UK Promoted Newswire Archive
haringey council chambers occupied tonight
25-02-2011 01:29
several hundred people protested outside the budget meeting at wood green civic centre tonight. the building was occupied, and more than twenty people managed to break through a small police line and enter the council chamber, where they delayed the council meeting by nearly two hours. two were arrested after 3 van loads of TSG officers were called in to clear the building. a solidarity vigil was quickly organised outside hornsey police station where they were taken.
clicking on pics brings up bigger version. all pics "some rights reserved" - free for non-commercial grassroots use (credited 'rikki indymedia'). no commercial usage without permission.
a crowd of several hundred people gathered tonight outside the wood green civic centre, where haringey councillors were due to pass cuts of £87 million over three years, with more than a thousand jobs to go and three quarters of the youth service being destroyed. the cuts will also hit the elderly with care homes and drop-in centres being targetted.
the closure of youth services will have knock-on effects after years of good work. i spoke to staff from a youth project 'the base' which is already a volunteer run 'big society' service, but the cuts have already taken their toll and the project is losing its building next month. the project worked with local police and helped steer young people away from crime and gangs.
after some speeches from local activist organisations and an open mic, the crowd moved into the building, and at first queued politely for the public gallery, but soon decided to attempt an occupation of the council chamber.
a handful of police failed to stop people from mounting the stairs, and half a dozen police tried to preven access to the council chamber, but the weight of numbers provided the power to push through and despite some police violence, more than 20 people managed to invade the chamber with banners.
the public gallery then filled up, and in the chamber, with no councillors attending the meeting, a budget of no cuts was passed by the newly formed people's assembly.
however, elsewhere in the building, the greedy, careerist, self-serving councillors had found another space. suddenly the fire alarms went off, and (useful to remember in similar buildings) the doors operated by a swipe-card system all opened to allow evacuation. a group of a dozen or so protestors managed to push past a couple of police and headed down a corridor to where the councillors were skulking.
as more police pushed the protestors back, and the councillors made a hasty retreat through a fire exit, three vanloads of TSG turned up and flooded the corridor. people were pushed back and down some stairs, where some fell, and two people were arrested.
meanwhile, in the chamber, the activists were told by a councillor that they must leave the building or that he would ask the police to arrest them. after some discussion, a concensus was reached, and while people on the ground floor were being forcibly removed from the building by TSG officers, the occupiers and the people in the public gallery walked out together as a group. after some more noisy protesting outside the chamber, a group headed down to hornsey police station for a solidarity protest over the two who were arrested.
almost immediately, the councillors, who it seems had been waiting outside the back of the building, then poured in through the back door and up to the council chamber. there, starting their meeting two hours later than scheduled, they proceeded to vote through the devastating cuts.
last year haringey's director of children and young people's service received a salary and pension contribution of £282,670. tonight, he voted to pass a 75% cut to haringey's youth service.
Notts County Council strike: rally
24-02-2011 23:23
On 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 across Trent Bridge and a rally in front of County Hall.
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 impressivley 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 outisde County Hall.
Notts County Council strike: March
24-02-2011 23:23
On February 24th Nottinghamshire County Council met to set its budget. Unison members at the council were on strike and the union also organised a march and rally.
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 (separate report to follow).
Royal Holloway Occupied
24-02-2011 22:28
Royal Holloway have OCCUPIED the Arts BuildingThis is how 'Big Society' looks like ...
24-02-2011 22:28
This is how 'Big Society' looks like, Lambeth Town Hall Occupation.
We arrived to last night's second demonstration against the Lambeth Council cuts budget meeting slightly late, and as we were approaching the Town Hall the first thing that surprised us was the loud noise coming out from the demo, a cacophony of car horns responding to the 'Honk Against The Cuts' placards, mixed with the chants of 'No ifs, no Buts, No Public Services Cuts' that the 250 strong crowd kept chanting. It seemed obvious to us straight away that this was not going to be the usual 'picket' trying to 'lobby' some politicians (aspiring politicians in this case!) but a determined rejection to the £32 million worth of cuts Lambeth Council was due to vote on.
The crowd stood for an hour or so at the doorsteps of the Council building, listening to several speeches, dancing to a small mobile sound system, and leafleting passers-by whilst getting the support from passing cars.
Eventually, and quite spontaneously too, at around 7pm most of the crowd started to enter the building amidst the confusion of the security staff that immediately tried to stop people from making it to the chamber were the councillors meeting was taking place. Security staff repeatedly tried to shut doors, to pen people in corridors, and some even got quite violent pushing and heckling protestors whilst trying to prevent them from reaching the chamber's public gallery. But the determined crowd took none of it and the first wave of 100 or so protestors managed to take over the chamber's balcony.
What happened next it is already very well explained in this and this reports, so there's no need to get into details once again here, but if anything, last night's protest clearly proved, once more, that when people take action collectively and decisively there are no barriers that can prevent them from achieving their aims.
Council leader Steve Reed is quoted in the BBC stating that "You can't have people just storming through town hall" ... well Steve it's really not that surprising that people, the very same people that the Council are supposed to 'serve', are strongly reacting to this set of unnecessary, unjust and deeply damaging cuts. That's what happens when people start to be concerned about their futures as a consequence of the massive rip-off most of society is being subjected to. We see it happening all over the world, don't we?!
Here there a few pics of the protest:
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solidarity demo now at hornsey police station
24-02-2011 22:16
two people were arrested after being pushed down stairs by police at wood green civic centre where councillors were met with angry protests at their meeting to pass huge budget cuts. protestors, who were eventually evacuated from the building after occupying the council chambers for nearly two hours, have now gone to hornsey police station where the arrested pair were taken.
the protestors are calling for anyone nearby to join them outside hornsey police station, as they hold a noise demo in protest at the violence used against peaceful protestors by around 30 TSG officers who were called to the haringey council meeting.
more on the occupation of the chambers and some pics soon.
