Leeds Bradford Repression
Detention protests met with brutal assaults
18-06-2009 16:08
Update: More than 40 women in Yarl's Wood continue their hunger strike for the 5th day [more].
A mass hunger strike by families detained at Yarl's Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire has been met with violent assaults on men, women and children by Serco security guards who mange the prison on behalf on the UK Border Agency. The detainees started the hunger strike on Monday and staged a sit-in in the corridor over their inhumane conditions.
Meanwhile in Brook House, the newly opened detention centre at Gatwick airport, a 'disturbance' broke out on 12th June and a fire was set by rioting detainees in the exercise area causing some damage.
A solidarity protest outside Serco's offices in London (22 Hand Court, Holborn, WC1V 6JF) has been called by No Borders London in support of the Yarl's Wood hunger strikers on Friday, 19th June, from 12noon. Activists from the Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR) gathered outside government offices in Newcastle on Wednesday to protest against racism and all immigration prisons.
Links and sources: No Borders UK | NCADC | TCAR
Read more | 5 additions | 7 comments >>Solidarity Calls For Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers
15-01-2008 20:20
During the early hours of this morning, two crew members of the Sea Shepherd vessel, 'Steve Irwin', have been taken hostage by the Japanese harpoon vessel 'Yushin Maru No. 2'. Benjamin Potts 28, an Australian citizen and Giles Lane, 35, a British citizen, are being held onboard the whaling vessel which is currently on the run. Both men boarded the vessel to deliver a letter to the Japanese captain stating that the whalers were in violation of international conservation law by targeting endangered species in an established whale sanctuary and in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling. They also notified the captain that Australia had just passed a court ruling barring Japanese whalers from the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone. Once they boarded the vessel they were assaulted and tied to the railings of the whaler. They were then moved and tied to a radar mast. The Japanese vessel has not responded to messages in English or Japanese from the Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson to release the hostages.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's ship 'Steve Irwin' has been in full pursuit of five vessels of the Japanese whaling fleet including the Japanese supply vessel 'Oriental Bluebird' since this morning. The Japanese factory ship 'Nisshin Maru' has fled over 700 miles to the northwest and is heading towards South Africa accompanied by the Greenpeace ship Esperanza. The entire whaling fleet is on the run. According to the Sea Shepherd no whales have been able to be slaughtered for the last four days and it does not look as if the whaling operations are going to begin again for another week at least, and not at all if the vessels are prevented from regrouping. Crew members from the Sea Shepherd ship 'Steve Irwin' point out they have a "good supply of fuel and can remain in the area for some time and will continue to police the illegal whaling operations by the Japanese fleet".
Contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office: msu.publicin@fco.gov.ukContact the Japanese Embassy: info@jpembassy.org.ukPhone: London 020-70081500 / Edinburgh 0131-225-4777 / Dublin 01-202-8300 | Web: List of Japanese EmbassiesSolidarity Protest Reports: DC Protest For Sea Shepherd Hostages Video | Sea Shepherd Solidarity Protest at Japanese Embassy, Berlin | Sea Shepherd demo, Barcelona | NYC Protest for Sea Shepherd Hostages | Hostage Release Demonstration, London
Recent Updates: Sea Shepherd Hostages Return Back to Steve Irwin | Whalers Hands Activists Over To Australia's Ship | Whalers threaten to take activists to Japan | Sea Shepherd Crew Remain Hostages On The Japanese Whaling Ship | Whalers Make Demands Over Hostages | Sea Shepherd considering rescue mission
Previous feature: Japanese Whaling Ship rams Greenpeace vessel
On the newswire: Video of Sea Shepherd Activists Taken Hostage | Sea Shepherd volunteers 'detained' by Japanese whalers | URGENT - protestors held hostage by Japanese wailing ship | British Sea Shepherd activist held hostage on Japanese whaler | Japanese whalers take Sea Shepherds hostage | Call out for solidarity demonstration
Links: Sea Shepherd Convervation Society | Greenpeace campaign against whaling | Wikipedia on Japanese Whaling
Read more | 2 additions | 5 comments >>'i' the film - screening tour
09-10-2006 22:14
- Tue Oct 10 - London - RampART - 15-17 Rampart St (starts 8pm)
- Wed Oct 11 - Brighton - The Cowley Club - 12 London Road
- Thu Oct 12 - Nottingham - The Sumac Centre - 245 Gladstone Street, 7.30pm (read article | report and audio from screening)
- Sat Oct 14 - Glasgow - Document 4 Intl. Human Rights Film Festival
- Sun Oct 15 - Edinburgh - Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Terrace, 7pm
- Mon Oct 16 - Edinburgh - Forest Café, 3 Bristo Place, 7.30 pm
Hundreds demonstrate in Leeds against Zimbabwean deportations
15-09-2006 13:39
Zimbabweans from across the UK led a huge demonstration in Leeds on Saturday 16 September against the resumption of deportations of refused asylum seekers back to Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe [see report]. The protest, called by the Zimbabwe Refugee Community Organisation with the backing of the Refugee Council (Yorkshire and Humberside) and campaign group Leeds No Borders, began outside Leeds Central Library at 12pm. It was addressed by, among others Mafungasei Maikokera, one of the famous Yarls Wood hunger strikers who resisted deportation on a plane bound for Harare. Hundreds of people then spontaneously marched into the main shopping precinct to the sound of samba and song.
