UK UK Newswire Archive
March26 : All out against the cuts
15-03-2011 14:22
Following months of demonstrations, occupations of town hall's and other buildings, road blockades and widespread campaigning, the national protest against the cuts and for the alternatives is finaly taking place on Saturday 26th March at 11am.
Hundreds of thousands are expected to march in the biggest street mobilisation since the anti-war march of 2003. Following several calls for people to do more than simply march from A to B [NetworkX | Rallying Call | UK Ungoverned] there are a range of actions planned including feeder marches, sit downs, UKuncut occupations on Oxford Street, people's assemblies, and yet more occupations of different locations. It's clear March 26th willl be an important expression of anger, and solidarity, and one which will show that these are issues which are increasingly effecting most of us. Read more
TUC Info | Events listing + links | Freedom listing | Resist26 | Indymedia calendar
Legal: GBC Arrestee Support 07946 541511 see also LDMG
Indymedia reporting, Alt media + Live info
Whilst the TUC has announced "there are no official feeder marches" in an echo of the failure by the NUS to support their own students, rank and file anti-cuts campaigners are preparing several feeder marches: The Education Bloc from ULU, a South London feeder from Kennington park, including a Radical Workers Bloc and a North London Feeder from Camden. Other groups are meeting in advance to march together on the day.
Demos continue at Heckler&Koch weapons HQ in Nttm
15-03-2011 13:23
4.00pm Monday 14th March
The Shut Down Heckler & Koch campaign has been picketing the factory in Lenton for over 4 years now. With more recent events in the Middle East, a new urgency is apparent to consider where such weapons are ending up, arming represive regimes.
The Shut Down Heckler & Koch campaign has been picketing the factory in Lenton for over 4 years now. With more recent events in the Middle East, a new urgency is apparent to consider where such weapons are ending up, arming represive regimes.
The campaign had been contacted by a bunch of media students, wanting to do a project on the motives of those campaigning there. They had arrived before most and had been told to shift by a police community support officer. No explanion being given. For years I have been photographing this and other camera folks have done the same without incident over this time. I suggested that they should resume doing what they were doing. No obstruction was being commited. A while latter, this PCSO returned and saying 'I thought I'd told you to shift!' I chimed in asking why and for what reason? The officer made no reply, simply parked her bike in the factory grounds and appeared to make a radio call for assistance. 40mins later, a police car arriverd and officers spent the rest of the time, looking at us from their heated interior. I would have thought that if offences were being commited, then we/they should have been spoken too. The standard of warden and PCSO officers makes me dispair, honestly!
****
Anyway ..... people had gathered at the gates to the UK headquarters of Heckler & Koch, based within the Easter Park Industrial Estate on Lenton Lane, Nottingham. [Unit 3 in fact].
One would have thought that a city infamous for its gun crime would be a poor location for a warehouse full of guns. Not according to H&K, who do great business equipping war-mongers on any side.
Proud owners of H&K weaponry include the brutal militias of Darfur - the Janjaweed. Funnily enough, despite the outcry against the massacres in Darfur, they obviously weren't quite bad enough to stop selling weapons to the perpetrators. Even a recent arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against a senior Sudanese politician accused of selling H&K weapons to the Janjaweed hasn't seemed to stem the flow of H&K guns to a militia accused by everyone including the US of committing genocide. (H&K guns also fill the arsenals of the US Dept of Homeland Security, US Navy Seals & the FBI amongst others).
H&K have a 'strategic partnership' with the world's largest mercenary company Blackwater. H&K supply the guns to the Iraqi and Afghan puppet governments, and Blackwater provide the training.
There was a plan for H&K to produce special edition 'Blackwater' weapons - complete with the Blackwater logo on them. However, after Blackwater made the headlines for killing 17 innocent Iraqis (not the first time that Blackwater have killed innocent Iraqis, but the first time that it made the news in a major way), the plan was shelved.
Interestingly, local media also came under pressure; Trent FM, who had shown some enthusiasm about reporting these demos, received a word in their ear from both H&K's press office as well as the police, warning hacks that it would be 'irresponsible' to publish the fact that H&K has a warehouse full of weapons in Nottingham, as it may prompt criminals to try and steal them.
