UK UK Newswire Archive
Sean Rigg - inquest verdict
01-08-2012 18:12
Summary: Schizophrenic but physically healthy black man died in custody at Brixton police station after excessive police restraint. Care trust failed to offer Rigg psychiatric evaluation, instead placing him in a hostel. Police failed to reply to emergency calls for 3 hours after Rigg started threatening staff at his hostel, then took him to a holding cell instead of hospital. Inquest jury - level of force "unsuitable". Rigg's family - "Sean died as a result of the wilful neglect of those who were meant to care for him". IPCC "inadequate and obstructive". Yet another black death in police custody without an officer being prosecuted.One World Festival Supports EDO
01-08-2012 14:10
One World Festival supports EDOIn times of austerity what do they do? Create another £70m animal torture lab
01-08-2012 10:56
Northern Indymedia Needs You !
01-08-2012 09:10
Northern Indymedia is short of people and needs new volunteers if it is to continue as a viable project. The collective running this website needs people to step up and take over. Unless this happens, this newswire will soon have to shut down.G4S chaos in Yorkshire- implications for Nottm.
31-07-2012 22:55
More evidence of the G4S shambles in managing the COMPASS contract which was awarded to them in two regions: Yorkshire and Humberside, and The Midlands and East of England. In Nottingham, G4S have scheduled to undertake the majority of the housing transitions between July and September 2012. We can see from the Emergency bulletin below, that in Yorkshire where transitions started in early July, what this could signal for asylum seekers here too.
Here's an invitation to a meeting at The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street Forest Fields NG7 6HX on Wednseday 8th August 7.00 p.m. This meeting will be an opportunity to discuss wider issues and approaches to G4S and the G4S COMPASS Project in Nottingham and Midlands region.
Notog4sNottm
stopg4s@hotmail.co.uk
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An emergency bulletin from SYMAAG notog4s
July 26th 2012
As most of you will know we in the notog4s campaign have tended to assume that the UKBA /G4S undertakings and official statements have meant that evictions and movements of single people and families would, for the majority, mean movements, at worst, within the broad region of Yorkshire and the Humber.
The latest official UKBA Transition bulletin makes it abundantly clear that the claims we made early on in the campaign that in South and West Yorkshire in particular there simply was not a market in ‘decent’ PRS (Public Rented Sector) housing for G4S to exploit was absolutely correct.
One family of two adults and a one year old were moved on Tuesday 24th July 100 miles from Sheffield to Stockton on Tees.The UKBA Transition Bulletin openly threatens more families with such a move.
This case is even more significant because it was from an existing private landlord property,although the new G4S contractor in Sheffield, Target Housing claim to have accommodation available for families – so why have the family been sent 100 miles away from contacts and support?
In Barnsley asylum seeker families have been warned by the outgoing asylum team of moves possibly to Hull and Newcastle. One family interviewed this week ,of grandparents, parents and school age children, were given this warning and told they would probably have to move their household possessions in two bags each.
Live Management, the G4S contractor in Barnsley is, we understand, considering acquiring unsuitable properties which they propose to use on a ‘temporay’ basis until they can find contract compliant ones.
The dreaded Angel Lodge in Wakefield, purchased from Angel Housing, has emerged as the new Yorkshire IA centre from September. SYMAAG executive members have horrific memories of actually staying in this dreadful accommodation, opposite Wakefield high security prison.We are campaigning against this decision.
This chaos in UKBA and G4S also indicates that our campaigning (removing UPM and now nobilising against Target) has deepened the crisis for the UKBA and G4S. The ‘soft’ approach of Andrew Gray has now been replaced by the asylum market business approach of Jules Bickers already deeply unpopular with voluntary sector asylum organisations in the regions he has worked in.
THIS IS YET ANOTHER INDICATION THAT WE WERE RIGHT TO CLAIM THAT G4S HAD NO EXPERIENCE OF ASYLUM HOUSING AND THAT THEIR FAILURES UNDER THE CONTRACT WOULD CONSTANTLY PUNISH ASYLUM SEEKER SINGLE PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WHO ARE SIMPLY HOUSED AWAITING THE OUTCOME OF ASYLUM CLAIMS.
