World Social Struggles Newswire Archive

A branch of Starbucks in East London has been smashed and firebombed in what appears to be an anti-Israeli protest. Police are investigating the series of attacks in Whitechapel. First rocks were thrown through the store's window at 11.25pm on Monday night. Later, after midnight, a petrol bomb or similar was tossed into the zionist owned premises starting a fire which damaged the interior. No one was injured in the incident and the store was boarded up today as police examined the scene.

"Yarl's Wood Detention Custody Officers (DCOs) came for us at 2:00am this morning, Emmanuel (aged 15 suffers from Sickle cell anaemia) was in bed sick. I told the DCOs he was too ill to fly. They brought in a male nurse from Yarl's Wood Health Care who examined Emmanuel and said he "was fit to fly".

The DCOs asked me to get Emmanuel out of bed, I refused; they said if I didn't get him up they would fetch a wheelchair, I didn't and they brought in a wheelchair. They asked me to put him in it, I refused. The DCOs lifted Emmanuel out of the bed and put him into the wheelchair and we were all taken down to reception.

There were several escorts waiting and a medical escort, the medical escort examined Emmanuel and said he was "not fit to fly", and that the removal could not go ahead. And that he was not sure that the carrier had been told they would be carrying a Sickle cell suffer and would have the right medical equipment on board and this would have to be sorted out if there was to another flight.

Why they attempted to remove us I do not know, our solicitors informed us yesterday afternoon that they had obtained an injunction and the removal was legally stayed."

Many thanks to all who faxed/emailed Airline & Home Office yesterday.

Helen Laolu-Balogun

Background: Helen Laolu-Balogun and children
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/archives/filed%20newszines/newszine91/HelenLaolu-Balogun.html

Over the last few alerts you have been contacting shareholders in Huntingdon
Life Sciences. This next one deals with Northern Trust who have 64,181 shares
in LSR (the name HLS trade under). Although this company hold a smaller number
than those in previous alerts, they are still really important, even if you own
one share in HLS you will be put in the spotlight, so please take a few minutes
to contact them.

Daily protest from 5 to 7pm outside the Israeli Embassy against the brutal invasion of Gaza.

UPDATE - 3 hours into the journey, the boat appears to be turning back to Cyprus. According to the Jerusalem Post, "Karin Pally told The Associated Press that a generator blew three hours into the 24-hour trip, forcing the 66-foot (20-meter), Greek-flagged vessel to return to port in Larnaca.

The Free Gaza Movement's new boat the Spirit of Humanity, left Larnaca Port at 3pm (local time) this afternoon - bound for Gaza port, where it is due to arrive at 11am tomorrow. The boat has been acquired at short notice, to stand in for the Dignity, which was rammed three times and fired on in international waters on 29th December,2008. On board the Spirit are several tons of medical supplies, and a number of doctors, surgeons, parliamentarians, journalists and activists, all intent on showing solidarity with the people of Gaza in the face of the crippling siege that has been visited upon them for the past eighteen months.

Having just finished seven years as an undergraduate and PhD degree at Oxford University, where I was conspicuously in the minority, ethnically, I felt the urge to share the groundings for my motivation and attitude which has helped me along the way to my academic success.

Oscar Grant's murder: This is not an isolated incident! Hammick in 2002, Kendra James in 2003, James Perez, James Philip Chasse, Jr. all unarmed and killed by Portland Police. Diallo, Sean Bell, Ousmane Zongo, Jonny Gammage, Alexandros Grigoropoulos and Now Oscar Grant, all unarmed and killed by Police. Within hours of Oscar Grant's shooting, Robbie Tolan, another unarmed man, was also shot by Police. Let the world know about! We will not allow a police state!

Family 'Snatched for third time, removal 10:30 tomorrow morning' Tuesday 13th January

This is an urgent request for your consideration of action necessary in order to avoid a serious breach of human rights to a family well loved by many in Plymouth.

Helen Laolu-Balogun and her six children from Nigeria are currently detained in Yarl's Wood IRC, with removal directions set for tomorrow Tuesday 13th January on British Airways Flight BA 075 from Heathrow Airport at 10:30hrs to Lagos.

Toussaint Losier gives a useful overview of the militant grassroots movements that are rejecting party politics in South Africa is favour of a strategy of building a network of communes and collectives.

Deare Hamanajam a Liverpool/Iraqi Kurd (8 years residency in the city) is currently detained in Colnbrook IRC and has been served with *open ended removal directions and told that he will be removed by a 'specially chartered flight' to KRG/Iraq.

In the latest of a string of intimidations and attacks, an attempt is made on the life of the libertarian activist and former APPO Councillor RUBÉN VALENCIA NUÑEZ.

Rock wool, whilst sold as an eco-friendly product, is a dirty thing to make. In the USA, Erin Brokovich is investigating claims that a now-closed Rockwool Group factory is responsible for the high rate of cancer locally. Meanwhile, the residents of the municipality of Pican, Croatia are protesting against a new factory which was built illegally. The factory regularly floods the valley with thick smoke. Read their press release below:

Saturday 10th January saw another evening of demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Gaza outside the Israeli embassy, High Street Kensington, London.
This time the police came out in very large numbers, with shields etc, and there were some pretty violent scenes... yet again.

This alert focuses on a HLS shareholder, Vanguard Group. This company hold
nearly one hundred thousands blood stained shares in Huntingdon Life Sciences,
who trade under the name, LSR (Life Science Research).

Todays protest in Athens-Greece.

7th-9th January

FUR FARM LIBERATION COMMUNIQUE RELEASED (Greece)
FOIE GRAS GOES MISSING (UK)
TELMEX PHONE BOOTHS DAMAGED BY FIRE (Mexico)
WARNING LETTER SENT TO VIVISECTOR (USA)
OSCAR GRANT AND GREEK SOLIDARITY ACTION (USA)
RED PAINT SENDS MESSAGE TO OVERSEER OF LA ANIMAL SERVICES (USA)

325 is an insurgent anti-prison zine of social war & anarchy, published underground for the last 5 years. It is an irregular platform for hidden news of the ongoing resistance against capitalism and the state, and the situations of the prisoners, who are imprisoned for their ideals.

'No immigration procedures affecting children have been changed by the UKBA Code of practice for keeping children safe from harm'

There are 43 children in Yarl's Wood IRC this morning

Raphael aged 5, has now spent 36 days in immigration detention
His mother still does not have removal directions, please email/fax every day.
 http://www.ncadc.org.uk/Newszine102/Raphael.html

Tens of thousands in demo in support of Gaza tonight; the biggest
riots in decades both before and after main demonstration. All main
street smashed to pieces. The kids have organized, and hooked up with
the autonomists. New big demo called for on Saturday, outside Israeli
embassy.

Naverah, and her four children Ahmad (age 12), Hassan (age 11), Husnain (age 11) and Humna (age 8), nationals of Pakistan and residents of Glasgow, were detained on Monday whilst reporting to the Home Office at Festival Court. They are currently detained in Yarl's Wood IRC and due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Sunday 11th January at 16:50 on