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Cheese for nought! at the Occupation

10-11-2011 00:55

 

Wednesday 9th November 2011

The Nottingham Radical History Group (People's Histreh) held a talk and discussion session on Nottingham’s 1766 Great Cheese Riot.

Meeting at 6.30pm in the Market Square at the Occupy Nottingham Camp after their General Assembly meeting. We were given a talk about some of the civil disturbances that had happened in the 18th century, here in Nottingham. [Hear the soundfile .... at the bottom of this posting]

 

 

From the research:

‘[In October 1766] Goose Fair was the occasion of a ‘great cheese riot’ [...]. Stalls were attacked and ransacked, and cheeses distributed to the crowd. Being barrel-shaped they could easily be rolled, and soon they were being propelled down Wheeler Gate and Peck Lane. The mayor, trying desperately to intervene, stood in the middle of Peck Lane, only to be knocked over by an accelerating cheese.’

This tale of the Great Cheese Riot has been (re-)told in many accounts of Nottingham’s history and caught my attention primarily as it conjures up entertaining images of current local politicians involved in such a classic slapstick scene. 

Furthermore, members of the People’s Histreh group  have on various occasions carried around a loaf of bread on a stick, thereby reviving what by the turn of the nineteenth century had become a well-established signal to start a Food Riot. Obviously we could not keep up this habit without examining Nottingham’s most famous Food Riot, although it quickly became apparent that no loaves on sticks were reported to have been carried aloft during any of the riots examined in this pamphlet. 

When research began into the wider story behind the tale, there was no specific interest in the subject other than the intention to find further information. After the initial examination of a number of issues of The Leicester and Nottingham Journal (hereafter  Journal) from 1766, two theses were sketched: firstly, it appeared that the riot in Nottingham was just one event in a series of Food Riots in September and October 1766, and secondly that these events were not only less jolly but also more complex than the standard references to the Great Cheese Riot imply, which usually depict the riot as an anti-social version of the popular sport of Cheese-Rolling

 

Cheese Riots Pamphlet

http://peopleshistreh.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/cheeseriotsebook.pdf

 

A4 poster advertising the event (pdf)

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/system/file_upload/2011/11/08/116/cheese_poster.pdf

 

People's Histreh : Nottingham & Notts Radical History Group

http://peopleshistreh.wordpress.com

 

Contact email: peopleshistreh [at] riseup.net

 

previous reports:

2010 Nottingham Histreh Walk 'To the Castle!' Reform Riots

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/510

 

2010 Nottingham Histreh Walk 'To the Castle!' Slideshow

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/videos/513

 

2010 Nottingham Nttm Histreh Walk 'To the Castle!' Collected Audio

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/591

 

____________________________________________

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>

 

Full article

anti-shell protest at awards tonite, report, pics

10-11-2011 00:55

tomorrow marks the sixteenth anniversary of the killing of ken saro-wiwa and eight other activists in nigeria. today, shell, complicit in their execution, was polishing its image by sponsoring an awards event for young entrepeneurs at the centrepoint building in central london. rising tide organised a reminder of shell's bloody history outside the event, involving grim reapers, sombre drums, and hundreds of leaflets.

click on image for larger version. 'some rights reserved' - free for credited non-commercial use, otherwise contact author for permission

----

after meeting and dressing just round the corner, a dozen or so activists arrived outside the centrepoint building, creating quite a stir with a morbid beat from two huge surdo drums, several ghostly shell logo skull-faced grim reapers, and an excellent banner using the shell and livewire logos and the slogans "shell livewire - supporting bright young business, shell deathrope - hanging outspoken young nigerians".

centrepoint security at first overstepped the mark, pushing people and trying to snatch the banner, but they retreated indoors and closed off the entrance when they realised they were being filmed, allowing the protest to continue right outside.

hundreds of leaflets were handed out to interested passers-by, and police, who arrived after around 40 minutes, waited for instruction up the command chain before deciding to leave the protest alone.

