UK UK Feature Archive
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Another SOCPA travesty
02-07-2006 12:31
When is a demonstration not a demonstration? That's a question that SOCPA followers have been asking for almost a year now, with ever more people coming before the judge as Serious Criminals. Since Brian Haw's protest was trashed early in the morning of 23rd May by 50 police there have been many reports of challenges to the Act's restriction on protest and its uneven enforcement by the police.
"Stop Torture Flights" Day of Action
29-06-2006 23:40
Saturday, 24th June, saw a day of protest at 5 British airports (Glasgow, Prestwick, Edinburgh, Gatwick and Birmingham International) against the so-called rendition flights, used by the CIA to secretly and illegally transport 'terror suspects' arrested or kidnapped around the world for 'interrogation' in other countries, where torture of prisoners is practiced. The protests were supported by Birmingham Guantanamo Campaign, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities, Save Omar Deghayes Campaign and Edinburgh Stop The War Coalition. The 5 are among tens of British and European airports where CIA-owned or chartered jets have been logged.
In Birmingham, about 20 people took part in a vigil on the A45 outside Birmingham International Airport to "demand action to put a stop to the CIA's torture flights". They were later joined by people from Oxford and Coventry. In Edinburgh, the protest involved about 35 people from different campaigns. Banners and placards read "Stop the torture flights", "Stop the War". In both cases, activists were dressed up in orange jump suits, worn by detainees in Guantanamo, and shackled and handcuffed. Similar protests took place at Glasgow, Gatwick and Prestwick airports.
The UK and other EU governments have repeatedly dnied any knowledge of such flights, despite the mounting evidence of their complicity. A report by the Council of Europe's rapporteur, Dick Marty, said European governments, including Britain, were complicit in these abuses. The report was debated by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 27 June. [the report in pdf]
Read more: El-Masri suing CIA for flight to prison | List of CIA torture planes | CIA's secret jails | CIA aircraft flying into Scotland | Europe knew | Europe's agreement
Amnesty International's report | Liberty's page on extraordinary rendition.
"Boycott Israeli Goods" National Day of Action
27-06-2006 21:25
As the British government continues to boycott Palestinians by refusing to recognise their democratically elected government, by joining the EU in a blockade of aid and by entertaining Israeli leader Ehud Olmert in London whilst bombs rain down on Gaza, activists around the country have answered a call from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and the Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign (BIG) to join a day of boycott action against Israeli apartheid.
During the day of action on Saturday, 24th June, pickets and demonstrations took place at stores selling Israeli products across the UK: in Liverpool, Brighton, Camden, Hackney, Islington, Southport, Cardiff, Darlington, Brixton, Oxford, Nottingham, Birmingham, Exeter, Halifax, Brent, Durham, Sheffield and Manchester. Concerned individuals took part in creative actions to persuade the public not to buy Israeli goods and demand that retailers do not stock them.
In Brighton campaigners picketed Waitrose calling on the corporation to adhere to its ethical buying policy by not buying goods from apartheid Israel. Another picket was held outside a highstreet store selling CATerpillar goods, who have a contract with the Israeli military for the supply of military bulldozers used in illegal demolitions of Palestinian homes. In the West Midlands activists drove a replica CATerpillar bulldozer through the high street as a creative way of highlighting the way in which CATerpillar fuels the occupation. Across London activist picketed supermarkets selling Israeli goods and delivered letters to store managers informing them of the boycott.
The actions today were part of a concerted campaign calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against apartheid Israel. Prevous actions and campaigns include:
Agrexco: Corporate Complicity in the Ethnic Cleansing of the Jordan Valley | Letting Apartheid Bloom | The Uxbridge Seven: Day One | Day Two | Seven Blockaders Acquitted
Caterpillar: Caterpillar Manchester Protest 2005 | Anniversary of Rachel Corries' Death | Film: Caterkiller Shut Down | Anti Caterpillar Motorcade | Rhythms of Resistance Anti Cat Shoes Protest | Caterpillar Trade Fair Action | Caterkiller Awarded Housewrecker of the Year | ESF Florence Action
Supermarket protests: Boycott Van | Marks and Spencers Stencilled | Repression of M&S Protesters
Academic boycott: AUT Boycott | NAFTHE Boycott | CUPE Ontario | COSATU (South Africa).
