UK UK Newswire Archive
Switzerland: Repression of intersquat festival
12-08-2012 03:44
A very rough English translation ofSuisse: La police pète les plombs… festival intersquat repoussé
http://fr.squat.net/2012/07/31/suisse-la-police-pete-les-plombs-festival-intersquat-repousse/ Taken from
http://en.squat.net/2012/08/12/switzerland-repression-of-intersquat-festival/
Solidarity with Japanese anti-nuclear protests
11-08-2012 12:55
Sixteen anti-nuclear protesters - half of them Japanese - gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Piccadilly, London on Friday morning (10 August), for the second week running, in a demonstration organised by London-based group Kick Nuclear. This was in solidarity with weekly demonstrations taking place outside the Prime Minister's offices in Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan against the restarting of nuclear reactors as the Fukushima crisis continues. The weekly numbers taking part in those protests have now swelled to well over 70,000.
All images are Copyright (c) 2012 Kick Nuclear, but may be reproduced free of charge for non-commercial use if credited. For larger, high resolution versions, please e-mail. More photos
See also:
film of anti-nuke protest at japan embassy - by Rikki
Upcoming actions and events:
- Friday 17 August, 9.30-11.30am - Anti-nuclear solidarity protest at Embassy of Japan, 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1:
- 23 August - 1 September - Buddhist-led peace walk towards a nuclear-free future, Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment, Berkshire to Hinkley Point nuclear power station, Somerset.
- Tuesday 28 August, 7.30-9.30pm - Kick Nuclear open night
- with guest speaker from Indian anti-nuclear movement
Venue: London Action Resource Centre (LARC) - (ground floor)
62 Fieldgate Street, (corner of Parfett Street), Whitechapel, London E1 1ES
Nearest Stations:- Whitechapel / Aldgate East / Aldgate / Shadwell: Map
This event is open to new folks and old hands alike to come and discuss the latest from the murky world of nuclear energy and nuclear new build, share news about protests and actions that have been taking place in the UK and elsewhere, and plot how we can put a few spanners in the works.
Come and join us!
- Tuesday 25 September - Benefit gig: David Rovics - Songs of Social Significance, with support from The Noo and Mr Creedy - presented by Kick Nuclear and friends
Doors 7pm
Tickets: £5 on the door
Venue: London Action Resource Centre (LARC) - (ground floor)
62 Fieldgate Street, (corner of Parfett Street), Whitechapel, London E1 1ES
Nearest Stations:- Whitechapel / Aldgate East / Aldgate / Shadwell
Map: http://tinyurl.com/czzkpdg
(Listen to and download David Rovics songs for free at http://www.davidrovics.com )
- Stop New Nuclear camp and mass action against nuclear new build at Hinkley Point, Somerset, 5-8 October 2012.
A real Big Society: South Bristol's practical example of sustainable development
11-08-2012 12:16
At five: discussing the big stories in Bristol, Britain and around the world
After six: straight talking and investigative reports with Martin Summers and Marina Morris
For all the shows back to Easter 2009 visit the Friday Drivetime archive page.
Far right stoke community resentments in Leicester
11-08-2012 10:55
Over the past few weeks, tensions have been building on the Thurnby Lodge estate in Leicester, over plans to convert a disused scout hut into a Muslim community centre. Residents unhappy with the local government decision to lease to the As Salaam charity have staged nightly protests against the group's meetings drawing as many as 250 people. When community tension is high, the parasites of the far right are never far away and the BNP, EDL and Casuals United have all been along to stir things up. Yesterday the BNP even parachuted Nick Griffin in to give a speech.
The Leicester Mercury reports that police have been stationed in the area over the past week after demonstrations of as many as 150 people against the As-Salaam Trust’s plans to convert a disused Scout hut into a community centre for local Muslims.
Some demonstrators say they want the Scout hut turned into a resource for the whole community and others have voiced support for a local boxing club to take on the lease instead. However, Leicester City Council has said that when the Scouts gave up their lease of the hut last year, 100 community groups looking for premises were contacted of which As-Salaam was the only one that could meet the criteria agreed with the Scout Association.
