UK Newswire Archive
Video: Shir Hever - The Political Economy of Israel's Occupation
26-02-2011 23:23
Infousurpa feb 28th -march 6th 2011
26-02-2011 21:22
This week's radical events listings for london
This week's radical events listings for london
Haringey Uncut Bankers Bail-In #2
26-02-2011 21:22
Over a dozen of us bailed in to Wood Green NatWest today, protesting at cuts to public services, and in particular the cuts to housing benefit and social housing which will lead to more people being homeless.
The majority of us were from Haringey Solidarity Group, but there were some individuals who had heard about the action purely through the UK Uncut website. We held up banners and placards, inside and out, saying: "We won't pay for your crisis", "No cuts to welfare services" and more. And we must have handed out about 600 of the tiny Uncuts leaflets to passersby and bank customers.
We distributed information on the upcoming housing benefit cuts and on how to access your housing rights. There was quite a bit of chatting to customers about why we were there, the cuts that had just been passed by our local council, the cuts that were coming up nationwide and the size of bankers' bonuses. The long, bored queue for the counter seemed to find it at least an interesting diversion, with some asking to be contacted about future actions.
It was quite a low-key affair (a lot of us were tired, after the dramatic events at the council's budget-setting meeting a couple of nights before). So, after about an hour and a half, when we had run out of leaflets, we packed up and left.
But we'll be back again soon.
Notts arms dealer in trafficking conspiracy
26-02-2011 20:23
A Nottinghamshire businessman has been implicated in an international arms trafficking racket. Guy Tinsley, director of Cotgrave-based Easy Tiger International, was recorded in a series of taped phone conversations arranging the illegal import of AK-47 magazines into the US.
In 2008, Tinsley was acting as buyer for a US-based firearms wholesaler called American Tactical. He brokered deals to buy tens of thousands of Chinese AK-47 magazines worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from German arms dealer Karl Kleber.
These deals were illegal because US law prohibits the import of firearms or ammunition from China. But that didn’t seem to trouble Tinsley. In a series of phone calls in early 2008, he told Kleber that he didn’t care where the ammo came from, and they discussed the markings that had been stamped on the magazines to falsely indicate that they had come from Bulgaria.
What they didn’t know was that, acting on a tip-off, US and German investigators were recording their conversations. In January 2011, Kleber and his co-conspirator, British arms dealer Gary Hyde were arrested. They were charged along with Paul Restorick, the Kent-based arms dealer who had recruited them. However, Tinsley has so far escaped attention.
Easy Tiger’s registered office is 10 Kingston Drive – a detached residence in a quiet cul-de-sac in the picturesque village of Cotgrave – hardly the place one would expect to find an international arms business. But in 2009 the company had a stall at DSEi – the world’s biggest arms fair – at which Tinsley was seen trying to sell 40 000 AK-47 assault rifles and 500 grenade launchers.
The AK-47 and its variants the most widespread and worst regulated weapons in the world. They have been used by child soldiers, insurgents, criminal gangs and terrorists to massacre, maim, rape and rob in every country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, and even in Britain.
According to The Guardian, “the shadowy world of Britain’s arms dealers has been thrust into the spotlight” by this arms trafficking case. Tinsley’s business associates have previously been involved with shipping weapons between warzones including Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Iraq.
There remains no effective international legal framework to prevent unethical arms dealers like Guy Tinsley from profiting from war and genocide. The implementation of the global Arms Trade Treatywould make it harder for them, but it would not trouble major arms corporations such as Nottingham-based Heckler & Koch.
police revolt and join workers' protest in wisconsin, usa
26-02-2011 20:07
please forgive this news repost, but this is truly amazing news and it must really get circulatedLancaster RBS bail in!