Sporting boycott campaigns include Stop Arsenal supporting Israeli Apartheid | Scotland Pitch Invasions | Free Jerusalem-Stop Connex and Alstrom.
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Eviction Resistance at The Square
22-06-2006 00:30
The Square occupied social centre, based at 21 Russell Square, London [Map], was facing eviction fom Friday, June 23rd. A call out was made to resist the eviction and to hold a Festival of Resistance, involving autonomous groups, social centres activists, live bands, DJs and participants from The Square.
On Friday, 23rd June, around 60-70 people followed the call for solidarity and to resist the eviction from the early morning. The building was festooned with an array of flags and banners, and the mood was light but determined. Apart from a couple of oficers from Camden Council that eventually turned up, made some telephone calls and then left, no other form of 'authority' showed up or attempted eviction. [Mid morning update | Pics 1 | 2 | 3]
On Saturday, around 400 people attended the concert in support of The Square, which featured live music in two stages and a couple of sound systems in the basement [Report]. A talk and film screening about repression in Mexico also took place in the evening, organized by Z.A.P.
On Sunday, around 30 people including most of those who had had a sustained relationship with the space, came together to decide the term of the resistance that had begun on Friday. This gathering eventually came up with a dissolution communique of The Square Occupied Social Centre, which informs that "the space has now been passed on to a handful of residents who wished to remain and a few people who wanted to continue to run the place as a political and cultural venue", and it ends stating:
"Something has passed from central London into our hearts. The red and black will not fly over Russell Square much longer but we carry them in exile, and we will have another building in due course".
Meanwhile, in Sheffield, another occupied social centre, Matilda, is also fighting threats of eviction [Read full feature].
Campsfield detainees on hunger strike
18-06-2006 11:00
"...Most of us have been here for a long while now. There are people who have been detained for up to two years and down to three months. We are cramped in here like animals. We are treated like animals and moved around different detention centres like animals. The immigration service have taken husbands from their families and taken people who ran away from persecution in their various countries, and dumped everyone in here."
-letter from hunger strikers
The latest unrest follows the desperate actions of a Somalian man who went onto the roof and threatened to kill himself, and the takeover of Campsfield by GEO (the company formally known as Wackenhut) who are eager to cut costs at the expense of detainee and staff conditions. However, the detainees have made it clear this is not a specific protest against the new management but against detention in general.
On Thursday night a candlelit vigil by supporters encountered an enthusiastic and noisy response from detainees, and a group of inmates carried out a yard occupation until 5am Friday morning. Meanwhile GEO have been bribing detainees with vouchers to try and break the strike.
More support demos will take place soon. For further details contact: 01865 558145 (Bill MacKeith), 07791 744260 (Robert Robinson), or 01865 726804/07968 292499 (Teresa Hayter and Bob Hughes), Meanwhile a national day of action has been called for 22nd June.
Related: latest letter from detainees | update | call for vigil | original report | national day of action
Links: Close Campsfield campaign | Background on Wackenhut/Group 4/GEO
Hundreds of thousands protested against government and police violence in Oaxaca
18-06-2006 09:02
On Wednesday, 14th of June, at 3am police units started to shoot teargas from helicopters on the encampment of striking teachers, from the Oaxaca Democratic Teachers’ Union, Section 22 of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE in its Spanish initials). Shortly afterwards thousands of police, armed with tear gas, smoke grenades, stun grenades and firearms, stormed the occupied main Plaza in Oaxaca where teachers have been gathering for 23 days to protest against Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz and for better education.[NarcoNews] The union building was stormed and four journalists from Radio Planton were the first to be arrested. After the police retreated, the teachers retook the central square. [Statement of the EZLN]. At about 6pm the University Radio was raided by police and the transmission cut off.
On Friday, hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Oaxaca against this police brutality and to demand the resignation of the governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.
Since the Other Campaign begun, state repression has increased, with a red alert anounced by the EZLN after a brutal police attack in Atenco about a month ago.
