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Uni of Nottingham occupied in anti-fees protest
As part of a second day of action against fees and cuts, students at Nottingham University have occupied The Great Hall in The Trent Building on University Park. Occupiers are encouraging to supporters to visit them. Donations of food, bedding etc are welcome. A third day of action is planned for Saturday 4th December (note this was originally planned for Sunday, but has been brought forward). Links: Voices from occupied Nottingham | Uni of Nottingham Occupation: Update | Interview with occupier | Photos from Student Rally and Occupation | Uni of Nottingham Occupation Previous occupation: Nottingham Gaza solidarity occupation violently evicted | Nottingham university occupied in solidarity with Gaza National action: Student Resistance Spreads
Radcliffe Camera becomes Radical Campus
One of Oxford University's most emblematic buildings, the Radcliffe Camera library, was occupied for around 30 hours last week by students and residents campaigning against education cuts. The occupation followed a mass demo and was part of a national day of action. The occupiers demanded the University oppose the cuts, and commit not to raise fees, privatise or punish those involved. They called for free and public education for all, and put this into practice by holding teach-ins, mass meetings and dancing in the newly liberated space, while the upstairs room was reserved for quiet study. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the authorities stopped this 'Free University' from thriving by doing their best to prevent people coming in, and, after the occupiers refused to compromise on their demands, by smashing their way in and aggressively evicting everyone. Meanwhile an anti-cuts demo on Saturday led to an impromptu bank occupation and a second day of action on Tuesday saw the County Council offices briefly occupied, Castle Hill reclaimed and shopping centres invaded! [ RadCam reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 ] [ RadCam videos: 1 | 2 | 3 ]
Student Resistance Spreads
Edinburgh University Occupation is keeping a list of all occupations regularly updated. For more information about resistance to the cuts, see the anti cuts website.
Council House & universities occupied: students reject cuts and fees hike
On Tuesday 30th November school students and university students took to the streets over cuts which will leave higher education out of reach for working class students. The city Council House chambers were taken over by students staging a sit-down protest and a list of demands put to the City Council. On Wednesday 24th November students at both Birmingham university and Warwick university showed solidarity with all future generations intending to enter higher education. The universities were occupied to resist the cuts to education and the £12,000 a year fee hikes which would make Britain one of the most expensive countrys in the world to study. These attacks on education are part of a wider neo-liberal experiment, where swathes of public services are planned to be 'marketised', opening up a large sector of the economy to corporate profiteering.
Sheffield University Occupied in Opposition to Education Cuts
Students from schools, colleges and the universities demonstrated in the city centre on 24th of November in protest at the increase in tuition fees and education cuts. Following this students occupied the Hicks Building at Sheffield University. One of the occupying students explained the reason for this: "We are occupying for a variety of reasons but generally around the common purpose of being against the cuts in this university, to other universities and to education in general. Particularly we want to demonstrate against the proposed rise in tuition fees and the ongoing privatisation of higher education. However, we are also tying our actions to a wider struggle against austerity measures and cuts." The University evicted the occupation the following day. On the same day there was a massive turn out for the launch of the Sheffield Anti-Cuts Campaign, listen to the speeches from the meeting. See also the recording of the Defending the state? Welfare cuts and the social wage meeting held in early November. A second day of national protests has called for Tuesday 30th November 2010, assemble at Sheffield University students union campus on Western Bank at 12.00 noon to march to Nick Clegg’s office. Newswire: Sheffield Marches on Clegg 30th Nov | Short Video of Student Protest in Sheffield on 24th November | University Security Attempt to Evict Student Occupation at Sheffield | Sheffield Anti cuts Alliance Meeting | Sheffield Against Cuts Meeting and March To Sheffield Uni Occupation | Sheffield Students Demo: Images Of The Police | Sheffield Students Demo: Images | Sheffield Students Demo | University of Sheffield Occupies! | Interview with an anarchist student occupier at Sheffield University | Sheffield Students Protest Against the Cuts | Statement from NUT executive members in support of the school walk outs Links: Sheffield Occupation | Sheffield Occupation Messages of Support
Walk-outs for the future of education
In Leeds today over one thousand students walked out to demonstrate against the Government spending cuts. The demonstration was friendly with slogans such as, "Education is a right","Fib Dems" and "Fuck Capitalism not students". The students were joined with school children from Allerton Grange, Ilkely Grammar, Lawnswood and more. There is also a video of the demo. Other UK Demos: Manchester, London [1] [2] [3] [4] , Birmingham, Lancaster Other news: Student Protest on Campus At Sheffield, Manchester, Southampton University, UWE Under Occupation, Royal Holloway, Student protest in London.
