UK UK Newswire Archive
William Singletary, 65, Courageous Witness of Mumia's Innocence
12-01-2012 21:28
The movement of the indignados began in the Lacandon Jungle:
12-01-2012 19:57
Pablo González Casanova, now nearly 90, is a former rector of UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico). A sociologist, academic and researcher, he is one of Mexico’s most respected intellectuals. This article was his contribution to the recent seminar “planet earth: anti-systemic movements” held in Chiapas on the 18th anniversary of the Zapatista uprising.
Prof David Nutt Lecture at University of Derby
12-01-2012 18:55
Wednesday 11 January 2012
At 6.30pm on Wednesday evening, I was pleased to attend a lecture by one of my heros, Professor. David Nutt in the series "Scientists In The Firing Line".
David Nutt had been the Chair of the Government Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. A post he was sacked from by the then Home Secretary Alan Johnson.
The point of the lecture was to illustrate the fact that law and policy is supposed to be predicated on the scientific advice derived from this committee and the expertese it represents. Bloody hell, they are supposed to consult.
However, in the interests of political expediency, they sacked the good professor on 30th October 2009 because he didn't agree with the drug classifications the govenments wanted. Probably because they think there are votes to be had from the "war on drugs" and a tough stance.
In January 2009, the Professor published an article debating how society assesses various risks and claimed the risks of horse riding and other activities could be equal or more in society than the risks of ecstasy use.
The article sparked fury from anti-drugs campaigners and ministers, who accused him of going on a personal crusade to downgrade illegal drugs.
Here is a copy of the exchange between David Nut and the Home Secretary Alan Johnson:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2009/10/nutt_gets_the_sack.html
David Nutt insists that his advice is based on evidence and not expediency. That comparitive harms are supposed to be taken into account. Such as the relative dangers of smoking cannabis, consumption of alcohol, taking of class A's such as Ecstacy and as he'd said horse riding!
He maintains that classification should be based on such relative harms .... and they at the moment, they are not.
Following his sacking, Professor Nutt established the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD). The Committee investigates and reviews the scientific evidence relating to drugs to promote widespread informed public understanding; promoting effective policies and practice in the UK, and internationally.
Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) http://www.drugscience.org.uk
University of Derby Lecture listing:
Can we bring reason to government policy on alcohol and other drugs?
Education Health and Science Faculty guest speaker Professor David Nutt, of Imperial College, London.
The regulation of drugs - including alcohol and tobacco - is an issue of pressing importance due to the increasing health care costs associated with their use and the new sorts of synthetic agents being developed and sold over the internet.
The talk will reflect on these issues in the light of Professor Nutt's ten years experience on the government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs from which he was sacked about a year ago.
Professor Nutt shall present new analyses that compare the harms of drugs and alcohol using more sophisticated methodology and challenge many of the current misconceptions about drugs - their harms - and how to deal with them.
Scientists In The Firing Line:
Can we bring reason to government policy on alcohol and other drugs?
http://www.derby.ac.uk/nutt
+++
Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) http://www.drugscience.org.uk
David Nutt's Blog: Evidence not Exaggeration http://www.profdavidnutt.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/professordavidnutt
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ProfDavidNutt
email: d.nutt@imperial.ac.uk
____________________________________________
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>
From Evolution to Revolution (London Anthropology meetings)
12-01-2012 13:56
Shell's tree cutting disrupted for second day running in Mayo
12-01-2012 12:13
Disruption to the felling of the Coillte (state) woodland for Shell's planned onshore pipeline (along with the stopping of haulage trucks to the Aughoose compound), continued today as protestors intercepted a specialist 8-track tree felling machine between the Aughoose tunnelling compound and Leenamore forest.Exposing the lies about the presence of ‘African mercenaries’ in Libya
12-01-2012 10:22
The deliberate misinformation campaign by NATO and NATO backed rebels to label black people in Libya as mercenaries leading to horrendous racist lynchings and atrocities.Breaking News Cannabis Science, Inc: Cannabis Shrinks “One Of The Worst” Cancers
11-01-2012 23:02
COLORADO’S pioneering biotech company Cannabis Science, Inc have released graphic photos of a patient, suffering with what their physician described as “the worst case of squamous cell carcinoma cancer” he had ever seen, being healed by cannabis oil administered at home.For further details and photographic evidence visit
http://cannabiscureuk.wordpress.com
Audio from Guantanamo Remembered: 10 Years meeting
11-01-2012 21:52
This audio was recorded at the 10th Anniversary remembrance, in honour of those still incarcerated at Guantanamo. The meeting was jointly organised by Cage Prisoners, Reprieve and the Islamic Human Rights Commission.
The meeting in London's Conway Hall began with a recording of a song and a live chant from the Koran, both by former detainees. The meeting and speakers were introduced by Victoria Britain.
Sparks protest at Ratcliffe
11-01-2012 20:55
This morning (Wednesday 11th January), electricians at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station joined a national day of action, the latest in a series of protests against a proposed working arrangement which they claim would see their wages cut by a third.
The Loughborough Echo estimated numbers at 25-30, but the Unite Union put the figure at closer to 50.
