Nottinghamshire Feature Archive

The pension fund run by Notts CC and including several other major employers in the region invests in BP. As supplies of easily obtainable oil dwindle, companies are investing in more high risk methods of getting oil. One of these is tar sands in Canada.

Notts CC pension scheme has admitted it invests in BP. John Pearson, the Investments Manager has admitted as much in an email to a member of its pension scheme. Nottinghamshire CC is part of a scheme called Nottinghamshire Pension Funds (NPF) and other contributing employers include Nottingham City Council, all the district and borough councils, the police and Nottingham Trent University.

BP is on the point of making a big decision – whether to invest in the tar sands in tar sands in the Athabasca region of Alberta in Canada. Campaigners have been mobilising to ensure they do not do this.

Newswire: Notts County Council Pension Fund invests in BP

National Feature: Anti-Tar Sands Protests Gather Momentum

Links: Fair Pensions: Tar Sands | No Tar Sands | Tar Sands in Focus | Indymedia UK tar sands topic page

Another week of the election, another week of scapegoating migrants equals another week in which the deportation machine strides on; imprisoning men, women and children before deporting them to wherever is most expedient. The mainstream political parties' rhetoric surrounding immigration has become less and less distinguishable from that of the BNP. They point their fingers at migrants, positioning one group of oppressed and marginalised people as the cause of the dispossession of other groups.

This anti-migrant discourse is further developed by the mainstream press - including the Nottingham Evening Post - who seek to flog their rags with sensational headlines which blame migrants for all of society’s ills, unwilling or unable to develop a broader analysis.

Meanwhile, resistance continues in the form of migrant protests within the detention estate and solidarity attacks on the companies profiting from running migrant prisons, such as Serco.

Newswire: Serco goverment buildings attacked | Bristol: Serco van tourched | Serco goverment service office attacked in London | London protest at Serco over Yarlswood assaults | Hunger Strike @ Yarlswood | Women in Yarlswood vow to stay on hunger strike | Call for a European Week of Action against the deportation machine | NSPM Peace Conference Politics of Migration

Previous features: Un-policing the borders | Calais: Repression and Resistance | Urgent Action for Notts Family facing deportation | Fortress Europe, struggles continue

Links: Stop Deportations Network | No Borders Network | Nottingham Student Peace Movement | Brussels No Borders Camp

Animal rights activists dropped banners and protested on the roof of the construction site of a new animal lab in Leicester on Monday. Banners were also hung on other University of Leicester buildings.

The National Anti-Vivisection Alliance (NAVA) claim that 101 animals already die in the university's labs each day and that the proposed £15m facility will add to this. The university claims that only rodents will be used at the new facility, but NAVA say they believe that dogs will be used as well.

NAVA was rapidly formed following the university's announcement that it was going to be building a new animal lab on Lancaster Place. Whilst the university claims that "vital" research will be carried out at the facility, NAVA say that the new lab "is squandering money away from potentially life-saving research which is accurate and does not involve abusing animals."

Newswire: Activists Scale Leicester Animal Lab in Rooftop Protest | Action Alert #1 - Stop the Leicester Animal Lab | Location of the Leicester Animal Lab Building Site | New animal lab at Leicester; New nationwide campaign to start

Links: NAVA | Notts Indymedia Animal Liberation newswire

Mayday, International Workers' Day, fell on a Saturday this year, and was celebrated in Nottingham by a march from Victoria Park to Speakers' Corner in the centre of town and back. It was followed by a rally with speakers from local campaigns and music and dance. The theme of this year's event was fighting against the public sector cuts that all of the major parties are planning to bail the country out of the recession. It was attended by over 100 trade unionists, socialists, anarchists and environmentalists.

There was also a rally at Derby Silk Mill on the Saturday, attended by hundreds of trade unionists. The region's biggest Mayday celebrations were held in Chesterfield on bank holiday Monday.