The demonstrations, which Leicestershire BNP involved themselves in, have focused on the Muslim group’s meetings at the existing community centre. The BNP said that “When the Muslims finally left the Centre they were met with jeers and told that they were not welcome.” Of course, the BNP have written this up in a way that supports their own agenda of promoting a clash between white and other communities. However, it would be very worrying if the protests are taking on a communal and islamophobic nature.
It seems that the tragedy here is that, thanks to the capitalist system of landlordism and rent extraction combined with the patronage politics of local authorities, suitable venues for community activities are unavailable to the working class people in the area. Only groups with the funds and organisation to jump through the council’s hoops end up getting a look in. We need communities where everyone can share resources and find a place, not ones where the poor are locked out and some ethnic and religious minorities are blamed for the scarcity that is an inevitable result of capitalist economics.
Anti-fascists need to make sure that far right groups do not get a boost as a result of these protests. Residents of Thurnby Lodge have a right to shared community resources and a say in how their community is run rather than being dictated to by Leicester City Council. Any attempts by the far right to turn this into a racial or religious matter need to be firmly resisted. We need to get an anti-fascist presence in the estate, to talk to people about what manipulations the fascists are involved in as well as showing that we genuinely support the right to community self-organisation but not the division of communities along cultural and religious lines.
Child Chess Player for England Attacked at EU Championship
10-08-2012 22:43
http://mswithacause.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/child-chess-player-for-england-is.html
Beware of Home Care
10-08-2012 16:57
Increasingly we're being told that sick & vulnerable people would be better off in the community that in institutions. What has happened to the mentally ill shows that this is probably untrue.Nuclear energy set to kill off renewables sector
10-08-2012 16:05
Anti-nuclear activists are calling for mass protests against the government's bid to introduce backdoor subsidies for its 'nuclear renaissance' in the forthcoming Energy Bill - a move that could starve the renewables sector of vital investment.Bradley Manning and Julian Assange: new flyer design
10-08-2012 06:16
We've had some printed up as double-sided postcards and the first of them were distributed around Liverpool yesterday.
Nagasaki anniversary, Census resistance and Lockheed Martin
09-08-2012 17:29
The cases of two census resisters opposed to arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin's census involvement continued today in Liverpool with another pretrial hearing at Dale Street Magistrates Court. The hearing coincided with the 67th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in which the company now known as Lockheed Martin made the planes that dropped the bombs.
UAVs do enable 'extra judicial asssassination' admits arms industry editor
09-08-2012 11:51
Darren Lake, Acting Editor of UNMANNED Vehicles, an arms trade magazine for for the drone industry makes some suprizingly candid admissions in his August/September 2012 issue editorial...The Telegraph: A Publicist for Circle Health
09-08-2012 09:14
If we are to believe the content of the Daily Telegraph’s recent editorial, titled ‘Hope for the NHS’*, then we can all breathe a sigh of relief, pack up your placards, the NHS it would appear, is saved. At least that’s the message being propagated in an extraordinary campaign being run by a so-called ‘quality paper’ on behalf of Circle Health.Mid-month critical mass in solidarity with those arrested
09-08-2012 08:42
There will be a mid month critical mass in solidarity with those arrested at the critical mass two weeks ago. Meet up under Waterloo Bridge at 6pm on Friday the 10th of August for a 7pm start.Sumac Garden Project, looking verdant
09-08-2012 00:55
Folks have been beavering away in the Sumac Yard Garden. Watching your garden grow.
In spite of the rather average sumer .... the yard now looks particularly green and generally even more verdant than when I photographer everything back in May. Well, that nature for you, innit!
Volunteers have obviously put in the hours here. The objective, not just to grow food for the Sumac itself ..... but also to provide a positive example on what can be achieved in quite modest urban surroundings.
Earlier examples at:
2009 Sumac Garden Project, looking verdant [Food for the Future]
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/05/430465.html
2009 Sumac Garden Project looking verdant 2
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/09/438647.html
Sumac Centre http://www.veggies.org.uk/sumac
Veggies http://www.veggies.org.uk
Ecoworks http://www.ecoworks.org.uk
St.Anns Allotments http://www.staa-allotments.org.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>
Remembering Hiroshima, Bradley Manning and all victims of war
08-08-2012 18:53
Panton House 16 Anti-Protest Trial: Total Victory!
