UK Newswire Archive
Armed Groups Inside Syria: Prelude to a US-NATO Intervention?
05-02-2012 15:47
Russia and China have vetoed the UN Security Council draft resolution on Syria pointing to the existence of armed groups involved in terrorist acts including the killing of civilians.
9 Feb, High Court, London: Support John Catt. Protest 'Big Brother' Police State
05-02-2012 15:22
87 year old anti-war activist John Catt is bringing a Judicial Review challenging the legality of the publicly funded, secret 'domestic extremist' intelligence database run by the discredited National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU) under the command of ACPO and/or the Metropolitan Police.Protest in solidarity with John and against the surveillance police state outside the Royal Courts of Justice, the Strand, London WC2A 2LL on Thursday 9 Feb from 9am. The Hearing starts at 10am. The domestic extremists among you might like to bring along dusters and other cleaning materials.
Shut Guantánamo - candlelight vigil
05-02-2012 14:55
Braving sub-zero temperatures on Friday evening in the capital, around two dozen human rights activists joined the London Guantánamo Campaign (LGC) outside the US Embassy in Mayfair, London, for a candlelight vigil to mark the fifth anniversary of the campaign's regular "Shut Down Guantánamo!" demonstrations outside the Embassy. Performances were also given by Actors for Human Rights and poet Sergio Amigo
Braving sub-zero temperatures on Friday evening in the capital, around two dozen human rights activists joined the London Guantánamo Campaign (LGC) outside the US Embassy in Mayfair, London, for a candlelight vigil to mark the fifth anniversary of the campaign's regular "Shut Down Guantánamo!" demonstrations outside the Embassy.
The LGC has held a regular protest outside the US Embassy in London, first on a weekly basis, until August 2008 and on a monthly basis since then, ever since February 2007 (report of the first ever demo: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/362319.html). The purpose of the protest is simple enough: shut down Guantánamo Bay and other similar prisons, return the British residents to the UK and ensure justice for the remaining prisoners, of whom there are currently 171. During that time, 6 of the 8 remaining British residents held prisoner there have been released. Only Shaker Aamer, a Saudi national with a British family in south London http://www.reprieve.org.uk/cases/shakeraamer/ and Ahmed Belbacha, an Algerian national who once resided in Bournemouth http://www.reprieve.org.uk/cases/ahmedbelbacha/ remain, both without charge or trial for over a decade.
In that period, activists have been joined by other groups, including local Amnesty International and Stop The War groups as well as visitors to the capital. The regular demonstration has included special actions held in solidarity with accused Wikileaks whistleblower Private Bradley Manning and other US prisoners, with Canadian child soldier Omar Khadr during his military tribunal, and to mark the tenth anniversary of the war in Afghanistan.
To mark the fifth anniversary, activists were joined by performances by actor and poet Sergio Amigo reading poems by Guantánamo prisoners http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCDC81P5i58&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL and actor Naoufal Ousellam from Actors for Human Rights (www.iceandfire.co.uk) provided a reading of the Binyam Mohamed verbatim passage from The Rendition Monologues http://iceandfire.co.uk/outreach/scripts/rendition-monologues
Binyam Mohamed, a British resident from Ethiopia, returned to the UK in February 2009 after a seven year nightmare. Prior to his release, the London Guantánamo Campaign held a large campaign calling for his return, including a six day continuous vigil outside the US Embassy in London and a 30th "birthday party" for Binyam opposite Downing Street: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/07/404536.html?c=on#c200488
171 prisoners remain at Guantánamo Bay after 10 years, many without charge or trial. The campaign to close Guantánamo Bay and end its regime of torture and arbitrary detention without trial will continue. Please join the LGC at the next monthly demonstration on Thursday 1st March 2012 at 12-1pm outside the US Embassy, Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, W1A 1AE and then 1.15-2.15pm outside Speaker's Corner, Hyde Park, opposite Marble Arch.
Other actions coming up:
11th February: Guantánamo Chain Gang: Free Shaker Aamer (to mark Shaker's 10th year in Guantánamo): ASSEMBLE 12 NOON outside NORTHCOTE RD BAPTIST CHURCH, NORTHCOTE RD, LONDON SW11 6DB - organised by the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign
Walking slowly in chains through the streets of Battersea and Clapham Junction to a rally at the Battersea Islamic Culture and Education Centre, Falcon Road, SW11 2PF
14th February: Guantánamo Chain Gang at the US Embassy, Grosvenor Square, W1A, 2pm - organised by the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign
On Tuesday 14 February, Shaker will have been in Guantanamo for 10 years. Please join us at the US Embassy, London, to hand in cards and petitions for President Obama.
Banners, drums and noise welcome.