UK-wide Student Resistance to the Cuts
Update: A Second DayX has been called for 30th November. [ 2 | 3 | List of planned DayX2 actions ] On Wednesday 24 November, tens of thousands of students walked out of their Schools, Colleges and Universities in protest against the cuts and austerity measures, whilst others occupied theirs. Reports, updates, further action and advice for students in full article. Read on...
Protest at Queens visit to the Nuclear Death Park in Rotherham
On 18th October the Queen's visited Sheffield and the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Catcliffe, was greeted by protestors. The press release for the event didn't mention the arms industry related work that takes place there but simply stated that, "The Nuclear AMRC is a new collaboration between the University of Sheffield and the University of Manchester, with the backing of the Government and leading companies involved in building the new generation of civil nuclear power stations." The day before, Stuart Parkinson, executive director of Scientists for Global Responsibility, speaking at the Sheffield CND AGM exposed the often used argument about job creation for facilities of this nature — only 3,000 are employed in the defence sector in the Yorkshire and Humberside region and the money invested could generate far more jobs in sustainable industries. Newswire: Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre Protest | Protest at the Queen's visit to the Rotherham Death Park | Royal Visit to Death Park! 18th Nov. 2010 | Nuclear Dawn at Rotherhams Advanced Manufacturing Park | Stuart Parkinson: Arms Conversion for a Low Carbon Economy
SchNEWS 748: Hissy F.I.T
Following the student riots in central London last week (see SchNEWS 747), on Monday evening the Met Police told the hosts of the FIT WATCH website to close it down on the grounds that it was “being used to undertake criminal activities”. In a letter from the police, the company Justhost.com were warned that the website was being used in an attempt “to pervert the course of justice”, demanding that it be taken down for twelve months. Before this could happen several other sites published the offending text from Fitwatch, which was advice to the students facing arrest after smashing up the Tory HQ. Fitwatch is now back online. Newswire: Fitwatch website suspended for "attempting to pervert the course of justice" | Police Fitwatch Blog Censorship Attempt Laughed Off By Internet | "We're Back" - http://www.fitwatch.org.uk back online | The email that closed the fitwatch site | Last Fitwatch post before the site was suspended | FW Press Release:Police shut down activist website | http://fitwatch.org.uk has been suspended | Fitwatch website suspended for "attempting to pervert the course of justice" | FITWATCH SUSPENDED: Show Solidarity & Make Sure The Students Are Well Advised
SchNEWS 747: Gorle-Blimey!
Over 3,000 anti-nuclear protesters took part in the blockading of a shipment of nuclear waste into north-western Germany this week. After activists and local communities spent four days blocking them at every turn, the toxic containers finally arrived at their Gorleben destination on Tuesday (2nd). On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 In SchNEWS: 2008 | 2001 | 1998 | 1996 |
Student anti-cuts demo in London
Latest: 24th November – National Student Walkout | Statement from the Sussex Occupation | Fitwatch website suspended for "attempting to pervert the course of justice" Over 50,000 students traveled to London from around the UK today, Wednesday November 10th. Marchers congregated in Horse Guards Avenue in Central London before marching past Westminster and the Houses of Parliament to Millbank. From there, it was just a short distance to the Tory Headquarters at 30 Millbank, where protesters made their feelings known (Rooftop occupation). The demonstration had been called by the National Union of Students and the University and Colleges Union, and comes a week after a similar demonstration attended by 25,000 people in Dublin, Ireland (Interviews with students on the Irish march). Reports and photos from the newswire: Pictures From Student Demo | Millbank Occupied as 50,000 Protest Education Cuts | student cuts demo - pics from parliament square | “Tory Scum, Education is a Right”… | Nick Clegg cancels visit to Oxford | Students march against cuts, occupy Conservative Party HQ | First hand reports from the storming of the Tory Scum HQ | Press Release: Anarchist Federation | Students Show the Way – Honours All Round for the Millbank Protesters | Millbank – what happened, and how can we build on it? Video: The Siege Of Millbank Solidarity with the arrested protesters: November 10th Demonstrator Defence Campaign | Statement of solidarity with students arrested | Advice for students fearing arrest Propaganda: Millbank poster - an attack on one... | Millbank Tiny Minority Poster | No One Likes A Rat - Defend the Millbank Protesters - Poster Con-Dem Cuts Spark More University Occupations: Manchester Uni Occupation | Sussex Uni occupation tonight!
