London Globalisation

28-11-2006 01:00 | 2 additions | 2 comments

Buy Nothing Day 2006

First suggested by Canadian artist Ted Dave in the early 90's, Buy Nothing Day has become an annual global event. Using Direct action and culture jamming, activists use this day to challenge consumerism and capitalist way of life.

This year, on 25 November, the Space Hijackers decided to resurrect one of their favourite projects: the half-price sale". Many actions and activities took place in Bath, Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford, Redditch and York.

09-10-2006 23:14

'i' the film - screening tour

Touring the UK this week, 'i' the film expands on the explosive prequel, "Eye of the Storm" and examines the relationship between media and power as manifest by the worlds largest all volunteer network of media activists - Indymedia.

Tue Oct 10 - London - RampART - 15-17 Rampart St (starts 8pm)
Wed Oct 11 - Brighton - The Cowley Club - 12 London Road
Thu Oct 12 - Nottingham - The Sumac Centre - 245 Gladstone Street, 7.30pm (read article | report and audio from screening)
Sat Oct 14 - Glasgow - Document 4 Intl. Human Rights Film Festival
Sun Oct 15 - Edinburgh - Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Terrace, 7pm
Mon Oct 16 - Edinburgh - Forest Café, 3 Bristo Place, 7.30 pm

28-04-2006 18:28 | 1 addition | 8 comments

Mayday Weekend 2006

Monday May the 1st saw the culmination of the MayDay weekend 2006. A series of demonstrations and protests took place all over the UK and beyond. In London up to 4000 people marched from Clerkenwell Green to Trafalgar square in the traditional TUC march. One of the largest blocs of the march was the Autonomous Bloc which consisted of up to 800 people, marching on the issues of precarity and migration. Meanwhile, the Space Hijackers were having a 'police victory party' outside the Bank of England [Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4]

The march went off peacefully until the Autonomous bloc tried to bring its soundsystem into Trafalgar Square to be used as an open microphone for speeches and discussion. At that point police snatched the pedal powered soundsystem from the crowd and prevented the Autonomous Bloc from assembling in the square. It was not until the march finished that the soundsystem was given back. Whilst this was taking place thousands of people listened to speeches at the rally in Trafalgar Square. After 4pm, people dispersed.

See: Timeline of Events | London Roundup | Eyewitness Account
Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
Audio: 1 | 2 | Videos: 1 | 2

Other May Day demonstrations and protests around Britain included:

A Workers Memorial Day demonstration in London to commemorate those people who have been killed at work. In Manchester, a Chaos Mass bike ride took place, as well as a May Day march, an anti-nuclear demonstration [Video] to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, and a picnic against capitalism. A march [more] also took place in Cambridge against the privatisation of public services, as well as an 'Extra tea for mayday' action where activists visited ASDA to give extra tea breaks to the workers forced to work on Mayday.

In Newcastle a contingent from Tyneside Community Action for Refugees marched demanding the right to work for refugees and asylum seekers, in Liverpool the Merseyside May Day celebrations included a march and a rally in Princes Park, and in Nottingham a march and rally [more] also took place. In Scotland there was the traditional May Day march and rally in Edinburgh, and a MayDay parade in Glasgow.

For reports of the massive demonstrations in the US and the several Euro MayDay Parades in Europe, as well as the full UK's Mayday 06 events listing click at the 'Full Article' link on top.

02-12-2005 22:11 | 2 additions | 2 comments

No to Air Expansion As Climate Issue Hots Up

A coalition of eco-activists, climate change campaigners and local airport residents demonstrated in London outside the gala dinner of the the world's largest aviation industry conference on Tuesday 29th November. The area was heavily policed with mounted officers and dogs and pedestrian access to Tower Bridge bridge restricted. Aviation delegates arriving at London's Tower Bridge Walkways were greeted with a noisy protest and a brief attempt to block the route of delegate coaches was made.

