UK Newswire Archive
Hunger Strike in Calais Immigration Prison
09-04-2012 00:26
A person from Iran is on his fourth day of hunger strike inside Calais’ immigration prison. Here is his testimony:Obama Justice Department indicts ex-CIA agent for exposing torture
08-04-2012 19:25
Thursday’s indictment of John Kiriakou for exposing CIA torture of detainees confirms yet again that the Obama administration is continuing and deepening the crimes carried out by the Bush White House. Kiriakou, a CIA agent for 14 years, is being prosecuted for speaking to two journalists about the waterboarding of Abu Zubaydah.18 arrests as Mansion is evicted & drones conference resisted
08-04-2012 16:12
From Bristol With Love (Radio Show) 18
08-04-2012 11:53
From Bristol with Love is a showcase for local music, local news and new forms of local thinking.15 Animal Rights Stories Around World
08-04-2012 03:02
AR News: UK, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Canada, Bulgaria, Zimbabwe etc. 15 storiesmass pillow fight in trafalgar square
07-04-2012 22:55
as part of the international pillow fight day, which has been running for the past five years, more than a hundred people fought for half an hour in trafalgar square this afternoon, to beat each other senseless with pillows of all shapes and sizes. the square heritage wardens were on hand to ensure not too much fun was had.
click on image for larger version. 'some rights reserved' - free for credited non-commercial use, otherwise contact author for permission
-----
the international pillow fight day was started five years ago, and has now spread to more than 130 cities worldwide. the london fight was called for 3pm this afternoon in trafalgar square, and it attracted well over a hundred participants, some sporting fancy dress, including superhero outfits and pyjamas.
at exactly 3pm the fight began, and within a few minutes, the first of the feather pillows gave way under the strain pouring feathers into the air and adding to the spectacle and madness of the event.
children, teens and adults all played together in the melee.
as more pillows popped, the duck-down deepened on the ground, and feathers flew into faces all round the square. everywhere you looked, people were laughing and smiling, whether joining in the fight or just watching.
the event was timetabled to last exactly half an hour, and despite interference from the square's security guards (who quaintly call themselves "heritage wardens"), it did so, with a countdown to finish.
but during the fighting, and after only twenty minutes, the heritage wardens, supervised by manager dean eardley, started wandering through the crowd trying to move people around, supposedly to begin a clean-up operation. as they created spaces in the crowd, cleaning staff were ordered in to throw down buckets of water and start sweeping.
this fun-busting act was also dangerous as the wet feathery concrete became slippery, while of course the pillow-fighters ran around in wild abandon.
luckily, i don't think anyone got hurt this time.
the humourless wardens were determined to stamp out any remnants of fun after the occasion, citing their draconian bye-laws to move people along. one young man stood at the bottom of the national gallery steps and practised some spectacular juggling with six white balls at once. he wasn't begging, didn't have a tent or any banners, and despite his dexterity was really quite low-key about what he was doing. but sure enough within seconds, a heritage warden approached and told him "the bye-law doesn't allow that…the bye-law doesn't allow any kind of game on the square". he stopped, sat down with a small group of friends, and asked whether they could play scrabble. (short film at http://london.indymedia.org/videos/12028)
last week i posted a film of heritage wardens in parliament square shooing away tourists and preventing filming. on critical mass last friday, i witnessed a warden physically push a moving cyclist off his bike. last saturday after a mass meditation in trafalgar square, there were reports of people being hassled and again a juggler threatened by wardens. now today, pillow fighters bugged and jugglers banned.
meanwhile, i'm still waiting for mr eardley's response re his "thorough investigation" into the events in parliament square.
i'm going to continue documenting abuses by this lawless bunch and do my best to make someone accountable. they are a disgrace to london's image of a welcoming city for tourists.
[Video] Antifascist yogurt attack during live TV show
07-04-2012 17:42
How to destroy CCTV cameras?
07-04-2012 17:32
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVcWKGWPto8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JCtXieRNRg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK891-tz0BA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycc2ZMWoXhQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTTM0r79YKA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcaJ8fCqs1E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwHqHheFEEo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2CNIpvbS6w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDdAO3crAz4
The BBC in bed with Atos ” Unbiassed BBC, like F### they are”…
07-04-2012 17:04
Well folks, If you ever wondered why Atos never get any real bad publicity on the BBC it’s because Atos and the BBC are in bed as it were, Atos are the BBC's IT Partners.
