UK Promoted Newswire Archive
Sparks blockade Park Lane outside Grosvenor House
15-02-2012 20:55
The Electricians this evening have blockaded the meeting of annual 'Electrical Contractors Association' ball' at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane. Traffic on one side of Park Lane is blocked as 150 workers and their supporters protest against 35% wage cuts and blacklisting. Speeches are being given for those in the area to hear the reasons for the demo. The original ball was supposed to have been cancelled when they heard about the demo but the Sparks turned up anyway to make their point, it seems this was a good move as Ken Livingston was just seen going in and he is one of the invited speakers. Police say if the sparks don't clear the road backup units will be called, unfortunately they can't find the 'organiser' to tell this to, 30 or so police are there now trying to clear the road.
Update from Mattsson on twitter: Execs forced to retreat by #sparks as try to enter hotel they ran after them with chants of scum. Protestors deciding whether to stay and fight or go to the pub - decision - 15 minutes of fighting then go to the pub...
More info: The ECA is the trade association representing the BESNA parties (Balfour Beatty Engineering Services, NG Bailey Building Services,Crown House Technologies, Gratte Brothers, Spie Matthew Hall, Shepherd Engineering Services (SES), T Clarke PLC). Because of this call to protest, the ECA Ball has been cancelled! So the message has reached the bosses. But to make sure it still gets to the bosses load and clear, we will still be assembling outside the Grosvenor House Hotel when the ball was scheduled. See here for more info on why the demo was called and what they are fighting against.
Union News info here.
Take back your campus.
15-02-2012 17:26
Today we staged a sit-in at the University of Birmingham for the following reasons:University of Birmingham Corporate Conference Centre occupied- over 100 students
15-02-2012 17:14
Simon Furse has today received an announcement that his disciplinary hearing that took place this morning has been temporarily cancelled. It was cancelled mid-hearing due to procedural irregularities caused by student protest throughout the day, which at one point stormed the room where the hearing was taking place.Occupation- Defending the Right to Protest
15-02-2012 17:09
After a march around campus, UoB students and supporters have occupied Staff House in protest against the injunction against protest on campus and the disciplinary hearing that is taking place today against the sole student that the University were able to identify from the previous occupation.Full article | 10 additions | 5 comments
Activists blockade Heathrow detention centre to stop deportation flight to Ghana
14-02-2012 18:49
* Dozens of migrants held at the prison are due to be deported to Ghana on a specially chartered flight at midnight
Benefit Claimants Fighting Back
14-02-2012 15:36
The Welfare Reform Bill is back in the Lords today which may yet result in some more tinkering with this desperate piece of legislation. However the main thrust of the bill, enshrining as it does Universal Credit, benefits caps, mass health and disability testing programmes, workfare and the slashing of benefit for 20% of disabled people, is all firmly established and will become law.
Farmhouse squatted to defend land from EDF Energy's bulldozers
14-02-2012 15:09
Full article | 1 addition | 3 comments
Diaz G8 Genoa 2001 takes the Berlin Film Festival by storm....
13-02-2012 17:53
Full article | 1 addition | 2 comments
Directions to the new camp at Hinkley Point power station
13-02-2012 15:15
Full article | 1 addition | 3 comments
Hinkley Occupied Again
13-02-2012 11:04
Anti-nuclear activists moved into an abandoned site near Hinkley Point, Somerset, early yesterday.
Protesters are angry that permission has been given by West Somerset Council for clearance work for a new power station to begin before developer EDF Energy has won permission to build its controversial new nuclear plant.
Bob Lambert talk disrupted
11-02-2012 21:30
Ex-informant turned academic, Bob Lambert, faced heckling and embarrassment in St. Andrews during his first public engagement since news broke regarding the son he fathered with an activist.99 Days of Occupation: Occupy Sheffield Moving On
11-02-2012 19:12
new occupy london squat - 'school of ideas'
11-02-2012 18:55
this week, 'occupy london' activists opened up a new community squatted building in the city, near old street. it is a deserted primary school with loads of beautiful airy classrooms, a small gym, and some pleasant outdoor space. it has lain unused for three years and the owners are awaiting planning permission before demolishing. in the meantime, the hope is to put it to good use for the community.
click on image for larger version. 'some rights reserved' - free for credited non-commercial use, otherwise contact author for permission
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since being quite violently evicted from the UBS-owned 'bank of ideas' squat, the campaigners have tried to occupy three further buildings, each time facing swift but illegal evictions at the hands of the police. however, this time they have made the new space secure, and after preparations over the past week, they are now opening up to the public.