26-02-2011 18:39
On Saturday February 26th the Lancaster branch of RBS was turned into a library, as activists from the local anti cuts group reclaimed the building for the morning and put it to to good use for a change!Natwest Bank shut by protesters
26-02-2011 18:23
Saturday 26th February was a busy day for anti-cuts campaigning in Nottingham city centre. Activists from Notts SOS were out collecting signatures for a petition against cuts by the city council and building for the rally next weekend. Meanwhile Notts UK Uncut occupied Natwest Bank, ultimately forcing it to close early.
The Natwest just off Market Square was targetted as part of a national day of action against Natwest and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) who own it. Campaigners are angry that the firm has been allowed to pay investment bankers massive bonuses, despite the fact that it was bailed out by the British taxpayer to the tune of billions of pounds in 2008.
Protesters entered the bank around 11.30am and were able to remain in for more than 2 hours. For most of this time the bank was still in operation. This created a bizarre atmosphere, with customers queuing to be served on one side of the store while campaigners were sat with banners on the other, often chanting.
Eventually, the management clearly decided they'd had enough and the bank was shut early, with a note stuck to the door explaining only that this was due to "unforseen circumstances." From Natwest, protesters moved onto Boots, targetted because of its efforts to avoid paying tax.
Notts County Council workers strike against cuts
26-02-2011 18:23
On Thursday 24th February, Unison members at Nottinghamshire County Council were out on strike against £150 million budget cuts. The strike was timed to coincide with the council meeting where the budget was to be set. The union also organised a march across Trent Bridge and a rally in front of County Hall.
Nottinghamshire is the first council in the UK to experience strike action in response to the cuts, but with jobs and services being slashed across the country many more unions are likely to join them. Workers at Barnet council have already voted to strike against privatisation plans dubbed, “easyCouncil,” while Unison members at Birmingham reportedly voted unanimously for a strike ballot at meetings held in early-February.
On the newswire: Notts County Council Strike: 2 Rally & Speeches | Notts County Council Strike: 1 The March | Notts County Council strike: rally | Notts County Council strike: March | Notts County Council workers on strike | Notts County Council workers to strike
Previous features: Notts County Council announce £72m cuts | Protests against county council cuts
Pickets
There were pickets at many of the council’s bases, located across the county, including at County Hall, the authority’s main headquarters. Picketers at been in place at County Hall since before the building was opened at 5.30am and by 8am were covering all the entrances to the building.
Few people were deterred by the pickets, but it was noted by several people that it was very quiet for a Thursday. Whether this is because of the strike or if people have taken leave or arranged to work at home so as to avoid the strike isn’t clear.
One person who did refuse to go in was a Labour councillor who explained he had never crossed a picket line in his life and wasn’t about to start now.
Most people going into work didn’t make much effort to engage with picketers, usually going out of their way to avoid eye contact. One council worker, however, tried to explain that while he was a Unison member, he was also a LibDem (evidently he wasn’t embarrassed by this) and supported what the government was trying to do to fix the “mess” created by Labour.
Strikers on the vehicle exit apparently encountered a greater number of people and were able to stop at least on postal delivery coming in.
Reports from elsewhere in the County tell a varying picture, with only 1 picket at the Employee Services Centre in Rushcliffe Business Park and as many as sixty at Lawn View House in Sutton-in-Ashfield.
The council’s own “disruption” page listed 2 customer service points, 6 day services and 11 libraries as being closed, at least for some of the day.
From 11am, strikers began congregating on Victoria Embankment for a march to County Hall and a rally. Once that was completed a presence was maintained on the main vehicle entrance in the hope of ensuring any deliveries did not cross the picket line.
It is too early to confidently evaluate the impact of the strike action. While it may not have been as big as could be hoped for it is worth noting that after months of ignoring the union, the council organised a meeting to discuss their concerns as soon as the result of the ballot was announced.
The ballot was for open-ended action and meetings are planned over the next couple of weeks to see where the dispute can move forward from here.