Elitism Leads To Tyranny (Boat Race Swimmers manifesto)
07-04-2012 16:26
THIS IS A PROTEST, AN ACT OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, A METHODOLOGY OF REFUSING AND RESISTANCE. THIS ACT HAS EMPLOYED GUERRILLA TACTICS. I AM SWIMMING INTO THE BOATS IN THE HOPE I CAN STOP THEM FROM COMPLETING THE RACE AND PROPOSING THE RETURN OF SURPRISE TACTICS. THIS IS ‘PEACEFUL’ ... I HAVE NO WEAPONS (DON’T SHOOT!) MY ONLY FEAR, IS NOT SWIMMING FAST ENOUGH TO GET IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO PREVENT THE BOATS.Possession Hearing in Court for Nottingham Occupy
07-04-2012 12:55
Thursday 5 April 2012
On Thursday 5 April, after a couple of earlier dates with the law, campers from Occupy Nottingham appeared at Nottingham County Court, [sitting in the Magistrates Court] Carrington Street.
Campers and supporters protested and displayed banners outside of the court, before and after the hearing. There was some media interest.
Case Number : 2NG00365 Nottingham County Court Court 5,
Nottingham City Council V Persons Unknown before His Honour Judge Richard Inglis
Originally, the notices only gave the camp 2 working days to respond, 2 days before the hearing!! Judge noted this and ajourned the case for another 3 weeks granting this time for the camp to prepare a defence case. Occupy Nottingham is now represented by Public Interest Lawyers of Birmingham.
Posession hearing begining at 10.00am with Dave Forsdick representing the council pointing out the camp had been established in the Market Square since 15th October, some 170 days.
He said that the site was obstructing the highway and said there was no planning permission or public health licence for the camp, and it would not get one. "There has been an occupation and taking control of a substantial public highway to the exclusion of the public and the lawful user of the highway indefinitely."
The defence was all ready to go. The judge said he was of course aware that the council wished to prepare it's plans for the summer use of the Market Square, but time hadn't been booked for a full hearing today.
Mr Forsdick for the council said there main points of arguement were:
* Trespass and restricting the use to public of the land.
* Wouldn't get planning permission if applied for
* There were public health concerns
* The camp might continue indefinatly
* 'Other harms' [they say pissing on the flowerbeds etc]
Thier case is that council cannot have this long-term protest in central public space at the exclusion of the public. The prosecution say all above but rekon can simply rely on the fact that "a highway cannot be used as a campsite".
He points out the core issue is that their mere presence results in a pressing social need. They can protest but not camp. The council will not tollerate any other occupation of their land, but will of course tollerate lawful protest on issues.
Barister Mr Brown[?] instructed by Public Interest Lawyers for the defence pointed out that in the initial administration for the case, the council didn't tick the "Human Rights Engaged" box. Judge inglis expressed suprise at this since he felt they clearly were. Considerations will have to be given to the effect of articles 10 & 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The prosecutions assertion that the fact the camp is an eyesore is not enough to overide articles 10 & 11. Further, it's not a sufficient obstruction to deny the public, the right to pass and re-pass along any highway or Market Square. They add the fact that the council would not grant planning permission for the camp, is simply not enough to shift the camp.
The judge does agree that there are human rights implication in the case and thus could not have the court time to hear directly. The prosectuion barrister though all could be done and dusted within a day. The defence though to have thier points heard, it would probabbly need at least 1 1/2 days. Amazingly, the judge chimes in and said he was considering at least 3 days to hear argument.
Thus he adjourns the case for the trial date 30 April.
*****
Press Release:
Following the hearing on 5th April Occupy Nottingham are very pleased with the result achieved so far with a three week adjournment before a three day trial begins on 30th April.
This means they will be celebrating their six month anniversary on the Market Square on 15th April.
Judge Inglis ruled that all of the Councils allegations attempting to link incidents external to the camp being associated with the protest were usubstantiated with insufficient evidence and rejected any such argument dismissing them from the case.
Occupy Nottingham Press Release 06/04/12
Following the hearing on 5th April Occupy Nottingham are very pleased with the result achieved so far with a three week adjournment before a three day trial begins on 30th April.
This means they will be celebrating their six month anniversary on the Market Square on 15th April.
The Hearing
Judge Inglis ruled that all of the Councils allegations attempting to link incidents such as urination in flowerbeds, alleyways and doorways across the City Centre, accidents, crime such as shoplifting, threatening behaviour around and damage to the Market Place, along with any businesses loss of revenue in Nottingham City Centre, claims of odour and health and safety risks external to the camp being associated with the protest were usubstantiated with insufficient evidence and rejected any such argument dismissing them from the case.
Judge Inglis accepts the Council are the land owners so therefore the case now primarily revolves around the laws and legal connotations of highway, trespass, encampments, human rights, rights of assembly and protest.
Both the Council and Public Interest Lawyers waivered any claims for costs from yesterdays hearing, however the legal aid application by the camp has failed, so therefore any defendants could potentially now face a bill for costs of up to £20-30K if the case goes against the protest.
