UK Occupy Everywhere Feature Archive
Secret City: Oxford Screening + Q+A
17-02-2013 22:35
Celebrating two years of regular film screenings at OARC, East Oxford Community Centre, Oxford Indymedia presents the new independent film Secret City, on Sunday 3rd March from 7pm. For this Oxford Premier, we are pleased to be joined by film makers Lee Salter and Michael Chanan, who will be presenting the film and doing a Q&A session afterwards.
The City of London is an anomaly in UK democracy. With just 7,000 permanent residents and the lowest car ownership in the country, its own police force, its arcane system of self-government with its Lord Mayor, Livery Companies and Alderman, businesses that have the right to vote and it’s direct accountability to the Crown rather than Parliament, the City houses the one of the Globe's key financial centres and the Inns of Court, the heart of the UK’s legal system. The City is the place where banks, brokers, insurers and other money-makers enjoy their unimpeded ascendancy.
The Occupy LSX movement, which arose in 2011, once again drew public attention to the unprecedented political and financial status the City enjoys; largely unchanged since William the Conqueror's time. Secret City will take us on a tour of key City locations by an Occupy activist, Liam Taylor and delve into the history and mystery of the UK's most powerful centre.
The night will be held downstairs in the bar where Catweazel Club is normally held, so there will be refreshments on tap and in bottle for the night. Come along and watch the film and celebrate two years of screenings with Oxford Indymedia.
Article about first year of screenings | oarcfilms web site | Secret City trailer (links to external site) | screening flyer
Occupy Brookes camp emerges
08-05-2012 15:34
Update (20/05/12): After a month, Occupy Brookes decided to pack up. The camp's demands were almost entirely ignored by management but many people nevertheless felt it was a valuable experience, building links, raising awareness, and establishing a precedent for action that can be taken further in the future.
Since Wednesday 18th April, a group of Oxford Brookes students and supporters have been camping in front of Gipsy Lane campus to demand free education for all, and more specifically and immediately, that the University switch from fee waivers to bursaries.
The camp has now survived over two weeks of extremely wet weather, hosted various workshops and discussions, and received lots of verbal support and sympathy. A letter containing 3 basic demands was sent to the authorities early on, but there has been no substantial response from them, and the group's next steps have yet to be decided.
Anyone supportive or curious is very welcome to come visit or stay, and upcoming workshops and meetings are listed on the blog.
[ Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 ] [ Photos ] [ Video ] [ Blog ] [ Fee waivers explanation ]
3rd National Occupy Conference
20-01-2012 22:57
Occupy Sheffield is hosting the 3rd National Occupy Conference over the weekend 20th-22nd January 2012 at the camp outside the Cathedral, and the squatted Citadel of Hope (map).
On Saturday at 1pm was a A Rally of the 99%, "a voice for the voiceless – to raise awareness of the issues of people without a voice" in front of Sheffield Town Hall, photos and audio from the rally.
On Saturday night there a Occupy Sheffield Benefit Bonanza at the Dove and Rainbow with Roy Bailey at 8pm. Last winter Roy Bailey played a set at the Sheffield University Occupation and you can listen to that here.
Sheffield Cathedral has served court papers on Occupy Sheffield, there is to be a court hearing on Thursday 26th January and the Cathedral, representing the establishment, is trying to scare Occupy Sheffield and especially the people named in the papers with the threat of costs being awarded against them. The Citadel of Hope has been secured for a month following a court case and agreement with the owner.
Newswire: Occupy Sheffield's Rally for the 99% | Cooperatives, Credit Unions and Experience of a Social Care Coop | Richard Murphy Talk on UK Tax from Occupy Conference | What the Third National Occupy UK Conference Can Teach Us
Police Raids on Occupy Squats
10-01-2012 22:15
As UK occupations squat more buildings the police, many of whom have criminal records, are flouting the law to harass protesters, the Lords are debating making squatting residential buildings illegal, the government plans to make hundreds of thousands homeless and Occupy LSX is threatened with eviction.
