UK UK Newswire Archive
EDL on hackney marshes
26-02-2012 18:31
EDL flying the flag on the Lee riversolidarity protest at spanish embassy this morning
26-02-2012 16:55
with the recent severe 'austerity' cuts attacking ordinary people in spain, there have been increasing numbers of major protests there. the authorities have responded with repressive and violent policing, especially in valencia. in solidarity, around 50 protestors gathered at the spanish embassy in west london this morning.
click on image for larger version. 'some rights reserved' - free for credited non-commercial use, otherwise contact author for permission
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in spain, just a few months after prime minsiter mariano rajoy's conservative government took power, around half of all 16-24 year olds are unemployed, along with nearly a quarter of all adults. even among those in employment, there has been a radical shift to short-term contracts, fewer rights, and overall precarity.
last weekend unions staged a third massive protest challenging the government cuts which have hit the public sector hard, especially in the areas of health and education. more than a million people took to the streets, with 500,000 in madrid, nearly as many in barcelona, and tens of thousands in other cities. during the week there have been further protests in at least 26 cities.
in valencia, young people protested against huge education cuts which have left some classrooms without even heating and electricity. the police reacted brutally, and photos and videos have emerged of police beating, pushing and dragging many young people, including girls as young as 14. the police have also been accused of stealing medical records to obstruct any proceedings against them, and the chief of police refused to give out the badge numbers of those involved, instead, during a press conference, actually referring to protestors as "the enemy".
so today's protest was called by spanish groups in london, and it attracted around 50 people, along with a solidarity visit from a few members of 'rhythms of resistance' samba band, who provided some rousing rhythms to accompany the spanish chants.
as the protestors gathered, they were watched by a rather camera-shy security man in front of the embassy, and after he'd exchanged words with some diplomatic police who turned up, they instructed the crowd that they couldn't protest directly in front of the embassy as this would be 'dangerous' because of the busy road (belgrave square on a sunday morning?). still the activists were happy to take up position on the traffic island opposite the embassy, and apart from occasional drives-past, the police kept their distance from the protest.
soon, someone was creating some banners using crayons and paper, and after an hour or so of noisy chants and samba, the group formed a large seated circle and held a general assembly on the pavement opposite the embassy.
activists are predicting a new spring awakening in spain, with a call for a build-up to an international day of action in may.
BP’s Olympic branding defaced throughout London
26-02-2012 14:55
Today hundreds of BP signs across London were targeted by activists protesting against the company’s role as ‘Sustainability Partner’ of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Around the capital, protesters hit petrol stations, advertising hoardings, and BP-sponsored cultural institutions[1], disfiguring hundreds of the famous BP ‘sunflower’ logo. Advertisements with the company’s Olympic strapline ‘fuelling the future’ were altered with the addition of three asterisks to make ‘f***ing the future’.
Activists said the ‘subvertising’ action, dubbed ‘Brand Piracy’ day, would escalate public debate[2] of BP’s sponsorship after headlines in recent months had focused on the Dow controversy.[3] The action was said to be “the first of many” with “more BP branding to be targeted in the run up to the Olympics”.
One of those taking part in the action, Bridget Peterson, said, “BP has just closed its solar business[4] and is now plunging into highly polluting tar sands[5], exploring the pristine Arctic[6] and restarting its deepwater drilling operations[7]. These extreme forms of energy extraction are incompatible with stopping climate change,[8] yet BP pursues them greedily while gloatingly advertising itself as ‘Sustainability Partner’.”
Another activist, who wished to remain anonymous, explained, “The Olympics gives BP the chance to look ethical and yet lead the public down the garden path. BP pays millions to manufacture a false reputation as a ‘sustainable’ company,[9] and deflect all attention from its actual operations. This sickening marketing spree amounts to a major cover-up – and so today we took our own action to cover it up.”
A website, http://www.f-ingthefuture.org, shows pictures of the action and outlines the problems with BP’s sponsorship of the Olympics.
For more information, interviews and high-resolution photos, email f.ingthefuture@gmail.com or phone Bridget Peterson on 07741 103 248
Notes:
[1] Cultural institutions, especially the Tate, have long been targeted by activists concerned at oil companies using arts sponsorship to cover up their environmental and human rights atrocities. See e.g. http://www.artnotoil.org.uk and http://liberatetate.wordpress.com/
[2] Concern over BP’s sponsorship of the Olympics entered the news last week when a coalition of NGOs and individuals wrote an open letter to Olympic organisers. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/feb/17/olympic-games-protest-bp-sponsorship
[3] See e.g. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/feb/09/london-2012-sustainability-ioc-ethics
[4] BP closed its solar business in December 2011. See http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/80cd4a08-2b42-11e1-9fd0-00144feabdc0.htm
[5] For more information on tar sands, see http://www.no-tar-sands.org/what-are-the-tar-sands/
[6] See http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-08/tnk-bp-to-spend-12-billion-on-four-yamal-fields-to-boost-output.html
[7] Deepwater operations were announced to be restarted in April 2011. See http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/04/uk-bp-idUKTRE7330SZ20110404 The company still faces a civil court case over the Deepwater Horizon disaster due to start at the end of February. See http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/68715b32-5cb3-11e1-ac80-00144feabdc0.html
[8] NASA Climate Scientist James Hansen has shown that a safe level of CO2 can only be reached if coal is phased out and unconventional fossil fuels are not explored. See http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/05/236978/james-hansen-keystone-pipeline-tar-sands-climate/
[9] Research shows that BP’s sponsorship of the Olympics has indeed improved its public image. See http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/1117665/BPs-brand-image-benefits-London-2012-sponsorship-claims-research/
Ethical human rights likely to be many children's and freedom's last hope
26-02-2012 14:34
Ethical human rights, development and globalization could well be freedom's last hope. Many human rights have been left out of New Zealand's human rights law. This article looks at two omissions, children's and family rights, which had terrible social consequences.The lies of a youthcare employee
26-02-2012 14:32
Exposing the lies and perjery of a youthcare employee, on the basis of a different riligion.The courts and state do nothing to right this wrong.
