The Westcountry Mutineer
#1
September 2012
free/30p donation

“Beating Harry at strip billiards since 2012”

In This Issue: Everything's Fr*cked Again! Tender Loving McCare? Goan For Gold! History Lessons! Lechy Assange! News From Nowhere Island! Closing Atos! Unclear Power! Hospital Selloffs! Spygame Sellouts! Spanish Shenanigans – Robin Food And The Merry Miners! Squats Left To Rot! Taxes, Taxes! Bodging The Badger Cull! Bashing Bailiffs! Burning Bosses! We Like The Riots, Riots! Reducing, Reusing & Recycling Bad Puns!

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NOW THEY’VE GOAN AND DONE IT
Swindon Workers Get Stuck Into Bullying Bosses

FOR THE PAST half a year, cleaners at Swindon’s G.W.H. Hospital have been taking action against their employer, Carillion, who take on the maintenance, construction and management of hundreds of buildings across the U.K. The action comes in response to a culture of bullying and racism from Carillion bosses towards the mostly Goan cleaners. As well as routine racist abuse, Carillion managers frequently force workers to present them with ‘gifts’ in return for time off, overtime and other basic rights at work. The Goan workers were also denied the right to take enough of their holiday in one go to visit their families back home. Since the first strike back in February, the workers have given the rest of us a shining example in how to treat your boss, joining the G.M.B. union en masse, taking dozens of days of strike action (always involving nearly 100% of the workforce), blockading Carillion H.Q., holding well-attended meetings, a 400-strong demo through Swindon and numerous solidarity events and protests, alongside Swindon Anarchists and other union and activist groups.

The campaign has already seen one racist boss get kicked out, but instead of taking strikers’ demands seriously, Carillion have responded by sending in scabs to undermine strikes, lying, faking and fudging internal ‘investigations’ and further victimising the victims by launching disciplinary procedures against 10 of the strikers – they even had the gall to accuse the workers of “offering bribes!”. As a result, not only are Carillion losing their reputation in the industry, not to mention lucrative contracts, but they have also been caught playing a central role in a blacklisting scandal – where major companies have been denying work to ‘troublemaking’ workers for the ‘crimes’ of attending anti-fascist protests and being members of a union! With Carillion refusing to take the hint and clean themselves up, an ever-growing number of ordinary workers are getting drawn into the fight, voicing disgust against Carillion (and yet more stories of corporate intimidation). With more strike action on the horizon – as well as planned action from anarchist and activist supporters – you can be sure that we’ll all be hearing more from the brave Goan workers that refuse to be trampled by their arrogant employer, and you can be equally sure they’re not gonna quit until they’ve won the rights we all deserve at work. To send messages of support to the workers, drop us an email at mutineerpress[at]riseup.net and we’ll pass them on.

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NO FRACKING WAY!

A NEW CAMPAIGN has been launched to fight back against ‘fracking’ (hydraulic fracturing), the latest lunatic scheme to extract natural resources. Fracking involves blasting pressurised liquids deep underground in an effort to free up and extract shale gas, and has been linked to an increasing number of dangerous side effects: contamination of crops, air and groundwater, by methane. In Lancashire, where fracking is underway despite fierce opposition and direct action from locals, there has been a massive increase in respiratory problems for nearby residents, as well as earthquakes, due to the high pressure subterranean hosedown. Fracking also promotes the use of fossil fuels, of course, meaning that it will do nothing to reduce CO2 pollution. At the moment, the Mendip hills are the intended target of these carbon-crazy frackers. ‘Frack Free Somerset’ is a new group dedicated to fighting back, and they will be holding a public meeting on Tuesday 25th September between 7 and 9p.m. in the town hall of sleepy Wells. Contact them at info[at]frackfreesomerset.org, or via their website:  http://www.frackfreesomerset.org.

PUN HOTLINE: as the word ‘fracking’ is so obviously open to all manner of linguistic abuse, any headline suggestions will be gratefully received, to the usual address; after all, we don’t want to do all the hard work ourselves.

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DUCHY DIARY #1

As he is after all the Duke of Cornwall and owns much of the land that we call home and is owed our patriotism and leal duty, it is only fitting that we offer up a regular column for the worldly wisdom of our future Sovereign King and Commander-in-Chief, H.R.H. Prince Charles. This month, Charlie pontificates on what the bloody hell those Cornish oldies are moaning about. Take it away, Your Highness!

GOOD, ERR.. EVENING..? ladies and gentlemen.
‬‪
Now, I have always liked to consider myself, first and foremost, a man of the people. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for all you rabble, going about your quaint little lives. Just like all the rugged, robust furry animals and our delightful woodland – many of which are mine, you know – yes, I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for you. Many of you are mine, you know.

Yes, I’m essentially just like you. Oh yes, I have bodyguards and tedious hangers-on bowing and doffing their caps and I’m considerably more comfortable, hah, but I’m just like you. I enjoy the ballet and Eisteddfod, and I’m partial to the odd tipple, and shoot the shit on Friday nights(by shit, one of course means grouse, pheasant, deer, poachers – the list goes on), and I like to watch a good kick-about. Yes, watching my boys give a trespassing pleb a good kick-about always brings a smile to one's face.

Anyway, this month I’d like to give a good dressing down to those bloody pensioners in Cornwall who have been moaning about all their care homes being privatised. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the elderly, particularly when they’re doing what they should – voting U.K.I.P., talking about spitfires and sending lovely letters to Mumsie – but this is bloody bolshevism! Listen, my own dear Mumsie has private home-care and let me assure you, it’s top bloody notch, and if it’s good enough for Mumsie it’s bloody well good enough for the proles! It's not as if privatising the homes will plunge the elderly into a mismanaged, uncaring nightmare system run for profit, rather than compassion. No, quite the opposite, if Mumsie’s is any example. All this protest and hoo-har – well, yes, quaint, considerably, but it simply boggles the mind.

But anyway, that aside, it is now my pleasure to introduce to you, the Westcountry Mountaineer. I’ve always been partial to a bit of freebasing.

