Nottinghamshire Feature Archive

After the Evening Post reported on the 13th July that the "Prime Minister Tony Blair was to visit Nottingham this month to give a speech on public health", various articles appeared on the Notts Indymedia newswire. Speculating about dates, times and venues. Many people seemed keen on attending the event. It has now become known that Tony Blair will visit Nottingham tommorrow (July 26th) and will attend an event at the The Albert Hall, North Circus St (off Derby Rd), Nottingham, NG1 5AA. Doors open at 09:30, and the event will finish around 12:30.

Update: 26/07/06 In spite of a large police presence and the blocking of many roads at the rear of the Albert Hall, about 25 protestors gathered to show their anger at Blair and suited delegates about his inaction over Israel's actions in Lebanon, the occupation of Iraq, and his destruction of civil liberties and public services. As usual, we were heavily surveilled by police with cameras, camcorders, and by spotters in black from the roofs of nearby buildings. A sympathetic cyclist was stopped and questioned by police for a while for, urm, cycling.

Meanwhile Kirk Jackson, a local anarchist, who'd infiltrated the hall, took off his shirt to reveal anti-war slogans painted on his chest, and proceeded to disrupt Blair's fantasies with a speech on Iraq. "I think the view I was putting across represents the view of many people in this country," he said, "I could have kept quiet, asked a question and got a prepared response from the Prime Minister but I wanted to take a bigger stand." Read full article with photos.

Other press: Evening Post [1] [2] | BBC

When Tony Blair visited Nottingham previously to set out new plans for a nuclear power policy, up to 100 people blockaded the East Midlands conference centre, where the meeting was held. Mr. Blair was forced to flee through the backdoor in order to leave the premises.

Previous feature article: Day of action as Tony Blair sets out new nuclear power policy in Nottingham

On the newswire: Protests Greet Blair in Nottingham | End the Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon! - Nottm Protest | Blair in Nottingham | "What issue would YOU like to raise with Tony Blair when he comes to Nottingham?

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More Pix by Tash: Prime Minister visits Nottingham : Day 1 [Djanogly Academy] | Prime Minister visits Nottingham : Day 2 [Albert Hall] |

Back in January, Mr Blair dropped into the East Midlands Conference Centre on the Nottingham University Campus. Naturally, he was met with protest there also. See these links:

Prime Minister visits Nottingham University :: piccys 1 Prime Minister visits Nottingham University :: piccys 2 Prime Minister visits Nottingham University :: Surveillance Operations

Labour's ID scheme is supposedly on the rocks, but let’s not be overly comforted by this news. There are good reasons to continue to build up the pressure. In particular, passport developments in the UK Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and the European Union could result in alternative identity databases, and since the Act is on the statute books, compulsory ID could start at any future date.

From emails leaked to the Sunday Times on July 9th, a senior Whitehall official has said the multi-billion pound scheme for compulsory ID cards and the National Identity Register (NIR) could take years to introduce and is likely to end in failure, and officials responsible for ID in the crisis-ridden Home Office are preparing for the project to be 'canned completely'. We can rejoice that a damning assessment from those closest to the plan should help to undermine Labour’s attempts to win support for ID cards. But let’s not be overly comforted by this news.

Notts Defy-ID Bulletin 3 PDF

Links: Nottingham Defy-ID | Defy-ID | No2ID

The Art and Activism Caravan is a border crossing project, that started early June, travelling for 3 months from Greece via Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Hungary to the eco-activist gathering Ecotopia in Slovakia. Its aim is to support and connect youth, campaign, community and activist groups, their actions and campaigns with creative forms of activism. The participant share skills in the field of video, creative writing, music and dance, sculpturing, street performance, drawing and painting, samba and screen printing.

Four activists from the art-activist collective The Mischief Makers joined the Caravan from Nottingham. Their workshops have consisted of making banners, costumes and puppets as well as mosaics and other 'action props'. On return a film showing is planned to take place in Nottingham, showing films made during the Caravan with participants in the video activist workshops. Others within the Mischief Maker collective are planning on giving workshops during the Camp for Climate Action, held near Leeds from 26 August - 4 Sept.

See AA Caravan Indymedia for full coverage of the project.

