Protests at WMD convoy through Scotland
On Monday and Thursday a group of Citizens’ Weapons Inspectors harried a British nuclear weapon convoy as it passed through Central Scotland on its way to the Trident base at Coulport on Loch Long. It was forced into a lay-by on its return due to the breakdown of a nuclear warhead carrier. Jonny cycles through Edinburgh on anti-gm pilgrimage
Jonny Barton cycled through Edinburgh on a fresh autumn Sunday morning on his pilgrimage from Inverness for a demonstration on the 13th of October in London, pulling a coffin behind him for the whole way.The progress of Jonnys journey can be followed via his website.Map of his planned tour, by Sheffield IMC.
2 activists from Totness,see Westcountry Indymedia are on the way, and 2 other activists have been [ 1,2] passing by Bayer and Monsanto, reported on Cambridge Indymedia. In total 20 pilgrims, including 73 years old Mary Keynes, are cycling or walking to London to raise awareness for the issue of GM food and crops and to participate in the Tractor and Trolley Demonstration.
For more background information: [Bio-technology special page,LABB leaflet, Biotech Indymedia].
Picket of Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh - Solidarity with Barcelona squat
Demonstrators descended on the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh on 29th September to express solidarity with the threatened Barcelona squat LA KASA DE LA MUNTANYA.
Placard-waving protestors plastered the Consulate with flyers, delivered a letter to the Consulate-General and distributed leaflets denouncing the attempted eviction of the self-managed community centre.
"For 14 years LA KASA DE LA MUNTANYA has been a community, cultural and social centre run on principles of self-organisation and self-regulation. Despite the fact that there is clear evidence that the Spanish government has obtained ownership of the building illegally and has no plans for its use, an eviction has been scheduled for 2nd October," declared flyers distributed by the dozen demonstrators. See pictures.
Stop Evictions! - Fortnight of Actions In Barcelona
From Sept 26 to Oct 12, the Squatters Assembly of Barcelona has called for a "Fortnight of Struggle" to defend Barcelona's occupied spaces [read background info] This call is in response to the eviction threats against two of the oldest and most emblematic squatted social centres of the city, [the Kasa de la Muntanya and Les Naus], and also to protest about the re-opening of judicial procedures against several other local occupied houses and social centres, such as La Hamsa. This international call to action includes the first international squatters' demonstration in history, due to take place in downton Barcelona on Saturday 4th of Ocotber.
Meanwhile a series of actions, demonstrations, gatherings and meetings are already taking place in and around Barcelona [Photos].
See below for latest news and updates:
- Sat 4th October: The international demonstration against evictions and property speculation took place in downtown Barcelona under heavy police presence. Between 3 and 5,000 people (with a bycicle critical mass in front) marched behind a banner that read "in defense of liberated spaces and against evictions". Another big banner stated: "evictons, torture ... if this is your peace we declare war on you". The demo was very loud and determined, whilst a sound system provided a festive atmosphere. Several activists engaged in a series of actions and performances along the march.
[Reports in English 1 and 2 | Photos 1 and 2 | Videos 1 and 2 | Timeline of Events (esp & cat)]
Further information: IMC-Barcelona(eng) and La Haine(esp).
- Thurs 2nd October: Activities continue to take place in Barcelona's social centres. Today, a call has been made to participate in the workshops "Speeches and Channels - Creating New Networks of Horizontal Communication" due to take place this weekend in the squated social centre Les Naus. Organised by IMC-Barcelona, Les Naus and Luther Blisset.
- Wed 1st October: Around 1000 people have taken to the streets of Barcelona's barrio of Gracia to protest against the eviction of la Kasa de la Muntanya. Reports 1(esp) | 2(cat)
Photos of solidarity action in Barcelona's Tibidabo this morning.
- Tue 30 September: Eviction of Kasa de la Muntanya temporarily suspended. Repots 1 and 2.
Stop Evictions! - Defend Squatted and Autonomous Spaces Around Europe
Whilst all this goes on in Barcelona, activists in Holland are mobilising to defend from eviction the oldest squat of the country. The "Blauwe Aanslag" in The Hague is a former tax office that has been open for the past 23 years, grewing into a vibrant D.I.Y. living-working environment containing a concerthall, cinema, food-kitchen, professional offset printingplant as well as livingspace for more than 70 people. But on Friday 3rd October, and after a long judicial procedure, a judge decided that the squat can be demolished… The eviction has started [Report | Pics | Squat's history]
At the same time, in Brussels squatters activists and neighbourhood groups are preparing a "squat action week" in the city called "Une Semaine à Bruxelles" due to start on the 15 of October.
Links:
[Kasa de la Muntanya | Les Naus | IMC-Barcelona (eng) | Info in English]
End the Occupation Demo 27th Sept
Between 10 and 100 thousand people (eleven ?) from all over Britain marched against the occupation of Iraq in London yesterday.