MOREOVER OUR FEARS ABOUT THE CONTRACT FUNDAMENTALLY CHALLENGING THE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS OF FAMILIES, CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ASYLUM SEEKERS SEEM ALSO TO BE PROVING UNFORTUNATELY TO BE CORRECT
WE HAVE TO CHALLENGE THE UKBA NOW TO CANCEL THE CONTRACT WITH UKBA AND EXTEND THE TARGET CONTRACTS WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND TRANSFER HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS IN YORKSHIRE.
CHAOS ON THE OLYMPICS CONTRACT NOW CHAOS ON THE ASYLUM HOUSING CONTRACT
G4S ARE DEMONSTRATING EXACTLY THE SAME FAILINGS EXPOSED IN THE OLYMPICS CONTRACTS, AS ONE M.P. PUT IT
‘THEIR ASPIRATIONS RUN FAR AHEAD OF THEIR ABILITIES’
THEIR CHAOTIC AND INCOMPETENT MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES ARE EVEN MORE EXPOSED IN THE ASYLUM HOUSING FIELD – AFTER ALL IN THE OLYMPICS CONTRACT THEY WERE IN THEIR KEY BUSINESS OF EVENTS SECURITY.
THEIR INCOMPETENCE IN A FIELD THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT - HOUSING – IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS – HERE THEY ARE EMBARKING ON A CONTRACT WHICH THEY KNOW WILL THREATEN THE RIGHTS AND WELL BEING OF UP TO A THOUSAND VULNERABLE ASYLUM SEEKERS IN YORKSHIRE, WHOM WE SHOULD BE WELCOMING TO OUR REGION, NOT PUNISHING AND THREATENING THEM, USING TAX PAYERS MONEY – OUR MONEY.
John Grayson
SYMAAG notog4s
Breaking……. Urgent: Community In Chiapas, Mexico, Threatened
31-07-2012 19:53
Human rights organisations have warned that the population of nearly 200 Zapatista supporters in the indigenous community of San Marcos Aviles are at very serious risk of violent assault and displacement. The threats made against them have increased sharply since the Mexican elections in July.
Shell humbled as protestors disrupt arrival of the Tunnel Boring Machine
31-07-2012 13:23
The last twelve plus hours saw protesters in Erris take on one of the largest Gardai operations Ireland has seen in some time – and ran rings around it. The mammoth operation saw hundreds of Gardai and IRMS security trying to escort the tunnel boring machine [TBM] to Aghoos. Yet Shell to Sea campaigners managed, in separate incidents, two lock-ons and used a car to blockade a bridge on the route of the TBM.July anti-fascist roundup
31-07-2012 10:55
July saw an anti-immigration march called off in Boston, the EDL rushing to "defend" Derby Pride from the "Islamics", the BNP and English Democrats standing in elections in Corby and Kettering, the conviction of a Leicester EDL member for assault, and a deafening silence from the far right on the subject of white paedophiles in Derby.
We reported how racist Forest fans, who'd previously mocked Leicester fans with chants of "you're just a town full of Pakis", were grumbling into their lager about the takeover of their club by Arabs.
We exposed the reality of the EDL's multicultural poster boy, Glen Warren, an immigrant and Muslim hating member from Leicester.
A report by Notts police revealed that black people are 9 times more likely to be stopped and searched than whites in the county.
An anti-immigration group, the Boston Protest Group, narrowly voted not to hold an anti-immigration march in the Lincolnshire town, although leader, Dean Everitt, says it has been "postponed not cancelled".
The EDL got all hot and bothered about a small group of Muslim homophobes who said they were going to protest at Derbyshire Pride and rushed in to defend the thousands of LGBT marchers, but the rain meant that no one got to play out.
The Church of England voted to ban the clergy from joining racist and discriminatory organisations and the BNP's racist vicar, Robert West, had a mard about it.
