Anarchist Bookfair 2006

It is that time of year again, autumn in the air, leaves falling off the trees, must be the Anarchist Bookfair.

Travelling on public transport into and around London these days is a pain in the neck due to engineering works, and getting to the Anarchist Bookfair was no exception.

The Anarchist Bookfair used to be held at the Camden Centre, but it outgrew this venue and moved to the London University Student Union. By common consent this venue was a disaster. Last year it was held at the Resource Centre on Holloway Road, just up from Holloway Road Tube Station, and that is where it was held again this year.

Outside in the street, Veggies were selling their excellent food. I arrived late and by the time I got there all that was left was some very scrummy looking cakes and cups of tea.

I sometimes wonder is the Bookfair worth attending, overcrowded, 90% of what is on offer is crap, but then you find something worth having, meet old friends and new, and you are glad you went.

Notes from the Borderland were peddling their usual disinformation, fairy tales for the gullible, fiction masquerading as fact. Maybe it is good therapy. This year they were running a smear campaign against critics of 911. To any casual observer, it easy to see that a number of questions have yet to be answered as to what really happened on that fateful day, but what's a few facts when they get in the way of a good smear campaign. I guess it makes a change from running a smear campaign against David Shayler and Annie Machon.

http://www.heureka.clara.net/911/index.htm

But enough of the negative.

Indymedia had a good selection of DVDs. I was spoilt for choice. I decided to go back later. A big mistake, I ended up with nothing as they packed up early.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/

SchMOVIES, DVD Collection 2005, off the SchNEWS stall, was worth having. As was the 17 minute DVD The Case for Solidarity off the No Sweat stall.

http://www.schnews.org.uk/

http://www.nosweat.org.uk/

The Case for Solidarity complements the cartoon booklet about worker solidarity at a third world sweatshop. There is though a serious problem with the No Sweat DVD, it don't play, and it don't get more serious than that! Copying the DVD did not solve the problem. I found if you force it to play chapter 1, it plays.

Kate Evans, a few years back produced an excellent cartoon booklet on global warming. This she has revamped and updated, and I was pleased to find it on sale on the Rising Tide stall. Early November Kate is publishing as a book. If it is half as good as the booklet, then it is well worth having.

http://www.cartoonkate.co.uk/

http://www.funnyweather.org/

http://www.risingtide.org.uk/

We have just experienced the warmest September on record, and a few days ago, we passed the longest extended summer on record. On my way to the Bookfair I passed a demo in Covent Garden against an Institution in the pay of the big carbon producers who are still claiming that Global Warming and Climate Instability is a myth!

From a personal perspective on the weather. I have been to the Bookfair in the past wearing a thick heavy coat. All I was wearing on Saturday was a light jacket, and most of the day I was in a short-sleeved shirt carrying my jacket. And this at the end of October!

I had hoped to find Zapatista Coffee, this excellent Aribica coffee is grown by the Zapatistas in Chiapas. I first came across it at the London Social Forum housing and land rights conference held a couple of weeks ago. I was pleased to say I found it. I am not a great fan of coffee, I prefer good tea, but I don't mind good coffee, and this is very good coffee. And it is fair trade and organic.

http://www.heureka.clara.net/gaia/zapatistas.htm

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/10/352437.html?c=on

Zapatista Coffee is roasted in Germany by Cafe Libertad and distributed in the UK by Active Distribution. If your local fair trade shop lacks this coffee, ask them why, suggest they get it, you won't be disappointed.

http://www.cafe-libertad.de/

http://activedistribution.org/

I had an interesting chat with Corporate Watch on the government's Pathfinder programme, and a similar conversation with a guy from Liverpool on the SchNEWS stall.

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/

Copies of The Generation Game by Mike Lane were freely distributed. Anyone who recieved a copy of this DVD please arrange public showing and feel free to run off copies and pass them around

I was disappointed that Undercurrents lacked a stall, or if they did, it was well hidden and I failed to find it.

http://www.undercurrents.org/

Two years ago Indymedia arranged an excellent party. If there was anything happening this year, it was a well kept secret.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/12/302216.html

Last year the Bookfair ended in a full blown riot. This year the police kept a very low profile.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/326418.html

The local Wetherspoons, the origins of last year's riot, had ugly bouncers on the door. It was made clear people from the Bookfair were not welcome.

Days before the Bookfair, the official website went down due to overload.

http://www.anarchistbookfair.org/

Like last year, there seemed to be too few bookstalls. There needs to be more radical groups with stalls. The absence of Undercurrents has been noted, but where are the Colombian, Bolivian, Palestinian solidarity groups, and many other groups I can think of?

