Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

UK Newswire Archive

Full article

At 9.15PM today ClimateCamp took the site at RBS HQ.

18-08-2010 21:57

Climate Camp 2010 We can now tell you is 2 RBS Gogarburn gardens, come via Gogar Station Rd. Very close to Edinburgh Centre.

Full article

Support Gaza protester in Court of Appeal – Tuesday 24 August

18-08-2010 21:32

Demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London WC2A 2LL

Tuesday 24 August, 9am onwards (Martin’s appeal against the length of his sentence is listed for 10.30am

Full article

Beat The Boreholes Continues to Disrupt Shell's Plans

18-08-2010 20:35

Rossport Solidarity Campers interrupt Shell's drilling programme yet again the day after Niall Harnett's release from prison

Yesterday lunchtime, nine kayakers from Rossport Solidarity Camp, with their team of volunteers and local campaigners in support roles on dry land, successfully interrupted Shell's borehole survey drilling programme in Sruth Fhada Conn for several hours yesterday.

Opposed by twelve assorted Garda and Shell security boats

Full article

Consider how the Mainstream Media functions

18-08-2010 20:23

A short video as an intro to what Indymedia is, and why it is needed in this corporate age. Intended to try to encourage people to come along to the next IMC Northern England open collective meeting at the Common Place, Leeds on Sunday 5th September 2010, 12pm til 4pm.

Indymedia is a participatory project, it needs people like you to write as well as read the news in order to survive. Coming along to a meeting gives you a direct say in how we provide this resource, and the direction in which we go. Don't hate the media, BE THE MEDIA.

Full article | 4 comments

Manchester Class Struggle Forum #6 - Class Struggle In China (tomorrow!)

18-08-2010 19:06

The next meeting of the Manchester Class Struggle Forum will take place on the subject of class struggle in China.

Full article

Palestine Today 08 18 2010

18-08-2010 16:48

Audio
Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East
Media Center, www.imemc.org, for Wednesday, August 18th, 2010.

Full article | 6 comments

English Defence League Dudley meet in Poets Corner pub tonight opposite Hospital

18-08-2010 16:06

The English Defence League are a racist, Zionist led Islamophobic organisation who have rioted in Dudely, attacked family homes in Dudley scaring children, smashed cars, smashed shops, put a pigs head on a Mosque, staged roof top protests & encouraged a minor from the English Defence Youth member Bodie Holt to stage a roof top protest. They meet tonight in Poets Corner pub in Dudley.

Full article | 6 comments

Working Class Bookfair Saturday 21st August 2010 Sunderland 11-5pm

18-08-2010 14:39

On Saturday 21st August 2010 Sunderland 11-5pm there will be a regional progressive bookfair.

Full article

2nd Leeds Queer Film Fest, September 22-27th

18-08-2010 14:38

Five evenings of queer cinema… come for gender-bending cinema that makes you think… queer trash and horror in the campest of settings… features and shorts that take us beyond the queer ‘scene’… take in some history and current struggles in the queer world

Full article

Risks, Opencast Mining and the River Mease SAC

18-08-2010 13:24

Pictures off the web of allegedly a UK Coal owned dumper truck bursting into flames raise questions about how safe the Minorca Application will be as a Special Area of Conservation dissects the site 

MOPG PR 72) DRAMATIC PICTURES SHOW THAT THE RISKS OF OPENCAST MINING CAN BE ONLY TOO REAL!  (18/8/10)

 

Recently the Minorca Opencast Protest Group have been accused of ‘scaremongering’ and that raising questions about the possible risks to the River Mease SAC as a consequence of working the Minorca Surface Mine were “a red herring”. We disagree.

 

Recently a Google search into the history of another of UK Coal’s surface mine sites, Maiden’s Hall in Northumberland, turned up dramatic pictures of a Dumper Truck bursting into flames on this site as recently as 2009. The seven pictures, under a strap line “A Lucky Escape” show a sequence of events as the Dumper Truck was reduced by a “blazing inferno” which engulfed the truck reducing it to a chard wreck. (see1 for the link to the pictures)

 

The accompanying text to the pictures adds

 

“On Friday the 4th December 2009 a good friend of mine from Steadsburn Opencast had a very very lucky escape when his CAT 789 went on FIRE!!!!!!

Apparently it might have been a burst hoist pipe which sprayed oil onto the turbo, but the automatic fire extinguishers didn’t activate, so my friend had to manually activate the discharge, but it was to late, in fear of his life he had to jump out the truck as the flames engulfed everything”

 

The driver had had a lucky escape!! 

 

That something like this happened is also mention on a You Tube site ”Big dumper Trucks from the early 90’s” where a blogger writes:

 

“7 months ago

 

one less 789 at Maidens Hall now, it burnt out a the end of last year. Thankfully the driver was OK. Banks machines are 222 and 225 from Stobswood, and their 3 785s are ex Short Bros machines. There were 3 789s up here in Scotland that worked with the first Demag H485”.

 

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group does not have the resources to verify whether this incident did occur  on a site owned by UK Coal plc in 2009, only UK Coal plc can do that. All we can do is present this evidence to the public and to the decision makers that there are real, unpredictable risks attached to opencast mining.

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group does not engage in “scaremongering” nor did we think the risks to the River Mease SAC were a “red herring”, especially in light of this evidence if it turns out to be true. Who knows what damage could have been done to the River Mease SAC if such an accident had occurred near the Giliwiskaw Brook after planning permission had been granted?

 

This is the second accident involving UK Coal we are aware of in the area, as in July this year a JCB damaged a bridge on the C117 minor road which divides the Stobswood site causing the road to be closed. 

 

Steve Leary for the Minorca Opencast Protest Group said

 

“We are only bringing possible evidence of the risks associated with opencast mining to the public’s attention. It will be up to UK Coal plc to say if these pictures are a case of scaremongering or, if indeed, they do represent the truth, that a potentially fatal accident occurred in 2009 on a site owned and operated by the Company in Northumberland.

 

With reference to the current application, because a Special Area of Conservation the River Mease SAC dissects the site, statutory bodies have to be convinced that according to European Law

 

“Competent national authorities must be “convinced” that there will not be an adverse effect and where doubt remains as to the absence of adverse effects, the plan or project must not be authorised” (3)

 

It is hard to see, if UK Coal confirm that the accident in the pictures did occur on one of their sites, that they can convince anyone that such an accident would not occur on the Minorca site, not only endangering life but also possibly irretrievable damaging the River Mease SAC “

 

 References 

1) A Lucky Escape @

http://iansweet.co.uk/opencast/?tag=maidens-hall

 

2) Big dumper Trucks from the early 90’s @

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eVdR4ml3IM

 

3) Briefing Note A3) The Minorca Application and the River Mease SAC, MOPG, july 2010 p 2

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTACT:

STEVE LEARY, SPOKESPERSON, MOPG

 

 tel 05601 767981,                                                                                                                email steve46leary@googlemail.com

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MOPG PLEASE GO TO:

http://www.mopg.co.uk  or 

http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/measham/minorca-protest.html

 



Full article

'Herstory' - feminist fundraiser in Edinburgh

18-08-2010 11:23

"HERSTORY"

A fundraiser celebrating radical women through the ages!

At the Canon's Gait (232 Canongate, Edinburgh)

11th of September, 7:30 pm - 10:30pm

£4 waged, £3 unwaged

Join us for:
Feminist Pub Quiz: Test your knowledge of radical women from herstory

read more

Full article

Soapbox - a weekend of radical feminist discussion, workshops, and entertainment in Edinburgh!

18-08-2010 11:23

Soapbox - a  weekend of radical feminist discussion, workshops, and entertainment!

The Edinburgh Anarcha-Feminist Kollektive and Lady Fest Edinburgh have
teamed up to organise an action packed weekend of feminist workshops,
discussion and entertainment.

Come and join us in Edinburgh on Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th

read more

Full article

Save Area 10 in Peckham from closure

18-08-2010 07:22

London's independent art spaces are closing down at a worrying rate, and Peckham's Area10 could be the latest victim. Over just two weeks following the closure of The Foundry, Shunt, and Barden's Boudoir, Southwark Council is now threatening Area10 with closure. The Save Area10 Campaign attempts to start a creative protest, calling to arms all South London artists to stop Southwark Council's plans to close the much loved arts organisation.

Area10 has specialised in bring ambitious and worthwhile events and projects based in Fine Arts, Performative Arts, Circus, and Theatre for the last eight years, and is the bed-rock of South East London's artistic community. It has attracted 35,000 visitors, hosted over 4000 artists and enabled many projects to apply for funding and grants, estimated close to £1m. It is a foundation that supports the immerging market of art galleries in this corner of South East London as well as London?s art schools who regularly exhibit there.

"With the help of these young artists Peckham is pulling itself up by the bootstraps please do not knock it on the head and force it back into the A downtrodden and pitiful place. Area 10 is a vital part of the transformation of Peckham from disadvantaged ghetto to the creative engine of a re-imagined London. The offering of a facility that allows a wide range of artistic expression within a socially embedded space is a great catalyst for transformation and Peckham is becoming well known as a place of art and artists." - Anthony Gormley

The Area 10 Campaign
The council are attempting to close Area10 with only two weeks notice and no clear plan as to whom the site will be sold to, or how it will be developed. What we do know, is that this seemingly irresponsible plan will leave the cash strapped council with a liability of up to £80,000 per year for 24 hour security, something with is currently provided free of charge by Area10's members.

Area10 has a solid plan for growth and the ability to raise the funds and draw in the investment required to improve the site's buildings, in turn this will give Area10 the opportunity to create better studios, programme frequent exhibitions, events and increase community involvement.

The petition
The petition is being signed at furious rate at http://www.savearea10.org/ and is set to reach 2000 names and testimonials by the end of the week. Each testimonial is a credit to Area10's great reputation and the respect it has from its community.

Full article | 27 comments

Fuck benefit fraud, they should be sorting corporate fraud

18-08-2010 04:16


1. Benefit fraud costs the UK £900million a year.
2. Corporate fraud costs the UK £80billion a year, and that's just the fraud that's reported.
3. And they don't even need the money.

Full article

the big story - decommissioners documentary

17-08-2010 22:38

a documentary about smashing edo and winning in court.

Full article | 1 comment

DSPD

17-08-2010 22:09

DSPD: The name alone speaks volumes. it's dangerous, very dangerous, but I'll let you be the judge

Full article | 8 comments

Highgate protest camp continues - Day 2

17-08-2010 21:33

Geoffrey Douglas flaunts his blood money sport car paid with the animals' torture and deaths he sends to labs across the country

Full article

Peoples Assembly sat 21st august discusses democracy rally

17-08-2010 19:49

This saturday 21st august there is the regular peoples assembly (PA) of democracy village at victoria tower gardens the park next to Parliament in the afternoon, 1-4/5 ish.
Bring food and ideas to share.

Full article | 3 comments

Phone Blockade English Defence League coach company Johnsons Coaches

17-08-2010 17:10

The English Defence League are a violently racist, Islamophobic and Zionist gang of hooligans with connections to racist groups such as combat 18, Blood & Honour, BNP, NF and UKIP. They have attacked communities, placed pigs heads on Mosques, pulled off Muslim women's clothes, smashed up shops, cars and homes in racially motivated riots in the UK.
Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.