We had a good laugh at Nottingham BNP's deranged fascist tweeting.
The BNP came third in the Corby East council by election and won 9.4% of the vote.
Leicester EDL's James Elliot was convicted of drunkenly assaulting a member of UAF, using threatening and abusive language and resisting arrest.
We noticed that the EDL were driven to a demo in Bristol by Leicester coach firm, G.H. Watts, a firm the East Midlands divisions have used on at least 5 previous occasions.
The English Democrats stood a former National Front member in a Kettering borough election and won 14% of the vote, beating the BNP who won 6%.
We exposed the neo-Nazi accounts followed by Northants EDL.
We also noted the silence of the far right on a grooming case in Derby where 7 of the 8 men involved were white.
Keep checking the site for new updates and sending in credible information on fascist activity in the region.
Always antifascist
EMAF
A Letter Campaign On Behalf Of Jerome White-Bey – Occupy The Prison Mail Room
31-07-2012 08:26
This is a call out for a new letter writing campaign to protest the treatment of Jerome White-Bey, who yet again is being held in isolation on the punishment blocks under a false investigation. His situation in his own words:Finnish Defence League blocked from Tampere Pride parade
30-07-2012 23:07
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il2Q6tF2m4U
pics and report from counter olympics demo on sat
30-07-2012 22:55
nearly a thousand people representing a smorgasbord of campaign groups marched together under the banner of the counter olympic network (CON) on saturday in east london. the march was followed by speeches in wennington green.
click on image for larger version. 'some rights reserved' - free for credited non-commercial use, otherwise contact author for permission
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from midday on saturday, as people assembled on the slopes of mile end park, they were joined by an intrusion of police liaison officers in their baby-blue tabards, disarmingly chatting and joking with the more gullible members of the crowd, while carrying out their usual agenda of surveillance and intelligence gathering. meanwhile, a samba band tuned up, people made homemade banners, and friendly connections were made between the myriad campaign groups representing that day.
shortly after 1pm, the march set off from grove road, heading east along bow road. at the front were several members of DPAC (disabled people against cuts) in wheelchairs, their beef being with ATOS, the private firm contracted by government to "assess" disability allowance eligibility, and sponsor of the para-olympics. ATOS has ruled people with terminal cancer as eligible to work, and even suggested one person in a coma should not receive benefit. they receive massive amounts of public money to bother and terrify the most vulnerable in our society.
the negative effects of the olympics reach out in so many ways and touch so many people - it was extraordinary to see so many groups with a common focus - among them, unions, anti-cuts groups, anarchists, local campaign groups from displaced communities, those invaded by olympic facilities or missile bases, civil rights and right to protest groups, police monitoring groups, anti-corporate campaigners against G4S, Dow chemicals, and BP, and of course the socialists with their newspapers.
as the march stretched out along the bow road, it was clear there were several hundred going on to a thousand people there, and there were also (given the UK media virtual black-out on anti-olympic protests) a surprising number of journos, although most were from overseas press.
as the march approached bow roundabout, it peeled off to the left along fairfield road and past the bow quarter buildings, where a controversial missile base has been stationed on top of the water tower above residential buidlings. there was quite a long wait there while the back of the march caught up. soldiers on the top of the tower watched, one with binoculars, as the protest chanted down below, "seb coe, hey ho, get your missiles out of bow".
eventually the protest continued through some back streets to emerge on roman road heading back west.
there was an incident near the rear of the march as someone tampered with the white cordon tapes that hemmed people in, and he was detained by police and searched. many on the march waited or ran back to show solidarity and support and demand his release. after a few minutes, police, who claimed they'd seen him with a knife but couldn't produce one in the search, released him, and the crowd fed into wennington green at around 3pm.
there, a small makeshift stage was set up, and people listened to a string of speakers, while the 'woodcraft folk' provided some entertainment for kids.
first speaker was brian richardson who spoke among other things about racism in sport, then ruth tanner from 'war on want' told us about olympic sponsor adidas's 34 pence per hour wages to indonesian workers providing the olympic kit.