Pictures [1 | 2] | Video (12,5 mb)
[Indymedia Oaxaca | Indymedia Chiapas | global Indymedia | Indymedia UK Zapatista page | Indymedia Germany | Indymedia SF Bay | Indymedia Portugal | EZLN Blog | Local newspaper | La Jornada ]
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Matilda's Eviction
16-06-2006 07:49
The Matilda Social Centre in Sheffield has now been vacated and 111 Matilda Street is once again a empty building left to rot, RIP Matilda. The names of most of the bands that played the building in the last year have been painted in the windows and poems have been written and songs dedicated.
The final chapter in Matilda's story started on 14th June 2006, one year on from the G8 protests that were based in the Matilda Convergence Centre, Yorkshire Forward, the owners of the building, tried to evict the social centre on health and safety grounds but this was resisted and the building was squatted. The events of the day were reported on BBC Radio Sheffield.
The squat didn't last long however, "30 persons unknown" were due in court for tresspass on Thursday 22nd June at Sheffield County Court and pages from this web site were cited as evidence. There was a protest outside but the case was lost — the judge awarded possession for Yorkshire Forward and their agents asked that the building be vacated by 9am on Tuesday 27th June.
An open letter was written to Jan Wilson, the leader of Sheffield Council, about the eviction and people started to move things out of the building. There was no big farewell party and on Tuesday morning some people turned up for the handover of the building, it made page 2 of the Sheffield Star, but Yorkshire Forward failed to appear.
Several days after the Matilda Collective had abandoned the building Yorkshire Forward secured it and installed a 24-hour security guard and surveillance equipment.
In the end "the energy seemed to have flowed out of the Matilda collective and the will to resist had gone", much like in London where another social centre, The Square, which was facing eviction and resisted for a week before issuing a dissolution communique, "it very quickly became clear that there simply wasn't the energy to go on".
Some events that were due to take place in Matilda have been cancelled, others like the Indymedia "Summer of Truth" film festival have been relocated and some have yet to find a new home.
Matilda and the huge number of events that took place there won't be forgotten in a hurry and perhaps the moles of the Matilda Collective will reemerge somewhere else and reclaim another abandoned building...
[ Photos | German Report | Greek Report ]
The Gaza Sea Weeps Blood
11-06-2006 14:12
On Friday, 9th of June, the Isreali Navy shelled families holidaying on Gaza beach. Ten people were obliterated in the bombing and children were left screaming over the mutilated bodies of their loved ones. Please follow the Full Article link for more details. [listen to audio interview with surviving member of the family]
The situation in Palestine is becoming more desperate in every area of life, from the continual land theft and increase in illegal settlements across the West Bank to the daily incursions, assassinations and arrests.
Reports:
Check out the links below to read and listen to reports form across the region. For constant updates, please visit the International Middle East Media Centre website.
Palestine Today [ Mon, 5 June | Tues, 6 June | Wed, 7 June] | This Week in Palestine [2nd June] | Analysis from Palestine | Report from the West Bank | AL Numan report | New Fateh-led force in West Bank | Interview about the non-violent movement in Palestine | Israeli Army repression of non-violent protests in occupied Bilien
Student uprising as Caravan visits Athens
07-06-2006 13:13
Since the beginning of this week, members of the AA Caravan have been working with students at the Politecnik University in Athens. The students have occupied their university in solidarity with their striking tutors as well as raising their concern over the proposed changes to the education law and privatisation of the Greek educational system. In the last few weeks almost all of the universities and colleges in Greece have been occupied by the majority of their students. After lectures and teachers went on a national strike in a long lasting dispute over pay, students around the country took over more than 300 buildings and university grounds.
Last week demonstrations took place all over Greece. In the city of Tessaloniky over 5000 students took to the street, in Athens over 7000, when other protests happenend in smaller cities and towns across the country. Many demonstrations were marred by police violence in an attempt to portray the students in a bad light. A few days ago student assemblies agreed to continue their occupations and a 15.000 strong demonstration in Athens on Thursday (June 8th) was met with huge quantities of tear gas.