Nottingham City Council has again put off the decision on weather to grant WRG a planning application to expand Nottingham's Eastcroft incinerator. The political opposition has also joined the fight to prevent the expansion of the UK's most polluting incinerator, here in the City centre. The decision on the planning application to expand Eastcroft incinerator will not now be made on 19 July and therefore NAIL's protest on this date has been cancelled. NAIL will however be present this Monday 17 July from 12 noon to 2 pm in front of the Council House to greet Councillors as they arrive for a Council meeting.

Links: Incinerator Public Meeting - Public Bodies pull out! | Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill campaigners hand in petition | Planning Officer insists on wider public consultation for incinerator expansion | Campaigners meet Environment Agency over incinerator | Sneinton's Rubbish Day Out 1 - The Days Events | NAIL campaign 'banner drop' at Sneinton Boulevard | NAIL campaign hammers on... | The air that we breathe...

On Wednesday 28th June the J B Spray building in Radford was squatted. It was illegally evicted by the police on Friday 30th June and reoccupied on Saturday 1st July. A new squat is born in Squattingham!

Built in 1870 the historic lace mill, a grade 2 listed building, has sat empty for years while the owner apparently seeks community uses for the property. Unwilling to see such a beautiful building left to rot this inspired group is seeking to answer both their own need for housing and the wider community need to reclaim spaces like these as social spaces to share and bring people together.

Links to more information and pictures about the squats' progress

J B Spray Building Occupied / Evicted / Reoccupied | Spray Building Squat, Radford: A Guided Tour | Spray Squat Party 1 : Acoustic Gig | Spray Building Squat : Nottingham County Court Appearance | Spray Squat Party 2 : Acoustic Gig, with diner |

More Links: Previous article with photos | party at the JB Spray squat this Sunday

This week see’s a workweek at eco-works allotments to continue with the straw bale building that is under construction up there. The first few days were spent rendering the bale walls that were constructed over autumn and winter and preparing the foundations for the next lot of bales to go up on the second weekend. The space when finished will house the harvest café and be a space for running various workshops and courses as well as just being a place for eco-works volunteers to chill out on a hot day.

For this weeks reports see links 1 + 2 +

For Tash's Pictures of the progress of the project, see:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |

Also, for Karl's pictures of the building, see:
1 | 2 |

On Monday 5th June, 100s of students demonstrated at the University of Nottingham to call for a swift resolution of the current dispute between management and staff.

Students carried banners and placards and a samba band led the way to the Trent Building, where the university administrators are based. We chanted "Pay our lecturers! Give us our marks!", and some managed to enter the Vice-Chancellor's office. Security intervened and propagated the unsubstantiated rumour that exams were taking place in the building so we had to be quiet!

We then took a brief tour of the university to gather more support and sat down on a road for 10 minutes, before heading back to the Trent Building for more action. Security tried to lock all doors but we found a way into the lower corridor, where we blocked in by security until we pushed our way out. At this point news was relayed to us from the people who'd had a meeting with university officials in the VC's office, that they'd agreed to hold a public meeting with students on Thursday.

We had a discussion outside the VC's office about ways of continuing our protests and furthering our aims. People will be gathering for a further protest on Tuesday at 3pm.

Photos click here.

Nottingham Green Festival in the Arboretum

Nottingham Arboretum celebrates with a Green Festival embracing all things green. Live bands, fun for children and sustainable produce. Stalls, including crafts, plants, local produce, energy conservation demonstrations, wind and solar power, social struggles and human rights issues etc and plenty of other organic, eco-friendly activities.

Event photos 1 + 2

Earlier events

Nottingham Green Festival, 2003 | Nottingham Green Festival, 2005 | Arboretum Festival Weekend [May Bank Holiday 2006]

| Nottingham Live Music Festival 1 | Nottingham Live Music Festival 2 | Nottingham Live Music Festival 3 | Nottingham Live Music Festival 4

The campaign to save Sharp Hill is stepping up this weekend with live music and a fresh call for support. A group of activists - with strong support from the community - have been camping at the site near Edwalton for a month in protest against Rushcliffe Borough Council's plan to build 1200 houses. They have pledged to stay at least until June 15 when the council makes its final decision, and encourage everyone to join them. A central government inspector's report opposed the council's plan. Read it (Sharphill from page 14), with the council's response.

