At the end of 2005, it appeared that the government's brutal programme of
dawn raids against asylum-seeker had been halted in Glasgow. When the
abductions became widely known there was public outrage. A campaign of
demonstrations, lobbying of the parliament in Edinburgh, vigils at Brand
Street Immigration Enforcement Unit and direct action against the snatch
squads seemed to have put a stop to the dawn raids. Less that two weeks ago
Jack McConnell claimed in the Sunday Observer to have secured changes to
the way in which the Home Office would carry out 'dawn raids' in Scotland
but without giving any details.

Last week, another family was woken before dawn, dragged from their home
and taken to imprisonment at Dungavel detention centre. The victims were
the Akyol family, of Kurdish origin, who have lived in Glasgow for five years.

On Wednesday morning (8th Feb), Lutfu and Gultan Akyol and their two
children, Erem, 10, and Eren, 6, were taken from their flat just after 6
a.m. when Home Office officials battered their door in.

The family is Kurdish and both parents have already been imprisoned in
Turkey for opposing the government's treatment of Kurds. The family has
been here for nearly five years.

Following this resumption of dawn raids against families, more protests are
being planned.

For more see www.openborders.org.uk

==============================

A community radio station - "209 Radio" - in cambridge is in the middle of
a ten day long FM broadcast under a short-term Restricted Licence.

The station has been broadcasting over the internet since March 2003,
building up its output - a range of specialist music programs with
community and arts programmes increasingly being added.

They're currently hoping to hear soon about the results of their
application for a long term FM community radio license.

In the meantime, and until sunday, you can listen to them in cambridge on
103.5 fm - with a mix of music, local and global issues, and specials on
socially responsible technology as well as travellers issues.

check them out on the web at: 209radio.co.uk

============================

In Birmingham last weekend a local "Food Not bombs" group held another
successful event in the centre of town.

Serving up free food, along woth advice for the homeless and accompanied to
the sounds of several local musicians they had a good response from the public.

Food not Bombs has a big tradition in the US but only a few groups in the
UK - for more info see: www.foodnotbombs.net

============================

Next up we play the audio from a short flash animation which targets Exxon
Mobil the oil multinational - to see the animation and find out more see:
www.exxposeexxon.com

PLAY >> EXXON_AUDIO 1 min
 https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/media/2006/02//333675.mp3

============================

Campaigners last week welcomed the Church of England’s overwhelming vote in
favour of divesting its £2.2 million shares from bulldozer manufacturer
Caterpillar.

Caterpillar has been singled out by the United Nations for complicity in
human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Thousands of
Palestinian homes and vast swathes of agricultural land have been destroyed
by the Israeli military using armoured Caterpillar D9 bulldozers.

The investment pull out sent a clear message to Caterpillar that profiting
from human rights violations is not compatible with socially responsible
business practice.

-------

Meanwhile in Oxford around 80 students held a demonstration after the
University Council cancelled an agenda item which was due to consider
removing £2bn of university investments from the Arms Trade. Oxford
students have been campaigning for years for the university to pull its
arms trade investments and thousands have signed petitions. They intend to
keep up the campaign.

============================

Staying in Oxford...

Last week police declared chanting on megaphones to be illegal at a regular
protest against the building of a new animal laboratory. They also said the
use of whistles would be taken to be illegal as well, and later arrested
two people for chanting through a megaphone.

This is despite a High Court Injunction taken out by Oxford University
against the protesters which specifically does allow the use of megaphones
in the designated protest area opposite the laboratory.

Given that previous arrests for simply using megaphones have led to all
charges being dropped, the campaigners expect little further action to be
taken but they say this is just another example of the ongoing harassment
they experience from the police and the arbritary way the authorities try
to stiffle protest.

============================

A new film has just been released that looks at the struggles around the
Stonehenge Free Festival during 1985 and 1986.

Made by Martin Parry and called "Outsiders: The Peace Convoy", it's an
early example of 'embedded journalism' - before the term was in vogue, the
filmmaker travels with and uncovers the values and motivations of a group
of travellers who originated in the 'Peace camps' of the 1980's, including
Molesworth and Greenham Common.

The film also raises broader questions concerning society's commitment to
principles of freedom and diversity, and our treatment of dissident and
minority groups.

The film includes sequences shot from inside the convoy, police roadblocks,
and the infamous 'Battle of the Beanfield', as well as statements from the
police and National Trust, residents in the Stonehenge area and key figures
in the free festival movement.

You can find out more or order a copy at www.cultureshop.org

============================

Last week we mentioned that the research group Corporate Watch had a new
report out about ID cards... we forgot to say that that's just one part of
their latest set of articles and reports....

Their latest issue also features news and analysis on government housing
policy - Neo-Cromwellians - private companies and the NHS - local planning
issues and the supermarkets - and much much more

we really recommend it - check out www.corporatewatch.org.uk

============================

And finally....

Ever get annoyed when stuck in an automated phone system, with a
disembodied voice telling you press 1 for this and 2 for that...

Well "GetHuman" are trying to build up a database of cheats or shortcuts
that get you through to a real live human being to talk to as quickly as
possible...

It's already huge in the US, and the UK section now has around 20 shortcuts listed - for more see

gethuman.com/uk