More details: ssac.contact[at]gmail.com www.saveshaker.org
More media on the 3 February vigil:
http://www.demotix.com/news/1033393/london-guant-namo-campaign-candlelit-vigil
http://lenebarbephotography.blogspot.com/2012/02/london-guantanamo-campaigners-outside.html
http://www.demotix.com/news/1032593/shut-down-guantanamo-candlelight-vigil-london
http://www.demotix.com/news/1032594/london-guant-namo-campaigners-outside-american-embassy
London Guantánamo Campaign
http://londonguantanamocampaign.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-Guant%C3%A1namo-Campaign/114010671973111
http://twitter.com/shutguantanamo
London Wobs' Solidarity Picket with IWW Pizza Hut
05-02-2012 14:55
Over twenty London Wobblies and sympathisers braved the cold on Saturday 4th February at a very successful picket targeting one of Pizza Hut's larger London restaurants at the Strand.
The picket was organised by the London IWW General Membership Branch in solidarity with the Sheffield IWW Pizza Hut Union call out for a national day of action against the Pizza chain. The London picket was one of a string of solidarity actions held worldwide in addition to the main Sheffield Pizza Hut picket. Solidarity demonstrations took place in Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Glasgow, Calais, Portland, Vancouver, and Berlin.
Keeping up a vibrant and spirited atmosphere despite the frosty temperatures, the picketers distributed hundreds of flyers over the course of the afternoon to customers, staff and passers-by.
Wobblies from the London IWW GMB branch were joined by a significant number of sympathisers, including members of the North and South London Solidarity Federation locals and the London Anarchist Federation. London IWW would like to formally extend its thanks to all of those who joined, with particular thanks to the sympathetic organisations who made the effort to mobilise their members in this great show of solidarity.
Meanwhile, at the main protest in Sheffield, twenty Pizza Hut workers braved the billowing snow in protest against what they say are "insulting" conditions and pay.
The Sheffield Pizza Hut Workers, who've proudly organised an Industrial Union Branch under the banner of the Industrial Workers of the World, have had enough of Pizza Hut management's dogged refusal to give them their fair dues, and we, their fellow workers at the London IWW GMB stand 100% behind them in solidarity.
This call for a nationwide protest comes at the tail end of a year-long dispute with management over bank holiday pay, delivery drivers' commissions, and poor working conditions.
Contrary to standard practice in the UK, Pizza Hut staff do not receive the usual time-and-a-half pay rate for working Bank Holidays, and are instead paid standard wage. The IWW demands that Pizza Hut pay all workers time and a half for working Bank Hollidays.
The pay rate for delivery staff, who use their own cars, has remained frozen for several years, despite the increase of delivery radius and the rising price of petrol. This amounts to dismal pay for delivery staff.
Other concerns include delivery staff safety gear, a decreasing pay packet that falls behind inflation and a demand for a real living wage for all Pizza Hut workers.
To find out how, as a concerned member of the public, you can help support the IWW's Pizza Hut Workers' campaign, please click here.
Occupy Oil
05-02-2012 14:11
South Eastern and Network Rail Failure
05-02-2012 13:40
04 Febuary 2012 Nightmare journey and just how bad South Eastern and Network where. Incredible failures and shocking customer service.Fascist metropolitan police attack Syrian pro democracy protesters
05-02-2012 12:58
Yesterday hundreds of fascist metropolitan police violently attacked Syrian pro democracy demonstrators outside the Syrian embassy in Belgrave Square in central London.Communities fight back on National Library Day
05-02-2012 12:55
Across the capital local communities have been fighting back against the cuts, demanding that their libraries stay, stating that they are a vital part of the local infrastructure. Brent is the latest council to act, where the 'SOS Libraries' campaigners have been refused permission to take the council to the Supreme Court this week. This was after a strong community action of 24-hour vigils and celbrity support, but still six libraries will close. Other campaigns around Kensal Rise and Preston are also struggling to win, but will continue to fight.
The Kensal Rise campaign has been supported by Alan Bennett, Jacqueline Wilson, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith, Nick cave and more recently Jamie Reid of Sex Pistols fame. This is despite a consultation into the proposals showing that 82 per cent of respondents were against the closures, the council announced in April last year that Barham Park, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton libraries would shut. Brent Council announced plans to close six out of Brent’s 12 libraries to save £1 million in 2010.
Residents united by their anger formed Brent SOS Libraries to stop the closures and took their fight to the High Court and Appeal Court but lost.
The council began stripping bare the libraries before Christmas but undeterred the campaigners formed pop-up libraries outside the closed reading rooms including Victorian built Kensal Rise Library, in Bathurst Gardens which was opened 111 years ago by American author Mark Twain.
Over the coming year it is estimated that as many as 600 libraries could close although so far, due to the public anger, only 32 have actually been shut down. Some are being handed over to local communities to control and others are being privatised. Even where the fight back is successful the staff are being cut back to a minimum.
