith íseal: Éirímis!
~ Revolutionary Irishmen James Connolly and Big Jim Larkin in Dublin 1897-1916

• C21 Global Revolution:
• “The great only appear great because we are on our knees: Let Us RISE!
~ Revolutionary Internationalist photovideojournalist Tim Dalinian Jones in London 1982-present

 


* When the ABC and CBS livestreams of the cops' violent attack on peaceful protesters both went dark – on Tue 25 Oct 2011, as peaceful citizens in the soft fabrics of street clothes were assaulted by body-armoured and gas-masked cops, in Oakland CA USA, during which Scott Olsen, 24, a Marine lance corporal who served two tours of duty in Iraq, suffered a skull fracture when he was struck by a projectile fired by police officers. Thankfully, Scott is recovering in Oakland’s Highland Hospital, where doctors do not anticipate a need to operate and are optimistic about his recovery.
• ‘Occupy Oakland regroups; injured Iraq war veteran recovering, by Lee Romney in Oakland, Fri 28 Oct 2011
» http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/10/occupy-oakland-regroups-injured-iraq-war-veteran-.html
NB: police violence is the rare exception (usually beloved and over-emphasised by mainstream media) rather than the rule – which is 99% citizens discovering self-rule through participatory direct democracy, all around our world.

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Against Armed Drones: Women in Black to hold follow-up vigil on 12.11.11

29-10-2011 09:47

Oxford Women in Black have dedicated their October and November vigils to highlighting the shocking increase in the development and use of armed drones by Britain and other countries including the US and Israel. As always we encourage anyone who is concerned about this issue to join us for our next vigil on Saturday November 12th at 11.15am in Bonn Square, Central Oxford.

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First Meeting of the Traveller Solidarity Network

29-10-2011 01:19

This is to announce the first public meeting of the Traveller Solidarity Network which will attempt to formalise some of what the network might do and how it will be organised.

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Critical Mass rides about a bit again in Nottm

29-10-2011 00:55

Friday 28th October 2011

Critical Mass is a monthly bike ride [meeting at 5.30pm on the last friday of every month] They now start from outside the Victoria Centre clocktower, off Milton Street in the city centre.



This months ride included a meeting in solidarity, with the folks in occupation in the Market Square.  We disrupted their general assembly .... but they still love us :-)

Ealier report, July :

Critical Mass returned to Nottingham [at last!]

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1970

The object is to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists' right to the road. With no set routes and no leaders, it's simply a bunch of people enjoying clean healthy transport. 

In addition to all of the worthwhile issues that Critical Mass highlights, it's a great way to meet people and perhaps do a bit of networking to promote other campaigns. 

Critical Mass should appeal to anyone that rides a bike so it should start from the most central location for everyone's benefit. Plus, practically every other Critical Mass around the globe starts from central, well-known locations which makes it easy to remember and easy to find. 

It's never more than a couple of hours. Bring bright clothing, lights, horns, bells, NOISE and FRIENDS. 

As usual, I've tried to take a set of pictures that show critical mass to be an empowering experience. Hopefully fun to be at. A celebration of the alternatives to the existing 'car culture'. 

See you all next month, I hope :-)

****** 

There have been some legal arguement, finishing in the House of Lords on Wednesday 26 November 2008. 

The upshot appears to be that critical mass IS a "procession which is truly commonly or customarily held" and hence does NOT require police permission and consent under the Public Order Act 1986. So there! 

This all began as a leaflet issued to CM participants by police at the start of the ride on September 2005 which stated: 

"...Police can impose conditions on processions, demonstrations and other assemblies, and participants render themselves liable to arrest if they fail to comply with those conditions. These cycle protests are not lawful because no organiser has provided police the with the necessary notification. Your participation in this event could render you liable to prosecution. Police policy in facilitating these events is currently under review..." 

After that the High Court decided in favour of CM but the police then appealed against that decision and won. The legalities involved are quite complicated and seem to hinge on whether the ride is customarily held and therefore not subject to certain police restrictions. 