The Anarchist Bookfair is not just stalls, there are also lots of meetings taking place. I looked in on one, but it was standing room only, so I did not bother.

I was hoping to go to the talk by John Pilger but he was rushed to hospital and could not attend. I am sure we all wish him a speedy recovery. We need more journalists of the calibre of John Pilger who are prepared to stand up and tell the truth.

The usual hanging around whilst people make up their mind what they want to do, then off for a meal with a few friends.

Next weekend, Saturday 28 October 2006, there will be a big demonstration against property developer St Modwen. St Modwen, the developer from hell, has a well deserved reputation for trashing town centres, destroying local communities, driving local retailers out of business. Farnborough town centre has been trashed, local businesses destroyed. St Modwen now wish to destroy Queen's Market at Upton Park in East London, one of the few surviving traditional East End markets, now a thriving multi-ethnic market. Procession starts from Plashet Park at 11am, to Queen's Market via Green Street. Nearest Tube Stations: Upton Park or East Ham.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/10/353780.html

http://www.friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk/

Anarchist Bookfair 2004

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/12/302216.html

Anarchist Bookfair 2005

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/326418.html

Keith Parkins
Homepage: http://www.anarchistbookfair.org/

Comments

Hide the following 23 comments

Bookfair

23.10.2006 18:34

Don't you have a blog you can post your personal diary on or something - 911cranksblogspot or Iloveexspooks?

As for last year, the origins of the so-called "riot" were some anti-social morons with a sound-system and some arsey cops. Perhaps surprisingly, people from the Bookfair were made welcome again this year at 'The Coronet' pub, and I saw nothing "ugly" or discourteous from the door-staff.

Ben

Bit Unfair Ben...

23.10.2006 21:08

Seemed like a reasonable revue of the fair to me.

(I was there, boyo...)

It was bloody crowded, and how come the radiators were on full requiring huge fans everywhere? So much for fighting climate change...

At least indymedia had managed to turn off their rad and bust the lock to open the window.

Maybe we need 2 bookfairs a year, maybe even one up north and one down south. Or spread it over 2 days...

Whatever. I was just pleased to see SO MANY PEOPLE there. Well done.

Referee

No, Ben's making a fair point

24.10.2006 06:54

This is blogging material, as a review it's weak (and in the case of the author's claim that Larry O'Hara habitually lies, actively libellous). Also, I had absolutely no trouble getting in, and neither did any punks or crusties that I noticed, even the guy with the 3-foot black and white mohican.

thanks for the reminder...

24.10.2006 08:56

Last year, in a thread on the Bookfair, Keith Parkins lied like Mandelson in initially claiming I didn't have an encounter with Bilberburg nut Tony Gosling--late in the thread Gosling lamely admitted it had been him. Shows Parkins grasp of reality--poor indeed.

This year saw the launch of an NFb assisted www.911cultwatch.org.uk devoted to exploring, analysing & opposing the activities and ideology of the 9/11 'cultists', especially now Shayler has taken an anti-semitic turn with his claim "Zionists were behind 9/11". We gave out a snappy leaflet, and I happily discussed the contents with a wide variety of people, especially 'believers'. Parkin, needless to say, is such a gutless coward he did not dare enter into discussion with myself or other comrades there, but he has now, on this board, printed lies/smears. Exactly what is to be expected from a lying coward like he evidently is.

I strongly suggest interested parties make up their own mind on Notes From the Borderland's record in general--we are soon starting today or tomorrow (Wednesday) to place on the web-site www.borderland.co.uk a past article from each issue so you can make up your own mind. As it happens, the article from NFB 7 on Machon/Shayler's infiltration of the 9/11 cult is already online--visit 911cultwatch.org.uk to read it. Then make up your own mind--something cultists do not want you to do.

Larry O'Hara
mail e-mail: contactnfb@tiscali.co.uk
Homepage: http://911cultwatch.org.uk

Two peas in a pod.

24.10.2006 09:18

I wouldnt be surprised if the posts above are by O'Hara and Shayler themselves. Loathsome attention seekers that they are.

Both have a history of posting under assumed names.

Both see their mission in life to spread their own paranoid fantasies to everyone else.

Both full of shit.

Both lying bastards.

Both have an overblown sense of their own importance in the scheme of things.

Both viewed by most as being barking mad.

Their self promotion reached its pitiful zenith during their so called live debate. Despite their efforts the attendance was tiny and you could count the sane people present on one hand. Pathetic...

