UK UK Newswire Archive
Rally for Julian Assange taking place now at Ecuador Embassy, London
20-06-2012 13:06
Launch of 'How to Set Up a Workers' Co-op', 3rd edition, 23rd June.
20-06-2012 11:25
New guide to Workers' Co-ops launched at Futures North during International Year of Co-opsAt 12.30 this Saturday 23rd June, co-operators at the annual Futures North conference at Sheffield Hallam University (only a 10 minutes walk away from the Sheffield Anarchist bookfair!) will raise a toast and cut a giant cake, to launch the new edition of 'How to Set Up a Workers' Co-op'
Wrexham Divided: WPJF on Israel-Wales match tonight
20-06-2012 08:33
How to Complete Egypt's Revolution
20-06-2012 04:55
The Egyptian revolution's fight for life has reached a critical stage.
The massive energy that toppled Egypt's hated dictator seems to have hit a wall after Egypt's Supreme Court dissolved parliament in what many are calling a "coup.” The military then took further action to consolidate itself, putting a halt to their fake steps towards democracy. According to the New York Times:
"... the generals had shuttered the parliament and locked out its members, taken over legislative authority even after the election of a president, and unveiled a new interim constitution protecting their power and privilege. They also named their own 100-member panel to draft a permanent charter [constitution]."
The recent winner of the presidential election, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi, now must operate within the narrow confines allowed by the military, which has seized all legislative power and nearly all real executive power. Martial law remains in effect. The new president has found himself surrounded by military officials who will not allow him to make a single independent decision.
How could this happen?
What the Egyptian revolution has thus far failed to do was to destroy the real basis of the old regime's power, ensuring that the regime would re-consolidate itself. The dictator was toppled, yes, but the institutions that upheld the regime are still in place; the state structures accustomed to a totalitarianism that serves the wealthy elite have finally made their intentions open to the public, now feeling confident that their positions are invulnerable to the revolution.
Consequently, the dictator's inner circle responsible for approving the killing of over 900 innocent protesters will not be imprisoned, nor will the ruthless police chiefs who carried out the orders. This is because the judiciary of the country was appointed by the old regime, and are using every power at their disposal - and creating new ones in the process - to turn the wheel of history backwards to pre-revolution Egypt.
After the dictator-appointed judiciary dissolved parliament, the Muslim Brotherhood's presidential candidate, Mohammed Morsi, downplayed the event, accepting the decision.
"It is my duty as the future president of Egypt, God willing, to separate between the state's authorities and accept the rulings [?!] "
The Brotherhood has vowed to respect "the law,” when the law is merely the military's guns combined with a sock-puppet Supreme Court. The bizarre response of Mr. Morsi is not only a symptom of the Brotherhood's political cowardice, but proof of its collusion with dictators; the Brotherhood is desperately attempting to integrate itself into the ruling spectrum of Egypt's pro-capitalist politics, having accommodated itself to the old regime long enough to eat its crumbs. The new president finds himself in a situation from which any honest person would instantly resign.
Thankfully the Brotherhood's half-hearted "opposition" has been mostly exposed to any half-conscious Egyptian. This fact is proved by the results of the first round of the presidential election: the Brotherhood received half the votes it received from the months-earlier parliamentary election.
Also, during the first round of the presidential election, the largest cities in Egypt voted for the 3rd place candidate, a Nasserite "socialist,” who more closely resembles the striving of the average working person in Egypt. The more recent actions of the Brotherhood have further exposed their leadership for what they are: an unwitting prop for the military to remain in power.
Those who started the revolution and drove out the dictator are still in the process of funneling their revolutionary energy into an organizational form capable of destroying the political and economic power of the rich on which the old regime rests.
Once the revolutionaries re-establish themselves, they'll surely have learned that, in order to push the revolution forward the entire state apparatus of the previous regime must be shattered, especially the military elite, police, and judiciary, who are using their institutional power to strike blows against the revolution.
Equally important is the economic base of the state's power, which also needs to be taken from those who currently control it. Many of Egypt's big businesses are powerful because of their direct connections with the military, and are often owned by generals and their government friends.
