UK UK Newswire Archive
Hunger Strike By Young Activist
12-11-2011 15:34
Animal Rights Activist Edmund Maile goes on Hunger Strike.Antifascist demonstration, Greece Nikea 12/11.The same day fascists are planning an event at 17:00
12-11-2011 12:55
NEITHER IN NIKAIA, NOR ANYWHERE
BASH THE FASH IN EVERY NEIGHBOURHOOD
During the last months, parastatal neo-Nazi rippers of the ‘Golden Dawn’ [Chrissi Avgi] have made their appearance attempting to pour their fascist, nationalist and racist poison in the neighbourhood of Nikaia.
Neo fascists in the new Greek Goverment
12-11-2011 06:08
Occupy Leeds!
12-11-2011 02:55
Leeds now has an occupation! City Square, opposite the swanky Queens Hotel, right in the middle of the financial district.
Leeds now has an occupation! City Square, opposite the swanky Queens Hotel, right in the middle of the financial district.
Wrap up warm, and if you're heading there and want to bring us something nice, here's our wish list:
Things already on this list http://www.occupyleeds.co.uk/wish-list/#comment-38
PLUS:
Ready made banners - it's a bit wet to do much banner making on site at the moment and there's loads of space for banners, so please make and bring your own!
Whiteboard pens (without which the whiteboard is less useful...)
Tarpaulin/groundsheets
Umbrellas
Water and water containers (Rain doesn't count. No more rain please.)
Rope, e.g. polyprop.
Hand sanitiser
Plastic crates, especially with lids, for storage
Chopping boards
Entertainment, e.g. a deck of cards, a radio, some board games
See you there :-)
Nuclear powered crime: EDF hacking conspiracy directors jailed
12-11-2011 01:04
At five: discussing the big stories in Bristol, Britain and around the world
After six: straight talking and investigative reports with Martin Summers
Britain’s sports stars at the service of war propaganda
11-11-2011 23:17
Occupy Cardiff not allowed to Occupy
11-11-2011 22:27
'Total policing' methods stop the setting up of Occupy Cardiff.Full article | 2 additions | 8 comments
11/11/11: Census refuser Judith Sambrook in court. Report from Wrexham
11-11-2011 19:11
Radical Routes Gathering 2011
11-11-2011 18:02
Doors now open for the Radical Routes Gathering 2011 in NottinghamN9: Pics of moment undercover cops arrest protester
11-11-2011 17:03
Nov9 The final kettle, arrests and dispersal
11-11-2011 14:55
The little told story of the 20 or so people arrested at the end of the Nov9 student anti-cuts demonstration. They were prevented from dispersing, not allowed to head to the OccupyLSX occupation at St. Paul's, kettled, then all arrested - before being taken to Farringdon tube, where they were all processed filmed and released having been de-arrested and told they could not return to the area for 24 hrs.
There's one set of photos on demotix by Richard Rowland:
http://www.demotix.com/news/918766/student-protesters-kettled-arrested-then-taken-tube-station
Below is an account published as a comment on another article - i'd be interested to see any other pics, films, or accounts of what happened.
The final kettle:
It was infuriating having to move when and where the police decided, because I was "obstructing them" if I stopped. And then having to stop when I really didn't want to, for the same reason.
But the final kettle was unbelievable:
the last of the protesters were leaving Moorgate the same way we'd arrived, again in a mobile cordon and with all the side exits closed. As we reached the Museum, people wanted to walk down to St Paul's, but were prevented from doing so.
Then, somewhere in Newgate St, our herders finally lost it and suddenly very impatient shouts of DISPERSE DISPERSE started coming from all directions.
People were incredulous, because there was nowhere to disperse and we were all trying to keep up with the speedy pace of march imposed by the police. When we reached the General Demolition sign in Holborn Viaduct, there was a small opening in the Snow Hill road blockade and the quickest managed to leave the cordon through there. On seeing that, a livid sweaty commander ran towards it shouting CONTAINMENT and YOU ARE ALL ARRESTED. At first it seemed a joke. Nobody had any idea what law they were meant to have broken.