The queen, who privatised childcare, could not care less.
Swindon Anarchists Protest in Solidarity With Striking Hospital Workers
26-02-2012 13:52
Witness Bahrain - Interview with Medea Benjamin
26-02-2012 13:23
Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK was recently deported from Bahrain. She travelled there with Witness bahrain, an international solidarity movement that was set up to monitor and report on human rights abuses, collective punishment and suppression of Arab Spring democracy activists in the Kingdom, as the struggle approached its first anniversary.
In this interview she discusses the 'samud' (steadfastness) of the women she met, the arming of the Kingdom by Western Imperialists, and the need to take action against the companies who sponsor and promote the F1 Grand Prix which is set to take place in Bahrain in April. Also worthy of note is her account of how policing is undertaken by foreigners, who are loyal to the king and not the people.
BP’s Olympic branding defaced throughout London
26-02-2012 13:13
Today hundreds of BP signs across London were targeted by activists protesting against the company’s role as ‘Sustainability Partner’ of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Around the capital, protesters hit petrol stations, advertising hoardings, and BP-sponsored cultural institutions[1], disfiguring hundreds of the famous BP ‘sunflower’ logo. Advertisements with the company’s Olympic strapline ‘fuelling the future’ were altered with the addition of three asterisks to make ‘f***ing the future’.
Crackdown on legitimate protest
26-02-2012 12:55
Daily Hate Mail reports that the government have ordered the police to crackdown on anti workfare protests.
This is in the wake of trotskyist political parties such as the socialist party & SWP jumping on the populist bandwagon as usual & apparently hijacking the fantastic work Boycott Workfare have been doing this past year, informing people of the Mandatory Work Activity, Work Expirence & other work for your benefits schemes. These protests have been non violent direct action on multi million pound profit making companies mandating people to work for free. It seems that the only threat of violence, once again comes from the state & it`s apparatus, the police. It is hoped that the rank & file Police Federation will see sense & refuse to allow it`s members to be stormtroopers for the government & it`s right wing pogrom against vulnerable members of our society. The right to work, a front for the socialist party have jumped on this bandwagon. They also have a front; Defend the right to protest, who have been putting political prisoners safety at risk by publishing names, prisons where held & prison numbers, without prior consent of prisoners. These front organisations, which has been proved many times in the past, jump from one popular protest subject to the next. Not bothering about any damage caused in their wake, all in the intrest of bolstering membership & selling papers.
As far as I`m aware, Boycott Workfare is a grassroots non political campaign without any political mandate or hidden agenda. See www.boycottworkfare.org
Militant Camp @ Arcadia Missa : Public events
26-02-2012 12:20
MILITANT CAMP @ ARCADIA MISSAAs part of the survival series artist Tom Bresolin will initiate a militant camp at arcadia missa.A week long social experimental performance camp. Involving physical and mental training to prepare for the inevitable apocalypse and collapse of capitalism
Theresa May and Al-Qaeda's "Assurances"
26-02-2012 10:35
The following article discusses the current approach of the British Government in dealing with terror suspects.UG#578 - Disconnecting the Dots (9-11 Commission and theToronto Hearings)
26-02-2012 05:21
UG#579 - Financial Consolidation (Wars for Profit and More on Primordial Debt)
26-02-2012 05:19
UG#580 - The Failed Religion of America (Debt, Cruelty And Redemption)
26-02-2012 05:17
UG#581 - Unmasking the Genocide of Business As Usual (The Hidden Worlds of Comm
26-02-2012 05:13
UG#582 - The Cargo Cult of Money (Money = Hierarchy = Slavery)
26-02-2012 05:08
A few notes on anarchist revolutionary solidarity and the struggle against priso
25-02-2012 19:23
http://culmine.noblogs.org/. Translated by B.pd for
http://actforfree.nostate.net
SDL/EDL in Glasgow Saturday 25th Feb.
25-02-2012 18:33
SDL/EDL chanted and went home.Appaling conditions at Jessops Farm
25-02-2012 18:04
Investigators discovered appaling conditions at Jessops Farm in Sussex.