UK UK Newswire Archive
Liverpool Social Centre Open Day 30 Oct
24-09-2012 12:21
5 Years and no disasters! Find out what's been going on at Liverpool's most happening basement. It's our Open Day and Alternative Freshers Fair.Seeing the woods from the trees at Runnymede Eco.
24-09-2012 00:55
If you happened to glance at a recent BBC Surrey news website report entitled: ”Runnymede squatters: National Trust wins eviction order”, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Digger’s 2012 Runnymede Eco-village was situated on land owned by the National Trust. We are taking this opportunity to clarify that Runnymede Eco-Village is not situated on land owned by the National Trust. It is situated in the disused woodland of the ex-Brunel university Runnymede Campus owned by the private property developer: Orchid Runnymede. The National Trust manages the Runnymede Estate which is next to the Runnymede Campus.
We: a group of 15 people, have been living on the Runnymede Campus since June 15th. The 65 acre campus lies in the Green Belt (although it is designated as a major development site) but since 2007 has lain largely unused. Orchid Runnymede has been granted planning permission to build ‘luxury homes’, elderly care units and student accommodation on the site. This plan has attracted concern and criticism from local residents (see this local news article from last year). The area of woodland where we are living has no management plan and is heavily populated by Sycamore and Ash trees. In places it has been fly-tipped with fridges and other items. Since our arrival we have established the Runnymede Eco-Village community here. We’ve built a long house and other low impact structures made from the renewable timber provided by the Sycamore trees. We’ve also dug a well (where we draw water from), setup solar panels for producing electricity and started to plant crops, and fruit trees.
We have been evicted from the Runnymede Campus (by bailiffs paid for by Orchid Runnymede) three times . The last eviction took place on July 12th (watch a video of the eviction here). Each time we have been evicted we have been forcibly displaced along with our belongings onto National Trust land at Cooper’s Hill Woods (next to the Runnymede Campus). After each eviction, we have returned back onto the Runnymede Campus. The first time we were evicted on June 27th, we briefly camped on the border with the Runnymede Campus in Cooper’s Hill Woods, before moving our tents and equipment back onto the campus and carrying on with our eco-village on the disused land there. Partly due to complacency, we neglected to move 3 tents (two of which were unoccupied) which were just inside the border of the National Trust land).
The border between the Runnymede Campus and National Trust land.
It was the issue of the 3 tents on NT land which the NT used as the basis for their legal action where they sought and successfully obtained a ‘Vacant Possession Order’ (VPO) for the whole of the Runnymede Estate (over 200 acres) against Diggers2012 and Persons Unknown. On receiving the court papers informing us of the legal action , we moved the tents and wrote to the National Trust to let them know that they had been moved. The National Trust decided to carry on with the legal action and obtained a VPO. This means the NT can evict anyone including Runnymede eco-villagers from camping on their land.
As well as the VPO, the NT also attempted to obtain an injunction against Diggers2012 and Persons Unknown from ‘trespassing’ on the Runnymede Estate. The Runnymede Estate is home to the Magna Carta monument: the site where King John is said to have sealed the Magna Carta in 1215 and is heralded as the birthplace of modern democracy. This injunction if granted would have given the NT powers for forcibly remove any unwanted persons from assembling at Runnymede, taking part in a procession or just going for a walk. At a court case on the 13th September in Slough County Court, following objections from three Runnymede Eco-Villagers, a district judge decided not to grant the injunction against ‘Persons Unknown’ (meaning it couldn’t be used against everyone) but adjourned the case and narrowed it to the three Runnymede Eco-Villagers (for more on this click here).
As Runnymede Eco-Villagers, It is not and never has been our intention to setup an eco-village on the open National Trust land at Runnymede. We recognise that the Runnymede Estate is well loved by visitors from near and far. It is also looked after and managed successfully by both volunteers and paid NT workers. It does not fall into our criteria of ‘disused land’. On June 09th, we set out with the intention of finding disused land on which to start an eco-village and this is what we have done on the Runnymede Campus.