The demonstration was called in response to a legal ruling in August that 'refused' asylum seekers no longer automatically face persecution if returned to Zimbabwe - despite the UK government's own very public condemnation of human rights abuses by the Mugagbe regime. These Zimbabweans now face the possibility of imminent deportation. Only last Wednesday in Zimbabwe, the country's main trade union leader was arrested by police for attempting to hold a demonstration which the government had earlier banned. Wellington Chibebe was beaten with batons and rifle butts as the police arrested him and 15 others. Zimbabweans are not alone - the Home Office has recently stepped up its efforts to forcibly remove asylum seekers en masse back to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Read: Demo call out | Report of Original Ruling, October 2005 | Recent legal ruling, August 2006, & Report | Refugee Council briefing | Zimbabwe Situation | Amnesty International Country Overview | Satellite images of Mugabe's community destruction scheme
Links: Coalition to Stop Deportations to Iraq | International Federation of Iraqi Refugees | National Coalition of Anti- Deportation Campaigns | Noborders UK communication channels | No Borders | Asylum Policy.info | Barbed Wire Britain | Peter Tatchell
Read more | 3 comments >>New plans for maelstrom anti-repression squat
09-11-2004 15:00
Maelstrom is Leeds' squatted infoshop, located at the old Post Office in Hyde Park Corner. After three succesful weeks of events (read the story so far) a weekly schedule has been set. Regular events will include
Tuesdays: Reading Group from 7.30pm
Wednesdays: Cafe + Discussion and/or film
Thursdays: Subvertising Workshop from 6pm
For info on irregular events or if you are interested in holding an event @ maelstrom just keep checking indymedia or the front door.
Read more | 1 comment >>Leeds social centre bloom
20-10-2004 18:45
Leeds' brand new infosquat, Maelstrom, opened its doors on Thursday 21st October. It is located at the old Post Office, Hyde Park Corner, Woodhouse Street. Next week's events include talks on prison and the panopticon society, prisoner writing and card making, talk and discussion on biometrics, talk on nanotechnology, discussion on slipping through the systems cracks and much, much more! (click here for a full list).
Meanwhile, the opening of Leeds' social centre is only a few weeks away. If you want to get involved, simply contact leeds arc or pop into one of the social centre meetings: the next one is at at 7.30pm on Nov 4 @ the cafe in Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane [map]
Read more >>Jeff Luers solidarity actions in Bradford and Leeds
10-06-2004 11:03
June 12 was an International Day of Action and Solidarity with Jeff ‘Free’ Luers. There was solidarity Bradford, and there is a screening in Leeds to come.
In June 01, 23 year old forest defence activist Jeffrey ‘Free’ Luers was sentenced to 22 years and 8 months in prison for the burning of 3 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV's) in Eugene, Oregon along with Craig ‘Critter’ Marshal, to make a statement about global warming. Both activists took measures to make sure that no one would be injured as a result of their action and scouted the location for months beforehand. An arson specialist later confirmed that the action did not pose any threat to people, based on its size and distance from any fuel source. Despite the fact that this action hurt no one, caused only $40,000 in damages and the cars were later resold, Jeff was sent to prison for a sentence considerably longer than those convicted of murder, kidnapping and rape in Oregon state.
On June 12th there was a benefit meal at the 1in12 club, Bradford. It included a talk about Jeff’s case and to watch the documentary ‘Green With a Vengance’ which includes an interview with Jeff from prison. All proceeds went towards Jeff’s defence network. [Report]
Then on the following Sunday incitement2 showed the film by Olivia Rousset, an Australian videographer and journalist. It is a video report for Dateline Australia back in 2001, containing some of the only video footage of Free in prison, as well as interviews with professor Bron Taylor, former ELF spokesperson Craig Rosebraugh and anarchist/author John Zerzan. One of the best pieces on the US ecological defence. [Report]
Global Indymedia Feature
Other Links: [Leeds EF!] [Earth Liberation Prisoners]
You can write to Jeff at:
Jeffrey Luers, 13797671, OSP, 2605 State Street, Salem, OR 97310, USA
Martin Shaw in Leeds: "Resisting Repression, Maintaining our right to Protest"
03-02-2004 00:00
Martin Shaw is the activist who narrowly escaped death when the Swiss police cut the rope he was hanging from, in an attempt to blockade delegates attending the G8 summit in Evian, eight months ago. He will be in Leeds and talk at the next Leeds EF! monthly meeting, on February 4, 19:00 at the Adelphi Pub. A video will also be projected. All welcome!
The Saloniki 7 have been released!
26-11-2003 16:58
Read more >>
More solidarity actions for the Saloniki 7 in W. Yorkshire
21-11-2003 01:07
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Monday Nov 24 to Friday Nov 28:
- @ 12:30 distribution of leaflets on the case outside travel agencies accross the city center. Meet outside Thomas Cook on Briggade, opposite Borders bookshop.
- @ 18:00 meetings outside the Greek Consulate of Leeds. Meet at the Roundhay Fox pub, Roundhay Park (buses 12 and 2 from town).
Leeds Bradford Repression Feature Archive >>