Turned out the Section 12 was in force, even though the officer asked couldn't quite explain what that meant. He did agree that there had been no threat of serious public disorder.
The contained students, about 20 unlucky ones, were only conspicuous because of being kettled by ridiculous numbers of police.
Then they were marched through the busy Farringdon St, blocking the rush hour traffic and causing unprecendented congestion at Farringdon tube station. Commuters had to be redirected from the main station entrance and some were heard enquiring whether it was safe to use the tube, obviously worried this was about a terrorist attack. Then slowly, in the full view of the perplexed commuters, most of whom had probably never witnessed anything like it, the protesters were photographed one by one inside the station, before being sent away on a train, with a 24-hour ban.
Poultry Liberated
11-11-2011 13:15
State Deploys ‘Divide & Conquer’ Tactics on 09 Nov
11-11-2011 12:55
Dateline: Central London, UK, 11:00-17:00, Wednesday 09 November 2011 – Uncowed by the viscious and violent attacks by police on the November and December 2010 student demonstrations, on Wednesday thousands of students, young people, education workers and their supporters marched on the City of London. Meanwhile, electrician building site workers, in dispute with their employers and demonstrating at the Blackfriars construction site, were being kettled by hundreds of body-armoured cops. As the British state tried to use its monopoly on street violence to keep the student march and worker demonstration separated, I delivered a solidarity message from the students to the sparks over the heads of the kettling cops. The filth also forced the student march away from the OccupyLSX St Paul’s camp, where a wonderful live music gig was happening.
Picture Prefixes Key:
OTO – OccupyLSX Teach-Out, Russell Square, London WC1B
SMD – Student March & Demonstration, ULU Malet Street WC1E 7HY to The Strand WC2R 0QN
EBD – Electricians Blackfriars Demonstration, Blackfriars station construction site, Queen Victoria Street EC4V 4DY
OLM – OccupyLSX Live Music gig, St Paul’s encampment, EC4M 8AD
NB: Click on any photo to enlarge it into a full-resolution version
COPS IMPOSE ‘DIVIDE & CONQUER’ KETTLING
Since the tumultuous events of May 1968 in France, every capitalist state has run scared of resistance to its rule uniting students and workers in a common struggle for a better world. On 09 Nov 11 there were FOUR forms of struggle taking to the streets of London:
1. Students and Higher Education Workers, resisting the attacks on tertiary education by the Con-Dem government
—» Nov9 website and National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts website
2. Electricians, defending their wages and working conditions against attacks by corporate construction capitalists
—» Electricians Against The World blog
3. Taxi Drivers, organised in the RMT union, resisting the attacks on their trade by Transport for London bosses
—» RMT press release, 07 Nov 11
4. Occupiers, organised in the OccupyLSX camps, building a direct democracy replacement for broken Parliamentary democracy
—» Occupy London website
And as you can read in the reports here at Indymedia London (see our Students Electricians and Cabbies take the streets feature article, and those to which it links), and see in the pictures posted here, the bosses’ state deployed over 4,000 cops with body-armour and long batons (with riot shields and rubber bullets in reserve) to try to ensure their ‘Divide & Conquer’ imperialist tactics would rule the day. As a single mobile photojournalist on a bike, breaking out of the ‘mobile kettle’ surrounding the student march was tricky enough; delivering solidarity greetings from students to sparks had to be done over the heads of kettling cops; and only campers and office workers got to enjoy the wonderful OccupyLSX live music gig organised by Joan Crump at the St Paul’s encampment.
COPS BREECH ‘FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY’ HUMAN RIGHT
“Somewhere in Newgate Street, our herders finally lost it and suddenly very impatient shouts of “DISPERSE! DISPERSE!” started coming from all directions. People were incredulous, because there was nowhere to disperse and we were all trying to keep up with the speedy pace of march imposed by the police.
When we reached the General Demolition sign in Holborn Viaduct, there was a small opening in the Snow Hill road blockade and the quickest managed to leave the cordon through there. On seeing that, a livid sweaty commander ran towards it shouting “CONTAINMENT!” and “YOU ARE ALL ARRESTED!”. At first it seemed a joke. Nobody had any idea what law they were meant to have broken.
