World Globalisation

Globalisation news.

Storm the Banks

Climate Rush activists gathered outside RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), Thursday 5th March to protest the incredible multi million pound pay out to Fred (the shred) Goodwin, former RBS Chief Executive, and more importantly, the banks continuing role in funding the climate changing industries of coal, gas and oil. Posting the largest losses in British corporate history, RBS lost £24.1 billion in 2008 and has since had billions of pounds of taxpayers' money pumped into it. Already the largest bailout to date, the government has agreed to inject a further £13 billion on top of the £20 billion already given, and to make a further £6 billion available. While the tax payer now owns at least 70% of its shares, the bank continues to operate as a private company,

On the same day as the Climate Rush demo outside RBS, the Bank of England reduced the base interest rate to 0.5% and announced the printing of £100 billion pounds of new cash to inject into the stalled economy. Next month, the G20 leaders (G22 to be more precise) will arrive in London to discuss further ways to get the poor to bail out the rich. Various groups are mobilizing to protest against the summit which the police are co-promoting as part of a 'summer of rage'.

The G20 Meltdown group say they're going to reclaim the City, 'thrusting into the very belly of the beast', with a four pronged assault on the Bank of England at noon on 1st April. That afternoon, as part of a series of actions leading up to the COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen, the Camp for Climate Action aim to expose how the discredited market mechanisms are being sold as a solution to climate change and are planning a climate camp in the city close the the Carbon Trading Exchange.

Eviction of Danish Social Centre Fuels Anger Across Europe

01-03-2007 23:33 | Free Spaces | Globalisation | Repression | World

The occupied house in Copenhagen, Denmark named 'Ungdomshuset' has functioned as a very important political and social cultural centre since 1982. It had been involved in a long political and legal battle for its existance. But yesterday morning at around 7am Danish police made an end to this by entering the roof of the building using a helicopter and start an unannouced full scale eviction. Riot-police sealed off nearby streets quickly and attacked the building using teargas. As the whole area was closed off, so documenting the action and police-behaviour was difficult. Some witnesses say that teargas and police violence was plentiful, although the eviction happened swiftly and according to police in a "relatively calm manner".

At the moment everything is but calm. Over 1000 people are reported to be back onto the streets last night and (burning) barricades blocked off some major roads in the city. Some people have been admitted to hospital. Riots have continued throughout the day and night and solidarity actions spontaniosly broke out in cities across europe: Berlin (300+), Köln, Hamburg (700+), München, Karlsruhe, Göttingen, Frankfurt, Bremen (300+), Magdeburg, Hannover, Vienna, Heidelberg, Gothenburg, Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm (100+), Flensburg, Marburg, Potsdam and Leipzig. Over the next few days many more demonstrations and actions are planned and Danish activists have called for people to make Saturday 3rd March an international day of action. Danish police have started to draft in re-inforcements from all over the country and many more activists are set to arrive in the capital in the coming days. Total arrested: 600+

Timeline: Thu 1st March | Fri 2nd March | Sat 3rd March
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Video Gallery
Constant updates: From Modkraft.dk (Eng)

Articles: Ungdomshuset evicted - Protests everywhere! | Pics of the brutal eviction of Ungdomshuset, Denmark | Police evicts social centre 'Ungdomshuset' in Copenhagen | Call Ungdomshuset Solidarity Demo Friday London [Report] | Ruths facistpolice clears the Youthhouse in Copenhagen!! (Video) | Protest against police raids | Ungdomshuset solidarity in Warsaw | Mailstorm for Ungdomshuset in Denmark | Ungdomshuset - demolition work has started | We’re Heartbroken and Furious! A report from Copenhagen, and call-out for action | Sat 10th: Pics Solidarity Demo in London [Video] | Berlin: 3000 on Ungdomshuset-soli-demonstration. Riots.

Other coverage: Indymedia Denmark | Indymedia Germany | modkraft.dk

The WSF and Opposition to the WEF

06-02-2007 20:49 | Globalisation | Social Struggles | World

From 20th till 25th of January 2007 the World Social Forum (WSF) took place in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the seventh Forum which coincides in opposition to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos Switzerland.

Up to a 100 000 participants were reported at the WSF though criticism of exclusivity because of high entrance fees was raised from the local population. (The impact of the WSF on the people of Kibera: "a Failure" | Kibera fails poor). This lead to the local population storming the entrance and the overpriced catering: What happened in Nairobi .

Sarah Choukah has written that the WSF "failed to address in an articulate way one of the main global issues: today’s ongoing wars in the Middle East and Central Asia".