On 8th January 2012 40-50 police officers raided the Railton Hotel, next to the train station in Lancaster, which had been squatted by Occupy Lancaster the day before. At approximately 8.15 pm, the police used a battering ram to break through the front door. Once they had gained entry, the police arrested the four occupants who were inside at the time. The Occupiers secured the building legally, and displayed notices of Section 6 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 on the exterior of the building, but the police paid no heed to the law and Occupy Lancaster are now seeking legal advice.
Also on 8th January undercover police arrested 3 occupiers at Occupy Liverpool on suspicion of possession; none were found to be in possession of "controlled substances". Twenty or so police then surrounded the occupied building stating that it was a crime scene and laid siege to it for 3 hours. Like Occupy Lancaster a Section 6 notice was displayed but the police acted as as if squatting was already illegal.
Later this month Occupy Sheffield will be hosting a national occupy conference in the squatted Citadel of Hope.
Newswire: Eviction - Press Release: 9/1/12 from Occupy Lancaster! | Legal help required | Police Harass Occupy Liverpool at Legal Squat | Police raid on Occupy Lancaster | Occupy Sheffield Statement on the occupation of the Citadel Of Hope | Salvation Army Citadel Occupied and renamed Citadel Of Hope
Links: Occupy Lancaster | Occupy Liverpool | Occupy Sheffield | Occupy LSX | Squatters' Action for Secure Homes
Your Education is Being Sold: Occupy the Academy!
24-11-2011 20:41
Students have once again begun a round of occupations on university campuses, this time in solidarity with the N30 day of action, and in opposition to the White Paper on Higher Education which will give the private sector almost complete control over higher education and knowledge production.
Update: Friday 25/11: The occupation of the north gate ended last night after Birmingham University gained an immediate interim possession order. There is another occupation planned today where protestors will be doing a 'run for their money'.
At Birmingham University, students have squatted an abandoned gate house on campus. Earlier this month they also occupied the University's Corporate Convention Centre. With scenes reminiscent of the 2009 occupation in solidarity with Gaza, the University attempted to deny occupiers essential supplies of food and water. In the early hours of the morning a crowd formed in solidarity with the occupiers and they managed to get past security and deliver some vital food supplies. Since then the occupiers have had a rough night and have been subjected to violence and harrasement from the University's security. At a former occupation of the University's 'Physics Bridge' a similar assault occurred. The occupiers have responded with a statement condemning the repression and victimisation. They have pointed out that the University's plans to 'prettify' the campus and it's intention to cut courses, jobs, access schemes and bursaries are completely at odds with defending universal access to education.
University occupations have also started In Edinburgh, Warwick, York, London and Cambridge. In the USA UC Davis students have been subjected to repression as they struggle against increased tuition fees and police brutality on campus. [More]
From the newswires:
'No platform for filth' | Analysis of the white paper | Rough night for Birmingham occupiers | David Willetts Silenced | St. Andrews in Third Occupation | New site occupied in Bloomsbury
Student’s squat gatehouse at University of Birmingham
23-11-2011 17:57
Last night student activists reoccupied the University of Birmingham by squatting a disused former gatehouse at the north gate. This is the second time the university has been occupied this month and was part of a day of action called by NCAFC after the N9 demo. Occupations have become a regular occurrence at the university so this time the occupation has been escalated by actually squatting a disused building.
The day of action was well publicised and the University were keen to avoid the further embarrassment of another occupation so sent out letters to all departments which included the following paragraph “The planned student protest for 23rd November is targeting University administrative hubs. Whilst the Aston Webb and other locations will be subject to the usual security measures, please consider the security of your College hub as these might also be prone to occupation.”
Despite these measures students easily managed to outwit security by beginning the occupation at around 12:40am in the morning in an unused building on the north gate. A statement on the Defend Birmingham websites states: “We have done this because despite the university and government taking increasingly regressive measures to make universities inaccessible, we are determined to keep the gates open. Our aim is to advance a set of demands centred on justice in education and educational institutions. We want people to be treated as human beings and the university to be run for public good, not as a business.”