In the Know

somebody's rattled

24.10.2006 10:04

if this kind of (anonymous) comment is the best opponents can do, it'll be plain sailing from here on in. Not so much 'In the Know' as 'Out of the Arse'

Larry O'Hara
mail e-mail: contactnfb@tiscali.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.borderland.co.uk

Peering through the shitstorm

24.10.2006 11:56

Larry O-Hara is being disingenious when he says that "Shayler has taken an anti-semitic turn with his claim "Zionists were behind 9/11". he is comepletely wrong to equate Anti-Zionism with Anti-Semitism; only someone lacking an ounce of intelligence would seriously believe this to be true - unless they were being deliberately misleading. I would suggest Larry might be serving some suspect agenda if he was labelling all campaigners about 911 as fanticists.

That said, the 911 truth movement, unsurpisringly, will attract it's fair share of conspiracy nuts, so a cult-watch amybe a good thing - to identify the loonies who discredit a campaign which is fighting a steep uphill battle of credibility amongst a largely monged-out public. Shayler, himself, has become the new David Icke. His latest ravings have completely discredited the 911 truth movement in the UK, after his extraordinary assertion that the World Trade centre was not hit by planes at-all, as the planes were infact holograms!!!!

However, in relation to Larry's nasty diatribe against Keith, Larry is re-writing history to face-save and score points when he says that last year, in a thread on the Bookfair, Keith Parkins lied like Mandelson in initially claiming I didn't have an encounter with Bilberberg nut Tony Gosling--late in the thread Gosling lamely admitted it had been him.

The actuality of events are that Larry actually thought Tony was disguishing himself as Keith Parkin, and proceeded to definately lose the plot in what was the longest internet dual that Indymedia has ever seen (between Tony Gosling and Larry). So ridiculous did it get, that IMC UK had to change it's policy of removing comments deemed offennsive or where the subject being discussed moved substantially away from the original subject.

MarkiBrown

Borderland asylum

24.10.2006 13:55

The Borderland is either a front organisation, or an organisation fronted by the lunatic fringe.

I have yet to make up my mind which. Maybe it is both.

Luckily, few believe their lunatic rants and they are seen as a big joke.

As I said, maybe it is therapy.

Keith

still must do better...

24.10.2006 14:32

The first post makes one valid point--that not all anti-Zionists are anti-semites. However, Shayler blaming Zionists for 9/11, when there is no evidence, does not convince me he isn't using Zionist as short-hand for Jew

The poster does not, however, refute at all my point that eventually Gosling admitted it was him I encountered. But then, the purpose of the post is to confuse, not enlighten.

It is amusing that both posts seem to insinuate that NFB is working to some malign agenda--on the contrary, both posters cannot stomach the truth. Keith is so obsessed with the psychiatrisation of politics again (asylum etc) that a Freudian reading would be he has forgotten to take his SSRI's again. Marvellous, that this dumb-nut grandly announces he "can't make up" his mind--is that because he is waiting for two real-live spooks Machon & Shayler to tell him what to think?

Again, as before, I would urge people with minds (sorry Keith) to visit www.911cultwatch.org.uk & decide for themselves. Which is presumably exactly what the two posters don't want people to do.

YAWN - bla bla bla - good bookfair tho and coronet were cool

24.10.2006 17:20

yawn to all these comments (was just the same last year with a thread going on for days or weeks).

that said, fair play to keith to writing his own view of the bookfair, and I was interested to read it.

btw, the Coronet pub had three door staff / bouncers who at times did a "one in one out" thing, but given the police action outside their doors last year who can blame them? they served people fine and I don't think this was about making bookfair people unwelcome at all, but just a sensible measure given last years chaos. everyone went home happy imho. nice.

yawning not drowning

Borderland inmates

24.10.2006 18:55

It would seem Borderland inmates are once again, as they did last year, abusing Indymedia to promote their own agenda and rants.

This was an article on the Bookfair and what was to be found, not a personal Blog (otherwise all observations on Indymedia of events are personal Blogs), others are obviously free to add their own observations, critical or otherwise, but there are always some who choose to abuse the open nature of Indymedia.

You have to laugh...

24.10.2006 19:40

...at this Parkins goon. He writes a thread whose purpose is to big up spooks Machon & Shayler, and even more so to spread lies about Notes From the Borderland--using words like "disinformation" "lies" "smear campaign" "fiction". Then when I respond, including pointing out that this gutless coward didn't dare approach me on Saturday, and that people should make up their own mind, he responds with the usual psychiatrisation of politics and claims that by exercising right of reply I am abusing Indymedia's open policy.

The implications are clear--when the 9/11 cult have numbers, and a goon-0squad, as last year, they're up for putting their weight about (though not proper debate, as last year amply showed), but if they haven't the numbers to physically intimidate, they dare not show themselves.

