UK UK Newswire Archive
March against cuts to English lessons for speakers of other languages (ESOL)
20-04-2011 14:33
AV Referendum Fails To Grip Nation
20-04-2011 14:24
The dirt about BAE Systems. TODAY 6 PM sharp! Smiling Chair next to Sprinters the on Stokes Croft.
20-04-2011 14:22
CC London target BP at National Maritime Museum
20-04-2011 13:22
Climate Camp London set up a mini camp in Greenwich Park to target BP sponsorship of the NMM and the Olympics.
[Saturday 16th April] On a sunny spring weekend around 20 activists converged on Greenwich to take part in Climate Camp London's protest against BP's sponsorship of the National Maritime Museum. The event was part of a week-long series of actions and creative interventions against BP's sponsorship of art galleries and cultural institutions in London, planned to coincide with the first anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, which occurred as a consequence of BP's deepwater oil drilling operations. (1)
In an effort to repair it's tarnished reputation, and to divert attention from its reponsibility for the largest industrial oil disaster in history, BP is sponsoring major cultural institutions, including the National Maritime Museum. The NMM includes the Maritime Galleries, the Royal Obervatory and the Queens House, all of which overlook Greenwich Park. Greenwich Park is also a planned location for the London 2012 Olympics. As well as being the official oil and gas partner, BP is also one of the sustainability partners of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. (2)
Just before 1pm on saturday, activists from Climate Camp London erected a large white tent in the center of Greenwich Park. Passers-by were soon being engaged in conversation, with many being supportive of the aims of the protest. Children and parents were enticed by the oily cup cakes on offer, and the opportunity to make a paper boat to include in the flotilla petition that would be delivered to the museum at the end of the day. Many of the people spoken to were unaware of the extent of BP's sponsorship of cultural institutions, and there was strong agreement that public bodies such as the NMM should refuse to accept funding from BP.The event passed off smoothly, despite the attempts of local police to force the group to take down their tent, which they claimed needed a permit to be erected. The obvious determination of the activists to resist any attempts to move them on, and the family-friendly nature of the protest, gave the police little option than to let them have their way. Spirits were further lifted by the antics of Spongebob Squarepants and the BP Spillionaire, who kept the crowd entertained through the afternoon.
Just before 5 o'clock a letter to the Director of the National Maritime Museum was delivered to museum staff, along with the flotilla petition which included around 100 paper boats. A diorama of an oil-covered Spongebob Squarepants and his oily pineapple house was also given to the museum to add to their collection. Around 800 flyers explaining the connection between BP's environmentally destructive oil extraction and its sponsorship of the arts were handed out over the course of the afternoon. And by being located directly under the viewing balcony of the Royal Observatory, the protest would have been captured in the lenses of a few thousand visitors to the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.
(1) http://www.artnotoil.org.uk/bpweekofaction
(2) http://www.london2012.com/greenwich-park/detailed-venue-proposals.html
Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35069488@N08/sets/72157626390633207/
http://www.demotix.com/news/660562/climate-camp-activists-petition-maritime-museum-reject-bp-sponsors
http://www.demotix.com/news/660388/protesters-say-no-bp-sponsorship
Copy of letter delivered to Dr Fewster, Director of NMM:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Dr Fewster,
The National Maritime Museum is rightly recognised as one of the the UK's greatest cultural institutions, and a wonderful display and archive of knowledge about Britain's maritime history.
But we are saddened by NMM's association with BP through the money you receive from BP Shipping. Wednesday, April 20th, marks the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico, which killed 11 workers and caused countless damage to fragile ecosystems and to the local community. Subsequent investigations revealed that BP had overlooked numerous essential safety procedures to cut costs, and that BP has a history of safety violations across the US. BP had claimed that they had the capacity to deal with a deepwater blowout of this size, but the technologies they had prepared were clearly inadequate.
Today, millions of people living along the Louisiana, Alabama and Florida coasts have to deal with loss of their livelihoods through fishing and tourism. The Corexit used by BP to 'clean up' the oil has sent much of the oil to the sea floor, where it is severely damaging marine life. Corexit is banned in the UK as a dangerous and toxic substance and its negative ecological and human health impacts are well documented, but BP chose to spray millions of gallons - including directly onto fishermen working in their boats - of it into the Gulf so that the water would look cleaner from the surface. And it's not just fishermen who were affected by the spill. Schools throughout the three states, even in areas far from the coast, are suffering because of lost tax money usually brought in by tourism. Some are fighting back with lawsuits, while others are resorting to layoffs. BP pledged $20 billion of compensation money, but many of the claims aren't being honoured as families lose their mortgages, suffer oil and corexit-induced health problems and sink further into poverty.
