UK UK Newswire Archive
ATOS National Day of Action: Notts contribution 1
01-10-2011 12:55
12.00 noon Friday 30th September 2011
People in Nottingham, joined a National Day of Action against ATOS Healthcare and the government's attack on benefits for people with disability and illness through the 'Work Capability Test' and Welfare Reform Bill.
Protesters assembled in Hockley, Nottingham city centre, to head over to protest at the ATOS assessment centre on Stoney Street.
This organisation has the government contract to re-assess claimants for the disability allowances. But folks claim that all they are doing is shifting people from this benefit to other lesser benefits like Job Seekers Allowance. Irrespective of the claimants abilities.
On arrival at the office, people gathered arround the entrance, displaying banners and handing out leaflets. Protestors, including many in wheelchairs and some partialy-sighted then entered the office. Claimants and supporters then exchanged stories of what assesment by Atos had meant to them.
After about 30mins, 4 police cars containing 7 or 8 police officers arrived at the building. After talking to Atos management, then proceeded to read out the section of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, concerning 'aggrevated tresspass'. This included the bit about obstructing or disrupting a lawful activity and workers there feeling intimidated by all these folks in wheelchairs in the outer office! As you would expect, this was greeted with a certain amount of credulity!! Anyway the threat was clear. Leave within minutes or all would be arrested.
++++++
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/33/section/69
69 Powers to remove persons committing or participating in aggravated trespass.
(1)If the senior police officer present at the scene reasonably believes—
(a)that a person is committing, has committed or intends to commit the offence of aggravated trespass on land [F1...in the open air]... ; or
(b)that two or more persons are trespassing on land [F2...in the open air]... and are present there with the common purpose of intimidating persons so as to deter them from engaging in a lawful activity or of obstructing or disrupting a lawful activity,
he may direct that person or (as the case may be) those persons (or any of them) to leave the land.
(2)A direction under subsection (1) above, if not communicated to the persons referred to in subsection (1) by the police officer giving the direction, may be communicated to them by any constable at the scene.
(3)If a person knowing that a direction under subsection (1) above has been given which applies to him—
(a)fails to leave the land as soon as practicable, or
(b)having left again enters the land as a trespasser within the period of three months beginning with the day on which the direction was given,
he commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale, or both
Note:
[F1...in the open air] [F2...in the open air]
these words removed by the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 sect 59 ...... Hence now, anywhere!
++++++
Most then leave, but one man in a wheelchair and another, did remain and where then arrested. One was then lead off in handcuffs to the Bridwell Police Station for processing. I was expecting the man in the wheelchair might have been dragged out in handcuffs and manhandled about [Joddy McIntyre style], but seeing my photo-opportunity they might have created, 'street bailed' the individual and he was allowed to leave un-molested.
Atos being true to form [with police assistance] thus showed themselves to be the bullying organisation, many of the most vulnerable people amoungst us already knew.........
Atos Origin have £300 million contract with the Con-dem Government to continue carrying out ‘work capability assessments’. It is claimed assessments are to test what people can do rather than what they can’t. The real purpose is to strip benefits from as many people as possible. This testing system has already led to people with terminal illnesses and severe medical conditions being declared fit for work and having benefits cut. GP’s are ignored in favour of decisions made by Atos Origin’s computer. Plans announced for the scrapping of Disability Living Allowance have also revealed that this intrusive testing is likely to be extended to everyone on some form of disability or health related benefit. To date around 40% of appeals against Atos Origin’s decisions have been successful.
Atos have now extended their harassment of sick and disabled by using legal threats to silence websites which have been critical of them, see the Benefit Claimants Fightback website below for more details. http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/
JCP and Atos Origin superglued shut
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1893
Superglue Atos: The glue in question :-)
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/tumbles/1895
National Day of Action Against Atos – Latest News
http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com
Campaigners are threatening a boycott of next year's Paralympic Games because of links between the International Paralympic Committee and a company that tests disabled people's "fitness to work" - Channel4 News
http://www.channel4.com/news/campaigners-threaten-paralympics-boycott
Atos Inspired Art
http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/atos-inspired-art/
Groups campaigning in Nottingham to protect welfare include:
Notts Save Our Services: http://www.nottssos.org.uk
Notts UnCut: http://www.nottsuncut.co.uk
Anarchist Federation (Nottingham): http://nottsblackarrow.wordpress.com
UPDATE:
Critical Mass Welcomes Release of Atos Arrestee
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2050
____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email: tash@indymedia.org
Web: http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>
The 2011 Jarrow March: A Long Walk To Nowhere
01-10-2011 10:53
Freedom Press Launch Night TONIGHT!