The protest caused major traffic disruption on the already congested A453, with the Socialist Worker reporting a ten mile tailback.
It appears that the impact on traffic was exacerbated by an accident on the A50, which the police did not immediately attend due to a cock-up over borders.
The national campaign
Elsewhere in the country there were more than 100 people protesting at Blackfriars in London, around 200 in Hartlepool and further protests in Cardiff and Manchester.
The demonstrations are part of a campaign which has been running since last year, protesting against the tearing up of the JIB agreement, which governin terms of employment and rates of pay for electricians.
Electricians ("sparks") who oppose the new deal argue that it will result in a 30% pay cut and the de-skilling of their industry.
Disappointed by the response of their union, Unite, sparks have organised themselves and called a number of actions, including blockades.
Last year Unite balloted its members for strike action against Balfour Beatty, one of the members of the JIB.
Despite 81.6% voting in favour of action, Unite folded almost immediately when Balfour Beatty threatened legal action over a technicality.
Undaunted, sparks organised the largest national wildcat action in years. Electricians walked out in London, Merseyside, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow, Hull and Lincolnshire.
Protests at Ratcliffe
Workers at Ratcliffe have previously protested against the changes to the JIB in October and November last year.
Despite traffic disruption, these actions, like the national campaign, have attracted minimal mainstream coverage, with only a brief mention on the BBC website.
Moving forward
The sparks campaign has been hugely inspiring, demonstrating that workers can organise outside the constraints of both the trade union bureaucracy and the anti-union laws.
This saturday, there is a national rank and file meeting in Birmingham, which will presumably work out the course of the campaign over the coming months.
Legal info for Notts Uncut demo
11-01-2012 20:55
Some legal information which may be useful for Saturday's Notts Uncut action.
Be prepared
Notts Uncut has been protesting against tax dodging companies in Nottingham for over a year and has been one of the most active groups in the city. For the most part, Notts Police have taken a largely hands-off approach to the demonstrations, occasionally threatening people with arrest, but not following through.
At the last Notts Uncut demonstration, the “Christmas Special” on Saturday 17th, however, the police took a much more confrontational attitude. Almost as soon as demonstrators arrived at the meeting point outside Boots, police were confrontational, asking people for their names, addresses and dates of birth. The police then sought to impose conditions on the protest under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986. Protesters were told that they could not go within 20 yards of specified stores.
One demonstrator was arrested for failing to comply with the section 14 directions, another for remonstrating with the police about this arrest. A third person was arrested that evening at Bridewell Police Station while they were waiting for the second of the original arrestee to be released.
We do not know if this heavy-handed response was a one-off, because it was the week before Christmas and the biggest shopping day of the year, or if this will be typical of what we can now expect from Notts Police. We believe it is sensible and prudent to plan for the worst case scenario.
Bustcard
We will be around on the day distributing the bustcard (attached below), but you may want to print off one yourselves ahead of time. It is deliberately very short so you can easily carry it with you in case of emergencies. Unfortunately, this means there isn’t much room for legal details. If you want to know more, see this longer bustcard (pdf) produced (primarily for use in London) by Green and Black Cross.
The following includes some more detailed (but still introductory) information on a few areas of the law which might be useful.
Do you have to give the cops your details?
At the Christmas Special, police were asking for people’s names, addresses and dates of birth using stop and search powers, but not actually searching them. The law on whether you have to give your details is a mess.
While the general position is that you do not have to give your details (and it’s often worth arguing the toss), some police forces have tried to use section 50 of the Police Reform Act 2002 against protesters. This requires that you provide your details where the police “reasonably believe” that you are committing “anti-social behaviour”. (Bizarrely PCSOs seems to have similar – if not broader powers under schedule 4 of the same act.)
There doesn’t appear to be a test case about the use of this legislation and various police monitoring organisations are interested in it. In the event the police try to use section 50 against you, make sure you ask what anti-social behaviour they believe you are committing and keep copies of any paperwork they provide you with.
For a more thorough explanation of the bizarre twists and turns of the law in this area, check out this article by Andy Meinke for more information.
Conditions on protests
The police can impose conditions on on demonstrations under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986. Section 12 applies to marches/processions and section 14 to assemblies.
Under section 12, the most senior police officer at the march can impose conditions on a march, where he/she reasonably believes there will be serious public disorder, serious property damage or serious disruption to the life of the community. Conditions can be imposed which restrict the route, the duration, types of banner and the numbers of participants.
Section 14 gives the police powers to control public assemblies (static demonstrations). A "public assembly" is two or more people gathered together in a public place in the open air. This includes highways, parks, shopping precincts, shops and offices, restaurants, pubs or any other place to which the public have access or partial access. The senior officer at the scene can impose conditions which restrict the place, the duration and the numbers, "as they appear necessary to prevent serious disorder, disruption of the life of the community, or intimidation".
It is an offence to knowingly breach conditions set under sections 12 or 14.
