UK Palestine Feature Archive
Summer 2012 antimilitarist actions
27-04-2012 20:16
The UK antimilitarist movement is building fresh coalitions against new developments in state militarism. In March activists converged in Bristol to confront an unmanned drones conference and a ‘Disarm the National Gallery’ campaign was launched in London to end arms trade sponsorship of the gallery. This week delegates visiting the annual Counter-Terror conference were met by a counter-protest and Vince Cable's speech at the UKTI conference was disrupted.
Smash EDO, who have campaigned to shut EDO MBM down for eight years are launching three months of action, from May 1st to August 1st, next week with a mayday noise demonstration, a bad music demonstration and a phone and twitter blockade to name just a few of the planned events.
And in Scotland, Faslane peace camp are calling for 30 days of action against Faslane nuclear base.
On the newswire: Vince Cable's speech to Arms Industry disrupted | Protest & Vigil At Shenstone Drones Factory | Smash Edo reports | Anti-militarism topic
Links: Stop The Arms Fair | Disarm DSEi | Space Hijackers | Smash EDO | CAAT | London CAAT
Smash EDO Summer of resistance reports: Picket of Barclays - 27/4/12| A few words on sensationalist journalism, protest bans and the local rag| The Summer of Resistance starts here| Mayday! Mayday! The Summer of Resistance Day One| Day Two: Face the Music| Day Three: Hot on the Wire| Day Four: Surprise! Surprise!| Smash EDO Summer of Resistance Week Two begins| Bikes not Bombs: Smash EDO Summer of Resistance hits the Pedals| Ratchet up the Racket: Summer of Resistance Continues| Summer of Resistance Targets Barclays
Full article | 2 additions | 1 comment
RIP: Simon Levin 1974 - 2011
06-07-2011 02:51
Friends and family will gather in Brighton on Thursday 7th July to celebrate the life of Brightonian activist, Simon Levin. who passed away on Friday 24th June, aged 36.
Simon was an enthusiastic supporter of the Palestinian struggle for justice, and travelled to Palestine where he spent some months in the Balata refugee camp outside Nablus. He returned several times with the Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity Group and in 2008 he was involved in the building of a new school at Fasayil
Back in Britain Simon was involved in Direct Action Campaigns against Caterpillar, Agrexco and the SmashEDO camapign. He was a defendant in the Decomissioners trial where activists were acquitted for their part in smashing the EDO arms components factory during Israel's onsaught on Gaza
Friends of Simon have suggested that those who want to remember Simon go to their local arms factory, importer of Israeli goods or oppressor of workers and "do a vigil, noise demo or action. Have a beer. He would have liked that". On Monday Rossport Solidarity Camapigners dedicated their Blockade of Shell offices to Simon.
From the newswire:
Caterkiller activist defends right to protest | 5 EDO decomissioners found NOT GUILTY!!! ! RIP Simon Levin - EDO Decommissioner
Blog Posts by Simon
Jordan Valley 2008 | Resourcefulness and tenacity | Transference
Rage against the Death of Jawaher Abu Rahma
06-01-2011 11:20
“The Israeli government and its army have been for years now using the West Bank and Gaza as their testing ground. The Palestinians are their guinea pigs. The Israeli army uses tear gas that would probably be banned in any other countries in the world. They shoot tear gas, directly at protesters, once again, an illegal act. But a very rewarding one. Israel’s security industry is booming. It’s never been this good. Countries all over the world are buying Israel’s expertise in security, crowd control and weaponry every day. Israeli soldiers are training other countries commandos all over the planet”[1]
From the blog, Bil’in: A Village of Palestine, 02/01/11
On New Year's Eve 2010, whilst much of the world was celebrating, over 1,000 people demonstrated in the Palestinian village of Bil'in against Israel's encroachment on the village's land. Israeli tear gas and rubber bullets rained down on the protesters and Jawaher Abu Rahma, who was watching the demonstration from the sidelines, choked to death as the allegedly non-lethal gas enveloped the village.
CSI Palestine - more details in schNEWS 753
Links: Bil'in-village.org| Popular Struggle Coordination Committee| Corporate Watch|
SchNEWS 743: Leicester Is More
14-10-2010 21:05
A thousand EDL supporters rampaged through the streets of Leicester on Saturday (9th), attacking locals, anti-fascists and police.
On the Newswire: 1
SchNEWS 742: ITT's Hammertime
07-10-2010 18:31
Brighton's Smash EDO campaign are holding a mass demo at EDO/ITT on Wednesday 13th October. Anti arms trade campaigners plan to lay seige to EDO/ITT and shut them down for the day.