the new occupiers have, so far, set aside a co-ordination office, an art project, a cinema, and a well-being area, as well as a cafe in the large reception hall and an exhibition covering the history and struggle of squatting. they intend to run a bike workshop, an internet cafe and tech area, gardening and permaculture training, and video and media projects including livestream.
currently they are inviting people in to the free/donation cafe, and they are open to offers and ideas for positive use of the other spaces available. the space will be open to the public from tuesdays to sundays from midday to 8pm each day.
among the projects starting up, there will be a continuation of the 'free university' initially started at the 'bank of ideas', where more than 400 talks, lectures, workshops and meetings took place over a couple of months. this was all run by more than two dozen professors who, unhappy at the introduction of £9000 fees, offered alternative qualifications there for free. among the many subjects covered were alternative economics, self-defence, and building renewable structures.
the new site, on the corner of bunhill row and featherstone street, was a purpose-built primary school until closing in 2009, and so it is decorated in lots of bright colours, gaining spectacular light from circular ceiling windows and glass walls. it has been empty for three years. the owners, the southern housing group, are hoping to demolish it and turn it into flats, but are awaiting planning permission for this, and in the meantime it is hoped they might be amenable to its use for the community. contact has already been made and an initial meeting set up.
the new website www.schoolofideas.org.uk will publicise all workshops and events and you can also call the info line on 07954 227762.
this afternoon saw the first events with workshops including 'laughter yoga', 'how to set up an eco-community project', and 'tales from the american occupy' - a visit by occupation activists who brought their experiences from chicago, rhode island, and oakland, with films, talks and workshops running all afternoon.
tomorrow (sunday) at 2pm, there will be an 'emergency squattastic' meeting to discuss the strategy for the house of lords lobby on wednesday. (more info on www.squashcampaign.org)
there is the usual wishlist of donations and offers of help required, including food, paint, tools, equipment, furniture, brooms, cleaning products, computers, and more than anything, people and skills.
if you can run workshops or write proposals, get in touch. if you can cook food or meet and greet, get in touch. if you can paint or sweep, get in touch. there are rota systems for all the necessary chores a viable community like this requires, so every offer of help ensures that the whole project continues to thrive.
the project aspires to run itself on an ideal and positive vision of a non-hierarchical, nurturing community, and while it can't always guarantee to get that perfect, it's a hell of a good aspiration.
Smash EDO Press Release -John Catt challenges police surveillance
10-02-2012 11:45
Direct action gets the goods! Victory in less than a week for newly reformed Glasgow Solidarity Network
09-02-2012 21:53
Hedging Our Bets on the Black Bloc: The Impotence of Mere Liberalism
09-02-2012 09:14
Chris Hedges has written some of the most insightful analysis of the U.S. war machine in recent years. His 2009 book The Empire of Illusion was an exploration of how exhibition has eclipsed truth and meaningful connection in American society. His acknowledgment of the ease in which one can buy into such spectacles is a small part of why it was so odd to read his article on Truthdig attacking both anarchists and black bloc tactics entitled “The Cancer in Occupy.”
#occupyoil upper st shell garage closed tonight
09-02-2012 02:55
in the third london action today, the upper street shell garage in islington was closed by activists for over an hour. while a samba band played, loads of leaflets were handed out. many passing motorists hooted support and cyclists often cheered.
click on image for larger version. 'some rights reserved' - free for credited non-commercial use, otherwise contact author for permission
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this was the third london action under the #occupyoil banner today, following on from this morning's blockade of a garage in belgravia, and a small protest outside the nigerian high commission at midday.
as per a recent action, police seemed to have gained intelligence about this site, or maybe made a good guess (as it has been the target of previous actions for many years). either way, they were clearly not sure of the time, and perhaps jittery about the possible scale of the "occupyoil" movement (which claimed to be about to close down every garage in london), they stationed a police van nearby from 10.30 this morning.
the van was still there this evening, and activists gathered in a pub several hundred yards away near highbury and islington station. again, either through covert surveillance or a lucky guess, the police arrived outside the pub, with a vanload parked up outside, as well as two FIT team cars buzzing around nearby.
so the activists, around 20 people, set off on a little walkabout, and as they went the wrong way down a one way street, FIT officers followed on foot while the van drove round. however, despite a circuitous route, the activists couldn't shake off the surveillance (hard for a large group of people carrying banners and drums). so, finally emerging from a side road opposite the petrol station, they were greeted by a row of officers across the front of the garage. sergeant "driver" (no conflict of interest there) informed the protestors that they would be arrested for 'aggravated trespass' should they attempt to blockade the forecourt, but that they could continue their protest on the pavement outside.