Reports, pictures and video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | video | Cambridge | Edinburgh | Australia

Earlier in the day it was reported that Earth First activists distrupted the aviation conference [report]. The campaigners were opposing plans to expand runways and drawing attention to the fact that aviation is one of the fastest growing cause of climate change. The actions also coincided with the begining of the UN Kyoto "COP 11 / MOP 1" Climate Conference in Montreal, Canada, which runs until 9th December [Official website | Climate Justice Convergence Centre | Climate Justice Blog]

On the same day Tony Blair's 'pro-nuclear' energy review speech was also disrupted by Greenpeace activists at the annual CBI conference [GP report | earlier Downing St. 'coal' blockade report]. Campaigners are now preparing for the International Day of Climate Protest this Saturday, 3rd December, with climate demonstrations planned in over 30 countries - see UK Details | International Info. A late summer Climate Action Camp for 2006 has also been recently announced.

Also see: Climate Change IMC | IMC SouthCoast Runway to Ruin Feature (Nov 05)
Indymedia Pre-G8 2005 Climate Change Resources + Reports |
SchNEWS on Nuclear Power Craze | PlanetStupid | Stop Climate Chaos Coalition | Pledge To Take Action Against Airport Expansion | Raised Voices: Climate Testimonies | Heathrow's Third Runway challenged by villagers

Read more >>

09-04-2005 14:21

Week of Action Against Iraq Pillage

The first days of April were designated as a 'Week of action against the corporate pillage of Iraq' by a group known as the Corporate Pirates.

The week kicked off with an April Fool's Pro-Pillage party outside the offices of Windrush Communications, organiser of the Iraq Procurement Conferences. Around eighty people turned up in pirate costume to protest against the corporate piracy of Windrush. Reports: [1 | 2] Pictures: [1 | 2 | 3].

During the following days, a wide variety of events unfolded. These included: a training for Non-Violent Direct Action, an open meeting that included speakers from Iraq, a candlelit vigil outside the Windrush Offices, an attempt to disrupt the news broadcast announcements of the election with an anti-war message, a creative forum at the Rampart Social Centre, and on Wednesday 6th activists ended the week of action with a protest bading farewell to Windrush Communications.

Full report and Background information here.

10-03-2005 01:01 | 3 comments

Protests At G8 Ministerial Meetings

Derby G8 Protests Go Ahead Amidst Massive Policing Operation

March 17th: Despite extraordinary measures approved by the Home Secretary to Ban all Marches in Derby [see pics of orders] and set up exclusion zones, the Derby G8 protests went ahead. A Critical Mass bicycle protest took place in the morning with around 40 people taking part - police arrested 12 cyclists [see pics], who were released on bail that night, however their bicycles have been kept 'as evidence'. Later amidst a militarised Derby with riot police [pics] stationed across the city, and several police surveillance units filming protestors, around 100 people gathered in the Town Square to protest against the G8.

See: Breaking News Reports from Derby M17 Protests
Pics: Bush + Blair Pied + General Photos
Pics: G8: Derby M17 Picture Collection
Pics: Derby Photo Report PtII
Friends of the Earth Interview at Derby M17

In the run up to the this summer's July G8 Summit in Gleneagles (Scotland), ministers from the eight more powerul economies have been holding 'mini-summits' around the country.

14-15th March: Coinciding with the International Energy and Environment Ministers' Roundtable meeting in London (see DEFRA link) a Climate Change Noise Protest was held on Tuesday 15th. Amidst heavy police security there were two arrests - including one person who was filming and whose film was seized. See Reports 1 | 2 | 3 and Pictures.

11th March: While the Employment Ministers of the G8 nations were meeting in London, activists staged a protest outside the Department of Trade and Industry and other locations [see report and pics 1 | 2 | 3]. Also see www.nodeal.org.uk for background and press release.

On Monday an Alternative Summit for Climate Justice called Moving Beyond the Greenwash was also held in London.

Other planned G8 Ministerial meetings include the G8 Finance Ministers in London (June 10-11th), the G8 Justice & Interior Ministers in Sheffield (June 16-17th), and the G8 Pre-Summit Foreign Ministers meeting in London (23rd June). For more protests and events follow the 'read more' link...