01-10-2011 10:17
6pm
Housmans bookshop
5 Caledonian Road
Kings Cross
London N1 9DX
Unum & the DWP? Conflicts of Interest & Insider Trading?
01-10-2011 09:53
Revolutionary ripples in the USA
01-10-2011 08:12
TWO thousand people marched on New York's police HQ on Friday, angered by brutal attacks on anti-capitalist protesters.#15oct- United for Global Change
01-10-2011 07:32
On 15th October 2011 citizens across the world will take to the streets to express their outrage. We will not sit idly by while our rights are fundamentally undermined by the undemocratic alliance between politicians and corporations. Real Democracy Now invites you to join our peaceful call for action to say enough! It is time to raise our voices. Our future is at stake, and nothing can hold back the power of millions of people when they unite for a common goal.Ten Years After 9/11: An Interview with Kevin Ryan and Don Paul
01-10-2011 04:01
"Journal of 9/11 Studies" Co-Editor Kevin Ryan and "To Prevent the Next `9/11'" Author Don Paul respond to a few of the assertions made in a 29 August 2011 article that was posted on the BBC News site in a recent email interviwText from anarchist Vassilis Stergiou
30-09-2011 23:51
Vassilis Stergiou is revengefully persecuted by the Greek state for showing his solidarity with the student movement and for his long time participation in social struggles. He was arrested on 8th March 2007, following a massive demonstration against a university reformation law. He was imprisoned without a trial for 6 months.Critical Mass Welcomes Release of Atos Arrestee
30-09-2011 20:55
I haven't been able to get the full story yet but it seems that around 30 protesters occupied the Nottingham Atos medical assessment centre shortly after 12pm today in protest at the company's role in forcing people with medical conditions into work. Two people were arrested for aggravated trespass including one person in a wheelchair that the police were unable to fit into their van. He was charged on the spot and bailed whilst the other was taken to the Bridewell police station. A solidarity protest was held outside which was swelled in the evening by 30 cyclists from the Nottingham critical mass. Just as we arrived at around 6.30 the arrestee was released to much bell ringing and applause!
Today's critical mass was well attended with 2 sound systems and we had a good old tour around town before heading to the Sumac for a special post-CM people's kitchen. Drivers' tempers were a little bit more frayed than usual thanks to the hot day but the mass was good humoured and fun. Our show of solidarity to the anti-Atos people was definitely a highlight - especially as we were there to see the man released.
Look forward to hearing more about the anti-Atos demo.
Islington ATOS demo today - pics and short report
30-09-2011 16:55
as part of a uk-wide protest against ATOS today, there was a small but noisy presence outside the islington business design centre all afternoon. here are some pics from the early part of the protest.
click on image for larger version. 'some rights reserved' - free for credited non-commercial use, otherwise contact author for permission
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ATOS is the IT company which 'tests' disabled people on behalf of the government to see if they are capable of work. the 'work capability assessment' tests involve a short interview and a computerised programme.
the testing regime has resulted in a catalogue of sad and horrific stories, with people forced to work while facing serious or terminal illness, and with benefits stripped leading to suicides.
not only that, but the company has also aggressively countered criticism, resorting to bullying legal tactics to close down websites.
today's nationwide action saw gatherings at ATOS offices in 17 towns and cities.
the london islington protest took place outside the british medical journal's trade fair where ATOS were recruiting medical staff for their assessment teams. from midday around 60 protestors gathered near the islington business design centre. police kept them away from the main entrance as the area is apparently 'private property' despite being an open plaza. at one stage a small group moved up to the main entrance of the building with the large 'atos kills' banner, but were soon pushed back to the official protest area.
many groups were represented today. some of them are listed in the press release below.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Day of Action has been called by a range of different groups and organisations throughout the UK. For the full list of supporting organisations and further details of all protests please visit the website at: http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/
Contact details of some of the paticipating groups are as follows:
· Benefit Claimants Fightback: notowelfarecuts@yahoo.co.uk
· Black Triangle: info@blacktrianglecampaign.org Scotland contact: 07778 316875
· Defend Welfare network
· Disabled People Against Cuts: mail@dpac.uk.net contact:07714 927533
· WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities): win@winvisible.org Tel: 020 7482 2496.
