UK Newswire Archive
Social Centre Plus resists eviction
21-04-2011 01:24
Social Centre Plus, the occupied Job Centre on Deptford High Street, resisted an attempted eviction by bailiffs on Tuesday 12th April. More info: http://socialcentreplus.wordpress.com
Activists blockade EDF
21-04-2011 01:24
Campaigners brought rush hour traffic to a standstill this morning to protest against EDF Energy's plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK. All four lanes of the A302 outside EDF Energy's headquarters in Grosvenor Place -- which runs alongside the gardens of Buckingham Palace -- were sealed off shortly after 8am using 14-foot tripods. The cleared zone was then declared a 'nuclear disaster area'.
Campaign group, Boycott EDF, says the energy giant is spearheading a 'nuclear renaissance' which could see the construction of at least ten new nuclear reactors -- a move spokeswoman, Bella Benson, claims will spell disaster for the UK.
"EDF has spent a massive amount of money marketing itself as an environment-friendly company," says Benson. "But the truth is that it's planning to lumber us with an outdated form of energy that is incredibly dangerous, extremely expensive and completely unnecessary. As the company's HQ Is opposite Buckingham Palace, it would be fitting to call their plan a right, royal rip-off."
EDF has already caused great concern - even before construction of 'new nuclear' has started. An independent report published last year found that land designated for EDF's two new mega-reactors at the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in Somerset is heavily contaminated with enriched uranium. But EDF has dismissed the report. "With such a hazardous form of energy, best practice must be observed at every stage. We find EDF's attitude shocking,"
Cheaper, greener alternative strategies have been put forward by respected organisations including Greenpeace, the Sustainable Development Commission and the New Economics Foundation (3). Says Benson, "The billions earmarked for new nuclear power stations should be invested in further developing safe forms of energy such as renewables and the type of district heating plants (combined heat and power plants) that can be run on biogas. It's a scandal that there hasn't been an informed public debate about this issue."
The campaign is urging customers of EDF Energy to say 'no to new nuclear' by switching to other energy providers. It is also asking the public to boycott events and attractions - such as the London Eye - sponsored by the company.
For more information on the campaign go to: http://www.boycottedf.org.uk
see also: https://london.indymedia.org/articles/8717
Trafalgar Square encampment 10th April
21-04-2011 01:24
A meeting was held at the Trafalgar Square Occupation on Sunday 3rd April 12.00. It was decided nearly unanimously to have a repeat of the occupation on Saturday 9th &10th of April with a possibility to making this a weekly occurance.
...
In occupying Trafalgar Square repeatedly so soon after the half-a-million strong march on the 26th of March and Vince Cable's refusal to "change its fundamental economic policy simply in response to a demonstration of that kind." we want to show that we will not go back home until the government realises that popular opinion is against its program of cuts and changes its policies.
Ater the violent eviction of peaceful protesters on March 26th we intend to show that without police presence protesters can organise themselves peaceully and lawfully. We showed this on the 2nd of April when the police stayed at a distance for the entire occupation and there was no conflict or illegal activity. Police intervention at protests only serve to antagonise and incite violence. This occupation intends to defend our right to peaceful protest. http://defendtherighttoprotest.org/
For more information see
http://occupytrafalgarsquare.wordpress.com/
InfoUsurpa 25th April - 1st May
21-04-2011 00:22
weekly radical events and actions listings for london
meh
Rough Music #26 April/May Out Now!