The development of the Runnymede Campus appears to have stalled (something reported by local residents). Whilst the site remains in a state of disuse, we intend to carry on living here as a community in a way that can be sustained indefinitely within the ecological capacity of this beautiful woodland environment
Exclusive: Roger Cook, how Murdoch's News Of The World killed The Cook Report
23-09-2012 23:45
A honest letter from the MoD and Faslane exercises in futility
23-09-2012 18:55
Uncharacteristically honest Ministry of Defence letters winged their way to the thousands of residents next to the Faslane Naval Base this week to accompany their Emergency Response Excercise to an unrealistically optimistic nuclear accident.
Faslane Peace Camp interrupt Nuclear "Defence" Seminar
23-09-2012 18:55
The “Introduction to Nuclear Defence” seminar, held in Beardmore Hotel Clydebank on Thursday 6th and Friday 7th of September, invited “young delegates” for two days of seminars and presentations on nuclear defence topics from “leading industry figures”.
Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees Demo 13th Sept 2012
23-09-2012 18:55
Charity begins refugee evictions in Glasgow
Y-People: Locks changed despite promises from Chief Executive.
SlutWalk returns to London and raises its voice
23-09-2012 12:55
On Saturday hundreds of activists took part in SlutWalk London 2012 to demonstrate against victim-blaming in cases of rape. The protest is part of the global SlutWalk movement and also involves the campaign groups Women Against Rape and Global Womens Strike among others.
The global SlutWalk campaign was formed following the international outcry after a police officer in Toronto, Canada addressing students in January 2011 said that in order to avoid being raped "women should avoid dressing like sluts".
The group put out a statement saying: “SlutWalk wants justice for the thousands of rape survivors who were told by the police and courts that they were dressed too provocatively, they didn’t scream loudly enough, they were too drunk or too young or too mentally ill to understand what had happened to them, they must have consented because the rapist was their (ex)husband or (ex)boyfriend, they were sex workers and should be prosecuted rather than their attackers, they were asylum seekers and should be sent back to the detention centre or deported.”
“By marching again this year, we are letting the authorities know that we will not go away until they take rape seriously by thoroughly investigating and prosecuting, so that more rapists are convicted, men generally are discouraged from sexual violence, and women get the safety and justice we deserve. We all have a right to live free from the fear of rape.
“We demand a change in police and prosecution priorities, so more rapists are convicted and we get the safety and justice we deserve. We want the freedom to live without fear of rape.”
We are delighted to be joining women, girls and our supporters of all ages and backgrounds at SlutWalk in London, part of global protests against rape and victim-blaming. As we prepare to join, we we’re circulating a response to Black Women’s Blueprint, the US group that discouraged Black women’s participation, though women of colour on every continent joined or organise marches.
Women of colour involved in Global Women's Strike stated:
"This Saturday 22 September we aim to bring out our experience fighting rape by landlords, police, partners, soldiers, immigration officials, security guards, clients, employers, boyfriends. We think that thousands of women publicly identifying as “sluts” is a piece of power against rapists and other attackers who use the excuse of what we wear and how we look to dismiss violence against us. We hope to see you there!"
- Women of Colour @ Global Women Strike UK and US
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From their website:
Why I am marching
I’m marching because my body is MINE and I can wear what ever I chose to.
I’m marching for all those girls in abusive relationships that never leave and never call it rape and never report it.
I’m marching because my father hasn’t spoken to me in over two years because I’m a “slut” and “sex slave.”
I’m marching for all those ignorant men out there who blame women for men’s vile actions. We blame ourselves anyway. We judge ourselves and chastise ourselves and hurt ourselves.
I’m marching for the deputy head at my CATHOLIC SCHOOL that told me “don’t start things you can’t finish.” Reassuring words to tell a traumatised teenager. What hurts more is that I know she has experienced the same thing.
