UK UK Newswire Archive
Photos from Dale Farm March, Sat 10 Sep. [Set 1]
13-09-2011 00:02
http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/
Nuclear Transport Exercise, 13-15th September
13-09-2011 00:00
Nuclear warhead convoy exercise is taking place in Prestwick between 13th to 15th September.
English Defence League Violence mars 9/11 Ceremony
12-09-2011 23:16
The far right English Defence League's Long running problems in London continued today after they turned up in football shirts and swilling beer at a 9/11 memorial ceremony outside the American embassy intent on a drink fuelled fight with fellow extremists, Muslims against Crusades (MAC).Scottish Anti-Fascist Alliance - Edinburgh: Work Needs To Be Done
12-09-2011 20:55
“…it must be said no one won . We were both totally shut down by the OB today.”
The words of the Scottish Defence League, a miniscule group of about forty who had English associates bussed up from England and boosted their numbers to around 200. A group that can be easily defeated in an urban environment should the correct tactics be deployed by the quoted figure of 400 that turned up to counter-demonstrate their presence in the city.
Notts anti-cut protestors at Vodafone, TopShop etc
12-09-2011 18:02
Saturday 10th September 2011
12.30am Nottm Un-cut protestors gathered outside the central library in Nottingham.
From there, they progressed along a now well-trodden path to the Vodafone store in Clumber street, a very regular destination. Taking a tour around the city centre, people protested outside the NatWest Bank in the Market Square and onto another Vodafone store.
Up to this point, the protest was monitored by a single Community Protection Officer. However, on arriving at TopShop in Lister Gate, people entered the shop with banners to complain about the tax avoidance of the company. A security guard there was quite unpleasent and manhandled me. I was even interfered with while on the street outside! I have complained and police later attended.
On a lighter note, a bunch of ladies dressed as crayons passing by came to join us:-) Splendid!!
Onwards to Burton / Dorothy Perkins store near the Market Square. People were now met with a very large police presence for the size of the protest. Assorted threats of arrest were made.
Notts Uncut said:
"Notts Uncut will be coming together again to remind the tax avoiding banks and corporations based in Nottingham that we haven't gone away and we haven't forgotten what they're up to.
While the Con-Dem government is getting increasingly cut-happy, telling us that there is no money for homeless shelters and women's refuges, that we can't afford to give charities government grants, that students must pay £9000 a year for degree courses, that people living on the breadline must survive on less and less there is a select group of people who are not suffering from the cuts - the bankers and corporate fat cats. While ordinary people are suffering these people are still paying multi million pounds worth of bonuses and avoiding billions of pounds worth of tax. Let's get out there and make sure the government and their super wealthy tax dodging mates know that we're onto them!!"
Notts Uncut
http://www.nottsuncut.co.uk
nottsuncutaction@gmail.com
Notts Save or Services
http://nottssos.org.uk
*****
earlier events:
Cuts Protest @ Vodafone, Boots, NatWest, TopShop.
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1106
Notts UK Uncut occupied Lloyds TSB Bank Nottingham
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1105
Cuts campaigners @ HSBC Vodafone Virgin & the rest
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1922
Street party against business, banks, service cuts
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1933
Notts Uncut: Tour of Tax Avoiders
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1995
..... and many more! This is quite a regular gig.
____________________________________________
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>
Defend The HSBC 3! The Appeal Approaches
12-09-2011 17:54
Growing Through The Storm
12-09-2011 17:12
Statement from the Chilean school students on hunger strike
12-09-2011 15:06
Translation of communique issued Sunday September 11 by the school students on hunger strike (some for 50 days now) in Santiago, Chile. Education without profit.Glasgow protest against NATO war crimes
12-09-2011 14:19
Call to protest against NATO war crimesAngry Greeks resist austerity on the streets
12-09-2011 13:08
Over 25,000 Greek protestors resisted neo-liberal attempts to privatise Greek public institutions and introduce new taxes at an annual march against a corporate fair in Thessaloniki.
Anarchists, students, trade unions, communists and even football hooligans marched through the city centre as 11,000 riot cops armed with tear gas tried to prevent them entering the conference centre on Saturday 10 September.
The repressive police stance came as multinationals tried to pry national resources like water supply from public hands in exchange for more loans which prevented the country falling below IMF (International Monetary Fund) CCC status and therefore create a situation where investment would be stopped.
However, as some analysts pointed out, this had been the original reason for a massive rise in living costs and unemployment in the region, which originated when Greece joined the euro on January 1, 2001. Since the latest crisis hit the EU the nation's economy has gone into freefall as smaller locally-based businesses were forced to close and multi-nationals subjected the country to a growing oligarchy. A new property tax is set to be introduced to add to the 10% debt tax all income taxpayers already pay for ministers to try to avoid a repeat of the Greek economic bankruptcy.
The Greek anarchists responded with various riots since 2007 as discontent spread from the radical left straight through to the heart of Greek society. Popular discontent for the neo-fascist policies of the government which disregarded the people's wishes and pressed on with the salvage plan proposed by the EU and the IMF was created by extreme austerity measures passed in June. They involved public sector dismissals and paycuts, once deemed inconceivable by citizens looking for safe jobs while privatisation of everything of value would be rampant.
