UK UK Newswire Archive
Attacked, kettled, hassled by cops at Demo ?
05-07-2011 22:19
Counter Demo 13th July Westminster Central HallPalestine Today 07052011
05-07-2011 18:41
The Age of Evictions ... and Resistance!
05-07-2011 17:55
Two different communities. One living in Clifton Mansions, an inner city block of long term squatted flats in Brixton, south London. The other made of 90 families part of the UK's largest Traveller community in Dale Farm, a former scrap-yard purchased by the Travellers ten years ago near Basildon, Essex.
They both now face one common problem: the threat of eviction. Dale Farm's long battle has now reached a critical point as Basildon council yesterday served a final notice of eviction giving families until midnight on August 31st to abandon their homes. The community of squatters of Clifton Mansions have learnt that the police is planning to block off Brixton's Coldharbour Lane on Tuesday 12 July to enforce the eviction of all the people living in the 22 flats. [Read more]
See calls from both communities for solidarity in resisting the planned evictions: Clifton Mansions | Dale Farm
Clifton Mansions:
Clifton Mansions On Coldharbour Lane is a community of squatters in the heart of Brixton. Squatted since the 1990's the 22 flats are home to a large and diverse group of people. The residents have repaired and maintained the properties after Lambeth Council left them empty and neglected. Clustered around a central courtyard Clifton Mansions is a safe and vibrant community where violence and abuse are not tolerated.
On Tuesday 12 July 2011 the police plan to block off Coldharbour Lane and enforce the eviction of all the people living in Clifton Mansions. Making the astonishing claim that evicting Clifton Mansions will somehow solve the problem of drug crime in Brixton, the police failed to consult with local councillors before pushing ahead with this plan. Clifton Mansions residents have received only two weeks notice that they are to be evicted from their homes.
Following the evictions, Lambeth Council will pay Camelot, a private company, to provide “live-in guardians” to occupy Clifton Mansions. The squatters have been providing a free guardian service for years. Why make people homeless and then pay a multinational company to occupy their homes?
Eventually Lambeth wants to sell Clifton Mansions to property developers, further reducing Lambeth's social housing stock in central Brixton. Clifton Mansions will be turned into luxury flats priced well beyond the means of the local community.
Please contact the council and the police to let them know what you think.
Show your support on eviction day:
12 July – 8am – Clifton Mansions – 429 Coldharbour Lane
They're closing the street so lets have a party!
Dale Farm:
Dale Farm, in Crays Hill, Essex, is the UK’s largest Travellers’ community, consisting of nearly a hundred separate properties, lying well outside the village and made up of extended family plots or yards.
Most are owned by Travellers of Irish heritage, although some Romani families also own yards. The estate is divided in two sections, the front part (about 45 plots) has planning permission; while the back part (52 plots) despite numerous applications and appeals, has been refused planning consent, even though the site was previously a disused scrap yard! 90% of traveller planning applications are initially rejected compared to 20% overall.
Caving in to racial prejudice, Basildon District Council (BDC) has set aside 9.2 million pounds to demolish the homes in the back 52 plots and have asked the Home Office for 10 million more. This could happen as early as June. We view the destruction of half this community as ethnic cleansing.
The planning history of the area has shown that the site had been used without planning permission since early 1990’s for a variety of industrial uses. In 1992 BDC issued Enforcement Notices against various unauthorised commercial activities that were being pursued on the site. Part of the land at the east side of the site was previously the subject of two temporary consents for the breaking of motor vehicles, sale of vehicle parts and dealing in scrap metals. This use ceased following the vacation of the?land by the business proprietors in 2001.
When the unauthorised development of the application site first came to the Council’s attention in September 2003, the land to the east of the site had been used as a scrap yard from 1978 until 2001 under a permission granted by the Council to be used as such. If an exception was allowed for the scrap metal yard, surely an exception can be made for a vulnerable minority group to continue to live there, particularly given that many of them have already been through traumatic experiences of forced eviction.
