UK Newswire Archive
Furnishing All Your Community Needs
14-07-2011 13:55
An update from Hackney's most highly furnished social centre - WELL FURNISHED!
With OffMarket evicted last week, the crew at WellFurnished are stepping up to offer their space out to the community at large and all those involved with OffMarket before.
Situated on the corners of Valentine and Terrace Road, opposite a monstrous Tesco's and a market struggling to compete, WellFurnished has been open for two months and features a regular programme of events, including poledancing classes (we actually have enough poles for this to happen!), poetry readings and woodwork classes. So far, we've thrown a People's Banquet for over 50 locals all done with skipped food, and held a number of solidarity nights for overseas social centres.
Our open days are Wednesday and Saturday from 1 till 7pm - with the drop-in session for new projects and ideas on Wednesday. If you haven't seen it, be sure to drop in as it is a MASSIVE space and suited to lots of things happening at once - on any given day, we might have yoga, juggling, poledancing, poetry and some kind of discussion all happening at once, with no overlap due to the huge size of space!
The cronies of Babylon are closing in tho, don't miss out and join us this Sunday for SQUATTASTIC 7 - and help us resist the illegalisation of squatting and homelessness! Its a networking thing ... bring cake!
And on Friday we have acoustic international stylings from Brazil and more chance to chill with elderflower champagne - homemade of course!
Come see us soon - www.wellfurnished.wordpress.com
VID-Julian Assange exits High Court to "I Shall be Released"
14-07-2011 10:36
Day 2 Wed July 13VID-Julian Assange exits High Court/ London.
Catholic Workers, War Resisters & WikiLeaks Support sing "I Shall Be Released"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqBjeeF7QKs
Antifascist Benefit T-shirts
14-07-2011 09:38
RedWatch Cameraman - Please help identify
13-07-2011 23:48
EDL out of Pompey!
13-07-2011 23:41
This saturday, the English Defence League will try to invade Portsmouth for the second time. We are calling on anti-fascists to stand against their racial violence and oppose the march through the city streets.‘Flytilla’ Volunteers Arrive Back in the UK
13-07-2011 23:28
The activists were there to greet several ‘Flytilla’ volunteers deported by Israel from Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. The volunteers had made an attempt to travel to Bethlehem in the Occupied West Bank for the “Welcome to Palestine” initiative. Up to 600 volunteers had made plans to fly into Ben Gurion from Friday onwards to form a solidarity delegation that would visit Palestinians in various towns and villages in the West Bank, illegally occupied by Israel since 1967.
‘Guerilla Ballet’ disrupts BP-sponsored opera event in Trafalgar Square
13-07-2011 23:21
Charlie Byers, who played the prince, explained: “The tar sands are one of the biggest threats to the future of our climate [5]; they are also destroying local communities and wildlife, trampling indigenous rights, and running Canada out of water and natural gas. It is a key time to pressure BP to withdraw, as the corporation has already substantially invested in the tar sands but will not start profiting for years to come.”
Clifton Mansions, homes turned into assets
13-07-2011 20:55
Tuesday's morning eviction of Clifton Mansions, a block of flats in Brixton's Coldharbour Lane, signaled the end to one of the longest lasting community of squatters in the neighbourhood. The residents in the 22 flats that had been occupied since the early 1990's were made homeless in the latest operation of further gentrification of central Brixton that involved police in riot gear, a police helicopter hovering over the area, the fire brigade and bailiffs.
Read full report & pics | more pics | video | Tumblewire timeline
More pics: Party (Urban75) | Eviction (Urban75) | Pics (Demotix)
The eviction of Clifton Mansions signals the end of an era for Brixton. Clifton Mansions was not the only squat in the area, and it will not be the last one, but it definitely represented one of the last bastions of resistance to the ongoing gentrification of central Brixton.
As the squatters of Clifton Mansions stated: "now Lambeth Council will pay Camelot, a private company, to provide “live-in guardians” to occupy Clifton Mansions, whilst the squatters have been providing a free guardian service for years. Why make people homeless and then pay a multinational company to occupy their homes? Eventually Lambeth wants to sell Clifton Mansions to property developers, further reducing Lambeth's social housing stock in central Brixton. Clifton Mansions will be turned into luxury flats priced well beyond the means of the local community."
