UK UK Newswire Archive
Clampdown on sacred ritual as Vedanta mine appeal approaches
24-02-2012 03:38
SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASEFebruary 24, 2012
Security forces are cracking down on the Dongria Kondh tribe as they prepare for a religious festival this weekend at the top of India’s most contentious mountain.
Hundreds are determined to attend the Niyamraja ritual in the sacred Niyamgiri Hills, which are at the center of a controversial mining project involving UK company Vedanta Resources.
Occupy gets Serious: Chicago Factory (re)occupied!
24-02-2012 03:35
Workers have re-occupied the 'Republic Windows and Doors' factory that was occupied in 2008. The factory is now owned by 'Serious Materials', and so the occupation has earned the amusing and appropriate title #seriousoccupation on twitter. Circa 65 workers occupying the factory following threat of closure and loss of jobs, eerily reminiscent of situation...Repost from libcom plus additional links below
Protest against Notts County Council budget
23-02-2012 22:55
On Thursday 23rd February, Nottinghamshire County Council met to debate and vote on its budget for 2012-13. Following from previous years, this will see millions slashed from the budget and further job cuts.
The council meeting began at 10am, while the protest commenced at 12.30pm.
The demonstration had been organised by Unison who'd asked people to come in purple. In practice most people had dismissed this, but the union were able to dish out a number of purple tabards which did give the event a fairly uniform appearance.
I had a go at counting people and am fairly confident there were about 40 people there, although I'm not so confident they were all actually protesters.
This isn't a massive turnout, but recall that this is the third year the council has pushed through massive cuts. There were protests at budget meetings in 2010 and 2011 (which coincided with a strike by Unison members) with little obvious effect.
The Tories have a majority. With the "independents" essentially indistinguishable from them on almost every issue and the LibDems no more principled than they are in central government the outcome of the day was always inevitable. The Labour group's vocal opposition was always largely symbolic (and to my mind cyncially orientated towards electioneering.)
Locally, as nationally, what is needed to defeat the cuts is a major increase in resistance, which moves beyond the limited confines of the dissent endorsed by Unison. Unfortunately, it appears that things need to get a lot worse (as they very well might) before many people are prepared to take that step.
In the meantime, we're left with a large number of people who feel uncomfortable with what's happening, but unable to do anything. How and whether these people can be mobilised by the anti-cuts movement is an open question, but I suspect we'll need to offer them something more than just standing around outside County Hall.
The demonstration attracted a handful of non-council protesters - including some from Notts SOS, Occupy Nottingham and local Trots - but not as many as in past years. This perhaps suggests a need to look at how publicity is distributed to the local community.
Probably the largest contingent on the demo was from Sherwood Industries, a council owned company that builds and sells furniture. Most workers there have a physical or learning disability. This is one of the services which the council voted to cut.
Hoping to attract council workers on their lunch, the protest was kept mercifully short. There were a couple of speakers on behalf of Unison, one from Sherwood Industries, a representative of the Nottinghamshire Disabled People's Movement and (inevitably) Alan Rhodes, leader of the Labour group on the county council. When speakers finished sooner than appeared to be accepted, the megaphone was made available for anybody who wanted to speak and another Labour councillor, wasted no time in putting himself forward.
With the speakers over, the protest wound up with some chanting, before people drifted off. This reminded me of the most pressing need facing the anti-cuts movement: to find some new, better chants than the tired cliches that we seem to rely on. This alone might not bring down Kay Cutts, but it would certainly make these sorts of events more enjoyable.
Urgent, Racial Violence Erupts In Heywood
23-02-2012 22:06
major violence in RochdaleCovered in Oil at Waitrose in Protest over Shell
23-02-2012 20:55
A member of eco-activist group Climate Rush has had oil poured over her today at London's largest branch of Waitrose to protest against a new partnership between Waitrose and Shell that has seen two Waitrose stores open on Shell forecourts as well as joint marketing campaigns. Campaigner Anne Schulthess wore an intricate shell-themed white dress as the oil-like concoction was poured over her in front of a crowd of shoppers at lunchtime today.
Shell and Waitrose announced the partnership last Autumn, which so far has seen two Little Waitrose convenience branches open on existing Shell forecourts. John Bullock, Executive Vice President of Shell Global Retail Business describes the partnership as “the beginning of a strong relationship”. Shell and Waitrose have also embarked on joint marketing campaigns.
Anne Schulthess, a spokeswoman for Climate Rush said, “It’s unacceptable for a company branded on its ethical framework to profit from a partnership with Shell – the most carbon intensive oil company in the world. I shop at Waitrose because I want my lifestyle to reflect my commitment to tackling climate change, but this partnership makes meaningless the reasons I choose to shop here and it must end.”
Shell has come under criticism from environmental and human rights groups for human rights abuses and repeated oil spills in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. A 2009 report by Friends of the Earth found Shell to be the world's most carbon intensive oil company.
Last week activists handed out Valentine's day cookies to customers, asking them to tweet the hashtag #dumpshell to the Waitrose twitter account. Climate Rush's campaign continues with another action planned in the Brunswick Centre store on Tuesday 6th March. At 6.30pm customers will occupy the oil aisle and demand an end to the partnership with Shell.