Turned out the Section 12 was in force, even though the officer asked couldn't quite explain what that meant. He did agree that there had been no threat of serious public disorder. The contained students, about 20 unlucky ones, were only conspicuous because of being kettled by ridiculous numbers of police.”
~ ‘Obstruction’, 11 Nov 11 [source]
AN ELECTRICIAN’S POINT OF VIEW
“What made us really angry was when we compared the existing and new agreements: the new agreement is about putting every single term in the employers’ favour and wording it so loosely that it can be interpreted in many different ways, none of which benefit us. We were told if we didn’t sign we might lose our jobs so we started talking to our union, Unite, and came to the conclusion the only way forward was to walk off jobs and hold protests.
They are still saying sign or be sacked. We have no other option. It’s not just our jobs and futures on the line – it’s also the young people who come out of college wanting to be an electrician or a plumber and won’t be able to because these rogue employers are trying to wipe out such professions.”
~ 'JIB Electrician', 05 Oct 11 [source]
THE CABBIES POINT OF VIEW
“From pedicabs to the abuse of ranks by minicabs and the whole fiasco of the Olympics lanes, the licensed taxi trade in London is under an unprecedented attack and that’s why RMT members in the industry are working for maximum unity to defend jobs, safety and the quality of service to the public. RMT will ensure that the future of the taxi trade in London is a major political issue in the run up to next year’s Mayoral election and Wednesday’s action will kick start that political campaign.”
~ Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, 07 Nov 11 [source]
TURNING THE TABLES ON THE STATE
On Wed 09 Nov 11, we made our voices heard, but the mainstream media did its best to ignore us, and completely turned a blind eye to the human rights abuses being perpetrated by a massive armed gang, fully tooled up for violence – because that uniformed gang is bought and paid for by the boss class’s state. Our fundamental human rights to Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of Movement were trampled roughshod into the ground under the hooves of cop cavalry and the steel-toecapped boots of the filth on foot. Only freedom-loving citizen reporter news outlets like Indymedia London reported an accurate portrait of the state repression meted out on the streets of the capital on Wed 09 Nov 11.
However, in under three weeks time, on Wed 30 Nov 11, around three million public sector workers will be out on strike, and that’s waaaay more than the cops can impose “CONTAINMENT!” on – so let’s co-create tactics that turn the tables on state repression, take to the streets, and fully control our own political protest actions, such that we can say in all truthfulness...
“THE STREETS ARE OURS!”
» video, 3:42, by The King Blues – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qFr6Y_mpeg
WHATEVER NEXT?
» Countdown for N30 strikes
When three million UK public sector workers go on strike on Wednesday 30 November 2011, they do so with mass popular support: 77.2% answered YES to the question “Are public sector pension scheme members justified in going on strike?” – see ‘N30 STRIKE – Mass Popular Support’ above and at theguardian website. That’s the day to give the boss class and their lackeys in all three major political parties a severe bloody nose – see you on the streets!
N30 – STRIKE NOW FOR TOMORROW
» Website – http://www.n30strike.org
» Facebook Community – http://www.facebook.com/n30strike
» Facebook Event – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201462899919421
» Twitter – http://twitter.com/#!/N30Strike
• Kingston and Surrey Trade Unionists: Pre-Strike Rally
» Facebook Event – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=298955263455795
• SUPPORT THE N30 STRIKE: BRING SUPPLIES TO THE PICKETS!
» Facebook Event – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=287171227972597
As you’ll see from the links below, organising mass public street actions is pretty alien to most British trade unions, so if you’re in a TU, it may need to be a rank & file DIY effort on N30. But don’t let the union bosses’ inability to organise a piss up in a brewery hold you back – your union is you and your workmates taking action together to further your collective interests; it is NOT TU officials or the constraints with which will they try to limit your actions.
» N30 at Unite the Union
» N30 at the Public and Commercial Services Union
» N30 at Unison
» N30 at the National Union of Teachers
» N30 at the National Association of Head Teachers
» N30 at the University and College Union
» N30 at the Fire Brigades Union
Up the Revolution,
Tim Dalinian Jones
Acquiring These Photos
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» Attribution: tim.dalinian.jones@gmail.com
After Nov 9: Where do we go from here?
