UK Indymedia - UK History Feature Archive

Belgrade remembers Srebrenica - 11 years on...

19-07-2006 16:03

The Srebrenica massacre was the July 1995 killing of up to an estimated 8,106 Bosniak males, ranging in age from teenagers to the elderly, in the region of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina by a Serb Army of Republika Srpska under general Ratko Mladić including Serbian state special forces "Scorpions". The Srebrenica massacre is the largest mass murder in Europe since World War II and considered by many as one of the most horrific events in recent European history. It is also the first legally established case of genocide in Europe after the Holocaust. (source: Wikipedia).

11 years on, a large crowd gathered in the city centre of Belgrade to remember the victims killed in the Srebrenica massacre. Last year the same vigil was attacked by nationalist groups, some of who trew teargas in the crowd. The police guarded the protest heavily this time. We took some photos...

Links: Wikipedia on the Srebrenica massacre | Preliminary list of 8106 Bosniaks killed in Srebrenica - (PDF version) - Issued by Federal Commission for Missing Persons on June 5, 2005 | The Association Women of Srebrenica - Official Website | Srebrenica Genocide Blog - Independent Blog Regarding Srebrenica Massacre | "Cry from the Grave" documentary film detailing the account of the massacre | Chemical Warfare in Bosnia? The Strange Experiences of the Srebrenica Survivors (a Human Rights Watch report) | BOSFAM - Non-Governmental group supporting displaced women in Bosnia

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Worldwide Anti-War Protests: March 18th Reports

22-03-2006 10:19

Saturday 18th March was an International Day of Mobilisation against the war and occupation in Iraq, marking the three year anniversary of the war (see call from WSF Assembly of the Movements). Over the weekend of the 18th hundreds of demonstrations took place throughout the world demanding to end to the occupation of Iraq, and protesting against a possible attack on Iran.

In London, the Stop The War coalition said 80 - 100,000 people marched through the streets, however as usual there was disagreement over numbers with the police saying the turnout was as low as 15,000 (a figure which was then printed in mainstream media across the world). See reports and pictures from London [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]. The march sparked some personal commentary about the day and the tactics [ Brian B | riot act | Jo Wilding ]. Locally protests also took place in Glasgow, Newcastle and Dublin.

In the Arab world, demonstrations took place in Basra and the Syrian capital Damascus. Smaller ones took place in Beirut, Cairo and other Arab cities. In the Tunisian city of Sfax, police stormed into a crowd of about 3,000 people and beat them with batons and truncheons, injuring at least 20.

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This November: Remember Fallujah

07-11-2005 12:10

A month of events in November 2005 to remember what happened in Fallujah and other cities in Iraq and to demand justice for those attacked.

One year ago this month the US, with the support of the British, began its second major assault on the Iraqi city of Fallujah. This massive and unprecedented offensive killed many hundreds of civilians, destroyed much of the city's housing and created tens of thousands of refugees. An earlier attack in April 2004 had killed at least 600 civilians. See Jo Wilding’s report of riding an ambulance inside the city during the siege. Report

US forces committed major war crimes during the assaults including: bombing residential areas and killing many civilians; imposing a 'shoot-to-kill curfew' and using snipers to fire on unarmed civilians; targetting and shutting health facilities; and, using phosphorus weapons. See the Italian documentary showing use of phosphorus weapons, background to film.

Over twenty UK Remember Fallujah events are taking place including: non-profit film screenings; a national speaking tour with US author and activist Rahul Mahajan (in Fallujah during the April 2004 siege Report); an international teach-in, Voices from Occupied Iraq organised by Iraq Occupation Focus; vigils to mark the attacks on Fallujah last year; a screening in Manchester of 'Caught in the Crossfire' about the second seige of Falluja 'Jo Wilding's Diary from Iraq' by Manchester Indymedia.

See www.rememberfallujah.org for more information on all the events, on what happened in Fallujah and the ongoing attacks on Iraqi cities.

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Mass Anti-War Protests Mark 2nd Anniversary of Attack on Iraq

22-03-2005 14:19

Around the world, anti-war protests have been held on the 2nd anniversary of the attacks on Iraq [see global pictures].