Atos Healthcare is part of Atos, the French multinational IT company which operates in 42 countries and which has the IT contract for the Olympic Games.
The National Day of Action Against Atos is the sixth National Day of Protest targeting benefit cuts, which has seen a diverse network of claimant, disability and anti-cuts groups and individuals taking action in every major city in the UK. As well as protests outside Atos offices, demonstrations have been held outside jobcentres, workfare
provider's offices, the Daily Mail for witch-hunting benefit “scroungers” and Westminster Council over the ban on soup runs.
Stop deportation of Nadia Habib and her mother, Nazmin Habib
30-09-2011 14:10
Block the Bridge / Block the Bill
30-09-2011 10:55
The government is just weeks away from destroying the NHS forever. This is an emergency. On Sunday October 9th at 1pm, join UK Uncut on Westminster Bridge and help block the bill. On one side of Westminster Bridge is Parliament. On 7th September, MPs in the Commons voted for the end of the NHS as we know it. Yet this was not in any manifesto. On the opposite side of the bridge is St Thomas’ Hospital, one of Britain’s oldest medical institutions. If the bill passes, hospitals like St Thomas’ will be sold to private corporations, the staff put on private payrolls and beds given over to private patients. Despite the government’s lies, this bill represents the wholesale privatization of the NHS and, with it, the destruction of the dream of comprehensive healthcare provided equally to all.
On October 12th, the Lords have a chance to vote down the bill, and a huge Liberal Democrat rebellion is brewing. We have one last chance to save our NHS.
On Sunday 9th October, just three days before the Lords vote, join UK Uncut in a spectacular act of mass civil disobedience to block the bill. By blocking Westminster Bridge we symbolically block the bill from getting from Parliament to our hospitals. Yes, it will be disruptive. Yes, it will stop the traffic. But this is an emergency and we have to shout as loud as we can.
Get to the middle of Westminster Bridge shortly before 1pm. When Big Ben strikes one, pick one of the tactics below and help block the bridge:
- Bring some fake blood and play dead
- Bring hospital radio to the bridge with some music and comedy
- Bring a nurse for a resuscitation skill-share
- Dress up in scrubs and perform an operation
- Enjoy a picnic overlooking Parliament
- Share stories about the the NHS
- Invite a friend from across the pond to describe the reality of a privatised healthcare system
- Invite older generations to describe a time before universal healthcare
- (if you’ve got other good ideas, email them to ukuncut@gmail.com)
Invite everyone you know to the Facebook event, and make sure you click ‘attending’ – the action will only go ahead if 1000 or more people plan to attend. We'll be in close contact with St. Thomas’ before and during the protest to ensure access for emergency vehicles.
We will not let a coalition of millionaire politicians and private health lobbyists destroy our NHS. Be on Westminster Bridge for 1pm on October 9th and together let’s block this bill from getting to our hospitals.
See you on the bridge.
Free coaches available! See here for more information
Posters/flyers available here
Call a Lib Dem/Crossbench Lord and explain how you're willing to Block the Bridge to save the NHS!
Press release: UK Uncut to shut down Westminster Bridge in protest over NHS bill
Ryan Harvey in London for one off show at LARC. Oct 7th
30-09-2011 10:42
Ryan Harvey returns for his final London show of the year.
What Passing Bells
30-09-2011 09:16
A new novel by a British Veteran talks about his experiences with life after war.Students occupying Strathclyde University plan to leave occupation after 27 hours of occupation
30-09-2011 00:55
Students occupying Strathclyde University are planning to leave their occupation at 14.00 on the 30th of october following 27 hours of occupation, the time was chosen to symbolise the £27,000 fees for RUK students.
Alarm Freesheet out now!
30-09-2011 00:55
Available now from all good Radical Bookshops, also at a couple of university fresher days, the Anarchist Bookfair and upcoming demonstrations. Pick up a copy now! Or Download a pdf HERE.
First Public Distribution will be in conjunction with the Hackney Anarchist Group, corner of Ridley Road and Kingsland Road, 1pm SATURDAY 8TH October.
If you;re looking for a reason, here it is.
29-09-2011 22:46
“largest delivery of radiation into the ocean ever seen”Big Rip Off Day - 13th October
29-09-2011 19:25
The banksters want the shirt of our backs. Let's give it to them on Big Rip Off Day!