Pictures and comments: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ]
Pictures, story and comments: [ 1 ]
Women contingent: [report and pics]
Video: [1 long clip, 1 short clip, 1 quicktime virtual tour of crowd]
Debate about coverage of demo on IMC: [ 1 ]
Simultaneously, in Edinburgh a banner drop and a rally took place, whilst it was streaming down with rain.
Mad Pride
Mad pride
More than 6000 people commit suicide in this country every year. Now the goverment is proposing to introduce community treatment orders with enforced medication. As a result, those in need of help will be too afraid to seek it.
Mad Pride is comprised of ex-psychiatric patients and others who campaign on mental health issues, pleading with the government to stop ignoring thousands of deaths and to start treating mentally ill people h umanely.
At the Hutton enquiry, which has been investigating the suicide of David Kelly, Mad Pride was present as part of their ongoing 'stop the suicides' campaign.
Mad Pride: 07958 907357
www.madpride.org.uk
e-mail: madpridelondon [at] hotmail.com or attend the next meeting – look on the website for details.
There will be showing of the Pete Shaughnessy film "With endless love", introduced by Simon Holder, at the Rio Cinema in Hackney, on Saturday night.
Bilston Glen road - action alert - trees being cut down
News just in from the struggle to stop the road through the woods and country-side in Midlothian - trees have been cut down and people are needed.
Frock On!
September Frock On has now come and gone. Workshop topics included sizism,writing, environmentalism, Indymedia and self defence. People made new friends and got to see old ones which is really what is all about.
Legal Update: DSEi, Anti-War protests and others...
Legal Update 16th September here.
Samba player in deep trouble after having been badly beaten by police and spending two days at Charing Cross police station; Witness appeal.
Liberty are asking for reports from people who were stopped and searched, ASAP. An email list has been set up for people who were arrested / beaten etc..
Since the 1st of September, 144 people have been arrested in protests against the Defence Systems and Equipment international arms fair (DSEi) that has been taking place in East London. Policing tactics have been condemned by a wide range of people and Liberty is have won the right to seek a High Court injunction over use of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000; they have also offered to provide legal representation for anyone stopped or detained under this legislation. Bindmans Lawyers have also requested information or witnesses from DSEi.
- Legal resources:
- Activists' Legal Project
- Legal Defence & Monitoring Group
- free B.E.A.G.L.E.S. legal resource centre
- Urban75 legal page
Numerous requests for witnesses have been made on the UK indymedia newswire [1 2 3 4 5 6]. There have also been several videos posted showing police violence against demonstrators which may provide evidence [ 1 2 - more can be found on the full reports from the 9th, 10th and 11th September].
Meanwhile, Anti-War demonstrators are still being threatened with - and receiving - harsh sentences. Protestors from Fairford come to trial next week while some are still fighting to get the charges reduced before they come to trial (Background to the case). Yet others are still looking for witnesses and some, like Ulla Roder (who was arrested for damaging a Tornado war-plane), have had their trials delayed numerous times.
Further afield, Simon Chapman and the Thessalonikki 7 remain imprisoned in Greece (solidarity website). Simon's first appeal has failed (against the charges) and he is currently awaiting the results of a second appeal. Key evidence such as the video have been re-submitted. In the United States, webmaster of raisethefist.com Sherman Austin has been imprisoned for 1 year; he has since been subject to death threats and is being kept in solitary on the grounds of safety as a reason.
Demonstrators besiege Dungavel refugee prison
Sticks, boots and bare fists beat a rhythm of resistance on the razor-wire fence around Scotland’s refugee prison, Dungavel, last Saturday 6th September. Over 1,000 demonstrators travelled to the south Lanarkshire countryside to demand the closure of Dungavel and freedom for the men, women and children imprisoned within.
Pics [1, 2, 3,] audio
"Unprecedented: 2000 Presidential Election" - Film Screening
'Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election' is being screened in Glasgow, Mono Cafe, King Street, Glasgow 7.30 on Wednesday 17th, and at the new location of the Forest in the new location at Wilkie House, Cowgate, Edinburgh on Thursday 18th September, 7.30pm. These screenings will be followed by a discussion with Richard Ray Pérez, one of the co-directors of the file. This award winning documentary is a co-production with the Los Angeles Independent Media Center. The screening in Edinburgh will be a double bill with "We interrupt this Empire".
There is further information on the Unprecedented movie web site, including links to audio and video previews, background information, reviews and stills.
"We Interrupt This Empire..." Screening
Screenings:
Edinburgh, 18th of September, in a double bill with "Unprecendented" at Wilkie House, 7.30pm, new location of The Forest, off Guthrie Street or upstairs of Cowgate.
Glasgow, at the Human Rights Film Festival Saturday night 8 pm, The UGC, 7 Renfrew Street, Glasgow,
The San Francisco Video Activists' Network and SF Indymedia presents the story you didn't see on the BBC: an unflinching look at the American radical resistance to an illegal and horrific war.
