On November 14th I was in Brick Lane with a friend who had tickets for the UK Hemp Expo at the Truman Brewery. I hadn't been to it before and it was very much a trade fair, although there were some hardcore medical marijuana activists there as well. After I had seen more than enough pipes and bongs I got away and moved to another building where an exhibition/event called Signs of Revolt had just opened. It was about creative resistance and social movements in the decade since activists shut down the WTO in Seattle. Lots of good photos and artwork, with people sitting around watching a film about the Battle of SEattle (I can't remember what it was called). The exhibition was due to end on November 22nd so it is too late to visit now, but do check out the website.
Over the past week I have seen a few things about the 10th anniversary of the global Carnival Against Capitalism, commonly referred to as J18. I was in London that day and remember it well. A huge crowd gathered in Liverpool Street Station, where people were handing out different coloured paper carnival masks and suggesting that at the appropriate time we follow the flag with the same colour as our mask. It was a good way to organise people into groups that left the station simultaneously by multiple exits, reducing the chances of being blocked in by the police. I ended up on Upper Thames Street where people had ladders to climb up and put black bags over security cameras. There were a few police there already but they were vastly outnumbered and unable to prevent a soundsystem from getting in. Pretty soon the street was blocked off by protesters and the party was in full swing. I saw a fountain appear on the corner of Cousin Lane as someone opened up a fire hydrant - it was a hot sunny day and people cooled off in the spray. It was a long time before the police managed to clear the streets. Check out this video of some of the day's action.
Lawyers for relatives of nine anti-oil campaigners hanged in Nigeria in 1995 say they are thrilled that Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to pay compensation.
Someone called Scott is organising a performance/protest to commemorate the 20th aniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4th. It will be in London (I know where but I don't know whether I can make it public). If you are interested in taking part then you can use my contact form to get in touch with me and I can then put you in touch with Scott.
Tamils staging an ongoing demonstration in central London have broken through police lines and are blocking roads around Parliament.
Last Hours has posted G20: another version of the truth:
This is an attempt to compile a comprehensive narrative about the situation around Royal Exchange when Ian Tomlinson was assaulted, and subsequent events, referenced to photos, videos and eyewitness accounts. It is still very much a work in progress, and will be updated frequently as additional material is located.
Jason Parkinson has produced a "teaser" video called Under Fire in Strasbourg featuring footage of anti-NATO protests with a sound track by Senser. In his own words:
4 April 2009: Strasbourg, France, was the set for protests against the 2009 NATO Summit, but as thousands marched on the Pont Du l'Europe German border point to greet 5000 German protestors, roads blocked by riot police opened fire. Endless tear gas and concussion grenades rained down, and rubber bullets found targets in densely populated crowds. Return fire came fast, first rocks and bottles, then flares and fireworks.
Six people have been arrested during clashes between the police and Tamils who are staging an ongoing protest outside the Houses of Parliament.
The BBC website is carrying a report by Dominic Casciani about how climate change activists were able to take control of a quarter mile stretch of Bishopsgate, one of the busiest roads in the financial heart of London.
The BBC reports on the way in which campaigners are preparing for the G20 summit in London next week.
Police are too heavy-handed in dealing with protests, harassing and intimidating people, a leading parliamentary committee has said.
Police are targeting thousands of political campaigners in surveillance operations and storing their details on a database for at least seven years, an investigation by the Guardian can reveal.
Comedian Mark Thomas is to join with NUJ members in an event to highlight the threat of a new UK law that could be used against press photographers taking pictures of the police.
Apparently the National Public Order Intelligence Unit, the National Extremist Tactical Coordination Unit and the National Domestic Extremism Team (NECTU, NPIOU and NDET) are not police operations! These units employ serving police officers seconded from police forces across the country but they are operated by a private company - ACPO. A privatised police force, just for us...?.
Riseup have a new security guide about Encrypted Email.
On Saturday morning I took a mobile PA system out to Hounslow to use on a local protest against the proposed third runway at Heathrow. It was somehow related to T5 Flash Mob.