20-04-2011 22:39
Zapatista/Chiapas News April 2011
20-04-2011 22:31
Harsh pressure against ejidatarios from San Sebastian Bachajon.Thoughts on the black bloc
20-04-2011 21:06
I was marching with London Coalition Against Poverty (LCAP) on the March for the Alternative on Saturday 26th March when the black bloc came down Piccadilly. I, along with the people I was marching with supported the actions taken against the banks and the Ritz. I wanted to write down my experiences to express what it was like to be on the other side of the block. I am not writing to condemn violence or property damage, but I hope that this could help those involved reflect on how the black bloc related to the other marchers that day.Emergency Demo: Action on Climate Change is not "Red Tape"
20-04-2011 20:10
Urgent Demonstration outside the Department of Business, Skills and Innovation, Victoria Street (Westminster or St. James’s Park tube).Bill McKibben Last Stand for Climate
20-04-2011 18:12
Mobile phone safety
20-04-2011 17:23
Police forces now have the abilty to extract data remotely from your mobile phone.Bath's Republican Picnic against Parasites
20-04-2011 15:51
Anti-royal wedding party in Bath...March against cuts to English lessons for speakers
20-04-2011 15:22
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->On Thursday 24th March Tyneside Community Action Against Racism led a march in Newcastle against cuts to English lessons for speakers of other languages (ESOL).
2 anti-cuts activists convicted on police evidence
20-04-2011 15:22
Setback for anti-cuts movement as Mark and Patrick found Guilty on Police Evidence! Financial Appeal to support Right to Protest!
After a two day trial on the 28th and 29th of March 2011, Mark and Patrick were found guilty, and heavy fines totaling £760 were imposed.
325 Benefit
20-04-2011 15:22
325 BenefitThe Bastard Squad Collective invites you to warm up for May Day 2011 with...
OI POLLOI
(anthemic Gaelic anarchOI! on a rare southern jaunt!)
DIVINE SPARK
(politically concious Luxembourg hardcore)
WAR/SYSTEM
(old-school Midlands crust)
CASUS
(new-school South West crust)
@THE WHITE HART
WHITEHALL RD, EASTON, BRISTOL
SATURDAY 30TH APRIL
DOORS 8PM | £6
BENEFIT FOR 325 COLLECTIVE
For up to date information visit:
www.bastardsquadcollective.wordpress.com
Two anti-cuts activists found guilty on police evidence!
20-04-2011 14:50
After a two day trial on the 28th and 29th of March 2011, Mark and Patrick were found guilty, and heavy fines totaling £760 were imposed.
Palestine Today 04 20 2011
20-04-2011 14:44
March against cuts to English lessons for speakers of other languages (ESOL)
20-04-2011 14:33
AV Referendum Fails To Grip Nation
20-04-2011 14:24
The dirt about BAE Systems. TODAY 6 PM sharp! Smiling Chair next to Sprinters the on Stokes Croft.
20-04-2011 14:22
CC London target BP at National Maritime Museum
20-04-2011 13:22
Climate Camp London set up a mini camp in Greenwich Park to target BP sponsorship of the NMM and the Olympics.
[Saturday 16th April] On a sunny spring weekend around 20 activists converged on Greenwich to take part in Climate Camp London's protest against BP's sponsorship of the National Maritime Museum. The event was part of a week-long series of actions and creative interventions against BP's sponsorship of art galleries and cultural institutions in London, planned to coincide with the first anniversary of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, which occurred as a consequence of BP's deepwater oil drilling operations. (1)
In an effort to repair it's tarnished reputation, and to divert attention from its reponsibility for the largest industrial oil disaster in history, BP is sponsoring major cultural institutions, including the National Maritime Museum. The NMM includes the Maritime Galleries, the Royal Obervatory and the Queens House, all of which overlook Greenwich Park. Greenwich Park is also a planned location for the London 2012 Olympics. As well as being the official oil and gas partner, BP is also one of the sustainability partners of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. (2)
Just before 1pm on saturday, activists from Climate Camp London erected a large white tent in the center of Greenwich Park. Passers-by were soon being engaged in conversation, with many being supportive of the aims of the protest. Children and parents were enticed by the oily cup cakes on offer, and the opportunity to make a paper boat to include in the flotilla petition that would be delivered to the museum at the end of the day. Many of the people spoken to were unaware of the extent of BP's sponsorship of cultural institutions, and there was strong agreement that public bodies such as the NMM should refuse to accept funding from BP.The event passed off smoothly, despite the attempts of local police to force the group to take down their tent, which they claimed needed a permit to be erected. The obvious determination of the activists to resist any attempts to move them on, and the family-friendly nature of the protest, gave the police little option than to let them have their way. Spirits were further lifted by the antics of Spongebob Squarepants and the BP Spillionaire, who kept the crowd entertained through the afternoon.