In May 2005, the BDC voted to take direct action, setting aside some three million euro for an eviction and demolition operation. Residents sought a Judicial Review of this decision and won in the High Court. This judgment was overturned by the Court of Appeal on 22 January 2009. An appeal to the House of Lords was denied on 14 May 2009. After extensive research into the needs of Travellers and Gypsies in the UK, on 20 July the Department for Communities and Local Government informed BDC and the Gipsy Council that the District Council is required to provide sufficient land for 62 (sixty two) additional pitches. This requirement can be easily met by BDC if it decides to grant planning permission for the 52 (fifty two) unauthorised pitches already in existence at Dale Farm.
As mentioned before, the main desire of the families is to not move from Dale Farm; they wish to get planning permission for permanent residence to continue living in the site they privately own.
We say no to home demolitions, and no to ethnic cleansing!
Drummer gets a Ticket!
05-07-2011 15:55
Performing just near Speakers Corner off the Market Square in Nottingham .... A Drummer / Busker sets up to entertain. He's good at it and attracts an appreciative crowd. .......
Well, you know what happens next ..... Community Protection Officers .... [well, we all need our community protecting from drummers], start to talk to him about licences, public liability insurance, health & safety .... and the rest.
Personally, I've always appreciated music and performance, juggling, street acts and general exhuberance to lighten the day as you go about in your biz. I mean, we've done it for thousands of years, a little spontineity. But now it all has to be contrived, licenced by an official, paid for, commercially valid, appointed places and it's knocking the creativity out of society. This is not hot news really ,,,, you can see it every day of the week. But I am getting crosser about such oppressive behaviour and I hope you are too. The audience watching this drummer, gave a collective sneer at these officers behaviour, some tried to speak to them to point out there was nothing wrong here. But it's their job you see ....
In short .... community Protection is not what I see happening here [like many others]. Perhaps they could be found something more useful to do .... like enabling things to happen for the public good, rather than an extension of the usual authorities actions that 'like to say no!' Just a thought!
G4S housing consultation disrupted
05-07-2011 12:39
Activists in Cardiff disrupt a G4S consultation aimed at G4S running migrant and asylum seeker accommodation. And a call out for further action.Full article | 1 addition | 1 comment
Eviction in A'dam: 120 arrested
05-07-2011 12:20
Police is still going through time to kick people out of squats. Resistance and lock ons at the Schijnheilig squat near Leidseplein meant the kettling and arrestation of more than 100 personsSowing in Sneinton, Planting Soon!
05-07-2011 11:55
On the way back from Sneinton Carnival .... spotted this piece of waste ground at Dale Terrace, Sneinton, Near the Green's Windmill.
As you can see, people will be planting it soon and invite volunteers.
If you want to help ..... email 'em at:
sneintongardening@yahoo.co.uk
Have you thought of identifying similar plots near where you live? and doing sommat about it? If not you ..... who should?
____________________________________________
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>
Nonviolent Resistance in Australia to U.S. War on Afghanistan
05-07-2011 11:25
Every two years, 20,000 U.S. miitary arrive for live fire joint exercises "Operation Talisman Sabre" with approx 7,000 Australian troops, primarily based in central Queensland but also involving bases throughoout Australia and the U.S. Australia has a long history of seeking peace and security in the service of empire - British & U.S.Privatisation Of Homecare
05-07-2011 08:55
Bristol City Council is planning to privatise homecare services; and Unite have accused BCC of both lying and picking on the most vulnerable in society to save money.
Unite, Britain's biggest union, has expressed outrage that everyhomecare assistant currently employed directly by Bristol City Council
will lose their job as the work is contracted out to cheaper private
sector providers. Unite regional co-ordinating officer, Steve Preddy, said:
"Hundreds of homecare workers, mostly women who have dedicated much of their working lives to serving older people who are housebound, terminally ill or otherwise unable to care for themselves, have been lied to and have now found out they are to lose their jobs. "It is shameful that Bristol City Council has decided to abandon
providing services directly to older people who are in need of care at home." Homecare assistants were personally assured in meetings last October, by the Executive Member for Care Services, Cllr John Rogers that the Council would not cease to provide vital homecare services and all jobs were safe.
| Full article. | Cuts News |
Zapatista community of San Marcos Aviles faces eviction, aggression and threats
05-07-2011 06:05
The Zapatista supporters in the community of San Marcos Aviles have had their land, crops and possessiona stolen from them and face daily aggressions and threats because they set up an autonomus school.Full article | 1 addition | 2 comments
Peace and Ecology Festival, Liverpool, 16 July. Free event.
05-07-2011 05:51
The 2011 Merseyside CND Peace and Ecology Festival will be held on Sat 16 July from noon until 6pm at St Luke's Church (top of Bold Street, City Centre).PHILIPPINES: The Rough and Rugged Road toward Change
05-07-2011 04:51
J30 Strike against the cuts. Nottingham Events 2
05-07-2011 00:55
Thursday 30th June 2011
On June 30th, members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), National Union of Teachers (NUT), Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) and University and Colleges Union (UCU) took part in coordinated strike action. This is the first major coordinated strike against the cuts and various activities for the day included a march, rally & speeches etc ......
a busy timetable of events on the day:
Early morning onward – pickets outside workplaces
8am – Notts Uncut. Meet up at Nottingham Railway station to feed pickets and engage in solidarity action.
8.30am – Unison demonstration against major cuts to social care provision – assemble County Hall, West Bridgford.
11am – NUT, ATL, UCU, PCS joint strike march – assemble from 11am, Forest Recreation Ground (Goose Fair site).
11.30 am – Marchers leave The Forest, march down Mansfield Road, on to Milton Street and then in to the Trinity Square.
12 noon/12.30pm with the arrival of the march in Trinity Square. Speakers, stalls, refreshments and more in Trinity Square. There will be face painting and other activities for younger people.
13.30pm – March continues along Burton Street, South Sherwood Street and Parliament Street to the Albert Hall just off Derby Road for speakers and debate on the way forward for the dispute. There will be live music provided by Banner Theatre, Trade Union speakers and an opportunity to contribute from the floor. Ending 3pm approx.
J30 Strike
http://www.j30strike.org
Notts SOS
http://www.nottssos.org.uk
Notts Uncut
http://www.nottsuncut.co.uk
____________________________________________
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>
J30 Strike against the cuts. Nottingham Events 1
04-07-2011 23:55
Thursday 30th June 2011
On June 30th, members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), National Union of Teachers (NUT), Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) and University and Colleges Union (UCU) took part in coordinated strike action. This is the first major coordinated strike against the cuts and various activities for the day included a march, rally & speeches etc ......
a busy timetable of events on the day:
Early morning onward – pickets outside workplaces
8am – Notts Uncut. Meet up at Nottingham Railway station to feed pickets and engage in solidarity action.
8.30am – Unison demonstration against major cuts to social care provision – assemble County Hall, West Bridgford.
11am – NUT, ATL, UCU, PCS joint strike march – assemble from 11am, Forest Recreation Ground (Goose Fair site).
11.30 am – Marchers leave The Forest, march down Mansfield Road, on to Milton Street and then in to the Trinity Square.
12 noon/12.30pm with the arrival of the march in Trinity Square. Speakers, stalls, refreshments and more in Trinity Square. There will be face painting and other activities for younger people.
13.30pm – March continues along Burton Street, South Sherwood Street and Parliament Street to the Albert Hall just off Derby Road for speakers and debate on the way forward for the dispute. There will be live music provided by Banner Theatre, Trade Union speakers and an opportunity to contribute from the floor. Ending 3pm approx.
J30 Strike
http://www.j30strike.org
Notts SOS
http://www.nottssos.org.uk
Notts Uncut
http://www.nottsuncut.co.uk
____________________________________________
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>
This is a FITwatch Call-out.
04-07-2011 22:25
PRO-CHOICE DEMO Saturday 16th July, 1-2pm, outside the Guildhall, Market Square
04-07-2011 22:13
No Borders blockade Calais detention centre
04-07-2011 18:31
A New Declaration of Independence, July 4, 2011
04-07-2011 18:29
Palestine Today 07042011
04-07-2011 16:49
