UK Newswire Archive
Oppose the Counter-Terrorism Bill: Lobby of Parliament - 29 Nov
27-11-2007 10:16
National Campaign against ‘Anti-Terror’ PowersOPPOSE THE COUNTER-TERRORISM BILL AND EXTENSION OF DETENTION WITHOUT CHARGE
LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT
Thursday 29 November 2-6 pm Westminster, London.
PUBLIC MEETING 6.30-8.30 pm in Committee Room 2A
Please allow 30 minutes for security clearance. Get to Committee Room 2A by 6.20 p.m. People to be seated by 6.30 p.m. for prompt start.
Hosted by Lord Rea
Speakers include Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, Gareth Peirce, Sarah Teather MP, Elfyn Llwyd MP; Aamer Anwar, Scottish Criminal Defence Lawyer, Mahan Abedin, Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Asim Qureshi, Cageprisoners
http://cageprisoners.com/ The Counter-Terrorism Bill 2007 reinforces a trend beginning with the Terrorism Act 2000, whose broad definition of terrorism criminalised normal political activities, potentially on the basis of suspected ‘association’. This law was followed by three more in 2001, 2005, 2006; these multiplied extra police powers (e.g. arbitrary stop-and-search), punishment without trial and treatment of ‘suspects’ as guilty, thus bypassing due process. Together these laws have normalised detention without trial under various guises, such as control orders and immigration rules, whereby the accused never see the evidence against them.
A national campaign is bringing together civil liberties activists, migrant groups, Muslim groups, lawyers, journalists, academics, trade unions and environmental campaigners amongst others. The campaign opposes all current anti-terror laws as well as their extension. This broad approach will help to involve everyone affected by those powers, could deter their use, and will provide extra reasons to oppose their extension.
We invite you to join the lobby of Parliament and public meeting on 29th November, to write to your MP and encourage others to do so. Other activities of the campaign, which you could join or start, include:-
· Putting anti terror laws on the agenda of local organisations, such as anti-war groups, religious groups, civil society associations and trade unions.
· Organising local public meetings and building local coalitions.
· Holding high street stalls to raise awareness and gather signatures for petition.
· Giving out information outside community centres and places of worship.
· Sending letters to the mass media, local media plus articles in alternative media.
· Petitioning MPs to vote against any extension of ‘anti-terror’ powers, with delegations to the office of your constituency MP. (See model letter to MPs on our website.)
Groups which have joined the campaign
1990 Trust, Baluch Human Rights Group, Cageprisoners , Campaign Against Criminalising Communities, Campaign Against Racism and Fascism, Centre for the Study of Terrorism, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, Index on Censorship, Institute for Policy Research and Development, Islamic Human Rights Commission, Justice not Vengeance, J7; The July 7th Truth Campaign, Kurdish Federation UK, London Guantanamo Campaign, Muslim Parliament, Panjaab National History Society, Peace & Progress; Peace and Justice in East London; Scotland Against Criminalising Communities, South Asia Solidarity Group, Stop the War Coalition, Sheffield Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), Sheffield Guantanamo Campaign, Solidarity (Scotland’s Socialist Movement) Tamil Campaign for Truth and Justice, Tamil Centre for Human Rights.
The sell-off of Britain Plc: Revenue and Customs loses personal details of 25mil
27-11-2007 09:56
WSWS : News & Analysis : Europe : Britain
The sell-off of Britain Plc: Revenue and Customs loses personal details of 25 million
By Julie Hyland
27 November 2007
Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author
A number of extraordinary revelations over the last week are indicative of a deep malaise surrounding the Brown government, leading some to suggest that its days are numbered less than six months since the “seamless transition” from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown.
The 4th East Midlands Vegan Festival, 8th December 2007
27-11-2007 09:24
Demo agenst extream right at Oxford Union
27-11-2007 08:52
Anti-fascist action on the streets of Oxford
27-11-2007 02:32
2007 Benn Lecture - Andrew Gilligan
27-11-2007 01:31
Full article | 1 addition | 3 comments
London Underground Adverts in Buy Nothing Day action
26-11-2007 20:59
Full article | 1 addition | 2 comments
Jahongir Sidikov facing deportation for torture on Wednesday 28th November
26-11-2007 20:47
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2007/11/airport_roundup.html
Home Office Consultation - Protesting around parliament
26-11-2007 19:51
Recently the Home Office released a consultation paper to gauge the public's feelings around protesting in and around Parliament. This is an opportunity to let our thoughts and feelings be known.Fur Demo in London, Saturday December 1st!