At around 11:15 The University security started refusing entry in and out of the occupation denying the students access to food and water in an effort to drive them out. At 1:40 a crowd formed to show their support outside the building and at 1:49 managed to get past security and deliver some food.
On the newswire: University of Birmingham re-occupied - building squatted | National Day of Action – Defend Education, Fight Privatisation! | NCAFC Conference
Previous features: "You Can Shove Your Rubber Bullets Up Your Arse!": 'Total Policing' of N9 Demos |Birmingham University Students Occupy Corporate Conference Centre | Political policing in Birmingham | Council House & universities occupied: students reject cuts and fees hike
Links: Defend Birmingham
SchNEWS: "You can't evict an idea"
19-11-2011 05:29
The occupy movements around the world are reaching crunch time this week as it kicks off in New York and London is served with an eviction notice from The City of London Corporation.
On November 4th, representatives from the Occupy LSX camp met with their opposite numbers from The City of London Corporation, at the corporation's request (See SchNEWS 795). During this meeting it was proposed that as long as the camp was able to clear some space for Fire Brigade access they would be allowed to remain without legal persecution until after Christmas. The next day, as this proposal was going through consensus at the camp, the corporation added no less than 12 added extras, ranging from demanding that the camp recognised itself as unlawful, that it was trespassing and preventing freedom of movement for the public, and that the corporation had the right to sue for possession of the area -- to name but a few. These extras were not announced to the press and kept as quiet as possible. Occupy LSX rejected the terms, and responded with a few demands of their own. Demands that any other Local Authority in the country would be legally obliged to fulfil, but which The City of London Corporation remain scarily exempt from. Simply, the camp asked that the corporation: 1) Publish full, year-by-year breakdowns of the City Cash account, future and historic; 2) Make the entirety of its activities subject to the Freedom of Information Act; and 3) Detail all advocacy undertaken on behalf of the banking and finance industries, since the 2008 financial crash. The Corporation doesn't have to do any of this because it is in fact a medieval hangover (officially entitled The M*ay*or and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London)which has gone unreformed for centuries -- it's a local authority whose electorate is composed almost entirely of businesses- as such it is a powerful advocate for the financial capital. [More + list of local Occupy camps]
Latest from the Newswires:
Occupy Notts Camp | Bank Buildings occupied in London | Bristol: Occupy starts hitting its stride? | Occupy Movement: where next? | Occupy Manchester Returns | Occupy The Library | Occupy Everywhere Topic
Glimpses of a possible future
09-11-2011 13:50
Several empty buildings in Oxford have recently been opened as squatted social centres. In August an empty industrial workshop on Randolph Street was squatted. After several "Free Uni" events (sharing skills and ideas), community meals, film and info-nights the court process provided only a short delay and then eviction. The building now remains unused.
Undeterred, the social centre, known as "Plebs' College" due to the focus on free education, has re-opened on Union Street, with a multitude of weekly events. Again they are under threat of eviction from a landlord keen to demolish the place and build student flats. This space where people can gather, meet, organise and learn, as equals, free of the usual commercial or bureaucratic pressures, may be a glimpse of another society.
Meanwhile, the public occupations spreading in many countries are starting to challenge the economic system and may also evoke a freer and more equal society (though with much work still to do!).
For hints of a more brutal future, we can look at the recent eviction of Dale Farm: an entire community made homeless, while those who resist are kicked, tasered, batoned, pressured-pointed, or beaten, and the media continue their lies.
Which path we take could depend on the actions we all take in the next few years.
Sheffield Occupied!
05-11-2011 22:07
On 5th November a Occupy Sheffield camp was established outside Sheffield Cathedral (map). After discussing where to camp at a meeting on the steps of the City Hall it was agreed to set up camp at the Cathedral. Posters and flyers you can print, to spread the word, have been produced by the Sheffield Equality Group.
