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Indymedia photographer arrested by armed officers

30-03-2006 14:22

On Saturday 18th March photographer and serial Indymedia contributor Alan Lodge - or Tash - was arrested after taking photos of armed police in public. Tash denied the charge of wilfully obstructing a police officer at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Monday March 27. Defending solicitor Paul Dhami told the court: "The officers took exception to his presence, and one took it upon himself to physically impede Tash and then arrested him." The arrest came only weeks after Nottingham police issued guidelines to their officers reminding them to respect journalists' rights.

Recent topics covered by Tash include: Council workers on strike 1 + 2, Nottingham's new rinky dinky, the campaign against incinerator expansion, Ashbourne's Shrovetide 'Mob' football and surveillance of Nottingham city centre.

Links: NUJ backs photographer in press freedom case | All articles published by Alan on Indymedia since 2003 | Previous article on Notts Indymedia about the incident | Guidelines for police and media at incidents | NUJ Freelance - May06 Defend the Nottingham One! | Trial Date now set for hearing at Nottingham Magistrates

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Pensions Strike

29-03-2006 10:50

Tuesday 28th March 2006 saw over a million workers take part in the largest one day strike in Britain since the general strike of 1926. Every town, borough and city in the country saw workers set up multiple picket lines to defend their pension rights. This attack on pension rights is part of the global neo-liberal attack on welfare, employment rights and the environment that is provoking a wave of global resistance. On the same day just across the channel in France millions of workers were also on the streets and on strike.

This massive one-day show of strength comes after decades of defeat for the trade union movement in Britain, but on 28th March over a million trades unionists stood together and caught a glimpse of their potential power to change the world.

Strike reports — London: 1 | 2 |3 | Nottingham: 1 | 2 | 3 | Liverpool | Derby | West Yorkshire | Birmingham | Cambridge | Sheffield: 1 | 2

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Indymedia Needs You

23-03-2006 16:59

Your Community Needs You!
The global indymedia network is the work of thousands of people at many different levels, from the people who read the articles and speak to other people about what they read, the reporters who post their stories, photos or video etc, to the admins who check for breaches of open posting guidelines and the techies who maintain the servers and develop the software.

Indymedia always needs more volunteers and at the moment the IMC UK network in particular is seeking more tech help so that it can be more active in the development of the content management program used by many IMC sites. It is really important to increase the developer pool since many proposals made for improving the site are stalling at the tech bottleneck.

If you think you could help please get in touch with your local collective or email imc-uk-tech. You could also mention this to anyone else you think might be able to help.

If you'd like to develop your own tech skills, you might be interested in the various Hacklab projects around the country which host regular training and workshops. The rampART lab for example provides a useful venue for anyone wanting to become more involved in indymedia.

On Saturday 25th the London Hacklabs Collective is putting on a benefit event to help cover the cost of the broadband both at the rampART and Freedom Book Shop. You can find more details about the event from the rampART or the Hacklabs website. The event will be a workshop about IMC tech and various IMC projects.

Related Articles : IMC Needs You, Bad time for indymedia servers, rampART hacklab report, evolution and changes to IMC UK.

Outside Links : London Hacklabs Collective, Aktivix, Sheffield Hacklab, International Hacklabs.

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Worldwide Anti-War Protests: March 18th Reports

22-03-2006 10:19

Saturday 18th March was an International Day of Mobilisation against the war and occupation in Iraq, marking the three year anniversary of the war (see call from WSF Assembly of the Movements). Over the weekend of the 18th hundreds of demonstrations took place throughout the world demanding to end to the occupation of Iraq, and protesting against a possible attack on Iran.

In London, the Stop The War coalition said 80 - 100,000 people marched through the streets, however as usual there was disagreement over numbers with the police saying the turnout was as low as 15,000 (a figure which was then printed in mainstream media across the world). See reports and pictures from London [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]. The march sparked some personal commentary about the day and the tactics [ Brian B | riot act | Jo Wilding ]. Locally protests also took place in Glasgow, Newcastle and Dublin.

