UK Newswire Archive
Palestine Today 02 01 2011
01-02-2011 16:15
Glasgow University Occupation
01-02-2011 15:23
'Resistance' at Taunton's Brewhouse
01-02-2011 15:22
Artist-activist's moving image installation comes to The Brewhouse Arts CentreROARING GIRL PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
RESISTANCE: WHICH WAY THE FUTURE?
An award winning, provocative and hauntingly beautiful film installation
that explores a Holocaust hidden history and its relevance now
Sunday 26 February – Sunday 9 Spril
Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre, Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1JL
With captions, British sign language and audio description
Free entry
Resistance: which way the future? is a dual-screen interactive installation, comprising drama and documentary films and an immersive audio-video experience. It takes as its starting point the Nazi programme of mass-murder targeting disabled people and asks what this history means for all of us today. A timely and hopeful work, Resistance explores the marginalisation of a group of people and asks what can be done to make a better future.
A preview video of the work is at http://www.roaring-girl.com/productions/resistance-on-t...atch/.
Recently returned from its run at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center, one visitor wrote: “One of the most powerful things I have ever experienced. I was so amazed by it, I went back to see it two more times. Each time I saw more and took more away from the experience. A month later it is still with me.” Susan Fitzmaurice
The opening drama follows the story of Elise, a patient who sweeps the institution she lives in. She doesn’t speak but watches everything. She watches buses full of patients leave and return empty. When it’s her turn, she knows what’s in store. Based on real events, this is the story of one woman’s resistance in the only way she could.
Resistance launched in Liverpool, UK, in November 2009 as part of DaDaFest. The installation won the prestigious ‘Best Exhibition Award’ from Liverpool Daily Post, and was described as one of the most powerful elements of the festival.
One visitor wrote of her experience of Resistance: "It is not often that words fail me, but I can't begin to describe the impact this devastatingly-powerful installation had on me. This is tremendously important work, brilliantly and concisely realised into a package which will haunt me for a long, long time." Sarah Bush
Over a decade in the making, Resistance is the latest project from award-winning writer-director Liz Crow, whose previous work has been shown at Tate Modern and the Smithsonian Institution and who made a controversial appearance on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square as part of sculptor Antony Gormley’s One & Other project.
As graves containing the remains of 220 suspected victims of the Nazi ‘euthanasia’ programme are discovered at an Austrian psychiatric hospital, Liz Crow said: “This is an episode of history that is virtually hidden, yet the values that underpinned it still echo through disabled people’s lives today. It is a timely piece of work and I hope that people will be both moved and empowered by it. I want people to come away feeling inspired to get involved, be effective and find the courage to be a part of change. Resistance is about a sense of possibility.”
Today, when rising hate crime, increased pre-natal screening and abortion, and a race to assisted suicide challenge the worth of disabled people’s lives and even their right to exist, Resistance confronts a dark chapter of human history and invites the audience to reflect on the values of the past and how they can help to shape a society that delights in diversity.
Running alongside the installation, Liz Crow will give an historical talk about the Nazi programme of murder of disabled people, exploring its origins and setting it in the context of the larger holocaust. The talks will be at The Brewhouse on 18 March at 7pm. Tickets £4.00. Advance booking essential through Brewhouse box office.
The Sun, Chris Knight and the Right Royal Plot
01-02-2011 14:22
There'll never be consensus on the best way to deal with the capitalist media. Here's an alternative view from that recently posted on Indymedia London:
Anarchists and the Right Royal Plot
Drat and double drat, us anarchists' dastardly plan has been fooled by the Sun's hardcore investigative unit!
I do love the Sun sometimes, I mean where else would an editor faced with a clearly ludicrous plotline cobbled together by a reporter desperate for a splash and featuring quotes from one of the anarchist movement's biggest running jokes decide to put it front page?
If you only vaguely remember Chris Knight, he was the one "outed" as the leader of the anarchists by a Daily Mail feature writer ahead of the G20 demonstrations in 2009.
To those of us actually involved in anarchist politics, he's a likeable crank on the edge of the movement who specialises in coming up with ideas for entertaining, harmless (often unworkable) spectaculars.
The reason for his prominence in the reporting on that event (other than his hilarious eccentricity which makes for superbly notable quotables) can be traced to a pre-G20 meeting of the Whitechapel Anarchist Group, where Mail hack Arthur Martin "infiltrated" an open forum to organise actions against the neoliberal get-together.
Mr Martin was, shall we say, a little gullible, as having sussed him out, the WAG lot played him like a fish on a line announcing "we have a communique from the great leader Chris Knight" before feeding him a wonderful array of nonsense which got relentlessly worked up by every paper going.
