UK UK Newswire Archive
EDL Die In Walsall!
30-09-2012 13:57
The English Defence League held a poorly attended demo at the weekend in Walsall, were outnumbered by anti-fascists and subject to the virulent attentions of West Midland Plod. For those who can’t be bothered here is a summary from an EDL members’ point of view: ‘got up, got pissed, got to Walsall, got mouthy, got battered, got to grow up.’ The deluded fuck-bugles really thought that they would fare better than previous visits to the Midlands and were yet again proved wrong!Who stopped police helicopter from pursuing Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik?
29-09-2012 20:08
Oslo Police Department's Operation Leader Britt Børve, Britt Borve - it appears blocked the anti-terror DELTA force pursuit of pro-Zionist, anti-Muslim 'crusader' terrorist Anders Breivik. Her identity has been hidden from press and public, only her initials were revealed, but looks likely according to those in the know that it was indeed her that twice blocked requests for the helicopter.
Workfare walk of shame in Nottingham
29-09-2012 18:55
Today a group of anti-workfare activists took to the streets of Nottingham to picket some of the corporate workfare profiteers and to highlight why workfare is such a dangerous idea. We visited Burton, Barnardo's, Primark, Greggs and Superdrug before we got through all of our leaflets and decided to call it a day. On the whole, the public responded positively to our message including several who agreed to boycott particular shops as a result of getting a flyer.
Workfare is the name given to various government programmes that force benefit claimants to work full-time jobs just to get their dole money. Various companies have signed up to get this very attractive (for them) workers that don't have to be paid. It is obviously bad for the unemployed because they are being exploited and don't get any reward, but it is also bad for paid workers who might be replaced by free labour from the Job Centre.
We met at the left lion in Market Square and were sent off with an anti-workfare speech from a local anti-austerity campaigner who had a stall. Despite the somewhat pro-state slant of his words, it was good to receive some solidarity.
We were well equipped with a sound system in a pushchair pumping out revolutionary hip hop and our "Workfare ain't fair" banner as well as a stack of fliers. We walked and wheeled across the square to our first stop, Burtons. Burtons is part of notorious tax dodger Philip Green's Arcadia group, which has a policy of using workfare. The Burtons management immediately threw a massive tantrum, shutting up all but one of the doors to the shop and then standing in the remaining one snarling at us and chuntering on about how they had nothing to do with workfare and spent their whole days helping the sick and needy by giving them free suits, etc. All they managed to do was make their shop very unwelcoming for the time that we were there.
Next stop was the Barnardo's charity shop a few doors up. Barnardo's is one of many high street charities which is supplementing their volunteers with forced labour from the Job Centre. The workers were, perhaps unsurprisingly, much more sympathetic to and interested in our protest and read our leaflets. Some PCSOs came along to ask whether we were a peaceful protest and what time we were leaving so they could "update the control centre". When they went in to let the staff know we weren't dangerous psychopaths, we slipped off to Primark.
Primark was a bit mental. There were just too many people rushing in and out of those doors. We didn't stay long.
Next stop was Greggs on Clumber Street. There was more space to stop and have decent interactions with people and people had time to read our leaflets in the queue. One man went in taking a leaflet and then emerged a few minutes later without having bought anything thanking us all for letting him know about Greggs' exploitative practices. Another man took a leaflet and said "I won't be buying anything in there then" and a group of kids in hoodies tutted a bit and then were overheard saying they wouldn't be going in again.
For our last stop we moved over to Superdrug on the other side of the road and gave out the last of our leaflets. One man stopped to have a conversation with me about how he'd seen this coming with the New Deal and previous government attacks on the unemployed and how his son was involved in anti-workfare campaigning in Plymouth. "Why aren't there more of you?" he asked.
We will back and we hope that next time more people will join us. There are plenty of shops on our list that we didn't get to visit today, including Wilkinsons, Argos, Poundland, Miss Selfridge and Tescos. We know that anti-workfare campaigning is working: earlier in the year Holland & Barrett pulled out of workfare after sustained, nationnwide pickets of its stores. We just need to keep up the pressure.
British Foreign Influence: Learning From Cyprus
29-09-2012 17:23
Information about the invasion and subsequent occupation of Northern Cyprus and the UK involvement in it.The Film 'Four Horsemen' & ARK (Absolute Return for Kids)
29-09-2012 17:09
3 Oct: Film screening of 'The Island President' in Rhos, Wrexham
29-09-2012 16:32
Wednesday 3 October.
