uk.indymedia.org Sheffield features

Coal On Hold - Derbyshire Coal Mine Site Occupied

Notts IMC — 2008-06-18T09:12+02:00

Update: 03/08/2008 - Although the court has ordered an eviction of the squat, it is still there! Come and support! Read this feature article for more info: Derbyshire Opencast Mine Squatters: Eviction Imminent

On 18th June, climate campaigners from ‘Leave it in the Ground’ 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 secured themselves in the Prospect Farm building, on the site which is about to be devastated by huge machines. Food and supplies have 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 have claimed squatter’s rights.

Callout: Open Cast Coal site request for help

Newswire: Anniversary of the first week at Shipley Bodge | A visit to the Opencast Squat (photos) | Shipley Bodge squatted coal site recieves papers | Lodge House open cast mine site occupied | Climate change protestors occupy Derbyshire open cast site | Noise Demo at UK Coal Head Office Protest

Recent Features: Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted | Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site

Binyam Mohamed — the last UK resident in Guantánamo Bay — threatened with death penalty

imc-sheffield — 2008-06-14T20:02+02:00

The 11th June Sheffield Guantánamo 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 Reprieve organised a protest in Trafalgar Square which took place on Sunday 15th June to highlight the suffering of Binyam Mohamed. The London Guantánamo Campaign are asking for urgent action to be taken for Binyam Mohamed.

Articles: Urgent appeal for British resident Binyam Mohamed, “close to suicide” in Guantánamo | Guantánamo: Torture victim Binyam Mohamed sues British government for evidence | Binyam Mohamed’s letter from Guantánamo to Gordon Brown | Meeting Report: Binyam Mohamed: The Last Londoner in Guantánamo Bay | Take URGENT ACTION for Binyam Mohamed! | New report details torture of Guantánamo prisoner Binyam Mohamed | Guantanamo bay / Binyam Mohamed Protest, London 15.06.08
Links: Cageprisoners.com | The National Guantanamo Coalition | Reprieve | Andy Worthington

Leave it in the Ground: Drax Coal Train Halted

imc-uk-features — 2008-06-13T12:55+02:00

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. After a number of hours, police began evicting the protestors. 29 arrests were reported.

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 2°C 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 | 2
Reports: 1 | 2
Links: The Coal Hole | Climate Camp

Campaigners Trespass on Proposed Coal Mine Site

Notts Indymedia Features — 2008-05-28T21:52+02:00

Around 70 people had set of to travel on a bank holiday Monday which is no easy task as public transport has a natural tendency not to run or has a limited service on bank holidays, for a picnic in a remote part of Derbyshire. The weather reports had all predicted thundery showers for the day, which seems to be normal for a bank holiday outing, but this did not seem to deter the people who had gathered at the visitors centre at Shipley Country Park, Heanor Derbyshire.

The event had been organised by a new campaign group called Leave it in the Ground and Earth First! to oppose new and existing open cast mining in the UK and solidarity to international groups who are having their lives and land trashed in places like Phulbari, Bangladesh by British company GMC Resources PLC.

Upcoming: Noise demo against imminent open cast coal mine 9th June

Audio: as featured in #5 the June Show ~ Riseup! Radio

Newswire: Leave it in the Ground’s Picnic in the Park trespass report | Trespassers oppose coal mine plan | Leave it in the Ground! - 26th May open-cast coal mass trespass and picnic | New website: Leave it in the Ground

Sheffield military recruitment centre blockaded

imc-sheffield — 2008-02-18T20:31+02:00

On Friday 15th Feburary protestors from the Sheffield Activist Network (SAN) blockaded the city's military recruitment centre on Church Street [ photos | video ]. The protest was to mark the 5th anniversary of the 2003 F15 protests against war with Iraq.

The BBC has reported that two activists were remanded into custody on Saturday and a third was due in court on Monday.

Other recent Sheffield protests against war include invasion of a lecture on aerial warfare and the disruption of arms dealers at a careers fair.

