Nuclear sub out of control
A British nuclear-powered Trident submarine is out on patrol, submerged, ready, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to fire sixteen nuclear-armed missiles. Each of these 7,400 km-range missiles has three warheads. Now one of the Hunter Killer subs has run aground and the crew is under revolt unconvinced by the safety.
Lies, hypocracy and new labour in Lanarkshire
Two years ago Union Jack McConnell used the people of Greengairs to promote his newly found commitment to ‘environmental justice’. Two years on and his commitment looks as laughable now as it was unlikely then. Responding to the political pressure from the election of seven Green MSPs, New Labour in Scotland cynically exploited the community of Greengairs and surrounding villages by latching on to the latest environmental crusade. Now, as the Scottish Executive announce the latest approval for further dumping in what is already Europe’s largest landfill, McConnell’s political manipulation of this issue looks mean-minded and pathetic.
Jonny cycles through Edinburgh on anti-gm pilgrimage
Jonny Barton cycled through Edinburgh on a fresh autumn Sunday morning on his pilgrimage from Inverness for a demonstration on the 13th of October in London, pulling a coffin behind him for the whole way.The progress of Jonnys journey can be followed via his website.Map of his planned tour, by Sheffield IMC.
2 activists from Totness,see Westcountry Indymedia are on the way, and 2 other activists have been [ 1,2] passing by Bayer and Monsanto, reported on Cambridge Indymedia. In total 20 pilgrims, including 73 years old Mary Keynes, are cycling or walking to London to raise awareness for the issue of GM food and crops and to participate in the Tractor and Trolley Demonstration.
For more background information: [Bio-technology special page,LABB leaflet, Biotech Indymedia].
Bilston Glen road - action alert - trees being cut down
News just in from the struggle to stop the road through the woods and country-side in Midlothian - trees have been cut down and people are needed.
Busy Busy Busy...Road Resistance at Bilston Glen, Midlothian
New treehouses going up, old barriers coming down. The resistance to the road through Bilston Glen Woods and the Midlothian countryside needs people to come down, build defences, cheer us up, etc.. Come and join in our September events.We are expecting eviction this winter/autumn!
More wasteful summits?
One year on, the complete failure of the Johannesburg Earth Summit is obvious. But should activists therefore give up on UN Summits altogether? Daniel Mittler of Friends of the Earth Germany doesn´t think so.
When I got on a plane one year ago to attend the biggest ever UN Summit, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, I was under no illusion that this Summit would have any chance of being a giant step for mankind. It had become all too obvious in the long and ardeous preperatory process - involving some 8 weeks of day and night meetings of bureaucrats from all over the world - that there was no desire by those who call themselves our leaders, to address the root causes of global inequality and unsustainable development.
Highland cows threatened with eviction by Suffolk business man
The Kinlochroag Highland Fold and their owner and breeder, Finlay Macdonald, are under threat. This famous Fold of Highland Cattle that feature in 
http://www.highland-coos.com are fit and healthy and an asset to the rough moorland they inhabit. But due to the ancient nightmare that has plagued Scotland there is a chance that some of the fold may have to be dispersed. In some cases this may not be possible, the alternative for those gentle highlanders is too horrendous to contemplate. More information under
http://morsgail.co.uk Earth First Summer Gathering
A report from the UK's biggest direct action gathering.
This years EF summer gathering took place over 5 days from 13th August on an idyllic nature reserve near Ripon in North Yorkshire. These gatherings have been taking place annually now for almost a decade and continue attract around 4 - 500 people each year. There is no hype, no big name speakers to tell you how it is, and no mass marketing campaign advertising the event in cities all over the UK: all very different from say, the SWP's annual 'Marxism' event in London.
Trident Ploughshare activities
Here is a summary about current Trident Ploughshares activities.
Solway's Silver Bullet
The Gulf War started a long time before we saw it on outr t.v.'s. Depleted Uranium contamination shows the contempt the British State has for the people of Scotland - and the time for opposition is now.
"Unborn children of the region are being asked to pay the highest price, the integrity of their DNA."
Ross B. Mirkarimi1
A new kind of nuclear war is being waged. It's already being fought in Scotland and the combatants are you and me. Our attackers are the Ministry of Defence, a force which has already poisoned its own soldiers and threatened the health of the civilian populations of the former Yugoslavia, Kuwait and Iraq.
Oyster Wars: A play based on working-class struggle
Oyster Wars: A play, that links working-class struggle in the past with the present and the future in North Edinburgh. For the last week in June, the "Oyster Wars Project" took place in North Edinburgh. This Project consisted of a theatre show, an exhibition and a community event.