10am for schools (but may admit public - call to check)
7pm public screening
Adults £2, children free.
Direct action against EDL coach company
29-09-2012 16:16
Last night we took action against G H Watts coach company at their depot on Foxholes Road, Braunstone, Leicester. Their gates were D locked shut in a number of places and their locks were glued. We did this because G H Watts have consistently supported the EDL over the past few years (1).Report from 27 Sep Veterans for Peace Drones protest at General Atomics
29-09-2012 16:15
Report from Veterans for Peace UK on last Thursday's Drones protest at General Atomics in London. A protest was held the same day by US Veterans for Peace at General Atomics, San Diego.Background info:
https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2012/09/500539.html
Oxford Indymedia Film Nights back with "Gasland"
29-09-2012 15:33
Sussex police Liaison Officers, Explain Unannounced Visits
29-09-2012 14:35
Bristol Indymedia Presents: The Island President
29-09-2012 12:55
The Island President tells the story of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced—the literal survival of his country and everyone in it.
Cube Microplex, Dove Street South, Bristol BS2 8JD
(Mon 1 Oct / 8pm / £4/3 but no one refused entry for lack of funds)
The Island President tells the story of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced—the literal survival of his country and everyone in it. After bringing democracy to the Maldives after thirty years of despotic rule, Nasheed is now faced with an even greater challenge: as one of the most low-lying countries in the world, a rise of three feet in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives enough to make them uninhabitable.
October 13th Brighton: Squat the Lot!
29-09-2012 11:52
Census resistance update: including court dates
29-09-2012 11:48
18 months after the 2011 Census, court cases are dragging on against a tiny proportion of those who resisted the Census on anti-war and privacy grounds, mainly but not entirely because of Census data processing contracts with Lockheed Martin (England and Wales) and CACI (Scotland). For background and other reports on this, see the Indymedia census topic, Count Me Out and Ethical Census.
#29S London Solidarity Spanish Embassy 6pm
29-09-2012 10:55
Gather with us around the Spanish Embassy (SW1X 8SB) at 6pm to show solidartiy to the people surrounding the Congress in Madrid.
As the protests spread to other countries and cities, join us in london
https://www.facebook.com/events/331009573661835/
http://www.15mlondon.org
ALSO Portugal Solidarity #29s
3pm: 3, Portland Place W1B 1HR
In Front of the Portuguese Consulate in London: Protest Against Portuguese Government + European Troika's Totally Insane "Austerity Measures" :: In Solidarity With the Portuguese People & Other Southern European Peoples And Their Senseless Suffering Being Caused by the Implementation of Ultra-Liberal Policies and Ultra-Liberal Ideological Experiments
New fund supporting systemic change and social justice
28-09-2012 17:55
Edge Fund supports communities, campaign groups and activists organising for social, economic and environmental justice and is run by a membership of donors, activist and communities facing injustice.War declared on badgers by DEFRA in Gloucestershire, action points/wish list
28-09-2012 15:34
Heygate Cinema Celebrates Opening Night
28-09-2012 14:55
Around 50 people attended the opening night of the Heygate cinema last Saturday. The event was hosted by the (provisional) Heygate Residents Association which screened the film ‘Doreen’ made by film-makers David Reeve & Patrick Steel. In the film, Doreen Gee - former Chair of the Tenants & Residents Association - reminisces about the culture of the estate and what went wrong with the regeneration.
Heygate Estate background info | Better Elephant | Campaign for a sustainable community at the E&C | Southwark Notes
The evening was curated by Jerry Flynn, former estate resident and local campaigner. Doreen and both of the film-makers attended the event, which was followed by an animated discussion around the regeneration and wider housing issues. The audience included a number of former Heygate residents and residents from the neighbouring Aylesbury estate, who were treated to a bowl of hot soup and refreshments following the lively discussion.
The film was accompanied by a number of newsclips about the estate (see below) and an excerpt from the film-makers’ new feature-length documentary about the regeneration of the estate (Larry & Janet):
Badger Cull Campaigners to Target Conservative Party Conference
28-09-2012 14:46
For immediate release: 28/9/2012Badger Cull Campaigners to Target Conservative Party Conference
Photo opportunity: Anti badger cull protest outside the conservative party conference, Sunday 7th October at 12 noon, Outside the International Convention Centre, Birmingham
SchNEWS: Badgers - a black and white issue
28-09-2012 14:13