Public Interest Lawyers have been working Pro Bono on behalf of Occupy Nottingham and have announced that they willl continue to do so in light of the legal aid commisions decision. Occupy Nottingham cannot thank or commend them enough for this and for all the dilligence and hard work that PIL have put in so far on behalf of the protest, members of Occupy Nottingham are confident that whatever the outcome, they have had the best possible legal representation through PIL.
The Council
The Council first announced they would remove the camp from the square on 1st of March and began proceedings to do so on 7th March after posting notices to the seat of a camp chair initially on 5th March before returning to post them to the camp exterior. Following that the Council announced that Occupy Nottingham would be gone from the Square by the end of the week after the initial hearing on 13th March, following that hearing that was adjourned for three weeks, again notices were initially served to the camp exterior, before Council representatives returned to serve notice to actual camp members.
The first and only time representatives of Occupy Nottingham have had an opportunity to meet with Councillors in the Council House was in a meeting on 3rd March with Graham Chapman, this meeting was at the insistance of Occupy Nottingham in a genuine attempt to reach an agreement with the Council before they went through with their threat of Court action. At no other time have the Council expressed any interest or concern over any of the issues the camp has raised, or met with members of the protest camp to discuss them despite repeated requests to do so by the camp since the occupation began. Generally the protesters have found the Council aloof and elusive to negotiate with. Since 15th of October 2011 they have been asking the Council to meet with them and sit down for a mature discussion and Q&A on the issues we have raised and wish to address, but to date this still has not occurred. Apart from John Collings visiting the camp as a PR stunt/photo opportunity and one meeting with Graham Chapman, which was entirely focused on the issue surrounding us leaving the Square there has been no dialogue with councillors. Even though the protesters have made themselves completely available to meet with the councilors for six months now, the Council have chosen not to do so. Requests to attend a council meeting have also been refused, as have all other requests to meet with councillors. The Council have provided no help in ensuring the health and safety of the camp. However, they have carried out stringent on the spot inspections with no warning. There have been several health and safety related checks which were undertaken by both a gas and also health and safety experts. During the storms in November, an inspector came and checked that the encampment would be safe and did not pose a danger in the high winds. Two separate fire safety inspections have also been undertaken. One was a general safety check for all of the encampment, the other related specifically to the wood burning stove we were using. The camp has passed all of these inspections without anything more than a little advice being given. At a liaison meeting with Richard Antcliff following a health and safety inspection at the camp he informed the representatives present that the Council had sent two of its most stringent Health and Safety inspectors who had reported that for a makeshift camp in the Market Square they were running "a very tight ship". The inspectors were right because the camp has imposed strict measures to ensure the Health and Safety of the camp and its members at all times.
Since moving the camp from the original location the Council cleaners have never cleaned close to the perimeter of the camp apart from a few sympathetic council workers, in fact the protesters have regularly litter-picked and scrubbed around the perimeter themselves, they have also regularly cleaned out the flowerbeds, as these too have been neglected. The camp members have felt that this was done on purpose, to make the camp look an eyesore with all the litter and debris primarily left by night-time revellers. They claim the cleaners ironically only began cleaning close to their barrier once the Council had served them notice.
As a result, Occupy Nottingham are dismayed with the councillors and their seeming lack of interest and care for the citizens of Nottingham and their rights. They have requested to see the original charters and deeds pertaining to the Market Square and the castle grounds, but have been refused. They want to see them, as citizens interested in their own heritage and to have their remaining rights regarding these pieces of land clarified as Citizens of the Commonality of Nottingham.
Occupy Nottingham consider that when the local and national authorities satisfactorily address the issues surrounding the financial crisis their task would be for a large part done. They are open to adapting but the Occupation is an integral part of the protest and cannot disband until the Council properly engage with them and the issues they are raising. They hoped to show that there was a way that authorities and the people could work together but the Council's main concern has not been to address the important issues theye are campaigning for but to get us off the Square.
The camp feels that the Council's attempt to remove them from Market Square will directly restrict their personal rights to freedom of political expression, freedom of speech, the right to protest, and the right of assembly. It appears that Nottingham Council and the Corporation of Nottingham are more interested in business opportunities than in the political/economical climate and Nottingham's citizens' concerns and needs. Since they have been Occupying the Market Square, not one Councillor or local representative has made themselves available to discuss the issues the have raised, even though we have been on their doorstep awaiting an audience for almost six months now. The Council's focus on evicting them rather than dealing with the complicated and vital economic and political concerns of the people of Nottingham is yet further evidence of a misguided approach. Why do they not focus these efforts on dealing with the problems and ills of society rather than on evicting a group of peaceful protesters? The protesters are upset that it has come to Court proceedings however, they are not going to get disheartened, pack up and go home just because the Council says that their protest no longer means anything to them. Their protest is still important to them and, they believe, to the people of Nottingham and the UK. There are fundamental issues facing our communities, cities and society that need addressing and dealing with rather than just brushing under the table in the hope that they will go away.
