UK Newswire Archive
‘Rain & Fire’ – Statement from a UK FAI sector
13-09-2011 12:46
statement by a UK sector of international informal anarchist federation"Fuck tha police" and mineral water
13-09-2011 12:17
article on the "riots" in the bulletin "Résistons ensemble"
original end English translation
hi,
You will find the English translation of the last editoral of the 100th issue of "Résistons ensemble contre les violences policières et sécuritaires". It is about the last revolt in GB. Resistons is an independent network based in France trying to help the defense and self organsation against the police's and justice's violence.
http://resistons.lautre.net/
12 September 2011
English translation by VM of
'Fuck tha police and mineral water'
editorial.
Original French see below.
From 100th issue of "Résistons ensemble contre les
violences policières et sécuritaires"
site : http://resistons.lautre.net/
Someone took a bottle of mineral water,
another took a packet of crisps and a smartphone,
yet another tagged 'fuck tha police',
others protested against the drug-dealers who had
benefited from their revolt... It was dodgy,
impure. This wasn't a 10 point programme, not
parties nor committees, nor leaders, not even
coordination. This was a tsunami of young people,
unpredictable, powerful. It swept through the
United Kingdom [NB actually England, not the UK] during the days which
followed the 4 August 2011 assassination of Mark Duggan,
29 years old, of West Indian origin, by the London
police. Over several days the crowds
stood up to the politicians, the State, the police...
One of them said: 'I will at last be able to tell
something to my grandchildren', 'We didn't do
anything special, just acted for ourselves,' another
added. Obviously, in this they have succeeded: 'scum', 'feral',
'criminal underclass', 'consumerists',
'confused', 'splitters', 'not clearly anticapitalist'
...The media, the government, political parties
drooled over them: Transfixed and shaking.
Oh, how these same could rave on ecstatically
about the beauty of the Arab revolutions, those 'brave
peaceful people' who overthrew tyrants who were
too compromised ...on condition that they knew
when to stop and were content to establish a Western democracy,
a cosmetic 'l'Oréal' dictatorship. But when in Tunisia and
Egypt it began to affect the police, the army, property,
that drew a 'no', if you please, no excess! So then, in the UK,
in the heart of the system, absent a dictator, one part of the
people -- the most oppressed, the most exploited,
victims of racism, in short, the salt of the earth --
dared to touch the pillars of 'democratic' capitalism
ie, the police and private property, the response was class hatred.
British justice has well understood that it was not the theft
of mp3 players or plasma television screens but the fact of
having dared to rebel together, spontaneously,
to have infringed on the symbols of the system that counted.
Such as in the case of the young man who received a six month
custodial sentence(!) for having stolen a pack of water.
And back home in France? It wasn't something that was liked here either.
The level of solidarity almost zero. As was the case
in 2005. What is in fashion, when it isn't elections, is
'l'indignation'. Last July 14th, during the march of the Parisian 'indignés', the banner carried by young people from the working class
quarters read: 'Working class quarters - police crimes, discrimination,
unemployment, (ya basta!) we have had enough!' In vain they were asked
to move out of the front line. This was allegedly 'a distortion',
the indignation was 'too political'.
What is it -- politics?
http://resistons.lautre.net/
informations pratiques juridiques sur le délit d'outrage,
l'aide juridictionnelle, les contrôles d'identité, réflexions,
témoignages, mobilisations...
« Fuck tha Police » et eau minérale
======================================================
Il y a celui qui a pris une bouteille d'eau minérale,
l'autre un paquet de chips ou un smartphone,
l'autre encore qui a taggé «fuck tha police»,
d'autres qui ont gueulé contre les dealers ayant
profité de leur révolte... Ce n'était pas net, pas
pur; pas de programme en 10 points, pas de
partis ni de comités, de dirigeants même pas
une coordination. C'était un tsunami de jeunes,
imprévisible, puissant qui a déferlé sur le
Royaume-Uni pendant les journées qui ont
suivi l'assassinat, le 4 août, de Mark Duggan,
29 ans, d'origine antillaise par la police de
Londres. Pendant quelques jours des foules
ont tenu tête aux politiciens, à l'État, à la police...
Il y en a un qui disait: «Je pourrais enfin raconter
quelque chose à mes petits enfants», l'autre
rajoutait «Nous n'avons rien fait de spécial,
juste on a pu agir nous mêmes». Évidement,
ça n'a pas raté, «racailles», «sauvages»,
«sous-classe criminelle», «consuméristes»,
«confus», «diviseurs»,«pas clairement anticapitalistes
»... Médias, pouvoirs, partis ont
bavé sur eux. Médusés et tremblants.