Info for the Day:: The meeting place for the demo is Wild Park Cafe (directions here) at 10am on Wednesday, but people are being asked to arrive on the evening of the 12th. Convergence space will be available. There will be a meeting about the demo at 7pm at the Cowley Club on Tuesday 12th. There will be a timeline on Indymedia and a twitter feed: @smash_edo
Local contacts for ITT's Hammertime: Birmingham - hammertime-brum [at] riseup.net | Bristol - bristolagainstarmstrade [at] gmail.com | Cambridge - hammertime-cambridge [at] riseup.net | Cardiff - val.swain [at] yahoo.co.uk | Cornwall - kernowaction [at] gmail.com | London - hammertimelondon [at] dsei.org | Manchester - info [at] targetbrimar.org.uk | Notts - alex.dable [at] ntlworld.com | Swansea - d [at] undercurrents.org
Previous features:They Think It's All Over ...ITT Is Now | Smash EDO Solidarity in Nottingham | Hammer Time: The EDO Decommissioners go on trial | Indymedia Coverage of Remember Gaza | Anti Militarists take on Barclays | Support the EDO Decommissioners | Mayday! Mayday! | EDO Smashed | Anti-Arms Protesters Shut ITT | Smash EDO Carnival Against the Arm Trade - Timeline | Carnival Against the Arms Trade | Marie Vesco RIP | On the Verge - The Film They Tried to Ban | Singers Arrested Outside Arms Factory | Smash EDO Action Camp: Shut down the Brighton bomb builders | Lebanon War protesters - Not Guilty! | EDO CORP: 2006 Alternative Report | 2007 Is The Year To Shut EDO Down | EDO MBM Injunction crumbles | EDO MBM desperate to stop protests as resistance increases | Smash EDO Take On The Law | Harassment Law Used Against Anti-War Campaigners | Campaign to Smash Edo | Arms company shut down
Links: ITT's Hammertime demo page| Smash EDO |Target Brimar| Decommisioners
SchNEWS 740: No Borders Camp, Brussels
23-09-2010 21:40
No Borders Camp 2010 in Brussels kicks off this Saturday (25th) til the 3rd October, so get yourself to the continent to make a start on creating a world where no one is illegal. Among the objectives of the camp are the denouncing of European migration policy; showing the links between this policy and the structures of capitalism and repression; the blocking of Brussels' deportation system and the organisation of an autonomous safe space for the voices of migrants and activists to be heard.
On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
In SchNEWS:1Links:www.noborderbxl.eu.org
Call for action against escalating house demolitions in Jordan Valley, Palestine
27-07-2010 12:54
Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity have called for international action to stop the house demolitions, harassment and attempted ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley.
Within days of video footage being released showing Netanyahu's stated intentions to declare the entire Jordan Valley as a closed military area,the Israeli army destroyed 26 homes in the small village of Al Farisiya.
The call for action was launched in Brighton on Tuesday, with the establishment of a Palestine Solidarity Settlement in Waitrose. Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity is calling on others to:
* Call local demonstrations against companies that sell Israeli produce, and Zionist organisations that support settlement expansion in the Jordan Valley
* Donate to the fund to rebuild the demolished houses (email brightontubas@gmail.com)
* Write to those responsible for the house demoitions
* Go to the Jordan Valley to support the local community
Full article | 1 addition | 3 comments
SchNEWS 729: They Think It's All Over ...ITT Is Now
03-07-2010 03:46
The EDO Decommissioners have all walked free after unanimous acquittals following the three week trial which concluded on Friday (2nd July) at Hove Crown Court. What began as a trial of the Decommissioners effectively ended up with the Brighton arms manufacturer, and the war crimes of the Israeli state, in the dock. Is it all over for EDO/ITT in Brighton? It might be now...
Sheffield protests against the Gaza Flotilla attack
14-06-2010 19:49
Three protests took place in Sheffield against the murderous Israeli assult on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, on 31st May, 2nd June and 5th June. On Tuesday 15th June two survivors of the attack, Alex Phillips and Osama Qashoo who were on board the Mavi Marmara spoke at a public meeting organised by the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
For previous coverage see the Sheffield Palestine topic page.
Israel kills 10+ on Free Gaza Flotilla taking aid to Gaza
08-06-2010 21:00
At 4.30am local time, armed Israeli troops boarded one of the boats in the Free Gaza Flotilla which was carrying construction supplies, medical equipment and schoolbooks to Gaza, in an attempt to break the siege which Israel imposed on Gaza over 1080 days ago.
