UK UK Feature Archive
Top HLS Investors Dump Shares
25-02-2009 22:11
Just days before the SHAC global week of action kicked off and two weeks after Huntingdon Life Sciences' vivisection laboratories were exposed for the seventh time in ten years, revealing shocking undercover footage, HLS shareholders have sold 15% of the company (ticker symbol LSR). As a result the percentage of LSR stock held by institutions fell further from 20.1% to 17.7%, leaving them below the minimum listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange, a major target in the campaign to close down HLS.
Wells Fargo, who were one of LSR's top five institutional investors has sold all their 147,511 shares and the Bank of New York Mellon, previously third largest investor, sold most of their LSR stock dumping 149,157 shares. BNY Mellon now only have 26,634 remaining of the original 175,791 shares, with Turner Investment Partners Inc also selling their 56,880 stock.
The announcement was made the day before Animal Liberation Front (ALF) activists reported they had slashed car tryes at the home of BNY's Business Analyst in Hampshire, whilst other covert cells targeted HLS associates in solidarity with political prisoners, including the UK SHAC 7. Protests also took place at BNY and Wells Fargo's offices and executive's homes, as part of a three-month campaign based primarily in London [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ] (England) and New York City (USA) [ 1 | 2 ].
HLS have been suffering from a serious lack of investment since December 2007, with over a dozen corporations selling all their shares in LSR. Their share price as of February 25th is $5.78, the lowest since their high of nearly $40 in September 2008. With an unstable share price, activists continue to increase the pressure against HLS shareholders, particularly largest investor Barclays.
Full article | 1 addition | 44 comments
How do you know that Indymedia does not keep logs?
19-02-2009 00:00
Indymedia UK (IMC-UK) is a network of activists who provide an open publishing platform. We are part of the wider Indymedia Network that started in Seattle during the protests against the WTO in November 1999, and the UK site was one of the first to join the network in early 2000. In common with all Indymedia Centres (IMCs) around the world, as designated in the (draft) Principles of Unity, IMC-UK does not log IP addresses - as detailed on the security page. Moreover, following on from previous requests by governmental authorities for logs, IMC-UK and many other Indymedia sites (e.g. the global website, www.indymedia.org) do not retain any logs related to the website. These facts are documented on our open mailing lists and on the open IMC documentation site, docs.indymedia.org. (here for example).
In the rest of this article, we provide some advice on how to improve the measures you take when publishing on the website if you want to do so anonymously. We also outline some legal procedures that could potentially be used to attack Indymedia and the right to free expression, as well as describing some of the technical points in more detail.
Full article | 2 additions | 26 comments
Hosting Indymedia Servers is Illegal?
12-02-2009 18:30
This Monday (9 February 2009), Kent Police arrested a man in Sheffield under the Serious Crime Act 2007 in relation to the recent Indymedia server seizure. His home was raided, all computer equipment and related papers taken. He was released after eight hours. The person had neither technical, administrative nor editorial access to the Indymedia UK website. He was only associated to the project by hosting its server.
The arrest took place under Section 44-46 of the Serious Crime Act, which was passed into law on 1st October 2008 to combat serious international crime like drug trafficking, prostitution, money laundering and armed robbery. Sections 44-46 refer to “encouraging or assisting offences”.
Kent police claim that they are after the IP address of the poster of two anonymous comments to a report about a recent animal liberation court case, which included personal details of the Judge. The IP address of the poster is not stored as Indymedia does not log IP addresses. This was acknowledged by British Transport Police in 2005, after the Bristol IMC server seizure.
For the police to arrest the person who happened to sign the contract for server hosting, is sheer intimidation, in light of Indymedia’s openly stated policy of no IP logging.
With the implementation of the EU Data Retention Directive in March 2009, the UK government attempts to turn every internet service provider in the country into part of the law enforcement apparatus. This legislation will provide a legal basis to track, intimidate, harass, and arrest people who are doing valuable and necessary work for social change, for example as peace activists, campaigners for economic and social justice or against police brutality.
The present intimidation of the open publishing alternative news platform Indymedia will have serious implications for anyone running a server in the UK which allows user contributions – blogs, social networking sites, wikis. This is an attempt to close down sites that respect the privacy of their contributors, pure and simple.