The building now remains lifeless and ready to be put on the market. As one of the tumbles in London Indymedia states: "This used to be a home to people, now it's an asset".
See tumblepics of Clifton Mansions 24 hours after the eviction: 1 | 2 | 3
Report & Pics: Brixton's Clifton Mansions Eviction
13-07-2011 19:55
Tuesday's morning eviction of Clifton Mansions, a block of flats in Brixton's Coldharbour Lane, signaled the end to one of the longest lasting community of squatters in the neighbourhood. The residents in the 22 flats that had been occupied since the early 1990's were made homeless in an operation that involved police in riot gear, a police helicopter hovering over the area, the fire brigade and bailiffs.
Over two weeks ago, the residents of Clifton Mansions learnt that the police was planning to block off Brixton's Coldharbour Lane early in the morning of Tuesday 12th, and so they put out a call for support. They also organised a farewell party on the night before the eviction with the aim to gather as much support as possible, but in the event, and after having been announced in facebook, hundreds of people turned up at the building seemingly without any idea of what the event was all about. By the very early hours of the morning, the party started to get out of hand when groups of unsolidarian people began to kick-in doors and generally trashing the place despite the pleas by the occupants.
By 8am the 'party crowd' had all gone, whilst genuine supporters started to gather in the street in front of the building. Some of the residents and supporters remained inside, and eventually they started to build an improvised barricade closing off the main entrance gate to the block. At around 9am the first signs of the police operation became visible when a large number of police and bailiff vans and a fire brigade truck arrived at the scene closing off both ends of Coldharbour Lane. A police helicopter also started to hoover over the area at this point, thus adding to the sense of militarisation in the area.
Large numbers of police and bailiffs then gathered at the north end of Coldharbour Lane getting ready for the opperation, whilst some of the supporters in the street moved in front of the barricaded gates. The forces of darkness then quickly moved in, and in the usual bullying and violent manner, police started to push people away from the building creating a line in front of the gates. Another wave of police in riot gear also moved in at this point, and together with the bailiffs broke into the building dismantling the barricade at the entrance.
Police then cleared the area in front of Clifton Mansions setting up two lines preventing any protestors from approaching the building for the rest of the morning. Meanwhile some of the Clifton Mansions residents and their supporters took positions in some of the flats and in the roof in a last show of defiance.
At around 9.40am yet another wave of riot police and bailiffs entered the building and eventually evicted all those still inside the flats and on the roof. The police lines were kept for another couple of hours as bailiff teams boarded up the main gate and took full control of the building. The morning ended with one arrest and tens of people becoming homeless.
The eviction of Clifton Mansions signals the end of an era for Brixton. Clifton Mansions was not the only squat in the area, and it will not be the last one, but it definitely represented one of the last bastions of resistance to the ongoing gentrification of central Brixton. As the squatters of Clifton Mansions stated: "now Lambeth Council will pay Camelot, a private company, to provide “live-in guardians” to occupy Clifton Mansions, whilst the squatters have been providing a free guardian service for years. Why make people homeless and then pay a multinational company to occupy their homes? Eventually Lambeth wants to sell Clifton Mansions to property developers, further reducing Lambeth's social housing stock in central Brixton. Clifton Mansions will be turned into luxury flats priced well beyond the means of the local community."
Here there are some photos of the morning's events:
The building now remains lifeless and ready to be put on the market. As one of the tumbles in London Indymedia states: "This used to be a home to people, now it's an asset".
See tumblepics of Clifton Mansions 24 hours after the eviction: 1 | 2 | 3
Is anarchism more radical than Leninism?
13-07-2011 19:12
The Socialist Workers’ Party have published another “critique” of anarchism: http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=25354 It’s pretty much a repetition of the standard Leninist myths, but I thought I’d take a moment to reply to their distortions anyway.
Challenging Military Activities in Schools - Edinburgh meeting with US activist
13-07-2011 18:55
There will be a meeting on Challenging Military Activities in Schools and Colleges on 14 July 2011, 7pm, Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, EDINBURGH EH1 2JL
Options for Dealing with Squatters
13-07-2011 17:42
The folks at the Ministry of Justice have today launched their 'consultation' document about new laws how to 'deal with' squatters. It asks for the views of "anyone affected by squatters or [who] has experience of using the current law or procedures to get them evicted." They don't seem too interested in what the squatters have to say.Palestine Today 07 13 2011
13-07-2011 15:28
Youth and Militarism events with US & UK activists
13-07-2011 14:55
There is a meeting on this issue with US and UK activists on Wednesday 13 July, 7pm, Friends House, 173 Euston Rd, London.
