IOM Unwelcome in Birmingham
15 Jul 2008
The International Organisation against Migration, aka the International Organisation for Migration or IOM, held a ‘conference’ in Birmingham last month in preparation for opening a new regional office in the city. A handful of local activists did a banner drop at the four-star hotel where the event was held to unwelcome dodgy organisation. They also gave out leaflets to the delegates to tell them the truth about IOM, whose real mission is to help Western governments ‘manage migration’ and meet their deportation quotas.Reports: IOM Unwelcomed in Birmingham | IOM’s new Birmingham office | Inside the IOM Birmingham conference | IOM Bribing Asylum Seekers to Return Home | The So-Called Voluntary ReturnRelated: Shadowy deportation organisation opens office in London | New Home Office Scheme Against Asylum Seekers in Glasgow | IOM Picket in Bristol | No Platform for the IOM (Bristol) | No Border’s IOM page

Help Save Wensley Hillside – Peak District National Park
14 Jul 2008
Glebe Mines, owned by INEOS (the multi-billion pound company that owns Runcorn chemical works) have put in an application to the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) to build an open pit quarry on Wensley Hillside. The site, which is 6 miles from Bakewell, is within the Peak Park and is 2 miles away from the scene of the well-known Stanton Moor quarrying disputes.INEOS/Glebe plan to extract 660,000 tonnes of fluorspar from the 12 hectare site over a 6 year period. In addition, there will be 50 lorry movements per day along the only access route, a narrow country lane.Newswire: Help Save Wensley Hillside Peak District National Park | Park Authority halts quarrying at Backdale in the Peak DistrictLinks: Friends of the Peak District | Glebe Mines | Peak District National Park Authority | Tearsall – The Proposals | Notts Indymedia Ecology topic page

SHAC Prepares For National March & Rally
11 Jul 2008
On the 12th July, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) will be holding a national march and rally to show the mass opposition to the fraudulent vivisection industry and the vile ‘experiments’ at Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). SHAC is an international campaign aiming to close HLS, the largest contract testing laboratory in Europe.The rally in the park will include info stalls and food/drink from Veggies before campaigners march through Peterborough. There will then be a demonstration in Alconbury to meet the animal abusers who kill 500 animals every day of the week to test products such as weed killer, food colourings and drugs.Details: Webpage for the rally, march and demo – Info and times | Rally in the park – Map and meeting pointReports from last demo in April: Pictures: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Video: 1 | 2Newswire: HLS Largest Customers Fined For Overcharging Docters | Call for action at SHAC march x2 | Arson Attacks at HLS Animal Breeder | Video of AR Protesters Illegal Arrest at Arromight Hereford | Callout to any FIT watchers – SHAC rally July 12th | Action Alert: Largest HLS Investor: Part 1 & 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Dispatch from Andy Stepanian (SHAC 7) | HLS Supplier DHL trashed for Active Slaughter | Novartis Global Week of Action Roundup | Time For Action 4 – SHAC Need Your Footage + Trailer | Last Primate Lab in Austria to Close! | Staples lies and beagles die | Message from SHAC: May Raids Anniversary | SHAC May Raids Anniversary | ALF torch Staples trucks | PIA Stop Beagle Flights | Sciencelink animal lab has been abandoned | Novartis HQ painted and smashed (Video) | Previous march (Novartis): SHAC Report | Barriers dismantledPrevious features: Victory for animal rights campaigners | Activist Imprisoned for Shouting | Fisher Scientific Embarrassed Over Links with HLS | SHAC World Day for Lab Animals | Asahi Glass Protesters Harassed by Police | “March Against the Murderers”Links: SHAC-UK | SHAC-UK Prisoner Support | Veggies | Antispeciesist Action | Animal Rights CopWatch | Indymedia UK SHAC topic page