In the run up to Mayday, Nottingham Free School held a discussion on the issues surrounding Mayday, such as the gendered nature of work, critiques of paid work and the workplace as a site of resistance to capitalism. These discussion events are set to continue.

Newswire: Mayday edition of the Nottingham Sparrow | Notts Indypendent: New Nottingham community newsletter | Chesterfield Mayday 2010 | Nottingham Mayday 2010 | Nottingham Free School's May Day Discussion | The Future Of Protest In Nottingham : Whose streets? Our streets!

Previous feature: Whose streets? Our streets?

Previous Mayday coverage: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2004 | 2003

Links: Chesterfield Mayday | Wikipedia on International Workers' Day

Notts Indymedia are pleased to announce the first edition of the Notts Indypendent, an offline community newspaper reporting on local campaigns.

The publication was unveiled at Nottingham's Mayday demonstration. Further copies will be distributed to homes in Nottingham in the run-up to the general election. Copies are also available from the Sumac Centre and the Sparrows' Nest. Alternatively, you can read it online or download a copy and print your own.

Get it online: Download pdf (7.7MB) | Online viewer (via Northern Indymedia)

Previous features: Nottingham Mule Rides Into Town | Alternative Media Blossoms in Nottingham | Notts Indymedia Launches Radio Show

Mayday, 1st May, is a day of anti-capitalist workers' struggle. Traditionally, Nottingham's contribution has been a march through the town centre and a rally of anti-capitalist campaigns and agitators. For the past few years, this gathering has taken place in Brewhouse Yard near Nottingham castle. However, this year the City Council have been putting all manner of obstacles in the organisers' way.

Permission for a rally in Brewhouse Yard was refused because "there were going to be Robin Hood activities in other places"! Permission was finally granted for the rally in Victoria Park on the St Ann's end of town but only subject to restrictive conditions such as displaying the Council logo on all publicity, displaying Council banners and was subject to a charge... all for using a 'public' park. In addition, organisers are having to pay to get roads closed for the march.

All of this has led one of the organisers to question whether the streets and public spaces of Nottingham really do belong to the people or are just an extension of the City Council's private fiefdom. These restrictions have very serious impacts on people's freedom to protest and assemble, as demonstrated by recent police crackdowns on festivals, such as the Strawberry Fair in Cambridge.

MayDay rally and march from 11am, Victoria Park, Bath Street.

Newswire: The Future Of Protest In Nottingham : Whose streets? Our streets! | May Day Discussion | MayDay 2010 in Nottingham : Fight Back | Strawberry Fayre Fight Back! | Police Stop Strawberry Fair

Previous features: Mayday! In The East Midlands | Our Square Isn't It?

Since the notorious Great British Circus pitched up in Nottingham last Tuesday, there have been daily demonstrations by animal rights protesters outside. The protesters are angry that the circus uses animals for the "medieval" entertainment of punters with scant regard for their welfare. The circus uses tigers, zebras, camels and horses kept in "woefully small" cages for most of their lives.

Forcing animals to perform in travelling circuses, which is condemned by the RSPCA as "very harmful", may soon become illegal. Animal circuses are already banned on most council land across the country because of the cruelty and a recent Bristol university study into circus animal welfare came to damning conclusions.

On Sunday, 30 activists came to the demonstration at the circus' current venue, the Japanese Water Gardens in Toton, and other successful demonstrations were held last week. The activists are calling for concerned people to demonstrate the circus at its next venue in Leicester, when it arrives on Tue 27th.

Update: Following news of the ban on wild animals in circuses, Nottingham Animal Rights will be celebrating with cake and champagne at the Japanese Water Gardens, 2pm on Sunday.

Newswire: Circus protests continue in Nottingham and Leicester | Local activists protest circus cruelty | Great British Circus protests and much more

Previous feature: Nottingham Animal Rights get active

Links: Nottingham Animal Rights | Veggies Animal Rights Calendar | Captive Animals' Protection Society | Notts Animal Liberation topic

It has been a busy start to 2010 for Nottingham hunt saboteurs who have been sabbing in collaboration with sabs from Sheffield and Leeds. Hunts across the Midlands and North of England have been sabbed, in some cases for the first time in several years. The Lunesdale hunt on the Cumbria/North Yorkshire border, for instance, hasn't been sabbed in more than 20 years.