Even within Parliament there was dissent against the government reforms: "This is not a program to salvage the economy, it's a program for pillage before bankruptcy," said Alexis Tsipras, head of the small opposition Left Coalition.
And this anger and frustration was felt on the streets as young and old faced the police who attacked all with merciless volleys of tear gas. They even bombarded the university with new rocket propelled tear gas 'cluster bombs' fired by the police as students sheltered within their occupied universities. Over 300 universities have been squatted since students returned from their summer holidays as the parliament eliminated the university sanctuary for demonstrators without warning over the summer break while the rest of Greece took its summer holiday.
Janis, an economics student from Athens said the university occupations were an attempt to pressurise the government to change its tack and start to listen to its people: "We are living in some of the worst times in Greek history and the government continues to disregard student rights. We are occupying the university and putting our careers on hold to fight this latest repressive measure. Students are turning to anarchism to fight together against oppression and fascism."
Athens students are already gearing up for direct action during this whole academic year. Thursday September 8 saw 5000 students march to Syntagma square and the Greek parliament though no serious confrontations were reported apart from some attacks on banks and multinational buildings. It was the start of what will be a busy year for the riot police in the town as the public opinion showed its dislike for the ruling party. Only 20% would vote for Papandreou's PASOK party if an election was held now, according to recent polls.
Within the demonstrator ranks there have been some divisions, however, with the Communist Youth trying to limit the amount of direct action against the state. This group, made up of hardline Stalinists, Trotskyists and Marxists, seem to reflect hope they will win the next elections as the country tires of capitalism and drifts towards hunger and desperation.
But as one anarchist told me: "What we need is the dissolution of the state so that people can be allowed to make decisions for themselves about how they live. The Communist experiements already failed and now we have to take the power back and create life without hierarchy or oligarchy."
One example of this system can be found within Athens' own Exarchia neighbourhood. An anarchist initiative supported by local residents led to a car parking being occupied and since then trees have been planted and a park created so that people from all over the Athens can have a safe space to talk and share ideas. Assemblies keep out unwanted characters like drug dealers and riot police, who have a 24-hour guard a few blocks either side of the park.
Sitting at night in the park is a cacophony of action as anti-gentrification measures echo the work of the Berlin autonomous scene. Luxury cars are set on fire to stop rent price-hikes as upmarket cafes spring up around the neighbourhood. Elite riot police armed with tear gas are greeted with molotov cocktails even as the government pushes up the prison sentences for this type of actions. But the defence is resolute and sincere, while the repression is counter-productive. "The stiffening of prison sentences is a mistake by the government. It just militarises the movement and creates more resent and anger from those inside and their friends outside," said Kostas, who regularly goes to the autonomous park.
Travelling around Greece you start to see this is no longer a fight by the left against the right. It is far more than than that. The recent demonstrations showed this as Greek flags could be seen being held by demonstrators and even football fans attacked the police ranks. This is a defence of the people against oligarchic empire. And it is a wakeup call to UK and all of Europe that if we do not defend our freedoms and move away from a state system now the EU and IMF will remove all our rights to follow its neo-liberal pipedream and reinstate a new feudalism across all of Europe.
Don't forget the (antifascist) prisoners!
12-09-2011 12:54
Dale Farm: Important Eviction Update
12-09-2011 11:28
The public date of the eviction is the week of the 19th September, butwe still need supporters at Dale Farm. We have received unconfirmed
reports that part of the eviction operation may start tomorrow, and so
the more people on site the better. Please be ready to come to Dale
Farm in the morning, just in case -- you'll receive a txt if you've
signed up to txt alerts at
https://smsalerts.tachanka.org/dalefarm/ Residents believe that the bailiffs and the police may attempt some
sort of operation early tomorrow morning. This is a very stressful
time for a lot of the residents- they are being made homeless by their
own council. They need our support.
PHILIPPINES: High price of electricity is anti-women, anti-poor
12-09-2011 10:32
VID (5 mins) - 9/11 Peace Vigil Outside U.S. Embassy as Cameron, Charles gather
12-09-2011 10:25
Catholic Workers and friends, outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Sunday, remembered the dead of 9/11 and the U.S. wars that have followed. After being stopped and searched on suspicion of weapons, they held vigil.............VID (5 mins)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6w2OR9yAww
* disReality: Sept 11th KEN LOACH + Video & Text
12-09-2011 09:01
videos & text on global revolution9/11 Vigil at the US Embassy in London
12-09-2011 07:36
Boycott Fred and Friends,Selfridges for mocking mentally ill people
12-09-2011 07:20
A product is being sold by Fred and Friends mocking people with OCD. Among other places, its on sale in UK department store Selfridges.EDL members stabbed in clashes with muslim youths during 9/11 MAC protest.