In the US tens of thousands took part in protests across the country (500 demonstrations were scheduled). For news, pictures and video see the following Indymedia reports: Rallies & Marches: Akron, OH 1 2 | Albuquerque | Arlington, TX | Ashland, OR | Binghamton | Boston 1 2 | Chicago | Colorado Springs | Columbus 1 2 | Concord, NH | Connecticut | DC | Eugene | Fayetteville, AK | Fresno | Houston | Kansas City | Los Angeles | Milwaukee | Minneapolis/St.Paul | Nashville | New Hampshire | New York | Olympia | Orange County 1 2 | Pittsburgh | Phoenix | Philadelphia | Portland | Rochester | San Diego | San Francisco Bay Area | Santa Barbara | Santa Cruz | Seattle | Springfield, Mass | Tuscon, AZ | Vancouver, WA | Vermont | Worcester
Civil Disobedience: Boston, MA: Demonstrators visit several ROTC Offices | Eugene, OR: Civil Resistance activists arrested after sit-ins | Lakewood, OH: Arrests at Lakewood Military Recruitment Center | Lansing, MI: Five Arrested at Lansing Military Recruitment Center | Los Angeles, CA: Eight Arrests at Senator Feinstein's Office -1 -2 | Portland, OR: 19 Arrested while Delivering Anti-War Petitions to Senator Wyden's Office | Washington, DC protesters target Halliburton, Bechtel, and Carslyle

Indymedia Centres around the world collected reports of demonstrations from hundreds, to thousands of people. In Germany the demands were often broadened to include protests against repression and or the liberty of political prisoners.

Worldwide IMC reports: Estrecho: Sevilla, Córdoba | Maritimes: Halifax feature and photos, Fredericton | Ontario: London, Toronto, Windsor | Ottawa Video | BC Vancouver | Winnipeg Victoria | Alacant | Barcelona: 1 2 | Bruxelles: 1 2 3 4 | West-Vlaanderen | Bulgaria | Cyprus: Greek English | Euskal Herria: Ermua | Ireland: Dublin | Germany: Berlin, Duisburg, Trier, Tübingen | Italia: Roma, Palermo, Saronno and Gorizia | Nederland: Amsterdam | Norge | Polska: Warszawa English report and photos, Wrocław, Wa-wa, Poznań | Portugal: Lisboa | Scotland: Glasgow | Switzerland: Feature, Ginevra | Brasil: 1 2 3 | Peru: Lima | Puerto Rico | Aotearoa: Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland | Perth

In the Arab world, demonstrations took place in Basra and the Syrian capital Damascus. Smaller ones took place in Beirut, Cairo and other Arab cities. In the Tunisian city of Sfax, police stormed into a crowd of about 3,000 people and beat them with batons and truncheons, injuring at least 20.

See also: [Infoshop] Global Protests Mark Iraq War Anniversary | [A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition] Initial Reports on March 18 Antiwar Actions | corporate media coverage [ 1 | 2 ] | Indymedia UK March 18th Section

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Over One Million Join Student Fight Against CPE

18-03-2006 17:39

Picture from http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/03/336054.html
Update Tuesday 21st March:
French unions and student bodies have called for a general strike and massive protests throughout France on 28th March.

On Saturday 18th March: Over one Million people demonstrated against the CPE in France following weeks of student unrest. Clashes with police broke out after the CPE demos. For breaking news see French IMCs: Paris | Lille | Toulouse | Marseille | Nantes | Liege | Auvergne | Grenoble and Libcom Blog

Since the start of March, protests, occupations and direct action against the new CPE employment law in France have been increasing, with university and school students leading the dissent. Railways have been blockaded, airports disrupted, and up to two thirds of France's universities have been occupied or disrupted, as well as many schools. Clashes with police have occured throughout the country.

On Thursday 16th March well over 300,000 people took part in growing protests throughout France [report and pics] as more universities were occupied, roads blockaded and the town hall in Rennes was occupied. In Paris up to 120,000 protested [report and pics | gallery] followed by clashes with police using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon [report and pics | gallery]. Around 150 arrests were made in Paris bringing the total to around 300, with over 40 police injured. (See also Censier University occupation report and pics).