Victory for wildcat strikers
12-02-2009 18:12
Thousands of workers in the construction industry who walked out in solidarity with workers at the Lindsey oil refinery run by Total in Killingholme, Lincolnshire, have won a significant victory. Strikers at Lindsey voted to accept a deal drawn up by union officials and the companies involved in the dispute and end their unofficial industrial action on Thursday 5th February.
The government and media have been keen to present this as a nationalist or even "racist" dispute and the ever-opportunistic BNP made efforts to capitalise on the struggle. Certainly there have been reactionary elements within the strike and the "British jobs for British workers" slogan, which echoes Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is unerringly reminiscent of the far-right. Nevertheless, the politics of the strike were complicated and at Langage Power Station near Plymouth, Polish workers joined strikers.
Regional Feature: Workers walk out at Staythorpe
Newswire: Strikes in oil refineries and power stations | British jobs for British workers - Green jobs for Green workers? | Oil and Power strikes: News, Resouces and analysis | Wildcat strikes in Newark | Today's wildcat strikes in the UK oil and now nuke business | Wildcat strikes - an open letter to the anarchist/anti-authoritarian movement | A 'Racist' Strike? | BNP activists agitating at wildcat strikes
Links: ConstructionWorkerUk | Unite the Union | Indymedia UK Workers Movements topic page
The Whale Wars - Sea Shepherd Returns From Antarctica
07-02-2009 15:59
The flagship of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the M/Y Steve Irwin, is heading back from the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary where it has been on patrol to enforce international conservation regulations in protection of the area's great whales. Since its departure from Brisbane, Australia on December 4th, the ship and its crew have been involved in various confrontations with a Japanese Whaling Fleet, which continues to operate a commercial whale hunt in the area illegally.
On December 26th, the Steve Irwin confronted the Japanese vessel Kaiko Maru. The ships collided and Sea Shepherd crew deployed butyric acid on its decks. From 1st February the whaling operation was shut down for 8 days straight with both sides of the conflict accusing each other of dangerous manoeuvres and tactics. On February 6th, the Steve Irwin collided with a harpoon ship twice, when it tried to block the ship from offloading a dead whale onto the factory ship Nisshin Maru. As part of an international crew of volunteers, 3 activists from the UK worked onboard the Sea Shepherd vessel during the campaign which was dubbed operation Musashi.
Photos: Photo Report – Onboard Sea Shepherd Operation Musashi | Videos: Ramming the Japanese whaling ship - Sea Shepherd | Sea Shepherd collides with whaling harpoon ship (Indybay)
On The Newswire: Sea Shepherd Forced To Leave Killing Grounds In Antarctica | Ramming the Japanese whaling ship, onboard the Steve Irwin | Sea Shepherd blames acoustic weapon attack for Ramming Whaling ship | Japanese Whalers Playing Dangerous Games in the Ross Sea | Sound weapons used against protestors | Whalers harassed by Sea Shepherd in Australian Antarctic waters | Whalers flee Sea Shepherd in Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
Previous Features: Japan issues arrest warrant for Nottingham activist | Arrests As International Whaling Commission Fails To Protect Whales | Nottingham Activist Returns From Whale Saving Mission In Antartica | Sea Shepherd activists injured as Japanese military open fire | Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern Ocean | Whalers use Public Relations to twist the truth
Links: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Institute For Cetacean Research (Japanese pro-whaling PR) | Ocean Defence Topic page
Resistance Against the Illegal Sale of Israeli settlement products in the UK
05-02-2009 20:37
This week activists have responded to an international callout for actions against the import of Valentine's day flowers.
On Saturday activists gathered at Carmel-Agrexco, Middlesex, to picket the main supply point for Israeli imports into the UK.