The Protest
The physical presence of Occupy in public places is the essence of the movement which is essentially a think tank of ideas seeking to find solutions to the issues we face.
This form of protest has been shown to offer solidarity with others across the globe. Thousands of cities worldwide are involved in the Occupy movement. Occupation protests have proven successful in raising awareness and allowing citizens to gather in places such as Egypt, Wall Street and across the UK. As the idea behind these protests was to bring the message straight to the people, at the heart of towns and cities, the form of the protest is ideal. The protests are always involved in, and surrounded by, the public. The occupation is a fresh form of protest in that the physical presence serves as a constant reminder of the issues the occupiers are seeking to highlight. The camp is a continual focal point for information and discussion, bringing subjects that previously were not mentioned to the fore in daily conversation. They are generating ideas on how we might better improve our communities, city, and country. They are interested in seeking ‘grassroots' solutions to the problems they are highlighting. Whereas traditional protests tend to be forgotten a few days later, they feel the issues are so fundamentally important that they must not be forgotten and there must be a continual reminder in the form of their occupation. Through the occupation they hope to raise awareness, engage the public in debate, bring people together and spread support to people and communities. They want to engage in a dialogue with the public authorities in how they might work together to improve our city. The main issues about which the occupiers are protesting are in line with those identified as being the causes of the wider Occupy movement; inequality, the dominance of corporations and big businesses; sustainable growth; advocating on behalf of growing numbers of a general public disillusioned by the way the world is being run. They also hope to have effects more locally. They hope to achieve (and this can be done working with the Council) clear understanding of and transparency in the cuts that are being made in Nottingham; what the reasoning behind the cuts is; and whether, at the same time, there are ways to cancel out the cuts or lessen their impact: for example, by working out if there are major corporations currently avoiding tax within Nottingham and what can be done about them.
The camp attach great importance to the location in the Market Square for many reasons. Firstly, King Edward II gifted the land of the 'Market Place' to the 'citizens of the city of Nottingham in around 1275 as place for markets to be held and for the citizens to meet'. It is a public space and as the citizens of Nottingham, the members of Occupy Nottingham consider that they have the right to create a small permanent civic space in which they can voice their concerns and seek to engage with the public. Public space is increasingly being privatised and they consider that it is vital that they retain a continual presence with their camp. They are developing a critical mass of protesters and supporters and they offer solidarity to other Occupy camps. If the camp were disbanded now the protesters would go home and the public would forget about the important issues they are seeking to raise.
Secondly, the Market Square was traditionally the space where the citizens of Nottinghamshire would camp while they waited to petition the authorities (then being the 'Sheriff of Nottingham' at the castle). Citizens would camp on the 'market place' often for weeks and sometimes for months whilst they awaited an audience at court. Occupy Nottingham believe they have the right, as previous citizens did, to remain camped out until the authorities properly listen and engage with their message. Finally, the Market Square is still today the central hub of the city where people gather to meet, protest, talk, hang out and relax. It is therefore the primary location for interacting with as many members of the public as possible.
Thirdly, the Market Square is the political and economic heart of Nottingham. The encampment is opposite the Council House, where Councillors have been implementing cuts to local services. Being in the centre of Nottingham has meant their attention has been drawn to the plight of many different individuals and groups affected by the cuts whether this be the closure of homeless shelters and advice groups, cuts to library services and cuts in the provision of mental health, educationand domestic violence servicesamong others. They have also seen the closure of key cultural institutions such as the Brewhouse Yard museum which is no longer generally open to the public but requires appointments in advance. Even the Tales of Robin Hood tourist attraction has closed recently and Nottingham has lost its Robin Hood logo. People feel like they are losing their culture and heritage and little is being offered in return. Indeed, all we seem to be told is that there is no money available and that cuts to vital services - the things that allow a society to function properly - are necessary. The encampment is also very close to RBS, Lloyds TSB and Natwest, three of the banks whose actions form a big part of our protest. It is also in close proximity to several other big corporations that they talk about on a daily basis.
For these reasons the Market Square is their preferred location. However, they do not want to be unreasonable and they have repeatedly stated they would be prepared to have an alternative camp location in the city centre if they retain a permanent presence in the form of (say) a stall within the Market Square. The stall would allow them to engage the public in dialogue and give them the opportunity to direct the public to the camp where they would continue to raise awareness. The camp would not ideally want the camp to be far from the city centre so that the public would not be put off from visiting them. In the camp they would, as they do now, maintain the information boards, hold talks and workshops on various subjects such as the financial crisis. They, of course, want these events to be accessible to other members of public not just camp members.