next up was naomi who was one of the cyclists arrested last night on the peaceful critical mass bike ride. she told a harrowing story of her arrest and subsequent treatment by police, then quoted olympic black power activist john carlos and got the crowd chanting "i am not afraid of offending my oppressor".
chris nineham spoke on behalf of the 'olympics missile campaign', and pointed out the records already broken by team GB. the record number of arrests at an olympic opening, the highest ever ticket prices, and the record militarisation of the games.
next up was john mcdonnell who said he was there to show solidarity with the victims of dow and atos. he said it was time to reclaim the olympics, kick out the corporations and make it about sport again. he also said it was time to campaign to change the system. quite why he's a labour MP i've never understood - he certainly doesn't speak for the labour party, and instead says many sensible things.
gail chester spoke on behalf of the counter olympics network and then she introduced julian cheyne who told us about the counter-olympics torch relays (http://london.indymedia.org/articles/12559), and officially handed over the vancouver torch to representatives from nosochi2014.com who told us about the plight of the circasian people exiled from their lands by genocide and erased from history by the russians. two circasians showed us a traditional dance and we heard some of their language. they will parade the torch at the sochi winter olympics before passing it on again to activists in rio for 2016.
we then heard from rio activist teresa williamson, who is concerned among other things that the 2016 olympics will see further displacement of the poor there in the guise of regeneration. she informed us that while the favelas are portrayed as the worst slums, in fact many of the more established favelas are a cheap place to live, with reasonable sanitation, internet access, and community solidarity - they are afraid the olympics will wipe them away and destroy their communities.
police were apparently getting itchy about an overrun of the agreed protest time, and organisers felt it necessary to cut short many more of the planned speakers, finishing with a performance from the bp-or-not-bp.org 'reclaim shakespeare company'.
Combat Workfare Tour of Shame - Liverpool City Centre - Sat, 8th September 2012
30-07-2012 22:30
Nottm Art Show attacks corporate Olympics
30-07-2012 14:55
An online art exhibition by Lord Biro leader of the Bus Pass Elvis Party. Some of the artwork and poetry from this exhibition will on show in the windows of No 2 West End Arcade until 16 August.
TEDDY BEARS PICNIC BANNED FROM McLYMPICS
Open Our Towpath road bike ride
30-07-2012 14:55
The Lea towpath from Homerton to Bow has been closed from July 3rd until September 10th as a so-called “security” measure for the Olympics. LOCOC have put some diversion signs to guide cyclists along an alternative route.
About twenty people set off on Sunday to follow this route, highlightning how dangerous it is. The police diverted this ride to a safer route, but every day cyclists do not have this privilege.
About twenty people set off at 1.30 from the blocked tow path, under the A12, and on to the route signposted by LOGOC, accompanied by six police on bikes and a van. Experienced cyclists were not surprised at the missed posts. The ride could roughly follow the route thanks to the map of the new route that one of them had managed to get hold of, stopping at every turn.
At the end of Addington Road and turning left on to Bow Road, the suggested route by LOGOC is so dangerous for cyclists, the riders decided to follow an alternative route themselves and the police took on stopping the traffic and redirecting the group to ensure their safety.
The police decided to leave the group on Abbey Lane Cycle parking facilities. The ride went back to the starting point, this time trying to follow the suggested route as a lone rider would do without police presence, and ended up at the A12 end of the tow path closure for a group photo, though with a much smaller group than when it had started.
The EDL's Latest Fear: Communistic Ray Guns
30-07-2012 13:57
Meet the brand new anti-fascist weapon that is far more effective at stopping EDLers sleep at night than a family-size nosebag of cocaine.....
Calais Olympics: the other side of the medals
30-07-2012 12:23
See: Olympic Cleansing in Calais
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2012/07/498264.html Counter-olympic demo: games without borders
https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2012/07/498420.html More Olympic Evictions in Calais
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2012/07/498266.html
Counter-olympic demo: games without borders
30-07-2012 11:29