See Photos And Reports 1| 2| 3|and original press release On Thursday morning a group of fifteen women blockaded the warehouse again to prevent the transport of flowers to British supermarkets Links : Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign | Palestine Solidarity Campaign | Who Profits |
Previous Actions: Carmel Agrexco's Depot Shut Down in Commemoration of the Nakba | Fortress Carmel Agrexco breached by Peace Activists | Video - Carmel Agrexco protest during Camp for Climate Action | Weekend of Action Against Carmel Agrexco | Activists Blockade Carmel-Agrexco's UK Headquarters for the Third Time | International Actions against Israeli Apartheid| Solidarity Actions in the West Bank, Gaza and the UK
Obama, Guantánamo and the “War on Terror”
01-02-2009 15:53
Update: Binyam Mohamed/UK involvement in torture
Former Guantánamo prisoners including Moazzam Begg and Chris Arendt, a former guard, are completing a UK speaking tour to “mark seven years of unlawful detention, abuse and torture”. The tour, organised by Cage Prisoners started in London on 11th January 2009, exactly seven years after the first transfers to the prison torture camp at Guantánamo Bay at date which was marked in London by a weekend of actions. Sami al-Haj, a former Guantánamo prisoner and Al Jazeera journalist was due to be one of the speakers but instead he joined a Free Gaza boat which was fired on and didn’t make it. By the Sheffield meeting, held on the date of Obama’s inauguration, he had been replaced by Omar Deghayes another former Guantánamo prisoner. In Liverpool the meeting “was held on the same day as the US president signed an order to close Guantanamo. Moazzam Begg was not impressed, and commented that Barack Obama spoke about ‘outlawing torture’ as though he himself had just decided to make it illegal: “It has ALWAYS been illegal, at least in any civilised country”" Further reports can be found on the tour blog.
Tour Reports: London (audio) | Bristol | Sheffield (audio: 1 | 2) | Liverpool | Guantánamo Voices Tour Blog
Campaigns: Cageprisoners | The National Guantánamo Coalition | 100 Days to Close Guantánamo and End Torture | The Campaign against Criminalising Communities | Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (SACC) | Reprieve | Andy Worthington
Background: Andy Worthington on Antiwar Radio: Obama, Guantánamo and Torture (audio) | SchNews: [ Inside Guantanamo | Omar Deghayes Speaks to SchNews ] Seven Years of Guantánamo Bay: London Actions | Guantánamo - Obama could do better | Binyam’s Story: From Ladbroke Grove to GTMO | The Rendition Monolgues | Moazzam Begg and Andy Worthington on Human Rights in The War on Terror | Can Human Rights Survive the "War on Terror"? | Guantánamo Bay: The Case of Omar Deghayes | Craig Murray: Legality, Morality and the War on Terror
Full article | 7 additions | 58 comments
Police Seize UK Indymedia Server (Again)
23-01-2009 00:09
On 22 January 2009 an Indymedia server was seized by the Police in Manchester. This was related to postings about the recent Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) trial.
Kent Police had e-mailed imc-uk-contact in the morning requesting that personal information about the Judge from the recent SHAC trial in the UK be removed from the site. However this information had already been quickly removed in line with IMC UK policy. The e-mail also requested information relating to the poster be retained. Indymedia as an open posting news service does not log such information about its sources.
The machine was handed to the Police by the management of UK Grid, a Manchester based colocation facility, without a warrant being shown. It is believed that a warrant for this one server may exist and have been issued by a Chief Inspector. As the server was a mirror of the site, it can be concluded that the validity of the seizure wasn't checked, and the police attacked Indymedia infrastructure in the UK.
Other sites that have been affected as a result of this seizure include London Indymedia, the global Indymedia documentation project server, la Soja Mata – an anti-GM soya campaign focusing on South American development, Transition Sheffield and a Canadian campaign against the 2010 olympics.
For details see Indymedia Uk Server Seizure Info Page and Press Release #1
Indymedia Coverage: IMC Athens | IMC Barcelona [en] | IMC Brasil | IMC Germany | Indybay | IMC Ireland | IMC Nantes [fr] | IMC New York | IMC Poland | IMC Switzerland [it]
Other Coverage: The Register | SchNews | Gulli [de] | Annalist [de] | heise online [de] | slashdot | Global Integrity Commons
Previous Seizures: FBI seizure, London | British Transport Police seizure, Bristol 2005
Full article | 4 additions | 6 comments
Over a dozen university occupations for Palestine
22-01-2009 13:00
Students across the country are holding occupations and sit ins in solidarity with Gaza. SOAS shut down a MOD exhibition on their campus whilst students at LSE declared victory after seven days when the university agreed to all of their demands.