Worldwide Protests Against the G8 Summit 2008
11 Jul 2008
The G8 2008 took place in Hokkaido, Japan, from July 7th to July 9th. As in the past years, people from all over the world protested against this summit and the capitalist system it represents [Pics] both in Japan and in many places around the globe.On Saturday the 5th of July, the International Day of Action Against the G8, there were protests worldwide against this year’s G8 Summit. In Japan, around 5000 people took to the streets in Sapporo despite ongoing police repression [Photos | Videos 1 | 2 | 3 | 4] whilst hundreds of people had previously taken to the streets in Tokyo and Kyoto. International solidarity actions also took place in several cities, including Bilbao, Stuttgart [Video], Dordrecht, Nijmegen, Paris, Singapore, Berlin, Reykjavik and Lisbon.Closer to home, a picket outside the Japanese embassy in London took place on Friday the 4th, and for Saturday the 5th, and despite previous harassment by the Metropolitan police, a London Fete Against the G8 was called by London No Borders and other groups to demonstrate in solidarity with the protests in Japan, for the Freedom of Movement, and against Fortress Europe. The Day of Action around the UK Borders Agency started with a Critical Mass bike ride from Brixton to Croydon, the nerve centre of the Home Office’s UK Border Agency, where several protests unfolded [Report | Photos 1 | 2 | Video]From Monday 7th to Wednesday 9th, further days of action and blockades continued around the Summit location next to the Lake Toya in Hokkaido [Videos 1 | 2 | 3] A final statement by international activists was issued on Wednesday 9th after hundreds of activists joined a march called by the Hokkaido’s Ainu indigenous communities. This was the concluding event of ten days of anti-G8 protests in Japan. The Japanese ‘No! G8 Legal Team’ issued an international call for further solidarity actions during the week of blockades [Second Call]. In London, a daily NO!G8 cafe was organised at the Bowl Court Social Centre to coincide with the G8 mobilisations, showing daily footage from Japan, screening films, presentations and discussions.Check the Ticker, the G8MediaNetworkTV and IMC-Japan [Timeline (Eng)] for updates of worldwide actions and protests.Related Newswire Posts: Challenge to the G8 Governments | G8 summit marked by impotence and division | James Hansen’s Appeal to the G8 on Climate Change | No! G8 Japan Info Tour Comes to UK | An update on Japan G8 repression – 40 people arrested! | Repression and Revolt in the run up to G8 Japan | Interview with Japanese anti-G8 activist | Preparation for the Japanese anti-G8 movements in 2008 | Japanese Government to Keep ?Hooligans? Away from SummitRelated Sites: No G8! Japan | G8 Action Network | Gipfelsoli.org | Debito.org | WATCH (Watch Human Rights on Summit) |G8 2007 | G8 2006 | G8 2005 | UK IMC G8 2005 Topic

Mill Road Social Centre – the story so far…
10 Jul 2008
Most of know what happened since, but let?s start in the beginning. On Tuesday night 20 May 2008, the building that formerly housed Wilco’s automotive parts, and that had been standing empty for over a year, was squatted. This is the selfsame building where Tesco plans to open a controversial Express store. More about that later.The aim of the squat was to turn the building into a much needed social centre, a focal point for the local Romsey (and Cambridge) community. It should be pointed out that the social centre is not connected to the No Mill Road Tesco campaign.Since it opened, the centre has hosted numerous events, from women’s roller derby to tango lessons, graffiti workshops, an art exhibition, open mic nights and acoustic gigs.Mill Road Social Centre website

Free Food in Nottingham
10 Jul 2008
The old adage holds that there is no such thing as a free meal. Over the last few months, campaigners in Nottingham have been trying to prove this wrong, dishing out free vegan food to shoppers. Several events have been held in the city centre to tie in with Vegetarian Week, the Day of Action on Food and Climate Change and the Viva! Veggie Roadshow, with a further activity planned for UN World Food Day on October 16th.While everybody loves free stuff, there is also an important point to the exercise with campaigners promoting a vegan-friendly lifestyle. This is beneficial not only for the animals, who would otherwise suffer the horrors of factory farming, but also for the planet. Livestock accounts for something in the order of 18% of greenhouse gas emissionsNewswire: Free Vegan Food For All! 4/07/08* | The Incredible Veggie Roadshow comes to Nottingham | Nottingham: ‘Food Not Bombs’, Food & Climate Change Meeting | 3rd June Food Climate Change Day of Action in Nottingham | Ready Steady Skip: Trailer and website launched! | Free Foods Invades NottinghamLinks: Nottingham Animal Rights | Food Not Bombs | Veggies Catering Campaign | Viva! | Notts Indymedia Animal Liberation topic page