Sparks win electrician dispute - pay-cut company contracts dead in water
23-02-2012 20:49
Electricians today learnt that the new national agreement for mechanical, electrical and plumbing workers in the building engineering services sector (Besna - the Building Engineering Services National Agreement) which planned to tear up the long-standing Joint Industry Boards agreements and impose new semi-skilled grades which would have reduced wages for those affected by up to 35%, is dead!Anti-Scottish Defence League Events Glasgow Sat 25th Feb.
23-02-2012 20:46
Take Your Pick:Sparks Electricians Claim Victory Over Employers
23-02-2012 20:19
Dipton Community Beat UK Coal!
23-02-2012 18:55
The long struggle against attempts to surface mine the Derwent Valley has scored a victory today.
Celebrations in Dipton Social Club tonight!
www.pontvalley.net
Appeal Decision
Inquiry opened on 25 October 2011
(Sitting days 25-28 October, 1-4 and 8-11 November 2011)
Site visits made on 9-10 and 23 November 2011
by J S Nixon BSc(Hons) DipTE CEng MICE MRPTI MCIHT
an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Decision date: 23 February 2012
Appeal Ref: APP/X1355/A/11/2150277
Land adjacent to the A692 Road, known as Bradley, Near Leadgate,
Consett, County Durham, DH8 7SL.
• The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (the
Act) against a refusal to grant planning permission.
• The appeal is made by UK Coal Mining Ltd (UK Coal) against the decision of Durham
County Council (County Council).
• The application (Ref. No:1/2007/1049) dated 11 December 2007 was refused by notice
dated 18 February 2011.
• The development proposed is for the surface mining of coal with restoration of the site
to include woodland, species rich grassland and hay meadow, scrub, water features and
agriculture.
Decision
1. For the reasons given below, this appeal is dismissed.
Camp Liberty: A Safe Haven Or A Prison Camp
23-02-2012 17:58
UN representative has accepted to send 3400 Iranians to a camp, which has turned out to be a high security prison, where the minimum essentials of life are missing.World Conscious Put to Test as Iranian Dissidents Are Relocated To Concentration
23-02-2012 17:27
Supporters of the main opposition to the ruling dictatorship in Iran have been put under great pressure and suppression. The dissidents are being forced to go to a concentration camp in Iraq.They have been given a choice to make: Go to the concentration camp (where there is no drinking water or other minimum essentials of life) or stay and be massacred by the Iraqi army.Woman Covered in Oil at Waitrose in Protest over Shell
23-02-2012 16:11
Greece, Patras – Gathering at the prisons of Agios Stefanos
23-02-2012 16:02
http://actforfree.nostate.net/?p=7940
Occupy Law: protest, progress and the true meaning of justice
23-02-2012 12:02
London's Tent City University hosted a stimulating and empassioned event on Monday night with prominent activist lawyers debating how the law is both part of the problem and part of the solution to the global injustices that the Occupy movement is seeking to address. This article summarises its key messages.Support prisoner 125799, Robert Green.
23-02-2012 11:20
Robert Green was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on 17 February 2012. This was after a trial that was unfair and breached Article 6 Human Rights Act. The original charges were unlawful and an attempt by Grampian Police (and others) to silence Robert's campaign.AAAS Hot science (and anti-science)
23-02-2012 05:29
McDonalds & KFC planning application
23-02-2012 02:55
McDonalds have put in a planning application to open a branch at Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NA. They tried last year but were refused (see http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Plans-pub-rejected/story-13164950-detail/story.html).
This time they've come back all guns blazing, and teamed up with KFC. Great.
Anybody can object, but it has to be on 'planning' grounds, such as visual impact, 24 hour disturbance in a residential area, noise, smell, anti social behaviour (beyond simply trashing the planet), access, traffic etc. For example in the report (above) residents expressed concerns that "it would be a magnet for gangs and would create more litter."
The StreetView of the location at http://tinyurl.com/nar-mcd2 will give a hint as to potential issues. It is on the already over-capacity A453 and the near doubling of parking spaces indicates that more (short stay) traffic is expected. Despite the site backing on to a residential area, 24 hour x 7-day opening is applied for.
If you feel you could just put even one sentence in to object to it then please do!
March 1st is the deadline, and you can do it online at http://tinyurl.com/nar-mcd1.
Just scroll down, bottom left in green "comment on application".
The application itself is at http://tinyurl.com/nar-mcd3
It is interesting to note that the application doesn't mention McD & KFC upfront.
The application is from a 'Nottingham-based company Medina Green Ltd' via an 'agent'. Only when looking at the proposed view in the Layout Plans & Elevations do you see that it is actually for McD & KFC. (See pdf at http://tinyurl.com/nar-mcd4)
Please object, and pass it on!
Thanks
ps
See sample letter of objection at http://www.mcspotlight.org/campaigns/current/residents/sample_letter.html
What do you do when 'Big Mac' wants to Burger up your neighbourhood?
- see a Case Study from the folk behind the McLibel campaign at http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/campaigns/printedintheausaugust1996.html
Whilst not necessarily grounds for planning objections there is plenty more at McDonalds not to enjoy; everything from nutrition, animals and the environment to globalisation and capitalism! See http://www.mcspotlight.org/issues/index.html
... and don't get us started on KFC:
http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/07/404109.html
SATURDAY: Memorial demo for murdered 21-year-old Russian Antifascist
23-02-2012 00:22
Political Upheaval Looms Large in Greece
22-02-2012 23:56