March
Unison had originally wanted to march from Bridge Field in West Bridgford, but Tory-run Rushcliffe Borough Council refused permission for the union to use the land, claiming that do otherwise might be seen as “supporting a political initiative”. Unison condemned the decision, but relocated the start point to Victoria Embankment.
Unison had organised coaches from around the county and union members were joined by campaigners from Notts SOS, members of the CWU and FBU, the Labour Party (keen to get a dig at the Tory county council) and others. Based on discussions with people there and union officials there were probably around 650 people in attendance. Not a awful turnout, but certainly disappointing.
The march was to make its way across Trent Bridge to County Hall, but protesters were only allowed to use one lane of the bridge, in an area marked off by cones, with three van-loads of police to make sure people didn’t accidentally wander into oncoming traffic. The effect of this was to trap people between the fence overlooking the river and a line of coppers as if they were in the world’s thinnest kettle.
From Trent Bridge, demonstrators followed Loughborough Road, again only allowed on one lane of the road and then into County Hall via the car entrance for a rally.
Rally
This is the fourth such lobby of County Hall since the Tories took control of the council, but the first to be preceded by a march.
There were a range of speakers, but there was a clear orientation towards trade unionists. Among them Unison’s head of local government Heather Wakefield, Jean Thorpe from Nottingham City Unison and somebody from the FBU. Other speakers included the head of the Labour Group on the council Alan Rhodes and at least one service user.
Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately), the PA wasn’t very good so I couldn’t actually hear much of what was being said. At one point, the speakers system packed up completely (blamed, jokingly on council leader Kay Cutts) and speakers had to make do with a megaphone.
The crowd was initially quote noisy and chanted enthusiastically. Unfortunately, as inevitably happens, people drifted off. The event was just about to be drawn to a conclusion when it was discovered that the BBC would be going out live at 1.30pm, so the chanting was started up again and kept up fairly impressively throughout the broadcast.
It was notable that while the previous such rally in October had filled the area in front of County Hall, this one didn’t do so. Whether this was because it is currently half term or for some other reason isn’t clear.
While not as large as might have been hoped, the turnout was still impressive and the rally was a central part of the action on the day. With further strike action likely this probably won’t be the last time workers rally outside County Hall.
Pics: Brixton Natwest UK Uncut occupation
26-02-2011 18:22
Brixton Natwest was today turned into a housing project to highlight the cuts being made to Housing Benefits.
The branch was occupied until closing time by 20-25 local people armed with sleeping bags, placards, and a big orange tent! Homelessness is set to rise under this government: in December a coalition of 17 charities warned that the proposed welfare cuts could result in 8000 more people without homes, more recently it has been reported that homeless charities will lose 30% of their funding with around 8800 hostels due to close in England alone.
Please Mind The Gap - documentary looking at the 'Gap Year' industry
26-02-2011 17:52
The first film produced by an independent non-profit collective, Ya Basta Films.Standing on the shoulders of Giants or Titans?
26-02-2011 16:16
Has globalisation lead to a changing of the rules? We see Multi-National Corporations who are no longer aligned to any particular nation-state, who hold entire countries ransom and even bankcrupt others. With governments trying desparately to reign in their public deficit through tought austerity measures, we see a retreat of power at the local level. National boundaries in the financial world are inreasingly blurred and they never existed in the virtual one. Do we need to redefine the nature of relationships, interactions and networks that we find ourselves in? Is it truly time for a new world order?Pics: Natwest Marylebone H St Shut by #Ukuncut
26-02-2011 15:22
Having moved off occupying Lloyds TSB on Oxford street for the big society teach in, the crowd of around 100 people marched over to Marylebone High Street, to find the Natwest there already shut down ahead of the protest (it's getting easier and easier to shut down the banks!).
There they continued the teach in, handing out hundreds more leaflets to passers by, chanting and holding up banners including one saying "Demo March 26th London - Join Us!"