London Solidarity Protests Against the G8 Summit 2008
7 Jul 2008
The G8 2008 is taking place in Hokkaido, Japan, from July 7th to July 9th. As in the past years, people from all over the world are protesting this summit and the capitalist system it represents, both in Japan and in many places around the globe.On Saturday the 5th of July, the International Day of Action Against the G8,there were protests worldwide against this year’s G8 Summit, including London. A picket outside the Japanese embassy took place on Friday the 4th, and for Saturday the 5th, and despite previous harassment by the Metropolitan police, a London Fete Against the G8 was called by London No Borders and other groups to demonstrate in solidarity with the protests in Japan, for the Freedom of Movement, and against Fortress Europe. The Day of Action around the UK Borders Agency started with a Critical Mass bike ride from Brixton to Croydon, the nerve centre of the Home Office’s UK Border Agency, where several protests unfolded.Report | Photos 1 and 2 | VideoFurther plans for days of action and blockades are continuing from Monday 7th to Wednesday 9th around the Summit location next to the Lake Toya in Hokkaido, whilst the Japanesse ‘No! G8 Legal Team’ has issued an international Call for Solidarity actions during this week’s Summit blockades. A daily NO!G8 cafe has been organised to coincide with the G8 mobilisations at the Bowl Court Social Centre, with films, discussions and screenings of footage from Japan.Check the Ticker, the G8MediaNetworkTV and IMC-Japan [Timeline] for updates of worldwide actions and protests.

Badgers Saved In England, What About Wales?
7 Jul 2008
The Secretary of State for DEFRA, Hilary Benn, announced today that he has decided against a cull of badgers in England to control TB in cattle. The decision came after protest actions last month with a rally attended by over 300 supporters and the sabotaging of five offices owned by the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW). Mr Benn also has resounding public support for sparing badgers. A DEFRA public consultation on the issue received submissions from 47,000 respondents, ninety-five per cent of whom opposed a cull. Despite this, The Welsh Assembly has voted to allow badger culling to go ahead in Wales.Newswire: Benn confirms Badgers saved in England | Badgers saved in England, but not in Wales | Badgers spared – Thank you ALF! | Anti-Badger Cull Demo Action Report | ALF target farming union offices over badger cull | Rally For Badgers – Stop The Cull!Links: Viva | Animal Liberation Front (ALF) | Animal Aid | The Badger Trust

Campaigners Celebrate Victory On EU Seal Ban
5 Jul 2008
There is good news for campaigners on the proposed EU ban on the import on seal products from Canada. The EU’s Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas has just announced to EU ministers that legislation for a trade ban on all seal products from Canada will come into force in a matter of weeks.The Canadian slaughter of over 350.000 baby harp seals takes place each year around March/April off the east coast of Canada in Newfoundland. The ‘hunt’ has been widely condemned around the world, but the Canadian government is ademend in its continued support. The new announcement is seen as a big victory for campaigners.Audio: Interview With Captain Onboard Sea Shepherd Ship On Current Seal HuntPrevious feature: Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Conservation VesselOn the newswire: Sea Shepherd Moves In On Canadian Seal Slaughter | Seal Slaughter: contacts to protest | Canadian Seal Hunt: New attack by Brigitte Bardot and Franz Weber | Stop Canada’s Seal Hunt | Biggest Seal Hunt in 50 Years Draws Protest | Stop Seal Hunt – Hunters Allowed To Kill 350,000 Young Seals This YearLinks: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Canadian Seal Hunt | Harpseals.org | Wikipedia on Seal Hunt | Ocean Defence Topic Page

Grandson of State-Sponsored Terrorism Victim Visits Nottingham
4 Jul 2008
Just two weeks after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) released a report by their Historical Enquiries Team (HET) on the McGurk?s Bar Bombing in 1971, Robert McClenaghan, grandson of Phillip Garry, one of the victims, visited Nottingham to speak at the ICC. He was representing An Fhirinne (The Truth), an organisation of relatives of people murdered by loyalist paramilitaries where there is evidence of collusion between the paramilitaries and British state forces. An Fhirinne and other relatives? organisations are calling for an Independent International Truth Commission into the slaughter of their loved ones. They believe that a British government inquiry could not possibly be independent, and neither could a government of Ireland one, as they have done little to uncover the truth of killings in the twenty six counties.Robert visited Nottingham as part of a tour of four English cities as a guest of the Troops Out Movement (TOM), the British- based organisation which campaigns for British withdrawal from Ireland. He showed a very harrowing video of relatives speaking of their lost loved ones. It showed to people in England the reality of what was done in their name.Newswire: Grandson of Collusion Victim in England – Guest of Troops Out Movement | Truth & Justice for Collusion VictimsLinks: Troops Out Movement | An Fhirinne | Notts Indymedia Repression topic page