Local Newsletter Hit By Sinister Cyber Sabotage
24-02-2011 21:02
Rough Music is under attack! For five years RM has been on the streets of Brighton, fearlessly spitting in the eye of the powerful, kicking the corrupt in the knackers and pummelling the kidneys of profiteers. Well, apparently our efforts have not gone unnoticed.Cardiff demo in support of Libyan uprising
24-02-2011 18:31
Palestine Today 02 24 2011
24-02-2011 16:57
Palestine Today 02 23 2011
24-02-2011 05:59
Violence erupted along the Gaza border a day after new Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz made his first visit to the Southern Command.Clashes began in the morning after a roadside bomb detonated next to an IDF patrol along the border. Mortar shells were then fired into the western Negev. None of the soldiers was wounded, and the IDF responded with tank fire in the direction of the terrorists.
Meanwhile, a large explosion in the southern Gaza Strip killed a 10-year old girl and wounded two others. Hamas said it was investigating the cause of the blast.
Explosions are common in Gaza. They often take place in the homes of terrorists, when explosives and other armaments detonate prematurely.
Tubu Tribe solidarity appeal
23-02-2011 10:10
Protest at Southwark Town Hall
22-02-2011 21:22
About 150 people held a protest at Southwark Town Hall against the cuts.
About 150 people gathered outside Southwark Town Hall to protest against the cuts. In speeches people highlighted different areas where the cuts will have devasting effects on the borough. Several people used the demo to mobilise for the 26 March demonstration, calling for the demo in March to be the beginning of the biggest protest movement in the UK for more then a century.
Speakers addressed especially Labour councillors, asking them to make a descision which side they want to be on, the side of the goverment, or the side of the people who fight against the ConDem plans.
Palestine Today 02 22 2011
22-02-2011 17:06
Gaddafi out! Protest on streets of Bradford
21-02-2011 21:24
A large group of protestors have gathered outside the Alhambra theatre in Bradford to protest against the murder of hundreds of anti-government activists in Libya and to call for the removal from power of the countrys dictator Muammer al-Gaddafi. At the time of writing, around 50 bradford residents had already gathered and their numbers were continuing to grow.
The protest in Bradford has assembled as Gaddafi's security forces continue their brutal crackdown on the people of Libya, who are calling for freedom from a dictatorship that has perservered in the country since 1969. The uprising began on the 13th January 2011 and is continuing.
The latest reports put the death toll at a minimum of 300 people, with the latest confirmed death being that of an 18 month old boy. Gaddafi's son has vowed to "fight to the last bullet", but this has not deterred the mounting numbers of people taking to the streets daily or their determination for the people to take the country back.
Palestine Today 02 21 2011
21-02-2011 16:50
Sheffield protest against repression in #Libya
21-02-2011 15:41
Full article | 1 addition | 47 comments
Spies on video- Martin Hogbin and Paul Mercer
20-02-2011 11:00
Veolia lost contract in Richmond - West London
20-02-2011 09:53
Keep the Post Public demo: Beeston
19-02-2011 20:23
On Saturday 19th February, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) organised a Keep the Post Public demonstration in Beeston.
The march was an impressive size with over 1,000 people in attendance. Beginning at Beeston mail centre on Padge Road, it made its way through Beeston, along the High Street, down to the bridge on Station Road and ended at New Venture Social Club.
One of the more interesting landmarks on the route was the New Beeston Conservative Club (at Winston Churchill House). The march stopped here briefly to target some abuse, at the apparently empty building. A wreath was also laid, presumably to mark the death of the postal service.
It has to be said, that while relatively noisy, the march was not necessarily militant and the few police in attendance were mainly interested in stopping traffic. Certainly, you can't imagine the students being allowed to march past a major Tory target, without the police making some effort to protect it.
The Labour Party had apparently had a role in organising the protest (which must have been a new experience for most of them) and party banners were prominent. I noticed MP Lillian Greenwood, ex-MP Nick Palmer (remember him?) and councillor Steve Barber on the march. Despite the prevalence of banners it was difficult to gauge exactly how many people they had been able to turn out.
Presumably at least some of the party faithful feel that Labour's new found love for a nationalised postal service sits uncomfortably with their efforts, only a couple of years ago, to flog it off.
Beeston is represented in Parliament by Tory Anna Soubry. She has had a running battle with the local CWU in the Nottingham Post, after she claimed in Parliament that none of the postal workers in Beeston had written to her opposing privatisation of the Royal Mail. With Soubry taking the constituency with only a tiny majority (0.7%), it isn't surprising that the Labour Party should take an interest in her discomfort.
The choice to end that march at a social club struck me as an interesting one. Why leave at the end of a demonstration and go to the pub when you can just have the rally in licensed premises?
The panel on the platform was made up of 7 people and included Greeenwood, Palmer, Billy Hayes (General Secretary of the CWU) and Richard Buckwell (Notts Trades Council). This didn't exactly fill me with excitement so after taking advantage of the free food (sausage, chips, beans and/or mushy peas - less the sausage if you're vegetarian) I slipped out.
Palmer had just begun as I left and it has to be said that all the spare time he's had recently hasn't improved his oratory skills. From the corridor outside the main hall, he sounded like a less camp version of South Park's Mr Garrett.
Egyptian Revolution at a Turning Point
19-02-2011 15:23