On Saturday 19th March in London, a massive protest took place, passing by the US Embassy where members of the Military Families Against the War laid a coffin to remember the 100,000 plus dead caused by the war. Organisers claimed up to 200,000 people had marched through the streets of London. [see Short report | Statement to Blair + Bush | Policing Pictures | Anti-war Demo Pics | Samba Protest Pics | Creative Protest Images | Stop the War Demo Pics | Troops Out Images | Portrait Pictures | OutRage! Protest | Samba Surveillance | Policing Pictures + Report | US Embassy Pics | Assorted Protest Pictures | Picture Story | Placard-spotting Pics + Report | Summer of Dissent | Video Clips]

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Mass Anti-War Protests Mark 2nd Anniversary of Attack on Iraq

21-03-2005 04:49

Around the world, anti-war protests have been held on the 2nd anniversary of the attacks on Iraq [see global pictures].

On Saturday 19th March in London, a massive protest took place, passing by the US Embassy where members of the Military Families Against the War laid a coffin to remember the 100,000 plus dead caused by the war. Organisers claimed up to 200,000 people had marched through the streets of London. [see Short report | Statement to Blair + Bush | Policing Pictures | Anti-war Demo Pics | Samba Protest Pics | Creative Protest Images | Stop the War Demo Pics | Troops Out Images | Portrait Pictures | OutRage! Protest | Samba Surveillance | Policing Pictures + Report | US Embassy Pics | Assorted Protest Pictures | Picture Story | Placard-spotting Pics + Report | Summer of Dissent | Video Clips]

March 19th also marked the start of 'Counter Terror: Build Justice' - an International Month Of Peace Action.

The "Troops Home" demonstration was organised by the Stop The War Coalition, CND and the Muslim Association of Great Britain, and followed several days of activities at a Peace Camp set up in Trafalgar Square [see pics 1 | 2].

Protests also took place in Glasgow, Scotland with around 2000 people demonstrating [see pics and reports 1 | 2] and Dublin in Ireland [see pics and reports 1 | 2 | 3].

Over 50,000 people marched in Brussels against the new EU Bolkestein Directive, proposed new attacks on public services, and labour reforms in a European Action Day that took place just days before the EU summit. There were also anti-war protests in Athens (2, 3, video) Barcelona, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy (2), Melbourne (2), Poland (2, 3, 4, 5), Sydney, Johannesburg and many other cities.

Protests also took place in across across the US. See major feature report for San Francisco where over 10,00 people took to the streets - see also New York ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ) , Chicago (Photos: 1 | 2 Video: 1 ), and Fayetteville, North Carolina ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ) .

Thousands also took to the streets in Portland (Photos), smaller towns in Oregon ( Photos: 1 | 2 ), Las Vegas ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ), Baltimore (Photos: 1) , St. Paul ( Photos: 1 ) , Boston (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ), Houston ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 ), Madison ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 Video: 1 ), Nashville ( Photos: 1 ), Miami ( Video: 1 ) Atlanta ( Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 Video: 1 ) , Pittsburgh (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 ), Champaign Illinois ( Photos: 1 ), Cleveland ( Photos: 1 ) , and Milwaukee. Elsewhere in California, thousands took to the streets of Los Angeles (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 ) and many people from all over the Central Valley gathered in Fresno for "the Rally in the Valley" (Photos: 1 | 2 Video: 1 | 2 ). There was a protest in San Diego (Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ) and in Eureka, thousands braved the rain to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq and the immediate withdrawal of US troops (Photos). On Friday, there was a protest in Reedley (Photos)

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Anti-War Action: F15 Rememberance and Protest

18-02-2005 16:16

On the anniversary of the massive international February 15th Anti-War demonstrations in 2003 (largest anti-war demonstrations in living memory), people throughout the land paused to remember the dead and to protest against war. In London a 'die-in' protest outside Parliament briefly blocked traffic [pics | 2]. In Glasgow the Day of Civil Disobedience saw an army recruitment office closed for the day and people blocking roads (as well as a high level of police surveillance and initmidation).

Other events took place in Brighton, Bristol [pic], Cambridge, Oxford, Menwith Hill, as well as Canterbury, Edinburgh, Greenwich, Lewisham, Plymouth, and Leeds. In Swindon a naming the dead event took place, while Nottingham saw an anti-war Critical Mass bicycle protest. In Stirling [2] in Scotland, a protest was also held outside an Army recruitment centre.