On Monday evening, the Indymedia Radio station was robbed by armed gunmen taking as much equipment as they could carry (audio).

Newswire Reports: [ The Wider SF movement | What's hot and What's Not | WSF A Rolling Carnival of Resistance | WSF marches against EPA | March through Nairobi ]

Meanwhile in the Northern Hemisphere, activists were marching and mobilising against the WEF in Davos, Switzerland. Further reports: Switzerland IMC (German | Italian), IMC Netherlands

Crucial Evidence 'Mislaid' in Genoa G8 Diaz Trial

18-01-2007 14:01 | Genoa | Globalisation | Repression | World

On Wednesday, 17 January 2007, it emerged that important evidence against the police officers who raided the Diaz school has been 'mislaid' by the police. The evidence concerned is two 'Molotov cocktails' which were supposedly found during the raid back in 2001, and were then used by police to justify the raid. It later transpired that they had in fact been planted in the Diaz building by police. The two bottles should have been produced in court yesterday during the questioning of police officer Donnini, who was in charge of the unit that transported the bottles.

On Thursday the 19th, however, Judge Barroni said the trial will continue with other evidence as the search for the missing evidence progresses [See missing Molotovs update]. All other charges against the various high-ranking police officers still stand.

Links: Witnesses Give Evidence in Genoa Diaz Trial | G8: Genoa: Police on Trial for Brutal Diaz Raid | Police, Lies, and Video Tape | UK IMC Genova Topicpage

Indymedia journalist shot dead by paramilitary during protest in Oaxaca, Mexico

'William Bradley Roland, also known as Brad Will, 36, a documentary filmmaker and reporter for Indymedia New York in Mexico, Bolivia and Brazil, died today of a gunshot to the chest when pro-government attackers opened fire on a barricade in the neighborhood of Santa Lucia El Camino, on the outskirts of Oaxaca, Mexico. He died with his video camera in his hands.' (source: Narconews) Read NYC-Indymedia statement and a Call to all independent journalists to support the struggle in Oaxaca.

Call to Protest Outside Mexican Embassy in London, Monday 30th October 5pm

Brad had been in Oaxaca taking video and reporting on the state wide popular uprising and teacher strike that began in June with the violent attempted removal of the striking teachers from their encampment in the centre of Oaxaca City by federal police forces. 3 others were also killed alongside him (making 4 dead in total); 1 member of Radio Universidad was also injured: he was taken to the hospital in a volkswagen van as police would not let any ambulances come.

Since the beginning of the strike in June, teachers and other groups have formed the APPO - the Popular Assembly of the Oaxacan People - and have called for the removal of the governor of state Ulises Ruiz of the PRI. There is a long history of Mexico using government sponsored paramilitaries to repress social movements, including a massacre of hundreds of students in Mexico City in 1968. As reports of protesters surrounded by armed government forces and police continue to pour in, activists in cities around the world are planning protests at Mexican embassies and in cyberspace in outcry against the violent aggression against the people of Oaxaca.

Breaking News and Latest Updates: APPO Radio Live Broadcast (Sp> | Live Radio Transcript (Eng)

More updates: New York Indymedia (EN) | CMI Mexico (ES)

Camping Against G8 And For Something Completely Different.

13-08-2006 11:41 | Globalisation | World

“Camp Inski”, the preparation and information camp for the forthcoming G8 summit in Germany, took place from August 4th-14th in North East Germany. Somewhat less than one year before the G8-summit, autonomously organized resistance meets and plots for several days(en) in close proximity to the future summit location in the nearby town of Heiligendamm. Numbers are difficult to guess – several reports speak of more than 500 while others say many more came during the week. The workshops ranged from meetings about mobilisation, blockades and bike caravans to general questions of resistance and social movements.

While discussing and organizing next year's protest, various actions took place showing the wide range of activities started by the camp, including going from door to door in nearby villages and towns to inform residents of the future protests. A villa was occupied in opposition to the commercialisation of the increasingly posh seaside resort. An anti-racist demonstration (Video: 1 | 2 ) was held in the nearby city of Rostock. On friday hundreds of activists gathered at the beach outside summit venue(en), on saturday protest closed down an exhibition of the nazi artist Arno Breker while activists protested at a GMO field nearby the camp.

