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The Bath Bomb
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Issue #4
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Nov/Dec ‘07

Blood For Oil at RBS

The Royal Bank of Scotland has long been making dividends from climate
change, funding oil and gas and aviation expansion. From the North
Sea to the Middle East, the Niger Delta to the Arctic, their cynical
pursuit of profit over life leads to mass pollution, eviction of indigenous
peoples, and war. But on the 15th of October, it was payback time!
Spanning the breadth of the UK, RBS were hit by simultaneous
protests at 32 different sites, employing a multitude of tactics, from
cabaret dance routine, banner drops, and obscurer still! In Bristol, 5
refugee polar bears blocked the RBS HQ car park, locked on through
disguised concrete arm tubes, which baffled the plod for around 6 hours; in
Bath, customers were invited to ‘open an oil rig today’ by mock staff,
and learnt the terms and conditions of environmental catastrophe.

The tangled web of RBS’ influence spans near and far: the RBS-funded
LNG gas pipeline, currently cutting through mid-Wales, has just claimed
its first human life, with the death of a sub-contractor in
Pembrokeshire on the 6th of October, from shoddy health & safety. But all is not
lost, and the local resistance to global ecocide is growing: at the
BRLSI on the 13th of this month, Green Light on Bath will be presenting
the debate ‘Peak Oil – How to Face the Challenge of Global Oil Decline’,
which begins at 7.30pm. Or, if that all sounds a bit dry, then why not
come along to the Porter Butt on the 24th, for an all-day Climate Camp
benefit gig? As for the RBS campaign – this is just the beginning.
Also, keep an eye out for the ‘Party for the Planet’ in Bath, on the 1st
December!

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/383812.html
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7032467.stm


Independence? Council says it costs too much

Leave the house and go into town? Simple, eh? Well, maybe not if
you have a disability. Cruising along in his power chair, a local man
finds his route into town fraught with difficulties. Broken glass,
non-dropped curbs that at best jolt his body as he bumps down them and at
worst, on the way back up, means he has to drive on a busy main road or
be rescued by a helpful driver stuck halfway up the curb. Not to
mention the crumbling wall that has been cordoned off for so long now it’s
become part of the scenery, leaving barely enough room to get by.
Easy enough, you think, just let the council know and they’ll sort it
out. Well, no actually, having emailed recently, the response was
something along the lines of, well, we’ll add it to the list, but there’s
lots of requests and we haven’t got much money so, basically, don’t
hold your breath. Now we’re talking about a main, well-used road here,
one that should surely already be accessible what with Prior Park tourist
attraction on it and a school. And who knows how many other people
with disabilities have similar problems? What council squanders its
money on new developments among other things (which incidentally are being
dubbed as more disabled friendly – what’s the point if you can’t get
to it?) but cannot look after the wellbeing of its own citizens? After
all, this isn’t the first time council red tape has got in the way of
ease of living and accessibility to things many people take for
granted. Only a couple of years ago the man in question was denied a disabled
parking space outside his house because having one would ‘disrupt the
residents’. Wasn’t he a resident? This basically meant there was no
point in him driving anymore, causing a loss of independence and a need
for expensive, unreliable taxis.
And a mystery to solve for any budding detectives out there – was the
Royal Crescent hotel being given priority to parking spaces, meant for
residents, around St James Square (as cars were frequently seen being
parked there by hotel staff)? Make your own conclusions.



Bodge the Badger Cull!

The government have just approved a new wave of badger culls across the
Southwest, and land around Bath will be included. Badgers are blamed
by farmers for the spread of Bovine TB, although most evidence points
towards the disease being spread by the inhumane and cramped conditions
in which many farmers keep their cattle. During the last cull, upwards
of 11,000 badgers were gassed, shot and clubbed. However, the cull
was eventually ended, made unworkable by the actions of compassionate
saboteurs. Before being killed, the badgers are trapped in badger-sized mesh
cages which you will soon be able to find scattered around our
countryside. Reliable sources inform us that these traps cannot stand up to a
sturdy pair of bolt cutters, and can be trashed in many ways using just
our hands, feet and a little bit of determination! So if you want to
help preserve a beautiful example of our dwindling wildlife, keep your
eyes peeled next time you go for a country stroll! (Bath Bomb in no way
endorses illegal activities blah blah blah).