Upcoming are the March 19th - International Anti-War + Anti-Neoliberalism Protests, which coincide with the 2nd anniversary of the 'Shock and Awe' attack on Iraq and the Brussels EU Summit, with protests expected across Europe [see call for PGA Blocs]. Here, the Stop The War Coalition, CND and the Muslin Association of Great Britain has called for a massive Troops Home" national demonstration in London, while the Scottish Coalition for Justice Not War and Justice for Gordon Gentle Campaign have called a Troops out of Iraq March and rally in Glasgow. In the US, protests are expected in over 50 cities. March 19th also marks the start of 'Counter Terror: Build Justice' - an International Month Of Peace Action.

See also: Update on Fairford Five Appeal | Stop the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill - the right to protest in Parliament Square under attack - and reports 2, 3, 4.

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Vanunu 18th Anniversary

30-09-2004 00:20

it is exactly 18 years and i am free and strong as i was 18 years ago - Mordechai Vanunu

Today (30 September) is the 18th anniversary of Mordechai Vanunu's kidnap by Israeli security forces.

Vanunu was a subordinate technician at the Dimona nuclear plant when he blew the whistle on Israel's clandestine nuclear weapons programme. Following his conscience, and believing the programme threatened another holocaust, he delivered photographic evidence of historic magnitude to the Sunday Times [the original article].

He was then lured to Italy from where Israel's secret police abducted him to Israel, in grave violation of internnational law. He was sentenced as a spy to 18 years in prison. The first 11 1/2 years, he spent in solitary confinement.

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Anniversary of the MST and EZLN

18-05-2004 11:04

Anniversary: 20th birthday of the MST and EZLN in the university of Sao Paulo (USP)

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SchNEWS 10th Anniversary Tour

13-04-2004 10:55

SchNEWS is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a tour across the UK from April 10^th to 30^th. The weekly direct action news sheet was born in a squatted Courthouse in 1994 as part of Justice?, Brighton's campaign against the Criminal Justice Act. It has been part of the anti road protests [M11 1 + 2, Newbury], the big Reclaim The Streets events of the nineties, worker’s struggles such as the Liverpool Dockers, fights against privatisation of public services and many activities around social centres and sustainable futures.

Since the PGA conference in 1998, SchNEWS includes global news: the Global Street Party at the G7 Summit in Birmingham, J18, the WTO protests in Seattle, Nov 1999, which brought the anti-capitalism movement to the attention of the world and marks the beginning of the indymedia network.

In the spirit of the 90s uk protest movements, SchNEWs links up party & protest, and excels in a tongue-in-cheek approach to authorities (crap arrest of the week). The anniversary tour includes workshops on alternative media, short films, info on the upcoming G8 summit in Britain [dissent], launch of the Indymedia handbook, music, party ...

schNEWS tour dates | Tour info | Fantastic Night with SchNEWS!

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Anti-War Protests Mark One Year Anniversary

21-03-2004 15:32

Protests have taken place in over 300 cities across the globe with millions of people marching on the first anniversary of the attacks upon Iraq (see global protest pictures).

There were protests in several cities around the country, including Glasgow [1,2, 3] and Bristol [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. In London the Stop The War Coalition demonstration saw tens of thousands filling the streets throughout the afternoon in a march from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square (see photo reports: one, two).
Photos: 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 13| 14| 15
Videos: 1 | 2 | 3
Read report of an arrest after videoing a police FIT team.

Earlier two Greenpeace climbers had scaled Big Ben to unfurl a banner reading "Time For Truth". (NB the Indymedia UK servers were down for much of the day and throughout much of the evening)

See also:
Video from Dublin | Video & Photos from NYC | Report and Pics from Barcelona | Photo Gallery from Madrid 1+2+3

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Tenth anniversary of Operation Roadblock against the M11 link road.