The occupiers have been working hard all winter to develop a network of support and contacts through discussion and outreach, this has been steadily growing in momentum towards the spring. They are now building up to a critical mass where they can begin to link communities, hold debates with members of the public from all backgrounds, and start to improve people's lives, rebuild and begin to find a solution to the critical problems that our society is currently facing. They have always been aware that they would not be able to find a quick fix to these issues. In fact the ‘quick fixes' embarked upon by our Government have helped compound these problems. They strongly believe that they have embarked upon a long term process of change that will take consistent continual effort to achieve the end result that they desire for everyone.
In Conclusion
In short public spaces should be used for their original intentions. Since 1275 Nottinghamshire's citizens were able to camp on the Market Place in order to petition the authorities until the issues they present are dealt with. Occupy Nottingham believe that people should still have the right to do this as it is imperative to our society that issues which the public feel important are not pushed under the table and ignored. It has been shown that one-day protests do not really achieve anything - the issues raised tend to be forgotten soon after the event. It is important therefore that citizens be able to maintain their petition of local government authorities to enable a satisfactory conclusion to the benefit of the whole of society. We have lost these rights and as a result we are losing our ability to communicate and achieve improvements for the benefit of all people not just for a few.
The protest and camp will continue no matter what the outcome of the trial the occupiers say they will not be going away. Occupy Nottingham have always been and still are fully open to negotiation with the Council, the Council have a responsibility to uphold and instead of back-tracking after making proposals for a suitable alternative they should uphold their word or else prove by their own actions the true value of such word. The Council have favoured expensive court proceedings with public funds rather than continue negotiations despite the occupiers willingness to work to a solution suitable to all involved. Of course they feel this is just a quick fix solution for the Councillors just to remove them from the Market Square, but unless at some point they return to the negotiation table it could prove an expensive venture for them, in paying for multiple eviction proceedings if this is their intended path, as Occupy Nottingham mean what they say they are here until the solutions to issues such as those in their Common Statement are found and embarked upon. They fell this is a wholesale failure on the Nottingham Councils part to engage with its own citizens, shame on them.
Carl Freeman
Spokesperson, Representative and Defendant of Occupy Nottingham.
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2507
*****
Occupation Camp in Nottingham is part of a global network of occupy camps, to protest at governments cuts. Critical of growing inequalities. Anti-globalisation, anti-capitalist and in favour of helping to bring about fairness in society.
'Collected' Indymedia Links at: http://wp.me/p8CiF-rE
Flickr photoset at: http://tinyurl.com/8yyq3mn
On the flickr set, you can also select the 'slideshow' and watch it cycle through the collection
Occupy Nottingham Press Release 06/04/12 http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2507
video to link http://youtu.be/a_rasvJwf8Q
Nottingham Occupy eviction bid goes to trial
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-17627321
Who are Nottingham's Occupy protesters? - BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-17614621
Occupy protest camp to stay in Old Market Square until trial date - Post
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Occupy-protest-camp-stay-Old-Market-Square-trial/story-15736632-detail/story.html
____________________________________________
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>
No Military on Our Streets
07-04-2012 12:39
Anti-Militarism - Anti-Olympic - Anti-Cuts Flyer PDF http://325.nostate.net/?p=4702
Bormann & Dulles: were the Nazis really defeated in 1945?
07-04-2012 08:38
At five: discussing the big stories in Bristol, Britain and around the world
After six: straight talking and investigative reports with Martin Summers
For all the shows back to Easter 2009 visit the Friday Drivetime archive page.
Tortured and Murdered by Empire - Stations of the Cross through Westminster, Lon
06-04-2012 20:10
Photos http://tinyurl.com/cf5wk6w 27 people associated with the Catholic Worker communities based in Harringay, Rickmansworth and Oxford, undertoook a five hour contemporary Stations of the Cross procession through downtown Westminster/ London on Holy Thursday.
Shiny n Rusty All Welcome(aka BrightOn Bike Fest)
06-04-2012 19:25
Into cycling or new to it something for everyone!!Occupy Nottingham Press Release 06/04/12
06-04-2012 18:55
Following the hearing on 5th April Occupy Nottingham are very pleased with the result achieved so far with a three week adjournment before a three day trial begins on 30th April.
This means they will be celebrating their six month anniversary on the Market Square on 15th April.
Judge Inglis ruled that all of the Councils allegations attempting to link incidents external to the camp being associated with the protest were usubstantiated with insufficient evidence and rejected any such argument dismissing them from the case.
Occupy Nottingham Press Release 06/04/12
Following the hearing on 5th April Occupy Nottingham are very pleased with the result achieved so far with a three week adjournment before a three day trial begins on 30th April.