On Monday 20th October 2008 an appeal by Des Kay and Friends of the Earth, against the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, was heard by five Law Lords and their decision is that the appeal is allowed and CM is a commonly or customarily held procession without organisers and therefore does not need to inform the police of each ride. So, still we ride too! Though whether we are traffic or not is debatable. 

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldjudgmt/jd081126/metro-1.htm 

For a plain english explanation, check out: Victory for Critical bicycle bike climate_action critical environmentalism mass

Mass campaigners [BikeRadar.com]  http://tinyurl.com/6ktykr 

 

Sadly, Indymedia video is still fucked! Thus, I've uploaded another version to YouTube at:

Critical Mass biking about in Nottingham [5.12min]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DRW3JwETc8

[hopefully, we'll be able to sort this out shortly]

 

More Mass reports [including links to many earlier CM events]

Nottingham's April Critical Mass + Coal Caravan 1

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/428834.html

Nottingham's April Critical Mass + Coal Caravan 2

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/428855.html

 

more at  

http://bikesfuckyeah.wordpress.com

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002885621631

nottscriticalmass@gmail.com

&

http://www.criticalmassrides.info/nottingham 

____________________________________________

ALAN LODGE 

Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham.  UK

Email:                 tash@indymedia.org

Web:                   http://digitaljournalist.eu

Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]

____________________________________________

"It is not enough to curse the darkness.

                                   It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"

___________________________________________

<ends>



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Reclaim democracy, parliament tues nov 5th save squatting

29-10-2011 00:05

Reclaim democracy, the politicians have ignored the 95% in the consultation
Who called for squatting not to be criminalised, let's show them what the 99% can do.

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Libya S.O.S!: Important Campaign

28-10-2011 22:13

Dr. Abuzaid Omar Dorda - SOS!
IMPORTANT CAMPAIGN CONCERNING LIBYA! ... Lizzie Phelan, an independent journalist from Britain, who was reporting from Libya during the NATO bombing and the fall of Tripoli, informed the public about Dr. Abuzaid Omar Dorda, the senior Libyan official, a former UN ambassador who is currently being held and tortured by NTC members, his life being in grave danger. Thus, we are urging international community, humanitarian organizations, UN and CoE to promptly demand the release and guaranties for the life of this respected man, whose human rights are grossly violated, by the 'new democratic' Libyan regime.

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Legal Activism: The Spatial Politics of Squatting in the UK

28-10-2011 20:47

SQUASH and Alex Vasudevan discuss the Government’s plans to criminalize squatting and the legitimacy of engaging with the state over the proposed change in legislation.

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Press Release from Otros Mundos AC concerning the World Summit on Adventure Tou

28-10-2011 20:16

“To keep natural paradises intact, it is best not to visit them”

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Occupy Bristol Round Up 28th October

28-10-2011 18:55


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European Animal Cruelty Price Index for 2011

28-10-2011 17:35

Animal Programs Foundation alarms backpackers to consider Sofia as an unique European pattern of institutionalized pet abuse.

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Know Your Rights training session

28-10-2011 17:15

Are you going to the demonstration in London on 9th November, or other protests?
Do you know your rights, and the powers that police use at demonstrations?

If not, or if you think you need your memory refreshed, come along to this event.
The session will be given by mmbers of the Green and Black team who have trained in legal observing, and have experience of protests and the law.

Full article

Occupy Edinburgh to march on Saturday

28-10-2011 16:55

The Occupy Edinburgh movement continues to camp in St Andrews Square, and on Saturday 29 October is due to hold a march at 12 noon, one of many simultaneous demos globally in support of the Robin Hood tax. This will be followed by a festival in the square.

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“Animal welfare is not a priority” says Chief Constable Martin Richards

28-10-2011 16:41

Sussex Police have made it clear that animal welfare is not a priority

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Hove MP calls for powers to control messy squatters

28-10-2011 15:43

This is a story from Brighton's local paper, The Argus. We took the liberty of correcting some obvious typos, but the rest is verbatum.

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Video proves Daily Telegraph + Mail lied about OLSX

28-10-2011 15:33

New video evidence proves the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail lied in their dirty tricks campaign against OLSX