Now why won’t that stupid boy put some clothes on? If he can’t win the odd spot of billiards, then he’s no son of mine.

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SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING: WHAT A LOAD OF BS!

A HEARTWARMING, HUMAN-interest story for Bristol was effectively smashed on 10th July by local govermint – surprise! To echo the fate of previous community-empowerment schemes in the face of red tape (such as the Snow Hill Skills and Enterprise Initiative in Bath two years before: ever heard of them? Thought not), the BS3 Project dreamed a dream of sustainable community, hoping to regenerate the old City of Bristol College and adjoining open land of Bedminster’s Northern Slopes – due for developer sell-off/sell-out. Instead of just another housing estate or sterile harbourside, BS3 envisioned a range of affordable and self-build housing options alongside work, training arts and recreation facilities, allotments, low-impact construction and renewable power… Growing Space, Community Space, Eating Space… Maannn, this is good shit! But, even though they spent a year finding financial partners and ticking the 100-odd compliance boxes on the acquisition form… Whatever they were smoking, the landowners didn’t want it, and instead claimed they were calling off the tender: apparently, there wasn’t enough entries to make the competition fair. And the moral of the story? If you want to play nice, you can fuck off.

 http://www.bs3campus.org.uk
 https://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/24008

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INTERNET COMMENT OF THE MONTH

IN RESPONSE TO news that meaningless, degenerate corpse-in-waiting Prince Harry has been filmed playing ‘strip billiards’ in an exclusive casino, Andy from Devon posts on Yahoo News that: “All members of the royal family should be paraded naked through the streets of Ireland and later fed to a bunch of hungry, wild pigs. They are a waste of air.”

Quite so Andy. Stay tuned for more of the internet's finest next month.

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CHILDREN SHOULD BE NOT SEEN AND NOT HEARD

LOCALS WHO CARE about vulnerable children, and other bleeding heart liberals, have been left outraged by South Gloucestershire Council’s I.C.P.C. (Ignore Children and People Committee) decision to close nine local children’s centres. According to council spokessnake R. Soul: “The decision taken by the committee on July 25 was based on proposals that were formulated earlier this year and were subject to expensive public consultation from March to May. The programme included surveys, six public meetings, trade union and staff briefings, events with a wide range of stakeholders and a variety of information provided through consultation documents that were widely distributed, promoted through the local media and available on the council website, the results of which were promptly ignored.” During the extensive meeting, which lasted 10 minutes, councillors decided to cut the number of children’s homes in priority areas from 15 to six, and transfer out the other nine. Reports that the council are recommending excess children to Work Experience schemes in the saltmines cannot be confirmed at this time.

 http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Decision-offload-children-s-homes-10-minutes/story-16759132-detail/story.html

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WHAT WE BELIEVE

Here at The Westcountry Mutineer, it’s not all about cider and muck-flinging. There are a few important principles that guide the paper – we see society as being divided into two basic classes, workers and bosses. We believe that the luxury and wealth of the bosses is only gained through the exploitation of the workers, but workers should be entitled to the full value of what they produce. Politicians of whatever party only serve to protect the interests of their mates in big business. We believe that the ordinary people should, and have the ability to, abolish oppressive institutions such as government and capitalism and run society on its own, without the interference of bosses, politicians or any other self-appointed ‘leaders’. We struggle for a world in which communities are run by the residents, and workplaces run by the workers – a world without exploitation or class systems in which resources are produced and shared equally and responsibly, not hoarded by a greedy few. Sound good to you?

If yes, then baby, you’re an anarchist!

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BRISTOL COUNCIL COULDN'T CARE LESS

ON THURSDAY 26TH July up to 200 people attended a demonstration at the Council House in Bristol, called by Bristol And District Anti-Cuts Alliance, over proposals to close care homes. Bristol City Council intend to close eight of its remaining care homes and seven council-run day centres. This will mean more privatisation, worse service standards, less accountability, and less jobs. The private providers will of course pay lower wages and spend less on training. By getting these services on the cheap, the council will save money at the expense of the elderly, the vulnerable and everyone else. The council calls this 'modernisation': everyone else calls them 'cuts'. And, of course, in the last year, the remaining council-run home ‘care’ service has already been privatised and grants to voluntary groups running services like lunch clubs and day centres have been slashed. The demo was attended by carers, residents, workers at the homes and supporters of B.A.D.A.C.A. and Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance. Members of the council were passionately addressed by members of the demo.

The first two care homes are planned to close before the end of this year, but B.A.D.A.C.A. is working with those affected, both residents and staff, to prevent this. The next full council meeting on Tuesday September 18th will be a key event. B.A.D.A.C.A. and others will be holding a mass lobby of this meeting to tell the council that Bristol doesn’t accept these closures. Please help spread the word:

Lobby of Bristol City Council Meeting: Tuesday 18th September
Venue: Council House, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR
Time: 5.00p.m.

Please come along and tell councillors what the people of Bristol think of their cut-throat plans. For more information, e-mail admin[at]bristolanticutsalliance.org.uk.

Meanwhile in Bath, staff at the Royal United Hospital have warned that they will consider strike action over proposals to damage their working lives. The hospital has joined 18 other health bodies in the southwest to controversially form the P.T.C. cartel, as part of the Con-Dem's plot to slash funding to the tune of £20 billion – nearly a fifth of the N.H.S.'s entire annual budget. The R.U.H. has even gone so far as to throw £10,000 of public funding at a new directorial post, whose sole aim is destroying nurses' pay and conditions. The next Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance organising meeting on the 4th September, at 8p.m., in the upstairs of the Ram pub in Widcombe, will be discussing how we can support these workers. This assault in hospital workers, and resistance to it, looks set to go country wide very soon. More to follow.

 http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/710603
 http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Leaked-document-Bath-Royal-United-Hospital/story-16451204-detail/story.html
 http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Changes-loom-Bath-s-Royal-United-Hospital-staff/story-16524775-detail/story.html

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HELP RAKE THE MUCK!