18-03-2004 22:56

This is the second part of a series of articles on the tenth anniversary of the protests against the construction of the infamous M11 link road that was bulldozed through East London. Following the siege and eviction of Wanstonia, we decided that, for the next part of the campaign, we wouldn't passively wait for the next house demolitions to be carried out by the thugs hired by the Department of Transport. All of us were absolutely determined to stop this iniquitous road scheme from progressing further and we wanted the campaign to be much more proactive. We staged Operation Roadblock as a month long period of continuous direct action against all the destruction caused by the road. This part of the protest resulted in more and more people becoming involved for the first time in direct action campaiging on many other issues besides transport.

Read more on this event and pictures

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20th Anniversary of Miners Strike

01-03-2004 11:16

On March 1st, 1984, Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Party announced the closure of Cortonwood colliery in Yorkshire - signaling her government’s determination to ram through a massive programme of pit closures and destroy the power of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Miners had no choice but to fight, or see their lives and communities devastated. The longest major industrial battle in British history had begun - a battle that still defines the political landscape of today.

20,000 People injured or hospitalised
200 People served time in prison or custody
2 People killed on the picket line
3 Died digging for coal during the winter
966 People were sacked for striking

The full force of the state was used against the striking miners. 20,000 police were coordinated by Scotland Yard and they used massive computer-backed data gathering for intelligence. Tactics such as road-blocks, political questioning, curfews, beatings, illegal fingerprinting and photographing, snatch squads, phone taps, infiltration and agent provocateurs were widespread. Alongside this was the mobilisation of the media and the law. In the press, Thatcher compared the pickets to IRA bombers.

The strike involved enormous hardship, with many receiving no strike pay or benefits. Yet despite all the state could throw at them, for a year the miners and their communities stood firm in a magnificent display of solidarity. But it wasn’t just the miners themselves - the women played a central role. They transformed the strike, and it transformed them. At a meeting at the Easington Miners Welfare, Mick McGahey, Vice President of the NUM, referred to the "housewives in the County who understand the problems." One woman replied, "We no longer regard ourselves as 'housewives'. We are soldiers in the struggle."

Anniversary events are planned around the country - see events listing and pics | another report
Also see The Justice for Mineworkers Campaign website.

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Tenth anniversary of the siege of Wanstonia M11 link rd

17-02-2004 00:40

Ten years ago hundreds of anti-road protesters were evicted from a row of houses in Wanstead by an army of 600 police, security guards and bailiffs. The houses were flattened to make way for the infamous M11 link road through East London. This and many of the following protests were to define the way for increasingly diverse direct action for years to come.

Read more on this event and pictures
Download [video] of Wanstead Eviction (MPEG 2.8M 1 Min 11 Secs)
See also Road Alert post (flyers, links to M11 gallery and video)

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F15 Anniversary Celebration

12-02-2004 13:37

Running from Thursday through til Sunday, the Peace Not War Music Festival is four nights of live music, speakers, film, and art - to celebrate the anniversary of the anti-war actions of 15th Feb 2003. An audiostream was planned but didn't happen see here

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F15 - Anniversary Celebration Audio Stream

11-02-2004 12:30

The Peace Not War Festival, starting 12 Feb, is four nights of live music, Speakers, film, photography, and art at the Hackney Ocean. It celebrates the anniversary of the mass demonstrations against the war on 15 Feb 2003.

An audiostream was planned but didn't happen see here

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Global Days of Action against the War on the Gulf War anniversary

20-01-2003 23:00

Glasgow Anarchist Students prepare for a weekend of direct action, starting Thursday 16th of January. This weekend will see global anti war actions on the Gulf War anniversary January 17-19th. Actions have been called in Argentina, the USA, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Pakistan, Australia, Egypt, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Italy, France, Japan, Indonesia, Britain, Germany, Austria, Russia, the Phillipines, Switzerland, Bahrain and South Korea.
[Glasgow events against the war | global events against the war ]

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Protest Marks 9th Year Anniversary Of The Zapatista Uprising

03-01-2003 23:00

January 1st 2003 marks the 9-year anniversary of the Zapatista uprising, and the day when the Zapatista rebels of the EZLN broke their silence and took on San Cristobal de las Casas once again, the main town in the Mexican southern region of Chiapas. The Zapatista uprising of 1st January 1994 coincided with the introduction of the USA's lead North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which imposed, amongst other trade rules and regulations, the removal of all Mexican tariffs against US agricultural products.