Solidarity Picket Glasgow With IWW Pizza Hut Workers Report
05-02-2012 00:29
Remembering Auschwitz
05-02-2012 00:08
Pizza Hut Workers Demand A Proper Slice
04-02-2012 21:17
Demonstration against Atos & police repression
04-02-2012 18:55
On Friday 3rd February, campaigners returned to Atos Healthcare's offices on Stoney Street in the Lace Market, Notttingham.
This was the first protest there since a demonstration on September 30th last year, part of a national day of action, which ended with two of the participants being arrested, and subsequently charged, with aggravated trespass.
While the charges were dropped in January, the protest was a reminder to Atos that people have not been intimidated by the arrests and that protests will continue as long as they are making people's lives a misery.
Protesters met at the junction of Carlton Street and Heathcote Street, Hockley (outside Ice Nine). The police drove past several times before coming over looking for organisers, eventually offering some vague road safety advice before leaving again.
The demonstration set off at around 12.45 to walk the short distance to Atos' offices. There people formed up on both sides of the road. There was some chanting, although people were struggling for slogans. "Atos kills," "Atos they don't give a toss" and "Atos out" were all attempted with varying success.
There were around 30 people, supplemented by a small gaggle of student journalists (their professional counterparts were seemingly uninterested), an impressive turnout given the extreme cold.
There were two brief speeches. The first delivered by one of the "Atos Two" was about their own experience of the criminal justice system and the need to continue the fight against both Atos and the economic system of which it is a product.
The second speech focussed on the policing of protest (touching on the publication the previous day of the HMIC report into this matter), arguing that the police would always be used to render protest ineffective in a class system and that this would only become more obvious as the government sought to impose "austerity" on an unwilling populace.
After the speeches, there was some more chanting and general milling about. No wanting to hang around too long given the cold, protesters decided to leave at around 1.30pm and made their way back to Hockley and then to Market Square. There, the placards produced for the demo were set-up around the Occupy Nottingham camp where they attracted quite a bit of attention.
It appears that the police and Atos were taking the protest fairly seriously. There were two police officers visible at their offices, a couple of vans driving around, presumably in case there were any problems and at least one private security guard. Throughout they made little effort to interfere, even when people were standing in the road outside Atos (the pavement there is very narrow).
This was a relatively small and relatively brief demonstration, but it sent out an important message that campaigners would not be intimidated by heavy handed policing and that Atos will not be able to carry on making people's lives a misery without facing resistance. Campaigners made it clear that they intended to return and that this was only part of a long-term campaign.
In London, welfare rights campaigners held a solidarity demonstration at around the same time at Atos' Triton Square headquarters.
Intellectual property rights and "patent wars"
04-02-2012 18:37
We have already talked about piracy and control of the internet in our previous posts. But there are many more fronts in this fight - here is a great piece from npr.org on "patent wars". Most of us have probably heard about one company suing another over pattens and intellectual property rights (for example, Kodak sued Apple and HTC over digital image patents, Motorola Sued Apple Over iPhone 4S and iCloud, and Intel bought RealNetworks' patents and video coding tech over the last month alone), but what does it all mean for us and why do patents inhibit progress, discovery and innovation?No war on Iran! For regime change from below!
04-02-2012 18:18
Protests at Veolia's sponsorship of Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition
04-02-2012 18:09
Oxford human rights activists came out in force on the first day of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at Science Oxford to protest at the sponsorship of the exhibition by multi-national, Veolia. A demonstration in the morning by Oxford Women in Black was followed in the afternoon by one organised by Oxford PSC and the University Palestine Society.Pizza Hut Workers take action in Sheffield
04-02-2012 16:55
Pizza Hut workers at the Crookes store are taking action outside in the snow today to raise awareness of por pay conditions.
Around 15 Pizza Hut workers and supporters are gathered outside the delivery store in Crookes Sheffield to protest over lack of increased Bank Holiday pay and insufficient delivery commission rates.
The protest will continue throughout the afternoon, further updates and photos to come later.
Solidairty demos are taking place all over the place including Birmingham, Glasgow, London, Calais, Portland, Vancouver, Berlin.
Follow IWW Sheffield on twitter and facebook if that's your thing, or keep checking back on indymedia where we'll be updating with more info on the day as soon as we can.
Free University Network National Meeting
04-02-2012 12:35
Time: 11:00 until 16:30
Where: The Oaklands Centre, Winleigh Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Calling all students, take back your campus
04-02-2012 12:16
Wall Street Journal on private property/internet monopolies-What would Lenin say
04-02-2012 10:53
It's kind of ironic that Wall Street Journal, a newspaper owned by media tycoon R. Murdoch, published this article, that accurately describes how monopolies are formed, and talks about how even the internet is now in the process of being controlled by a few monopolies.The WSJ article was written by Tim Wu, a professor at Columbia Law School, and it was published back in November 13, 2010:
