SchNEWS 754: We'll Fight Them on the Beeches
Last week (see SchNEWS 753) we covered the protests against the sell-off of the Forest of Dean. But the implications of the Public Bodies Bill for the Forestry Commission go a lot further than that. Essentially the Tory’s are planning (in time-honoured fashion) to flog off the family silver and privatise forests up and down the country. The sale is intended to raise £2bn - less than half of one years tax avoidance by Vodafone.
Links: www.saveourforests.co.uk | www.facebook.com/Save-Britians-Forests | www.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-forests | www.saveourforests.co.uk/map-of-forests-up-for-sale | www.handsoffourforest.org
Local campaigns we know about: Staffordshire | Exeter | Nottinghamshire | East Anglia | Gloucestershire
In SchNEWS:SchNEWS 753
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SchNEWS 740: No Borders Camp, Brussels
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
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SchNEWS 739: Tesco Check-Out
In fantastic victory for the local community, Tesco have withdrawn their involvement from the Lewes Road Community Garden development plans.
On the Newswire:1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
In SchNEWS: 738 | 732 | 729 | 727 | 680
Links: www.lewesroadcommunitygarden.org
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SchNEWS: Calais - Out of Africa
The Africa House squat in Calais is to be evicted next Wednesday (9th). After a herd of 20 CRS vans circled the squat scoping the site on Wednesday morning (2nd), they deposited an eviction notice with those present, informing the migrants they had a week to hit the streets. The building - home to Eritrean, Sudanese and Ethiopian migrants, many of whom had already seen previous squats and camps destroyed - has been marked for demolition.
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SchNEWS 719: Giving the Green Finger
Bristol eco-village set up camp this week with huge support from the local people and activists from all over the country. The off-grid urban community kicked off last Saturday (17th) on a patch of waste land in St.Werburghs previously notorious for fly tipping, arson attacks and hard drug users.
On the Newswire: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Links: Bristol Eco Village - the Urban Centre for Alternative Technology Facebook Group | Kew Bridge Eco Village! Facebook Group
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SchNEWS: A Twist of Fete
"It's rapidly becoming obvious that this is a nationwide issue - somehow the police have got it into their heads that music and dancing are bad for society. They've used the licensing laws as a weapon." - Strawberry Fair organiser
In what is fast becoming a summer tradition, yet another gathering has fallen victim to party-pooping police tactics. One of the UK's last free open-air festivals has been cancelled under police pressure. Strawberry Fair, in Cambridge, viewed by many as the starting gun for the festival season, has been stopped in its tracks after 37 straight years. Some (on Facebook at least) are vowing that some kind of festival will go ahead anyway.
From the Newswire:
Police Stop Strawberry Fair | Strawberry Fayre Fightback | "Drop The Charge" Demo Pictures |The Hippy Hippy Shakedown
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Titnore Woods Need You
With the threat of development on Titnore Woods fast approaching now is the time to rise up and resist the destruction of our natural environment by corporate greed.
Campaigners have been camping in Titnore Woods, in resistance against the development, since 2006.
West Durrington Consortium, which consists of Persimmon Homes, Taylor Wimpy and Heron Homes could be given the go ahead to build a 1250 home development and a road in the new year. Previously the consortium had planned to build 875 homes. The project is estimated to cost over 3 billion pounds to build and take 6 years to complete which is utter madness when Worthing is reported to have over 1000 empty buildings! If the development goes ahead West Durrington will no longer home a semi- ancient woodland with its rich diversity in rare species, flora and fauna or its surrounding farmland but a massive housing development, road and a giant Tesco.
Links:Protect Our Woodland| Tinore's Blog|The Pork Bolter|Time out at Titnore - By SchMOVIES
Previous Indymedia features about Titnore Woods: [1|2|3|4|5|6|8]
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Day 3: Private Airports Blockaded
At 7am two independent groups of campaigners from the Camp for Climate Action stopped carbon-intensive private jets fom operating at two airports in the south east. Executive flights at Biggin Hill and Farnborough airports have been brought to a standstill by climate activists concerned at the huge growth in the use of private jets by business people. At Biggin Hill Airport the activists D-locked themselves to the gates of the airports. 10 people were then arrested. The blockade lasted for just under 4 hours.
24 people took part in the blockade at Farnborough Airport with 9 people locked onto lock-on devices across the access road. After an hour the aiport staff opened up an emergancy crash exit to allow the gathered business people in. Meanwhile protesters handed out leaflets to staff, passengers and locals. Jets were delayed and after 2 hours a second emergency exit was opened. By this point the police warned people they would be arrested and it was decided to return to the camp. Although no one was arrested, the police did seize lock-on devices.
Audio: Audio Interview with Biggin Hill Airport Blockader
Video: Video of blockade at Farnborough Airport
Also on the newswire: Pics of Biggin Hill blockade | Business flights blockaded by climate activists | Video Interview with Farnborough Airport Blockaders | Bristol Airport Stunt | Audio Interviews from Camp | Renewable energy at Camp - photos report and videos | Camp under Surveillance | Happy Days Thursday Pics and Report
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'i' the film - screening tour
Touring the UK this week, 'i' the film expands on the explosive prequel, "Eye of the Storm" and examines the relationship between media and power as manifest by the worlds largest all volunteer network of media activists - Indymedia. - Tue Oct 10 - London - RampART - 15-17 Rampart St (starts 8pm)
- Wed Oct 11 - Brighton - The Cowley Club - 12 London Road
- Thu Oct 12 - Nottingham - The Sumac Centre - 245 Gladstone Street, 7.30pm (read article | report and audio from screening)
- Sat Oct 14 - Glasgow - Document 4 Intl. Human Rights Film Festival
- Sun Oct 15 - Edinburgh - Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Terrace, 7pm
- Mon Oct 16 - Edinburgh - Forest Café, 3 Bristo Place, 7.30 pm
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Pedal Powered Revolutionaries
In 1992 in San Francisco cyclists started riding together monthly to assert themselves as traffic in a ride that became known as Critical Mass. Since then Critical Mass has spread to over 300 cities around the world and become a common feature of protest culture. To celebrate 10 years of critical mass, over 800 cyclists took to the streets in London last year with a bike samba band, live guitar from a rickshaw, multiple sound systems, mad bikes the like of which have to be seen to be believed. It was massive, and it happened again on Friday April 29. At least 500 cyclists, rollerbladers and skateboards joined the 11th Annivesary in London [photos 1, 2, 3, report]. There will also critical masses in Glasgow, Liverpool and Nottingham [photos] - and probably other cities around the country as well.
On Saturday 30th April there was a successful mass "against climate change, pollution and the G8" in Worthing, Sussex. Meanwhile, in Sheffield on June 11th and the 15th there are more rides to coincide with an anti-war demo and the G8 meeting of Justice and Interior Ministers in Sheffield taking place 15th/17th.
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