35 UK citizens were aboard the boats, which carried activists from over 50 countries. The boats were reportedly 80 miles off the coast of Gaza, and many on the boats were said to be asleep when Israeli troops opened fire with machine guns. Many wounded have reportedly been taken to Israeli hospitals. Israel is on a media offensive claiming that its troops were attacked first. Even if it were true, they would need to explain why they were boarding a ship flying a Turkish flag in International waters.
A demo was held outside Downing Street yesterday afternoon and Stop the War had already called a demo for this afternoon at 2pm outside Downing Street.
ISM London stated that they were "horrified" by the incident but also stated that "We’re not surprised that the attacks took place in International waters, or that they were a reckless, murderous over-reaction to unarmed ships carrying medical supplies and building materials. Israel routinely meets non violent Palestinian protest with lethal violence."
On the 31st May protests were held across the country with reports coming in from London, Cambridge, Bristol, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, and Galway. In London the protest moved on from Downing Street to the Israeli Embassy, whilst in Bristol a protest was held in solidarity with Palestinians and the two Bristolians aboard the attacked convoy. In Galway a protest was held inside Marks & Spencer in protest of their support of the occupation, and in Manchester protesters attempted to storm the BBC building in protest of biased reporting.
There is also news that Israel vows to attack next Flotilla boat - possibly tomorrow
Video: Call for action from activist Caoimhe Butterly (Gaza TV News)
31st May Protests: London: 1 | 2 | 3 Cambridge: 1 | 2 | 3 Bristol: 1 Birmingham: 1 Sheffield: 1 Galway: 1 | Manchester protesters try to storm BBC
UPDATE: On Tuesday 15th June two survivors of the attack, Alex Phillips and Osama Qashoo who were on board the Mavi Marmara spoke at a public meeting in Sheffield organised by the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Nottingham responds to Gaza flotilla massacre
07-06-2010 18:05
Over 100 people gathered in Market Square on Friday June 4 to protest the killing of 9 aid workers by Israeli armed forces at the end of May. A rally was held and people marched around the square chanting. The protest's official demands included the end of Israel's blockade of Gaza, an arms embargo on Israel and government backing for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
This protest followed on from a more spontaneous demonstration the day after the killings. Demonstrators held placards aloft during a concert that was taking place in the market square.
Israel's action against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla has had particular resonance in Nottingham because a Nottingham Trent University student, Tauqir 'Tox' Sharif, was onboard the stormed flotilla ship. After some days in an Israeli prison he is due to be back in Nottingham this week.
On the newswire: Gaza flotilla demo: Nottingham | Emergency demo against Israeli piracy on the high seas | Gaza Solidarity in Nottingham
National feature: Israel kills 10+ on Free Gaza Flotilla taking aid to Gaza
Previous features: Nottingham university occupied in solidarity with Gaza | Gaza: Weekend of Protest Across the Midlands | Nottingham Responds to Gaza Massacre
Links: Free Gaza Movement | Palestine Solidarity Campaign | Notts Indymedia Palestine topic page
Full article | 1 addition | 6 comments
Hammer Time: The EDO Decommissioners go on trial
07-06-2010 17:24
After a full year and a half of one defendant being on remand in prison, numerous pre-trial hearings and several last minute postponements, the EDO decommissioners’ court case is finally kicked off on Monday. With the first date taking place exactly a week after the murderous attack on the Gaza freedom flotilla, the world has, yet again, been reminded of Israel’s continuous war crimes and much is at stake. A callout for solidarity with the decommissioners during the trial has been issued. There will be an 'If I had a hammer' themed demo in support of the decommissioners outside EDO/ITT on Wednesday 9th June between 4 and 6pm - Bring rubber and inflatable hammers. The decommissioners will be arguing that their action was taken to prevent greater crimes.
The trial comes just a few days after 9 people who attempted to decommission Raytheon in Derry during Israel's 2009 assault on Gaza were acquitted by a jury (see Ireland Indymedia and here) .
A reminder of what happened: In the early hours of 17th January 2009, during Israel's 'Operation Cast Lead' offensive against Gaza, six people broke in to the EDO/ITT weapons' components factory in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, and, allegedly, caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the production line. (see youtube for the local paper's video of some of the damage)
The six decommissioners barricaded themselves inside, and proceeded to break computers and other equipment, with the aim of preventing the factory from being able to produce weapons. The action stopped production at the facility until Israel’s bombing campaign was over.
SchNEWS: Squaring Up To 'Em
13-05-2010 19:48
This Saturday (15th) people will be protesting at various places around central London to give the new 'stable, national interest' coalition a warm welcome.
SchNEWS gives a round-up of all the events taking place over the weekend to get your action-hungry teeth stuck into.