after about 90 minutes, with leaflets running out, and the young entrepeneurs apparently led out of the building via an underground car park, it was off to the pub for a well-deserved drink for the activists.

it was on the 10th november in 1995 that the nigerian government hanged ken saro-wiwa and eight other young activists who were campaigners against the devastation caused by shell and other oil exploiters in their homelands. shell was later shown to have been complicit in the murders. to this day, shell still attacks communities (like rossport in northern ireland, as well as continuing abuses in the niger delta) and destroys the planet through oil extraction, and to offset their destructive image they put tiny amounts of their profits into high profile sponsorship events like 'livewire', a youth business enterprise.

for more info or to get involved in future campaigns:

www.risingtide.org.uk

Full article | 1 comment

Brainwashed for final ethnic cleansing

10-11-2011 00:20

Zionism has remained constant in its determination to take for keeping the maximum amount of Arab land (and water) with the minimum number of Arabs on it. Arguably from 1897 and definitely from 1967, Zionism’s strategy has been to break the will of the Palestinians to remain steadfast and continue their struggle for an acceptable amount of justice and force them to accept crumbs from Zionism’s table.

Full article

Police use fear of kettling to dilute student demo

09-11-2011 22:55

Police used the fear of being kettled to good effect today as hundreds left march at end rally after brief moments of containment.

Earlier, police repeatedly held up the march frustrating demonstrators with many leaving or taking alternative routes.

Full article | 9 comments

Barry Horne - 10 Years On...

09-11-2011 20:36

A brief insight into the Animal Rights activist who sadly passed away 10 years ago. (I was supposed to post this up on the anniversary but had trouble :( )

Full article | 1 addition | 8 comments

Cops Hide ID Numbers at N9 Demo

09-11-2011 20:23

During today's Nov 9 protest by electricians, students and taxi drivers in central London, at least 2 mounted cops hid ID numbers by pulling metal numerals off their shoulders or by wearing yellow hi-vis webbing over their epaulettes to cover-up the numbers on their epaulettes -

Full article | 2 additions | 2 comments

Occupy London - Solidarity with Census Refuser Judith Sambrook

09-11-2011 19:30

Banners at Finsbury Square
I spent yesterday afternoon and evening at Occupy London talking with people about Judith Sambrook who appears in court in Wrexham on Friday on a charge of failing to complete the 2011 Census. Those census resisters targeted for prosecution in the coming months need our support and solidarity, starting with Judith in Wrexham on 11/11/11.

Full article

#sparks morning demo pics part2

09-11-2011 18:18

few pics from this mornings sparks demo, after visiting several sites, we marched to st paul's before heading on to the farringdon site and marching on the start of the unite demo at the shard. throughout there were calls to continue blockading construction sites, and to support the students on the streets this afternoon rather than march to a lobby of parliament.

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Full article

N9 Student Demo at Malet Street/Gower Street

09-11-2011 18:18

I managed to get down to Malet Street around 12pm for the start of the N9 Student Ant-cuts Demo. The mood was good, but given the very obvious police presence, there was clearly a tension in the air. Police horses 'led' the march in front of a thickish blue line.

Let's see how things progress over the day...

Full article

Photos of student #Nov9 march to the city

09-11-2011 18:18

Loud and proud demo today of thousands and thousands with people quite happy to push through police lines and past mounted police officers. A quite amazing number of side streets within the city were fully blocked off with riot police with round and full shields, and some plain clothes snatch squads,  horses, dogs, and massive city lockdown. They're really quite worried...

.

Full article | 1 comment

6pm OLD STREET, London

09-11-2011 16:52

Converge and Occupy Old Street roundabout.

Full article | 2 comments

cops closing in on trafalgar square camp

09-11-2011 15:04

Sounds like the campers in Trafalgar Sq need support...