Photos: AA Caravan starts workshops with students in Athens, Greece | Photos from the 15.000 strong student demonstration in Athens | Radical wall art - Politecnik University, Athens | More photos from the occupied universities and last weeks demonstrations | Last weeks student demonstrations in Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion (Crete) | Online map showing all occupations | Photo-essay from Thessaloniki's Occupations | Photos from demonstrations in: Ioannena | Patras | Volos
Video: Undercurrents news channel | Greek students occupy universities (video/mp4 2.5M) + Greek version (video/mpeg 3.2M)
Links: AA Caravan Indymedia | Athens Indymedia | Article by AA Caravan member in German | Greek Embassy in Paris is occupied in solidarity with the Greek Students | A description of the proposed changes | Statement of the Plenary Meeting of Greek Student Assemblies | During the last 3 weeks there is quite some unrest in Greek universities
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Gay and Lesbian Activists Defy Moscow's Gay Pride Ban
29-05-2006 18:13
Despite a total ban and threats of mass arrests by Moscow's mayor, topped up with pledges of violent counter-protests by religious leaders, local right wing groups and fascist militants, over 200 people took the streets in defiance in central Moscow for the first ever Gay Pride march in Russia on Saturday 27.
As soon as the lesbian and gay activists gathered by the Kremlin in Manezhnaya Square, strengthened by a contingent of mainly anarchist supporters and some internationals, around 100 fascists and religious fanatics started to attack them, whilst, at the same time, around 1000 riot police pushed and kicked demonstrators out of the square. But despite enduring high levels of harrassment and violence, the activists proved their stubborness in defending their right to protest, and kept coming back trying to gather. As a result over 120 people were arrested, most of which have already been released but charged with disturbing the peace and illegal gathering.
Reports: 1 | 2 | 3. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
Related news:
- OutRage! Russian Embassy demo 2nd March call and report.
- Defiant Gay Pride goes ahead in Warsaw.
- IMC-UK Gender Page.
Full article | 1 addition | 2 comments
Protests Against The Economic Blockade Of Palestine
24-05-2006 16:15
A replica of the Israeli wall and a large banner with the words "Stop Starving Palestinians, End Israel's Occupation and Recognise Palestinian Democracy", acted as a back drop for the up to 20,000 demonstrators that gathered in London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday 20 of May.
Reports: 1 | 2 | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
The demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, was prompted by the Israeli government's decision to strengthen the economic blockade of the Palestinian people after the landslide victory of Hamas in the recent Palestinian elections. The Israeli and US governments, together with the EU, brand Hamas as a terrorist organisation and have therefore stopped vital aid and funding from reaching Palestine, with devastating effects on the everyday lives of Palestinian people living in the Occupied Territories.
An Emergency Vigil was held in Sheffield on Thursday 25th May, called by Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
For daily reports of life under Israeli occupation see the Middle East Media Centre and the Palestine Today audio reports in the IMC-UK newswires. Also check out IMC-Israel and IMC-Beirut for information about grassroots strugless and campaigns in the Middle East.
All This For Selling Flowers ...
13-05-2006 16:53
On Friday 12th May, several activists and human rights campaigners, including people from different groups such as the London Zapatista Action Project (z.a.p.), Bristol Solidarity group Kiptik and the Comite Cerezo support group in the U.K, staged a peaceful occupation and noise demonstration at the Mexican Embassy in London [Photos and Report]. Four people locked on in front of the Embassy, effectively closing it down for business for most of the day. Meanwhile a Samba band was playing whilst other activists held banners referring to the events that have been taking place in San Salvador de Atenco, northern Mexico [Press Release]. Another protest outside the Mexican embassy had already taken place on Wednesday 10th [Pics and Report]. The Electronic Disturbance Theater and the Borderlands Hacklab also called for a virtual strike against the Mexican Government on May 5th.
Last week, residents of Atenco, a municipality near Mexico City, suffered massive police brutality and repression, after local organisations helped 60 flower vendors of the Texcoco local market to resist a blockade by state police that prevented them from setting up their stands. People from Atenco quickly responded by obstructing the highway that borders their town and leads to Texcoco market. The events that followed speak of unprecedented levels of police brutality. More than 3000 armed police forces stormed the town beating everyone in their path [Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4] and arrested more than 200 people after a house to house search around the town. Francisco Javier Cort�s, a 14 year old local boy, was killed as a result of police violence on the first day, and many were severely injured. Since then there have been reports that a total of up to 300 people were arrested (of which the authorities have only recognised 109), 18 people were disappeared, 5 women were raped whilst in custody, and 5 foreigners deported.