In spite of the legal ban on hunting with hounds coming into force in 2005, most hunts continue as they did before. The police, used to protecting hunts and repressing saboteurs, have changed little in their approach. Hunt saboteurs use direct action to save the lives of hunted animals.

It isn't just foxes which have been saved. Sabs have also intervened to stop ferreters and hare coursers. Now the hunt season is over until August/September, local sabs are considering sabbing some mink hunters in the summer and willl be working to protect badgers from baiting in South Yorkshire, and from culling further afield, from May.

On the newswire: Nottingham, Sheffield & Leeds Sabs January – March 2010 Report | National Animal Rights Spring Gathering

Previous features: Animal rights gathering in Notts | Busy year for Nottingham hunt sabs

Links: Hunt Saboteurs Association | Nottingham Hunt Sabs | Derby Hunt Sabs | Nottingham Animal Rights | Notts Indymedia Animal Liberation topic

Contrary to popular perception, activists are not a humourless bunch. Not completely anyway. To prove this point, this year's April Fools' Day saw a spate of unlikely claims appearing on Indymedia.

We announced that Notts Indymedia was entering "a new era of collaboration with the Northcliffe Group, owners of the Evening Post." This was to see "content taken from the Indymedia newswire appearing in the Post, opening up the radical message of Indymedia to a larger audience than ever before. In return Indymedia will be able to use images collected by the Post's team of roving cameramen." All nonsense of course. The Post won't event return our calls.

Meanwhile, council-watching blogger and regular Indymedia contributor Andy from NCC LOLs claimed that he was planning "to run for election to Nottingham City Council in 2011 on an 'anti-sleaze' ticket." An annual celebration of the 1831 Reform Riots was to be a central plank of his manifesto. At least one local councillor fell for it.

On the newswire: NCCLols is standing for Election | Notts Indymedia announces new collaboration

Previous features: No case to answer after Notts E.On protest | Fossil Fools Take On E.ON In Nottingham

Link: Wikipedia on April Fools' Day

The coming months will see a general election and local elections across Notts. The normally dormant and unresponsive political classes are being brought out of their boxes and wound up for the occasion, giving rise to all manner of unlikely promises and public appearances.

On Saturday, Gordon Brown made an amazingly brief and security-shrouded stop at the University of Nottingham, as part of his pre-election tour. Before local political veteran, Lord Biro, could find him he was on his way to Glasgow.

The zeal of the Labour-led City Council's cut backs on community spending are allowing Tories to set themselves up as unlikely saviours. Their prospective Parliamentary candidate for Nottingham South, is promising to save Radford Unity Complex from closure. Not all of the electorate are convinced though - the Broxtowe Tory chairman was savaged by a dog whilst out leafleting in Beeston.

Meanwhile the nasties are on the rise. The fascist BNP have put up a record number of candidates across the East Midlands, although they still can't hold a meeting without attracting major protests.

Newswire: Brown Launches Manifesto under media security blanket | BNP announce candidate in Mansfield | BNP candidates in the East Midlands | Radford community on the march | Report on protest against BNP Sutton meeting | It's a dog eat politician world

Previous feature: Don't vote! It only encourages them

Saturday 20th March saw over 100 members of the Radford community march from the threatened Radford Unity Complex to Market Square. They were protesting City Council plans to close the building which is currently home to a number of community groups.

The Council says it is saving £140,000 per year by closing the building and says it has a buyer. They have offered the affected groups premises at the closed Douglas Road Primary School. However, Joginder Singh of the Sikh Community and Youth Service said that the new premises are "many times worse" than those they have at the moment and that the groups have been "treated like parasites" by Jon Collins and the City Council.