They are followed by others at King's College,Essex, Warwick, Sussex , Birmingham and over 80 Oxford University students have occupied the historic Bodleian building to demand that the university releases a statement condemning the attack on Gaza and cancel the lecture series at Balliol College inaugurated by Israeli war criminal Shimon Peres. There are also early reports of occupations at Manchester Met, Newcastle, Leeds, Cambridge [Pics], Bradford, Queen Mary, Sheffield Hallam, Nottingham, Strathclyde and Manchester universities. Update Wed 28th: The occupations have started to bring in results as both Sussex and Bradfod students have declared "victory" [See Sussex and Bradford declarations] On the other hand, the Cambridge University occupation is under threat of eviction [more] Update Sun 1st Feb: Nottingham occupation violently evicted [more | video] Update 11th Feb: Golsmiths University and the University of East Anglia are occupied.
In Yorkshire, students have occupied a building at Leeds University whilst the Bradford AGM voted to give the university the weekend to comply with demands to support the Palestinians, or expect action on Monday. On Tuesday morning, around 80 students occupied the university boardroom. The students say they "are enraged and horrified by the unspeakable atrocities that have been committed by the Israeli military on the people of Palestine, and ... will not tolerate the complicity of ... institutions of education in this violence."
Regional features: Cambridge | Nottingham | Sheffield
Full article | 5 additions | 9 comments
50 Years For The UK SHAC 7
22-01-2009 09:50
On Wednesday 21st January, seven activists from the campaign Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) were sentenced to a total of fifty years in prison, after they were found guilty in December 2008 of 'conspiracy to blackmail' Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). Heather Nicholson was jailed for 11 years, Gregg and Natasha Avery sentenced to nine years each, Gavin Medd-Hall an eight-year prison sentence, Daniel Wadham jailed for five years, Dan Amos and another were both sentenced to four years in prison.
"They conspired to do A B and C ... with Persons or Persons Unknown." - Who were persons unknown? It really didn't matter, as the above conspiracy law linked the individuals even though they had never met them or talked to them. However, this was all ignored as the media falsely charged the activists with hypocrisy, extremism and terrorism, instead of acknowledging their own hypocritical standpoint, best portrayed by the Telegraph, with NETCU helping to further the hysteria following the activists guilty verdicts.
Related newswire: Steve Pearl and Netcu we know where you work... | How you might go to prison for not knowing or knowing someone... | Article on the SHAC 7 [USA] | SHAC Sentences anounced | SHAC trial ends - defendants jailed with disproportionate sentences! | SHAC Sentencing - watch this space | SHAC : Hypocrisy, Terrorism and Extremism. | Yesturdays Torygraph frothing at the mouth over SHAC | SHAC sentencing and festering hypocrisy | Demonstrations outside HLS on days of SHAC sentencing. Join us! | SHAC Case’s Impact on the Environmental Movement | Thoughts on media hysteria post SHAC trial. | SHAC Newsletter 50 - Out Now! | National Anti-Vivisection Day of Action - Mon 19th Jan | Letter from AR Prisoner Luke Steele
Full article | 11 additions | 24 comments
EDO Smashed!
17-01-2009 19:07
Anti-militarist activists entered the ITT/EDO MBM arms factory in Moulescombe, Brighton in the early hours of this morning, where they are believed to have caused extensive damage to the offices, and to equipment used to make arms, including the 'zero retention force arming units' and 'ejector release unit 151' which the Smash EDO/ITT campaign says are supplied to the Israeli Air Force. The campaign became aware of the action when they received a phone call from those inside the factory this morning who said that they were 'decommissioning' the factory in solidarity with the people of Gaza, who are currently at the receiving end of the factories products.
Updates: EDO Decomissioners Charged | Solidarity Demo Brighton Magisrates Mon. 19th | Three remanded at bail hearing |
Links: Campaign Website | Action Page |
Full article | 4 additions | 5 comments
Resistance escalates with Airport 'Green' Light
12-01-2009 13:13
Both Heathrow and Manchester airports were targeted Monday with the domestic departure lounges of both airports simultaneously occupied by protesters. In London over 500 people defied airport bylaws by staging a sit-down dinner forcing airport operator BAA to close 18 check-in desks. In Manchester police used powers under Section 14 of the Public Order Act to contain up to 100 protesters on the ground floor of Terminal 3 and there was one arrest.
The Climate Rush actions were timed to coincide with MPs return to the house of commons with the government expected to announce the decision on the Heathrows airport expansion during week. Meanwhile, Greenpeace revealed that a plot of land within the proposed expansion site had been purchased in an attempt to delay the construction.
