It is now almost five years since Indymedia London came to life as part of the United Kollectives network of IMC's throughout the UK. Now, in 2008, things have moved on; the reality in the streets is very different from that of 2003, and so there has also been a change in the way people experience the internet. The kollective in London has been working hard for the last few months to adapt Indymedia London to these new realities, and now we are very happy to announce that the New Indymedia London website is ready for action!

The new Site, that was launched with a presentation at the Anarchist Bookfair 2008, aims to include more political events and media alongside the direct action reporting from the streets, and a better method of video uploading. Note: If you went to check out the new site and you were put off by a security warning in your browser, please try again. More information about Security Certificates here. Click at the 'Full article' link to know more ....

As financial markets continue to slump around the world, several hundred people gathered in the City of London on Friday 10th to voice their anger over the British governments plan to commit over 50 billion GBP of public funds to shore up 'confidence' in British markets.

Following a series of calls [1 | 2] that had been circulated in different websites and forums, angry students and activists meet in the late afternoon outside Bank tube station at the heart of the City of London. The demonstrators soon moved on to the prestige shopping centre (The Royal Exchange) which they attempted to storm, and then moved towards the Bank of England but were quickly repulsed by police. They then went on a tour of nearby streets, often pushing through police lines that seemed to be quite unprepared for the unfolding protest. Eventually there was a sit-down as the protesters reached Bishopsgate, and finally a short rally with speeches on the corner of London Wall and Bishopsgate, after which the demonstrators slowly dispersed. At the same time, a group of clowns also toured The City with placards such as "There's no business like no business".

Newswire Reports: City of London clashes, Pictures | Anti-Capitalist Demonstration at Bank | Stopping the city | Video

A similar demonstration has now been called in Edinburgh on the 24th of October.

After many months of unwanted police presence, the Critical Mass last 26 of September, took place with no police presence at all.

Highlights of the evening were ruder taxi drivers than usual (with the punctual provoked “accident”) and a police attack between Victoria Street and Buckingham Palace Road.

London Critical Mass takes place every last Friday of each month. There is also a South London Critical Mass that takes place on the first Friday of each month.

Reports... 1 | 2| 3|

Very near Myatts Fields and not far from Laughborough Junction station, the Library House stands right behind Minet Library (and it looks like it used to be part of the library services but left empty?).

It is run by a group of local south londoners that are currently fixing it up and already dreaming and preparing events. It aims to be an open house for the local community, and right now lots of work is going on, specially to sort out the electricity.

Report on the occupation Opening Announcement

Seven young women dressed as Suffragettes with red sashes that read: CLIMATE CODE RED and NO NEW COAL interrupted Energy Question Time at the Labour Party Conference on Saturday 20 September.

They challenged Malcolm Wicks MP, Energy Minister, to defend his decision to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth. They were asked to leve but confronted him again as he left the conference room.

Mass harrassment, terror tactics, theft, lies and propaganda, excessive force: the relentless campaign of intimidation by police at this years Climate Camp that started with raiding the camp and confiscating essential equipment, has also now included the premeditated political use of blanket stop and search, night-time terrorising of the climate camp site, confiscating pushbikes, blockading food supplies, and harrassment of media and legal observers.

Late Tuesday night/very early Wednesday morning police attempted to terrorise the camp with a low-flying helicopter and by storming the gates with sirens blaring and riot cops shouting. The same night police cut locks and took away bikes after telling people to leave their bikes in the car park. From the beginning the police used excessive force against climate campers (photos) including women, children and legal observers. See newswire post on police bullying.

Links: Climate Camp website | Full Climate Camp 2008 Coverage | the very latest: Climate Camp timeline

From Sunday 27th of July to Sunday 3rd of August, the 'Heathrow to Kingsnorth Climate Caravan' that traversed London by foot and wheels, made it's way to the Climate Action Camp 2008 near Kingsnorth power station in Kent [Pics] The 60 mile Caravan route, that mostly followed the south side of the Thames, started near Heathrow Airport after a Climate Conference had taken place on Saturday 26th in Harlington [Pics 1 | 2] The Caravan was hosted along its route by local communities who supported the participants with food and accommodation. A series of events took place every night to act as local outreach in the run up to the Camp, as well as to meet and share experiences with local people and groups taking collective action against the root causes of climate change in their communities.

The caravan, that was supported by the Bicycology cyclists' collective and the Notts Veggies, was joined by a group from Bristol, whilst other Caravans left Scotland and Nottingham for Kingsnorth too. A Little Peace Boat also sailed it's way to join the Climate Camp protesters before moving on to Westminster.