The article Mr Martin wrote, Undercover with the anarchist mob, was an amazing practical joke on the part of WAG, which they've just spectacularly topped.
This time around not only has Chris made it to the mainstream press, he's hit the front page of today's Sun as the leader of Network X (which must come as something of a shock to the group's organisers), which apparently consists of WAG, Class War (it's news to me that they're still going), Democracy Village (you know, the hippies?), Direct Action Group (who?) and the Green and Black Cross, a medic group who are "secretly" teaching people to patch up injured protesters, the bastards.
Again, that's news to me, I thought Network X was a reasonably broad-church group which was still in the process of trying to form a nationwide federation of anarchos to fight the cuts. Lives and learns.
What makes this particularly sweet is that they've actively played the joke on themselves, by picking up on a general callout by Chris to do things like a "people's fertility rite" on Parliament Square and, rather than bin it, write it up as a front page headline.
Front page! To borrow a phrase from Ian Bone, oh my aching sides!
I tip my hat to the WAG on this one, it could run and run.
(originally posted on libcom.org)
Doha manifestation in solidarity with Egypt
01-02-2011 13:00
Families gathering at Egyptian Embassy in West Bay in solidarity with those in Egypt.Vegan Pledge
01-02-2011 12:42
Are you interested in trying a vegan diet with help and support? Why not take the London Vegan Pledge for a month?Emergency anti-cuts demo in Swindon - Tomorrow (weds 2nd)
01-02-2011 12:16
Callout for a short notice demo against the cuts - please attend, or spread this callout.Hebron/Al Khalil, a ghost city
01-02-2011 11:22
Israeli army controls the old city in Hebron/Al Khalil.Wikileaks broadcast 11.30 today
01-02-2011 11:22
wikileaks are airing their first question and answer broadcast today.A worms eye view of the Middle East revolution
01-02-2011 10:39
Hussein Al-alak is a journalist, campaigner and chairman of Iraq Solidarity UK.2nd meeting for radical anti cuts action in bristol/SW
01-02-2011 04:22
7pm (sharp) at the factory, will be over in time to enjoy the peoples kitchen at 8.30pm!Meeting for radicals of all flavours who don't mind working in a non-hierarchical way and want to take action against the governments cuts. Whilst we recognise the importance of organisations such as the union backed Bristol Anti Cuts Alliance, we also recognise their limitations and the need for more autonomous groups and actions to work in parallel with them.
Only the second meeting so can turn into anything we want it to be, ideas and actions so far have included:
More Public order / know your rights training for students in uni's, expanding that out to college students and workers.
Helping mobilise for the bristol march on feb 19th, and TUC one on march 26th, and push for more radical action from those already 'mobilised'.
offering practical support and solidarity with people wanting to fight the cuts in more isolated communities around the west, or in communities with little or no radical presence.
Getting an antiauthoritarian message articulated into the 'mainstream' anticuts movemen.
All new ideas welcome, as are critisisms of the ideas and actions already in motion!
See you there !
Bristol Anti Cuts Alliance Open Meeting
01-02-2011 04:22
Wednesday 2nd Feb 7pm-9pm Hamilton House, Stokes Croft, BristolOpen meeting for the Bristol and district anti cuts alliance.
All those wanting to fight against the cuts welcome.
Tar Sands protest at Canadian High Commission
01-02-2011 03:29
“Stop sabotaging climate action!”
Tar Sands protest at the Canadian High Commission marks Minister’s visit
31.01.11: This morning a group of campaigners protested outside the Canadian High Commission in London, to mark the visit of Ron Liepert, Alberta’s Energy Minister. The minister is here to lobby on behalf of the Province of Alberta’s Tar Sands industry, and encourage Europe to get more involved in what has been dubbed the world’s most destructive project.
http://www.no-tar-sands.org/?p=391
The protesters held banners saying “Stop the Tar Sands Trade Talks” and “Canadian Tar Sands: Global Climate Crime” outside the High Commission in Grosvenor Square, and handed out flyers. There was heavy security, and they were not allowed to meet the Minster himself, nor even hand in a letter for him, explaining their concerns.
Unbeknownst to most citizens, the EU and Canada are in the midst of negotiating an ambitious free trade deal (the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA). The Albertan and Canadian governments are trying to use these talks to undermine EU climate policy. Specifically, they are pressuring the EU to water down a key piece of climate legislation (the Fuel Quality Directive, or FQD), calling it an “unfair trade barrier” [2]. The FQD is currently on course to set a precedent in recognising, and penalising, Tar Sands oil as dirty oil.