No Salute to Israel, 60 Years of Apartheid is Nothing to Celebrate
1 Jul 2008
Today, a series of non-violent protest actions disrupted the ‘Salute to Israel’ parade. The parade celebrated 60 years since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Activists wished to remind the public that since its inception, Israel has been maintained through the constant oppression of the Palestinian people, in particular through ethnic cleansing.The ‘Salute to Israel’ parade was a shameful show of support to a government engaged in war crimes. Sponsors included the Jewish National Fund, an organisation deeply involved in the colonisation of Palestinian land as well in anti-Palestinian discrimination within Israel. Activists wish to stress that the British government’s authorisation, protection and support of this event is entirely unacceptable.En route, the parade was greeted by activists with red dye on their hands to symbolise the blood of Palestinians killed by the Israeli government. In Tafalgar Square, both fountains turned red and a Palestinian flag was unfurled at the entrance of the National Gallery. An activist climbed up a big screen which had to be turned off for most of the event. Also, another group attempted to get onto the roof of the National Gallery in order to unfurl a banner but were arrested in the process. Newswire Posts Action Reports and photos of fountains and screen Climber | Report and Photos| Press Releases Autonomous Actions For Palestine Disrupt Zionist Parade| Links Israel at 60 Protest Site| Palestine Solidarity Campaign | Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign | Jews for Justice for Palestinians | Action Palestine| Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods | Friends of Al Aqsa | Palestine-UK Twinning Network | Corporate Media Coverage of the Protests Al Jazeera Report | Video Buses and Critical Mass | Woman assaulted by police for Singing|

Protests in Nottingham as Zimbabwe Goes to the Polls
29 Jun 2008
On Friday June 27, Zimbabwe went to the polls in the second round of its presidential election. This followed a first round in March. Concerned about the scale of state-directed violence against supporters, the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn on Sunday June 22, making a victory by the incumbent Robert Mugabe inevitable.In Nottingham, the election was marked by the recently formed Nottingham Zimbabwe Community network (NZCN) who held a protest against deportations to Zimbabwe in Old Market Square and organised a public meeting at the Sumac Centre to discuss the situation in the country.Newswire: Demonstration Against Deportations to Zimbabwe | Report on Zimbabwe Film Showing | Stop Deportations To Zimbabwe Protest 27.06.08Previous Feature: Nottingham’s Zimbabwean Community Responds to Rigged ElectionsLinks: Nottingham Zimbabwe Community Network | No Borders Nottingham | Nottingham & Notts Refugee Forum | Nottingham Refugee Campaign Ground | National Coalition of Anti-Deportation campaigners | Notts Indymedia Migration topic page

Arrests As International Whaling Commission Fails To Protect Whales
26 Jun 2008
Fifteen people were arrested by police at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), held this year in Santiago, Chile. The protesters were supposedly trying to ‘storm’ the meeting but other reports state that the mere presence of people in front of the meeting’s venue was seen as a ‘security threat’.The IWC meets annually to regulate the whaling industry and make decisions on conservation of whale populations. So far the meeting hasn’t reached any agreements and the commission continues to be strongly devided between the pro- and anti-whaling nations. Skye Bortoli, an activist from Teens Against Whaling described the meeting this year as ‘pathetic’, saying “this body will be known in the future as a small group of ecologically arrogant people who are condemning the world?s whales to agony and oblivion for petty politics and a few lousy bucks.”Related Audio: Sea Shepherd Captain Paul Watson Talks in London | Interview With Nottingham Activist On Return From Whale Saving MissionRelated Newswire: Iceland Defies Moratorium On Commercial Whaling – Whale Hunt Started | Norway Starts Whale Hunting SeasonPrevious Features: Armed Canadian Coast Guard Storms Conservation Vessel | Nottingham Activist Returns From Whale Saving Mission In Antartica | Injured Among Sea Shepherd Crew As Japanese Military Open Fire | Activists Held Hostage By Japanese Whalers In Southern OceanLinks: IWC official website | Wikipedia on IWC | Teens Against Whaling | Sea Shepherd Conservation Society | Greenpeace | Santiago Indymedia | Indymedia Ocean Defence