08-08-2012 16:55
Dateline: Court One, Westminster Magistrates Court, London, UK, 11:45 Wed 08 Aug 2012 – In a political trial targeting public protest, all sixteen defendants arrested during in an OccupyLSX banner drop at Panton House on Wed 30 Nov 2011 were today ACQUITTED OF ALL THE CHARGES laid against them by the Crown Prosecution Service. After five days in court, a shed load of jubilant innocent people celebrated outside the doors of Westminster Magistrates Court, and afterwards with booze in a local hostelry. The criminal charges brought against them under section 5 of the Public Order Act in an anti-public-protest political trial failed to be proved to the satisfaction of District Judge Elizabeth Roscoe, sitting alone on the bench of Court One.
There's more to follow, but I wanted to get the Great News of this Victory For The Right To Protest out into the public domain while it's Fresh-&-Tasty. Many congratulations to the Panton House 16 on their total victory in court today, and many thanks to their defence team of barristers and solicitors, who succeeded brilliantly in demonstrating the fatal weaknesses in Crown's case against these valiant victors for freedom.
Up the Revolution,
Tim Dalinian Jones
Footnotes
All these photos are 'CopyLeft'
This means you are free to copy and distribute any of my photos you find here, under the following license:
• Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License
» http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
» Accreditation: tim.dalinian.jones@gmail.com
Acquiring These Photos
The pix above are auto-downsized versions for onscreen webpage display. If you would like the free, edited, full-sized versions (up to 3072x2304px, 7.1Mpx, typically c. 3 MB) just click on an image: bingo! You can also right-click on an image and choose ‘Open Link in New Tab' (or similar) to open a full-sized version alongside the report webpage. If you'd like to take a copy of the full-sized image version, right-click on it and choose ‘Save Image As...' (or similar). Share and Enjoy!
The Story Of A Life Paralysed In An Endless Limbo
08-08-2012 16:55
Ibrhaim an asylum seeker from Algeria currently in Bristol, is one of the many individuals suffering because of the inhumane and ineffective asylum policies enacted within the UK and supported by the right-wing press
Ibrahim from Algeria has been seeking asylum in Britain since 2005. He was educated to university level in Algeria without a leader, when both the Algerian National Army and armed Islamic militias began to take part in violence and human rights abuses directed at the Algerian civilian population, Ibrahim fled the army in protest and went into hiding in the mountains. After writing a book in exile, he was accused of being anti-islamic by mkilitants and fled to England where he sought asylum
He has spent years waiting for repeated negative decision from the authorities, moving from house to house, surviving on next to nothing: not being legally allowed to work, and denied access to benefits and education. Finally he decided to apply to voluntarily return to Algeria, despite the obvious danger, but this also was refused on the grounds that they could not obtain a travel document for him (these are issued by the Algerian Embassy who normally refuse to issue them). So, here he is – in an endless limbo; a horrific and dehumanizing no man’s land with no options left.
Ibrahim has finally and bravely decided to sleep out on College Green, in front of Bristol City Council, he has been sleeping there every single night since the 1st of July to tell his story openly, without fear or shame, to put it into the hands of the authorities and the British Public, hoping through this peaceful and poignant protest that the long years of waiting and suffering may finally be resolved.
If you wish to support him, there is a petition that you could sign at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-the-destitution-of-asylum-seekers.html in support for Ibrahim and for the many other destitute asylum seekers living in limbo, who experience absolute and severe poverty, who have no money and accommodation or the right to work and support themselves. In supporting the motion, it is believed that the Council can send a strong message to the UK Government that its inhumane and ineffective policy of forcing people who have been refused asylum into abject poverty onto the streets of our city is unacceptable to the people of Bristol.
When a new president came into power in 1999, he felt safe enough to return to Algiers where he dedicated himself to writing a book entitled ‘Democracy in the Arab and Islamic World’. This book eloquently expresses his opinions on the ‘fierce conflict’ between democracy and Islam and shows a strongly held intellectual skepticism over the contemporary application of Islamic ‘Sharia’ law in Algeria. It was published in Paris in 2009.