Reports in the IMC-UK newswire by: Global Exchange | The Other Campaign Montreal | Irene of Mexico City | Erika Del Carmen Fuchs from Mexico DF | Kasa de Kultura para Tod@s | Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group.
Follow the unfolding events in: Narconews Bulletin | IMC-Chiapas | IMC-Mexico | IMC-UK Zapatista Page
Radio webstream with daily reports (Sp): Ke-Huelga Radio Zapote
Full article | 47 additions | 53 comments
Parliament Sq. Protest Trashed by Police
12-05-2006 10:57
Brian Haw's display was removed early in the morning of 23rd May by 50 police officers. At 2.45am they turned up and started to load a container with all the placards and banners and almost all of Brian's personal possessions. [Photos | Video]
A timeline since Monday 8th, when the state won its appeal against the decision that the SOCPA legislation could not be applied to the protest which Brian Haw appears in full article and additions below.
Creative activist roadshow in east-west collaboration
30-04-2006 17:44
The Art and Activism Caravan is a border crossing project, starting early June, travelling for 3 months from Greece via Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Hungary to the eco-activist gathering Ecotopia in Slovakia. Its aim is to support and connect youth, campaign, community and activist groups, their actions and campaigns with creative forms of activism. The participants will share skills in the field of video, creative writing, music and dance, sculpturing, street performance, drawing and painting, samba and screen printing.
Groups involved in the AA Caravan are EYFA (European Youth For Action), Candida TV (video collective, Italy), Rhythms of Resistance (samba), The Mischief Makers (creative activist collective, Nottingham), Undercurrents (UK video collective), Karahaber (video news network, Turkey), Loesje (creative writing), Rebel Clown Army and VideA (video collective, Balkans).
The local organisations and groups hosting the project are Medsos (Greece), Bitola Youth Forum (Macedonia), Mjaft (Albania), Plagus_M (Serbia & Montenegro), In Stage (Serbia & Montenegro), Kulturanova (Serbia & Montenegro), Tuzla Live (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Uruk (Bosnia & Herzegovina) and ZoFi and Valley of Arts (Hungary) and Ecotopia (Slovakia). For more information on the host groups click here. The artists taking part in the project come from Norway, Turkey, Italy, The Netherlands, UK, Ukraine, Germany and Armenia.
Links: AA Caravan website | Map of route | The host groups | The artists
Wikipedia on: Balkans | Greece | Macedonia | Albania | Montenegro | Serbia | Bosnia Herzegovina | Hungary | Slovakia
Local Indymedias: Athens | Belgrade | Croatia | Hungary
Art Activism Links: Design for Social Change | My Dads Strip Club | Northern Arts Tactical Offensive | Movement of the Imagination | The Church of Stop Shopping | The YES Men | The Lab of Insurrectionary Imagination | YoMango | Space Hijackers | videoactivism.org (everything for the video activist)
Background Links: ZNet Balkanwatch (Background articles on the political situation in the Balkans + lots of links) | Transitions Online (Online newsletter covering politics in the Balkans and wider region) | Maknews.com (Macedonian independent news agency) | Abolishing the Borders from Below (anarchist magazine focused around Eastern Europe) | Role of Women in The Balkans War (links) | Balkansnet.org (Balkans anti-war and human rights resources) | Our target is peace (The centre for peace in the Balkans)
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Mayday Weekend 2006
28-04-2006 17:28
Monday May the 1st saw the culmination of the MayDay weekend 2006. A series of demonstrations and protests took place all over the UK and beyond. In London up to 4000 people marched from Clerkenwell Green to Trafalgar square in the traditional TUC march. One of the largest blocs of the march was the Autonomous Bloc which consisted of up to 800 people, marching on the issues of precarity and migration. Meanwhile, the Space Hijackers were having a 'police victory party' outside the Bank of England [Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4]
The march went off peacefully until the Autonomous bloc tried to bring its soundsystem into Trafalgar Square to be used as an open microphone for speeches and discussion. At that point police snatched the pedal powered soundsystem from the crowd and prevented the Autonomous Bloc from assembling in the square. It was not until the march finished that the soundsystem was given back. Whilst this was taking place thousands of people listened to speeches at the rally in Trafalgar Square. After 4pm, people dispersed.