Carmel Agrexco’s Depot Shut Down in Commemoration of the Nakba
23 Jun 2008
In the early hours of Saturday morning, activists occupied and shut-down the HQ and only UK freight warehouse of Carmel Agrexco – Israel’s largest agricultural exporter from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The occupation held for over 6 hours until they were forcibly removed at 12 noon.During the occupation over 10 loading trucks intended for the warehouse were sent away. British supermarkets – accounting for 60% of Carmel-Agrexco’s total exports – had some of their orders affected. The Israeli government has a 50% stake in the company. Exports include flowers, avocados and herbs grown in illegal Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.Newswire: Israeli Owned Agrexco Warehouse Shut Down | Carmel occupied! Israeli settlement exporter shut down| Video of Police Forcibly removing Activists but Failing to Make ArrestsPrevious Actions: Fortress Carmel Agrexco breached by Peace Activists | Video – Carmel Agrexco protest during Camp for Climate Action | Weekend of Action Against Carmel Agrexco | Activists Blockade Carmel-Agrexco’s UK Headquarters for the Third Time | International Actions against Israeli ApartheidFurther reading: Text of letter to Carmel-Agrexco | Report on Carmel’s involvement in the Jordan Valley | War on Want’s report: Profiting from the OccupationLinks: Palestine Solidarity Campaign | The Big Campaign | ISM London | ISM Palestine

New Nerve Magazine Examines Migration
21 Jun 2008
The new edition of Nerve – Liverpool’s grassroots arts and social issues magazine – is out, and this time the focus is on migration.

Coal On Hold – Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied
18 Jun 2008
Today climate campaigners from ?Leave it in the Ground? have occupied the UK Coal?s Lodge House site in Derbyshire by barricading themselves in a disused farm building and taken to the trees on the site of the open cast mine.Under the cover of darkness activists have secured themselves in the Prospect Farm building, on the site which is about to be devastated by huge machines. Food and supplies have also been taken in for a long term occupation and barricades? have been set up preventing police form bringing in specialist equipment down Bell Lane, Smalley Derbyshire into the heart of the site. Similarly, people are locked on by their necks behind the doors preventing force being used to gain entry. The protesters are claiming squatter?s rights.At Lodge House today, Andy Green said ?We are here because the single greatest threat to the climate comes from burning coal. Coal fired generation is historically responsible for most of the CO2 in the air today ? about half of all carbon dioxide emissions globally. Coal form open cast mines is dirtier than that from deep mines, so it is even worse!”Newswire: Lodge House open cast mine site ocupied | Climate change protestors occupy Derbyshire open cast site | Noise Demo at UK Coal Head Office ProtestRecent Features: Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted | Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine SiteLinks: Leave It In The Ground | Campaign Blog | Earth First UK | Phulbari Resistance, Bangladesh | No Opencast! article in Do or Die | UK Coal | Greenpeace on Coal | Notts Indymedia Ecology topic page

Campaign Victories As Hich And Amdani Are Released On Bail
18 Jun 2008
By coincidence, the immigration bail hearings of two high profile Nottingham detainees took place on Monday 16th June. The hearings, conducted via video links from Dover Citadel (for Hicham Yezza) and Campsfield House in Oxfordshire (for Amdani Juma) both ended with the defendants being released while they fight their respective immigration cases.Newswire: Hicham Yezza released after 31 days in detentionPrevious Features: Nottingham Protests in Support of Detained Resident | Another Nottingham Activist Detained For Deportation | Hundreds Join Demo for Academic Freedom and Against Deportation | Nottingham Uni Detainee Innocent But Still Facing Deportation | Anger Over “Terror Arrests” at Nottingham UniversityLinks: Free Hich | Friends of Amdani | National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns | No Borders Nottingham | Nottingham & Notts Refugee Forum | Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group