I’m marching for them not removing him from my classes and moving me instead to lower sets, even though I’m more intelligent than him, further instilling the idea in other’s minds that I’m at fault, I’m to blame and I’m a liar.
I’m marching for all those women whose cases are swept under the carpet by people in positions of power, people who are supposed to help us.
Every day I am angry. Even in my dreams I am livid.
He took all my power away.
He took away my peace of mind.
He took away the control I felt I had over my body.
I will wake up every day and I will live and I will survive this because it has not and will not kill me. I was a victim once but that doesn’t mean that’s my label forever. I am not a slut and I am not a victim. I am a human being who was hurt and is hurting and I’m doing my damn best to heal.
I have never been able to write this down and even though it has caused a lot of tears writing it, I’m glad that Slut Walk has given me a reason to.
No one should have the power to silence us.
The Unlawful Detention of John Bowden
23-09-2012 11:17
Still Shutting Down H&K - recent news
23-09-2012 10:55
Latest news from campaign to Shut Down Heckler & Koch.
H&K on TV. H&K arms Bahrain. Come to one-off extra picket 26th Sept.
The episode 5 of satirical BBC TV programme The Revolution Will Be Televised has correspondent "Dale Maily" doing a report on arms dealers. In it visits a Heckler & Koch stand at an arms fair and takes the piss out of the salesmen there.
The programme will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer until October 3rd. The arms trade bit starts at 9 minutes, 44 seconds into the programme. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01mxryr/?t=9m44s
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Heckler & Koch and two arms companies in Nottinghamshire / Lincolnshire applied to export weapons to Bahrain just before the regime began its brutal suppression of democracy protests.
H&K, as well as Primetake in Lincolnshire, and Extreme Performance, which has sites in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, applied in 2009-10 to export weapons to Bahrain that fall into one of these categories: small arms, artillery, mortars, smoke and gas projectors, and ammunition. You can see the exact location of Primetake and Extreme Performance on CAAT's new map of the arms trade, published last month: http://www.caat.org.uk/resources/mapping/organisation/2668
http://www.caat.org.uk/resources/mapping/organisation/6741
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights reports that since protests began in 2011, over eighty people have been killed as a result of aggressive and violent security tactics, which includes the use of small arms and an unprecedented weaponisation of teargas. Thousands of people have been arrested and tortured.
Although it is often difficult to tie UK weapons exports to specific examples of where they have been used, the fact that our local company exported small arms to Bahrain in 2009-10 is extremely significant. CAAT has contacted them to rule out that their export was to an individual or for sporting use. These companies have not ruled out that they were in fact arming the authoritarian regime, which turned its weapons on civilians.
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Wednesday 26th. September at 08.30, there will be a one-off extra picket to leaflet people attending the following event being held at the church next door to H & K, a church that is well-informed of the nature of their neighbours business but chooses to ignore it. We leave you to ponder why.
Good Health in Hard Times?
Wednesday 26 September 2012, 9.15 am – 3.30 pm. Trent Vineyard, Lenton
Lane, Nottingham NG7 2PX
As economic austerity increases, this ‘Communities for Health’ Conference will pose the question ‘Is it possible to have good health in hard times?’
The programme for the day will soon be finalised and you can book early by
going to http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/communitiesforhealth.
There will be spaces at the event for projects wishing to share their good
practice on the day. For more information, please contact
healthandwellbeing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.
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Our regular pickets continue at 4pm on the second Monday every month. We are not going away. Please join us.
Now we are all Persona Non Grata
23-09-2012 10:34
Text by an English comrade who was arrested during the raid on Delta squat.Nine of the arrestees in Delta squat’s eviction were set free on bail after the trial, where they made a collective political statement. All defendants were found guilty for diverse misdemeanor charges, received suspended prison sentences (from 3 months to 16 months) and got 3 years probation. The total monetary amount of their bail was 7,950 euros. Till this day, the tenth defendant is still captive, facing the danger of deportation because of police perjury: a cop testified in court that the comrade had a fake passport (which is not true).