Midlands and Yorkshire organise against the BNP

Notts IMC — 2008-01-21T10:33+02:00

On Saturday, activists from across the Midlands and Yorkshire met in Nottingham to co-ordinate activities against the British National Party (BNP).

Around 100 campaigners met at the Queen's Walk Community Centre in the city for a conference organised by Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP.

Participants discussed the ways in which the BNP could be opposed, the formation of a regional anti-fascist network and the possibility of protests against the BNP's Red, White and Blue Festival.

Links: Midlands and South Yorks Activists Organise Against Racist BNP | Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP Event : Leaflet PDF

Newswire: Stop the BNP in Brinsley gains ground | Broxtowe BNP Councillor Expelled From Party | BNP threaten anti-fascist leafletters in Brinsley | Anti-fascists successfully blockade BNP meeting venue

"Dignity Not Detention" March on Lindholme

imc-sheffield — 2007-10-25T23:19+02:00

The "Dignity Not Detention" 3 day march on Lindholme started on Friday 26th October with a demonstration outside the Home Office in Sheffield, and a march, via the Town Hall [photos] to Ellesmere Green, Burngreave [photos]. They stayed the night in Rotherham and spent Saturday marching to Doncaster. On Sunday 28th the march arrived at Lindholme where about 70 people demonstrated solidarity with detainees and called for the centre to be shut down.

Oaxaca Benefit Shut Down by the Police

IMC Sheffield — 2007-10-04T21:29+02:00

A benefit gig and party put on by the Sheffield Anarchist Federation to raise money for Oaxacan autonomous organisations was raided and closed down by the police on Saturday 29th September.

"From 3:00 til about 8:30 everything was going well. Plenty of people had turned up, we had raised quite a bit of money and people were generally having a good time... At around nine, the police turned up. At first, we were only met with a couple of bobbies on the beat. They told us to turn the music down and that they didn't want to have to come back to tell us again. We complied with this order. A short while later they returned, this time they cited breach of the peace and noise complaints from local residents. At this point we were given no legal warning and shown no noise abatement order... At this point TSG arrived. The officer arriving on the scene demanded two spokespeople from the organisers to negotiate a de-escualtion of the situation. Two spokespeople were mandated and let outside of the property. The negotiation was a complete farce. The officer had no interest in an open dialogue, he ordered that the soundsystem be removed from the premises within ten minutes and when the spokespeople refused to give out their personal details repeatedly threatened them with arrest." See the full report for more details and photos.

Save Pegah Emambakhsh from British Prison and Iranian Lashes

IMC Sheffield — 2007-08-24T13:17+02:00

An international campaign to prevent the UK government deporting Pegah Emambakhsh to Iran, where she fears persecution, for being a lesbian, has so far succeeded in getting her deportation delayed.

Pegah sought asylum in the UK in 2005, her claim failed despite appeals, and she was arrested in Sheffield on Monday 13th August and is being detained in Yarlswood detention centre.

Her case has been taken up by the Iranian Queer Organization, who have said: "If she is going to be returned to Iran, there is much of possibility that she, due to her sexual orientation and her past life in Iran, will be sentenced to death, or, in a most optimistic view, be prosecuted and tortured in some of the ways that are all common among Iran's religious officials when having made the decision to chastise the so called 'corrupted' citizens.".

The global anti-deportation campaign, which has included approaches to the British ambassador in Rome and the Deputy Consul General in San Francisco has resulted in her case getting coverage in the local media, the Iranian media and the gay press [ 1 | 2 ] around the world. However there has been no coverage of her case in the mainstream media in the UK but it has made the TV news been in and la Repubblica in Italy.

Pegah now has excellent legal representation and support from Outrage!. Suggestions of ways to protest against her deportation include contacting the Home Office and signing a petition.