Demos, a banner drop and a takeover - this month’s Anti-Cuts Campaign
Oxford's anti-cuts campaign, a network of service users, unions and student groups, rapidly mobilised an escalating succession of protests in the last two weeks against the planned demolition of the welfare state by the ConDem government. About 200 people rallied during a day of action against the cuts in Bonn Square on 20th Oct, coinciding with the release of the Comprehensive Spending Review. There were speeches and several people gave us their reactions to the cuts. That same morning, activists dropped a banner on Carfax Tower. The Oxford Education Campaign, a group of hundreds of Oxford and Oxford Brookes students mobilising independently of their student unions, organised over 1000 protesters to march on the day of Vince Cable’s (Government Business Secretary) scheduled visit (28th Oct). Vince Cable embarrassingly cancelled his talk, but the march occurred as planned and police cordons were broken several times. Within 48 hours of the education march, the local Vodafone shop on Cornmarket was taken over by 30 protesters as part of a national action against the company, in which over 21 shops were occupied around the UK, for its widely reported £6bn tax evasion. Throughout the month, the Oxford Save Our Services campaign spoke to the BBC, ITV, and others about the prospect of losing their services. SOS also leafleted in central and East Oxford and engaged with the community about the cuts. Next steps [ Bonn Sq rally: 1 | 2 | 3 | demotix ] [ banner drop ] [ education demo: 1 | 2 | 3 elsewhere: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]
Anti-cuts Actions against Vodafone continue...
Once again this weekend there were Anti-cuts occupations of Vodafone high street stores. In Bristol activists picketed and shutdown the vodafone in protest against corporate tax evasion and government cuts [2]. Student protesters once again activated a shut-down of a Vodafone store in Birmingham city centre in larger numbers, coinciding with People and Planet's annual gathering. In Glasgow activists announced that they were occupying the premises as a protest to the £6bn in tax that the company avoided when public services are being slashed to ribbons. There was another successful action in Clumber Street, Nottingham including a critique of the slogans used. In Cambridge over 20 people occupied the Vodafone shop in the Grand Arcade, three arrests were made, later released without charge. Other actions took place in London, Newcastle and Brighton. Get involved in your area. On the last weekend in October a series of sit-in actions and blockades managed to close down at least 21 Vodafone stores across the UK. Bringing a new generation of protest out onto the High Streets in full view of the public, gathering much support, people could see that direct action was effective and we would not sit back and take the cuts. See upcoming actions and meetings this week.
Devonport Dockyard Blockaded - Fourteen Arrests
Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth was blockaded on the morning of 1 November in an action called by the Plymouth-based Trident Ploughshares (TP) group, The Tamarians. Devonport Dockyard refits, maintains and upgrades the submarines which carry Britain's Trident nuclear weapon system, which has been declared illegal under international law. The yard is also increasingly becoming the dumping ground for old and out of service nuclear submarines, posing a further radioactive contamination hazard to the quarter of a million people who live nearby. The aim of the blockade was to close all gates to the shipyard from 6am. Fourteen people were arrested during the action. Pre-action announcements on the newswire: Trident is Cancer: Cut it Out | Devonport Blockade - Press Release | 5 days to go to the Devonport Blockade Reports and photos on the newswire: Wrexham Vigil | First hand account from the Devonport blockade | Manor House Vigil | The Day of the Dead blockade Other reports and photos: Photos from Blockade | Demo at Charles Cross Police Station | Anti-Trident Protest in Pictures | More pics from Monday's action | Pics from Swiss contingent | Links to press coverage | Dan's pics
Callout to Defend Huntington Lane!