Oh, que les mêmes pouvaient s'extasier sur
la beauté des révolutions arabes, ces «braves
gens pacifiques» qui renversent les tyrans
trop compromis... à condition qu'ils sachent
s'arrêter à temps et qu'ils se contentent d'établir
une démocratie occidentale, une dictature
maquillée L'Oréal. Mais quand en Tunisie, en
Égypte on commence à toucher à la police, à
l'armée, aux biens alors ça non, s'il vous plaît,
pas d'excès ! Alors quand, au Royaume-Uni,
au coeur du système, faute de dictateur, une
partie du peuple, les plus opprimés, exploités,
victimes du racisme, bref le sel de la terre
ose toucher aux deux piliers du capitalisme
« démocratique », à savoir la police et la
propriété privée, c'est la haine de classe. La
justice britannique a bien compris que l'essentiel
n'était pas les vols de mp3 ou d'écrans
plats, mais le fait d'avoir osé se révolter
ensemble, spontanément, d'avoir touché aux
symboles du système. Comme l'avait fait ce
jeune homme qui, pour avoir volé un pack
d'eau, a pris 6 mois ferme (!).
Et chez nous, en France? Ça n'a pas plu non
plus. Solidarité niveau presque zéro. Comme
en 2005. Ce qui est à la mode, quand ce n'est
pas les élections, c'est «l'indignation». Le
14 juillet dernier, lors de la marche des «indignés
» parisiens, la banderole portée par des
jeunes des quartiers: «Quartiers populaires
- crimes policiers, discrimination, chômage -
ya basta!» a vainement été priée de quitter le
premier rang. Elle aurait «dénaturé» l'indignation,
elle était «trop politique». C'est quoi
la politique?
http://resistons.lautre.net/
informations pratiques juridiques sur le délit d'outrage,
l'aide juridictionnelle, les contrôles d'identité, réflexions,
témoignages, mobilisations...
« Fuck tha Police » et eau minérale
Lib Dem Conference - Convergence and Crash Spaces
13-09-2011 11:55
The national campaign against fees and cuts is organising convergence (and crash) space for anti-Lib Dem conference action which has already been reclaimed. The Birmingham Social Centre is ready to be a base for the start of another autumn of anti-austerity direct action by students and workers.
Remembering Attica 9-13 September 1971
13-09-2011 11:08
Disrupting DSEi - Day One. Full Timeline
13-09-2011 09:42
Full timeline of actions on Tuesday 13th September 2011 against the DSEi Arms Fair.People of Gerze, Turkey resist plans for coal-fired power station
13-09-2011 09:15
Statement from the ECOLOGY COLLECTIVE in solidarity with the people of Gerze province in city of Sinop, Turkey who have come up against police violence in defending their land against plans for the building of a coal-fired thermal power plant.
Press release: Banner Drop at London Arms Fair
13-09-2011 07:42
Wave of actions planned for opening day of London arms fair
Blanket ban on protests lifted following threat of High Court action
13-09-2011 00:39
[Press release from Christian Khan Solicitors]The Metropolitan Police today applied to the Home Secretary for consent to lift a blanket ban on protest marches in four East London boroughs to allow a march against the world’s largest arms fair to go ahead
on Wednesday 14 September 2011, following a threat to bring legal proceedings challenging the lawfulness of the ban.
No Borders - from Calais to Bulgaria
13-09-2011 00:37
No Borders activists protested non-violently against EU border restrictions and the poor treatment of migrants at a recent camp near the Bulgarian borders with Turkey and Greece.
Demonstrators from around the globe marched on both borders, through the town of Svilengrad and at Liubimetz detention centre during the 5-day camp from 25-29 August 2011.
Many workshops were held as well as some very animated plenums where all learnt about communication skills and the art of compromise at a sun-drenched field in Siva Reka who all begged us to stay a little longer.
Kris, one of the many Germans at the camp, said it had been a good experience: "We learnt a lot about the No Border scene in Bulgaria, the terrible treatment of the migrants by Frontex, and the incredible spirit of the migrants who gave all they had to thank our solidarity."
If the march around the centre protected by dozens of riot police with a four-metre tall water cannon was the most emotive moment, the frontier die-ins turned out to be the most confrontational. Bulgarian police units in full body armour found the civil disobedience hard to deal with and struggled to contain the non'violent crowd at times. The die-ins across the border crossing were meant to force frontier-users to think how much we take for granted the concept of freedom of movement contrasting with how many migrants die in the river separating Turkey with Bulgaria every week. Afterwards, activists carried out autonomous actions trying to cross the frontier themselves but were illegally blocked by the customs officers from crossing into the 1km no-man's land with Greece.
Greece is in the process of building a barrier with Turkey which some rightwing politicians want to be extended along the perimeter of Bulgaria.