Calling for mass resistance to abolition of Council Tax Benefit.
23-09-2012 10:18
Council Tax Benefit is being abolished from 1 April 2013. The proposed changes will mean those on low incomes having to pay substantial amounts of Council Tax.Robbery of the poor once more.
Case dismissed for Occupy London’s #M12 five
23-09-2012 06:54
Five Occupy London supporters viewed as a threat to the reputation of the UK economy have had the cases against them thrown out of court – with every single arrest deemed unlawful by the presiding judge.
District Judge Lachhar at Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court in West London dismissed the case this week (19 September) against the M12 five who were arrested by the Royal Exchange, just over the road from the Bank of England on 12 May, at a peaceful Occupy London event.
This event, dubbed ‘Meet the 1%‘, aimed to highlight how City institutions which helped to cause the economic crisis are continuing to profit whilst the rest of society faces austerity cuts, and was timed to coincide with an international day of action marked in over 380 cities worldwide. [1]
Badger campaign update
22-09-2012 20:55
With the proposed slaughter of some 100,000 badgers (a.k.a Britsh Pandas!) expected to start within a week the campaign is hotting up.
The campaign against the cull is set to be the biggest animal rights protest since foxhunting was banned in 2004 and has united the country's biggest wildlife, countryside and animal welfare groups, hunt saboteurs and anti-vivisection campaigners.
With the proposed slaughter of some 100,000 badgers (a.k.a Britsh Pandas!) expected to start within a week the campaign is hotting up.
The Guardian reports that the campaign against the cull is set to be the biggest animal rights protest since foxhunting was banned in 2004 and has united the country's biggest wildlife, countryside and animal welfare groups, hunt saboteurs and anti-vivisection campaigners.
The Coalition of Badger Action Groups has promised direct action to disrupt any cull: "We will be out in the fields before and during the cull, stopping and making citizen's arrests on marksmen/women when we can, filming, rescuing injured badgers and neutralising bait points when we find them."
A Free Party is announced for Saturday 29th October in the heart of the 'cull' area in Gloucestershire. The dawn to dusk night of fun and action takes place between Newent and the Forest of Dean.
On Sunday 2nd October groups/causes of all kinds will be marching against the Tory Conference in Birmingham. Many hundreds of animal rights/wildlife campaigners are expected to march against the repeal of the hunting act, against the badger cull & for a wild animal circus ban (amongst other things!)
Meanwhile, in Nottingham, a protest planned for Thursday 27th October has been brought forward to 1pm to maximise support from lunchtime shoppers and workers on lunchbreaks. Meeting at a badger campaign stall at the Lions at 12noon, the protest moves to Tesco's on Angel Row (opposite the Central Library) for 1pm, to highlight the failure of Tesco's to boycott milk from the cull zones.
Nottingham Hunt Saboteurs are also calling for anyone is interested in surveying potential cull zonesto contact them.
Tax-dodging Barclay brothers suing the UK for £1bn
22-09-2012 20:12
Social cleansing blitzkrieg in Tower Hamlets under exec mayor Lutfur
22-09-2012 10:55
Last Wednesday’s [19 September 2012] Full Council held with Tower Hamlets Borough’s executive mayor Lutfur Rahman in attendance, heard Labour Councillor Denise Jones say that she was ashamed as she observed that Lutfur Rahman was refusing to answer Questions or speak about issues that were of concern to the residents.Calais, after the jungles
22-09-2012 10:30
Norwegian activist: Breivik trial has taught us a lot about far right networks
22-09-2012 00:45
We were wrong to think the environment could wait
22-09-2012 00:15
Latest news from Comandante Abel
21-09-2012 19:33
Attacks on the Zapatista communities of Chiapas are increasing.Paramilitary groups are acting with impunity
"NO MORE WAR!" Shout Case Dismissed!
21-09-2012 19:03
I Got Away With It. Why Not You?