The writing and publishing of his work caught the eye of hard-line Islamic militants. They accused him of being anti-Islamic, and started a hate campaign against him – they preached against him in the mosques, he received death threats and people beat and insulted him in the streets. They broke into his house, smashing down the door and tore up the manuscript oh his book and his other writings. At this point Ibrahim realized he had to flee the country or he could very soon lose his life.
UK Coal plc Selling Off Prospective Opencast Sites?
08-08-2012 15:24
The latest July review of prospective opencast sites, mainly in England provides evidence that such is the financial plight of UK Coal that it is actively seeking to sell sites it is trying to gain planing permission for.Strikes, Nukes & Overdue Subscription Fees
08-08-2012 12:55
On Saturday 28th July, we held an event at the Nottingham Mechanics, showcasing aspects of our work at the Sparrows' Nest by introducing two of our archival collections. Two members of the Solidarity Federation came to Nottingham and held great introductory talks, e.g. about the ideas and strategies of syndicalism (thanks again!).
About a dozen people attended and many thanks to all who came!
Our talk focussed on the wonderful records in "Ron's Collection" (named after the person who rescued and donated the documents), one of the many different archival collections held at the Sparrow's Nest.
Ron's Collection primarily contains internal documents such as letters or conference materials, recording activities of the Anarchist Federation of Britain (AFB), which subsequently became the Syndicalist Workers Federation (SWF). This collection has recently been crucially supplemented when the Solidarity Federation entrusted us with another sizeable archival collection, containing among many other materials numerous newspapers and pamphlets which tie in with Ron's Collection.
Together these collections provide researchers with fascinating opportunities as they contain many unique records documenting the activities of syndicalists and other radicals from Britain and around the world.
There are many reasons why we think these collections are so cool and important: For example they contain sources covering the period 1944-64. Whereas much has been written and talked about events during the years of Spanish Revolution as well during the iconic summer of 1968, it seems that the years in between have largely been overlooked. These documents can be used to re-examine what was a fascinating period. Furthermore the stuff offers information not only about a bunch of syndicalist in Britain but there is correspondence from and to people in 25 countries, referring to a total of 195 groups, parties, splinter groups etc.
Many of the documents are letters by people who subscribed to papers such as World Labour News. Usually they say why they were late with paying their subs before giving some info what they have been up to/what happened in their area. Therefore the docs are marvellous sources containing information on groups and their activities (e.g. involvement in strikes - both wildcat and "official" and anti-fascist work - for instance against Franco's regime), on individuals, their thoughts, actions, motivations, living and working conditions etc. and of course a libertarian perspective on events of the day (e.g. Cold War and arms race, Cuba, Hungary, introduction of welfare systems etc.).
There are 1.164 processed documents in Ron's Collection. In this case processing meant taking heaps of papers stored in carrier bags and old cardboard folders, smoothing them carefully, getting rid of any bits of cellar tape and nasty bits of rusting metal. The documents were then scanned, catalogued and sorted and are now stored in acid free archival boxes.
Both the catalogued information as well as the scanned materials will hopefully be online very soon, as soon as we can deal with some technical issues with our current server.
The records reveal thoughts and actions of many extraordinary people who deserve to be remembered and whose lives and struggles are highly relevant as they often mirror conflicts and problems we still face today.
The documents exemplify what treasures can be hidden in old boxes on attics and we appeal to you not to chuck anything of that kind away, not least before dropping us a mail that is. There is only a few of us and we have little resources and time, but all of us are dedicated this project and will try our utmost to preserve materials for the future and make them accessible to interested users.
We are always happy about (and in dire need of!) any kind of support and of course hope to see you at the Nest very soon!
Regular opening times are every Monday 11.15am - 2.30pm (or get in touch for alternative arrangements).
Come, browse and research in our archival collections and our library. Aside from books, pamphlets and papers on anarchist theory and action we hold numerous archival collection recording struggles in Nottingham, Britain and around the world.
Please see the pdfs below for some examples of the materials, information on the collection and the database etc.
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Banner drop and police attack against activists in Calais
08-08-2012 12:42
There were 5 arrests and one injury