SchNEWS 695 - La La La Bomba

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WAKE UP!! WAKE UP!! IT'S YER LIGHT THE FUSE...

SchNEWS, Issue 695, Friday 16th October 2009

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LA LA LA BOMBA

SchNEWS LOOKS TO MEXICO, WHERE BUTANE IS IN THE EYE OF THE
BOMB-HOLDER

Amid the annual September celebrations of independence and
revolution, a series of explosions hit symbols of capitalism across
Mexico, each accompanied by anarchist graffiti. What the Mexican press
have labelled the ‘Anarcho-bombings’ has since been used
by the authorities to launch an attack on Mexico’s autonomous
universities – hotbeds of radical politics and action.

After the first explosion on September 1st, the improvised butane
bombs went off once or twice a week throughout the month, torching
banks, car-showrooms, fast food restaurants and animal testing labs,
causing thousands of pounds of damage but no injuries. As well as
classic circled ‘A’s, the bombers daubed the targets with
slogans denouncing animal rights abuses, demanding an end to prison
construction and calling for an end to capitalism.

A previously unknown group called the Subversive Alliance for the
Liberation of the Earth, Animals and Humans (ASLTAH) claimed
responsibility for the bombings in an internet communiqué,
raging, “your filthy techno-industrial system provokes our rage
and hatred and we say to you now that we will not stop until we see
your ashes.”

On September 30th, federal agents arrested Ramses Villareal Gomez, a
27 year-old student at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM) in
Mexico City, in connection with the bombings. Villareal Gomez claims
police threatened him with a 40-year sentence and said they would rape
his wife if he did not co-operate in their investigations. Cops also
searched his mother’s house, reportedly stealing money and two
computers. They initially claimed they found a rifle, a pistol,
explosives and documentation linking him to a “subversive”
movement in the search.

Police claim they arrested Villareal Gomez after a newspaper clipping
of the bombs with “Ramses” was left in an anonymous tip
box. Three days later, following violent protests by anarchist groups,
a judge ordered the authorities to release Villareal Gomez due to a
lack of evidence. After his release Police admitted that they had
been “mistaken” about the weapons, explosives and
incriminating documents.

Since the arrest, a case dossier has been leaked to the Mexican
media. Of the suspects named in the dossier, at least 15 are students
at public universities and high schools. All are under 26. The dossier
links the suspects to organisations such as the People’s Front
in Defence of the Land (FPDT) in Atenco (See SchNEWS 543), the Popular
Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO - see SchNEWS 567), the
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) General Strike
Council, and “national and international insurgent
organisations.”

The Mexican authorities have been engaged in a struggle with students
and academics over how autonomous universities are run since the UNAM
opened in 1910. The universities have control over their budgets and
the appointment of rectors and regents. They also prohibit the police
and the military from entering the campuses without the rector’s
permission and deny the authorities access to student records and
biographies.

The level of political freedom and protection from repression and
harassment on autonomous campuses has created an environment where
students have been able to play important roles in political
struggles. As well as the groups mentioned in the dossier, students
have been particularly active in the Zapatista movement (See SchNEWS
250), and the man the authorities claim is Subcomandante Marcos,
Rafael Sebastián Guillén Vicente, was even a student at
UNAM and a professor at UAM.

Some students have also been involved in solidarity campaigns with
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who are at the
centre of Colombia’s bloody civil war (see SchNEWS 656). Last
year four Mexican students were killed in the Colombian
military’s airstrikes in Ecuador which killed FARC commander
Raul Reyes. One Mexican student, Lucia Morett, survived the attack.

Following the bombings, the search for Morett and her associates led
to increased harassment and surveillance on campus activists under the
pretext of ‘combating terrorism’. Morett’s name was
also in the ‘Anarcho bombings’ dossier’.
The dossier claims Morett was in contact with Villareal Gomez, a
charge she denies. Not one of the newspapers which have a copy of the
dossier has printed any evidence related to Morett, Villareal Gomez or
any of the 15 students.

Since the bombings, the ASLTAH have been making noise about
“the battle for the dissolution of civilisation”. But, in
a state riven with social strife and in danger of being overwhelmed by
a bloody narco war, it is unlikely anyone is taking a fringe group of
pyro-enthusiasts too seriously. The radicals of Oaxaca, Chiapas and
Atenco however, remain a serious challenge to the status quo and the
autonomous universities a real tool in their struggle. The
‘Anarcho-bombings’ now look set to be leapt on by the
Mexican authorities as another opportunity to try and repress that
struggle.

* See www.narconews.com and www.counterpunch.org/ross10062009.html


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KICKING UP A STINK

Looks like hunt sabs are gonna be cleaning up this winter. Cosmetics
manufacturer Lush have released a new soap called Fabulous Mrs Fox
– on sale from now ‘til Boxing Day. Every penny of the
profits is set to be spent on funding sab groups up and down the
country as they disrupt bloodsports.