See: Timeline of Events | London Roundup | Eyewitness Account
Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
Audio: 1 | 2 | Videos: 1 | 2
Other May Day demonstrations and protests around Britain included:
A Workers Memorial Day demonstration in London to commemorate those people who have been killed at work. In Manchester, a Chaos Mass bike ride took place, as well as a May Day march, an anti-nuclear demonstration [Video] to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, and a picnic against capitalism. A march [more] also took place in Cambridge against the privatisation of public services, as well as an 'Extra tea for mayday' action where activists visited ASDA to give extra tea breaks to the workers forced to work on Mayday.
In Newcastle a contingent from Tyneside Community Action for Refugees marched demanding the right to work for refugees and asylum seekers, in Liverpool the Merseyside May Day celebrations included a march and a rally in Princes Park, and in Nottingham a march and rally [more] also took place. In Scotland there was the traditional May Day march and rally in Edinburgh, and a MayDay parade in Glasgow.
For reports of the massive demonstrations in the US and the several Euro MayDay Parades in Europe, as well as the full UK's Mayday 06 events listing click at the 'Full Article' link on top.
"European Alternatives Resistance", United Against Repression
18-04-2006 18:35
The French city of Strasbourg became a 'free party area' on Saturday 15 April, when around 3000 people gathered for the "European Alternatives Resistance" Sound-System Parade [Flyers]. The protest was called by Free 4 Euroalternatives, a loose coalition of sound systems, free party and festival organisers, squats and people from around Europe.
The parade was a show of defiance to the increasing levels of repression against non-commercial and autonomous forms of culture, and in particular to protest about last summer's brutal attack by Czech police against the Czechtek tekno festival. This event was widely considered as the 'breaking point', when police in riot gear steamed into dancing people with baton charges and tear gas attacks. As a result, two people died and over 50 were seriously injured. [See Czech Teknival attack feature]
The demonstration passed peacefully with people dancing to music played by several mobile sound systems, and it ended with different parties across Strasbourg. Some of the banners read "Nothing Stops People Who Dance", "Free Party! Free People!", "Respect Our Rights" and "Against Police Brutality". One of the organisers said: "We chose Strasbourg because the city accommodates several European institutions, in particular the European Court of the humans right, to which we intend to immediately address a letter after the demonstration".
Photos and Czech TV news report
Photo Galleries 1 | 2 | 3
Israeli Repression in Palestine Intensifies as the Borders are Re-drawn
15-04-2006 14:35
Since the election of the Kadima party, violence and incursions against the Palestinian population has intensified. A report prepared and published by the Palestinian National Information Centre on the Israeli violations in the period between 4 and 10 April, 2006, revealed that Israeli soldiers shelled Palestinian homes, killing 19, while 7 residents were extra-judicially assassinated.
The Israeli violations also include repeated invasions of Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, with checkpoint closures isolating the Palestinian territories from each other.
Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Global Indymedia feature
Audio: report on extra-judicial killing | interview with Dr Ghassan Hamdan of the PMRS | interview with a member of the Hebron Christian Peace Maker team who was attacked by settlers
Read also: article from Laila El-Haddad's blog
For continuous updates on the situation in Palestine, please visit International Middle East Media Centre | Palestine News Network | and also This week in Palestine, which is a weekly audio round-up of key events in Gaza and the West Bank.
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Hunger Strike in Colnbrook Detention Centre
10-04-2006 06:11
Updates: 27th April: Some remain on hunger strike.
24th April: The hunger strike in Colnbrook seems to have ended [Timeline | Solidarity Page]. Meanwhile, around 20 Turkish Kurdish detainees in Harmondsworth began a hunger strike on 20 April.
17 April: About 25 detainees in Haslar have staged a peaceful protest in the courtyard early this afernoon and are still there, refusing to re-enter the building. There are also news that the hunger strike have spread to Tinsley House.
15 April: More than 120 detainees in Haslar detention centre, Protsmoth, have gone on hunger strike in protest againts arbitrary detention and in solidariety with the detainees in Colnbrook.