The Los Angeles Times recently explained:
If the military's wealth isn't nationalized - and much of its wealth comes from recent privatizations of public utilities - the money will continue to fuel the power of dictators.
To reach these goals the revolutionary working people of Egypt need to act independently in massive numbers, as they did at the revolution's beginning. However, this independence needs to be organized enough to fully displace the existing powers of Egypt; the demands of "Mubarak must go" need to be replaced by new demands that address the deeper military and economic ties of the old regime.
To help give voice and organization to these demands, a revolutionary constituent assembly will likely remain a popular and necessary demand, so that a really democratic constitution can be created with the active participation of all working people. The demand for a constituent assembly has proved to be a revolutionary demand throughout the Latin American revolution, whose situations were very similar to Egypt's today.
The electoral process of Egypt has been proven a sham, and the working people will not so easily accept the same dictatorship with a slightly different face. Since the election failed to solve anything of substance, Tahrir Square will once again be the political venue of choice for working Egyptians seeking revolutionary political and economic change.Iberian MIiner's Strike... Reaches Its 23rd Day!!!
19-06-2012 21:49
It has been 23 days of relentless fight in Asturias, Leon, Aragon and other regions of the Spanish state.Today, (19/06/2012) the cops have been pushed out again from the dignified small village of Cinhera de Gordon after another indiscriminate charge and the a short-lived occupation.
Building Hope for Marginalised Communities
19-06-2012 20:55
Saturday 16th June 2012, our event, Building Hope, proved to be a great opportunity to meet our supporters, old and new- including members of the public in the Brick Lane area, to what was to be an intimate gathering to champion human rights and the issues behind our work.
The evening started with the screening of our documentaries on our Bangladesh Street Children project and Ala Kachuu project in Kyrgyzstan. This allowed for more in depth discussion to why there is a need to voice such issues, like the abuses marginalised children face on the streets in Bangladesh and the severe detriment to women’s human rights in Kyrgyzstan. Several members of the audience were visibly moved during our film 'Building Hope', particularly by the graphic scenes of drug taking and of 13 year old 'Ameena' chained up and prostituted by her ‘mother’.
As part of the Ala Kachuu project and following a recent trip to Kyrgyzstan, our film 'Right to Choose' and also television advertisement to be aired on Kyrgyz national tv 'Demand Change, Say No' were shown. Though the scenes of kidnapping were quite shocking, audience members found hope in the women's right, despite community pressure to say 'no to ala kachuu'!
Following the screenings, the floor was opened to questions and members of the audience probed the Directors Mabrur and Rahima on a wide range of issues, including government involvement, project staffing and costings, sustainability and challenges. Given the difficulties that NGOs face, dealing with funds in Bangladesh, the audience were particularly pleased to know that one hundred per cent of all donations go straight to the project. One supporter was more inclined to support based on the long term goals of Restless Being project work; ''I appreciate that your projects are more than just fundraising, they're about changing ideas and providing consistent and permanent change, I suppose that's why building hope is so important''.
With recent events in Burma, Restless Beings used this opportunity to raise awareness of the stateless and persecuted Rohingya community, facing oppression at the hands of the state of Burma. The complex issues surrounding the Rohingyas evokes strong passions amongst many and it is at such times that their voices need to be heard, and their plight acknowledged by the international community. Many guests were surprised at the extent of the brutality that the Rohingyas face- one likening it to the film District 9- certainly being labelled by the UN to be the most persecuted community in the world puts it into perspective somewhat. Be it on facebook or twitter we urge you to spread the plight of the Rohingyas and to condemn the atrocities.
The evening concluded with dinner and a chance for supporters to network with members of Restless Beings and many took this opportunity to get involved and donate to the projects. Over £500 was raised through donations and standing orders.
Building Hope continues with YOUR support!
Stay Restless & Voice the Voiceless
*Love, Light & Lollipops*
www.restlessbeings.org
Protest in London Exposes Plight of the Rohingyas
19-06-2012 20:55
London – Over sixty protestors united in response to the horrific abuse of human rights against the Rohingyas outside the Embassy of Mayanmar on Wednesday, 13 June.