This short guide to photographers rights in the UK seems like a useful reference.
The Yes Men distribute fake New York Times: "Iraq War Ends".
A Spanish man man who calls himself Robin Bank claims he fooled 39 banks into giving him loans totalling half a million Euro - which he then gave to activist groups before going on the run.
There is a Bike Ride for Tibet tomorrow evening in London, meeting under the Waterloo Bridge on the South Bank. The ride will end at the Chinese Embassy.
Olympics Opening Ceremony: The White Washing of State Repression is a good article just posted by someone living in Toronto. He was one of the few Han Chinese who participated in a rally today for Tibetan, Uighhur and Burmese justice.
The father of one of four activists detained in Beijing after a protest about Tibet has said he is proud of his son's actions.
Wembley sports ground occupied By GRASS - council "fascists" evict business.
Fifteen Italian officials have been convicted of mistreating protesters during the 2001 G8 summit in Genoa.
Blood on the streets as Bush enters via Brown's back passage.
I was out protesting in London in 2003 when George Bush visited the Queen. He will be back again this weekend and I hope there are plenty of people planning to unwelcome him again. I know the Stop the War Coalition are planning a demo in Parliament Square. In fact I will be away in Amsterdam but if you want to do something I just heard about Operation Manticore which may or may not amount to anything. Given Dennis Kucinich's current attempt to get Bush impeached, it seems like a good opportunity to at least wave some "Impeach Bush" signs around if nothing else.
There is a good article by Bibi van der Zee in the Guardian about How to protest - and survive.
This year the G8 Summit will be held in Japan and Japanese anti-G8 organisers have proposed July 15th as an international day of action. On April 28th I attended a meeting at Transport House in London to discuss an action in Croydon that day (specifically a possible mass cycle ride from London to Croydon). For information about this action (and to learn why Croydon of all places was chosen) check out the website of the (provisionally named) London Fete Against the G8.
Spy caught by anti-aviation group was "more Austin Powers than 007".
I just added my name the Avaaz.org petition calling on the Chinese President to show some respect for human rights in Tibet. It got a million signatures in just seven days and they are trying to reach two million by Monday when it will be delivered to Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide.
China's action in Tibet threatens Olympic torch run in London.
Anti-Heathrow expansion protesters have climbed on to the roof of the Houses of Parliament next to Big Ben.
There is a worrying trial going on in Birmingham where 6 anti-vivisection campaigners are facing five years in prison for contravening section 145 of SOCPA. For some background check out Dispatches From Sequani Animal Torture Centre on the NECTU Watch website.
NO! G8 2008 are organising a European info tour and are hoping to to visit a number of UK cities in late February or early March.
Opponents of an opencast mining scheme in Merthyr Tydfil have halted work at the site by "occupying" two large excavating machines.
The Venezuelan government has apparently uncovered (how??) a confidential CIA memo dated November 20 2007 which details plans for a coup using today's referendum on constitutional reform as a pretext. Hands off Venezuela planned a rally against the CIA outside Bolivar Hall in London today.
Peter Cadogan, teacher and campaigner, was born on January 26, 1921. He died on November 18, 2007, aged 86.
Total out of Burma have announced a day of action for Saturday 24 November, with protests planned at Total petrol stations around the UK.
Unlike a lot of hardcore environmental activists that I know, I feel that I am very much living in two different worlds. I do own a car (though I normally travel by foot or bike or train) and I have lots of good friends who fly and drive and think of me as a bit nutty for doing the things I do. So I am acutely aware of the way environmental activists are viewed by "normal" people. Some of them have told me that the sort of flyers I often have lying around my house are too sensationalist (like tabloid headlines) or preachy (like Jehovas Witness literature) etc. If I try to discuss this with other activists it often seems like they don't want to know, which is just as much of a "head in the sand" response as that of the people that they criticise. So I was pleased when another activist sent out a link to a website called Green Engage.
The National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU) promotes a coordinated response to domestic extremism by providing tactical advice to the police service, and information and guidance to industry and government. Also check out Fit Watch.