It is painfully ironic, then, that BP Shipping sponsors a museum that guards the history of many brave and resourceful individuals who lived by and on the seas. Here is what two mariners from Louisiana have to say to you:
'Isn't the purpose of a maritime museum to honour and support maritime endeavours? When we're gone, is that what will replace us? A museum?' (Tracy)
'We don't hate BP. I'm a fisherman and I used to work for BP. But I want them to drill responsibly, and take responsibility for their mistakes- and they can't buy their way out of this.' (Byron)
They can't buy their way out of this. BP benefits hugely from its association with the NMM, even though the museum is not publicly branded with its logo. They use your historic buildings for corporate events and describe your relationship as an important part of their corporate social responsibility portfolio. But BP's business model is not socially responsible. At its AGM on Thursday, BP announced that they would be doubling oil exploration efforts. BP's "Energy Outlook 2030" reveals a business plan that is based around increasing levels of global fossil fuel consumption into the next few decades, committing the planet to climate chaos. If oil consumption continues in the way that BP wants, rising sea levels will go beyond the capacity of the Thames Barrier and London will be permanently flooded. If BP has their way, the Queen's House, the Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval College will all be underwater.
Dr Fewster, we know that funding for institutions such as yours is facing hard times. But we appeal to your human judgement, and we ask that you publicly and comprehensively end your relationship with BP.
Oppose the Marshall UK Beagle Factory!
20-04-2011 11:44
URGENT: OPPOSE THE MARSHALL UK BEAGLE FACTORYNew York-based Marshall Farms purchased UK vivisection breeder B&K Universal
from the Bantin family a number of years back. The site was cleared of all
animals and breeding stock and has remained empty for over a year - until now.
UG#544 - Living Arrangements Beyond Nation States
20-04-2011 10:00
Full article | 1 addition | 2 comments
Report from Bradley Manning event Sun 17 April
20-04-2011 09:03
May 7: A Bristol Anarchist Ball
19-04-2011 21:30
Administrate This! 19th April
19-04-2011 20:24
From 18th-20th April, the University of Nottingham hosted a meeting of the Association of University Administrators. Minister for Universities David Willetts was to attend, but had dropped out in advance. In response, Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts organised a protest.
With Willetts withdrawal and the fact that the event took place during the university's spring break meant that the turnout was not astonishing.
Protesters formed up next to the Lakeside Arts Centre, before marching through campus to the East Midlands Conference Centre where the meeting was taking place.
Security kept a low profile, only appearing just as students were marching up to the conference centre.
The conference attendees were not dressed in expensive suits and looked to be a mix of general university admin staff. They seemed bemused by the whole spectacle.
University security filmed the protesters apparently looking for specific personalities.
After around 10 minutes, protesters marched off to the Downs where a series of workshops had been planned.
Protesters discussed privilege and oppression within society in small groups and then began a broader discussion covering the impact of cuts on women, education cuts, academies and strategy.
In the evening, protesters planned to set up a "tent city." Unfortunately, I had other things to do and had to leave so I can't comment on how well this went.
faslane and beyond
19-04-2011 20:23
Our first public event in the grand re-opening (the spring greening) was a huge success. With around 30 people over the weekend (some who stayed for the week and are returning) we managed to surpass our targets for regenerating the gardens and even created a few new gardens. On top of that we now have a few more people who have joined the new blossoming peace camp community.Tahrir
19-04-2011 20:22
The sound of Revolution!!! and Celebration!!!
Tahrir Square Cairo kicks off and the Mubarak regime is swept from power!
A shining example of people power
Climate Camp London targets BP sponsorship of National Maritime Museum
19-04-2011 19:44
Climate Camp London set up a mini camp in Greenwich Park to target BP sponsorship of the NMM and the Olympics.Palestine Today 04 19 2011
19-04-2011 15:35
It's Official - UK Coal PLC's debts now £242m
19-04-2011 14:31
The Minorca Opencast Protest Group, in it's latest press release, again makes clear the need for a Banker's Guarantee to cover the proposed community benefits in case Leicestershire County Council grant planning permission for an opencast mine on the Minorca site in Leicestershire. This is because the company concerned has slipped even further into debt.
MOPG PR 102
"Big increase in UK Coal’s debt mountain reinforces the need for a Banker’s Guarantee for proposed Minorca Opencast development".