The groups are angry that they were not consulted about the plans before being served with an eviction notice and that they are not being given an opportunity to buy the building themselves. They are considering taking legal action against the council over the way they have been treated.

Newswire: Interview with Leonie Meikle of Erondu about the Radford Unity Centre | Radford community on the march | March to stop the eviction of community groups from the Radford Unity Complex

Previous features: Protests against county council cuts | Campaign to save Victoria Baths takes fight to the council | Stonebridge City Farm under threat | Community centres under fire

Links: Petition | NCCLOLs on the closure | SCYS | Nottingham Teaching College | Shiefton Youth Group and Supplementary School

On the weekend of 12-14 March, Nottingham Animal Rights and Veggies hosted the national animal rights spring gathering at Nottingham's Sumac Centre. This was a weekend of networking, workshops, discussions, actions and social activities and well attended by activists from across the county.

This included a city-wide (and beyond) Day of Action on Saturday 13 March, with campaigns against shops selling fur, foie gras and KFC, Greyhound Action, a demo against the 'great' British Circus, a vegan free food giveaway & McDonalds demo and a mass hunt sab. Following the day's campaigning, French Living have pledged to discontinue the sale of foie gras and thanks to the presence of Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs and many friends, no foxes were killed by the Grove and Rufford Hunt, on the last day of their season. Meanwhile residents at Waddington, near Lincoln, have pledged that the Great British Circus will never return.

On Sunday, Notts Stop the BNP got news that Nick Griffin was to speak at the Nag's Head, Sutton-in-Ashfield. Due to the short notice only a few campaigners were able to make the hastily organised protest. Fortunately, three minibuses of animal rights activists from the gathering arrived to show their opposition to the BNP.

Upcoming event; Animal Rights Summer Gathering, 27-30 August, near Northampton.

On the newswire: Griffin blames the labour party for blocking his meeting! | Report on protest against BNP Sutton meeting | KFC protest | Free Vegan food Giveaway at the AR Spring gathering | Nick Griffin vs animal rights | National Animal Rights Spring Gathering

Previous features: Another victory for anti-fur campaigners | Busy year for Nottingham hunt sabs | Nottingham Animal Rights get active

Links: Fur Free Nottingham | Greyhound Action in Nottingham | National Animal Rights Gathering | Nottingham Animal Rights | Nottingham Hunt Sabs | Notts Stop the BNP | Veggies | Notts Indymedia animal liberation newswire

March 8 is International Women's Day. Rooted in the history of struggles for female equality, it is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. While Britain does not recognise it as a public holiday, as do a number of countries, it remains an important date for feminist campaigners.

On March 6, Million Women Rise organised a female-only march through central London to protest against male violence and in celebration of International Women's Day. This was the third such demonstration. Transport was arranged from Nottingham and a number of local groups were among the supporters including the East Midlands Feminist Network, Nottingham Women's Centre, Roshni (Nottingham Asian Women's Aid) and Nottingham Community Housing Association.

On March 13, Nottingham Women's History Group celebrated by organised a women's history walk around the city, exploring the role women have played in making Nottingham the city we know today.

On the newswire: Nottingham Women's History Walk | Million Women Rise London March

Links: East Midlands Feminist Network | Million Women Rise | Nottingham Women's Centre | Wikipedia: International Women's Day

On March 8th, Nottingham City Council met to approve the 2010/11 budget. Like many council budgets this included a series of cuts to services, in this case amounting to £18.8 million. Nottingham City Unison called a lunchtime protest outside the Council House to show their opposition. Disabled campaigners blocked the tram to express their anger at the proposals.

Council plans to close Victoria Leisure Centre, which were brought forward to save money, have also faced opposition and their is growing dissent about plans to close libraries in Wilford and Beechdale.

Unison's protest coincided with the first day of a forty-eight hour national strike by members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) over attacks on their redundancy scheme. In Nottingham strikers marched from Castle Meadow to the International Community Centre (ICC) for a rally.