Bulgaria's imminent entry into the Frontex regime means that migrants and refugees will face an even greater struggle to enter the EU. Many of them emanate from countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, where wars have been originated, waged or backed by Western imperial interests.
The No Borders group set about destroying the myth about migrants being the source of their problems and trying to attract more empathy from local residents about their cause.
"In Europe we have all migrated from one place to another throughout history," said one German with a migrant background. "But now they are punishing us all for a situation caused by their own errors of judgement. The West's imperialist ransacking of resources from our native lands in return for poisoned IMF loans means that the only ones who suffer are the most poor and those who stand against this repression."
Migrant populations across Europe were welcomed in the boom of the 1960s and 70s as cheap labour. Now the property bubble has finally burst they are being imprisoned in detention centres and deported across the EU.
There are many activities organised by No Borders in the UK but one of the most fulfilling has to be the No Borders project in Calais, France. Here the migrants are abused and mishandled by the French CRS and PAF police who make their life a nightmare with regular beatings and arrests.
The No Borders team who work there are a committed bunch of anarchistic activists who work to warn migrants of police raids and create working ties with the local population to help the visitors on their way to England. It is a rewarding and challenging experience to have face-to-face contact with the migrants who suffer so much running from persecution and war in their own countries. Their harrowing stories of swimming from sinking boats in the Mediterranean or scampering across the Sahara tell so much about the human spirit in the quest of their dreams, which we may have forgotten about two hours up the road in London. For more information on either the Bulgarian camp or the ongoing Calais project check the two links below.
Photos from Dale Farm March, Sat 10 Sep. [Set 1]
13-09-2011 00:02
http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/
Nuclear Transport Exercise, 13-15th September
13-09-2011 00:00
Nuclear warhead convoy exercise is taking place in Prestwick between 13th to 15th September.
English Defence League Violence mars 9/11 Ceremony
12-09-2011 23:16
The far right English Defence League's Long running problems in London continued today after they turned up in football shirts and swilling beer at a 9/11 memorial ceremony outside the American embassy intent on a drink fuelled fight with fellow extremists, Muslims against Crusades (MAC).Scottish Anti-Fascist Alliance - Edinburgh: Work Needs To Be Done
12-09-2011 20:55
“…it must be said no one won . We were both totally shut down by the OB today.”
The words of the Scottish Defence League, a miniscule group of about forty who had English associates bussed up from England and boosted their numbers to around 200. A group that can be easily defeated in an urban environment should the correct tactics be deployed by the quoted figure of 400 that turned up to counter-demonstrate their presence in the city.
Notts anti-cut protestors at Vodafone, TopShop etc
12-09-2011 18:02
Saturday 10th September 2011
12.30am Nottm Un-cut protestors gathered outside the central library in Nottingham.
From there, they progressed along a now well-trodden path to the Vodafone store in Clumber street, a very regular destination. Taking a tour around the city centre, people protested outside the NatWest Bank in the Market Square and onto another Vodafone store.
Up to this point, the protest was monitored by a single Community Protection Officer. However, on arriving at TopShop in Lister Gate, people entered the shop with banners to complain about the tax avoidance of the company. A security guard there was quite unpleasent and manhandled me. I was even interfered with while on the street outside! I have complained and police later attended.
On a lighter note, a bunch of ladies dressed as crayons passing by came to join us:-) Splendid!!
Onwards to Burton / Dorothy Perkins store near the Market Square. People were now met with a very large police presence for the size of the protest. Assorted threats of arrest were made.
Notts Uncut said:
"Notts Uncut will be coming together again to remind the tax avoiding banks and corporations based in Nottingham that we haven't gone away and we haven't forgotten what they're up to.
While the Con-Dem government is getting increasingly cut-happy, telling us that there is no money for homeless shelters and women's refuges, that we can't afford to give charities government grants, that students must pay £9000 a year for degree courses, that people living on the breadline must survive on less and less there is a select group of people who are not suffering from the cuts - the bankers and corporate fat cats. While ordinary people are suffering these people are still paying multi million pounds worth of bonuses and avoiding billions of pounds worth of tax. Let's get out there and make sure the government and their super wealthy tax dodging mates know that we're onto them!!"
Notts Uncut
http://www.nottsuncut.co.uk
nottsuncutaction@gmail.com
Notts Save or Services
http://nottssos.org.uk
*****
earlier events:
Cuts Protest @ Vodafone, Boots, NatWest, TopShop.
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1106
Notts UK Uncut occupied Lloyds TSB Bank Nottingham
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1105
Cuts campaigners @ HSBC Vodafone Virgin & the rest
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1922
Street party against business, banks, service cuts
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1933
Notts Uncut: Tour of Tax Avoiders
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/1995
..... and many more! This is quite a regular gig.
____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email: tash@indymedia.org
Web: http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>