Site photos: BBC 'Politics Show' visit | Camp Piccys | What's going to be lost, Landscape Piccys | Activist in Market Sq Photos | Hands Across the Hill Pictures | Bus Living at Wilford Hill [an earlier site]

Aerial Views Sharphill Woods Satellite view

Audio Interview: Tash's podcast of the BBC interview [6:26mins 2.6Mb]

Public Debate: Public Meeting and debate at Edwalton Village Hall[56mins 49Mb]

Links: Campaigners' response to planning document | Activists' statement | Announcement, directions and map | BBC Politics Show | BBC Politics Show watch again [RM from 14:30mins] | Rushcliffe Council: Response to Inspector's Report and Proposed Modifications | 'Savesharphill' a NEW website

Mayday was celebrated in a variety of ways around the Nottinghamshire/East Midlands area. From organised marches to Pagan festivities.

Saturday saw a May Day march and rally in Nottingham and a May Fayre in Leicester. Sunday saw the Mayday minus one event at the Sumac Centre in Nottingham. Monday saw a large Mayday march and rally in Chesterfield.

Nottingham Photos: 1 | 2.

Click here for a full round up of all the Mayday events that happened UK wide.

The Sikh Vaisakhi Parade is essentially a harvest festival and new year rolled into one. Vaisakhi, also spelled Baisakhi, is thus one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. It also commemorates 1699, the year Sikhism was born as a collective faith.

In Nottingham, the parade started at the Sikh Temple in Church Road, Lenton at 12:00 on Sunday 16 April. Then walked to other temples in the city, visiting Noel Street, Gladstone Street in Forest Fields, where walkers were given refreshments. Then, onto Basford.

Event photos 1 + 2

Links: Wikipedia on Vaisakhi | BBC Sikh Vaisakhi | eBook

The No M1 Widening campaign is picking up momentum as it comes to the end of its first stage. Supporters have been lobbying the Highways Agency's tour of exhibitions promoting the proposals. They have informed and dicussed their views with residents in the towns and villages that will be effected. The consequences of climate change, effects on people and the planet and the link between more roads and more cars have been major topics of debate.

The Highways Agency's own data shows that without widening traffic is forecast to increase by 27%, with widening the figures show 42% up on current levels. Nowhere in the literature does it say what would happen if they made decent investments in public transport.

Reports: Selston with letter to minister | Kegworth: Report with bus times for Selson Report 2 | Long Eaton: Report Pics | City campaign launch

Other links: Country-wide multi-occupational bridges | Contractors bidding for expansion work | No Widening in South Yorkshire

NAIL - Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill were invited to speak at a Radio Nottingham Groundswell debate, chaired by the presenter John Holmes on Tuesday 11 April. Although the Public meeting still happened, the two public bodies, the Environment Agency and the City Council pulled out. We feel that it is extremely sad state of affairs when in a democracy, two Public Bodies who should be answerable to the public, won't even meet them to listen to their views and concerns!

Event photos
Listen to thefull debate (1hr 20mins - 32kbs, 19Mb)
See poster | previous article

On Saturday 18th March photographer and serial Indymedia contributor Alan Lodge - or Tash - was arrested after taking photos of armed police in public. Tash denied the charge of wilfully obstructing a police officer at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Monday March 27. Defending solicitor Paul Dhami told the court: "The officers took exception to his presence, and one took it upon himself to physically impede Tash and then arrested him." The arrest came only weeks after Nottingham police issued guidelines to their officers reminding them to respect journalists' rights.

Recent topics covered by Tash include: Council workers on strike 1 + 2, Nottingham's new rinky dinky, the campaign against incinerator expansion, Ashbourne's Shrovetide 'Mob' football and surveillance of Nottingham city centre.

Links: NUJ backs photographer in press freedom case | All articles published by Alan on Indymedia since 2003 | Previous article on Notts Indymedia about the incident | Guidelines for police and media at incidents | NUJ Freelance - May06 Defend the Nottingham One! | Trial Date now set for hearing at Nottingham Magistrates

There was a large turnout for East Midlands rallys supporting public service workers’ day of action to protect their pensions. In Nottingham hundreds marched from the Forest recreation ground to a city centre rally, while in Derby strikers picketed their workplaces. The actions were called as part of what was hailed as the biggest industrial action since the General Strike in 1926.