Much international publicity came from the occupation and violent eviction by riot police of the Sorbonne university in Paris on Saturday 10th March [Video | Report + Pics | Gallery 1 2]. On Tuesday 14th the protests escalated as a student day of action saw thousands of school students taking part in occupations and blockades [report and pics | gallery] as well as more street fighting around the Sorbonne area [gallery].

The CPE is a new employment contract due to take effect in April. The CPE would allow firms to hire people aged under 26 for a two-year trial period, during which they could be easily dismissed without a reason. Students and others complain this will only increase the precarity of everyday life in France where unemployment currently runs at 10% and 50% in some areas.

See other reports [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ] Plus recent features at IMC Germany | Poland | March 22nd London CPE report back | STOPCPE | UNEF

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UK No Borders Activists Join Forces

06-03-2006 23:52

Mariah & Judith speak to us from detention via mobile phone & megaphone

With the government's boasting that they "have made significant progress towards our target of removing failed asylum seekers," many activists from all around the country have joined the struggle against the border regime under the banner "No Borders". They will be gathering in London on the 11th and 12th of March for practical workshops about supporting refugees and migrants as well as strategic discussions.

Proposed actions so far include a campaign to close Heathrow detention centres, a day of action on 8 April in solidarity with a worldwide call from Australian No Border activists, and actions against the IOM.

Examples of ongoing campaigns include Ali Noori and others, who are presently struggling to stay in the UK. Recently Mohammed Arrian was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK only after strong pressure from his local community. Bereket Yohannes was one of twelve people who took their own lives in UK detention centers in recent years.


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Another Occupation in London Against Gentrification

02-03-2006 19:41

Hackney not for sale - we are not going anywhere!

On Monday 20th of February, local activists from Hackney, London, occupied three Victorian and Georgian buildings in order to stop the threat of demolition. The intention is to turn them into a community and social centre, instead of seeing the buildings sold off to private developers. The site consists of the Victorian Dalston Theatre and a pair of Georgian townhouses. Although some officials argue they are in a derelict state, members of the community are convinced that the theatre has a big potential as a cultural, social and community resource [Photos and Report]

At about 8am, council officers turned up and told the occupiers that they had to vacate the building by 9 or they would send in the police to evict them. Later in the morning, workmen from Byline (the contractors hired by Hackney Council) and police forced entry to the occupied theatre. Activists then climbed to the buidling's rooftops to defend the occupation, and have been up there to the day. [Read thoughts from the people resisting the demolition]

On Wednesday March 1st the case went to the High Court in a drive by Hackney council to rush the eviction. The Court unexpectedly refused to decide on the case, and ruled that the Council's claim for possession "should be transferred to the County Court" [report] On Friday March 3rd Shoreditch County Court issued an Interim Possession Order, which gives 24 hours to the occupiers to vacate the buildings. On Saturday 4th, a Guerrilla Screening and Open meeting were organised in the street outside the Theatre.

Breaking news:
An eviction can now happen at any time, and the occupiers call for everyone to go down there and support the resistance when it happens. Call 07919998567 for the latest info.

Updates:

More info against gentrification in Hackney: Open Dalston | 34 Broadway Market Occupation

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EDO MBM Injunction crumbles

25-02-2006 13:21

Campaigners against Brighton arms manufacturers EDO MBM, have made progress in their year-long battle against the company's attempt to silence them with an injunction under the Protection from Harassment Act,1997. At a High Court hearing on Monday 13th february, EDO MBM agreed to drop the provisions of the temporary injunction which affected any individual who wished to protest against the company. Restrictions included a prohibition on filming by protestors, and a designated protest area which was a grass verge across the road from the Moulescombe factory. The verge backed onto a steep drop to a railway line. Over 30 arrests have taken place in the last two years as EDO MBM tried to quell protests. 2 protestors spent a week each on remand in Lewes prison for alleged breach of the injunction. EDO MBM's failure to impose a blanket injunction represents a major victory for the right to protest. The matter is yet to be concluded for 2 campaigners who have declined to sign undertakings, and are determined to challenge the whole manner in which EDO MBM, their lawyer and Sussex police acted together to bring the proceedings.