Following on from the start of Occupy Wall Street on 17th September 2011 there is now a global occupation movement and a growing number of occupations in the UK.
Occupy Sheffield has a web site, a StatusNet account, a Twitter account, a presence on Facebook, an email list and a wiki with a Wishlist for the camp.
Newswire: #OccupySheffield 15th October Solidarity Protest | Occupy Sheffield General Assembly 24th Oct | Occupy Sheffield Meeting Tonight | Sheffield Occupied! | Help needed at Occupy Sheffield! | Billy Bragg to sing at Occupy Sheffield | SmashEDO Tour comes to #OccupySheffield | Smash EDO Talk at Occupy Sheffield | Billy Bragg at Occupy Sheffield | Occupy Movement: where next? | Occupy Anthems - Gamblin's for Fools | The 1%'s New Battle: Selling War on Iran | Sheffield University occupied | EveryBody Out | Sheffield Occupation Official Statement | Occupy Planet Earth: Resisting the Militarisation of State Power | Sheffield University Occupation: Official Statement on the Court Injunction
UK Occupations: Bath | Birmingham | Bournemouth | Bradford | Brighton | Bristol | Cardiff | Edinburgh | Glasgow | Leeds | London Finsbury Square | London Stock Exchange | Newcastle | Norwich | Nottingham
Birmingham University Students Occupy Corporate Conference Centre
05-11-2011 10:49
On November 2nd there was a call-out for students and staff at the University of Birmingham to protest against tuition fees, cuts and privatisation. At 2pm they gathered under the University Clock tower to listen to speeches from several students about the effects the rise in tuition fees will have and the negative impacts of privatisation within education. There was concern that the Higher Education White Paper will force Universities to act more like private companies. The government argues that the introduction of competition into the sector will increase choice and quality of education for students. However many of the campaigners felt that this will create a US style model of a few elite, inaccessible universities and a large pool of underfunded poor institutions. There was also anger over the private sector-style pay rises received by the managers at the University. Last year, the Vice-Chancellor David Eastwood received an 11% pay rise increasing his pay to £392,0004. The money the University 'saved' by closing the entire Sociology Department was blown in one year on management pay rises.
Upcoming Protest: N9 Anarchist Bloc on the Student/Education demo
From the Newsire: University of Birmingham Occupied! | Why we occupy, our statement | Photos from University occupation | VIDEO: University of Birmingham Occupation
Related Features: Political policing in Birmingham | Council House & universities occupied: students reject cuts and fees hike
Links:Defend Birmingham | YouTube video
Occupy Birmingham
24-10-2011 11:07
On September 17th a group of protesters became inspired by the occupations of Tahrir Square in Eygpt, the Spanish acampadas, and occupied Wall Street in New York City. On 15th October this became a world wide movement with 1000s of city's around the world being occupied with the aims of:
"giving the power to the people. For a direct democracy in a local and global level...and once we get into the streets organize assemblies and start talking to each other and deciding how we want to do it. Let's build movements where each normal citizen has a voice. Let's just sit and talk and decide in which world we want to live, and how are we going to do it."
In Birmingham the occupation began at 10am in Victoria Square and by noon had built up to about 50 people. At one point the police harassed and escorted some people wearing V for Vendetta masks to train stations and forced them to leave the city centre. Other than this incident the police have had a very minimal presence so far.
On the newswire: Occupy Birmingham on 15th October | Gathering at Victoria Square on international protest day 15th October | Occupy Birmingham Protest | Occupy Birmingham: a camp has started | Occupy Victoria Square – Day 4 | Occupy Birmingham at the Fifth day
Related Features: Occupy! Manchester - 2nd October Tory Party Conference | As the Occupations go Global, Seven are Ongoing in the UK | Nottingham Occupation Continues | Occupy Bristol (Updated) | Occupy London, Global Day of Action #15Oct
Links: Occupy Birmingham | Twitter | Facebook
Occupy Bristol: This is just the beginning
22-10-2011 05:43
Don't forget there is a 1pm open informal meeting each day!