Anti-Bush Visit Protest Marred by Police Violence and Snatch Arrests
17 Jun 2008
On Sunday 15th of June, as George W. Bush was making his way to Downing Street for his last state visit to the UK, thousands of people were gathering in Parliament Square following a call from the Stop the War Coalition.Although the turn out to sunday’s protest was much smaller than in 2003 when Bush visited the UK in the high of the Anti-War protest movement, by mid afternoon a crowd of around 2500 determined people were already making clear what they thought of the legacy of George Bush’s wars in the Middle East and the US driven War on Terror [Video reoport]. A powerful sound system had been set on the square from where several people, including Brian How, made speeches. Meanwhile the crowd kept demanding the arrest of George Bush for his “terrorist activities and war crimes” in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.The protest had already been banned by the Metropolitan Police from marching through Whitehall, therefore crash barriers and police lines had been set at the southern end of Whitehall to prevent the demonstration from marching forward. At some point, the crowd approached the barriers and police lines to demand their right to demonstrate, but they were faced by a line of baton wielding police that started hitting those at the front. As a result a series of scuffles followed, resulting with some head injuries and bruises to some protesters, and the first wave of arrests.Eventually, a large number of police wit riot gear took positions to protect the entrance to Whitehall, whilst at the same time groups of TSG and FIT police forces started to carry a series of snatch arrests around the Parliament Square area [Video of arrests]. By the end of the evening 25 people had been arrested, some of which have already been released but others are being charged.Photos: 1 | 2 | 3

Repression against anti-fur activists in Austria
17 Jun 2008
Ten animal rights campaigners have been held since the 21th May after police raided twenty-three homes and offices in Austria charging individuals with 31 different offences related to the campaign against the the fur-promoting fashion company Kleider Bauer, but most significantly of forming a criminal organisation under Section 278a of Austrian law. One of the prisoners, Martin Balluch has been on hunger strike since the arrests against the violation of his human rights and the state attacks on legitimate campaigning organisations. He is now becoming very weak and was recently moved to a prison hospital after suffering from dizzyness, blurred vision, and stomach pains. Dr Balluch, Chairman of the Association against Animal Factories (VGT) in Austria has asked for ”...everyone who cares about animal protection and human rights to take action now to prevent this crime. This kind of police arbitrariness against NPOs is something we might recognize in dictatorships, but not in a democracy. Please stand up strong; stand against this outrageous injustice. My life depends on it.” Chair of the Austrian Vegan Society, Felix Hnat and other members have even been remanded, although no charges have been made against any members of the board.Newswire: Statement by Martin Balluch | Activists remanded in custody 4 more weeks! | VGT Chairman Dr Martin Balluch Phd. On Hunger StrikeGlobal solidarity actions: 1 | 2 | New York CityLegal support: 1 | 2 | 3Press releases: Vegan Society | VGT (Association against Animal Factories) | Amnesty International | die tierbefeier e.v. | EVANA | TBFLinks: Antirep2008 (Legal support) | tierbefreier.de (English solidarity website) | Indymedia Austria

Struggle and Repression for Social Centres and Autonomous Spaces
16 Jun 2008
Mill Road, a new squatted social centre in Cambridge, lost against Tescos in court last week but are confident about holding onto the place a while longer yet. They have however been experiencing violent attacks from anonymous cowards. There have been quite a few reports of attacks on autonomous spaces recently. In Greece there have been heavy police repression and fascist arson attacks against autonomous space (more). In Amsterdam, the Citex squat was attacked and illegally evicted by Police. Just a few days ago in Rome, fascists were caught planting a bomb in the front yard of the Loa Acrobax social centre. The tide turned briefly during action days for autonomous spaces in Berlin. Hundreds of people from Berlin and elsewhere went on the offensive and instigated six days of diverse and often militant action. In a city which has one of the harshest anti-squatting policies in Europe (the Berlin Line – where squats can be evicted immediately and brutally) people showed they were undaunted and defiant. (more)London has seen the eviction of two squatted social centres recently (1, 2) but last week a new squatted community space opened in Nunhead. Also in south London, the Spike is under threat and raising it’s profile as part of it’s strategy to hang onto the site. The Bowl Court social centre located at the heart of Londons city fringe expansion lost their David and Goliath courtroom battle against property giant Hammerson on the 12th June and is now considering next moves (background). Meanwhile, the long running rampART social centre in East London marked it’s 4th anniversary but is considering voluntary closure as it has been suffering from neglect, theft and lack of use since the owners were granted a possession order way back in January.The UK gutter press followed the Tory party inciting hatred towards squatters. The squatted church on London Road in Brighton is still hanging in there and generating somewhat better press coverage. Meanwhile the UK Social Centres Network have produced a booklet ‘What’s this Place’ (PDF).In Bristol, Kebele has had a big revamp and is offering to host a UK social centres network gathering in September. Also taking place sometime in September will be a follow up to last months international ‘interspace’ gathering near Berlin which followed the April2008 mobilisations.Websites of mentioned spaces: Bowl Court, rampART, Mill Road, The Spike, 88 London Road, Loa AcrobaxPortal sites : UK Social Centres Network website | Autonomous London