There has been a callout on the newswire to defend the Huntington Lane protest camp. The coal protest camp based at the foot of the Wrekin near Telford in Shropshire is resisting attempts by UK Coal to destroy an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. UK Coal plans to extract 900,000 tonnes of poor quality coal, in a huge open cast operation over the next few years. The plans include destroying parts of an ancient woodland and will be responsible for a minimum of 1,500,000 tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. Links: Defend Huntington Lane: Photo report and call-out (Part 1) | Defend Huntington Lane: Photo report and call-out (Part 2) | Defend Huntington Lane | 4 November callout Previous feature: Don't Wreck The Wrekin
SchNEWS 745: Serious Organised Crime
The six defendants in the second SHAC trial were hammered with vicious sentences this week. The harshest sentence was the six years handed down to 53 year old Sarah Whitehead. Sentences for the other defendants Tom Harris. Nicole Vosper, Jason Mullan, Nicola Tapping and Alfie Fitzpatrick ranged from a two year suspended sentence for the youngest, Alfie, to three and a half years for Nicole Vosper. All the defendants also copped lengthy ASBOs, which will prevent them from any further participation in animal rights activism. On the Newswire: In SchNEWS: 581 | 586 | 616 | 630 | 652 | 660 | 663 | 666 | 667 | 688 | 738 Links: www.shac.net | www.schac7.com |
Mark Kennedy/Stone exposed as undercover cop
Mark Kennedy AKA Mark Stone, who lived in Nottingham, has been exposed as having worked as an undercover police officer and this has been confirmed by Nottingham Indymedia and endorsed by other activist groups. From 2000 to at least the end of 2009, Mark Kennedy was a well-known face in the local activist community and was actively involved in various environmental, animal rights, anti-capitalist and anti-fascist groups and campaigns. Investigations into his identity revealed evidence that he has been a police officer and a face-to-face confession has confirmed this. The people involved in confronting Mark and getting his confession from him make clear that for security reasons no more information can be made public at this stage. Activist Security Advice: Infiltrators, Informers and Grasses how, why and what to do if your group is targeted (PDF) from activistsecurity.org | Informants, Infiltrators & Provocateurs from security.resist.ca Related Infiltration Articles: Heathrow Protesters Uncover Spy Plot | Indymedia and British Intelligence Services | Police caught on tape trying to recruit protester as spy | Antifa Statement on Police Informant Matthew Gibbons | NZ: The beauty of hindsight - police informant caught after 10 years | Undercover policeman reveals how he infiltrated UK's violent activists | Observer exposes police spy in the Socialist Party
G4S guards accused of killing deportee
Three G4S security guards are accused of causing the death of Jimmy Mubenga, who died during his forcible deportation on a British Airways flight to Angola on 12th October. Eye witnesses told the Guardian how the 46-year-old man was being "heavily restrained by security guards and had complained of breathing problems before he collapsed." The three men have since been questioned by police and bailed until December pending further inquires. In response to the government's deafening silence, on 15th October activists from South London plastered the area from Elephant and Castle to Peckham with posters holding witness statements and other info about Jimmy's murder. From the Newswire: Group 4 murder Angolan migrant during deportation | Unacceptable death of Jimmy Mubenga | Jimmy Mubenga posters in South London | Dover detainees demand 'proper investigation' | The Angolan death on BA77 at Heathrow
SchNEWS 744: To The Manor Osbourne
Thousands have marched, a government department has been broken into, and a Scottish branch of Lloyds TSB has been occupied by pissed-off pensioners...It must be the (OK, somewhat quiet compared to France) start of the anti-cuts revolt! On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Sheffield Protests Against the Cuts
On Saturday 23rd October 2010 the Yorkshire and Humber TUC held a regional protest against the cuts outside Sheffield Town Hall. The protest was joined by a march from Sheffield University. On Wednesday 20th October, there was a protest outside the Town Hall organised by UNISON, the day the Con/Dem government announced "spending cuts of 25 percent and more across most departments" which target people on welfare, rather than the rich. Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, described these cuts as "the most brutal assault on public services, jobs and living standards since the 1930's and show that the ConDem government are prepared to force working people to carry the can for an economic crisis cooked up in the boardrooms and on the trading floors. This is all-out class war with its roots firmly planted in the playing fields of Eton." Links: Rally photos and audio | March photos |
Latest: 4th December there is a 
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