Liepert’s trip is clearly timed to influence vital decisions around CETA and the FQD that are being taken in Europe over the next few weeks. After two days in London, where he will meet, among others, the Canadian High Commissioner, the UK Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs, and many oil and gas industry representatives, he will travel to Brussels to lobby members of European Parliament, the chair of the Environment Committee and the Commissioner for Energy for the EU Parliament [3].
Today’s protest is just the latest expression of opposition to the Tar Sands in the UK. In the past year, British shareholders, NGOs, politicians and campaigners have expressed increasing concern over the involvement of UK banks and oil companies in the highly polluting extraction of “dirty oil” from the Tar Sands [4]. Emitting three to five times as much CO2 as conventional oil drilling, the Tar Sands industry is destroying the livelihoods and health of local Indigenous communities and decimating ancient forests and wildlife across an area of Alberta larger than England [5].
Suzanne Dhaliwal from the UK Tar Sands Network said: “Ron Liepert has come to London on a mission to scupper the EU’s attempts to ban Tar Sands oil imports into Europe. This blatant meddling on behalf of Big Oil is unacceptable. Europe must put effective climate action ahead of corporate profits, by standing firm on the Fuel Quality Directive and putting the CETA negotiations on hold.”
Andrea Harden, Energy Campaigner for the Council of Canadians added: “No doubt Liepert will be extolling the virtues of the Tar Sands as so-called ‘ethical oil’. They are nothing of the kind. The watershed is showing signs of stress, massive toxic tailings ponds are leaking, people downstream are getting sick and the Tar Sands are Canada’s largest source of industrial carbon emissions. What’s ethical about that?”
ENDS
Notes for editors
[1] The CETA negotiations are about halfway through and due to be completed towards the end of 2011. The latest round of talks took place in Brussels earlier this month, and were targeted by Tar Sands protests. For a full explanation of the problems with CETA, please see “Keep Europe out of the Tar Sands!”, a briefing by Council of Canadians, Indigenous Environmental Network and UK Tar Sands Network.
[2] The EU has been negotiating a ‘Fuel Quality Directive’ (FQD), aimed at encouraging the use of low carbon energy products and discouraging the use of high-emission crude oil. In its original form the FQD would have prevented fuels with a high carbon content from being used in Europe – an effective ban on Tar Sands . But the initial draft has been significantly weakened following Canadian lobbying, and all reference to Tar Sands has been removed until after the CETA negotiations.
[3] Ron Liepert’s full itinerary can be seen here.
[4] The last 18 months have seen a growing number of organisations taking action against British banks and companies with links to the Tar Sands. Both BP and Shell have faced shareholder resolutions over their Tar Sands investments, as well as protests at their offices and petrol stations. The Royal Bank of Scotland has also come under fire for being the 7th largest global investor in the industry, using British taxpayers’ money, and were targeted by the Camp for Climate Action, who camped for a week in the grounds of their global headquarters in Edinburgh last summer. For more information see:
Indigenous Environmental Network
UK Tar Sands Network
FairPensions
PLATFORM
Camp for Climate Action
[5] For more information on the destructive nature of the Tar Sands, please see:
Indigenous Environmental Network’s Tar Sands campaign
Dirty Oil Sands
UK Tar Sands Network
Anti-cuts protester arrested after Glasgow demo, 29th January
01-02-2011 00:22
Anti-cuts protester criminalised in Glasgow.
Dominic O’Hara, a 20-year-old student at Strathclyde University, was arrested on 29 January 2011 as he left a protest against cuts and in defence of local services. He is being held in Baird Street police station and will appear in Glasgow District Court number two (1 Carlton Place, next to the Sheriff Court) on Monday charged with obstruction and assaulting a police officer.
Update from The Happendon Wood Action Camp
01-02-2011 00:22
The Happendon Wood Action Camp struggled through a particularly snowy winter but is still going strong. So, what have we been doing these past few months, you might ask? Well, we’ve asked ourselves the same question many times. Here’s what we came up with:
Fire reported at Bilston Glen camp
01-02-2011 00:22
Mainstream media are reporting a fire
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/31/environmental-campaigner-killed...
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Man-dies-in-blaze-at.670708...
http://breakingnews.heraldscotland.com/breaking-news/?mode=article&site=...
The stories are all similar in their level of detail.
Lib-Dem FREEPOST recycling service
31-01-2011 23:53
What a great way to recycle your old phone directories.