Both in English and Burmese, protestors chanted ‘Free Free Rohingya’ and ‘Peaceful coexistence in Arakan!’ amidst speeches made by members and supporters. The Rohingya community and their supporters from across the UK united at the protest against the persecution of Rohingya in Mayanmar also known as Burma.
The Burmese Rohingya Organisation (BROUK) launched the protest which was supported by Restless Beings to expose the treatment of Rohingya people in Mayanmar during recent ethnic clashes in the country. This ethnic clash sparked violence between the Rohingya and Rakhine over the past week in the Western State of Arakan, Mayanmar.
Maung Tun Khin, a speaker at the event, who is President of BROUK, said he has been receiving harrowing reports of attacks on the Rohingya people who are living in Arakan claiming that up to 1,000 Rohingya have already been killed. He recently received one such call from a friend whose home was set on fire and Tun Khin recalled what was described to him.
People come to my place with a big crowd, and authorities are also with them together, and they put petrol and put the place on fire. I was able to leave luckily but the places are still burning. Please raise your voice to the international community to save our lives.
Despite these harrowing reports, hundreds of Rohingyas fleeing in boats from the violence to Bangladesh are being turned back. Many Rohingya refugees also live in Bangladesh where they are denied citizenship.
Rashed, a protestor at the event, asked for peace for the Rohingya in Bangladesh and for the country to provide refuge for Rohingyas fleeing violence in Mayanmar. Rashed, who preferred not to share his last name, is a Rohingya who was living in Bangladesh with his family until 2009. After he came to the UK, a crackdown by Bangladesh’s government on the Rohingyas changed his life. “I was in Bangladesh and came here in 2009… In 2010, January, there [was] a crackdown at that time. My father and mother went [missing.]… I don’t know if they are arrested in Bangladesh or deported in Mayanmar. It’s still two years, I’m waiting for my father and mother’s news. As well as my brother who is in Malaysia…I don’t know if he is alive or not,” said Rashed, 23. “It’s a very stressful and in limbo situation for us.”
Protestors like Rashed were at the event alongside groups such as the Bradford Rohingya Community (BRCUK) and the Burmese Muslim Association. Rahima Begum, co-director of Restless Beings, spoke to the crowd and urged more people to become aware of the situation in Mayanmar. The Rohingya have been part of Restless Being’s projects for two years and Restless Beings is working closely with BROUK and Tun Khin to raise awareness of their plight.
Begum asked politicians in the West to put pressure on the government of Mayanmar so they grant equal rights to the Rohingya people.
Protestors also urged action from the international community for the Rohingya people and asked for greater awareness of the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya from Mayanmar. “We want to see an international independent inquiry in these cases where innocent people have been killed by Rakhine extremists. The violence is still going on in some places. The government needs to provide aid,” said Tun Khin.
While fighting continues between the two ethnic groups in some parts of Mayanmar, the fight has found a new battle ground on Twitter. In recent days, a Twitter campaign led by pro-Rakhine supporters has been attacking supporters of the Rohingya people. Rohingya supporters believe that the dehumanisation of Rohingya people should not be a way to legitimise the ethnic cleansing of the group.
Although the clashes in Mayanmar have been set off by recent events in the past few weeks, the Rohingya people have actually had a troubled and deep-rooted history in Mayanmar for many years.
The Rohingya have yet to be recognised as citizens of Mayanmar and the UN states they are one of the most persecuted communities in the world. According to Reuters, “The Buddhist-majority Myanmar's government regards the estimated 800,000 Muslim Rohingyas in the country as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and denies them citizenship. Bangladesh has refused to grant Rohingyas refugee status since 1992.”
For the Rohingya people, their very existence is a source of conflict and contempt in Mayanmar and surrounding countries but it will not continue if more people unite against their persecution.