Fancy becoming a part of the Mutineer street team? Drop an e-mail to mutineerpress[at]riseup.net giving us your address, and letting us know how many copies you think you can shift each month and we’ll get them sent out to you, along with any stickers/posters/incendiary devices we have hanging around. Also, feel free to put on benefit gigs/paper sales to help top up our near empty coffers! If you make any cash, send cheques addressed to ‘BAA’, to the address below.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

London Road Food Co-op: Wednesdays, 5-7p.m., @ the Riverside Youth Centre, York Place, London Road, Bath, BA1 6AE; tel 07837 784715

The famous Bath FreeShop: Saturday 8th September, 12-3p.m., outside the Pump Rooms (opposite Holland & Barrett), Stall Street, Bath; “Give, take and free cake!”

Bristol Greenpeace 'Hydraulic Fracking' public meeting: Thursday 13th September, 7.30p.m., @ Redlands Friends Meeting House, 126 Hampton Road, Redland, Bristol, BS6 6JE

'The Syrian Conflict... And your responsibility to end it' public discussion: Thursday 13th September, 7-9p.m., @ Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3QY;  http://www.garisullivan.co.uk

lobby of Bristol City Council: Tuesday 18th September, 5p.m., @ the Council House, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR

'Stop the G8 2013!' planning meeting: Saturday 22nd September, Birmingham; e-mail smashedo[at]riseup.net

Bristol Comic and Zine Fair: Sunday 23rd September, 12-6p.m., @ downstairs at Cafe Kino, Stokes Croft, Bristol;  http://www.bearpitzines.tumblr.com/BCZF

Solidarity demo for locked up Belarussian anarchists: Sunday 23rd September, 1-5p.m., @ the Belarussian embassy, Kensington Court, London

Bastard Squad gig, Monday 24th September, 8p.m., @ the Croft pub, Stokes Croft, Bristol; feat. Hexis, This Gift is a Curse & This Ends Here; £5/£6 entry

'How could fracking affect us?' public meeting: Tuesday 25th September, 7-9p.m., @ Wells Town Hall, Wells

'Walk the Plank' Westcountry Mutineer unplugged benefit gig: Thursday 27th September, 8p.m. @ The Royal Oak, Lower Bristol Road, Bath, Somerset; feat. Clayton Blizzard, & other acts T.B.C.; e-mail mutineerpress[at]riseup.net

anti-badger cull all-night party: Saturday 29th September, South Gloucestershire; e-mail stopthebadgercull[at]gmail.com

No New Nuclear! week of action: Friday 5th-Tuesday 9th Oct, Bridgewater; see  http://www.stopnewnuclear.org.uk

anti-Tory Party Conference demo: Sunday 7th Oct, I.C.C, Birmingham

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WANT TO SUBSCRIBE OR DONATE?

We rely totally on the generosity of our readers to keep publishing (as well as the occasional benefit gig/heist), so any donations, big or small, are always gratefully received. To subscribe send us your home or e-mail address. We like to keep it free but any donations are appreciated; please make cheques out to ‘BAA’ and sent to Westcountry Mutineer, 14 Robertson Road, Bristol, BS5 6JY.

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GROUPS AND CONTACTS

Anarchist Federation (U.K.): e-mail info[at]afed.org.uk

Bath Animal Action: e-mail bathanimalaction[at]yahoo.co.uk

Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance: e-mail bathagainstcuts[at]yahoo.co.uk

Black And Red Federation/B.A.R.F.: e-mail bathactivistnet[at]yahoo.co.uk

Bristol Anarchist Federation: e-mail bristol[at]afed.org.uk

Bristol Animal Rights Collective: e-mail barc[at]hotmail.co.uk

Bristol And District Anti-Cuts Alliance: e-mail admin[at]bristolanticutsalliance.org.uk

Bristol I.W.W.: e-mail bristoliww[at]riseup.net

Bristol Solidarity Federation: e-mail bristolsolfed[at]gmail.com

Frack Free Somerset: e-mail info[at]frackfreesomerset.org

Hunt Saboteurs Association: e-mail contact[at]huntsabs.org.uk

Portsmouth Anarchists: e-mail portsmouth.anarchists[at]googlemail.com

Swindon Anarchists: e-mail swindonanarchists[at]riseup.net

Wessex Solidarity: e-mail wessexsolidarity[at]gmail.com

There are dozens of anti-cuts groups around the west, so get in touch to find your local group. And if you would like your group included, drop us an e-mail at mutineerpress[at]riseup.net.

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Follow us on Twitter – @mutineer_press
 
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IN FULL SWING

THROUGHOUT ENGLAND IN 1830, agricultural labourers, tradesmen and smallholders rose up in their thousands to fight back against the driving down of wages, lengthening of hours, enclosure of public land and the starvation of their families at the hands of wealthy landowners. Nowhere was the rioting more fierce than in Wiltshire.

Between 1770 and 1830, over six million acres of common land had been placed in the ownership of a few rich landowners, leaving farm workers with nowhere to graze their small herds or grow subsistence crops. This, combined with a steep decline in wages for farm workers and the introduction of new machinery robbing them of their livelihoods, meant that many rural people found themselves and their families starving and penniless. The wage for a labourer in Dorset and Wiltshire was far worse than the national average.

Within a week of workers burning a threshing machine in Kent, rioting had spread to Wiltshire, where bands went on the rampage, burning farm produce and equipment and threatening the local gentry with physical force and letters demanding higher wages and food (always signed by the mythical ‘Captain Swing’). Some of the most extreme events occurred in Pewsey and Oare, where local landowner James Self was pushed into the flames as he attempted to save his property! The damage in this spree was estimated at £400. In the same night, the crops of a Mr. Fowler were also burned, with the local aristos surprised that “...the labourers of Oare, instead of assisting to put out the fire, appeared to take pleasure from the situation, and… were lying about enjoying the scene”.

Hoses brought to the scene were immediately sabotaged. Rioting was not only limited to farm labourers either, as demonstrated when a mob of 500 in Wilton gathered to attack and loot the mill of John Bishop: including his employees! And so it was in tens of towns and villages across the county, with workers successfully ‘persuading’ employers and landowners to hand over substantial amounts of money, food and, of course, beer! But before long, the shocked employers retorted, swearing in a ‘yeomanry’ comprised mainly of the local well-to-do, responding to disturbances with violent relish. After four months of sustained unrest – and, predictably, repression from employers and courts – the rioting died down, leaving hundreds imprisoned, dozens deported and 19 hung.