11-11-2011 10:45
![Front of Student March - rikkiindymedia[at]gmail.com](/icon/2011/11/488374.jpg){kind=icon}
From the reports we’ve heard so far, the electrician’s action was pretty lively with roads being blocked for a while but the cops soon moved in with the result that the sparks ended up being kettled. You have to go back a long way to remember the last time plod took action against striking workers in this way. What is happening with the sparks action is having a resonance by word of mouth with other construction workers as doubtless they potentially face the shafting the electricians are confronting. We passed a few construction sites yesterday and the march was definitely getting the thumbs up from the builders watching us pass by. What is frustrating and quite scary is the almost total media blackout of the sparks dispute. The journalists are aware this dispute is going on but it’s hard to escape the suspicion that pressure is being applied from high up to keep this story under wraps.
Occupy Nottingham remembers those who fell
11-11-2011 02:55
Occupy Nottingham bought their poppies today from Alley Cafe and Bernados charity shop in preparation for Fridays Armistice Service.
Occupy Nottingham bought their poppies today from Alley Cafe and Bernados charity shop in preparation for Fridays Armistice Service. The camp will be respecting the occasion and participate and observe in the two minute silence on this day of remembrance.
All donations will go to the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire refugee forum destitution fund.
This is in aid to several hundred asylum seekers in Nottingham who have fled war, oppression, persecution or violence; those who have nothing to live on, no accommodation, no access to healthcare, benefits or other public services, not even night shelters. For some, Home Office errors are to blame, for others, it's their refusal to return to a war zone such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Congo or Sudan. Those in these situations face arrest, torture or death in the country they have fled.
We all must remember why we commemorate this day, it commemorates the armistice signed on the 11th of November at the 11th Hour in 1918 by the allies of World War I and Germany at, for the cessation of hostilities and remembrance of those who died.
It is observed by the Commonwealth countries and many countries outside the commonwealth, in the United states it is known as Vetrens Day
The Poppy
The poppy has been used in symbolism for a long time they have their roots in ancient tradition as they are found in greek and roman myth where they were used as offerings to the dead.
In classical mythology the poppy also represents Morpheus, god of dreams, he is the son of Nyx, the primordial goddess of the Night.
Morpheus is the eldest of triplets known as the Oneiroi, along with Icelus and Phantasos. Because of this he is also referred to as Oneiros. The Oneiroi are attendants of Hypnos, the god of Sleep, bringing dreams to the mortals and gods.
The red poppy with its bright scarlet colour representing the blood of those who died in war and another interpretation that has its roots in classical mythology is the promise of resurrection after death.
A few years after the red poppies introduction in 1926, the idea for the white poppy was coined by the "No More War Movement", like the red poppy this had a black centre, the white poppy originally had "No more War" written in it's centre. These were distributed by the Peace Pledge Union from 1934 as a pledge for war to not happen again.
Regardless of your political standpoint whatever the colour they both represent remembrance and both are supported by Occupy Nottingham.
Like those who died in the two great wars Occupy Nottingham remembers those who who are fighting today and those who die and suffer in todays world and hope for the cessation of suffering in those countries those both far and near, hoping for a better and safer world for our children to live and grow up in.
Scottish Crown Office - Unfit for purpose?
10-11-2011 23:13
Here is a summaryof the way that the Scottish "justice" system has treated Robert Green from the outset
A few pics of #nov9 student demonstration
10-11-2011 22:55
The main news coming out of yesterday's day of protest and action called by students, workers and cabbies seem to be that it was a highly policed event, almost reaching paranoic levels of state control and clamping down on dissent ... and controlled it was! But nevertheless thousands upon thousands of people marched - and at times pushed their way - towards the City, with clear messages against the austerity measures currently imposed to the majority of the UK's population by bankers and the government.
Here there a few snaps pointing at some of those messages:
For a full round-up feature of the day with reports, photos, videos and a timeline of events see:
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/10850