20th October PM: Reports are the numbers there are growing (source twitpic). The Occupy Bristol camp has agreed a statement of solidarity:
1. The current system is unsustainable. It Is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; this is where we work towards them.
2. We are of all ethnicities, backgrounds, genders, generations, sexualities, abilities and faiths. We stand together with occupations all over the world.
3. We refuse to pay for the banks’ crisis. ... The full statement is here and ends "...This is just the beginning.".
This Sunday at 2pm they have announced an open-day at the site (occupybristoluk.wordpress.com). Image via Sophia/Lockerz.com
Peaceful Occupy Melbourne protest brutally evicted
21-10-2011 15:00
After six days of peaceful occupation of the city square, and five days before the Queen is due to visit Melbourne, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle warned that if the protestors didn't leave today they would be forcibly removed. The eviction was carried out by 400 police including riot police and dogs. Horses and capsicum spray were also used to attack the crowd at various times. People stood their ground in the square before being removed one by one. Occupy Melbourne then staged a peaceful sit-in in Swanston St which was again brutally attacked. At least 65 people were arrested, most released without charge however it is believed that 5 people remain in custody. The crowd regathered at the State Library in the early evening and have vowed to gather once again - at 12PM in Federation Square, Saturday October 22nd. The struggle against social and economic inequality, against corporate greed and for a real democracy continues tomorrow on the streets of Melbourne and around the world.
Related: Occupy Melbourne Statement 3.30PM | 6PM Statement by Legal Support Team | Occupy Melbourne Press Release: Police Violence Warrants Full Inquiry | 3CR report | photos on flickr
Youtube footage of police violence:
video: protesters dragged away | video: man trampled by police horses | Occupy Melbourne - violent cop hits peaceful protester in the face | Police dogs and arrests in Swanston St | video: arrests in City Square | video: on the streets | Another violent arrest
Blog reports: Mike Stuchbery | Benjamin Solah | Green Left Weekly Live Blog | Simplicity Collective Blog | Nicola Paris
See full article to read an account of the day as it happened.
Full article | 2 additions | 7 comments
As the Occupations go Global, Nine are Ongoing in the UK
20-10-2011 00:49
On 15th October 2011 the Occupy Wall Street protests went global with over 1,000 protests around the planet. In the UK a number of towns and cities saw occupy actions which are ongoing. Birmingham protestors met at Victoria Square, [ 1 | 2 ] and started their on-going occupation. A small protest took place in Sheffield and Cardiff. Several thousand attended a rally in London, where despite a show of force by the Met, a General Assembly was held and tents pitched in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. In Scotland, tents were pitched in Glasgow's George Square and Edinburgh's St. Andrew's Square. Ongoing occupations also started in, Norwich, Nottingham, Newcastle and Bristol [ 1 | 2 ]. These occupations joined Manchester which had already been in Occupation since October 3rd, when a camp was started in Albert Square, which later moved to the Peace Gardens after negotiations with the council and police. Future occupations are being discussed in many other places.
On the newswires: Birmingham 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Sheffield | Cardiff | London feature | Glasgow 1 | 2 | Edinburgh | Newcastle | Bristol 1 | 2 | Manchester | Nottingham feature | Norwich | Rome | Vienna | Analysis: Shift Magazine | 'Towards the end of the state'
Ongoing Occupations: UK: [ occupybritain.co.uk | Wiki | Facebook | Twitter ] | Birmingham: [ Occupy Birmingham | Facebook | Twitter ] | London: [ occupylsx.org | occupylondon.org.uk | Facebook | Twitter | Live Stream ] Nottingham: [ Twitter | Facebook ] | Edinburgh: [ occupyedinburgh.org | Live Stream | Twitter: occed | OccupyEdinburgh | Facebook ] Glasgow: [ occupyglasgow.org | Twitter | Facebook ] Manchester: [ Facebook | Twitter ] Bristol: [ occupybristol.noblogs.org | Twitter | Facebook ] Newcastle: [ occupynewcastle.org | Twitter | Facebook | Norwich: [Facebook ]
Occupy Movement Spreading Throughout Southern California Region
17-10-2011 07:38
Demonstrations also took place in Riverside, San Diego, Orange County, Santa Barbara and Long Beach.