 http://www.badger.org.uk/Content/Home.asp


Events

Every Monday Bath Hunt Saboteurs meeting—back room of the Bell, 8pm
1st-11th Nov Bath Film Festival www.bathfilmfestival.org
7th Nov Bath Animal Action meeting—back room of the Bell, 7.30-8.30pm
10th Nov SHAC demo—Huntingdon, www.veggieromance.com/f/61290
10th Nov Bath FreeShop 12-3pm, Stall Street
16th Nov Leftism, 9-1am, Crown on Bathwick Street, benefiting Bath Hunt
Sabs
18th Nov Bubbling Under, 1-4pm, Porter Cellar
24th Nov Climate Camp benefit gig, Porter Butt, 5-11pm
26th Nov Anti BNP demo at Oxford College
1st Dec for the Planet, Bath centre,  bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk
6th Dec Bath Activist Network meeting—downstairs Hobgoblin, 7.30-9pm
8th Dec National Climate Change march, London
 http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org/

Alternative shopping, Bath-stylee

A recent Guardian newspaper expose highlighted the all too familiar
message that garment workers overseas are not receiving a living wage. The
article cited the usual suspects from our high streets, who
continually fail to ensure that those who produce their goods are paid a decent
wage. Perhaps more alarming is the fact that the token initiatives they
supposedly aim for, don’t even come close to being a viable solution
anyway. No doubt that Bath's forthcoming shopping developments will
house some of the repeat offenders.
So, what can we as consumers do? We wouldn't watch a poverty-stricken
woman make a garment for us then pay her a pittance that would mean that
she and her family would go hungry, would we? Certainly, not all
garments in high street stores are produced this way, but why take the risk?
Ultimately, reducing our reliance on these stores is the answer and,
here in Bath, that's really not too hard.
Moorland Road in Oldfield Park plays host to some of the most
impressive charity shops selling, for the most part, the cast-offs of Bath's
chic student population. It's fair to say that these garments may not have
been ethically sourced in the first place, but at least you're
supporting a good cause by buying them, and recycling at the same time.
Not enough time to trawl through charity shops? Then online shopping is
also a good solution. Generally, fairtrade online retailers such as
the Natural Collection, People Tree and Natural Store are more pricey
than many high street stores, but, for a clear conscience and garments
that will last for ages, an extra £10 is surely worth it.
Lastly, don't forget to visit Bath's very own FreeShop which celebrates
its second birthday soon. Come and join in the celebrations by picking
up donated clothes, amongst other weird and wonderful things. And, if
you're having a clear out, remember that the FreeShop's always in need
of donations and is run on the second Saturday of every month opposite
Holland and Barrett in Bath city centre.



Cadbury’s Fall Short on Pole Vault

Looks like the greedy bastards running the Cadbury’s factory in
Keynsham’s sweet tooth for exploitation has left them with a bitter taste in
the mouth. The factory is due to be shut down and relocated to Poland,
where the bosses can pay lower wages, and not bother with such
trivialities as workers’ rights and safety maintenance. But in an impressive
show of unity, Polish workers from the famous union 'Solidarity' have said
they are going to try and prevent Cadbury’s shutting their Keynsham
plant and setting up in Poland. A spokesperson for the Polish union
said “We support the campaign against Cadbury’s taking part in a race to the
bottom for cheap labour. We are not happy to take work from the UK and
we send our best wishes."
This show of solidarity has once again illustrated that our enemies are
not the working class of different nations, but the bosses from all
nations. We should not divide ourselves by race, gender or nationality,
but by class. It is the few that get fat by taking food from the tables
of the many that are the real enemy and together, we have the power to
stop them. Good luck to English and Polish workers struggling against
this corrupt corporation.

 http://www.thisisbath.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=163061&command=displayContent&sourceNode=163044&contentPK=18766412&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