Video (de): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
Pictures and Reports (de): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (en) | 6 (en) | 7 | 8 (en)
Camp Website: http://camp06.org

Websites about G8 2007: dissentnetwork.org (de) | g8-2007.de | gipfelsoli.org

G8 Summit 2006. St. Petersburg, Russia

10-07-2006 14:24 | G8 Russia 2006 | Globalisation | World

From July 15th to 17th the G8 met in Strelna, a suburb of St.Petersburg, Russia.

While the situation for protest in Russia is very different (Interview) from what it was in the UK during the G8 in Gleneagles, the Russian "Network against the G8" called for protests against the summit and invited people from around the world to come to Russia. A cycle caravan that departed from Berlin arrived at St.Petersburg well ahead of the protests [reports and photos] A Libertarian Forum also took place in Moscow from the 8 to the 12 of July as a build up event for the protests in St. Petersburg. [Reports: first and second days]

On the 14th of July there was a call for a Global Day of Action, when protests against the neo-liberal politics of the G8 took place worldwide [Summary of global protests] These included planned actions in Washington, Manchester, Berlin, Hamburg, and Manila. Environmental groups also called for an International Day of Direct Action on July 15th for climate justice, against climate change and the G8. See the protest calendar for further details.

At the same time as the G8 summit took place, protesters gathered around the Social Forum in St. Petersburg, and in a convergence centre in the Kirov stadium (with an autonomous space within it). A counter summit called Forum des Peuples was also held in Mali from 15th-17th July.

For the latest reports and updates click at the "Full article" link above, and check out IMC-Russia (multilingual)

Worldwide Anti-War Protests: March 18th Reports

Saturday 18th March was an International Day of Mobilisation against the war and occupation in Iraq, marking the three year anniversary of the war (see call from WSF Assembly of the Movements). Over the weekend of the 18th hundreds of demonstrations took place throughout the world demanding to end to the occupation of Iraq, and protesting against a possible attack on Iran.

In London, the Stop The War coalition said 80 - 100,000 people marched through the streets, however as usual there was disagreement over numbers with the police saying the turnout was as low as 15,000 (a figure which was then printed in mainstream media across the world). See reports and pictures from London [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]. The march sparked some personal commentary about the day and the tactics [ Brian B | riot act | Jo Wilding ]. Locally protests also took place in Glasgow, Newcastle and Dublin.

In the Arab world, demonstrations took place in Basra and the Syrian capital Damascus. Smaller ones took place in Beirut, Cairo and other Arab cities. In the Tunisian city of Sfax, police stormed into a crowd of about 3,000 people and beat them with batons and truncheons, injuring at least 20.

Witnesses Give Evidence in Genoa Diaz Trial

05-02-2006 16:00 | Genoa | Globalisation | Repression | World

On 25th January the last out of eight British witnesses (and one from New Zealand) gave their testimonies about the bloody night time raid of the Genoa Social Forum and Diaz schools in Genoa during the 2001 G8 Protests. The trial of 29 police officers (including many senior ones) for various crimes of brutality and fabricating evidence has been running now since April 2005. The first witnesses gave evidence just over three months ago and it's expected that this phase of the trial will last until the early summer. In the raid on the Diaz school over 90 people were arrested. Over 60 people suffered injuries after police savagely beat people, some still in their sleeping bags - 31 people were taken to hospital, three of them in a critical state. Some are still receiving medical treatment. Running in parallel is also the trial of yet more police and others accused of beating protestors who were held at the Bolzanetto detention centre after the protests and the raid.

Meanwhile in Switzerland the trial of policemen accused of cutting the climbing rope of Martin Shaw during the Evian 2004 G8 protests will take place in Nyon on 13th-15th February, with several events focusing on G8 and repression taking place alongside (for more see www.aubonnebridge.net). February 4th saw an Activist Trauma Network Gathering in London. The network was formed as a positive response to repression, to provide support and advice.

Stop the UN's Plans for a New Massacre in Haiti

13-01-2006 21:36 | Globalisation | Repression | World

Reports from Aaron Lakoff and Leslie Bragg on the situation in Haiti in the run up to the Elections .

Urgent Action Alert from the Haiti Action Committee As UN's Brazilian commander is found shot dead on his hotel balcony…New UN massacres in Cite Soleil could come any day now. Be on the alert. The situation in Haiti is dangerous and moving fast. There is the realistic fear that a repeat of the massacre which left 23 dead in July 2005 is imminent.

For background on the UN Massacre in July 2005.

Read a report from political prisoner So Anne Auguste, a Haitian folk singer imprisoned since the UN Massacres July 05.

Read about the UN oppression of the people of Cite Soley.

Listen to an audio report from Cite Soley of relatives of people murdered this week by the Ministuh.

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