Direct action against GM crop trials
Three anti-GM activists had their convictions for pulling up GM crops quashed in the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Saturday. The crops, genetically modified oil seed rape, were pulled up as part of a protest at Boghall farm in Midlothian. The convictions were quashed four years to the day after the action.More details
Stop the War- Stop the City!
Direct actions and peace demonstrations took place again today. In Edinburgh, lots of speeches and a die-in in front of the Scottish Parliament started the anti-war protest, before school students speeded the demonstration off to Princess Street to block the traffic several times with sit-ins before marching to the US consulate followed by another row of speeches.
Then back to Princes Street with more Sit-Ins and Die-Ins to Charlotte Square.
Police until then has been astonishing relaxed, but become violent, aggressive and provoking when plain-cloth policemen brutally tried to arrest a protester for no apparent reason which kicked off the bystanders to intervene, resulting in more arrests and detention.
Whereas the speakers of the rally tried to support police tactics by asking demonstrators repeatedly not to bother, the police had to let the detained people go due to crowd pressure.
The crowd finally walked off to have a solidarity picket in front of St.Leonards police station, St.Leonard Street.
The demonstration broke through police-lines, when police tried to block their way.
The solidarity picket is still continuing after 10 pm on Saturday night.
In Glasgow there was a big demonstration, and protesters were boxed in for over one and a half hours by police.
Hoosie, from Faslane Peace Camp has been beaten up by police and is now hospitalised with bruised kidney and bruised liver.
He was arrested on Thursday at an action for allegedly assaulting a police officer.
Anti-road protest in Edinburgh gets stronger and stronger!
Having just had a massive spring clean of our surroundings, site and paths we've now erected a large kitchen/ free cafe with an infoshop attached. Our stage is built, and after an initial performance by the "Beltane Drummers" from Edinburgh we now hope to host more local bands and musicians. There are two new treehouses in progress and our walkway system is ever extending. We would welcome vistors to come for short or long stays, or even just to pop by for a cup of tea and a read.
[ Bilston Anti Bypass Camp - News Update | Bilston Wood- Anti Road Protest Camp near Edinburgh | No Alignment Action Group]
Critical mass against the war in Edinburgh
On Sunday, 26th of January, a crowd of cyclists, drummers, pedestrians and wheelchairs took the street to protest against the forthcoming war and to deliver a clear message of “ Don't attack Iraq ” to the American embassy.
[full story | another report | more impressions]
Hunterston to be closed...
Hunterston nuclear power station in Ayrshire may be closed in a bid to cut costs and save skint nuclear operators British Energy from going bust. This news comes in about one and a half weeks later after a report that 20 workers at the Dounreay nuclear plant in Caithness were contaminated with radioactive particles.
[full story | Background information about nuclear power]
Bilston Wood- Anti Road Protest Camp near Edinburgh
The road and associated developments herald a massive southward expansion of the city of Edinburgh through green belt land and vast tracts of countryside and prime agricultural land. Bilston Wood and Bilston Burn (SSSI) will be among the casualties. Here are pictures and a report about the protest camp there.
[full story | Background information | News about biotechnology]
Nuclear power- a threat to us all
A nuclear submarine ran aground, 7th of November, off the coast of Scotland. This event reminds us of the continous, powerfull, radioactive danger which is situated without our consent in our neighbourhood and beyond, and which activists are campaigning against. In Devonport, from 14 - 19 November 2002 there is a “Block the dock” anti-nuclear action week being organised. In Germany, the anti-nuclear movement goes trainstopping these days, with a nuclear transport expected from LaHague to Gorleben. For more details of the campaign against Scotland's nuclear submarine bases visit Faslane Peace camp. For more details of anti nuclear and anti-war campaigning in Scotland visit CND Scotland or Trident Ploughshare.
Big Blether .... is over for a couple of years!
We were blethering at Talamh Life Centre, Lanarkshire from 6-8 September 2002.
Roughly every two years, we, the grassroots activists come together to enjoy ourselves and to inspire and encourage each other. The whole weekend was about direct action, peace and environmental issues and campaigning for social and ecological justice. At this DIY gathering we had the chance to learn new skills and broaden our minds and share our hopes, fears and experiences.
There were workshops, practical skills sharing, networking, mutual support, positive solutions, solidarity, alternative lifestyles, blethering, music, sunshine, camping ...
Full story at:
article and pictures
Also see our website at:
http://www.j12.org/bigblether