In protest at their inhumane treatment by security guards during the No Borders demonstration last Saturday (8th April, 2006), over 150 detainees in Colnbrook detention centre went on hunger strike. According to the latest updates, nearly 100 of them are still on indefinite hunger strike. A delegation from the Home Office is supposed to pay them a visit to hear their demands for release. [Strike update 17/04]
The hunger strikers have been subject to repression from Colnbrook’s management, with one detainee, deemed to be the "organiser" of the protest, having been locked in an isolation cell on Saturday night, then later removed to another detention centre.
Many of the people inside Colnbrook have been there for over 6 months, with some being detained for up to 3 years. There is no automatic bail review process for immigrants who are being detained. Last January, a detainee at Harmondsworth Detention Centre took his own life out of despair. Fellow detainees responded with a one-day hunger strike and a written statement about their conditions and treatment in detention.
On Thursday 13, a solidarity protest took place outside the Home Office building in central London [Report and Pics]. This had been urgently called by London No Borders and The Square Social Centre. On Satuday 15 No Borders fundraiser also took place in London. And on Thursday 20 Cardiff saw another solidarity demonstration called by the No Borders South Wales group.
Read: initial reports [1] [2] | press release | detainee tells of beatings in Colnbrook (video)
Full article | 6 additions | 3 comments
Noborders Demo at Harmondsworth Detention Centre
08-04-2006 11:58
Harmondsworth, 8 April 2006. Around 300 people from London, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Brighton, Reading and Cardiff demonstrated at the Harmondsworth and Colnbrook detention centres near Heathrow to ensure that "those inside will hear our voices and know that they are not alone." The call out for the demonstration was made by London No Borders, the Campaign to Close Heathrow Detention Centres, London Against Detention, and The Square Occupied Social Centre in solidarity with the Noborder actions in Australia [see the NCADC report].
There was a large police presence and they prevented detainees and demonstrators from establishing a line of sight: the demo was not allowed to take place in the field where detainees could see it from their windows. Security guards also prevented detainees from accessing the centre's exercise yard and didn't even allow them to approach the windows. Some detainees were reportedly beaten up when they protested against these restrictions. In response, some 150 detainees in Colnbrook have gone on hunger strike [Read press release on updated situation in Colnbrook].
Many phone calls from detainees were passed on to the demonstrators via a small sound system. Former detainees also gave live testimonies of their own experience in detention [Sekindi's speech]. Meanwhile, about 40 people managed to make their way around the side of Colnbrook where detainees could see and hear them from the windows, and they spent a long time communicating with people inside, before being moved on by the police.
See the full timeline of events
Reports and Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Audio reports
Videos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
In Glasgow, around 300 asylum seekers, refugees, sans-papiers, Unity activists, and their supporters marched from the Home Office Reporting Centre in Ibrox to a rally in the Carnival Arts Centre in town calling for the right to work and an end to deportations. On Monday, 10th April, the All African Women's Group and other organisations protested outside Communications House in London in solidarity with international actions for immigration and asylum rights, and against detention.
In Manchester, a demo and rally [more] were held on 15 April under the slogan "Manchester: city of detention, destitution and deportation". On the same day, the offices of Ethiopian Airlines in London were targetted by anti-deportation activists. Their locks were glued and anti-deportation slogans were painted over their office and in the surrounding area.
Condoleezza Rice Visits Liverpool!
30-03-2006 23:00
Condoleezza Rice - Secretary of State and former National Security Advisor to the Bush Administration - toured Liverpool on the weekend beginning 31st March. She visited LIPA & was serenaded by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Mersey poet Roger McGough was due to compere the concert in her honour, but withdrew his support. Masses of protesters turned out and let Rice know she was not welcome here.
Liverpool Foots the Bill…And People Say Scousers Are Thieving Bastards
Sat 1st April - Maritime Museum visit Rice, Straw and Liverpool's Rich Cultural Heritage
Reports from main demo Liverpool Unites to 'Unwelcome' Terrorist Mastermind Rice| Photos | Photos | Photos | Photos | Photos | No Scouse for Rice video
Reports from LIPA Protest - Friday Lunchtime Protests Against Condi Visit to LIPA
Report & pics from LIPA demo
On Indymedia: 30 Mar - Protests outside Condi's hotel | Protestors, performers & police get ready for Condi visit
Previously:1 | 2
Other media: Daily Post articles - 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
icliverpool.co.uk online discussion