Nazi Nick due to dribble over Mic in Oxford

Fresh from humiliating beat-downs in Bath and Kimberley, leader of the
fascist BNP and general sucker for punishment Nick Griffin is due to
speak in Oxford on the 26th of November. He will be talking alongside
David Irving who recently spent time in an Austrian slammer for repeatedly
denying the holocaust and promoting neo-nazi groups. No stranger to
holocaust denial, Griffin narrowly escaped clink for publishing a
pamphlet entitled 'Holohoax' a few years back. For those of you who missed the
fun in Bath (see issue 1 of Bath Bomb), Griffin and his ten-man army
got sent packing after trying to have a 'secret' meeting at a 'secret'
location which got rumbled and shut down by local anti-fascists a few
months back. Bath Activist Network, eager to meet our old friend
again, will be organising group transport to Oxford for the demo (probably by
train), so e-mail  bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk to get your space booked.


 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/912311.html

Bubbling Under Boils Over

Local radical film screening 'Bubbling Under' just notched up its
second successful film night in Bath. Screening monthly, Bubbling Under
shows a variety of radical films that you won’t see in the cinema. The
last showing saw Keith Mann, the veteran animal liberationist and
jailbird, speak to a packed room before introducing 'Behind the Mask' a film
about animal rights direct action. The day was a huge success, and the
next film to be shown will be 'Fourth World War', a brilliant and
action-packed film following the struggles of the world’s poor as they fight
back against corrupt governments and corporate greed. The film will be
shown on Sunday the 18th of November at 1pm, downstairs in the Porter.
Entry, as always, is free.

 http://www.animalliberationpressoffice.org/Merchandise/Mann_From%20Dusk%20til%20Dawn.html
 http://www.bignoisefilms.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Ban Fur and Book Fair

Getting up at some god early hour I set off to London with some
friends. On arriving, we attended a fur demonstration at Harrods.
This morally-bankrupt department store (the only one still selling fur
in the UK) flogs animal skins, obtained from fur farms that would be
illegal in this country. In order to supply fur, countless thousands of
animals are forced to spend their entire lives crammed into wire mesh
cages. After their life of misery and torture they are often skinned
alive. Due to the presence of the protest (which has been going on for
approximately 2 years), Harrods has obtained injunctions to try and stop
the protesters from demonstrating. There are now red lines on the
pavement to indicate where the protesters are allowed to demonstrate. We
handed out leaflets urging people to boycott the store
Our next stop was the Anarchist Bookfair. The books on sale covered a
variety or issues: vegan cookery, the Spanish civil war, philosophy,
comic books and other works on anarchism. You could also buy fair trade
Zapatista coffee, clothing and other oddments. There were free leaflets
and information from newsletters to demonstrations. Over 40 workshops
were put on covering topics from ‘Art & Anarchism’ to ‘Building a
Revolutionary Union’ for education workers, and were packed with at least a
couple of thousand. I rounded off the day with a coffee at a pub, vegan
curry and it was then time to travel back to Bath.

 http://www.anarchistbookfair.co.uk/
 http://www.caft.org.uk/harrods/harrods.htm

Lying Snakes Line Their Pockets

Unbelievably, it’s true: not content with merely ignoring voters,
stealing away our freedom with ever-more OTT laws & ID card schemes, and
announcing war on whichever Middle Eastern country is Public Enemy No. 1
this week, politicians are now fleecing taxpayers of every penny! Last
year, MP’s seized over £87 million’s worth of ‘allowances’ [travel,
computers and stationery], on top of a basic salary of £60,675 [it went up
this year] and pension. Dodgy MPs in the Southwest alone netted 600
grand, over £140,000 for Don Foster. Politicians – you just can’t trust
‘em.

 http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/HoCallowances0607.pdf
 http://www.thisisbath.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=180730&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232315&home=yes&more_nodeId1=163047&contentPK=18783010

Who Are Bath Activist Network?

A local umbrella group campaigning on diverse issues: development,
environmentalism, anti-war, animal rights, workers’ rights and more.
Helping to produce The Bath Bomb’, we are open to anyone. Our members range
from trade unionists to anarchists, liberals to greens, and people who
just want to change Bath for the better. Details on meetings, demos,
or just to get in touch: 07949 611912, email
 bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk, or see website www.myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork

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