Despite media speculation that the announcement would be delayed, by Wednesday nght the media were reporting that the expanision plans have been given the green light. After the official announcement on Thursday, 'climate suffragettes' smashed the windows of the Department of Transport and on Saturday 500 flash mobbed at Heathrows terminal 5.
Newswire Reports : Climate Rush Heathrow images, 12.01.09 | Heathrow Terminal One Climate Rush Picnic a success! | Northern Climate Rush at Manchester Airport | Northern Climate Rush Photos (video) | Protests against airport extension in Frankfurt | Why I renounce my vote | Suffra-jets smash windows
Campaign Links: Plane Stupid | Airport Watch | Climate Rush | T5Flashmob"> | HACAN ClearSkies | No Third Runway Action Group | Stop Heathrow Expansion | Campaign for Better Transport | Airport Pledge | Stop Bristol Airport Expansion
Full article | 7 additions | 27 comments
National Free Gaza demo 10.01.2009
10-01-2009 13:27
Two weeks into Israels latest war of aggression against the people of Palestine over 800 people are dead, over 257 of which are children. Around the world there have been militant protests and this weekend saw the second UK national demonstration since the invasion took place in London. Between 50,000 and 100,000 people took part in the march which went from London's Hyde Park to the Israeli embassy. Other demonstrations and actions took place across the country over the whole weekend.
See the whole timeline of events
London: eye witness reports | injuries during demo | another report | photos from demo | more photos 1 | more photos 2 | more photos | anarchist bloc | scuffles behind embassy | riot photos | Ahava store occupied | Song Protest during Pro-Israel rally
Elsewhere: Sheffield report ( photos) | Scotland | Lancaster | Wrexham | Bristol | Brighton | Newcastle | Falmouth | Birmingham
Full article | 9 additions | 2 comments
Gaza: Stop The Genocide
06-01-2009 15:07
Death toll update for Tuesday 6th of Jan 2009: Israel escalated its operations in the Gaza Strip killing at least 82 Palestinians in less than 24 hours. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 683 have been killed over eleven days of Israeli attacks on Gaza. More than 2,850 have been injured. The hospitals say they have run out of supplies because of the blockade and Gaza faces a "a full-blown humanitarian crisis", the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on 6 January. On 3 January 2009 tens of thousands of people protested across the UK and across the world against the Israeli state's slaughter.
Reports: Sheffield | Portsmouth | Lancaster | Manchester | Cambridge | Brighton | Shrewsbury: 1 | 2 | London: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Liverpool | Newcastle | Bristol | Birmingham (video)
Up and coming demonstrations for Gaza: Continuous vigil for Gaza in Parliament Square, London, every day - from 10.30am, Thursday 8 Jan 2009 | Safe place for Gaza all over the world until the genocide stops! | Pedal for Palestine: London ride against the massacre in Gaza 18:00 Friday 9 Jan 2009 | Demonstration, London UK 12:30, Hyde Park, Saturday, 10 Jan 2009 | Rally for peace in Gaza - Belfast Saturday, 10 Jan 2009 | Wrexham, UK 10 Jan 2009 |Leeds, UK 10 Jan 2009 | Lobby your MP Saturday, 10 Jan 2009More news from Gaza: Massacre: 42 killed by Israeli shelling at UN school in Jabaliya Refugee Camp 6 Jan 2009 Unconventional weapons used against the people of Gaza 6 Jan 2009 Jabalia - 4th Jan 6pm - 5th Jan 5pm Sharon in Gaza + Interview with with Alberto Arce I.S.M 6 Jan 2009 | Activist describes attacks Ewa Jasiewicz in Gaza, BBC audio, 29 Dec 2008 | Cluster bombs, Depleted Uranium and White Phosphorus being used in Gaza - even right-wing newspapers talk of "war crimes" 4 Jan 2009 | Occupation forces targeting health workers, preventing medical aid to wounded 5 Jan 2009 | I expected an ambulance but a donkey cart carried the injured Ewa Jasiewicz in Gaza, 4 Jan 2009 | Occupation forces targeting health workers, preventing medical aid to wounded 5 Jan 2009 | Tel Aviv protests against the war Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), 5 Jan 2009 | International Solidarity Movement (ISM) stay in Gaza during ground operation 4 Jan 2009 | Ground invasion starts - ISM in the thick of it 3 Jan 2009 | Indian government gives US$100M to UN refugee body in Gaza 4 Jan 2009 | "Indiscriminate police brutality" at London protest UK 3 Jan 2009
