UK UK Newswire Archive
Bristol to Benghazi
12-05-2011 13:55
An anarchist from Bristol travels to Benghazi to join the Libyan Peoples Revolution and help what ever way he can...This is part 1 of his story so far...
As you can guess from the title I'm writing to you from Benghazi "Free Libya". I left Bristol about 20 days ago and flew to Cairo, ominously on a one way ticket. My plan was simple to join the Libyan Peoples Revolution and help what ever way I could (they don't like the words rebel or rebellion they call themselves 'revolutionaries')
My motives for joining are fairly anarcho-simple; join the revolution and help topple a dictator, an under equipped peoples militia against a totalitarian regime, a people sick of an underdeveloped neglected with a mega rich family ruling it from lavish palaces and in a small way for an adventure and excitement something you only seem to get in small amounts when it kicks off a riot or demo. I've been from Genoa to Copenhagen, Greece to Scotland and about half the European capitals in-between with the bloc and street medics in the last ten years, fighting for social change and not getting it. So when I looked at Libya and it ordinary people succeeding in liberating its second largest city (Benghazi) and then half the country there was no where else i wanted to be.
Getting there was the easy bit , I got an over night bus from Cairo to Saluum in the far West ($10) and a taxi the last 12 km to the border post. That was where it started to get real , there are about 250+ people living in the border complex carpark stuck in between Libya and Egypt all under plastic tents and tarps they are all migrant workers who left Libya when the fighting started none of them have money to go home or visas to enter Egypt. The guys I talked to were Ethiopian Christians who cant or wont go back to Ethiopia because of religious persecution they all like Libya and its people and want to go back there to live and work, apparently the money is quite good. Everyone at the border area were quite friendly, tents have been handed out,showers and toilets work (but they would remind you of ones at a squat party)
They jack free electricity off of lamp posts. The IOM (International Organisation of Migrants) hands food three times a day, the Red Cross register everyone and carry out health care clinics .But when I passed through some of the people had been there for two months with out a doubt they are still there right now. Couldn’t hardly keep from nervous laughter as I approached the Libyan side of the border, what exactly was I going to tell them? Beyond a passport I had nothing,no contacts in Libya, no one to meet me, no letter of introduction, no contract of employment. I decided at all costs not to lie because lies have a way of tripping you up later on . So I said I was a humanitarian volunteer hoping to imply that I was some sort of aid worker which I suppose I am. The production of an Irish passport seemed to calm them. They weren’t suspicious or hostile just mystified. They stamped my passport and wished me luck! So this is it, up till now it was all just theory, where to go? how to get in? Buying maps, packing bags, the torture of the two weeks notice I had to give at work. But I had done it, I got a lift to the next city Tobruk 180km away for $20. Sat in the front seat laughing , laughing at the mission ahead, laughing at the self doubt of the last three weeks, just happy to be doing it not thinking it.
I texted my main man in Bristol to keep him informed of what i was doing, before I left I bought two identical maps leaving one with him just so I would have some one in Bristol keeping an eye on me . Within 40km of the border vodafone reception gave up, that took the smile off my face.
I got dropped off at a posh hotel on the edge of Tobruk, it was going to get dark soon so I booked in ($80), big hotels are good for information , money exchange, fixers and interpretors .The next morning I changed Dollars to Dinar and got a taxi to Benghazi. Please note that there is no way to withdraw cash in this country no banks open, no cash machines working, Western Union has suspended all operations no one will accept credit or debit cards, if you don't have it in your pocket when you cross the border, your screwed.
I got to Benghazi after a 6 hour journey in a taxi, it cost me $105 which is about 3 times that of a bus but it went direct, saving me 10 hours travel time and it dropped me right to a hotel, bear in mind I have a 24 kilo rucksack (half of it is tools). He drops me at another posh hotel (my last) . This hotel is crawling with corporate media, satellite dishes on the lawn, journo only internet, Government press conference every two days etc.,I book in ($80) drop my bags and head into town to have a look around (and find a cheaper place to stay)....
(Image: Benghazi Media Centre) Original ArticleDemo Against Santander (Brighton branch) - Fri 13 May 4pm -6.30pm
12-05-2011 13:53
Meet outside Santander on 56 Western Road.Santander invests in cluster bombs.
Cluster bombs are brightly-coloured lethal bomblets which can be mistaken for toys by children. In Libya, Spanish versions have rained down on unarmed residents of Misrata.