On the newswire: Protest against cuts at city council | PCS strike March 8/9

Previous features: Protests against county council cuts | Nottingham City Council workers protest job cuts | Campaign to save Victoria Baths takes fight to the council | Credit Crunch Hits Nottingham

Links: Unison Nottingham City Branch | Public and Commercial Services Union

On March 5th 1990, Nottingham City Council, then as now Labour-led, met to set the Poll Tax rate for the city. Protesters burst into the council chamber dressed as Robin Hood. Several councillors were custard pied and the campaigners were arrested by the police. Despite expert evidence that custard pies were not dangerous, the Magistrate failed to see the funny side and two of the campaigners were sent down. This action was part of a wave of protests, disruptions and riots at council meetings across the country which set the scene for the famous riot in Trafalgar Square at the end of March, the day before the tax was to come into force in England and Wales.

To mark the 20th anniversary of this event, Nottingham Radical History Group organised an event to look back on the struggle. This is part of a wider project to make available documents from the time and to record interviews with some of participants in the struggle so that the lessons of the campaign are not lost.

Upcoming event: Wednesday March 31st 3pm Trafalgar Square to commemorate 20th anniversary of Poll Tax Riot. "Open loud hailer, top speakers, Class War, misty-eyed memories, pub afterwards!"

On the newswire: The Poll Tax: twenty years on

Links: The Sparrow's Nest | Nottingham anti- Poll Tax 1989-91: press cuttings, newsletters & leaflets | Notts Indymedia History newswire

Following the effective takeover of the National Front by suspected state asset Eddie Morrison, the NF have sought to capitalise on the perception amongst many hardcore racists that the BNP is now too mainstream, describing the larger organisations decision to "allow" non-white members a "sell-out" and explicitly calling for BNP members to jump ship. Unfortunately, the Front's credibility in the eyes of fellow members of the master race cannot have been helped by news that they have been chased out of Ripley in Derbyshire without even offering token resistance.

Hoping to create a bit of a stir, the Front had said they would be selling papers in Heanor, Ripley and Ilkeston as part of a so-called "day of action". They didn't even bother showing up in Heanor and only five 'warriors' of the 'master race' actually made it to Ripley town centre. There, anti-fascists confronted the tiny group and, without any struggle, they gave up their flag and large stacks of racist literature before legging it out of town, followed by taunts and abuse. They made a brief trip to Ilkeston later on but had turned tail and run home before anti-fascists were able to catch up with them.

On the newswire: National Front lose their flag and chased out of Ripley | NF Gaffe! | Eddy Morrison & The NF Split by Malatesta | 2010: The BNP, NF & EDL by ‘Malatesta’ | Fuhrer Eddy Morrison Takes Over NF by ‘Malatesta’

Previous features: BNP difficulties in Notts | EDL riot in Stoke | Fascists rally in Nottingham | Anti-fascists challenge BNP's return to Derbyshire | BNP candidate "would revel at causing some havoc"

Links: Antifa England | Love Music Hate Racism | Notts Stop the BNP | Unite Against Fascism | Notts Indymedia anti-racism newswire

In the early hours of February 26th, Nottinghamshire County Council voted to endorse a controversial budget which will see jobs cut, care homes sold off to the private sector and the cost of services for the elderly and disabled increased. Campaigners opposed to the plans rallied in Mansfield and outside County Hall to show their anger at the proposals and council workers are currently being balloted for industrial action (but not a strike) against a related attack on terms and conditions.

The county council's programme of cuts comes in a political climate in which all the main political parties have expressed their belief in the need for cuts to public sectors in light of the economic damage wrought by the banking collapse and subsequent bailout. The Labour-run city council are also planning to cut staff as well as closing Victoria Baths along with libraries in Wilford and Beechdale.