News sources on school shelling, 6 Jan: Besieged families flee homes for shelter under UN flag Guardian | Dozens killed in Israeli strikes on UN schools in Gaza UN | BBC | Ma'an News Agency
Blogs by activists in Gaza: Tales to Tell | In Gaza
Videos: Multiple Israeli air strike on Rafah border with Egypt 2 Jan 2009 | Rage over Gaza - roundup of unrest in London, Athens, Paris 4 Jan 2009 | Protests for Gaza in Holland 4 Jan 2009
Comment: US Thwarts UN Gaza Ceasefire Call Cartoon by Latuff, 4 Jan 2009 | Israel Unleashes Chemical Weapons in Gaza Chris Floyd, 5 Jan 2009 | Israel: Bloody executioner for capitalism International Communist party, 4 Jan 2009
Full article | 5 additions | 13 comments
Yet again Israel massacres Gazan civilians - and yet again world leaders sit on the fence while people burn
29-12-2008 20:18
The whole world is watching while Gaza burns and implodes under the might of Israel's military machine. On all major news outlets the charred remains and scattered bodies are a graphic reality TV horror show, right down to the shrouded bundles of what was once 5 little girls who sought safety in a mosque only to be incinerated in a direct hit.
The collective punishment of civilians is a war crime; the whole world is watching gruesome war crimes taking place.
Stop! Look! And listen! Then lobby, campaign and fight for human rights enshrined in international law to be upheld and enforced in this case against the Israeli state war machine.
Newswire: Israeli navy fires on free Gaza ship on human mission to the besieged strip International witnesses speak from Gaza Free Gaza Movement, 27 Dec 2008 | On-the-spot report from Gaza City Ewa Jasiewicz, 28 Dec 2008 | Christmas In Gaza : No More Room In The Morgue Amira Hass, Haaretz correspondent, 28 Dec 2008 | Protest against Gaza massacre in Edinburgh, Scotland 28 Dec 2008 | Nottingham UK, Gaza Emergency Protest 30 Dec: Pictures [1] [2] | Police launch massive attack on Palestinian solidarity demonstration in London 28 Dec 2008 | General strike called by Palestinians in Israel 28 Dec 2008 | Over 50,000 rally as pro-Gaza demos sweep Egypt's cities 28 Dec 2008 | Tales to tell (from Gaza) 28 Dec 2008, 5.30am, Jabalia | Ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza; 225 killed over 700 wounded Saed Banora, | IMEMC, 27 Dec 2008
News links: freegaza.org | IMEMC.org Independent Middle East Media Centre | Ma’an News Agency | english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast
Video links: Israeli shelling of Gaza continues Video from International Solidarity Movement on the ground, 28 Dec 2008 | Eye witness video post bombings 27 Dec 2008 | More video links
Pictures: This is what a massacre looks like 28 Dec 2008 Protest at Israeli embassy, London, England 28 Dec 2008 More pix from Protest at Israeli embassy, London, England 28 Dec 2008 More from Israeli embasy protest 28 Dec 2008 | Demonstration in solidarity with Gaza in Nablus, Palestine 27 Dec 2008 | Hundreds Protest in Sheffield Against Gaza Massacre 29 Dec 2008 | Nottingham UK, Gaza Emergency Protest 30 Dec: Pictures [1] [2]
Comment: Bombs over Gaza cartoon by Latuff, 27 Dec 2008 | Israeli Air Strikes in Gaza Kill as Many as 200 people cartoon by Latuff, 27 Dec 2008 | The Gaza blockade Cincinnati Jewish Community Relations Council | Statement on Zionist attacks on Gaza Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, 28 Dec 2008 | Massive attack on Gaza planned many months ago Barak Ravid, Haaretz, 27 Dec 2008
Anti-vivisection campaigners convicted of blackmail
29-12-2008 00:13
On December 23rd, 4 out of 5 activists on trial at Winchester Crown Court were found guilty of 'conspiracy to blackmail' Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) after a 3 and a half month long trial. The world's media, prompted by police press officers, were quick to condemn Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), providing examples of harassment against the employees of HLS, their customers, suppliers and investors.