PS apoligies for triple post earlier--my server is slow (the lizards in the machine?)

Larry O'Hara
mail e-mail: contactnfb@tiscali.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.911cultwatch.org.uk

More smears against Notes from the borderland

24.10.2006 20:45

Firstly If people want to challenge what NFTB have to say about Shayler/Machon and their dubious activities within the 9/11 movement then please do it by rational argument and not by posting smears and insults, or are people like Stewart home, Space bunny, Fabian tompsett and others who smear and insult on these boards incapable of doing that. Secondly if contributors such as the above mentioned have evidence that NFTB is a state front then produce the evidence, if not then stop smearing . In short put up or shut up.

Steve la fevre

For Fucks Sake!

24.10.2006 20:56

This claims to be newswire not a fucking blogspot! (well done to 'ben' for pointing that out). Why was this promoted? Why is a 'News wire' being allowed to become a bitching forum? Are there not already enough discussion boards to house this inward looking, sectarian, elitist shite? Who is monitoring this 'news source'? Is it their day off??

For Fucks Sake!!

Fantasy land

25.10.2006 15:35

Would Larry O'Hara please spread his bullshit elsewhere.

He was free to have his fantasy stall at the Anarchist Bookfair piled high with bullshit, that was his choice. In the same way it was the choice of everyone else to walk on by or maybe pause and have a good laugh. But please don't spread the same bullshit all over Indymedia.

O'Hara is very good at running smear campaigns, especially against those who have exposed him as a bullshitter, fraud, fantasist and liar.

I'm surprised he has not come out with a fabricated story about the activities of Annie Machon, David Shayler, Tony Gosling et al at the last week's Bookfair, but maybe that is yet to come.

His role in life is lost. He should become a Wikipedia contributer, no knowledge of the subject a prerequisite, where with his fellow contributers like a pig wallowing in muck he can wallow in bullshit to his heart's content, engage is puerile discussions on the esoteric merits of the contributed bullshit, but please don't carry the stench over to Indymedia.

It should not be necessary to reiterate, but comments on the Anarchist Bookfair, should be restricted to the Anarchist Bookfair, merits or otherwise, not used as a public platform by a fantasist to spread his poisonous wares.

Where once just a tedious buffoon on the lunatic fringe, O'Hara is becoming a tedious bore.

Groundhog day

25.10.2006 17:11

A song by the Anti Nowhere League springs to mind, namely the one with a chorus that went;

"So what? So what? You boring little c**t!"

Deja Vu

Proof?

26.10.2006 10:16

Can anyone produce any evidence to substantiate the claims made above about Larry O'Hara? Or is this all just hot air and malicious gossip?

Curious

Keith's all mouth

26.10.2006 17:53

Well keith certainly cannot provide evidence that O'hara is a state asset, all he can provide are insults, smears, and offensive remarks just like Stewart home and his buddies Micah the space bunny and fabian tompsett.

There was one important note...

26.10.2006 23:05

Someone was asking for eye witnesses of what happened outside Wetherspoons last year. The Indycymru report is no longer available, presumably the IndymediaUK ones are, if anyone can remember the numbers to bring them up.

After the riot I asked about four times to speak to the Police Officer in Charge and was misdirected each time. Were they trying to protect an Officer who had really boobed from being discovered? Once the Ghetto blaster was put out of the pub there was no reason to close the pub. It was crass stupidity in the worst traditions of the Mets not to listen to the person saying the problem had been dealt with,

Does guilt for the riot lie with the Officer who would not listen, or with his superior Officer who had given a firm order to shut the pub leaving the junior no option but stupidity?

Ilyan

Still Groundhog day.. ho hum

26.10.2006 23:54

I am not Keith Parkin

19.01.2007 21:53

If anyone can be bothered to check I never denied the encounter with the exemplary Larry O'Harrier outside the bookfair in 2005. Further more I am not, and never have been Keith Parkin

http://www.ntv.ru/

Tony Gosling
Homepage: http://www.bilderberg.org/phpbb2

Anarchist Bookfair 2006

Comments

Bookfair

Bit Unfair Ben...

No, Ben's making a fair point

thanks for the reminder...

Two peas in a pod.

somebody's rattled

Peering through the shitstorm

Borderland asylum

still must do better...

still must do better...

still must do better...

YAWN - bla bla bla - good bookfair tho and coronet were cool

Borderland inmates

You have to laugh...

More smears against Notes from the borderland

For Fucks Sake!

Fantasy land

Groundhog day

Proof?

Keith's all mouth

There was one important note...

Still Groundhog day.. ho hum

I am not Keith Parkin

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