UK Social Struggles Feature Archive
Protesters sit it out on Derby bus station roof
29-10-2005 13:29
Protests as arms dealers attend careersfair
18-10-2005 14:57
The last two days saw the AIESEC careers fair taking place at Nottingham University. The Portland Building, where the Students Union is based was full of businesses promoting their oppertunities for the under and post-graduates. People within the university informed the students attending the fair about some exhibitors: 'the problem is, they supply arms to countries with appalling human rights records'.
Arms manufacturers such as Caterpillar, BAE systems and Rolls Royce exhibiting at the fair were targeted because of their non-commitment to ethical responsiblity and the way in which they 'lie about the truth'. The protest, organised by NSPM, took place on both days of the fair. The Student Environmental and Ethical Network (SEEN) is organising an ethical careersfair later in November.
19/10/05: Students at Leeds University succesfully shut down BAe stall at the AIESEC careersfair at Leeds Uni.
Links: Nottingham Student Peace Movement (NSPM) | Environmental and Social Justice Committee | Student Environmental and Ethical Network | Stop Caterpillar :: Violations of Human Rights | Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) | The Ethical Student | AIESEC Nottingham Careers Fair | Environmental and Social Justice Committee | Previous article about NSPM
George Fox 6: Campus Activism at the Crossroads
21-09-2005 23:00
On Monday 26th September, the trial of the George Fox 6 commences at Lancaster Magistrates Court. Six student activists face charges in a three day trial arising out of an action that took place at Lancaster University in September 2004 where protestors had gone into the George Fox building at the university to hand out leaflets and talk to people at the "Corporate Venturing" Conference - a networking meeting for multinational corporations. Speakers at the conference were drawn from controversial arms manufacturer BAE Systems, Shell and other companies the six say have 'long histories of human rights abuses and environmental destruction'. Police attended and told the protestors they were doing nothing wrong, but some months later they received summonses through the post. The defendants are seeking support at the trial.
[ GF6 Support Group | Action at corporate conference | Call for support | Interview with defendant during trial lunch break - 1.2Mb ]
The situation in New Orleans goes from bad to worse
03-09-2005 12:19
In possibly the biggest natural disaster of US history, hurricane Katrina has left devastation in New Orleans and surrounding areas. Things have gone from bad to worse. Martial law is declared in New Orleans City. The National Guard is deployed, with the order to 'Shoot To Kill' in an attempt to 'stop looting'.
Updates on the hurricane disaster on New Orleans Indymedia | Coverage of the refugee situation on Houston Indymedia
Houston Indymedia Coverage: Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | Reports from New Orleans: 1 | 2 | 3
How to help: Donate: Red Cross | Second Harvest | Katrina Help Wiki
More Links: Weather Warning (28th August) | Democracy Now! reports (Aug. 30) (Aug. 31) (Sept. 1) (Sept. 2) | Explanation about Hurricanes (MP3) | Further analysis: 1 , 2 , 3 | Insane looting? - Not at all! | An analysis of the 'anarchy' in New Orleans' streets Commentary from the Newswire: Katrina open letter to radical/progressive community (From Houston) | In Praise of Looting | American Genocide in New Orleans | Michael Moore's open letter to Bush
Demolition Threat in Glasgow
25-08-2005 09:41
Glasgow Housing Association seek undemocratic demolition solution for Sighthill housing estate in Glasgow. Tenants continue to fight against housing privatisation agenda, as 1,200 homes come under threat.
[Stocktransfer Info | Defend Council Housing | City Strolls | MSP vs. tenant debate in SenScot]
IWW join forces with SSP to repell Scottish parliament's protest retaliation
25-08-2005 09:31
The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) join forces with the Scottish Socialist Party to lobby against financial sanctions enforced by the Scottish Parliament versus initially four parliamentarians who protested in the chamber against the ban of the 6th of July demonstration against the G8 at Gleneagles.
According to the "Industrial Worker", the radical syndicalist labour union's newspaper, the loss of £30 000 in wages will not only punish the protesters, but will also unjustifiyably effect their employees.
