London Indymedia

Info on the Stop G8 Convergence Space

03.06.2013 14:25 | G8 2013 | Globalisation | London | World

There will be a Stop G8 convergence centre in central London, close to the main actions. There will be space to sleep, as well as workshops, skillshares, food, films and more here. We plan to make the space fully wheelchair accessible and a safe space for everyone using it.

Food will be available for donations, provided by a team of people’s kitchens, so no one will need to go hungry. There will be a women only space for self-defined women within the convergence centre if people wish to use it. The convergence centre will also be a place to find out about legal support and to get information about the actions. If you have any special accommodation needs or questions about the space please email stopg8 [at] riseup.net.

The convergence centre will open on 8th June and will clear up on 15th June.

At 11am on 8th June, we invite people to meet us at Freedom Books, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX, and we will travel together to the convergence space. If you arrive after 11am, the location of the convergence will be announced on our website ( https://network23.org/stopg8), on www.indymedia.org.uk and via Twitter (@stopg8uk), by midday. To contact the Stop G8 Convergence Space call 07586 096079 or 07586 096083. This phone number will be active from 8th June.

There will be an info point at Freedom Books from 8th-15th June. This will be open from 11am on 8th June, and people will be there to direct you to the convergence space throughout the week.

We need everybody’s help to make the centre a safe and secure space. Cops and journalists will not be welcome in the space at any time.

Stop G8 will also have several other spaces during the week of action including a media centre (for non-corporate media, radio and film-making etc.) and a safe space away from the actions.

Safe Space policy:

We aim to make this space as we want the world to be. We oppose all forms of oppression or domination, including the domination of anyone on the basis of class, race, sex, gender, sexual preference, colour, belief, age, ability, or any other differences. We ask everyone to be aware of their personal privileges and to modify their behaviour accordingly.

Everyone has a right to be respected within the space. Sexist, racist, ableist, homo/transphobia and other oppressive statements/behaviours will not be tolerated and may result in a person being asked to leave.

Everyone has the right not to have their lives affected by substance use. It is our collective responsibility to make sure that nobody is visibly affected by drugs (e.g. alcohol) and impacts negatively on other people. Additionally, meeting and sleeping spaces are alcohol- (and other drug-) free zones. There is a designated smoking area, so please don’t smoke anywhere else in the space.

If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe around another person in the building, please talk to someone from the maintenance crew and ask for support. Be aware of what is going on around you and take responsibility if needed. If you are witness to a violation of the safer space agreement and don’t act, you make yourself complicit in the oppression.

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

ANTYISMS

04.06.2013 15:45

Scary to go there, if go, have to watch out everystep you making, watch everybody - maybe there will be some horny girl/guy enthused to approach another person for relationship purposes; maybe there will be somebody who just smoked a joint or drunk a beer; watch out how you're talking, as the vague anti-domination policy may be used by someone who just dislikes you to kick you out of the space. Won't go as I know what to expect: biased decision making by a small group of people who give themselves a priviledge to rule during the event; crazy pseudo- feminisms that effectively are the anti-male sexism; overwhelming paranoid vigilance instead of focusing on the task - anti-G8. Accusations of being a cop/ insults of being a macho just because you have a well-built body, and appear to have no friends on the event - effective oppression of an individual. Don't let the corporate media in, just because they're corporate (oh yes-that's how we will win with capitalism). Insignificant and laughable.

Rattamahatta


Other potential hindrance

04.06.2013 16:18

How will you make sure that people are safe from an arbitrary judgement? How are you making sure that people are unfairly harassed/kicked out because of an misinterpreted action?

Vorg


Policy

05.06.2013 08:45

There are definitely better and more thought through safer spaces policies than the one in use.
This one tends towards the finger wagging and notion that everyone who comes might be in a position to know what is the behaviour needed when they may not know they are infringing the policy in the first place. A better outline of what would be desired in a space would be one that welcomes all and tries to outline what kind of world we are trying to create and not one that assumes that world is already here and the behaviours too.

@


re policy

05.06.2013 14:27

Thats right , its my i.e. of previous comment. Many of us are more or less affected by these -isms, and also many of us are more or less - ists . Even if we dont want to be perceived as such, some isms are already there, be it due to how we grown up or even due to the very nature of an organism - e.g. the instinct of reproduction that doesnt matter how much ur trying to deny it, it will affect your actions and acting in some way.

ratamahatta


Guide to Public Order Situations

05.06.2013 16:20

Download and distribute the latest version of the Guide to Public Order Situations.

Copy it, share it, social media it - anywhere it might be useful.

And please send back comments to the email address in the guide about your experiences so it can be updated after the G8 and other events.

EF!
- Homepage: http://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/resources#PO


hmmm

06.06.2013 22:48

I will not be any where near this convergence space come Tuesday, mostly because it will be infiltrated to high heaven and will be photographed and filmed and more than likely raided by the beginning of the demo/action or by the end of it, like it was at the g20 and a mate of mine was attacked by pigs.

yes convergence spaces are important for various reasons, but the cops tend to get a little excited by them in london.

and im not a troll or a cop. im just staying away...

me


mates

10.06.2013 10:22

Seems like lots of trolls or cops are writing here.

Thanks to everyone for doing the hard work putting up this convergence center, I appreciate it!
Will be seeing you soon there.

Best wishes,
and much solidarity to ye

cheers!


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