Aircraft Saboteur Bailed - Coulport Base Blockaded
Ulla Roder [1,2,audio] who last March disarmed a Tornado jet, has been released on unconditonal bail. She appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court near Edinburgh for a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday 12th August where a new date was set for her trial (22nd September), with another new pre-trial hearing on the 9th September (coincidently coinciding with the DSEi protests).
In related news charges have finally been dropped against four activists who on 20th February blocked the runway of RAF Brize Norton in an attempt to disrupt preparations for war.
Meanwhile, Coulport military base in Scotland has been blockaded several times, and an International Disarment Camp has been set up - actions continue with several swimmers breaching top-security areas: News Updates: 6/8/03, 9/8/03, 11/8/03, 12/8/03 (arrest total now at 34), 15/8/03 with videos and personal report. The camp is set to run until 15th August. Following on from this Reclaim The Bases will hold their summer camp at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston, from 22nd to 25th of August.
There has also been action taking place for Hiroshima day (August 6), with events in Sheffield and Faslane.
Links: Free Ulla Campaign | Trident Ploughshares | Faslane Peace Camp| Background to Hiroshima Day 2003 | Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarment
Trident Ploughshare activities
Here is a summary about current Trident Ploughshares activities.
2003: The summer of Resistance Camping
The summer of Resistance Camping is still ongoing. Starting of with the convergence of protesters against the G8 in Evian, tents and food kitchen have moved on to the noborder camps and various other activist gatherings in the sun, organised around particular pressing issues, such as computing (also see WSIS [1,2]), antinuke or ecology. Coca-Cola - Stop the Violence
Coca-Cola stands accused of violence, intimidation and murder in Columbia. A new global boycott and direct actions looks like the Real Thing...
From Wraith to Reality. The return of the IWW
The Industrial Workers of the World - the famous 'Wobblies' - are alive and kicking in Edinburgh with a thriving general membership branch whose members are preparing to throw themselves into the industrial struggle.
Documentary Film: Jeremy Hardy vs. Israeli Army on tour in Scotland
'Comedians often get stuck looking for new material, but only Jeremy would get himself shot at ... well done.' Mark SteelJeremy Hardy v. The Israeli Army is a feature documentary about the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine as experienced through the eyes of British comedian Jeremy Hardy.
Leila Sansour, the filmmaker with a degree in philosophy, grew up in Bethlehem in the Occupied West Bank and will present the film in Glasgow on Sunday and Monday, the 28th at the Glasgow Film Theatre and in Edinburgh from Monday to Thursday in the Edinburgh Filmhouse.
Each screening will be followed by a question and answer session with the filmmaker.
Solidarity action with anti-war protester in Edinburgh
An anti-war protester called Simon is charged with incitement of racial hatred for carrying an upside-down modified American flag with 'Fuck Bush' written on it, and a swastika painted on, at an anti-war demonstration in Edinburgh at the 22nd of march this year. More background info: [prisoner report, pics, audio , spontaneous demo at police station, ], all 22nd of march.
On Thursday July,17th 2003, a more or less spontaneous solidarity action called by the comedian Mark Thomas and supported by Members of Scottish Parliament Mark Ballard and Colin Fox, took place in front of the St.Leonards police station, Edinburgh, with about 60 protesters ready to hand themselves in for displaying postcards with a similar design in public. pics [1, 2 ]
Autonomista Interview
In June and July of this year, two Argentinian women toured the UK to talk about the wave of social change which is sweeping their home country. Graciela and Neka talked about the Piquetero movement, which has seen unemployed workers taking control of over 200 factories, and organising a direct democracy through neighbourhood assemblies. The movement has also organised road blockades in resistance to the neo-liberal reforms which are leaving many Argentinians unemployed.The tour was organised by the Argentina Autonomist Project (AAP), an group which seeks to educate people around the world about the struggles in Argentina.
I met up with Graciela at the Glasgow event, to find out more...
Solway's Silver Bullet
The Gulf War started a long time before we saw it on outr t.v.'s. Depleted Uranium contamination shows the contempt the British State has for the people of Scotland - and the time for opposition is now.
"Unborn children of the region are being asked to pay the highest price, the integrity of their DNA."
Ross B. Mirkarimi1
A new kind of nuclear war is being waged. It's already being fought in Scotland and the combatants are you and me. Our attackers are the Ministry of Defence, a force which has already poisoned its own soldiers and threatened the health of the civilian populations of the former Yugoslavia, Kuwait and Iraq.
Oyster Wars: A play based on working-class struggle
Oyster Wars: A play, that links working-class struggle in the past with the present and the future in North Edinburgh. For the last week in June, the "Oyster Wars Project" took place in North Edinburgh. This Project consisted of a theatre show, an exhibition and a community event.
Indymedia European Newsreal #6 - now out
The latest version of the Indymedia European Newsreal is now out. Beyondtv.org in Manchester are distributing the ENR6 for English language screeners. VHS's and CDroms are available or you can download and watch these films online. As well as a selection of anti-war films, there are features about the Faslane big blockade, the Yesmen, the commercialisation of dutch education and critical mass - italian style.
Peace activist on trial.