26-11-2007 19:23
'Unlike the rest of the UK where the fur trade has largely been stopped, London, and in particular the area around where the march will will take place, is still a major centre of the fur trade.'Think Not 'Global' Warming - Think 'Oceans' Warming
26-11-2007 19:20
Global warming seems mysterious to most ofus. A 1 degree rise in annual global temperature
sounds minuscule, doesn't it....... until you
remember that the oceans are involved ........
... very heavily involved.
The oceans are simply unfathomably immense!
Their mass is actually incomprehensible, being
70% of the earth's surface (310 million cubic miles).
If you could stack water 100 cubic miles long and
100 cubic miles wide, that column would reach
31,000 miles into outer space. That is truly an
astronomical amount of water!
Tragedy and Travesty at Annapolis
26-11-2007 18:17
ALERT: Annapolis a Charade: Olmert Plotting Massive AggressionIn Germany, according to historian Richard Evans, in 1931-1932, if enough Germans of conscience had begun to say No -- history would have had an entirely diferent outcome.
If we go any further down this road the tears will be those of conservatives as well as progressives. They will be (Israeli) tears.
The time for weeping has to stop; the time for confronting must begin.
Adapted from "American Tears"
www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-wolf/american-tears_b_68141.html
The timing is interesting, given the upcoming "Annapolis Conference", which serves to be about PR alone, as Olmert has already ruled out any Negotiations or Compromise in the name of peace.
If you follow the events surrounding Israel's "Disengagement" from Gaza, you will quickly understand that this was the plan all along. While Israel was making a public spectacle of "forcing Jews to leave their homes", it was quietly surrounding the Strip with artillery emplacements, in an operation ominously named "First Rain".
Under this operation, Gaza basically became a "Free-Fire Zone", and several artillery and gunship strikes killed a high number of civilians. Finally, when one of these batteries fired upon and murdered a Palestinian family - picnicking on a beach that had been Segregated "Jews Only" only weeks before, Hamas finally decided to call an end to its unilateral, two-year cease-fire.
(In essence, they took Israel's bait. After all, you can't excuse your Aggression and label it "defense" if you're not being intermittently attacked. Never mind the hypocrisy underlying the entire media's framing of that whole debate ...)
When the Palestinians responded by electing Hamas to power (yes, elected), Israeli Extremists and their Ideological, bought foreign co-conspirators imposed unilateral sanctions on Gaza, a bit of Collective Punishment which increased the hardship of those stuck in the world's largest Concentration Camp.
When they felt Gaza had been substantially weakened, the US and Israel undertook a Coup attempt, using corrupt elements within the Fatah Party, provoking a violent response by Hamas, which expelled the group. Most of the world's media ignored the events leading to this "crisis", and instead only repeated the Propaganda emanating from the US and Israel, which used this to further increase sanctions against Gaza.
Most recently, Israel stepped up its Collective Punishment, except that human rights groups and legal advisors to the Government halted some of its approved measures, because they run contrary to International Humanitarian Law.
This was sold as another "response to rocket attacks" (again highlighting the hypocrisy of the debate's Framing - are the Palestinians allowed to defend themselves from strikes which actually KILL people ... ?), even though high-ranking officials said that this was NOT, in fact, a response to these attacks, but a way to "distance Israel from Gaza's infrastructure".
The real reason for this whole episode, of course, has been to "soften up" the Gaza Strip for a long-planned military attack, a way to undermine the resolve, and hopefully rid this territory of Palestinians altogether.
Olmert signalled long ago that he would not entertain any serious discussions at this summit, essentially selling out the Israeli public's desire for peace.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/11/386082.html
Police State
26-11-2007 18:04
A look at how increased security might effect day to day life in LondonNo CCTV on Cowley Road campaign group releases report
26-11-2007 17:48
No CCTV has presented the case against CCTV in a 23-page Interim Report. The Report considers the use of surveillance cameras in the UK with particular reference to proposed schemes in East Oxford.Half Price Sale's in Knightsbridge
26-11-2007 17:33
Facts Surrounding Israel's Collective Punishment of Gaza
26-11-2007 16:39
When Israel assured the world last week that there would be "no humanitarian problems" regarding these impending fuel cuts, its government spokespeople were simply lying through their collective teeth.Those assurances were simply crafted for the consumption of the international community, and have absolutely no relationship to the even further suffering Gazans will begin to experience starting next weekend.
Audio from Camden PSC Palestine Solidarity Festival
26-11-2007 15:53
Palestine Today 112607
26-11-2007 15:51
FIT Watch protesters to challenge the legality of police surveillance.
26-11-2007 14:25
This week, two separate court cases will challenge the legality of police surveillance. Both cases involve two women who are accused of obstructing the police in1 the execution of their duty.Nice photos from Nantes student struggles
26-11-2007 14:01
Yes there are four albums of photos of recent events in Nantes, France. Photos of the occupations, barricades, demos, grafitti and more