but soon after the samba band had started up and the banners were unfurled, the station staff emerged from their shop, placed bollards across the entrance and closed the garage, stating they'd been told to do so by management, and so providing the required result for the action anyway.
comedy activist charlie veitch happened to pass by on a bus, and he dropped by with his megaphone for a few minutes adding a comic twist to the proceedings.
news of the action spread quickly via the internet, and squatting activists came up from their latest city repossession/occupation to swell numbers a little.
comedian and comedy writer paul whitehouse was among the many passers-by who were handed leaflets.
due to the cold weather, a few people having to leave, and the late start to the action, the protestors decided to finish together and leave together as a group, after managing to close the garage for business for about an hour and twenty minutes in total.
the police operation today raises some serious questions about their role in protecting shell. at least one van full of police was stationed in upper street for more than eight hours before the action. two FIT teams were deployed during the evening. once the action began, there were a further three vans of police parked up with engines running near the garage.
so who is paying for all this? is it the public, in which case, in times of austerity and serious crime, is this a sensible use of resources? or is it shell, in which case is this another example of police being privately hired? (as per the recently broken story about virgin).
is it reasonable anyway, whoever is paying, for the police to spend so much energy protecting the commercial interests of such a dodgy company? the past and proposed actions against shell are not dangerous, never violent, and wholly legitimate. they succeed in closing single outlets for a period of a few hours at a time, and are a symbolic attack on a multi-national corporation that made a profit of more than £18 billion last year - that's £35,000 per minute!
shell has been implicated in irish government corruption over its rossport oil pipeline and refinery.
they are up to their necks in controversy over their tar sands extraction, facing an international law court case for trashing indigenous lands in canada, a project that scientists claim could in itself lead directly to several degrees of climate change.
their oil spills around the world devastate lands. new arctic drilling has already led to spills in virgin territories in canada and alaska. leaks from the sakhalin refinery in east russia threaten the breeding grounds of pacific grey whales. in the niger delta, the devastation is incredible, with oil spills equivalent in size of the BP deepwater horizon spill occuring EACH YEAR for the past few years.
it is surely indefensible then that the authorities spend so much energy on pre-emptive and oppressive policing of anti-shell actions.
presumably, they will be putting on a huge security operation to avoid any disruption of the business meeting tomorrow evening in west london with special guests, the managing director of shell nigeria and the nigerian energy minister.
for more info on shell campaigning, see www.risingtide.org.uk and www.shelltosea.com
#occupyoil pimlico shell garage morning closure
08-02-2012 10:55
activists closed down the very busy belgravia shell petrol station in pimlico this morning as the first sortie in a day of actions under the umbrella of #occupyoil, and mainly targetting the oil giant 'shell'.
there will be a publicly announced noise demo for an hour at noon today outside the nigerian house on northumberland avenue (off trafalgar square), with other shell actions planned throughout the day.
pictures courtesy of #occupyoil
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the pimlico garage was targetted after being identified as a particularly busy one during morning rush-hour, in a very salubrious area, and so, just ten minutes after the garage opened for business, at around 7am, activists took to the roof of the garage and hung a large anti-shell banner over the edge while legal observers kept an eye on events.
the garage workers had to immediately close down the garage because of health and safety protocol, and they called the police, the first of whom arrived within twenty minutes.
over the next hour, more banners and activists arrived, until about a dozen people were involved. police have so far not acted, waiting for a specialist team to clear the roof safely.
the garage, on the corner of ebury street and ebury square, has been closed for nearly three hours now, and a substantial number of porsches, landrovers, and other sloaney vehicles leafletted and turned away, so the action has been a great success for shell activists, and an excellent start to the #occupyoil day of events.
there are solidarity actions taking place in liverpool and petersborough, and more london actions planned today.
after three hours, the garage remains closed, with a police helicopter and two vanloads of TSG among the police visitors.
there will be a peaceful but loud noise demo for an hour at midday outside nigeria house in northumberland avenue, off trafalgar square, and twitter will provide info on the #occupyoil hashtag.
Full article | 1 addition | 14 comments
Extremist’ policing of Leicester EDL demo
08-02-2012 09:46
Despite their assertions that the EDL are not ‘extremists’, the Domestic Extremism Unit did send along their public order intelligence officers Ian Skivens and Mark Sully, accompanied by football intelligence officers from Nottingham and Leicester – these are the FIT cops shown below. Their intelligence gathering was not, however, limited to the EDL, and the FIT cops below appeared to spend more time filming the anti-fascist response than the EDL. Added to that, there were a good number of local intelligence and PREVENT funded cops out keeping an eye on the local youth.