Direct action against the company, not linked to those convicted, such as arson attacks, hoax bombs, letters alleging paedophilia, and threats were pointed to as evidence of the defendants' extremism. Police spokesmen and the National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU), the branch of the police set up to dismantle the animal rights movement and other expressions of the public's dissent, hailed the convictions as a victory. What was not examined in the media was the worrying development of the repressive use of the law which lead to the conviction of the four defendants.
The trial is the second large animal rights conspiracy trial this year following the imprisonment of Sean Kirtley, an activist involved with Stop Sequani Animal Torture (SSAT). Sean was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for updating a website with news about a legal, nonviolent campaign to close down Sequani laboratories in Ledbury. Despite the Sequani and SHAC investigations leading to convictions, both campaigns against the vivisection labs are continuing undeterred.
Newswire: Strategic Importance of HLS in the broader anticapitalist fight | SHAC Do Christmas & Solidarity Demos | Corporate Watch on SHAC Trial - State Repression of Anti-Corporate Dissent | Campaigning against cruelty is now punishable by up to 14 years in prison! | SHAC campaign against HLS continues despite the convictions says the Guardian | SHAC v HLS
Previous featuers: Solidarity For Political Prisoner Sean Kirtley | Largest HLS Investor Dumps All Shares | SHAC Prepares For National March & Rally | Victory for animal rights campaigners | Activist Imprisoned for Shouting | Fisher Scientific Embarrassed Over Links with HLS | SHAC World Day for Lab Animals | Asahi Glass Protesters Harassed by Police | "March Against the Murderers"
Links: Support Greg, Natasha & Heather | Support Dan Amos | Vegan Prisoners Support Group | SHAC | NETCU Watch | Indymedia UK SHAC topic page
Camping on Raytheon's roof
19-12-2008 09:55
Three hardy protestors have spent the last nine days camping on the roof of Raytheon's Bristol office; they intend to stay on the roof until the New Year! They are braving sub-zero temperatures, and are relying on the support of ordinary Bristolians, to drive Raytheon out of Bristol.
Raytheon is the fifth largest military contracter in the world, and the maker of "Bunker Buster" bombs, Tomahawk and Patriot missiles. A number of their missiles can be loaded with cluster bombs. Raytheon have annual revenues of around USD 20 billion, including huge contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and have regularly been found guilty of illegal activity.
The current roof-top protest is the third such protest to have targetted Raytheon in the last two months. There have also been a series of weekly protests as Bristolians have gathered to express their disgust at Raytheon's activities.
Last week supporters on the ground delivered a letter to the office unit, Argentum House, informing them that Raytheon is breaching international law and should be given notice to leave. One roof-top protester said, The US and Britain had no more right to invade Iraq or Afghanistan than Nazi Germany did to invade Poland or France. Raytheon played their part by producing foul, indiscriminate weapons and we won’t be quiet till they have left our city for good...
Raytheon were targetted in 2006 by a group of activists in Derry, who were angry at the part Raytheon played in the Israeli bombing of Lebanon. On 9 August 2003, a jury accepted that the nine had acted to prevent a war crime, and unanimously declared the nine innocent. In their statement after the trial the nine said, This victory is welcome, for ourselves and our families, but we wish to dedicate it to the Shaloub and Hasheem families of Qana in Lebanon, who lost 28 of their closest relatives on the 30 July 2006 due to a Raytheon ‘bunker buster’ bomb.
Raytheon also manufactured the missile that killed 62 civilians in a Baghdad market in 2003.
The Bristol protests are being covered by Bristol IndyMedia: Recent photos | Raytheon rooftop protest continues| Rooftop protest at Raytheon enters second week | Rooftop protest continues at Raytheon ahead of this afternoon's protest | Third rooftop protest at Raytheon | Cluster bomb attack 10th anniversary, Colombia
More information on the Bristol protests: Smash Raytheon Blog | Directions to Raytheon's offices, Argentum House
Related links: Raytheon 9 | www.stopclustermunitions.org | Raytheon's dirty tricks
Full article | 25 additions | 6 comments
Anger Around The World As Police Shoot Dead Teenager In Athens
08-12-2008 21:22
On Saturday 6th of December at around 10pm, two Greek policemen were in patrol in a central street by Exarchia square, in the centre of Athens. They had a verbal argument with some young people who were there. During the argument, one of the cops pulled his gun and shot a 16-year-old guy twice [Video]. The victim was moved to Evangelismos Hospital to be pronounced dead. According to eye-witnesses, the cop had been swearing against the young man, showing his genitals, before shooting him.