Despite the bloody end to the Swing Riots in Wiltshire, the workers scored some important victories. They met their material needs by looting money and supplies from landowners who were previously happy to let them starve but, possibly more importantly, the rioters experimented with ways to organize themselves to answer their own needs collectively, setting a blueprint for future working class self-organization that would inspire future generations of rebels and society as a whole.

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BEARING THE BRUNT OF RED OCTOBER

OCTOBER 20TH WILL see hundreds of thousands descend on London for what is being billed as the biggest protest yet against the cuts. The demo, organised by the T.U.C., follows a steady stream of resistance to austerity over the last couple of years, including the massive March 26th demo of 2011 which saw 500,000 people swamp London, and banks, posh hotels and stores like the Ritz getting a much deserved 'redecoration'. With the Coalition’s popularity at an all-time low, and the arguments for austerity in tatters, why not come along and let Cameron and his millionaire mates know we’re not going to take it any more? In the run up to the demo, teachers and other public sector workers will be on strike and there will be large protests at the Tory conference in Brum on the 7th – all in all, a ballache for the Bullingdon boys! There will be something for everyone – as well as a massive, peaceful march, direct action groups are already organising to make sure we give the rich and powerful their just desserts. Dozens of coaches will be travelling to the demo from all over the southwest – check out  http://www.falseeconomy.org.uk/oct20  for up-to-date info on transport options near you.

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GOT A STORY?

Have you sniffed out a local scandal, got a bit of juicy news, need to publicise an event or demo, or just want a rant? Contributions/anonymous tip-offs (of no more than 350 words) to mutineerpress[at]riseup.net. E-mail that same address for a lengthy and boring 'Guide for Contributors'.

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QUIT BADGERING THEM

THIS AUTUMN THE Tories plan to cull at least 70% of the badger population in two areas: one west of Taunton, and the other west of Gloucester. Despite overwhelming evidence that overcrowded farms, not badgers (or other carrier species like deer or foxes, for that matter), are to blame for the spread of Bovine T.B., Cameron – famed for his love of blasting, chasing or otherwise maiming any number of furry countryside animals – is determined to push ahead with the slaughter. The cull is being carried out by teams of marksmen waiting at bait points with high-powered rifles and shotguns. The exact location of the zones and the organisers was supposed to be kept secret, but the Coalition of Badger Action Groups (C.B.A.G.) published maps within 10 days’ of the appeal’s failure; copies of those maps can be found on their website:  http://www.badger-killers.co.uk.

C.B.A.G. then began research on the cull’s organisers. The lucky winners are: Rupert Michael Dod, of Withiel Farm, Withiel Florey, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 7DE (tel: 01398 371 205; mobile: 07882 458 354; e-mail:  exmoorangus@aol.com); in Gloucester, we have Jan Rowe (of Whalley Farm, Whittington, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 4HA; tel: 01242 820213, mobile: 07786 437235; e-mail:  rowefarms@farmline.com) and Carl Gray (Grange Farm, Main Road, Bredon, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 7EL; tel: 01684 772366; mobile: 07771 985908;  carl@grangefarmbredon.co.uk).

If you have any questions about the cull, please be sure to ask them politely! C.B.A.G. will be doing night patrols during the cull, with hi-viz jackets, bright torches and megaphones, to interfere with the pointless bloodshed peacefully and from a safe distance.

And on 29th September a free party sound system is rumoured to be running a full moon free party in the Gloucester zone, coinciding with the first big night of action. On the 13th of October the same will happen again, but this time during a new moon, in the Somerset zone. More details to follow.

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THIS TAX THE PISS!

OVER 157,000 FAMILIES across Devon and Cornwall are set to see their council tax bills soar following government reforms to the way council tax benefit is allocated. Authorities throughout Devon and the rest of the west are planning to scrap 100% council tax discount for people living on or below the poverty line, including jobseekers, single parents, the seriously ill or disabled and their full-time carers. This will mean that some of the most vulnerable people throughout the region will see their bill rise by up to 30%. The government has claimed that forcing the sick and poor into even deeper poverty will help end a ‘something for nothing’ culture in the west. However, the reality is that thousands in the region rely on the council tax break to keep their heads above water – the real ‘something for nothing’ culture exists in Westminster and every corporate boardroom across the country, where huge tax breaks, expenses claims and bonuses make sure that those who already have too much continue to rake it in and screw the rest.

The changes will even affect low-income workers who only receive a fractional reduction. In Plymouth, the council is proposing that even the poorest can only receive a maximum 70% council tax allowance, meaning many households will be footing up to an additional £400. Meanwhile, Torbay Council is proposing charging everyone at least 25%. Cornwall Council’s proposals will be made public at its next Cabinet meeting. East Devon, Exeter, North Devon, South Hams and Torridge district councils are suggesting a 30% charge, and Mid Devon, Teignbridge and West Devon districts 25%. Meanwhile, local bastard/Conservative council leader Philip Sanders, said “The shortage in funding means that we will have to make some difficult decisions about who gets financial help and how much they get.” But don’t worry – many areas of the west, such as Plymouth, are Labour-controlled – they won’t let this pass – right? Wrong. Labour Councillor Mark Lowry grumbles a bit, but rather than defying Westminster and standing up for his constituents, Lowry meekly concedes to something he knows is wrong, but will go along with anyway to avoid kicking up a fuss. Labour high-ranker and eternal disappointment to his dad Hilary Benn rounds out the attitude of Labour party leaders when he says: “Local authorities face a terrible dilemma. Do they increase council taxes on the working poor, or the disabled, or families with young children?” The answer apparently is a resounding “Yes!” With friends like these, who needs Tories?

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SOLIDARITY FOR NEVER?