Today this was part of an increasingly global revolt - with uncut actions taking place in over 50 places in the US and spreading further to Canada and France. And a nod of respect to the inspiring Wisconsin protesters :)
Later they returned to Oxford Street to continue handing out leaflets chanting "No ifs, no buts, no public sector cuts" and "David Cameron can't you see, we're the big society!".
www.ukuncut.org.uk
Make the Banks Pay! #UKuncut Lloyds TSB Occupied
26-02-2011 13:22
There are massive cuts to the school building programme so we've set up a UKuncut classroom in a bank - Lloyds TSB on Oxford Street!
Derivatives. Fractional reserves. Toxic assets. Sub-prime mortgages. Banking is complicated. Even the bankers who crashed the global economy into the ground didn't really understand it. And with massive Tory cuts coming to school building programmes, it's going to be harder than ever to learn.
Banks don't have to be this way. As UK Uncut activists all across the country are setting up essential public services in banks, we arrived to find the Natwest branch on Regent Street already closed. Posters were plastered across the doors of Natwest, before a quick run round the corner and down Oxford Street saw everyone bail into Loyds TSB, occupying it for a teach in.
Along the way we noticed Vodafone was already shut on Oxford street, whilst Boots had guards and police on the door - "Not today!" someone shouted, but may be soon...
http://ukuncut.org.uk/actions/list
Student actions films - Sun 6th March 3pm Glasgow - finally confirmed
26-02-2011 12:59
Tory Scum Here We Come - The Movie!Films about the student marches and occupations in London + anti-austerity protests in Dublin
90 minutes of activist video
Sunday 6th March
3pm
The Free Hetherington, 13 University Gardens, just off University Avenue,
Glasgow University Campus
http://freehetherington.wordpress.com/find-us/
Latest Anarchist newsletters/radical bulletins
26-02-2011 12:14
Defend Julian Assange
26-02-2011 12:06
"Please do all you can to support this heroic “world citizen.” The comparison of the treatment of Assange vs. Pinochet is as revealing as it is monstrous. The former an eloquent advocate of freedom in the truest sense of the word. The latter a promulgate promoter of inquisition and vicious torture who ordered the butchering of thousands of his fellow Chilean citizens. Imagine family members forced to watch the heinous torture of totally innocent loved ones. Pinochet made Caligula proud. That the “leaders” of the US will prosecute Assange in such an arrogant and lawless manner speaks volumes of that nations’ descent from liberal democracy to “terror dungeon dictatorship.” Little wonder that today we find our world in such unparalleled peril."Pics: Camden #UKuncut Natwest Creche Action
26-02-2011 11:22
This morning around 50 people, parents and children have transformed Natwest in Camden into a creche, in a protest against cuts which will hit children and women. It's our society that's too big to fail, not the banking system.
One mother said "People are realising the massive impact these cuts are about to have on our lives and our children's future - we've got to work together to defend our future, there are alternatives, we need to fight for them".
250 Sure Start children's centres are to close within the year and 2000 others will have reduced service and less funding. Rape crisis centres are being cut, domestic violence support services are being cut.
Women are going to bear the brunt of the cuts. Women make up the majority of public sector workers, the jobs that are being cut. Women rely most heavily on public services and many of the benefits that are being cut such as the Sure Start Maternity Grant, Child Benefit and the childcare aspect of Working Tax Credits. Where cuts mean that the disabled, elderly and infant people in our society are left to go it alone, women will step in to bridge the gap.
The action is part of around 8 actions in London today and almost 50 around the uk.
Flyer text handed out:
We have turned Natwest into a crèche today to highlight one of the many ways
that the cuts will disproportionately affect women. We will not stand for these
unnecessary cuts, which will push progress on women’s equality back a
generation.The government should be making RBS/Natwest and the other banks
pay for the crisis they caused.