Ever since that day, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) and the Zapatista autonomous communities of Chiapas have been rebelling against the neoliberal policies of NAFTA and the Mexican government, as well as resisting the attacks and repression by the Mexican Federal Army, whilst, at the same time, upholding the rights and culture of the indigenous people of Chiapas through a system of direct democracy, autonomy and participation.

Currently the Mexican government is renewing its threats of arrests and evictions in the Monte Azules Biosphere Reserve region of Chiapas (read report by the Social Justice Committee) whilst still rejecting the Zapatista demands for autonomy, dignity and justice for the indigenous peoples of Mexico.

As a result of this situation, the Zapatistas chose the anniversary of their uprising to call for a day of protest in Mexico. Peasant organisations called for the blockade of the highways, the airports and even the frontiers, and more than 25,000 Zapatista women, children and men - many wearing masks and carrying machete knives - of all ages and from all over Chiapas, came out of the mountains of the Lacandon jungle to march into the city of San Cristobal de las Casas, thus ending a period of silence that had begun nearly two years ago, after the EZLN's Caravan to Mexico City took place in April 2001.

Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14
Getting ready for the march: photo library from IMC-Chiapas
Zapatistas arriving in San Cristobal the night before (photos): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Read the speeches from EZLN comandantes
Read the latest communique from the EZLN
Letter from Madrid on EZLN European tour
Chiapas Update January 2003 & latest Zapatista info

For more information of events and the Zapatista struggle see: IMC-Chiapas | Chiapaslink | Ya Basta Associazione

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Bhopal Survivors Sued For Anniversary Protest

30-12-2002 23:00

On December 2nd 2002 a peaceful march of around 200 women survivors from Bhopal delivered toxic waste from the abandoned Carbide factory back to Dow's Chemical Indian headquarters in Bombay with the demand that Dow take responsibility for the disaster and clean up the site. Union Carbide's (now known as Dow) negligent gassing and poisoning of thousandsin the Indian city of Bhopal killed between 3,000 and 20,000 and left thousands more with serious diseases and injures. [Union Carbide' website documenting this has now been made private]

December 3rd was the 18th anniversary of the criminally negligent disaster in Bhopal. Dow however continues to stamp down on dissent, and shows utter contempt for its legal and moral responsibilities. Whilst CEO Michael D. Parker exploited the anniversary of the incident as an opportunity to express his "profound sadness for the accident", Dow also announced it's decision to sue the female protesters for $10,000 in compensation for the corporation's "loss of work" during the two hours that the peaceful protest lasted. To put Dow's claim in perspective it is important to point out that Dow/Carbide provided only $300-$500 compensation to those most severely affected by the Bhopal disaster. Read reports 1 and 2

Read Dow's full suit (PDFs)Paper_1 | Paper_2 | Paper_3
Read two articles about Dow Chemical's refusal to compensate the victims of Bhopal chemical explosion.

For more news and background information see: Bhopal.net | Carbide's 'poison papers' | IMC-India

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Argentina rebellion anniversary

21-12-2002 23:00

ARGENTINA REBELLION ANNIVERSARY D 19 - 21: Global Piquet

On December 19th and 20th massive mobilizations took place in Buenos Aires, throughout Argentina and around the world, to mark the 1 year anniversary of the popular rebellion in Argentina ousting former President Fernando de la Rua.

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Third anniversary of student dormitory attack

10-07-2002 22:00

Although officially agreeing with a government ban on all marches, thousands of Iranians demonstrated in Tehran yesterday to commemorate the storming of a Tehran student dormitory by right-wing vigilantes on 8 July 1999. In theattack dozens of students were reported to have been killed, carried out by riot police and the hard-line Ansar Hizbollah faction.

This year, students aimeded to forestall such right-wing violence by complying with the government ban, instead pouring their energy into publicising their cause and reviving a number of progressive newspapers shut down over the past years. They are also pressing for an investigation into the case of Ahmad Batebi, who became the face of the student movement after he was condemned to 15 years in prison for holding up a bloodied shirt during a protest.

Conservatives view the student movement as the greatest threat to their grip on power, and have repeatedly tried to brand them as foreign-sponsored troublemakers - a label that carries strong stigmata among the generally nationalist Iranian population.

Demo report | Full article

Related articles:
Footage Iran Tribunal | MayDay in Tehran

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