On the 10th of march 2003, Danish peace activist and grandmother, Ulla Roder, was arrested for damaging a Tornado war-plane at RAF leuchers in Fife so it couldn't be used in an attack on Iraq.Other Tornados from Leuchers were involved in the bombing of Iraq using cluster bombs and radioactive Depleted Uranium.
Ulla is currently on remand in Cornton Vale Prison, and her trial will start soon.
More information under these links:
Free Ulla Campaign
Trident Ploughshares
Scottish CND
Frock On and On
On 7th of june, the second "Frock On" Festival took place in Glasgow.
"Frock On and On" was helt this time at the Govanhill Neighbourhood Community Centre for the daytime workshops for women, and in the Queenspark Glasshouse for gigs and spoken word in the evening,the artists, audience and the bar in between exotic plants and small animals.
"Our goal is to make links with and strengthen/build on the existing feminist community with aim of making feminism cool again.
Frock On is against homophobia, racism, ablism, ageism, and men bashing.
It's about talking, having fun, making new friends, subverting, resisting, doing it yourself, gossiping/networking, respecting, listening, dancing, eating, rioting, drinking, laughing, relaxing, empowering ourselves and others, clothes swapping, cycling, supporting our music, creating, growing, expressing ourselves, challenging ourselves, learning, scheming, giggling, planning, cups of tea, taking care of ourselves, gaining confidence and self esteem, finding our voices and keeping it real."
More information under http://www.frockon.org
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Summary of previous IMC Scotland features
Summary of features per month:[October 02 | November/December 02 | January 03 | February 03 | March 03 | April 03]
Scotland April/May 03 Features
Content of the Indymedia Scotland April/May 03 feature.1.) New structures -Media
2.) Pict Defence Force: There Is No Scotland - Only Aberforth! - Anti-Imperialism 12.5.2003
3.) Weapons of Mass Destruction on the road to Coulport, North of Glasgow ! - Anti Nuclear 12.5.2003
4.) Scottish human right observer under arrest and to be deported from Gaza! - Internationalism 10.5.2003
5.) Calton Hill blocked off by police to prevent Beltane celebration! - Alternative Culture 1.5.2003
6.) Faslane Trident Nuclear Submarine Base Blocked by Peace Protesters - anti-nuke 22.4.2003
7.) Peace Protesters still active! - Anti-War 3-8.4.2003
Pict Defence Force: There Is No Scotland - Only Aberforth!
The Latest News From Occupied Scotland1. Text of interview with Pict Defence Force spokesperson:
May 9th, 2003 (19 Pitn, 2542 in old money)
(Pict Defence Force spokesperson, flanked by members of its political wing, emphasises a point at an interview given to various press agencies at a secure location in Aberforth ("Edinburgh") on May 9th, 2003, corresponding to 19 Pitn, 2542
[ read more.. | picture ]
Nuclear Warheads Transport In UK
A nuclear transport is heading from a factory in Reading for a nuclear bomb store at Coulport - north of Glasgow, and expected to arrive on Monday 12th afternoon. Each of the 3 lorries in the convoy is thought to be carrying two nuclear warheads which, each of them, have a destructive capacity eight times the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.Civilian weapons inspectors from Scottish CND, Trident Ploughshares and Faslane Peace Camp will be monitoring the convoy as part of the UK Nukewatch network. The civilian weapons inspectors will attempt to stop the convoy for a close-up inspection.
[ Full report ]
Scottish human right observer under arrest and to be deported from Gaza!
Nick from Scotland, and his friend Alice, are currently held by Security Forces in Israel.They were arrested at 8:30 PM on Thursday evening, May 8, 2003.
Their phones were temporarily confiscated, giving them no means of contacting friends, activists, or lawyers.
However, the activists called the British Embassy to inform them of the detention.
No formal charges have been brought against them, but they were told to be under arrest, although there are no grounds for legal action against them.
Nick and Alice are being held as part of the overall execution of a plan to remove Internationals from the West Bank and Gaza.
Another condition to enter Gaza is to fill in a form, which absolves Israel of all responsibility in the case an International is injured or killed and in addition forces the Internationals to waive all basic rights.
[ report on Friday | update on Saturday | update on Sunday ]
For further info:
Palestine Solidarity
Calton Hill blocked off by police to prevent Beltane celebration!
The Beltane Fire Society is celebrated every year the start of summer on the 30th of april on top of Calton Hill in Edinburgh with Theatre show and Fire Shows. This year, due to the spiralling costs mainly due to the Councils demands, the celebrations have been cancelled. However, although the official celebrations have been cancelled, the police and the council try to prevent anybody to have a private pagan celebration by police force...Here is a call for Resistance! And here is a report about what happened on Beltane at Calton Hill.
New structures.
ImcScotland is at the moment building up its own Independant Media Centre. We are please to announce that with UK-IMC's planned move to a better web solution it will be easier to maintain the Scotland section on United Kollektives IMC and so should be more up to date and diverse, but please bear with us as to begin with it may take a little time to restore these features below and get posting new ones.Feel free to contact those of us who maintain this Scotland sub section via the imc-scotland discussion email list. Also please do join this list if you wish to be involved and help IMC Scotland.
Archive of past months:
[ IMC Scotland March 03 | Camcorder Guerilla Weekend | IMC Scotland February 03 | IMC Scotland January 03 | IMC Scotland December/November 02 | IMC Scotland October 02 ]