Of course the Countryside Alliance types have got themselves into a
lather (copyright – all newspapers) claiming that Lush are out
to support ‘dirty fighters’ and claiming that Lush will
‘pay for its politics’. But Lush maintain,
“We’re on the side of the foxes!” (and perhaps they
think the anti market is a big dollar right now). To capture the full
thrill of a day’s sabbing in the comfort of yer own bath, the
Lush aromaologists have concocted “a blend of citronella, engine
oil and organic special brew”. Well, what are you waiting for?

* See www.huntsabs.org.uk


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HARVERSTER LOONS

The Mainshill protest camp has had a busy few weeks in their fight to
protect the land from being turned into an open-cast coal mine (See
SchNEWS 686), as earth clearing and tree-felling work goes ahead. This
Tuesday (13th), they blockaded the road and stopped logging for day by
placing people – and a sky-raft – in the path of the heavy
machinery. One was arrested.

Last week saw some dramatic events when late on Tuesday (6th) night,
the camp had a dangerous situation on its hands when a harvesting
machine appeared from the darkness and began cutting through trees
near to the actual camp where protesters were camped in treehouses and
tunnels. The driver didn’t mind putting peoples’ lives at
risk and breaking company health & safety rules, and initially
tried to continue working – but after a near-miss, was chased
off.

Then came another piece of heavy machinery driven by even more
belligerent nutters than the first one. The driver refused to stop,
with his co-driver jumping out at one point to tell protesters
‘I’m going to kill you’. Police arrived and instead
of arresting the drivers for dangerous driving, claimed the campers
were endangering themselves by being so close to machinery. The only
concession was that Scottish Woodland agreed to stop tree felling at
night.

Then the following night, pixies just so happened to sabotage three
of the large machines by superglueing their locks, stopping work until
late the following day.

The Mainshill camp is calling for all to get involved now. It’s
off the A70 towards Douglas, South Lanarkshire

* See  http://coalactionscotland.noflag.org.uk


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QUIDS PRO QUO

A man received a £22,000 payout from the British Transport
Police (BTP) this week after he was nicked for witnessing a stop and
search in Seven Sisters, North London. Ken Hinds stopped to observe
eight cops aggressively grab a black teenager near the tube station.
“There were seven or eight officers tugging at this teenager. It
caught my attention because the youth looked scared and alarmed. I
wanted to watch to make sure he had a witness in case he was hurt.

“But an officer spotted me and told me to f*** off. When I told
him I knew my rights, he said to his colleague, ‘I’m going
to nick him’. They then put me in tight handcuffs which was very
painful.” As any SchNEWS reader knows, police are quite happy to
nick anybody who looks at them sideways or acts as if they know their
rights, especially if they happen to be, like Mr Hinds, a big
shaven-headed black guy.

Unfortunately for the ignoramuses of the BTP, our Ken is quite the
respected member of the community. Not only is he an experienced
community youth worker (who helped broker a truce between rival gangs
in the area) but he sits on the Metropolitan Police’s Black
Independent Advisory Group and (the ironies just keep coming) is
chairman of a monitoring group for police stop and search in Haringey.
Oops.

Originally charged with threatening and abusive behaviour, police
were forced to eat humble pie, apologise and cough up. Two cops
received formal warnings and one was deemed to be “not a
credible witness.”


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ART ATTACK

The Ramparts Social Centre in East London was evicted yesterday
(15th) after five years of a squatted occupation. An eyewitness inside
the building – one of the people present for the eviction - said
that at 5.30am they heard the front door being cut with a chainsaw. A
team of 13-14 bailiffs entered the building, while outside around 50
police blocked off the three streets which lead to Ramparts, including
a checkpoint further up the road. Climbers went to the roof in a
similar manner to the raid during the G20 protests this April (See
SchNEWS 671). Once inside, the eviction team found three people and a
dog.

Afterwards police gave out a phone number for those with possessions
inside to retrieve belongings, and the building is now empty, with
four burly Polish blokes hired as security goons outside.

If you are able to help move stuff out, and for other info email
 rampart@mutualaid.org or see www.rampart.co.nr

* Also on Wednesday (14th) Sheffield squatters intending on setting
up a social centre, had their second building evicted in a fortnight.
Hours after the courts had granted a possession order to the owners
(the NHS Trust) of the building at 10 Northumberland Rd, a team of
bailiffs gave the squatters several hours to get out before sealing
the building. This is the second building this crew have taken which
has only lasted a week after they were evicted on the 7th from Pisgah
House, a derelict, listed building owned by the University of
Sheffield. Let’s hope it’s third time lucky for the crew
in their plans to create an ongoing social centre. For updates see
 http://sheffield.indymedia.org.uk


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FASH IN THE PAN

SchNEWS was on the scene for the latest attempt by the English
Defence League (See SchNEWS 693) to bring anti-Muslim extremism onto
the streets, this time in Manchester.
Although the EDL’s demo wasn’t due to start until 5pm, by
midday a small knot of the lardy larger louts - brandishing England
flags - had gathered near Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre.
Surrounded by lines of police they were confronted by a several
hundred strong group from the Unite against Fascism counter-demo.