25-02-2005 10:23 | 8 comments

Iraq-pillagers continue to be targetted

Thanks to the Coalition Provisional Authority's Order 39 the occupation of Iraq has coincided with a mass selling-off of Iraq's public assets. Here in the UK there has been an ongoing campaign opposing this process; a process which amounts in international law to the illegal pillage of Iraq. Read more >>

05-02-2005 20:36

G7 Finance Leaders Get Noisy Welcome as Thousands Protest

As the G7 Finance Ministers met for dinner at Lancaster House in London on Friday 4th February, activists greeted them with a noisy protest. A giant 'Drop the Debt' digital counter recorded the number of children around the world who die needlessly as a result of poverty (at a rate of one child every three seconds). See report and pics | report 2.

The day before on Feb 3rd, tens of thousands of people gathered in Trafalgar Square to demand the elimination of world poverty. Nelson Mandela delivered the keynote speech where he called for millions of people to carry the message of ending poverty to the G8 Summit in Scotland in July, saying: "Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom. Of course the task will not be easy. But not to do this would be a crime against humanity, against which I ask all humanity now to rise up.". See report, pics, speech in full and comments. [MP3 Audio: hear speech in fullPart 1, Part 2] [Oxfam video]

Just days before, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, at the World Social Forum 2005, the Call from the Assembly of the Social Movements pledged to take to the streets in mass mobilisations against the G8 Summit, while the Caracol Intergalaktika, the WSF International Youth Camp, called for mass resistance against the G8 and other summits taking place this year, including the IMF / World bank, FTAA and WTO.

See also: G7 Report - the G7 has no intention of cancelling the debt
SchNEWS on the G7 Finance Ministers' Meeting
Report on Church launch of Make Poverty History (Jan 29)
Read more >>

04-02-2005 13:10 | 1 comment

Positive Global Movements: Can we reclaim globalisation?

Globalisation, in the hands of the corporations, is a means of colonising the new territories opened up by communication technology. In the hand of the people, it can be a medium to unite and put to work new global laws that preserve the livelihood of the people instead of securing profit for inhuman corporations.

Can the achievements of the Venezuelan people, who have taken up the challenge of being a fundamental block in the future of their country, be aided by the international community from USA intervention?

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/01/304536.html

Can we stop the government of the most powerful country in the world from destroying the planet in its mad rush to keep its standard of living based on consumption?

Can alternative media finally have similar influence in building consensus with the population as opposed to the corporate media which imposes the bias of power seekers?

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/01/304573.html

Can people unite and defeat the doom of this civilisation by corporative power greed?
As the women in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh did when they revolted against government supply of liquor to their villages. When Women Unite film www.rampart.co.nr (movements in motion Indian film festival).

These questions are being debated in the 6 days exhibition and film forums 'Positive Global Movements' from the 6th to the 12th of February at Rampart Creative Social Centre www.rampart.co.nr

Read more >>

08-12-2004 18:16

No-Sweat: Hijacking The Brands

On sunday 28 of November, there was a curious demonstration at the finish line of the Nike Run London Race at London's Surrey Quays, as various space-hijackers, culture jammers and No Sweat campaigners came together to engage in a spot of coporate image sabotage.

After spending an afternoon painting banners and customising clothing with Nike swooshes, the anti-corporate activists set off for the event. As the estimated 30,000 runners were arriving at the end of the race, the protesters stood next to the finish line whilst holding banners that read "Sweatshops ROCK!", "Child Labour is good for the economy!", "We need little hands to do the small stiching" and "Brand Your Kids". Another protester set up his very own Sweatshop, selling a spoof Nike perfume "Sweat".

The Nike organisers were getting suitably annoyed by the protests, but there was little they could do as the finish line was in a public park, and as such it was public not private property. Read full report and photos.

For more in depth info on Nike see NoSweat briefing.

London Globalisation Feature Archive >>