AFTER OVER 90% of the membership of Unison, the largest public service trades union, voted in line with their leadership’s recommendations – voting ‘Yes’ to accept the government’s new pensions deal – on the 24th August, an email leaked to anarchist website Libcom showed off the union leaders’ darker side. While the deal accepted was a better version than what the Con-Dems first offered before the strikes of November 30th, the agreement now still obliges the majority of workers to work longer, pay more contributions and earn less. In the run-up to the ballot, not only did the leadership campaign hard for a ‘Yes’ against the interests of their members, but when, despite bullying, some rebel branches still rejected the deal, the leaders hypocritically cited ‘Code of Good Branch Practice 4.4’ (a rule actually brought in to stop individual branches campaigning AGAINST industrial action when it had already been democratically voted in), and spied to coerce workers to toe the line: implying the threat of disciplinary action purely against those who would fight to defend themselves.
Whilst we recognise that unions are one of the most viable ways for people to organise to improve their lot, particularly in the face of current Tory-inspired economic attacks, we here at the Mutineer once again find ourselves disappointed by the actions of the bureaucrats at the top of certain unions, who seem to take every opportunity to side with the bosses and stifle meaningful resistance. Despite frequent tough talk and posturing, Unison head honcho Dave Prentis and friends have made a long-running habit of expelling and demonising members who really want to take the fight to the bosses. We can only hope that the Unison rank and file take a leaf out of his book and kick out the bigwigs who always seem to side with the boss at the first opportunity.

 http://libcom.org/blog/unison-officials-spy-their-own-activists-ensure-yes-vote-pensions-25082012

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LETTERS BEGIN

Well, it’s our first issue, and we’ve already started receiving fanmail. Or is it hatemail? Either way, that’s progress. This month, Shaun from Bristol takes a strongly worded swipe at the rape apologists clamouring to dismiss serious sexual allegations against sinister-eyed Aussie empire-embarrasser Julian Assange:

DEAR F**KERS,

YOU may well be aware of the ongoing news story of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and allegations of a sexual assault in Sweden. It’s big news right now as the case has been somewhat complicated by concerns that if he faces questioning over the case in Sweden he may then be sent on to the U.S.A. regarding his website leaking a load of really important information that has pissed off America no end. On top of this, Assange has attempted to prove his innocence by trying to run away to Ecuador.

It seems every one who has (but probably shouldn’t be allowed) access to the internet has had their say on what should happen to Assange. This includes everyone’s least favourite Saddam Hussein-stroking, cat impressionist Big Brother evictee, M.P. George Galloway.

When referencing the situation, where allegedly Julian Assange had unprotected sex with a SLEEPING WOMAN, without her permission, saying this was not rape and instead referred to it as “bad sexual etiquette”, saying: “…even taken at its worst, if the allegations made by these two women were true, 100% true, and even if a camera in the room captured them, they don’t constitute rape.”

So I thought I would take this opportunity to speak to you all and say penetrating someone with your penis without express verbal permission IS rape. From the Sexual Offences Act, 2003: “A is guilty of rape when A intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of B (the complainant) with his penis; B does not consent to the penetration; and A does not reasonably believe that B consents.”

It doesn’t matter if you have had sex before, or you were both drunk or they are your wife, girlfriend, partner, fuckbuddy or whatever. It doesn’t matter if they got naked or they “seemed up for it” or “it would ruin the mood”, just fucking ask. “Would you like to have sex with me?” It’s easy, and trust me, there is nothing hotter than when you partner replies “Oh Yes Please!”, so just do it. If you don’t, it’s rape.

And if she or he (yes, it works both ways) say “No”, then it’s no! In fact if they say anything other than “Yes”, then it’s no. Silence means no, “Maybe” means no, “I’m not sure” means no, “You’ve/I’ve been drinking” means no. No persuasion, no complaining, no coercion, no sulking, no forcing. Getting them to say “Yes” through coercion is not consent, it’s rape. So next time you want to have sex, just ask, after all, it’s polite.

Shaun Phillips – Bristol

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THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

FREEDOM PRESS, THE publishers of the UK’s longest-running anarchist newspaper (circa 1886) are in danger of folding, after having to settle a copyright claim out of court for £4,000 with freelance photographer David Hoffman. As well as the newspaper, Freedom run a bookshop and publishing wing, and provide office space for various radical organisations, such as SolFed, the Advisory Service for Squatters and CorporateWatch. Like the rest of the movement they are woefully under-resourced. But Hoffman took exception to the fact that a number of his shots from the 80’s and 90’s were used in the book ‘Beating the Fascists’. Hoffman is now developing a charming penchant for financially crippling organisations he is allegedly sympathetic to, after his £10,000 payout earlier in the year bankrupted drugs charity D.A.R.E. In response to the crisis, Freedom have called a series of emergency meetings to rescue their paper, including one during this year’s London Anarchist Bookfair on the 27th October. To find out how you can help, check out  http://www.freedompress.org.uk. David Hoffman need not apply.

 http://www.freedompress.org.uk/news/2012/08/03/freedom-press-public-meeting

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OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

WORKERS FROM THE threatened Remploy program occupied their manager’s office in protest to the planned closure of their workplaces. Remploy is a government-run group of workplaces, providing employment for people with a range of disabilities. By the end of the year, the Coalition plans to close more than half of Remploy’s 54 sites, resulting in the loss of over 1,700 jobs. As part of its brutal program of austerity, and in keeping with its passion for hitting the poorest and most vulnerable hardest, they insist that the workers should be able to find ‘normal’ jobs in private industry. The facts paint a different picture – following the last round of jobs cuts at Remploy two years back, 85% of workers are still unemployed. After the most recent round of factory closures, some bosses didn’t even have the guts to let the workers – some with learning difficulties – know face-to-face that they were being made redundant. The hypocrisy is doubly hard to bear when it comes from a government attempting to ride a wave of popularity off the back of the Paralympics, while tossing disabled workers – including Brian Davies, a Remploy worker who has won four Paralympic gold medals – on the scrapheap.