Campaigners and fellow members of the IWW call for a protest on 6th of September at 9am outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and/or to sign an online petition and/or write protest letters to the presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament. [ "Scottish Parliament to Dock IWW Members' Pay" | "The Day Democracy died" | Wikipedia on the SSP]
More links:
[ Industrial Workers of the World | Edinburgh IWW | Petition online | IWW on Wikipedia | A graphic history of the IWW]
Cambridge Support for Jerry Hicks
19-08-2005 17:46
There has been active support in Cambridge for the campaign to reinstate Jerry Hicks. Jerry, a worker at the Bristol Rolls Royce plant, was "probably dismissed on trade union grounds", the employment tribunal found, for supposedly organising unofficial action, influencing the decision of the disciplinary panel (both to support two sacked colleagues), and standing in the way of normal working practices [more details].
Jerry Hicks has spoken at a public meeting in Cambridge [ Report | Photos ]. And there is now a call to action.
'Stop the Arms Trade, Shut Down DSEi, Stop Making Murder Profitable'
17-08-2005 08:03
Bombs on the underground, bombs in Iraq, guns in Harlesden, Euston, Kings Cross, in the car and under your pillow, destroying the lives of men women and children, and destroying the world in which we live, all sold to you by these nice men and women in suits, who only do this job because, "if I didn't, someone else would"..
Strike for union rights at Rolls Royce
14-08-2005 22:35
Workers at the Bristol Rolls Royce plant have voted for an indefinite strike, starting on August 22nd, until their dismissed colleague, Jerry Hicks is fully reinstated. Jerry was "probably dismissed on trade union grounds", the employment tribunal found, for supposedly organising unofficial action, influencing the decision of the disciplinary panel (both to support two sacked colleagues), and standing on the way of normal working practices [more details]. The aim of the strike and campaing is nothing short of unconditional reinstatement. But the real target are the anti-union laws that allow employers to criminalise "unofficial" actions. They have been on the law books since Thatcher introduced them, but have also survived two terms of Labour government. Yet when faced with pressures from employers, as Jerry Hicks said, "we never balloted, we always walked out!" [see also Heathrow Airport strikes background].
[Bristol IMC: Updates logo background | Unions: Amicus labournet | Talk in Cambridge: text photos call | Solidarity: photos | The arms trade: RR demo CAAT report | Latest reports 1 2 3 | Video 1]
Caracas Youth Festival Starts
09-08-2005 04:54
Over 17,000 young international activists have gathered in Caracas for the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students, which begins today (Monday 8th August). Several groups in the UK, including Hands Off Venezuela, Colombia Solidarity Campaign, Justice for Colombia and New Generation, as well as various communist groups, have between them sent over 100 delegates. Everyone from Europe is being housed at a newly-completed village, half an hour south of the Venezuelan capital, except for the organisers from the World Federation of Democratic Youth who have been staying at the Hilton Hotel (which is now run as a co-op). The festival is seen as an excellent opportunity to build solidarity with Venezuela's peaceful and democratic revolution.
Radical Summer in Cambridge
07-08-2005 11:13
Things seem to have slowed down in town, but not for those who want to change the world! Lots of traveller support, free spaces and cycle power activities are taking place over the next month.
Part of the Essex traveller community, Dale Farm, housing 1000 people, is under constant threat of eviction. A public meeting, and training session will be taking place on the weekend of August 13th for those who want to support the traveller community. There is a special need for human rights monitors and people with recording equipment (since an eviction is quite an ugly business, often unseen by most people). The Hoverfield community just got evicted [report, another report].
Meanwhile in Cambridge a group of people have decided to put empty buildings to use, and have opened a Social Centre in Fitzwilliam road [open letter]. A film screening of "The Mark Thomas Comedy Show" will take place there on the Sunday 7th, but much more is promised in the next few weeks.
Finally a Critical Mass, a spontaneous convergence of cyclists, skateboarders and skaters to celebrate life without cars took place in Cambridge. This is to become a regular event, with people meeting the last Friday of every month, 6pm, beneath Elizabeth Way Bridge.
[Looking for a radical holiday? : Earth First! summer gathering 17-21 August 2005]
Nottingham Peace rally in response to the London bombings
05-08-2005 10:35
On Saturday afternoon, scores of people gathered for a peace rally in Nottingham in response to the London bombings. The event in Market Square was arranged by the Nottingham Muslim Action Group.
Organisers said the aim of the rally was to remember the victims of the bombings and promote solidarity between people of all races and faiths. and of course, no-faiths. The event was backed by a range of other faith groups.
After two-minute silence, 56 white balloons were released to represent and remember those that died as a result of the London explosions.
A similar rally was held last weekend in Leicester.
more ....
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2005/07/319509.html First Pride in Canterbury
01-08-2005 13:17
It was estimated that 500 turned out to parade through the City centre and that at least 1500 people attended the Dane John Gardens, where there were over 30 stalls. DJs Bunny and Christine got the entertainment off to a good start, and after speeches from ex-mayor, Councillor Fred Whitemore and representatives of Kent Constabulary and Unison, amongst others, local entertainer Lee Tracey presented a show that included popular drag artistes, and singers from the Ship Inn, Rochester. The performance by the recently formed City of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus provided another highlight.
G8 Day 2: Thursday 7th
07-07-2005 04:51
After a long day on the streets [Personal Accounts: 1 | 2] the people that slept at the eco-village awoke to being surrounded by police on the second day on the G8 meetings at Gleneagles. The police stated they had no intention of invading the eco-village, but were concerned about "more disruptions". People were barely allowed to leave the camp all day, with police only letting small groups out at a time if they provided personal information. The police used Section 60 as justification, effectively halting movement from the eco-village. By five pm all actions from the camp had been cancelled and there was consensus to not resist the blockade today, although at times tension rose high as people demonstrated in front of the police lines. However, the anarchists did challenge the police to a football match and claimed victory when the police did not play.[Pics of Eco-Village 1 | 2 | 3]
Meanwhile in Edinburgh, prisoner support actions took place in the early afternoon at Saughton prison near Haymarket station accompanied by Seattle's Infernal Noise Brigade. There was also a spontaneous prisoner support rally in front of the Sheriff Court where at least two people were arrested [pics]. More solidarity actions are planned for tomorrow Friday 8th July. [Prisoner Support Statement | Wombles targeted in Glasgow police operation]
In Glasgow, six people locked down to Weir Pumps, one of the first companies in the UK to win contracts in Iraq. On the other hand, and following explosions in the London tube today, bomb threats were also made and responded to in Edinburgh.
Full Timelines of Events:
Ecovillage timeline | Edinburgh timeline | Glasgow timeline
G8 Day1: G8 Blockades, Mass Arrests and Fence Breaches
06-07-2005 22:00
Movement against the G8 started very early this morning: while the beacons of dissent were still burning in the dark in the Ochil Hills, hundreds of people were making their way out of the Stirling convergence eco-camp 'Hori-Zone' to head for Gleneagles. Initial clashes with riot police forced many back, but other went on to occupy roads. In Edinburgh there was an attempt to blockade G8 delegates in the Sheraton Grand hotel and people obstructed delegate coaches as they passed through the streets. The M9 motorway was also blocked by a several hundred people.
Throughout the morning multiple blockades were set up on the approach roads to Gleneagles, from people locking themselves together to the late afternoon Kids Tea Party blockade. All this activity resulted in many G8 delegates having to delay their trip to Gleneagles. Later in the afternoon, and despite sporadic torrential rain and long traffic jams, people continued to converge aound Gleneagles Hotel. Just before midday, the police announced that the G8Alternatives march and rally at the town of Auchterader had been cancelled, but despite this announcemnt thousands of people continued to stream towards the G8 Summit location. Coach loads of protestors were also delayed for hours by police roadblocks, but the majority were allowed through in the end.
Meanwhile a spontaneous demonstration was taking place in Edinburgh. This was mainly made up of some 700 people whose buses had been prevented from reaching Auchterader. The demonstration started in Princes Street and was quickly penned in by police, with some people arrested violently. Local people watching the police actions shouted "outrage" and "disgrace".
In Auchterader at around 1pm, up to 10,000 people started to move towads the perimeter of the fence. The demonstration included many national and international groups and networks, as well as a large battalion of the clowns, Seattle’s Infernal Noise Brigade and an International Samba Band. This mixture of people, groups and nationalities gave a cheerful and colourful athmosphere to the demonstration.
When the march reached a fence blocking the road to Gleneagles Hotel many people paused bringing the entire march to a standstill. Later a determined group of people dismantled the fence in front of police lines, whilst another group of about 700 people moved into a nearby field towards another fence that actually formed the enclosure of the Glenegales Hotel. This was also partialy dimantled by this crowd, and a watch tower attacked. At this point police presence was masive, with hundreds of riot police, police on horses, police with dogs, and even military helicopters that kept dramaticaly flying in more riot police. The crowd maintained their ground for over an hour resisting police charges, whilst a group of about 100 people staged a sit down protest in front of the gap caused by the earlier breach of the fence. Eventually a big police charge managed to push people back down the hill and out of the fields. While Auchterarder itself was full of protestors, many local residents were friendly and there were no clashes or property destruction.