Articles: Urgent help needed to save the life of Pegah Emambakhsh | Appeal for the life of Pegah Emambakhsh | Pegah Emambakhsh Must Stay | British Ambassador promises: "We will not deport Pegah Emambakhsh" | Who wants Pegah’s Blood? | Urgent! - Save Pegah From Death. Don't Alow That Pegah Goes Up On The Airplane | Lesbian facing Deportation to Iran needs your Support | URGENT: Don't Deport Pegah Emambakhsh

Two arrested at the annual 'Independence From America' protest

IMC Sheffield — 2007-07-07T17:35+02:00

The Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases' (CAAB) annual Independence From America demonstration at NSA Menwith Hill was the first where protestors were not allowed to circumnavigate the base due to a Section 12 order. There were two arrests, one for wearing a shirt with the word "fuck" on it and the second for arguing against the arrest. The rally at the start was addressed by Alan Bennett and Mark Steel and the marchers from Footprints for Peace [ 1 | 2 ]. A Declaration of Independence was read out, "we... do solemnly demand the return of the land, once within the boundaries of the ancient townships of Birstwith, Felliscliffe, Norwood and Menwith, now occupied by the United States National Security Agency and their military forces.". There was a heavy police presence, food was provided by Veggies and Yorkshire CND had a stall.

Report | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 | 2006 Feature

A Taste Of Things To Come

Notts IMC — 2007-07-07T00:01+02:00

Over three weeks ago, the government's chief scientist warned that for the UK, flash floods were likely to be the biggest immediate problem caused by global warming. David King told a committee of MPs that the country would have to prepare for extreme weather such as heatwaves and "torrential downpours". Two weeks later, large areas are counting the cost of the worst flooding this country has seen for over 50 years. The floods have left seven people dead and over 40,000 homes damaged. The army was mobilised to help with emergency efforts as two more rivers broke their banks and water continued to rise. Experts agree that the severe storms and flooding will become more frequent as temperatures rise.

Photos: Did Climate Change Cause Floods around Nottinghamshire? Pictures 1 | Pictures 2 | 25th June 2007: Sheffield Floods

Other Articles: Wet and wild, a taste of things to come | Floods hit York | Climate Chaos - read (and weep) all about it | Sheffield: 'Cut the Carbon' Cyclecade | A new weather Front

Peace in the Park 2007

imc-sheffield — 2007-05-31T21:17+02:00

This years Peace in the Park festival was a great success with a large turnout, on a nice warm day, there were lots of bands and political stalls. Money was raised for Sheffield Assist and Stepping Stones Nigeria.

Peace in the Park came out of the massive anti-war movement in Sheffield that grew in response to the "war on terror" and the Anglo-American occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Photos: 1 | 2 | Audio

Previous festivals: 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

Sheffield: Palestine Solidarity Protests

imc-sheffield — 2007-05-14T19:57+02:00

The northern branches of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a series of events in Sheffield on 12 May, 2007, in what was described as the biggest Palestinian solidarity event outside London for many years, calling for an end to 40 years of Israeli occupation and for justice in Palestine. The day's events included a march and rally, a mock-up of a checkpoint, food, dancing and a photo exhibition. Sheffield Live! have a report on their site and a audio compilation (MP3 | 36 MB | 41:57 min) from the day.

Reports and photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Links: Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign | Palestine Solidarity Campaign | Enough Coalition | Palestine topic page

Sheffield Mayday

imc-sheffield — 2007-05-03T09:21+02:00

Striking civil servants joined other protestors to march through the city centre on 1st May 2007. The Mayday protest was called by the Sheffield Trade Council, NUJ and Sheffield Keep Our NHS Public.

Elsewhere in Europe the precarious took to the streets and on Monday 7th May the Chesterfield Mayday march and rally took place. See the Mayday 2007 page for reports from across the UK.

Save ESOL: Speak out because I can't

imc-sheffield — 2007-04-23T18:57+02:00

On 21st April 2007, protestors marched through the city centre to oppose the Government proposals to cut the provisions of free ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes.

At the moment, some ESOL classes are free to those on benefits, and can be accessed by asylum seekers and newly arrived refugees and others, such as migrant workers, who have an immediate need to begin learning English in order to manage their daily life-not to mention dealing with the bureaucracy of the Home Office, JobCentre, and other organisations.

Food Not Bombs had a stall in Bakers Pool and fed many of the protestors.

Photos | Report