Women are going to bear the brunt of these cuts. Women make up 65% of the
public sector work force - the jobs that are being cut. Cuts to spending are set to hit
the services and benefits women and families rely on. Women access services such
as the NHS more frequently and more intensively than men, because of pregnancy,
longer life expectancy and lower earnings. Moreover, women still do the bulk of
caring for children and elderly parents, so will be most affected by reductions in
childcare and social care that help them meet these responsibilities. Expecting
women to bridge the looming care gap also jeopardises women’s presence in the
work place.
250 Sure Start children’s centres are set to close within the year and 2,000 others
will have reduced service and less funding. This will devastate thousands of families
across the UK. 100% funding has been cut to Liverpool Rape Crisis centre. Devon
county council announced plans to reduce funding for domestic violence support
services by 100% which after campaigning was reduced to 42%. Nottingham City
intends to cut their Supporting People budget by 50%, that’s money used to get
refugees and women fleeing domestic violence into housing.
“If the government is cutting the benefits that allow mothers to work, the state
support that allows them to survive without work, access child support, and protect
themselves in divorces and with employers, then remaining domestic violence
services have an impossible job. You can't work with women to protect them from
domestic violence when the state is ensuring that, outside that relationship, there
are few ways for them to survive.”
– Lisa Ansell, The Guardian
The government’s cuts are not ‘fair’, we’re not ‘all in this together’, and there are
alternatives. Make the banks pay for the crisis they caused. It’s our society that's
too big to fail, not the broken banking system.
Join the protest, spread the word, stop the cuts. www.ukuncut.org.uk
Full article | 1 addition | 3 comments
Catholic Workers Blockade London Court as Julian Assange Extradition Verdict
26-02-2011 10:19
Feb. 24th. -Associated Press Photo (Matt Dunham) - "Catholic Workers Ciaron O'Reilly, left, and Roland Gianstefani, right, are removed by police and security officers after sitting in the road after WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange departed after his extradition hearing at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in London, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011." http://fr.news.yahoo.com/3/20110224/img/pwl-britain-wikileaks-assan-bc9e8992db12.html Notts County Council Strike: 2 Rally & Speeches
26-02-2011 03:36
Thursday February 24th
Nottinghamshire County Council met to set its budget. Unison members at the council were on strike, to coincide with this the union organised a march meeting on the Victoria Embankment ar 11.00am and marching across Trent Bridge and a rally in front of County Hall in West Bridgford.
Nottinghamshire County Council met to set its budget. Unison members at the council were on strike, to coincide with this the union organised a march meeting on the Victoria Embankment ar 11.00am and marching across Trent Bridge and a rally in front of County Hall in West Bridgford.
Unison had originally wanted to march from Bridge Field in West Bridgford, but Tory-run Rushcliffe Borough Council refused permission for the union to use the land, claiming that do otherwise might be seen as "supporting a political initiative". Unison condemned the decision, hence relocating the start point to Victoria Embankment.
Unison says:
Nottinghamshire County Council councillors met on 24 Feb to set a budget. Vital public services are at risk, and 1,000 staff face being compulsory sacked in the next few months.
Notts County Council does not need to make these cutsLike other councils, they should be lobbying central government for adequate funding to protect local jobs, services and the Notts economy.
The council says it will spend £60million on making 3,500 staff redundant over 3 years. Putting people on the dole will mean services are permanently cut, will take millions out of reduced or deleted — and our local economy.
It will also mean more is spent on benefits — keeping people in jobs costs less than keeping them on the dole. And jobs keep services running.
UNISON has identified £27 million the council could use to protect services and jobs.
Back UNISON in our call for:
* NO compulsory redundancies
* YES to lobbying the Government for funding
* PLANNED service changes, not savage cuts, as a better way to protect services, jobs, & communities.
Notts Unison
http://www.nottsunison.org.uk
Liam Conway of Notts NUT addresses rally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgKFzCKP808
NottsSOS
http://www.nottssos.org.uk
____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email: tash@indymedia.org
Web: http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>