This means they will be celebrating their six month anniversary on the Market Square on 15th April.
The Hearing
Judge Inglis ruled that all of the Councils allegations attempting to link incidents such as urination in flowerbeds, alleyways and doorways across the City Centre, accidents, crime such as shoplifting, threatening behaviour around and damage to the Market Place, along with any businesses loss of revenue in Nottingham City Centre, claims of odour and health and safety risks external to the camp being associated with the protest were usubstantiated with insufficient evidence and rejected any such argument dismissing them from the case.
Judge Inglis accepts the Council are the land owners so therefore the case now primarily revolves around the laws and legal connotations of highway, trespass, encampments, human rights, rights of assembly and protest.
Both the Council and Public Interest Lawyers waivered any claims for costs from yesterdays hearing, however the legal aid application by the camp has failed, so therefore any defendants could potentially now face a bill for costs of up to £20-30K if the case goes against the protest.
Public Interest Lawyers have been working Pro Bono on behalf of Occupy Nottingham and have announced that they willl continue to do so in light of the legal aid commisions decision. Occupy Nottingham cannot thank or commend them enough for this and for all the dilligence and hard work that PIL have put in so far on behalf of the protest, members of Occupy Nottingham are confident that whatever the outcome, they have had the best possible legal representation through PIL.
The Council
The Council first announced they would remove the camp from the square on 1st of March and began proceedings to do so on 7th March after posting notices to the seat of a camp chair initially on 5th March before returning to post them to the camp exterior. Following that the Council announced that Occupy Nottingham would be gone from the Square by the end of the week after the initial hearing on 13th March, following that hearing that was adjourned for three weeks, again notices were initially served to the camp exterior, before Council representatives returned to serve notice to actual camp members.
The first and only time representatives of Occupy Nottingham have had an opportunity to meet with Councillors in the Council House was in a meeting on 3rd March with Graham Chapman, this meeting was at the insistance of Occupy Nottingham in a genuine attempt to reach an agreement with the Council before they went through with their threat of Court action. At no other time have the Council expressed any interest or concern over any of the issues the camp has raised, or met with members of the protest camp to discuss them despite repeated requests to do so by the camp since the occupation began. Generally the protesters have found the Council aloof and elusive to negotiate with. Since 15th of October 2011 they have been asking the Council to meet with them and sit down for a mature discussion and Q&A on the issues we have raised and wish to address, but to date this still has not occurred. Apart from John Collings visiting the camp as a PR stunt/photo opportunity and one meeting with Graham Chapman, which was entirely focused on the issue surrounding us leaving the Square there has been no dialogue with councillors. Even though the protesters have made themselves completely available to meet with the councilors for six months now, the Council have chosen not to do so. Requests to attend a council meeting have also been refused, as have all other requests to meet with councillors. The Council have provided no help in ensuring the health and safety of the camp. However, they have carried out stringent on the spot inspections with no warning. There have been several health and safety related checks which were undertaken by both a gas and also health and safety experts. During the storms in November, an inspector came and checked that the encampment would be safe and did not pose a danger in the high winds. Two separate fire safety inspections have also been undertaken. One was a general safety check for all of the encampment, the other related specifically to the wood burning stove we were using. The camp has passed all of these inspections without anything more than a little advice being given. At a liaison meeting with Richard Antcliff following a health and safety inspection at the camp he informed the representatives present that the Council had sent two of its most stringent Health and Safety inspectors who had reported that for a makeshift camp in the Market Square they were running "a very tight ship". The inspectors were right because the camp has imposed strict measures to ensure the Health and Safety of the camp and its members at all times.
Since moving the camp from the original location the Council cleaners have never cleaned close to the perimeter of the camp apart from a few sympathetic council workers, in fact the protesters have regularly litter-picked and scrubbed around the perimeter themselves, they have also regularly cleaned out the flowerbeds, as these too have been neglected. The camp members have felt that this was done on purpose, to make the camp look an eyesore with all the litter and debris primarily left by night-time revellers. They claim the cleaners ironically only began cleaning close to their barrier once the Council had served them notice.
As a result, Occupy Nottingham are dismayed with the councillors and their seeming lack of interest and care for the citizens of Nottingham and their rights. They have requested to see the original charters and deeds pertaining to the Market Square and the castle grounds, but have been refused. They want to see them, as citizens interested in their own heritage and to have their remaining rights regarding these pieces of land clarified as Citizens of the Commonality of Nottingham.
Occupy Nottingham consider that when the local and national authorities satisfactorily address the issues surrounding the financial crisis their task would be for a large part done. They are open to adapting but the Occupation is an integral part of the protest and cannot disband until the Council properly engage with them and the issues they are raising. They hoped to show that there was a way that authorities and the people could work together but the Council's main concern has not been to address the important issues theye are campaigning for but to get us off the Square.