Just before 5 o'clock a letter to the Director of the National Maritime Museum was delivered to museum staff, along with the flotilla petition which included around 100 paper boats. A diorama of an oil-covered Spongebob Squarepants and his oily pineapple house was also given to the museum to add to their collection. Around 800 flyers explaining the connection between BP's environmentally destructive oil extraction and its sponsorship of the arts were handed out over the course of the afternoon. And by being located directly under the viewing balcony of the Royal Observatory, the protest would have been captured in the lenses of a few thousand visitors to the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.
(1) http://www.artnotoil.org.uk/bpweekofaction
(2) http://www.london2012.com/greenwich-park/detailed-venue-proposals.html
Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35069488@N08/sets/72157626390633207/
http://www.demotix.com/news/660562/climate-camp-activists-petition-maritime-museum-reject-bp-sponsors
http://www.demotix.com/news/660388/protesters-say-no-bp-sponsorship
Copy of letter delivered to Dr Fewster, Director of NMM:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Dr Fewster,
The National Maritime Museum is rightly recognised as one of the the UK's greatest cultural institutions, and a wonderful display and archive of knowledge about Britain's maritime history.
But we are saddened by NMM's association with BP through the money you receive from BP Shipping. Wednesday, April 20th, marks the first anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico, which killed 11 workers and caused countless damage to fragile ecosystems and to the local community. Subsequent investigations revealed that BP had overlooked numerous essential safety procedures to cut costs, and that BP has a history of safety violations across the US. BP had claimed that they had the capacity to deal with a deepwater blowout of this size, but the technologies they had prepared were clearly inadequate.
Today, millions of people living along the Louisiana, Alabama and Florida coasts have to deal with loss of their livelihoods through fishing and tourism. The Corexit used by BP to 'clean up' the oil has sent much of the oil to the sea floor, where it is severely damaging marine life. Corexit is banned in the UK as a dangerous and toxic substance and its negative ecological and human health impacts are well documented, but BP chose to spray millions of gallons - including directly onto fishermen working in their boats - of it into the Gulf so that the water would look cleaner from the surface. And it's not just fishermen who were affected by the spill. Schools throughout the three states, even in areas far from the coast, are suffering because of lost tax money usually brought in by tourism. Some are fighting back with lawsuits, while others are resorting to layoffs. BP pledged $20 billion of compensation money, but many of the claims aren't being honoured as families lose their mortgages, suffer oil and corexit-induced health problems and sink further into poverty.
It is painfully ironic, then, that BP Shipping sponsors a museum that guards the history of many brave and resourceful individuals who lived by and on the seas. Here is what two mariners from Louisiana have to say to you:
'Isn't the purpose of a maritime museum to honour and support maritime endeavours? When we're gone, is that what will replace us? A museum?' (Tracy)
'We don't hate BP. I'm a fisherman and I used to work for BP. But I want them to drill responsibly, and take responsibility for their mistakes- and they can't buy their way out of this.' (Byron)
They can't buy their way out of this. BP benefits hugely from its association with the NMM, even though the museum is not publicly branded with its logo. They use your historic buildings for corporate events and describe your relationship as an important part of their corporate social responsibility portfolio. But BP's business model is not socially responsible. At its AGM on Thursday, BP announced that they would be doubling oil exploration efforts. BP's "Energy Outlook 2030" reveals a business plan that is based around increasing levels of global fossil fuel consumption into the next few decades, committing the planet to climate chaos. If oil consumption continues in the way that BP wants, rising sea levels will go beyond the capacity of the Thames Barrier and London will be permanently flooded. If BP has their way, the Queen's House, the Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval College will all be underwater.
Dr Fewster, we know that funding for institutions such as yours is facing hard times. But we appeal to your human judgement, and we ask that you publicly and comprehensively end your relationship with BP.