On August 23rd, having booked a meeting to talk with a senior Remploy boss in Leicester, Remploy workers decided it would be more productive to occupy his office, refusing to leave until the Disabilities Minister, Maria Miller, committed to further negotiations before the closing of any factories! The workers are determined to fight back, with five days of strike action planned for early this month. They have called for solidarity in their fight for dignified employment; if you would like to support the Remploy workers, check out their website at  http://www.remployworkers.info.

On the other hand, what to do when strikes and occupations fail? Well, we hope Remploy won't follow the burning example of the Maruti Suzuki carplant staff in India. On the 9th July, following over a year of wage disputes and a poorly-timed nasty comment from a supervisor, the workers kicked off, ransacked offices, and then apparently locked the execs in a room and lit them up! Nine police were injured in the battle, an H.R. Manager fried, and at least 99 arrests were made. But honestly, we've all dreamed bout torching the boss, right?

 http://rt.com/news/india-suzuki-plant-clashes-567

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DIDDLY SQUAT?

THE LIVES OF squatters and the vulnerably housed will be made ever more interesting from 1st September, thanks to the Coalition’s new law – the tongue-tying s144 LASPO 2012. According to the Advisory Service for Squatters: “Not everyone who is squatting, or considered by others to be squatting, will be affected by the new law, but people will need to be prepared to explain, quite forcefully at times, why they are not affected.” For the exact wording of the law, see A.S.S.'s site ( http://www.squatter.org.uk). Adding further to this, an internal police Powerpoint presentation is doing the rounds with the Met and other forces, on how to deal with the new law and the superpowers it bestows. Crucially, in situations where the new law has no impact (such as in non-residential buildings, or in buildings where the occupiers have been tricked into entering by bogus letting agents), police who desperately want to make an arrest are given a list of other crimes to try to fit up with.

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AUNTY PARSONS HINTS AND TIPS TO BEAT THOSE RED LETTER BLUES

WHAT WITH THE govermint cuts and with the price of food, rent and bills skyrocketing, it can be difficult to scrape enough to get by. Final warnings may start to pile up and then a bloke who looks like he’s on steroids starts knocking at your door. What do you do? Well, don’t panic, Aunty Parsons has a few tips!

First DO NOT invite the bailiff into your house. They may ask if they can discuss your debts inside your home, or they may try and march in as soon as you answer the door. As with any stranger, always answer the door with the chain on. All bailiffs should carry I.D.; always ask for it and for a copy of the warrant they are collecting. A bailiff cannot use force to gain access to your home – they can only enter via what is known as ‘peaceful entry’, including entering through an unlocked door or window. Pushing their way past you at the front door is forcible entry and isn’t allowed, so if possible try to catch them on film and report it.

If a bailiff gets into your house, they are allowed to come back at any time and force entry, even into locked areas, and they will take anything unless you have a receipt proving something isn’t yours. It isn’t illegal to hide things outside of your home; what they can’t find they can’t nick! They can’t take anything which you can claim is related to your work or is necessary for you to live; like a builder’s van or your fridge and clothes. They also have to leave you one TV… They will get you to sign a ‘Walking Possession Agreement’. This means that you agree not to remove these goods and that you acknowledge they now belong to the bailiff, and they will be back later for it. Be warned they will charge you more money for each visit if you then decide to hide from them! The bailiff will usually keep visiting and if they are unable to get in, or if you have insufficient goods to pay your debts and the bailiffs' full costs, the warrant for the debt will be eventually be returned to the Court. If the debt is in respect of rent, then they are only allowed to visit during daylight hours; for other debts, it's any ‘reasonable time of day’. Complain to the company if not and keep a record!

If you’re expecting these filth it may be useful to let your mates know and get them to come round at short notice, so if they do turn up and throw their weight around, you have witnesses; sufficient numbers may also prevent their entry on Health and Safety grounds, and gives you that great satisfaction of victory! As an aside, on Swindon’s Penhill estate, a bailiff's harrassment of residents was recently cut short when he ended up mysteriously bruised by unidentified assailants.

Remember, don’t get your stuff stolen by the rich! Get advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau, if in doubt. Or, if you have any questions, please send us an e-mail, addressed to Aunty Parsons, and we’ll get back to you.

***

GET OFF ARRR LAND
Bizarre Art Project Victim Of Bizzare Protest. Locals Reported Confused

FOR THE PAST few weeks, weird, floating art instillation ‘Nowhere island’ has been meandering its way around the coastal towns of the West. ‘Nowhere island’ features about six tonnes of rock on a barge found under a retreating glacier in the Svalbard peninsula. Over the past year, people have been invited to sign up as Nowhere citizens, drawing up laws and a constitution. Great, eh? Except no one is allowed on or near the £500,000 tax-payer-funded project as the barren utopia chugs around our coast. That is until 12 intrepid wetsuit-clad rebels launched an occupation of the island as it passed Sunny Torbay, in what they triumphantly described as a “coup d’état”. Boarding the (broad)side of the island after a half-mile swim, the swimmers hoisted the Jolly Roger, before doing a little dance and walking the plank, leaving only a plastic duck and stuffed squirrel! But what caused this brave water-borne invasion? The massive cost to the taxpayer? The environmental cost of lugging tonnes of empty rock around our coastline? No, according to one of the swimmers, Pauline Barker, “It just seemed like a fun thing to do”! Despite doing her best to convince us that the protest was totally aimless, Barker did go on to make the valid point that Nowhere Island is “designed to be an art project to get art closer to the people, and we are the people, so we decided to get as close as we possibly could.” So, hats off to those aquatic revolutionaries that risked the Seven Seas for but a bit of nautical naughtiness and to reclaim a little corner of the island that our money built!

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THEORY CORNER: WHY DO THEY ONLY CALL IT CLASS WAR WHEN WE FIGHT BACK?

Each month, Theory Corner will look at and explain a different idea or action. This month, we will look at what is meant by the often misunderstood term ‘class war’.

EACH TIME A group of workers walk out on strike, or ordinary people target or criticise a boss or millionaire, right-wing rags such as the Sun and Daily Mail start screaming about 'Class War'. To an extent, they're right, but that's only half the story.