On the newswire: County Hall budget protest: Report | Demo against council cuts: Thursday 25th | Notts council workers rally for jobs

Previous features: Local Government Workers in Notts Join National Strike | Public service workers out to protect pensions

Links: Fair Pay Action Group | GMB Notts General Branch | Notts County Unison

The ongoing Fur Free Nottingham campaign against shops that sell fur has claimed another victory. Vintage Warehouse, on Lower Parliament Street, have agreed to adopt a fur free policy. The company follows Kitsch, Baklash and Cow who have all adopted fur free policies following protests outside their shops by Nottingham animal rights activists.

Over 50 million animals are killed every year for their fur and there are virtually no legal controls for the welfare of animals on fur farms. Animals on fur farms are caged raised and killed using methods such as neck breaking, anal electrocutions and gassing. Animals are sometimes skinned alive for their fur.

The protesters are now vowing to step up their campaign against Cashe and Flannels, the few remaining clothes shops in Nottingham that sell fur.

Newswire: Anti fur demonstration with a difference at Cashe Nottingham | Vintage Warehouse adopt a fur free policy during protest | Nottingham Animal Rights into the Teenies | Flannels protest after recent successes with local anti fur campaign. | Cow sign anti-fur pledge

Previous feature: Nottingham Animal Rights get active

Links: Campaign for a fur free Nottingham | Nottingham Animal Rights | Notts Indymedia Animal Liberation newswire

Activists have shut down the premises of arms dealers Heckler & Koch for the day. Anti-arms trade campaigners occupied the roof of the building and blockaded both gates to the Lenton site. Police have been refusing to allow any one to enter or leave the Easter Park industrial estate.

According to reports, the protesters entered the site at around 6am. The final lock on was not removed until around 12.30pm. The rooftop occupiers agreed to come down once the blockade was lifted. Those arrested were taken to Bridewell police station.

H&K is the world's second largest manufacturer of small arms and have been used by child soldiers in Africa, mercenaries in Iraq and criminal gangs in Serbia. The Easter Park premises are the company's UK headquarters. The Shut Down H&K campaign have been picketing and campaigning against the company's activities in Nottingham since 2008.

Newswire:Heckler and Koch successfully shutdown | An open letter to Heckler & Koch

Previous features: Shut Down H&K Goes to Church | Campaigning against Heckler & Koch Weapons in Germany and the UK | Campaign Against Nottingham Arms Manufacturer Enters New Phase | The Arms Trade: From Nottingham to Georgia | Protesters Return to Nottingham Weapons Manufacturer | Protesters Target Nottingham Weapons Manufacturers

Links: Shut Down H&K | Notts Anti-Militarism | Ceasefire Magazine: The gun maker next door | Notts Indymedia Anti-Militarism newswire

Anti-fascists in Nottinghamshire have expressed pleasure at the BNP's drubbing in a by-election held in the Hucknall Central ward for a seat on Ashfield District Council following the death of the incumbent Tory councillor. The BNP would normally be expected to benefit from a low-turnout, but only managed 7.5% on a 32% turnout, coming fifth behind UKIP.

Compounding the BNP's problems, a group calling themselves "Broxtowe Reds" claim to have vandalised vehicles belonging to Dave and Nina Brown with paint stripper. The Browns are local BNP councillors who turned against the party leadership following Sadie Graham's expulsion from the party, but have now returned to the fold.

Meanwhile, autonomous anti-fascists in Nottingham have produced the first edition of a newsletter dubbed, "Burnt Flag." The newsletter includes analysis of the EDL's visit to the city in December last year, a record of anti-fascist actions through 2009 and a report on the second leaking of the BNP's membership list.

On the newswire: Broxtowe BNP vehicles damaged | BNP trounced in Hucknall election | Burnt flag: new nottingham antifascist newsheet | Stop the Nazi BNP in Hucknall! | BNP Candidate Standing at Hucknall Central By-Election

Previous features: EDL riot in Stoke | Fascists rally in Nottingham | Anti-fascists challenge BNP's return to Derbyshire | BNP candidate "would revel at causing some havoc"

Links: Antifa England | Love Music Hate Racism | Notts Stop the BNP | Unite Against Fascism | Notts Indymedia anti-racism newswire