Plans are in place for a 'Victory demonstration' outside the factory on Wednesday March 1st from 4-6pm, and protestors have vowed to carry on with their campaign against the company which makes bomb release mechanisms and is involved in the manufacture of the Hellfire missile.

Previous Indymedia Coverage:

Schnews Coverage | CIA 3 case dismissed | Bombers Drop Boss | Rooftop three acquitted | Judge tells Lawyer to get Lawyer |

From the smashedo website:

Attorney General intervenes in EDO injunction | Peace Campaigner Remanded for Injunction Breach | Peace Campaigners Demand Police Arrest Local War Criminal | Protesters vow to Fight Injunction

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International protests against Shell

19-02-2006 15:09

Main Doors Locked Shut

Stop the Shell Pipeline! Protests have taken place in Ireland, England, Scotland and Sweden to publicise the campaign ahead of the re-opening of Rossport Solidarity Camp, a protest camp supporting a community based struggle against Shell in the West of Ireland. On Friday 17th there was a Rossport Solidarity Demo in Liverpool, a critical mass style bike ride and occupation of Shell garages happened on Saturday in Nottingham [picture reports 1 | 2] and in north London London Rising Tide organised a blockade of a Shell garage which was closed for four hours [reports 1, 2] [ Video]. Listen to an audio report recorded at the Rising Tide Solidarity action 1]. All this coincided with a Rossport Solidarity Camp speaking tour of Scotland and England. Meanwhile in Ireland, the doors to Shell's main offices in Dublin were D locked shut, there was also a blockade of a Statoil garage in Cork and two solidarity meetings.

In Rossport Irish residents & supporters continue to obstruct the building of a dangerous gas pipeline. Last year five men from Rossport were jailed for contempt of court for refusing to obey the High Court order not to interfere with the construction of the Corrib gas pipeline. They were expected to be back at the High Court also on Friday 17th, potentially facing more time in jail. In November '05 the Rossport Five were released after 94 days in jail.

Click the 'Full Article' link for more

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Swiss Police Acquitted in Aubonne Bridge Trial

18-02-2006 13:21

Martin and Gesine outside Nyon's court with a clear message.

On the 13th, 14th, 15th of February 2006 a court case against two Swiss police officers took place in Nyon, Switzerland. Michael Deiss and Claude Poget were charged with causing bodily harm through negligence. They were in court after nearly killing climbers Martin Shaw and Gesine Wenzel during the protests against the G8 in Evian. On Friday 17 February the verdict of this private prosecution came through with an acquittal of the two policemen [Read verdict press release by Martin and Gesine]. Following this verdict, the activists announced that they will appeal against this whitewash of police violence.

In June 2003, an affinity group blockaded the Aubonne Bridge with a climbing action in order to stop a G8 delegation from reaching the summit in Evian. The police cut the climbing rope. As a result both activists were seriously injured, specially Martin Shaw who spent one month in hospital and sustained irreversible injuries. See video and a Photo strory of the event.

Other recent newswire reports: Report of day 3 of the trial | Statement by the Aubonne Support Group on the court proceedings | Activists walk out of court after verdict | Activists appeal against whitewash of police violence.

More information: Aubonne Bridge Campaign | IMC-UK Evian G8 page | PigBrother Live Show

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Valentine's Day Protests

18-02-2006 12:23

Just before Valentine's Day on Sat 11th Feb, around 600 people took part in Reclaim Love III, providing a counter-point to the greeting card and gift frenzy of Feb 14th - partying at Eros statue in Piccadilly, London - saying 'Love not oil is the most important resource in the world' [report | Photos 1, 2, 3 | Video 1, 2, 3].

On Feb 14th itself campaigners held a mock funeral demonstration outside the Icelandic Embassy in London. They were demonstrating against the Karahnjukar Icelandic dam and the multinational aluminium invasion of the last great pristine wilderness of Europe by companies Alcoa and Alcan [report | Saving Iceland website]. Other recent actions included a protest at the offices of Impregilo, part of the company which is building the Dam [report].