Nottingham's new-look rinky-dink Thingy - which still needs a name - also also made another early outing to provide musis for the occassion.

Nottingham pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | Derby pictures | Call to action

The building of 10 new nuclear power stations, the replacing of the Trident nuclear submarinesa and recently Tony Blair announcing the governments new nuclear power policy at Nottingham University, all sparked protests and this week has been no exception. A protest took place in Derby where campaigners handed a letter to Mrs Beckett, head of DEFRA, outside Derby City Council about the dangers of nuclear powerstations.

In both Nottingham and Derby pickets took place. In Nottingham on the Market Square people from Nottingham CND informed passers-by about the controversial replacement of Trident, UK's largest nuclear submarine project and asked people to sign the petition. You can sign the petition here.

From the newswire: No To Nuclear Power Protest - Derby | The Nottingham Thingy just growed | No Trident Replacement protest March 25th | Anti Nuclear Power Protest - Derby 25th March | Day of action as Tony Blair sets out new nuclear power policy in Nottingham

Links: Nottingham CND | New Nuclear Power, no thanks | Documentary on fifty crows on Chernobyl reactor disaster | Map of nuclear reactors

Authorities in several countries are plundering anarchist principles to successfully reduce road casualties.

As our society becomes ever more complex our ‘representatives’ in local and national government feel they have to make more laws and regulations and implement new controls on people’s behaviour to ensure the safety of the majority. If they did not then very soon chaos and disorder would reign right? Well, as we know in our hearts this is nonsense, it is not laws and regulations that make people care for each other, all it needs is for the removal of all the extraneous impediments to mutual aid. Here is very practical example.

Join us for Nwroz Celebration ; New years Celebrated in Kurdistan, Iran and Afghanistan on Tuesday 21st March from 6pm in the Sycamore Centre.(see map).

There will be World Music, Dancing, Drinks and Kurdish Food (good prices). Admission £3.

Links: Wikipedia on Newroz, Kurdish New Year | UK Indymedia articles on 'The International Federation of Iraqi Refugees | The International Organisation of Iranian Refugees

The Nottingham Palestine Solidarity Campaign group have decided to show its solidarity with the people of Jenin by establishing friendship links between the two cities with the eventual aim of twinning. The first step is to send representatives from Nottingham to the UK Palestine Twinning Conference to make links with the University, with schools, with Trade Unions and with local people in Jenin.

There are 2 events leading up to these representatives going out to Jenin , both of which hope to Raise awareness of the issues and realities of Occupation in Palestine – especially in Jenin and to raise funds to make this Link between these cities Possible: There is a ‘Solidarity Festival’ 12noon - 11pm, on the 25th March of Music, films, poetry, art, workshops, food and fun being held hat the Sneinton Community Centre (Old School Hall) and there is a ‘Evening for Palestine’ 7pm, Thursday 30th March being held at the Kashmir Centre – live music – Palestine Dinner and Yvonne Ridley Speaking.

'Building bridges in Palestine' - party and exhibition - Middle East Party - Sunday 19th March, Wax Bar, Broad Street, Nottingham, 4-8pm. An exhibition of drawings, photographs and paintings from Palestine by Paul Gent + speakers. Live music from long Journey Home. Exhibition runs from 5th - 24th march 2006

Links: Download 'Evening for Palestine' flyer (PDF) | Building bridges in Palestine - party and exhibition | Palestine Eye Witness Reports and UK/Palestine Twinning | Palestine Solidarity Campaign | Wikipedia on Jenin | How to get to the Old School Hall

On Monday (6th March) people from the Nottingham Against Incineration and Landfill (NAIL) campaign handed over 3019 signatures to councillors at the Council House, Market Square at 12.30 - 1pm. Many came in support, to show that people in Nottingham prefer clean air and recycling to waste turned into pollution.

Full article and pictures

Photo's and audio bannerdrop: 1 | 2

>> The NAIL Film

Video 'Slide-Shows': 1

Links: Planning Officer insists on wider public consultation for incinerator expansion | Campaigners meet Environment Agency over incinerator | Sneinton's Rubbish Day Out 1 - The Days Events | NAIL campaign 'banner drop' at Sneinton Boulevard | NAIL campaign hammers on...