The camp feels that the Council's attempt to remove them from Market Square will directly restrict their personal rights to freedom of political expression, freedom of speech, the right to protest, and the right of assembly. It appears that Nottingham Council and the Corporation of Nottingham are more interested in business opportunities than in the political/economical climate and Nottingham's citizens' concerns and needs. Since they have been Occupying the Market Square, not one Councillor or local representative has made themselves available to discuss the issues the have raised, even though we have been on their doorstep awaiting an audience for almost six months now. The Council's focus on evicting them rather than dealing with the complicated and vital economic and political concerns of the people of Nottingham is yet further evidence of a misguided approach. Why do they not focus these efforts on dealing with the problems and ills of society rather than on evicting a group of peaceful protesters? The protesters are upset that it has come to Court proceedings however, they are not going to get disheartened, pack up and go home just because the Council says that their protest no longer means anything to them. Their protest is still important to them and, they believe, to the people of Nottingham and the UK. There are fundamental issues facing our communities, cities and society that need addressing and dealing with rather than just brushing under the table in the hope that they will go away.
The Protest
The physical presence of Occupy in public places is the essence of the movement which is essentially a think tank of ideas seeking to find solutions to the issues we face.
This form of protest has been shown to offer solidarity with others across the globe. Thousands of cities worldwide are involved in the Occupy movement. Occupation protests have proven successful in raising awareness and allowing citizens to gather in places such as Egypt, Wall Street and across the UK. As the idea behind these protests was to bring the message straight to the people, at the heart of towns and cities, the form of the protest is ideal. The protests are always involved in, and surrounded by, the public. The occupation is a fresh form of protest in that the physical presence serves as a constant reminder of the issues the occupiers are seeking to highlight. The camp is a continual focal point for information and discussion, bringing subjects that previously were not mentioned to the fore in daily conversation. They are generating ideas on how we might better improve our communities, city, and country. They are interested in seeking ‘grassroots' solutions to the problems they are highlighting. Whereas traditional protests tend to be forgotten a few days later, they feel the issues are so fundamentally important that they must not be forgotten and there must be a continual reminder in the form of their occupation. Through the occupation they hope to raise awareness, engage the public in debate, bring people together and spread support to people and communities. They want to engage in a dialogue with the public authorities in how they might work together to improve our city. The main issues about which the occupiers are protesting are in line with those identified as being the causes of the wider Occupy movement; inequality, the dominance of corporations and big businesses; sustainable growth; advocating on behalf of growing numbers of a general public disillusioned by the way the world is being run. They also hope to have effects more locally. They hope to achieve (and this can be done working with the Council) clear understanding of and transparency in the cuts that are being made in Nottingham; what the reasoning behind the cuts is; and whether, at the same time, there are ways to cancel out the cuts or lessen their impact: for example, by working out if there are major corporations currently avoiding tax within Nottingham and what can be done about them.
The camp attach great importance to the location in the Market Square for many reasons. Firstly, King Edward II gifted the land of the 'Market Place' to the 'citizens of the city of Nottingham in around 1275 as place for markets to be held and for the citizens to meet'. It is a public space and as the citizens of Nottingham, the members of Occupy Nottingham consider that they have the right to create a small permanent civic space in which they can voice their concerns and seek to engage with the public. Public space is increasingly being privatised and they consider that it is vital that they retain a continual presence with their camp. They are developing a critical mass of protesters and supporters and they offer solidarity to other Occupy camps. If the camp were disbanded now the protesters would go home and the public would forget about the important issues they are seeking to raise.
Secondly, the Market Square was traditionally the space where the citizens of Nottinghamshire would camp while they waited to petition the authorities (then being the 'Sheriff of Nottingham' at the castle). Citizens would camp on the 'market place' often for weeks and sometimes for months whilst they awaited an audience at court. Occupy Nottingham believe they have the right, as previous citizens did, to remain camped out until the authorities properly listen and engage with their message. Finally, the Market Square is still today the central hub of the city where people gather to meet, protest, talk, hang out and relax. It is therefore the primary location for interacting with as many members of the public as possible.
Thirdly, the Market Square is the political and economic heart of Nottingham. The encampment is opposite the Council House, where Councillors have been implementing cuts to local services. Being in the centre of Nottingham has meant their attention has been drawn to the plight of many different individuals and groups affected by the cuts whether this be the closure of homeless shelters and advice groups, cuts to library services and cuts in the provision of mental health, educationand domestic violence servicesamong others. They have also seen the closure of key cultural institutions such as the Brewhouse Yard museum which is no longer generally open to the public but requires appointments in advance. Even the Tales of Robin Hood tourist attraction has closed recently and Nottingham has lost its Robin Hood logo. People feel like they are losing their culture and heritage and little is being offered in return. Indeed, all we seem to be told is that there is no money available and that cuts to vital services - the things that allow a society to function properly - are necessary. The encampment is also very close to RBS, Lloyds TSB and Natwest, three of the banks whose actions form a big part of our protest. It is also in close proximity to several other big corporations that they talk about on a daily basis.