In response the campaigners pointed out to the radio station that H&K's address was published at Company House, as well as in several business directories. About the radio station being leaned on, the campaigners said that "If the security policy of H&K and Notts police relies on no-one finding out the company's location, then clearly it is they who are irresponsible, not our campaign and not the media. A large warehouse stocked with high-power assault rifles and submachine guns with inadequate security to prevent a robbery is clearly a significant danger to the public, and publicisng such a danger is very much in the public interest."
The H&K warehouse, located at Easter Park, Lenton Lane, Nottingham, is next to the 'Trent Vineyard', an evangelist church that held the funeral of Danielle Beccan, a 14 year old girl who was killed in a drive-by shooting. At her funeral service the then mayor of Nottingham said, "Guns have no place at all in our community - not in Nottingham, not in my city nor any other city in Britain."
One campaigner said: "The arms trade relies on secrecy. Most people abhor the idea of factories and warehouse making and selling weapons around the world, and arms companies know this. By lifting the lid on the business, anti-arms protesters can make a put the pressure on the government/corporate killing machine to stop killing for profit." [schNews]
As you can see from the front board, Unit 3 is simply 'let'. One feels that they might just be a little embarrassed about their presence on the Easter Park Estate. Previous occupants had been the Royal Small Arms Factory. Even during wartime, they had a sign on the gate, saying who they were! Another example might be British Aerospace Works at Filton, Bristol. Again, they say who they are on the gate. This lot still remain shy of folks knowing of their activities.
In my opinion, lights need to be shone into dark corners.
*****
The campaign pickets H&K on the second Monday of every month from 4:00 to 5:30 at the gates of Easter Park, Lenton Lane, Nottingham NG7 2PX.
Middle East dictatorships armed by H&K [feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/981
Campaigning against Heckler & Koch Weapons in Germany and the UK [feature]
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/426678.html
and ..... on German Indymedia at:
http://linksunten.indymedia.org/en/node/4708
Shut Down Heckler & Koch Campaign
http://nottsantimilitarism.wordpress.com/heckler-koch
http://www.shutdownhk.org.uk
Poster / Flyer PDF of H&K leaflet
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2009/01//418368.pdf
Notts arms dealer in trafficking conspiracy [Feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/992
____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email: tash@indymedia.org
Web: http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>
article on the gaddafi house
15-03-2011 13:01
new statesman article on the gaddafi squatPolice intimidation of Liberal Democrat conference protest
15-03-2011 11:59
Today in Palestine 2010 03 15
15-03-2011 11:34
Evil Zionists board civilian peace activists' ship in international waters, er wait a minute ...Power and Privilege within - a workshop
15-03-2011 09:49
Based on Anti-Oppression training techniques (currently offered in the UK by groups such as Otesha and Platform), this workshop is aimed at people who are part of any group with environmental or social justice goals, who want to become more aware of how power and privilege within their own organisation affects what they do.
Animal rights Gathering: Mobile Demos
15-03-2011 01:22
As part of the animal rights spring gathering mobile demonstrations against the vivisection industry took place.
March 26th - Beware Met bias legal observers
15-03-2011 01:22
Liberty are offering independent legal observers for March 26th despite working jointly with Met Police.
The liberal legal campaign group Liberty have in the past few days put a call out to law students and the like to join their band of legal observers for the 26th, claiming to be independent despite working closely with met police.
Their call out for legal observers states "we are seeing an upsurge in protest as people respond to the Coalition Government's austerity measures. Recent demonstrations have seen the police respond to the threat of disorder with some controversial tactics, particularly "kettling". Liberty opposes the use of kettling. But we also appreciate that the police sometimes have to deal with people - often a tiny minority unconnected to the protest's organisers - intent on causing trouble."
As well as dealing with TUC goons it is quite likely Liberty's untrained observers will be poorly equipped as well as dangerously positioned to offer advice. It is well know Liberty have a close relationship with police.
All Colours Are Beautiful advice:
Remain anonymous on demonstrations and after.
- Protect you and your friend's identity during the demo and afterwards in the pub or on the internet
Never give any information to Police.