This immediately sparkled some of the heaviest protests in Greece for over 20 years. Many Greek cities have seen daily clashes with police for over a week, and are still continuing, together with University occupations in Athens and in Thessaloniki [more], schools being closed down and further demonstrations spreading throughout the country [Infoshop's media gallery]. Some argue that Greece is at the "verge of a serious crisis" [more].
Regular updates and eye-witness accounts from Greece (Eng): Occupied London blog | Center for Strategic Anarchy blog | Libcom.org archive.
Solidarity protesters have taken to the streets all over Europe. In London around 70 activists blocked the entrance of the Greek Embassy for several hours on Monday 8th, and it was effectively closed down for most of the day. The blockade ended with at least two arrests. See full report and photos in IMC-London [BBC Video] Another protest took place on Wednesday 10th, and on Thursday 11th a picket outside the Greek embassy was heavily repressed by the Met police. On Sunday 14th yet another solidarity demonstration took place in the Dalston area of London, with over 100 people facing a heavy handed police presence [Report and Photos 1 | 2 | Video]. Protests also took place in Newcastle [Pics 1 | 2] Edinburgh [Video | more] and Leeds, and there are also reports of actions taking place in Bristol [more], Cardiff and Birmingham.
In Germany there have been protests in several cities, including a solidarity demo in Berlin where the Greek embassy was also occupied (de) for the whole day. Demonstrations also took place in Hamburg (de), Dresden (de), Bremen (de) and Cologne (de), whilst the consulate in Cologne (de) was attacked with red paint. The same as in Bologna (It) where the Greek consulate was blockaded and attacked with red paint. In Venice (It) activists occupied the Greek Institute and Consulate. Other solidarity protests include Bern (Swz), Copenhagen (Dk) [more], New York (Us) [Pics], Toledo (Sp), Madrid [Pics | Video], Barcelona [Pics 1 + 2 | Video], Melbourne, Ljubljana, St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, Oaxaca and several Russian cities. Further calls for solidarity demos have been made in Glasgow, and Dublin.
Related Links: Global IMC Feature | Occupied London blog | Center for Strategic Anarchy blog | IMC-Athens | IMC-Tessaloniki | PrezaTV blog | Garizo blog | Upcoming Solidarity Demos Listing
Direct action cuts CO2 emissions
08-12-2008 15:26
Plane Stupid claim that aviation is Britain's fastest growing source of emissions, amounting to at least 13% of the UK's climate impact. With plans for new runways across the UK, including at Heathrow and Stansted, experts from the Tyndall Centre for climate research say Labour's aviation policy alone will scupper any chance the UK has of hitting its climate targets.
The protest began at 3.15am Monday morning whilst the runway was temporarily closed for maintenance work. Reopening of the runway, scheduled for 5am, was delayed while police removed the locked on protesters, causing 52 flights to be cancelled which the groups says directly prevented the release of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases.
Links: Why we did it, Video, Plane Stupid Website
Previous Plain Stupid coverage: House of Commons | Downing Street glue action | Scotlish Parliament | infiltration attempt foiled | March of the penguins | An interview | travel agents | Heathrow consultation report | Manchester Airport Blockade | Heathrow Residents | Easyjet HQ | Day of Action
The E-On 'Face-Off' begins... Kingsnorth Shut Down
05-12-2008 19:30
With the 48 hours over E-on no doubt thought the heat was off, however Monday morning saw their corporate headquarters in Coventry struck for the third time in as many weeks with over twenty protesters dressed in santa suits invading their officers and blockading the entrance for four hours. [photos, spoof account, report, song 1, song 2, interview, BBC TV News, BBC World At One ]
Further summaries of the actions can be found on the climate camp website and on EarthFirst! Action Reports. Don't forget the new E-on F-off website.
Previous success against E-on : protests force recruitment efforts to be dropped