For these reasons the Market Square is their preferred location. However, they do not want to be unreasonable and they have repeatedly stated they would be prepared to have an alternative camp location in the city centre if they retain a permanent presence in the form of (say) a stall within the Market Square. The stall would allow them to engage the public in dialogue and give them the opportunity to direct the public to the camp where they would continue to raise awareness. The camp would not ideally want the camp to be far from the city centre so that the public would not be put off from visiting them. In the camp they would, as they do now, maintain the information boards, hold talks and workshops on various subjects such as the financial crisis. They, of course, want these events to be accessible to other members of public not just camp members.
The occupiers have been working hard all winter to develop a network of support and contacts through discussion and outreach, this has been steadily growing in momentum towards the spring. They are now building up to a critical mass where they can begin to link communities, hold debates with members of the public from all backgrounds, and start to improve people's lives, rebuild and begin to find a solution to the critical problems that our society is currently facing. They have always been aware that they would not be able to find a quick fix to these issues. In fact the ‘quick fixes' embarked upon by our Government have helped compound these problems. They strongly believe that they have embarked upon a long term process of change that will take consistent continual effort to achieve the end result that they desire for everyone.
In Conclusion
In short public spaces should be used for their original intentions. Since 1275 Nottinghamshire's citizens were able to camp on the Market Place in order to petition the authorities until the issues they present are dealt with. Occupy Nottingham believe that people should still have the right to do this as it is imperative to our society that issues which the public feel important are not pushed under the table and ignored. It has been shown that one-day protests do not really achieve anything - the issues raised tend to be forgotten soon after the event. It is important therefore that citizens be able to maintain their petition of local government authorities to enable a satisfactory conclusion to the benefit of the whole of society. We have lost these rights and as a result we are losing our ability to communicate and achieve improvements for the benefit of all people not just for a few.
The protest and camp will continue no matter what the outcome of the trial the occupiers say they will not be going away. Occupy Nottingham have always been and still are fully open to negotiation with the Council, the Council have a responsibility to uphold and instead of back-tracking after making proposals for a suitable alternative they should uphold their word or else prove by their own actions the true value of such word. The Council have favoured expensive court proceedings with public funds rather than continue negotiations despite the occupiers willingness to work to a solution suitable to all involved. Of course they feel this is just a quick fix solution for the Councillors just to remove them from the Market Square, but unless at some point they return to the negotiation table it could prove an expensive venture for them, in paying for multiple eviction proceedings if this is their intended path, as Occupy Nottingham mean what they say they are here until the solutions to issues such as those in their Common Statement are found and embarked upon. They fell this is a wholesale failure on the Nottingham Councils part to engage with its own citizens, shame on them.
Carl Freeman
Spokesperson, Representative and Defendant of Occupy Nottingham.
We aim to mobilise 500,000 anti-cuts protesters during the Olympics
06-04-2012 17:55
The London 2012 Olympics will cost well over ten billions pounds in total while savage government are destroying thousands of jobs and services and reducing millions to extreme poverty. We the Occupy movement plan to mobilise hopefully up to 500,000 anti-cuts protesters during the Olympics to protest this disgusting waste of money on an event which will not benefit anyone but the capitalists.Brutal Attack Of The Police Forces On A Greek Photographer
06-04-2012 17:29
ANNOUNCEMENT – INDICTMENTFOR THE BRUTAL ATTACK OF THE POLICE FORCES ON OUR COLLEAGUES AND THE INJURY OF THE PRESIDENT OF EFE
A 77 year old retired man committed suicide in Syntagma square, Greece.
06-04-2012 17:25
A 77 year old retired man committed suicide in Syntagma square, Greece. He left a letter before he shot himself. Bellow is the link with the picture and a rough translation of the letter.Peace prisoner Barbara Dowling update - please write to her!
06-04-2012 14:30
Latest news courtesy of Janet Fenton:"Barbara is in Greenock now and is doing well and appreciating small mercies like a toilet in her cell. Release date 5th May so she still has quite a stretch. Letters are getting through and anyone wanting to visit needs to write to her first."
Please send cheerful cards and letters of solidarity to:
Barbara Dowling
HMP Greenock
Gateside
Greenock
PA16 9AH
http://www.sps.gov.uk/Prisons/Greenock/greenock.aspx