In San Diego Mark Conlan reports: Despite attacks by police wielding pepper spray and Mace, confiscation of their possession and a series of threats to evict them forcibly from the Civic Center Plaza, over 1,000 members and supporters of Occupy San Diego reclaimed their downtown space
In Riverside Rockero reports: Just under 100 people of conscience successfully held the pedestrian walkway of the downtown mall, despite police threats of arrest for those determined to sleep in the public thoroughfare.
Reports from the Newswire: We are the 99% World Day of Awareness is a Peaceful Peak for Los Angeles, Set 1, Set 2, Set 3 by Robert Stuart Lowden | Pix of Occupy LA by Rick Panna | Occupy San Diego Draws Thousands Downtown Oct. 15 by Mark Gabrish Conlan | Occupy Riverside Official Launch October 15, 2011 by Rockero
UPDATE Latest News:
- Police Crack Down on Long Beach Encampment, Two Arrests Reported, MP3 Audio: The 99 Percent Solution by James Maverick
- Police Harass Peaceful Occupiers in Downtown Riverside By Rockero
Police close down overnight camp after thousands attend Occupy Sydney
15-10-2011 18:23
About 3000 people attended Occupy Sydney today. A camp was set up in Martin Place outside the Reserve Bank with people staying overnight. The atmosphere was peaceful and nonviolent. There was a related protest occurring in Sydney - Rally for Refugees outside the Sydney Town Hall which many people also attended.
Just before 10pm police started massing and then moved in taking down all tents and other structures. Tweets from @kateausburn from 10pm report that Police are removing tents Photo for #occupysydney at Martin Place. One activist U-locked himself to one of the garbage trucks, which then involved the police rescue squad having to remove the lock. Photo - Police removing neck lock. With police having impounded camping equipment and sleeping bags, they then backed off. A General meeting around 10.40pm voted to stay and continue the occupation over night.
Related: Occupy Sydney Website | Day 1 at Occupy Sydney Photos | Occupy Sydney Panorama Photos | Kate Ausburn Occupy Sydney photoset on flickr | More photos including of police action | Occupy events around Australia
Occupy Melbourne joins day of global solidarity
15-10-2011 18:14
The Occupy Melbourne day in Melbourne's City Square kicked off with approximately 750 people and a large number of police. Approximately 20 tents have been set up from various groups including refugee support and campaign groups, the gay marriage campaign, an indigenous tent, kids' spaces, and many others. People are busy making signs and placards with calls for solidarity. Throughout today and subsequent days there will be workshops, and a General Assembly at 4pm weekends or 6pm on weekdays.
The Occupy Melbourne kitchen group has a wishlist - if you can help please donate.
Photos: Occupy Melbourne Flickr stream | Twitter: Occupy Melbourne Twitter feed using #occupymelb. For other Australian cities use: #occupybris #occupysydney #occupyperth #occupyadelaide | Occupy events around Australia
Blog Reports: Day 1 of Occupy Melbourne by Benjamin Solah | Occupy Melbourne: some initial thoughts by Jeff Sparrow | Mike Stuchberry on Occupying Melbourne
Youtube: Melbourne: Why I Occupy | We are the 99% | Occupy Max Brenner Melbourne no blood chocolates | Occupy Melbourne Day 1
Occupy London, Global Day of Action #15Oct
15-10-2011 15:50
The LSX Occupation is continuing and the day-to-day running of the site is improving with campers and supporters holding strong. The goal now will be to hold out, engage with supporters and to spread the message of their demands beyond the occupation. With many actions on the horizon like the direct action against Balfour Beatty, the Disabilty Rally this Saturday, the Jarrow marchers on 5th Nov, Student Marches on 9th Nov and the National Union Strikes on 30th Nov we are likely to see many connections being made across the movement. Other occupations continue in; Bristol, Nottingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with many more smaller ones across the country.