If you are arrested get advice from a recommended law firm ANSWER NO COMMENT TO ALL QUESTIONS unless strongly advised to do otherwise by said lawyer.
- This means you can deal with anything after the incident when you know what, if any, evidence to cops have and prevents you admitting things they didn't know/have evidence for. It can be dealt with in court if it has to be.
Get the number for a good law firm and the legal advice number
- Write them on your arm!
Green and Black Cross hotline: 07946541511
Bindmans solicitors: 02078334433
Green and Black Cross and LDMG Legal Observers will be operating on the day
Student March at TUC Demo Facebook
14-03-2011 23:53
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=207206942638765
22 reasons. How many more mistakes?
14-03-2011 22:07
Oh how the politicians and the scientists squirm while trying to defend nuclear power and the shadow of 500 new clear power stations - transparency, so they say.Sheffield - Cut the Corporate Elite - 12 March Demo Video
14-03-2011 20:58
Liberal Democrat Conference Fringe Meeting: Who controls the internet? #ldconf
14-03-2011 20:24
http://www.libdemvoice.org/ on 12th March 2011 in Sheffield at the Liberal Democrat conference titled, Who controls the internet?
Policing and barriers at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Sheffield #ldconf
14-03-2011 20:19
Liberal Democrat Conference Protest: Rally at Barkers Pool #ldconf
14-03-2011 19:38
Saudi occupation troops invade Bahrain to halt protests just after the visit ..
14-03-2011 19:34
Japan Atomic Emergency Bulletin #3
14-03-2011 19:02
March20-Global BradleyManning Action Days-SupportAccused WikiLeaksWhistleblower
14-03-2011 18:34
Media Contact:Jeff Paterson
Global Bradley Manning Action Days in Support of Accused WikiLeaks Whistleblower
Individuals and activists plan events around the world to show support for the accused WikiLeaks whistleblower on March 19-20.
International Women’s Day 2011 in Notingham
14-03-2011 18:23
Tuesday March 8th 2011 was the centenary of International Women’s Day. A series of events were held to mark this anniversary including an anti-cuts protest, a public meeting on the impact of cuts on women and a women’s history walk.
On the newswire: Nottingham Women’s History Walk | Int’l Women’s Day: Public Meeting | Int’l Women’s Day: Protest | International Women’s Day Protest
Previous feature: Nottingham celebrates International Women’s Day (2010)
The first IWD was observed on 19 March 1911 in Germany following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Among other relevant historic events, it came to commemorate the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The idea of having an international women’s day was first put forward at the turn of the 20th century amid rapid world industrialization and economic expansion that led to protests over working conditions.
In 1910 the first international women’s conference was held in Copenhagen (in the labour-movement building located at Jagtvej 69, which until recently housed Ungdomshuset) by the Second International and an ‘International Women’s Day’ was established, which was submitted by the important German Socialist Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified. The following year, 1911, IWD was marked by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, on March 19. However, soon thereafter, on March 25, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed over 140 garment workers. A lack of safety measures was blamed for the high death toll. Furthermore, on the eve of World War I, women across Europe held peace rallies on 8 March 1913. In the West, International Women’s Day was commemorated during the 1910s and 1920s, but dwindled. It was revived by the rise of feminism in the 1960s.
Demonstrations marking International Women’s Day in Russia proved to be the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Following the October Revolution, the Bolshevik Alexandra Kollontai persuaded Lenin to make it an official holiday in the Soviet Union, and it was established, but was a working day until 1965. On May 8, 1965 by the decree of the USSR Presidium of the Supreme Soviet International Women’s Day was declared as a non working day in the USSR “in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of their Fatherland during the Great Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women’s day must be celebrated as are other holidays.”
The day is an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Croatia, Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia,Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia.
In some countries, such as Cameroon or Romania, the day is not a public holiday, but is widely observed nonetheless.
In 1975, which had been designated as International Women’s Year, the United Nations gave official sanction to and began sponsoring International Women’s Day.
The 2005 Congress (conference) of the British Trades Union Congress overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for IWD to be designated a public holiday in the United Kingdom.