Newswire Caravan Reports: 29.07.08 Climate camp caravan - film stop | Climate & Capitalism, Climate Caravan Visits The City [Press Release] | News from the Climate Caravan | Caravan tour of Liverpool St | Climate Camp Caravan at Oxleas Wood 31-7-08 | No New Coal March - Rochester | Caravan and March to Climate Camp 3-8-08 [Video]

Because We Live In a World of Conflict, Misinformation, Disinformation MONDAY LOVE part 7 boards the Good Ship with a party of Grass roots Heroes and Servants of freedom.

These London based souljas are coming to help in the reasoning thru MultiMedia Piracy, Open Deck discussion, independent music, Social witnesses, & Front line Filmmaking....

to Share with us 100 things we need to know this year.

Monday 25th - Movimientos/Carnival Party/Hands of Venezuala/London Indymedia

Protesters gathered outside Downing Street on Thursday, 24th July, to hold a 'Birthday Party' for Britain's last Guantamo Detainee, Binyam Mohamed [Reports and pics 1 | 2 | 3]. The event was the culmination of a week long vigil which took place outside the US Embassy.

Previous reports: Binyam faces death penalty | Brown urged to act | Binyam sues British Govt. | New report details torture | Reprieve: 'Bring Binyam back' | Guantanamo's last Londoner
Previous actions: London: 1 | 2 | 3 | Sheffield | Nottingham

Other links: Cageprisoners | The National Guantanamo Coalition | Reprieve | Andy Worthington

Anti-HLS campaigners this week have gained another major victory in closing down Europe's largest and most exposed vivisection laboratory Huntingdon Life Sciences, known also as Life Sciences Research, ticker symbol LSR.

The labs largest investor, Eagle Asset Finance, has sold all HLS shares worth £7,074,059, more than 4% of the company. Raymond James Financial, their parent company, made the announcement within a month of a full-scale campaign in the UK and USA including email alerts, office and home demonstrations against both companies.

Since December 2007 HLS has suffered from a serious lack of investment, with companies last year eventually selling all their shares. Shareholders included; TransAmerica Investment, Frontier Capital, SAC Capital, Axa, Wachovia, Alternative Investment Partners, Rathbone Brothers, Dresdner Bank, Deutsche Bank, La Grange Capital, Robeco Investment Management, Fairfield Greenwich Associates & BNP Paribas [1 | 2 | 3].

Newswire: RJF Statement | Operation IX3 In NYC Continues | Eagle Asset Dumps All HLS Shares | Raymond James Protest after SHAC march | Protests at HLS Financial Allies & AstraZeneca | WAR Launches Operation IX3 - HLS Investor Insanity | SHAC Financial & Supplier Demos Continue

Previous features: SHAC Prepares For National March & Rally | 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 | Win Animal Rights | Close HLS | Indymedia UK SHAC topic page

Breaking News: Wembley Sports Ground Re-Occupied. Support Needed | Grass Roots Alliance for Social Spaces (GRASS) Call Out | Eviction Postponed for Wembley Sports Ground; New Threats.

The Wembley 'Tent City' Occupation located on Wembley Park Sports Ground, was opposed to the plans for a privatised Wembley Park Academy school to be built on one of the few remaining green areas accessible to the local community for sports training. The campaign is in keeping with the wave of resistance [more] to new school academies up and down the country. The Wembley Ark Academy is an American and British educational charity sponsored and run by a group of millionaire merchant bankers and currency speculators, led by french/swiss and multimillionaire Arpad Busson. The Ark Academy is estimated to cost around £30 million of public money yet it would be privately run.

The re-establishment of the 'Tent City' started on the 30th of June, following last year's permanent occupation of the site that lasted six months, and which saw tree houses being built. The site was then only vacated when the protestors won a year’s extension on the lease. Wembley teachers and their local supporters argue that after more than two years of campaigning to keep the community sports grounds out of the private sector, they are now not going to give in without a fight, as the building of the planned Wembley Academy is part of Brent council's drive to privatise schools, turning education into a profit making business instead of a basic human right beyond the 'logic' of the market.

On Tuesday 15th July Brent Council representatives sought a court order for the immediate eviction of the site, but by the afternoon around 50 local people had turned up to show support, and the eviction didn't take place. On Wednesday 16th, teachers and local people continued the occupation despite renewed threats of forced eviction and possible arrests. They took permanent positions on the roofs of the building next to the sports grounds, with at least one protestor locking on to the main mast. By then it was generally expected that the final eviction attempt would happen soon and 'by surprise, probably in the early morning, and so they renewed their call for urgent solidarity and for people to go up there and show their support. On the early morning of Friday 18th, the teachers and their supporters' expectations came true when specialised bailiffs turned up at 6.30am and finally removed the last protestor resisting on the roof, who had the support of the crowd that had gathered at the site's gate [Report and Video]

Reports and Photos of the Occupation: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Protestors Video Interviews and Coverage: 1 | 2

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, 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 | 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 | Timeline (en)] The Japanese 'No! G8 Legal Team' issued an international call for further solidarity actions during the week of Summit 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] for updates of worldwide actions and protests.