The Hazards Campaign also held a Valentine's Day 'Death by Deregulation' protest in London outside the Health and Safety Commission, drawing attention to the abolition of basic safeguards for workers [report + pic]. See also '10 reasons the Health and Safety Executive top brass makes us sick' - New Hazards Report | Safety at Work: a retreat from law? | LabourStart Health + Safety News Stories.

Meanwhile over in Belfast, where an unofficial two week plus postal strike has crippled the postal service, well over a thousand workers marched through the streets including both the Catholic Falls road and Protestant Shankhill. The wildcat strike action was in response to management bullying. The strike ended on Sat 18th, when the Royal Mail agreed to an independent review of industrial employee relations and not to penalise workers for the strike action [report and pics | Libcom Strike Coverage].

Prior to Valentine's, on 12th February campaigners from Trident Ploughshares held a mock wedding at Devonport dockyard in plymouth. Dressed in red and pink and black they enacted the 'marriage' of the people and City of Plymouth to Britain's own Weapons of Mass Destruction, the Trident missile system. A marriage made seemingly without the consent of many residents in the City [report + pics].

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Squatters united against global gentrification

15-02-2006 02:14

In november last year, Franscesca’s Cafe in East London, was occupied to keep it out of the hands of developers who acquired the council-owned property in what appears to be a dodgy deal with the notorious council. [background feature | campaign website ] Right next to London Fields park and the Regents canal, the area has long been considered desirable by developers. However, it's not just communities in trendy parts of London that are being torn apart by gentrification.

In São Paulo, Brazil, major José Serra has made it his mission to 'gentrify' the city centre and ultimately expel thousands of the low-earning families and street dwellers. He wants to evict 'Prestes Maia', a 22 storey tower block, probably the biggest single squat in the whole of South America which is home to 468 families, a library, workshops, and a venue for numerous autonomous educational, social and cultural activities. Now the 'apparent owner' wants it emptied. The 'owner' has accumulated a debt in municipal taxes of around 1.5 million pounds during the last 15 years of 'ownership' (more than he paid for the building). This, together with long years of abandonment, should justify a claim for the building to become public property, but despite this, a massive police operation paid for by public money was planned to make over 1,600 people homeless in the name of gentrification.

However, the residents of Prestes Maia have enjoyed a last minute reprieve and the eviction has been postponed for at least two months. Nether-the-less, on Thursday 16th, people in London held a solidarity demo outside the Brazillian Embassy [ Call out | report and photos | video ]. In the evening, a film about Prestes Maia was screened at the rampART social centre along with a UK premiere of documentary about police violence in the favelas of Rio.

Video of solidarity action in London

More links: Online Petition | Blog | Ongoing coverage from CMI Brazil (Portuguese)

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Fury grows over suspicious death during police raid

12-02-2006 16:50

Making sure....

On January 10th West Yorkshire Police raided a house in Plumstead, South East London, looking for a suspect in connection with the shooting of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky. Allegedly the robbers who shot the Pc have links to the Somali community in the Woolwich/Plumstead area. When the police raided the house, alone inside was Nuur Saeed who was unconnected to the accused but later found outside seriously injured. It seems he fell head first from a second story balcony. He died on January 22nd from a massive brain injury.

Back in August another young black man died In Bradford in unclear circumstances. Paul Coker died on the floor of a cell in Plumstead nick. His mother and sister attended a large demonstration at the police station where several hundred people gathered to express their anger over Nuur Saeed's death. "They are experiencing the same unaccountable wall of silence that the de Menezes family are so angry about. The family of Nuur Saeed have all this to come." Right now they are still coming to terms with the death of a loved one. His friends and the local community are furious.

Article with photos and report of the demonstration

Links: Police network tracks vehicles [in Beshenivsky case] | Justice for Nuur Saeed | Family wants truth about how Nuur Saeed died | Justice for Nuur Saeed Campaign launched

Other Media: Somalis protest over death during police raid | Somali community demands justice for Nuur Saeed | Scores protest at police station | Protesters demand truth after fatal fall

Related events: Pig Brother Live Show UK Tour - a survey of police violence, weapons, their effects and why they usually get away with it. Live multimedia show pus speakers Ken Fero and Brenda Weinberg, Chris Alexander of the Azelle Rodney Campaign and people from the Jean Charles Campaign. 1st date: 17th Feb 7.30pm 15 rampart street E1 2LA

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World Social Forum Bamako

10-02-2006 20:00

Un Autre Monde Est Possible

The first Social Forum on African soil took place in January in Bamako, Mali [Photos | Video]. Around 10,000 activists from Africa and Europe mainly discussed issues of global trade justice, migration and neo-colonialism during the four-day get-together. A large-scale demonstration marked the opening the WSF. The Youth Camp and some media activists participated with a soundsystem bus. Slight troubles were caused by clashes between Moroccan and Western Saharian nationalists at the end of the ceremony [Video].

Before this the stadium witnessed the opening talks of Malian associations, remembering the quest of WSF to tackle the poverty in the world and create solidarity among the people.

"We have to talk about why our young people dreams are all about leaving Africa, why do they want to go to Europe and prefer the risk to die?"

Migration related workshops played a major role in the WSF and several statements were published about the pressing issue.

World Social Forum 2006 opens in Bamako, Mali | World Social Forum 2006: Bamako (Mali) | Caracas (Venezuela) | Karachi (Pakistan)

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Witnesses Give Evidence in Genoa Diaz Trial

05-02-2006 16:00

On 25th January the last out of eight British witnesses (and one from New Zealand) gave their testimonies about the bloody night time raid of the Genoa Social Forum and Diaz schools in Genoa during the 2001 G8 Protests. The trial of 29 police officers (including many senior ones) for various crimes of brutality and fabricating evidence has been running now since April 2005. The first witnesses gave evidence just over three months ago and it's expected that this phase of the trial will last until the early summer. In the raid on the Diaz school over 90 people were arrested. Over 60 people suffered injuries after police savagely beat people, some still in their sleeping bags - 31 people were taken to hospital, three of them in a critical state. Some are still receiving medical treatment. Running in parallel is also the trial of yet more police and others accused of beating protestors who were held at the Bolzanetto detention centre after the protests and the raid.

Reports of British Diaz Testimonies: [ one | two | three | four ]
Indymedia Global feature | BBC witness article | More4 News Video
Witness Video Interviews [ Sam Buchanan | Mark Covell | Hamish Campbell ]
Original Testimonies from Norman Blair, Sam Buchanan and Dan McQuillan
Supporto Legale (eng) | Indymedia Italy Genoa Pages

Meanwhile in Switzerland the trial of policemen accused of cutting the climbing rope of Martin Shaw during the Evian 2004 G8 protests will take place in Nyon on 13th-15th February, with several events focusing on G8 and repression taking place alongside (for more see www.aubonnebridge.net). February 4th saw an Activist Trauma Network Gathering in London. The network was formed as a positive response to repression, to provide support and advice.

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100th British Soldier dies - Vigils around the country

05-02-2006 15:09

We reflected on the died

As 100th British soldier was killed in Iraq groups around the country held Vigils and 'Naming the Dead' Ceremonies. Some of the Announcements on the newswire sparked discussion about the tactic in the comments, as it has on the IMC UK features list. Over 100,000 Iraqis have died.

Reports: Cambridge | Swindon | Birmingham | Nottingham | Sheffield | Swansea | Aberdeen | East London | Liverpool | Bristol

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Seven blockaders acquitted

28-01-2006 16:14

banner at lunch

On Thursday 26th January, seven defendants were acquitted on charges of aggravated tresspass and failing to leave land when requested to do so by a police officer. The charges resulted from a blockade of the Agrexco premises in Hayes Middlesex on November 11th, 2004. Agrexco is the Israeli National exporter of fresh produce and flowers from Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. The acquittal after submissions at the end of the prosecution case, meant that the defendants were unable to present their defence that trade with Israeli Settlements is not lawful activity.

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Harmondsworth Detainees Protest after Death in Detention

27-01-2006 20:46

On 19 January, 2006, Bereket Yohannes, a 26-year-old from Eritrea, was found hanged in the showers of Harmondsworth detention center near Heathrow [see NCADC's original report].

The following day, distressed detainees refused to take food, held a meeting and demanded to meet with the United Kingdom Detention Services (UKDS) who run detention centres. 61 detainees signed a joint statement concerning the conditions at Harmondsworth and the treatment of detainees and presented it to UKDS. A member of the detainee support network said:

"I wish to underline the detainees' protest was thoroughly peaceful. The committee members had a key role in defusing tension and stopping other detainees from taking more drastic and desperate forms of action."

Nevertheless, UKDS and the Home Office responded by moving those involved to “secure cells” (solitary confimement) or transferring them to other detention centres as a punishment [report].

This was not the first time that miserable conditions at detention centres have lead to protests and people taking their lives [Harmondsworth protest 2004 | IRR report | Interview with detainee].

A vigil in memory of Bereket will be held on Sunday, 29 January, outside Harmondsworth detention center. Participants are ecouraged to visit detainees.

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Social Centres, Where Next?

26-01-2006 11:29

Five years ago, you could count the number of places in the UK which associated themselves with radical politics (anarchist, libertarian) on one hand. However, the mobilisations around the G8 saw a surge in activity (and cash) for setting up new social centres. Now there are around 20 such places from Brighton's Cowley Club, RampART, 56a Infoshop and LARC in London, to the Sumac Centre in Nottingham and the Saorsa Centre and George X in Glasgow. Perhaps of most note has been the increase of rented or purchased premises such as the Common Place in Leeds and the Basement in Manchester. That doesn't mean that aren't still new squatted spaces appearing. In Nottingham there is the ASBO Community Centre, and a new space (ex-SSEES) in London is opening this week.

Interest in the idea of social centres is still very high amongst the radical/anarchist milieu. Meanwhile a small group from the popular education collective Trapese have been travelling the country interviewing people involved in current social centres for a new book provisionally titled 'a handbook for autonomy and creation' due out in June 2006. But why haven't we got many places that can live up to the name "social centres"? What were the problems politically with previous attempts of social centres? What can we learn? What is next? Last month thirty people attended a wombles meeting in London to discuss just these issues and now a similar discussion planned to take place in Leeds at the end of January has started to turn into a national gathering of social centres.

Links:

Your views sought...

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Scotland after the G8

23-01-2006 01:58

protest against building of the Dalkeith Bypass through a park

Activism in Scotland experienced a boost in the months following the G8.
Two social centres – Saorsa (gaelic for “freedom”) and Chalkboard opened in Glasgow, and the Indymedia Scotland Infoseed Hacklab in Edinburgh.
The legal support group observe the court cases relating to the G8 [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ] and provides support for the defendants.
The Campaign to Save the Cameo was successful and the privatisation of council housing could be prevented [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ].
The Glasgow based initiative Make Borders History continued after the G8 in Glasgow as Open Borders Glasgow with direct actions to prevent deportations and morning raids [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 ].
The Zapatista Solidarity groups raise publicity and prepare enthusiastically for their big solidarity party on the 16th of february for their twinned community in Chiapas [ Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group | 1 | 2 | 3 ].

In an effort to Stop Climate Change and prevent further roadbuilding for individual transport, JAM74 and Friends of the Earth Scotland stopped the building of the M74 Extension, south of Glasgow, which would also be leading through the Cre8 Community Garden, with a legal challenge.
The main action momentarily is the resistance against building the Dalkeith Bypass through a big park acting as a wildlife resort, recreational facility, part of Edinburgh's Green Belt and fields for animals. The campaign includes an unlikely liason of a citizen campaign “Save Dalkeith Park”, ecowarriers occupying the trees, and resistance in the Scottish Parliament and beyond. Last Monday, however, a specialist team started evicting the four protest camps. Despite three protesters slowing down the eviction by nearly a week with refusing to give up their hiding place in a tunnel, the eviction of the last and main protest site is anticipated to start today. [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 ]