Initial Timelines: Day One | Day Two | Day Three
Ongoing Live Video streams: Occupy London | Worldwide streams | Tumblewire updates
Day1: Reports + Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 Video: 1 Analysis: 1
Day2: Reports + Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 Videos of General assembly: 1 | 2 | Video Interviews: 1
Day3: Reports: working group report back | 2 | 3 | 4 Analysis: 1
Day4: General Assembly report back
Day5: Blackfriars electrician blockade | Video link
Day6: BHP Billiton AGM Protest, + site pics and report | Thursday report \ update
Day7: Cathedral closes - Letter + reaction | Friday update | Pics | Video
Occupy Chicago Efforts Mark One Week, Join 130+ Other U.S. Cities
03-10-2011 08:00
Occupy Chicago, merely a week old, has already drawn hundreds of grassroots protesters, who "march…each day…After an hour long general assembly meeting, demonstrators headed through the financial district, Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile and back to base camp to once more spread messages of solidarity, positivity and persistence in the face of a political system that’s left 99% of Americans without a real voice in governance…While it may be young and still trying to get organized, the movement to Occupy America is growing and cohering. And though many went home after Saturday’s march, more than a hundred stayed to continue organizing and evangelizing, with no plans to leave until they feel their job is done." Read more: Dancing with the Dispossessed - One Week into Occupy Chicago
Update: Occupy Chicago threatened by Chicago police to stop
Additional Coverage: Lessons Learned from Occupy Wall Street | Five Things that Occupy Wall Street Did Right | Occupy Chicago Entering Day 6 | Protestors Occupy Chicago in Solidarity with Occupy Wall St NY | An American Spring is Possible | Open Letter to Occupy Chicago
Outside Resources: Think Progress; NY Times' Andrew Ross Sorking Sneers at Occupy Wall Street | Protests Work Better with Specific Demands | Occupy Wall Street Makes Its Own Media | In These Times' coverage of Occupy Chicago | Chicago Talks: The Local Angle on Occupy Chicago
| Chicago Traders respond to protesters with signs reading "We are the 1%"
Social Media Resources: Tumblr | Twitter | Live Video Stream
Full article | 1 addition | 5 comments
Occupy! Manchester - 2nd October Tory Party Conference
21-09-2011 08:33
After the ‘March for the Alternative’ in London on March 26th, thousands of people joined the TUC ‘Birmingham for the Alternative’ march on the Lib Dem conference on Sunday September 18th. There was a wide range of trade union participation, especially from public sector unions who recently announced a new wave of national strikes for November 30th. Student activists were also present, with a banner drop by the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts reminding conference delegates of Nick Clegg’s broken promises of opposing rises in tuition fees.
Plans for a third TUC demonstration, the Manchester ‘March for the Alternative’, are underway for the first day of the Conservative Party conference on October 2nd. Tens of thousands are expected to march past the conference centre and the ‘ring of steel’ around it, protesting against an agenda of cuts and austerity for the benefit of the rich. A coalition of anarchists, socialists, trade union activists, student unions and democracy campaigners, dubbed Occupy! Manchester, are also calling for an occupation of Albert Square, outside Manchester Town Hall, to create an assembly of protest on the doorstep of the Tory’s conference, and a place for real debate and discussion about the alternatives.
Plans for occupations and assemblies in Britain have been inspired by the large and vibrant student protests that took place last winter and by the popular demonstrations elsewhere. In New York, people’s assemblies were held on Wall Street on September 17th, the occupation there is on-going with a 24 hour camp in Liberty Plaza. a ‘March to Brussels’ has so far reached Paris. In London, another national student demonstration has been called for November 9th.
Links: Occupy Wall Street | Occupy Manchester | Occupy Glasgow