Check out this awesome new video to get inspired: www.crudeawakening.org.uk/node/9
Please copy and paste this and email it to lists and people you think would be interested. Crude Awakening are sending out weekly newsletters that will also be posted on indymedia - so please help to spread the word!
Newsletter 2
1. Meet-up time
We’ll be meeting at 10 AM in central London – so book your coach and train tickets to London now! If you are in the North you can contact manchester@climatecamp.org.uk if you want a ticket for a space on a coach. If you need to stay over in London on Friday night, plan to stay with a friend if you can; if you can’t email london@climatecamp.org.uk and we will be happy to help out. This is an all-day event, so if you’re traveling from out of town, you should also plan to stay over on Saturday night.
Blocs and meeting points will be announced in next week’s newsletter, along with details for how to sign up to the text alert system that will be used to communicate vital information on the day. So watch this space…
2. What to expect on the day
People will gather at several meeting points in central London. We’ll leave these initial meeting points immediately, so being on time is important. Messages will be passed on by text message and from person to person. We’ll be on the move – indoors and out – throughout the day, and you should be prepared with warm and waterproof clothes, food and water. You will spend the day with a thousand others – some your closest friends, many you’ve never met before – who all believe that oil’s time is up, and it’s our job to give it the boot.
Although there are ten possible targets, at some point during the day we will all wind up together in one place to switch off oil. Get ready to occupy, blockade, build, reclaim…
This is a mass action to disrupt the oil industry. To do that successfully, we’re trying something new, and keeping the target under wraps – which aims to allow us to beat the police to our final destination, and create a space where people can take effective action.
With the mystery target, there are some things that can be made clear in advance, and others that can’t. We know where we’re meeting, but not where we’ll end up. We know what we need to bring, but not exactly what it will be used for. Expect the unexpected, and be prepared for it: sun, wind and rain; sitting-in and out-running; occupying and pushing; holding space and breaking boundaries.
3. Upcoming events
Email us your event and we'll include it in next week's newsletter!
LONDON
• 23 September. Climate Action Film Night, London Action Resource Centre, Whitechapel, 7.30PM. Two short films of recent actions against BP and Shell, plus Petropolis. Followed by a brainstorming session on taking direct action against the oil industry in London – including all the latest info on the Crude Awakening. Details: www.londonrisingtide.org.uk/node/451
• 29 September, 7PM. London planning meeting to coordinate London organising and outreach. Venue TBC.
• 1 October. Catapult Party. Benefit gig and warm-up for the Crude Awakening. 9PM till late. Secret party venue, sign-up here to get details by text nearer the time: http://tiny.cc/thenightbefore. More info: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=151003711600590&ref=mf
• 2-3 October. London planning extravaganza, open to all. Organised by London Climate Camp. Two days of workshops, prop-making, affinity group forming, plotting and planning. More info: London@climatecamp.org.uk. Plus the London Rabble Rouser – a mass outdoor team game, warming us up for the big day – time and venue TBC.
• 2-3 October. Stilt making workshop for the stilt block. 10 AM – 6 PM. A skill share weekend to build stilts and learn how to walk on them. It’s free and lunch is included. More info and RSVP: stilt.bloc@gmail.com
MANCHESTER
27 September – 4 October. Workshops Week at Manchester Student Union. Direct action and legal observer training, know your rights, running a campaign group, dealing with the media and more.
30 September. Cool Runnings. Catch up on what happened at this year’s awesome Climate Camp before skilling up for action in the run up to The Crude Awakening. Learn how to run in between, through and round police lines. And finished off with a top reggaeu night at Manchester Metropolitan University.
9 October. Public ‘dis’order training. 12 noon - 6PM. Manchester Students Union. Prepare for the Crude Awakening by doing your own action! Learn why and how to do mass direct action with workshops and affinity group building.
More info on Manchester events:
http://manchestercampaignscollective.wordpress.com/calender/
4. Make it Happen!
This is a mass action and we need masses of people to make it work. The most important way to get involved now and help make this action a success is to spread the word, and get together with others to start planning for the day.
• Tell your mates about the Crude Awakening and book your travel to London if necessary
• Email the call-out far and wide: crudeawakening.org.uk/node/14
• Join the Facebook page and invite your friends to it: http://bit.ly/c6S0kg
• Follow the Crude Awakening on Twitter: twitter.com/crudeawake
• Come to one of the build-up events. Want to do more? Get in touch with the organisers and help publicise the event crudeawakening.org.uk/node/5
• Raise and discuss the action at your local group meeting – we can send a speaker if you like, email a request to crudeawakening2010@gmail.com
• Form an affinity group if you’re not already part of one, or start plotting with them if you are! Info on affinity groups:
http://www.networkforclimateaction.org.uk/toolkit/group_working/Groups_and_Meetings/affinity_groups.pdf
5. Website revamp
Check out our newly designed website, with new info going up every day, and a fast-growing collection of videos to get you all fired up for the big day.
Sign-up for text and email alerts coming soon.
That’s all for this week!
crudeawakening.org.uk
crudeawakening2010@gmail.com