For a (much) more detailed discussion of the law in this area see the Free BEAGLES briefing
Public order offences
At the Christmas Special, the police used section 5 of the Public Order Act ("disorderly conduct" as a basis for arresting one protester. This covers behaviour which is generally not thought to be criminal. In particular it covers behaviour which falls short of violence or the threat or fear of violence. It is an offence under this section "if a person (i) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour or (ii) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress". This could include e.g. swearing.
The conduct does not need to be directed towards another person, but you must have intended your conduct to be threatening, abusive or insulting or disorderly or were aware that it might be. There would have to be somebody in the vicinity of another person likely to be caused harassment, alarm (for him/herself or for a third party) or distress by the action.
A high-profile case last year confirmed that swearing at the police is not a crime because they hear such language often. This shouldn’t be taken as carte blanche to begin effing and blinding when confronted by the police. In a public place you can expect the police to argue argue that members of the public in the vicinity are likely to have been caused distress.
Taking photographs
The police will sometimes get agitated if you are taking photographs of them, particularly when they are doing something they shouldn’t. However, guidance from Notts Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) makes it clear they have no power to stop people taking photos in a public place. They have no power to compel you to delete or confiscate images without a court order.
Notts Police have recently got themselves in an embarrassing mess over this after film was seized from a student photographer, so they’ve really got no excuse for trying this on.
For links to lots more information on photographers’ rights, see this page of photography advice compiled by Nottingham Indymedia.
If you are arrested
LDMG have produced an extensive guide on what will happen and what to do if you are arrested: No Comment (pdf). This is an excellent document and well worth reading (copies should also be available from the Sumac Centre and the Sparrows’ Nest or you can contact the Nottingham Defence Campaign).
The key message is in the name: no comment. You do not need to talk to the police about anything. If you are arrested, giving your name, address and date of birth will speed up the process of being released. Any other information may be used against you and once you start talking it can be hard to stop: so don’t say anything, it is easier! If they ask you questions, just say “no comment”, until you have spoken to a solicitor and don’t sign anything.
If you’re arrested you have a right to free legal advice. You can use a "duty solicitor" but we strongly advise against. We recommend you use Banner Jones 01246 560 560 or 0797 3225894 (these numbers are also on the bustcard) who have experience of dealing with protest cases.
Nottingham Defence Campaign
If you are arrested, asked for your details or witnessed an arrest or search, please get in touch. Dealing with the police is often an unpleasant experience and intended to be isolating. The police want to keep us separate because we are at our weakest when we are alone, but we are far stronger if we work together.
Also, don’t forget about the Resisting Political Policing meeting immediately after the Notts Uncut action (Sumac Centre, 2pm), when we will be discussing how different groups in Nottingham can work together to support each other against police repression.
Disclaimer
We are not lawyers and the law is complex and changes regularly. The above is only a very brief introduction to some of the areas of the law which we think could be useful on Saturday. We encourage people to do their own research (for a good start check out some of the information on the LDMG, Green and Black Cross websites).
Bear in mind that knowing and even complying with the law does not necessarily mean that you won't get hassle off the police. They figuratively and literally get away with murder on a regular basis, but if we get organised they will find it much harder to undermine our effectiveness.
From Harringey to Washngton D.C. "Close Guantanamo - 10 years Too Long!"
11-01-2012 18:24
This morning on the 10th. anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo, folks from Veterans for Peace, No Borders, Harringey Solidarity Group and Giuseppe Conlon Catholic Worker House gathered in our neighborhood of Harringey, London to the demand the immediate closure of Guantanamo and other U.S. gulags. Photos..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/64728140@N02/sets/72157628825026687/with/6679453201/
Why HS2 must be stopped
11-01-2012 14:51
GAHST (Action Groups Against High Speed Two) is a Federation of 72 local action groups and 2 national organisations that exist to oppose HS2 and promote better alternatives.The national organisations are HS2 Action Alliance, who are especially involved in researching and challenging the economic, business, technical and environmental case for HS2; and Stop HS2, who are especially involved in campaigning and raising awareness.
We work alongside the many other organisations, political, environmental and economic, that have concerns over this project within a wider remit.
Full article | 1 addition | 15 comments
Jeremy Clarkson the New Face of Fascism
11-01-2012 13:05
Clarkson portrays racism as acceptableCampaigners demand Guantánamo closure on tenth anniversary of prison
11-01-2012 11:24
10 years of Guantanamo Bay today!Arts project- militant traing camp @ arcadia missa
11-01-2012 11:20
On globalization-Echoes of the past: Who are John Stapleton and James Goldsmith
11-01-2012 10:16
"If China," says Mr. Stapleton, M.P., to his constituents, "should become a great manufacturing country, I do not see how the manufacturing population of Europe could sustain the contest without descending to the level of their competitors." (Times, Sept. 3, 1873, p. 8.).McSpotlight on them
11-01-2012 08:30
Please leaflet or hold demo outside Havant Civic Centre to oppose McDonalds.12/01/12French city erupts into rioting
11-01-2012 07:36
A FRENCH city has erupted into rioting after the latest instance of police brutality and the predictable cover-up.Blood & Honour concert planned for London
10-01-2012 22:57