Full article

Pics: #Sparks and students take the streets

09-11-2011 10:56

this morning starting at 7am sparks, students and their supporters took the streets outside the pinnacle building site before marching to the cannon st construction site - they refused to be stopped by police and pushed through police lines to reach cannon st - leaving there just after 9am

earlier speakers urged people to join the students in marching later in the day

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Full article | 1 comment

London Demonstrators Defy Police Intimidation

09-11-2011 10:54

Hundreds of electricians briefly blocked the City of London this morning
Students, electricians and cab drivers are all demonstrating in London today. Above all, they are demonstrating that they will not be intimidated by police scare tactics, which are aimed at deterring those want to fight for their futures.

Full article | 1 comment

Early morning electricians demo around the City of London

09-11-2011 10:04

Students & Workers Unite banner, Bishopsgate
Report of the electricians demo early this morning that started of today's (9 November) day of action

Full article

On November 30th make your way to Canary Wharf!

09-11-2011 09:36

On November the 30th make your way to Canary Wharf. The owners of Canary Wharf have took out an injunction to ban protests on their property without permission from them so lets show them what we think of their trampling on democratic rights to protest. Lets get 20,000 people to march on their office complex !

Full article

Ground the Drones: Protest the Drones Industry - Wed 16 Nov, London

09-11-2011 08:54

As unmanned drones become the latest 'must have' weapon, and drone strikes become an almost daily occurrence, the drone industry will be gathering together in central London.

Protest: Wednesday, 16th November, 12noon-2pm, Copthorne Tara Hotel, Scarsdale Place, Kensington, London, W8 5SR
(nearest tube High Street Kensington)

Full article | 3 comments

New Dan Glass Plane Stupid Interview

09-11-2011 07:42

Famous Plane Stupid activist Dan Glass, interviewed in Vancouver, Canada while on the Aviation Justice Tour to link up activism in the UK with expanding airports in North America. We talk climate change, health impacts, and suppression of civil rights by police and secret services. Bonus audio from Radio Ecoshock 111109 32 minutes.

Full article

Occupy Notttingham: 4th week & onwards .....

09-11-2011 00:55

Tuesday 8th November 2011 Day 25 and beyond ....

The occupation of the Market Square in Nottingham, continues through the 4th week ......



Despite the weather and a number of threats the camp is not only continuing, but is in fact growing.

Earlier reports on the camp .... on the posting from last Tuesday at:

Nottingham Occupation: Tuesday Day 18

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2132

 

Nottingham Indymedia have added a few features with more links ......

 

Nottingham is occupied [1st Feature]

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2079

 

Nottingham Occupation Continues [2nd Feature]

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2100

 

Occupy Notttingham: Moved but still in occupation [3rd Feature]

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2116

 

Occupy Notttingham: Still there [4th Feature]

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2147

____________________________________________

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>



Full article

Occupy Notttingham: Still there

08-11-2011 22:55

While the London-centric mainstream media has continued to focus on the occupation next to St Pauls, other occupations continue around the country, including in Nottingham, where those occupying the Market Square are now entering their fourth week. Despite the weather and a number of threats the camp is not only continuing, but in fact growing.

On the newswire: Occupy Nottingham Statement | V for Vendetta : Happy Guy Fawkes day | Nottingham Occupation: Day 21 | Today’s Occupation Quote: ‘hungry people dont stay hungry’ | Old Market Square protesters determined … | Nottingham Occupation: Tuesday Day 18 | Sunny Occupy Nottingham | Nottingham Occupation: Saturday Day 15 | Alien Invasion @ Occupy Nottingham. should we be alarmed? | Critical Mass rides about a bit again in Nottm | Lost my job …. found an Occupation | Characters I’ve met during Cuts & Occupy Campaigns | Nottingham Occupation continues: Thursday Day 13

Previous feature: Occupy Notttingham: Moved but still in occupation | Nottingham Occupation Continues | Nottingham is occupied

There have been some threats to the camp and on Sunday, a firework was thrown into the camp, before those responsible were chased off.

Despite the problems, the response to the camp has been overwhelmingly supportive. The camp has been visited by Nottingham’s Critical Mass, Robin Hood and Maid Marian, "aliens" and even health and safety officials whose inspection they passed.