To join the movement in support of the Rohingya people, sign this petition:
https://www.change.org/petitions/the-un-stop-the-mass-massacre-in-arakan-burma-we-say-no-to-war
KARI-OCA 2 DECLARATION
19-06-2012 18:39
“INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON RIO+20 AND MOTHER EARTH”13 -22 June 2012
Washington Arming Syrian Insurgents
19-06-2012 10:50
It's no surprise. It's an open secret. It's been ongoing since early last year directly and/or indirectly. Rhetorically supporting peace while waging war exposes Washington's transparent hypocrisy. On June 15, the UK Daily Telegraph headlined "US holds high-level talks with Syrian rebels seeking weapons in Washington," saying: In the past week, a Free Syrian Army (FSA) representative met with outgoing Syrian ambassador Robert Ford and special Syrian coordinator Frederick Hof at the State Department.Activists blockade Faslane Naval Base
19-06-2012 10:35
Today at 7 o’ clock in the morning activists of the Faslane Peacecamp blockaded the Trident Naval Base. Three people locked on in front of the South Gate. From the original five people at the North Gate two were arrested immediately while the rest were able to blockade one lane of the road. The blockade lasted about 90 minutes.Greece Is Still Doomed And So Is The Rest Of Europe
19-06-2012 00:02
Greece Is Still Doomed And So Is The Rest Of EuropeAgriculture Action Camp 5-10 July Den Bosch NL
18-06-2012 22:55
From the 5th till 10th of July in Den Bosch in the Netherlands, ASEED will organize a 6 days long camp. The camp will involve workshops, trainings, discussions, and action, for good ecological initiatives, an alternative food chain, alternatives to industrial farming, and against gentech and meat industry, and more..
Do you know where your food comes from? Do you want to take food in your own hands and make the food chain shorter between the farmers and consumers? Do you also want to know more about the struggle against GMOs and industrial farming that is dominated by big companies? Do you want to organize actions against the meat industry and the imports of animal feed? But you are also interested in producing your own food on a sustainable, climate neutral, autonomous and social way? Are you not afraid of getting your hands dirty in a workshop? All of these and more will be covered during the camp. We invite activists, slow-foodies, farmers, gardeners, students, animal friends and people who want to learn and share skills on sustainable agriculture to come to the camp. Mark your agendas and join in!
Last year the first Agriculture Action Camp in The Netherlands took place in the Flevopolder with 70 participants camping on an organic farm for three days. We had a program full of workshops and discussions, and two actions close to the camp against GM crops and soy greenwashing. The participants opted for a replay, so here comes the second camp once again with an interesting programme of workshops, trainings, action and nice atmosphere.
Hello everybody,
We are getting closer to the date it is all going to start, the location will be in the
city of Den Bosch (or ‘s Hertogenbosch) in and around a squatted community garden project
Graafse Hof in a residential area in the East of the city. The workshop program is
getting more and more concrete. Confirmed are amongst other things: GMO update by
Greenpeace, GMO field liberation movements by FLM Belgium (more contributions/examples
from similar movements in other countries welcome!!), introduction into different forms
of sustainable agriculture systems (biodynamic, agroecology, permaculture), seed saving,
worm composting, getting to know your gardening tools, action trainings by Vredesactie,
tractor driving, talks with and working with farmers, food sovereignty: what does it
mean, European movement, concrete examples, and more to come. The program starts on
Thursday 5th in the evening and goes on till Monday 9th July.
Give a Workshop?
Want to come and give a workshop yourself? Great! We are in particularly interested to
hear about reclaim the fields land occupation actions, or similar campaigns/initiatives
going on, as well as the Reclaim the fields movement in general. Also looking for
someone who can tell more about the European Campaign for Seed Sovereignty. But anything
relevant, you’re welcome to propose.
Info stall @ mini alternative agro fair on Saturday 7 July, 13.00?
Saturday we want to focus on getting more mainstream people to participate in the camp.
The workshops are more introductory and their will be a small fair. Want to have stall to
spread materials from your project or action group? Let us know.