12-09-2011 00:54
Muslims Against Crusades demonstrated at the American Embassy in London on a 9/11 memorial. The English Defence League counter protested MAC. Clashes between the EDL and Muslim youth led to two stabbings of EDL members outside a JD Whetherspoons on Edgeware Road. There were clashes in Hyde Park, Marble Arch and Oxford Street between the EDL and MAC.dale farm solidarity march - report and pics
12-09-2011 00:02
on saturday 10th sept people arrived from all round the country to support locals and travellers in a solidarity march from wickford station to a rally at dale farm in crays hill, essex
click on image for larger version. 'some rights reserved' - free for credited non-commercial use, otherwise contact author for permission
----
around a hundred people assembled outside wickford station on saturday at 1pm to begin a more than 3-mile march to the travellers' homes at dale farm which is facing imminent eviction by basildon council.
as more people joined them, a total of around 200 assembled at the rally after the march to hear from an array of speakers supporting the battle to remain on the land they bought ten years ago.
the march was wholly peaceful, but attracted a large police presence and monitoring operation including helicopter, undercover, two video teams, and several vehicles with police dogs. a large range of people were represented on the march and the atmosphere was good-natured, proud, defiant and noisy, with a mixture of chants and the accompaniment of a small contingent from the rhythms of resistance samba band.
it was my first visit to dale farm, and i was struck by the obvious wealth of neighbouring homes, with large houses, set in well-appointed grounds, and featuring expensive and multiple vehicles on their forecourts. i could see that among other things, ranging from naked racism to some genuinely-held complaints and suspicions, there was also a potential class issue going on here.
along the route, the reception was mixed, with a few locals accepting leaflets, but others watching silently, a couple shouting racial abuse (which the police refused to act upon), and one in his driveway bizarrely filming overhead from a mobile crane surrounded by vicious looking dogs.
more people joined the march as it progressed: there was someone who had travelled from holland to show support, and i met a family who had arrived for the afternoon from bristol. some locals also joined the protest.
with short stops in wickford town and at the primary school where many of the dale farm children are currently pupils, the march finally arrived at the site after a couple of hours. there was a very warm welcome there as the samba band played us in through the high defensive scaffolding structure which has been erected at the main entrance to the site. by now, the numbers had swelled to around two hundred.
right at the heart of the site is 'camp constant', an area set up and manned by visiting activists and human rights monitors (and named ironically after the firm of bailiffs, 'constant and co', who will be earning millions of pounds from the eviction attempt). they had prepared a kitchen area which, after the speeches, served food and drink to the entire crowd, and there were also compost toilets, washing facilities, an info point for people wanting to stay and help, and marquees for meetings as well a secure area for belongings.
in his speech at camp constant, east of england labour MEP richard howitt, exploded some of the myths around the history of the site, referring to the right-wing press description of the 'green belt' area as if it were some sort of rural oasis. in fact, when basildon council sold the land to the travellers ten years ago it was a concreted and heavily contaminated scrap yard. despite suggestions that planning permission would be given, the council ended up only allowing about half the land to be built on. he spoke of international attempts to stop the eviction, his efforts to get the council of europe's damning research recommendations published, and the UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination's request to the council to find an alternative peaceful solution. he pointed out that the march had been entirely peaceful and that any future confrontation would be of the council's making.
other speakers included secretary of the roma federation grattan puxon, david landau from 'no-one is illegal', and the south and eastern TUC secretary ,megan dobney. UAF representative weymann bennett spoke about how this eviction was an act of racism and that if it goes ahead it would give succour to groups like the BNP, EDL, and national front, whose fascist tactics begin with the targeting of one group and then spread to others. the current president of the gypsy council, richard sheridan, gave an economic analysis of the eviction, citing research into the cost of provision for unhoused travellers, and showing that the operation and its knock-on effects for ten years would amount to more than £220 million of taxpayers money - a racist ideology seemed the only rational explanation for such willingness to spend. kartic raj spoke of amnesty international's call to its members to campaign against the eviction. kika markham, corin redgrave's widow, spoke of their family's long support for the gypsy community, and clare, a rep from 'no borders', linked the government's building of new child detention centres with its willingness to put dale farm children out of schools and on to the streets.
two final speakers asked for active help. justin, from 'no sweat' asked people to come and support a cardboard city protest being held next thursday 15th at 5pm outside eric pickles' dept for communities and local government at eland house in victoria, london, and pete from 'dale farm solidarity' told people they were welcome to stay and help out, starting with a human rights monitor workshop to be held in one of the marquees that afternoon.
as the crowd ate food, drank tea, networked, and met the residents, the samba band gave an impromptu samba workshop to some of the resident children, and a system of lifts back to the station was arranged.
the stark truth is that at a time when the government and basildon council are cutting services on a massive scale, they are prepared to spend a vast amount of money on this racist eviction without providing solutions to where the travellers will go, how their children will be educated, and how international humanitarian requirements will be met. in response, a wide variety of non-governmental organisations as well as direct action activists will continue to do everything in their power to prevent this crazy course of action from taking place.
www.dalefram.wordpress.com
fcebook: Dale Farm Solidarity
Twitter: @LetDaleFarmLive
email: savedalefarm@gmail.com