Class war is not just about ordinary people attacking the rich and powerful: rather, it is a fact of everyday life that gets played out in hundreds of different ways, every day. We live in a society divided into classes. At its most basic, there are two broad classes – bosses and workers. It is rare that these two classes co-exist happily, as the power and wealth of one depends on the oppression and poverty of the other. When a boss increases his profits, he does so at the expense of the worker, through increased workload, pay reductions, redundancies or other cost-cutting measures. When a worker wins a strike for more pay, or against bullying, she does so at the expense of some of the wealth or power of the employer. ‘Class war’ simply describes the fact that there can be no real peace in the world while one class owns all the wealth and power and the other, far larger, class has none.

Class war is all around us all of the time. When the government allows big banks to get away with fraud and financial crimes, but bangs up ordinary people for the same thing, this is class war. When the rich send in police to break up a strike or demonstration, this is also class war. In this class war, most of us are fighting our corner. Sometimes, this involves large actions like strikes or workplace sabotage. Often, it is small things like pinching supplies from work or pulling a sickie. This may not sound like much, but would we need to do it if we were treated fairly at work?

So, class war is not just riots or strikes, it is a description of the tension that arises from the fact that the rich tries to maintain its power and privilege at our expense. Sometimes, we win, sometimes the boss class wins, but class war is something that is all around us all the time – not something that some of us have chosen to fight, but a struggle that is going on whether we like it or not. The question is, how can we, the ordinary people, win? As Warren Buffet, investment banker and one of the world’s 10 wealthiest men likes to say, "There’s class warfare all right, but it’s (often) my class, the rich class, that’s making war”.

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COULDN'T GIVE ATOS
Olympic Sponsors Medalling With The Lives of The Disabled

AS IRONIC AS it is, ATOS Origin – an I.T. company with the prize-winning £100 million deal to cut people with disabilities and mental health problems from their only means of income – has now been given sponsorship of the Paralympics! The tests which the company administer include whether the person can move an empty cardboard box from one table to another, and whether they can stand still or not: this takes around 20 minutes and is undertaken by apparent ‘medical practitioners’, though this does not necessarily mean doctors. In fact ATOS' tests ignore anything your doctor may think about your condition and don't take mental health into account at all. 32 people who've been kicked off the sick by ATOS, and found ‘fit’ for work, die every week. Not only are the tests ineffective and unfair, but they are very stressful for those forced to take them. It means months of worrying whether you'll have enough money to live by, while awaiting your test. If you fail, then there is a chance of a tribunal (with one in three being won by the claimant), but as soon as your money is started up again you get asked to attend another medical! And so the cycle continues. The company disgustingly profits from misery, and the way the govermint are rubbing it in the faces of those whose lives are ruined, by making ATOS a Paralympics sponsor, is sick!

It seems that ATOS are trying to link themselves in with the idea of those few disabled athletes with ‘superhuman’ abilities, and trying to persuade us that they have some ethical reasoning. But are we that easily fooled? Most people with disabilities can’t even dream of being part of the Paralympics, just like most able-bodied people can’t participate in the Olympics. Maybe ATOS just want the opportunity to stand at the finish line telling the athletes they're fit for work! There will be anti-ATOS demos and direct action ongoing throughout the country while the games are happening, including closing down ATOS' H.Q. on Friday 31st August, joined by some Paralympians like gold-winning swimmer Tara Flood (which ended up being brutally attacked by police, who trashed wheelchairs and broke one man's shoulder). For more information about ATOS, and for advice if you are being hounded to go to a medical yourself, please visit: www.dpac.uk.net.

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NO NUKES IS GOOD NUKES

AS ENERGY SUCKRETARY Ed Davey is planning a new Energy Bill this Autumn, Somersettites are getting a little hot under the collar. The basis for the new Bill is ‘Contracts for Difference’, a form of fancy new subsidies for ‘low-carbon’ companies (read: nuclear power), where suppliers are guaranteed long-term contracts with a pre-agreed, artificially inflated price. Taxes, taxes! Not only are we going to be shaken down with £60 billion of extra taxes and higher bills, but, as we’re talking nuclear power, our kids and our kids’ kids will be sitting on a shitty legacy of radioactive waste.

But, we’re not all gonna take this lying down: in Japan, following Fukushima, between 75,000 and 170,000 are on the streets every Friday night calling for an end to nuclear power. Over here, back in March, 1,000 or so blockaded the entrance to Hinkley Point power station in opposition to E.D.F. Energy's diabolical plans. The Stop New Nuclear Alliance is holding a non-violent weekend protest camp in Somerset from 5th to 9th October, with a demo in Bridgwater on the 6th, and a mass trespass of the proposed Hinkley C site on the 8th. Premature E.D.F. aren’t even waiting to receive planning permission before they Eagerly Destroy Fields in preparation, so trespassers will be sowing the seeds of resistance by planting wildflowers and other native species. If your dream Monday day-out involves yawning for hours in a police cell, this is the one for you!

26 years after the Chernobyl disaster, just 20% of Belarussian children are born healthy. For the first time in over half a century, Japan is nuclear-free, but the people are still footing the bill: the Tepco corporation was re-nationalised due to the cost of compensation and stabilising the reactors, people are still living in contaminated areas, and people are encouraged to eat radioactive food to support Fukushima farmers: the triple meltdown is still in full swing. Spiralling costs for new reactors in France and Finland are also causing a chain reaction of financial judders around the world. Over here, several Chinese companies are now considering building new stations at Wylfa in Anglesey and Oldbury in Gloucestershire. At Hinkley C, the toxic sludge will need to be stored on site for over 100 years: the dangers associated with flooding, accidental leakage and terrorist attack (real terrorists, not just the ones handing out leaflets) are apparently totally unacceptable.