A game of push and shove followed with the cops eventually using dogs
to clear a path for the EDL. Both demos were then cordoned in the
centre of Piccadilly Gardens. Factions from both sides avoided the
kettle and were moving around the outskirts of the demo. So far, so
good but as the afternoon wore on more and more arrived to join the
EDL demo. Although they were still outnumbered by counter
demonstrators by around three to one, this still made it the EDLs
biggest mobilisation yet with around three to four hundred present.

The stand-off inside Picadilly Gardens lasted ‘til 5pm with
crowd surges and occasional bottles being lobbed. Outside the cordon
the two groups eyed each other up but there were only occasional
scuffles and a lot of strange conversations. One anti-fash protester
told SchNEWS, “A lot of the EDL types didn’t know why they
were there – I heard comments ranging from ‘Islam is a
paedophile religion’ to the old NF slogan ‘There
ain’t no black in the Union Jack’ What was most surprising
was just how young many of them were, there seemed to be a lot of
fifteen year lads out”.

Eventually police marched the EDL back to the train stations.
Altogether 48 arrests were made for public order offences.

* The EDL bandwagon moves to Wales this week with demos in two cities
this month – both to be responded to by counter-demos: The EDL
have set up a ‘Welsh Defence League’ to spread the
anti-Muslim ignorance west of the border. This Saturday (17th),
they’re in Swansea – with the local community holding a
counter-demo, meeting 4pm outside the YMCA, St Helen’s Road,
Swansea. Then on the 24th it’s off to Newport – meet 1pm
at John Frost Square.

See www.twitter.com/NewportCAR
www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=158100673713&ref=mf

* Further demos on the EDL calender include October 31st in the Leeds
city centre at 1pm; followed by Glasgow city centre on November 14th
(not yet confirmed), and Nottingham on December 5th - details of
counter-demos to follow.

* For more coverage with footage of last Saturday in Manchester see
 http://jasonnparkinson.blogspot.com


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695 SCHNEWS IN BRIEF

Another victory for climate campaigners this week as Heathrow’s
owners BAA announced they are withdrawing their application for a
third runway. With Kingsnorth power plant also shelved indefinitely
(see SchNEWS 694), next up it’s Ratcliffe on Soar. Emma Jackson,
a spokesperson for the Climate Camp, said: “E.ON and BAA know
that the days of committing new climate crimes are over. Now we have
to start shutting down existing coal-fired power stations, and
that’s why we’re going to Ratcliffe-on-Soar next
week.” www.climatecamp.org.uk

Fifty-five Greenpeace activists scaled the Houses of Parliament last
Sunday (11th) before setting up camp on the roof. They stayed for 28
hours, making sure they were there in the morning to welcome back MPs
returning from their summer hols with their climate change message.
All were arrested on their descent. See www.greenpeace.org.uk

Live animal exports from Portsmouth docks look set to begin in the
next two weeks. In contradiction to previous docks policy that only
allowed for ten animals a week to be exported for breeding purposes
only, it appears the exports will be large scale and the animals
destined for slaughter. Demos against the exports are now being
organised, call 07955897075 to get involved.

The trial of six activists arrested at a ‘Die-in for
NATO’s victims in Afghanistan’ outside Northwood military
HQ earlier this year has been scheduled for November 4th. Support is
welcome, for details call 0845 458 2564 or email
 messageto@stopbombingafghanistan.org


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JUST DESERTS

In one of Earth's most inhospitable landscapes, tens of thousands of
indigenous people live under military rule in annexed territories, a
colonial power having taken control of the region's abundant natural
resources, launched waves of subsidised immigrant settlement and built
a series of bloody big walls to keep out hundreds of thousands living
in refugee camps in a mine-filled no-man's land. Welcome to Africa's
last colony: Western Sahara.

With such a story to tell you might have thought you'd have heard
more about it but the media landscape on the subject is, well pretty
desert-like.

Last week the UN's Fourth Committee (Special Political and
Decolonization) meeting in New York heard petitions from academics,
politicians, human rights campaigners and, that increasingly rare
breed, indigenous Saharawi's who wanted to impress upon the
international community the urgent need for action in their country.

Decades of dithering, weak resolutions and hands off treatment has
following the bitter war for control between Morocco, Algeria,
Mauritania and the home-grown Polisario Front - seeking
self-government and independence – that was sparked after Spain
finally pulled out of Europe's last colonial occupation in 1975.