Rescue speaks out on cruelty to greyhounds
12-05-2011 13:32
Behind annually figures for greyhounds adopted lies another story; one that demonstrates a blatant disregard for the welfare of racing dogs on the part of their trainers and owners.Solidarity actions to Simos Seisidis in London
12-05-2011 11:52
Youth Issue in Ukraine
12-05-2011 11:40
An interesting article on the current state of affairs of young people and the leftist movement in Ukraine. Interesting to read the history of current Russian Ukrainian oligarchs to see how they started out, but you need to delve deep, much further than "their own" "official" biographies which don't often mention how they "started out" as racketeers, smugglers from an early age and grew from out of the Soviet black market underground, and became ologarchs after Yeltsin took power.Denver, CO: “Even With Our Backs Against a Wall” anti-police march reportback
12-05-2011 11:17
http://waronsociety.noblogs.org/post/2011/05/10/denver-co-even-with-our-backs-against-a-wall-anti-police-march-reportback/#more-771
Open letter of Christos Tsakalos Member of the r.o. C.C.F.
12-05-2011 11:14
http://actforfreedomnow.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/open-letter-of-christos-tsakalos-member-of-the-r-o-c-c-f-from-the-prisons-of-koridallos-regarding-his-attitude-and-the-persecutory-proceduresgreece/
Mexico: A text by some insurrectional anarchist to the Anarchist Congress
12-05-2011 11:11
Urgent action to oppose capitalist take-over of the NHS
12-05-2011 09:57
The Save our NHS petition achieved a massive 350,000 signatures last night, after receiving nearly 60,000 signatures in just 48 hours. The petition's being presented to Nick Clegg TOMORROW, so please add your signature and e-mail the link to all your friends and contacts right now .....Royal Wedding and Royal Censorship
12-05-2011 09:09
The serious injury of demonstrator Yiannis K. and the attempted police cover-up
12-05-2011 08:41
Regarding the extremely serious injury of demonstrator Yiannis K. and the attempted cover-up by the policeYiannis K., who is currently intubated in a critical condition at the intensive care unit of the Nikaia Hospital in Athens having received murderous blows to his head by the Riot Police, was one of the thousands of demonstrators who participated in the General Strike demonstration of May 11th. More specifically, during the entire demonstration – including the moment when he was attacked at Panepistimiou Ave – Yiannis was in the block of the assembly of resistance and solidarity of Kypseli/ Patision.
Full article | 1 addition | 1 comment
Phone blockade GCC Friday 13th
12-05-2011 08:20
Phone blockade GCC, Stop extortion and censorship. Friday 13th MayLondon Met struggle: latest
12-05-2011 07:55
London Metropolitan students and workers lobby the board of governors
While the board of governors of London Metropolitan University met at the Moorgate site yesterday to rubber stamp 70% cuts to courses, hundreds of redundancies and the slashing of essential student services, a large noisy demo of students and workers was held outside, led by the performing arts students who had occupied the graduate centre previously. Strikes now seem inevitable as vice chancellor Malcolm Gillies shows no signs of backing down - and the students' resolve to fight has only been strengthened by the disgraceful evicition of the occupation last Monday.
This is becoming the key struggle against privatisation of education in Britain. Delegations of students and workers from a number of other universities joined the lobby yesterday, and messages of support are coming in not only from across the country, but from around the world.
Watch the video of yesterday's action, and please share it around and join the protests: there will be another lobby of the next board of governors meeting next Thursday May 19th (venue and time will be confirmed soon).
Billionaires and the poor. Greece and the new civilization.
12-05-2011 01:04
Never give the power to those who seek it.Cambridge Atos offices occupied
11-05-2011 23:20
Cardiff Congolese Demo
11-05-2011 23:07
Congolese Demo - FridayKABILA MUST GO!
Friday 13 May.
Assemble at 11 am Museum Steps
I'm glad Indymedia UK is still here!
11-05-2011 20:56
I'm sure this constitutes "non-news" but it does also constitute a collective sense of relief at still having an open publishing platform to express whatever's on your mind....Glos Eco-village camping trip, mark 2!
11-05-2011 20:45
After one seriously wet night, followed by one lovely sunny morning, followed by another night of rain- it has been decided, NOT to move the next camping trip one week forward- to this coming weekend (as previously stated) but two weeks forward. The MET - after failing us over the weekend - promises the weather will be more hospitable then.