The latest preliminary set of results from UK Coal plc released today show a significant increase in the level of debt that the Company owes when comparing the results from 2009 with 2010. Then, the Company lost £127m and at the end of 2009 the total level of debt stood at £181.9m. In the last year the Company racked up another loss of £125m and the total level of debt increased to £242m
Two areas of activity contributed to the losses. The Deep Mines continue to be a drain on the Group’s financial resources, recording another loss of £41.6m, whilst the property arm Harworth Estates activities resulted in a decline of property values which contributed another £33.1m, an increase in losses on property compared with last year (£24.5m). The only area to make any profit seems to be Opencast Mining where a profit of £400,000 is stated, but this is less than the £1.9m recorded for 2009.
The Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG), in lodging its objections to UK Coal’s Minorca Application has already alerted Leicestershire County Council (LCC) to UK Coal’s weak financial position. They, in conjunction with Measham Parish Council had already asked that if LCC were to grant planning permission, then a separate condition for a Bankers Guarantee to cover the cost of a proposed £150,00 Community Fund and the estimated cost of up to £2.5m to restore a section of the Ashby Canal be included in the set of conditions attached to the granting of planning permission.
Now the Company, in publishing these preliminary results, has revealed that its financial position is going from bad to worse, thus reinforcing the advice already given to LCC by MOPG and Measham Parish Council to attach the Bankers Guarantee condition to the set of conditions that LCC would apply to the approval of permission to mine at Minorca.
UK Coal plc submitted a planning application for an opencast mine on the Minorca site between Measham and Swepstone in July 2009. No date has yet been set by LCC to determine the planning application.
The Minorca Opencast Protest Group was formed in 2008, specifically to oppose this planning application.
Terry Morrell, MOPG Chairperson and Press Officer said
“It is now more important than ever that people wake up to the risks associated with UK Coal gaining planning permission to mine Minorca’s coal. These latest results from UK Coal plc show that the Company’s financial health is going from bad to worse. Its level debt in one year has shot up from nearly £182m in 2009 to £242m in 2010, an increase of 33%. This level of debt would have been much greater if the Company had not sold part of its landholdings and realised £24m to pay down its debt levels.
However you can only sell land once. Without these sales the annual loss would have been nearer to £148m than £125m. The Company’s three remaining deep coal mines keep running at a loss and now the company is losing money on its property arm on an annual basis.
The Minorca Opencast Protest Group therefore reiterates that without the Banker’s Guarantee being attached by Leicestershire County Council to the planning conditions, if the Council are so minded to grant planning permission , that the risk the local communities face of not having a Community Fund or the Ashby Canal restored have increased rather than lesson since MOPG first raised this issue.
It would be far better for all concerned if Leicester County Council refused to grant planning permission.”
END END END END END
References
All figures used in this press release are based on data from UK Coal PLC’s own web site:
UK Coal PLC Final Results (2010)
UK Coal plc Annual Financial Report (2010)
Published 19/4/11 @
http://www.ukcoal.com/media-regulatory-news
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTACT:
TERRY MORRELL, CHAIRPERSON, THE MINORCA OPENCAST PROTEST GROUP
tel 01530 810319 or 07988697554
EMAIL terry@terrymorrell.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MOPG PLEASE GO TO:
http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/measham/minorca-protest.html
FOLLOW NEWS ABOUT MOPG and UK COAL on TWITTER by logging on to http://twitter.com/seftonchase
UK Coal PLC - It's level of debt keeps growing
19-04-2011 14:16
The Minorca Opencast Protest Group, in it's latest press release, again makes clear the need for a Banker's Guarantee to cover the proposed community benefits in case Leicestershire County Council grant planning permission for an opencast mine on the Minorca site in Leicestershire. This is because the company concerned has slipped even further into debt.G4S van set on fire
19-04-2011 13:26
In the early hours of this morning a G4S vehicle was set on fire in North Nottingham. A container of petrol was poured on the bonnet and a match was tossed. As we fled the scene we remembered our friends who have been detained, deported, tortured and murdered by Group 4.
This was not an act of bravery, nor was it enough to avenge all those who have who have been tormented by the prison machine. It was however a sign of our intent. A sign that we will not accept this society as the way things have to be.
The struggle against social control is something we must participate in, and to do that we must attack those that participate in the maintenance of society. Whether these attacks are large or small they are what we must do to stay true to ourselves and our desire for a society without domination.
G4S have profited, and will continue to profit from the a prison society which is an attack on the marginalised, the working class, the "non-white", in fact on all of us who are not part of the elite. So Fuck G4S, fuck all those who seek to, or profit from the imprisonment of our friends, the oppression of our families and the attempt to control us. We will not be controlled, we will attack again and again, because we are filled with love, compassion and pure unadulterated rage.
This action was in solidarity with the 14 Chiliean Anarchists who were arrested on the 14th of August last year, because solidarity is our weapon.