The UK armed forces visit thousands of schools each year. They offer school presentation teams, youth teams, ‘careers advisors' and lessons plans. The Government has recently indicated that there will be an expansion of cadet forces within state schools to encourage the military ‘spirit' and that ex-soldiers will mentor youngsters in schools.
While there are claims that school involvement is not about recruiting young people, the Ministry of Defence has itself stated that visits to educational establishments are a "powerful tool for facilitating recruitment". In having contact with young people, the military aim to sow seeds in impressionable young minds. In 2007, the head of the Army's recruitment strategy said, "Our new model is about raising awareness, and that takes a ten-year span. It starts with a seven-year-old boy seeing a parachutist at an air show and thinking, 'That looks great.' From then the army is trying to build interest by drip, drip, drip."
Increasing military activities within schools and colleges is only one part of a sophisticated strategy of connecting young people with the armed forces. Schools should not be a channel through which a biased view of military life and activities can be fed to children. The forces, as an institution working to a long-term agenda, should not have the opportunity to gain influence with the provision of resources and activities.
Some in schools will be exposed to more extensive contact through the Combined Cadet Force which operates in over 250 schools in the UK. While many see the cadets offering discipline and excitement, they can draw youngsters struggling with academic subjects to a more exciting arena for personal achievement and belonging without a balanced understanding of the risks and obligations of military life.
The extension of military engagement with young people is being formulated in an increasingly militaristic climate. In the past few years a whole range of initiatives to give the military, and the conflicts in which it is currently involved, a positive image - from the annual razzmatazz of Armed Forces Day to companies raising money for ‘our heroes'. The forces are equally well aware that access to schools and colleges also gives them the ability to imprint an acceptance of military activity on the next generation of ‘opinion formers'. Without providing a challenge to this, we are failing these children; as society is seen to be increasingly accepting of a militaristic approach, it is difficult for young people to access information and alternative views that they need to make informed decisions about joining up.
Teachers unions in England and Scotland have questioned or called for a ban on army presentation teams in schools and colleges and students have themselves been able to resist military presentations. But if schools are going to face further institutionalised militarism, with more cadet forces and ex soldiers encouraged to become teachers and mentors, resistance must become more visible. Those taking on these issues in individual schools need to know that there is a community out there who support them.
ForcesWatch's new Military Out Of Schools campaign aims to take the argument that educational institutions are no place for the military into the public arena and to question assumptions that engagement with armed forces at a young age is benign. Additionally, we will provide materials to support those challenging military presence in their schools or provide a more balanced view of what life in the armed forces involves be given to young people.
ForcesWatch, which raises awareness and campaigns on issues of ethical concern and the armed forces, is bringing U.S. speaker Oskar Castro to speak at meetings to look at initiatives to tackle military involvement in public education in the U.S. and what can be learned for challenging the presence of the armed forces in U.K. schools and colleges. Oskar is Director of the US organisation, Military Families Speak Out and was previously Coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee's Youth and Militarism Program, which seeks to reduce the influence of the military in schools, to provide young people with alternatives to military service and to empower them to become peacemakers within their communities.
www.forceswatch.net
Calais: three No Borders comrades acquitted
13-07-2011 12:14
Reminder: Noise demo for Simon Levin at EDO today
13-07-2011 11:43
There will be a special noise demo in honour of friend and Smash EDO activist Simon Levin today (Wednesday 13th of July) at EDO/ITT, Home Farm Road, Brighton 4-6pm.'Just Do It' - Review
13-07-2011 11:27
Review of the film 'just do it', which will be coming to cinemas next week. The film documents the environmental protest movement over the last three years. Its revealing and exciting, with lots of live footage of direct action and action planning not available in any mainstream media. It does, however, focus more on actions than the politics and organisation behind these actions, which are ignored or simplified. definitely watch it.Mass Arrestees during eviction in Amsterdam
13-07-2011 10:41
On tuesday 5th of July there were mass arrestees during the eviction wave in Amsterdam with 143 people being arrested