"We Interrupt This Empire..." is a collaborative work by many of the Bay Area's independent video activists which documents the direct actions that shut down the financial district of San Francisco in the weeks following the United States' invasion of Iraq. With the audio backdrop including the live broadcasts of SF Indymedia's Enemy Combatant Radio and the SF Police Department's tactical communications that were picked up by police scanners, the documentary takes a look at the diverse show of resistance from the streets of San Francisco as well as providing a critique of the coporate media coverage of the war and exploring such issues as the Military Industrial Complex, attacks on civil liberties, and the United States' current imperialist drive.
Donations wellcome.
Trailer: [56k][Broadband]
Poster: [pdf]
Netwide Protests against EU Software Patents Bring Temporary Victory
As the cream of Europe's politicized programmers took to the streets in Brussels, much of the world's Open Source / Free Software community shut itself down voluntarily on Wednesday 27th of August in symbolic protest against proposed European Union software patents legislation. The patents directive, prepared by Arlene McCarthy, UK Labour Member of European Parliament (MEP) for Manchester, is seen by its opponents as an attempt to introduce U.S.-style software patents into Europe in order to protect multinational corporations from innovative small software companies, Open Source / Free Software developers, and the file-sharing habits of the vast majority of internet users. The patents directive was scheduled for a vote on 1 September 2003, but the vote has been delayed due to the unprecedented concern in the programming community. Software patents opponents vow that they will use the extra time to organize even more effectively. Photos: [1] [2] [3] [4]
Audio: Richard Stallman of GNU project speaks on software patents in Cambridge UK [mp3][ogg][text]
Text: [1][2][3]
Busy Busy Busy...Road Resistance at Bilston Glen, Midlothian
New treehouses going up, old barriers coming down. The resistance to the road through Bilston Glen Woods and the Midlothian countryside needs people to come down, build defences, cheer us up, etc.. Come and join in our September events.We are expecting eviction this winter/autumn!
WTO Cancun summit - Zapatista call for "rebellion and resistance"
As the Cancun, Mexico summit of the World Trade Organisation approaches, Comandante Zebedeo and the Zapatistas condemn the WTO, reminding the world of the Alternative Media Tech Convergence Sept 1-7, the Campesino (peasant farmer) Forum 8-9, and the Global Day of Resistance Sept 9th.. "Make ourselves children of rebellion and resistance", declare the Zapatistas.
Threats to Zapatista centre Roberto Barrios - update
The Zapatista centre of Roberto Barrios is still under threat of attack and eviction by paramilitaries backed by the PRI party local government authorites. On 24 August a delegation from six different organisations from "civil society" travelled to Roberto Barrios in Chiapas,Mexico. They reported a tense calm – the support could have caused the paramilitaries to back off – but a real threat remains, and international support is important. Stop the Block!
The Vlaams Block - the Flemish racist anti-immigration party are coming to the Scottish Parliament - lets organise a special welcome... More wasteful summits?
One year on, the complete failure of the Johannesburg Earth Summit is obvious. But should activists therefore give up on UN Summits altogether? Daniel Mittler of Friends of the Earth Germany doesn´t think so.
When I got on a plane one year ago to attend the biggest ever UN Summit, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, I was under no illusion that this Summit would have any chance of being a giant step for mankind. It had become all too obvious in the long and ardeous preperatory process - involving some 8 weeks of day and night meetings of bureaucrats from all over the world - that there was no desire by those who call themselves our leaders, to address the root causes of global inequality and unsustainable development.
Highland cows threatened with eviction by Suffolk business man
The Kinlochroag Highland Fold and their owner and breeder, Finlay Macdonald, are under threat. This famous Fold of Highland Cattle that feature in 
http://www.highland-coos.com are fit and healthy and an asset to the rough moorland they inhabit. But due to the ancient nightmare that has plagued Scotland there is a chance that some of the fold may have to be dispersed. In some cases this may not be possible, the alternative for those gentle highlanders is too horrendous to contemplate. More information under
http://morsgail.co.uk Earth First Summer Gathering
A report from the UK's biggest direct action gathering.
This years EF summer gathering took place over 5 days from 13th August on an idyllic nature reserve near Ripon in North Yorkshire. These gatherings have been taking place annually now for almost a decade and continue attract around 4 - 500 people each year. There is no hype, no big name speakers to tell you how it is, and no mass marketing campaign advertising the event in cities all over the UK: all very different from say, the SWP's annual 'Marxism' event in London.
ZAPATISTAS PUT AUTONOMY INTO PRACTICE
5,000 Zapatista supporters gathered at Oventik, Chiapas on 8-9-10 August 2003 to celebrate a major step forward in the indigenous movement's struggle for autonomy.The last few weeks have seen the Zapatistas issue several communiques of major importance.
“It is possible to govern and to govern ourselves without the parasite that calls itself government.”