The Legal Support Team reported "hundreds of arrests" throughout the days actions and blockades, whilst a later update spoke of "over 400 arrests" confirmed, several of which are the result of London's FIT teams.
[Complete Timeline Reports: Stirling/Gleneagles Timeline | March on Gleneagles | Edinburgh Timeline | Glasgow Timeline]
Edinburgh Reports: 1 | 2 | 3] [Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5] [Video]
Stirling: Report | 2
Blockades: Reports (various): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 + 10a | 11 | 12 | 13
Blockades Photos (various): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15
Blockades Videos (various): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Autcherarder/Gleneagles: [Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8] [Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 14 | 15 | 16] [Audio: 1] [Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]
International Solidarity: Collected Reports | Bern, Hannover, Heidelberg, Lugano | Kansas City | Sidney [pic] | San Francisco | Barcelona
G8 Info
03-07-2005 17:34
Background info : Why Are People Protesting? [more] | Groups and Websites | Protests and EventsRead latest G8 coverage : Indymedia Scotland and IMC UK G8 topic pages [ RSS feeds: Newswire | Features ]
Video : Collected G8 Video Coverage - list of links | Upload your videos
Radio : See G8 Radical Radio Collective website or Global Radio Indymedia Newswire for streams or archive material.
Photo: IMC Photo Library and Search website
- G8 Legal Support + Advice | Legal Support Statement
- G8 Medical Support
- Activist Trauma Support
- Submit your G8 story
- G8 debriefs: London, Oxford, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester
G8 Reports - 2 July
02-07-2005 15:49
For full collected reports see IMC G8 Newsblast
At least 200,000 demonstrators from very different backgrounds, ranging from religous organisations to samba bands and the Infernal Noise Brigade to the Clown Brigade, joined today's Make Poverty History march in Edinburgh. The organisers had called for people to wear white clothes. The march was set up with staggered starting times, but because of the number of people and small funnelled start gate many were unable to join the actual march. Report
Photos: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 ]
Video: [ Interviews
Audio: [ interviews | speeches ]
Before the start of the official march, residents of Craigmillar, the most deprived area of Edinburgh, joined with anti-G8 protestors camping on a park in their estate. They marched through the estate to show their opposition to poverty here and abroad.
An anti-capitalist block broke away from the main march and was cordoned off by riot cops. People are being released in small groups, others appear to be held and photographed under a Section 60 order (which police later confirmed was applied to whole city centre). There are two possible arrests. [ timeline | report]
Photos: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 ]
Other events happened during or after the official march (and we're not talking about Live 8). Faeries moved about the march, as did detatchments of the Clown Army (Photos: 1 | 2). Break Dancers gathered in Bristo Square in an attempt to 'Break Poverty' (photos). Capitalists marched in support of the G8 [1]. An impromptu street party (photos) on one of the roads closed for the march, with samba and music from the Infernal Noise Brigade, lasted until midnight. At that point, police moved the party to the nearby Meadows in order to re-open the road, resulting in one arrest.
Tenants occupation in Glasgow
24-06-2005 13:09
Glasgow Cre8 Summit - Reclaiming Community
20-06-2005 11:06
Cre8 Garden Pictures | Audio Interview (mp3) | Film: Cre8 Summit Day 1 (.mov 3mins): Direct Download | Press Coverage
Also see: Jam74.org | Corporate Watch on M74 | Road Block | Road Alert
Dale Farm Traveller Eviction Alert
15-06-2005 13:37
The security company Constant has cut a swathe of destruction across Britain, destroying more than 250 private plots in the past two years. Old people had been assaulted, children terrorised and mountains of property, including caravans, been burned. "The campaign for Gypsy rights has never been stronger nor more united," Puxon said. "But if we can't together save Dale Farm then we have failed and this destruction will go on unchecked."
Upcoming:
21st JUNE: There will be a demo, candlit-vigil and mass attendance at the adjourned council committee meeting taking place at 7.30 (Tuesday) 21 June at Basildon Centre, Basildon.
26th JUNE: Hovefield Ave, Wickford in Basildon threatened with eviction order by Basildon Council. Judicial Review underway.
29th JUNE: Human Rights Monitoring Teams meeting with Dale Farm Housing Association, at Dale Farm, Crays Hill in Basildon, Essex