Stop the Deportation of ‘Tara Aryan’
15 Jun 2008
Tara Aryan is an Iranian refugee to the UK who converted to Christianity last year. The home office is trying to deport her to Iran. If they are sucessful she could face imprisonment or death for ‘abandoning Islam’.Tara has lived in Brighton for two years before being detained at Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre. She was scheduled to be deported on Friday 13th June on a BMI flight from Heathrow. She was transferred to the airport but the removal was deferred after a judicial review was lodged by her solicitor. Tara is now detained again at Yarl’s Wood.Resources: Online Petition to grant Tara asylumLinks: Brighton Voices in Exile – See this site for updates on Tara’s caseMedia Coverage The Argus (Brighton) Christian Convert Could Face Death | The Argus – Final Plea by Woman Facing Iran Deportation

dodgin shiny mercs on dale st
15 Jun 2008
13 bikes, 1 man on wheels & a million angry drivers…

Riot at Campsfield Detention Centre
14 Jun 2008
Reports are emerging of what appears to have been a riot at Campsfield House, an immigration detention centre in Oxfordshire. Details at this point are sketchy, but it appears that small fires were started and that detainees were returned to their cells by prison officers in riot gear. According to corporate media accounts, there was a heavy police presence with some 50 officers in attendance and a helicopter overhead. A cordon was set up and dog handlers patrolled the perimeter.This is the latest in a series of “disturbances” at the facility. In August last year, 26 immigrants managed to escape. Prior to that in March, an Algerian man attempted to forcefully resist efforts by immigration authorities to remove him. When fellow detainees attempted to help him a riot ensued in which 2 detainees and 7 staff staff were hospitalised.Newswire: Solidarity with Campsfield detainees | Riot at Campsfield IRC | Fire at Campsfield Previous Features: 26 migrants escape immigration prison in Oxford | Resistance and Riot in Campsfield | Campsfield detainees on hunger strike | Close Campsfield Now!Links: Campaign to Close Down Campsfield | No Borders Network | Indymedia UK Migration Topic Page

Binyam Mohamed ? the last UK resident in Guantnamo Bay ? threatened with death penalty
14 Jun 2008
The 11th June Sheffield Guantnamo protest highlighted the case of Binyam Mohamed who, after years of torture is facing the threat of the death penalty. On 31 May over 100 people attended a public meeting concerning his plight and Reprive have organised a protest in Trafalgar Square to take place on Sunday 15th June to highlight the suffering of Binyam Mohamed. The London Guantnamo Campaign are asking for urgent action to be taken for Binyam Mohamed.Articles: Urgent appeal for British resident Binyam Mohamed, ?close to suicide? in Guantnamo | Guantnamo: Torture victim Binyam Mohamed sues British government for evidence | Binyam Mohamed?s letter from Guantnamo to Gordon Brown | Meeting Report: Binyam Mohamed: The Last Londoner in Guantnamo Bay | Take URGENT ACTION for Binyam Mohamed! | New report details torture of Guantnamo prisoner Binyam MohamedLinks: Cageprisoners.com | The National Guantanamo Coalition | Reprieve | Andy Worthington

Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted
13 Jun 2008
On 13th June 2008 protestors halted a coal train carrying fuel for Drax power station in Yorkshire, the single biggest source of CO2 in the UK. Dressed in white overalls and canary outfits, the protestors used safety signals to stop the train on a bridge overlooking the power station, before climbing on board and dumping coal off onto the tracks.The train was stopped on a branch line used exclusively for delivering coal to Drax. Protestors used a network of climbing ropes to suspend themselves under the bridge from the train to prevent the train from moving. The last report from the action was about the police evicting the protestors.The protest comes six weeks before the 2008 Camp for Climate Action at Kingsnorth power station – which will also highlight how using coal to supply energy will be a disaster for the planet. Meanwhile the UK Government has “eviscerated” the Climate Change Bill and abandoned 2C maximum target for global temperature rise as scientists warn that a safe CO2 level might be a maximum of 350ppm ? we are already at over 380ppm, the Arctic permafrost is melting and “we’re seeing events predicted for the end of the 21st century happening already”, according to Barry Brook.Photos: 1 | 2Reports: 1 | 2Links: The Coal Hole | Climate Camp