But ecos say that a future without unclear power is not just a dream: Germany has set out a nuclear-free roadmap that is safe and affordable enough to reach its commitment of 80% carbon reduction by 2050; if they can do it, why not us? The way forward is through energy reduction and greater investment to make renewable energy fit for the 21st century. Further details of the protest weekend can be found at:  http://stopnewnuclear.org.uk.

 http://stopnewnuclear.org.uk
 http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/710586

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SPAIN IN THE ARSE
Spanish Unions Get All Robin Hood Against The Cuts

ACROSS EUROPE, MILLIONS of ordinary people have been fighting back against massive cuts to jobs, wages and welfare. There have been protests, occupations, strikes, direct actions and even the odd riot. But now, members of the Spanish field workers’ union, Sindicato Andaluz de Trabajadores, along with supporters, have stepped it up by raiding one supermarket and forcing another to ‘donate’ most of its produce, before distributing the looted groceries to impoverished families. Hundreds of union members entered supermarkets in the towns of Seville and Cadiz, filled up their trolleys and, after a tussle with security, left without paying. The food was distributed via locally co-ordinated food banks. The actions saw only two arrests, one being the mayor of Marinaleda, who stated “If I end up in jail because I highlighted the crisis, it will be an honour.” A second supermarket raider said “we are taking some food and giving it to families who are having a really hard time. If this is stealing, then I’m guilty." These food runs follow in the footsteps of similar actions by Greek anarchists which have become increasingly widespread over the past five years.

The week after the supermarket sweep, hundreds of union members in hard-hit Andalusia (where unemployment has risen to 40%) broke down the fencing of an estate owned by the Duke of Segobore, occupied the land and set up a ‘communal agriculture project’. Diego Canamero, of the Andalusian Union of Workers, said: “We’re here to denounce a social class who leave such a place to waste”. The lavish well-kept gardens, house, and pool are left empty, as the Duke lives in Seville, more than 60 miles away. Commenting on this, an unemployed farm-worker taking part in the occupation said “Nobody lives here now, but the sprinklers are functioning and keeping the lawns beautifully green. Just imagine how many farmers' wages you could pay instead of watering empty gardens.”

Mostly, the situation in Spain is dire, with the top 10% earning 12 times the average wage. Unemployment stands at 25%, higher amongst the youth, and 22% of families have plunged below the poverty line. And if planned cuts over the next decade go ahead, things look set to get much worse.

In light of this, the looters and occupiers have realised that, while protesting against cuts is important, if we are to survive, we need to start taking what we need from the rich, who would let us go homeless and starve rather than sharing the wealth. All we should care about is the fact that we need food, housing, healthcare and, hell, some entertainment once in a while, and we still live in a continent of plenty. Despite (or because of) the recession, whilst we’ve all been tightening our belts, the richest in our country – and all across Europe – have been hoarding even more wealth. Soon the time will come when we have to start taking some of it back for ourselves: trip to Tesco’s anyone?

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A GAY OLD TIME IN SWINDON!

EVERY AUGUST, THOUSANDS flock to Swindon for the annual Swindon Pride. This year was no exception, with an estimated 8,000 attending what is thought to be Swindon’s biggest Pride yet. Organiser Phoenix Stewart said “Swindon Pride is so important because it celebrates diversity within the community and I think there are still some barriers, and we need to break these down”. While everyone enjoyed the music and bar, many on the march – including activist groups and unions – were there to remind people that Pride, and gay rights in general, are still a political issue. For the first time, the parade was joined by a contingent from Swindon Anarchists, expressing solidarity with the L.G.B.T.Q. community. James from the group said: “It’s great that so many people have turned out, but it is important to remember that this is more than a celebration. Homophobic attacks and discrimination against L.G.B.T.Q. people still continue, and we need to unite as a group to deal with these threats. As anarchists, we are opposed to all forms of oppression, be it based on gender, race, religion or sexuality”.

Another positive development was the absence of the National Front – an openly Nazi group who have traditionally opposed Swindon Pride (admittedly in pitifully small numbers). Usually, they turn up with a few offensive banners and sit around getting annoyed, and laughed at, as same-sex couples revel in getting intimate in front of them! But why no Nazis this year? Another member of Swindon Anarchists explains: “A couple of years ago, we heard the N.F. would show, so we found their meet-up point and chased off a couple of the organisers. Their ‘demo’ ended up as five fat men getting drunk in town under police protection! Since then, they seem to be less eager to turn up!” So, with no drunk Nazis and a record high turnout, including huge numbers of families and straight supporters, a great day was had by all, and a clear message sent out that Swindon is proud to be diverse.

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PRAYERS UNANSWERED

WELL, IT’S BEEN all over the mainstream news, but you might have missed it. Since their sold-out performance at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow on the 21st February, it-girls Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich from the feminist punk band Pussy Riot have received two years’ jail time each, charged with 'hooliganism'. Well, we all know a screechy punk dirge can be a bit of an earful, but it wasn’t that bad! Their punk prayer implored the Virgin Mary to “rid us of Putin”, protesting the Russian Orthodox Church’s support for the Russian leader. The global media hinged upon the state’s disregard for legal process and breach of free speech, wherein the defendants were imprisoned, refused bail, denied food and sleep, and given just three days to prepare their defence. Amnesty International rightly express concern that these young women will now face labour camps, physical and sexual abuse.

But all over fundaMENTAList Russia, bloggers and other anti-Putin elements also face arrest, whilst the supporting church makes massive land-grabs. It’s a moot point whether Pussy Riot have been singled out for maltreatment or not – human rights violations are routine in Russian and former U.S.S.R. jails, where conditions are even shitter than it was during the Soviet era. In Kazakhstan, 12 oil workers were jailed after thousands demonstrated for better pay during a bitter seven month strike, and all their appeals for release were refused. Scores were killed and wounded in the town of Zhanaozen after security opened fire on demonstrators, and survivors are now being persecuted for allegedly 'inciting social conflict'. The show-trial of the band came to symbolise repression in totalitarian Russia, but even outside of the warzones like Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia torture, detention without trial and murder by the state are par for the course.

In the meantime, we express solidarity with the three imprisoned, as well as the two Pussy Rioters who have now successfully escaped Russia, and the 12 of the collective who remain to continue their work.

indymedia.org.uk/en/2012/07/498480.html
 https://network23.org/aberdeenanarchists/we-are-all-pussy-riot
 http://www.schnews.org.uk/stories/ShowTrial-Girls
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19385936