After its other neighbours eventually dropped out for one reason or
another, Moroccan armed forces eventually prevailed (helped along by
shedloads of Western military kit), with human rights abuses galore
against the Polisario, more or less completing the job in the early
1990s. Morrocco built walls and fortifications, shipped settlers in
and native Saharawis out, they now rule the area to such an extent
that the Moroccan government is the largest single employer and the
Kingdom refers to the country merely as 'the Southern states'. Large
numbers of displaced Saharawis have been left living in squalid
refugee camps in Algeria with others eeking out life in the area to
the East of the Moroccan walls, a mine-filled no-man's land they
optimistically call the 'free zone', where the Polisario have
maintained their existence as the political representatives of the
refugees and a guerilla force still clinging on in the teeth of the
program of armed suppression and incremental cultural eradication.

Despite pointedly refusing to recognise the Moroccan claims to
sovereignty, the rest of the World has pretty much left them to get on
with it, and shown plenty of willingness to business with them while
the UN has tried and failed to get anywhere with numerous failed
attempts to get Morocco to agree to engage in any sort of negotiations
that don't ultimately leave them in charge.

But why would anybody be especially interested in this militarily
insignificant wasteland of sand, scrub and searing heat in the day and
chilling sub zero nights?

Well it's all about the money of course, stoopid! WS has one of the
planet's largest deposits of phosphates, a key ingredient in the
fertilisers that modern farming relies on.
This is what kept Spain in WS so long, and Spanish mining interests
did deals with Moroccan counterparts to ensure their finger remained
in the pie after their official withdrawal. The first thing Morroco
did was secure the phosphate mines, eventually building a wall around
the entire main mining town, Bou Craa, now almost entirely inhabited
by Moroccan mining employees.

To ensure the smooth flowing of the profits, they have in fact built
the longest conveyor belt in the World (over a 100km long – you
should see their version of the Generation Game). Morocco exports at
least half of the world's phosphates, dealing internationally with
almost every country, in a hugely lucrative trade.

Whilst the WS mine only currently constitutes a small fraction of
this, there are large known deposits to extract there, and with
scientists now fearful of 'peak phosphate', as limited resources
decline under the vastly increasing demand, the appeal of plundering
WS is unlikely to diminish any time soon. Not mention the lure of
valuable uranium, iron, and titanium deposits all ready for the
exploitin'. Ever willing to make a buck, Morocco's even made a small
packet exporting Saharan sand to the Canary Islands to beef up the
beaches ready for the European holidaymakers jetting over for a bit of
winter sun.

Also making it worth the colonisation is the potential for oil and
gas development. It is suspected there are stashes of these to be
found, and Morocco actually signed exploration deals with Total (one
of SchNEWS favourite oil companies, see SchNEWS 611) and an US firm,
Kerr-Mcgee in the early 2000s, which only stalled after a concerted
campaign by pressure groups and NGO's led to the firm's shareholders
getting jittery and they both eventually pulled out. Presumably, as
energy becomes more and more important globally, there will be further
attempts to make such deals politically palatable again.

And there's always other fish in the sea. Load of them in fact; the
western coast of WS is teeming with relatively undepleted stocks of
fish – which Europe is extremely keen on, it's fishermen having
laid waste to so many of the other oceans of the world. In fact, the
EU has recently done a deal to open up some of the waters to them, so
it's unlikely they'll want to rock the boat any time soon.

Meanwhile, the Saharawi people have been left largely deserted in the
desert by the West. While Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, Nambia's President
Pohamba and South Africa's Jacob Zuma all spoke on the issue at the UN
General Assembly last month, more than a mere oasis of global support
and pressure for action is going to be needed to sway Morocco from its
course. And even then what price that it will be the powerful
resource-hungry businesses that muscle in to make sure any resolution
puts their interests above those of any remaining beleaguered native
inhabitants.

On August 5th, six Sahrawi student advocates returning from a
fact-finding mission from the refugee camps, and heading for a
conference on conflict resolution in the UK, were stopped and arrested
by Moroccan police at the Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca. Whisked off
they were detained in unknown locations before being released under
heavy surveillance with injuries including a broken ankle, cuts,
lacerations and and severe bruising. Fears for their safety remain and
any imminent threat of awareness-raising presence over here safely
averted by the Moroccan authorities for the time being.

Today campaigners around the world will mark the 34th anniversary of
the International Court of Justice Ruling – the UN's first
ignored proclamation of the region's right to self rule.

See www.freesahara.ning.com and www.upes.org


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AND FINALLY

...As this week farmers take their protest about dairy pricing to
Brussels, where they milk it for all it’s worth...

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Disclaimer

SchNEWS warns all readers, using animals for protest stunts is an
udder disgrace. Honest.

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