Networking @ Worldcafe on Saturday 7 July, 20.00
Saturdaynight we will turn a tent into a nice cafe, where everyone can come to exchange
ideas and examples. Organisations, Initiatives and Individuals have the opportunity for
reservating a table, where people can sit around to have informal conversations. Want to
have a table your project/initiative/campaign? read more here:
http://landbouwactiekamp.contrast.org/?page_id=181
Action
Monday July 9 will have a focus on doing one or more actions. Possible targets/topics are
mentioned in the call out from before. The camp will decide collectively what it will
become at the beginning of the weekend.
Finances & travel costs reimbursements
We have some funding for the camp but not enough to cover all costs, so we would ask a
participants for a contribution of 7,50 if you come 1 day, less per day if you stay
longer (see the website under practicalities).
We have some limited possibilities to (partially) cover travel costs from people coming
from abroad, AND coming on the 4th of July (help build up) and/or stay till 11th (help
break down). Let us know if you want to come, and travel costs are an issue. If you can
travel on one of these dates, we can probably reimburse (some) costs.
Want to reserve a workshop slot, info stall or worldcafe table, or just know more about
the camp, contact us via landbouwactiekamp@aseed.net.
We still need people to;
-make the kids program and organize the kids area in the camp
-help us with the infrastructure preparations of the camp, & be there on the 4th to set up the camp,
-translation and editing texts,(NL, ENG, DE mainly)
-help us out with program content,
-facilitate workshops, translation during the workshops etc..
Cheers and hope to see some of you @ Den Bosch.
ASEED
Police officer who beat Ian Tomlinson in court
18-06-2012 22:55
The family of Ian Tomlinson arrived in court today to hear the case against the police officer, PC Simon Harwood, who was seen to attack him face charges for no reason. THis all happened during the demonstartion against the G20 who were meeting in London in April 2009. The court heard the excuses the police made for why they were hitting people over the head so often which would have been laughable if it weren't so tragic.
The court was shown CCTV of the day that flatly countered the statements of the policeman, who claimed the protesters were surrounding him and he had to defend himself. Anyone who has seen the footage can see this is bogus, he was lashing out at anyone that looked like a protester.
The trail is set to continue for weeks, more to come...
Report of Surprise noise demo today at EDO
18-06-2012 22:02
Smash EDO have called for three months of direct action to close down EDO MBM – From 1st May to 1st August 2012.BBC lie about events surrounding Ian Tomlinson's death
18-06-2012 21:17
The Boy Who Shot the Queen of England
18-06-2012 20:07
Repair Party
18-06-2012 16:55
In line with ideas of de-growth and transition towns, on Saturday 16th of June took place a public event where people were invited to bring devices for repair.
People from many generations turned up and the space was buzzing for four hours, who were all helped by four repair heroes offering their skills in computer and electronics.
Printers, laptops, a mobile and a rather stylish digital clock were repaired.
More events like this are planned in different parts of London, or get in touch and/or organise your own!
Click for more detailed reports, pictures and more information.
Olympic ASBO judgement.
18-06-2012 14:55
Monday 18th June 2012.
This morning at Westminster Magistrates Court, District Judge Purdy delivered his judgement on the case of the ASBO sought by the 'Commissioner of police for the metropolis' to prohibit various activities with the stated reason being the prevention of 'conduct leading to the disruption of the Olympic Games events 2012'. The full text of his judgement can be seen below.
DJ Purdy decided to authorise the ASBO. He made some minor adjustments to prohibitions 1,2,4 + 5. He removed prohibition 3 relating to trespassing on land or buildings with camping equipment. The full text of the amended ASBO (the final order) can be seen below.
Outside the court I issued the following statement to the press:
''The effect of this ASBO is to criminalise peaceful protest. There are legitimate issues for concern around the Olympics such as the destruction of Leyton Marsh in East London for a temporary basketball training facility and the ethics and human rights records of corporate sponsors for the games. These punitive and coercive measures will not stop us from peacefully protesting or from doing what is right.''
I stand by my position that I will continue to do what I think is just even if that means having to live in prison.
Simon Moore.
End.
Gone but not forgotten - one year since Brian Haw's death
18-06-2012 14:14