Revolution with a smile on its face. Europe's new activism is captured in a gripping study, Andrew Mueller says.
Three Canadians who were arrested by Chinese police following a protest at the Great Wall against China's presence in Tibet are expected to arrive in Canada Thursday.
Jumping from global to local, Camden Stables Market is under threat. I have signed the petition and you might like to do the same.
Do It Yourself is a new "Handbook for Changing Our World" edited by the excellent Trapese Collective.
Fallen Fruit started in the United States as an activist art project to map "public fruit" in one neighbourhood. They are encouraging everyone to harvest, plant and sample public fruit, which is what they call all fruit on or overhanging public spaces.
This weekend I joined the Vanunu Freedom Ride for the last leg of their journey from Faslane to the Israeli Embassy.
I haven't thought much about Mayday this year but I have got a few ideas about what I might do - see my new Mayday 2007 page.
Last weekend I went to London on Saturday for Reclaim the Future IV. I had phoned in the morning to learn the location, which turned out to be in a former taxi showroom at 52 Holloway Road. I got there about 1pm and it was already a hive of activity. I did a stint collecting donations and then headed off for a while to go to a meeting. When I got back at about 6pm things were hotting up. Someone from the fire brigade had been in and after making a few alterations he decided that the risk of mass incineration was acceptably low. The police CCTV van that had been parked opposite the gate all afternoon eventually disappeared but then we got reports that they had shut down all the cash machines in the area to try to reduce attendance by depriving people of the ability to withdraw beer money. I left at about 10pm, by which time there were about 800 people present, mainly punks it seemed. As I took my bike out there was a queue of about 30 people waiting to get in and it was obviously going to be a good night, but I wanted to get a train home. I have read reports that police later started hassling people on Holloway road and stopped any more people gaining entry. This involved riot cops but things stayed relatively calm and there were not nearly enough cops to attempt to enter the venue so the party continued. Here is an Indymedia report of Riot cops at RTF4.
Tent State University is being organised by an autonomous group of staff and students at Sussex and will take place in a 'tent city' on the university campus. It is both a protest against the Iraq war, which cost billions of pounds which could have paid for free education at a stroke; and a working example of how a university could be organised on a non-hierarchical basis, controlled by and for the benefit of its participants [I guess the name is a reference to the historic protests against the US invasion of Cambodia at Kent State University in Ohio during which four students were killed and nine others wounded by the Ohio National Guard].
I recently signed a petition against restrictions on photography in public places. It turns out that there are no specific UK Government plans to introduce such restrictions but there are some worrying signs. The petition creator was Simon Taylor and he has written more about it in Photographer's Rights on his website. He has suggested some text that photographers might want to carry with the to remind themselves (and others if necessary) of their rights:
You are reminded that under UK law, there are no restrictions on taking photographs in a public place or on photography of individuals, whether they are adults or minors. There is no right to privacy in a public place, although photographers are of course subject to the usual libel laws in the same way as any other citizen and should observe them. Equipment or film may not be confiscated, or images deleted by any person or officer unless a warrant for such action is issued. Any attempt without a warrant is considered assault under UK law.
Knowledgelab 4 will be held at the Portland Building on Nottingham University Campus this weekend.
Sadly there is no Reclaim Love planned for London this year (as far as I know) but I did hear a rumour that there would be an event in Paris.
Update! Mark has just announced a Reclaim Love event on Saturday starting at Noon, meeting at the Eros Statue in Piccadilly Circus. With such short notice and Venus not being involved there probably won't be much of a turnout, but if you want to prove me wrong...
From the website of the National Guantanamo Coalition:
The London Guantanamo Campaign will start holding weekly demonstration outside the American Embassy in Mayfair . Building on the impetus on the actions earlier this month, weekly demonstrations will be held on Fridays at 6-7pm. Please feel free to bring your banners and your groups. The first demonstration will take place on Friday 9 February.
People involved in last year's Camp for Climate Action met in Leeds last weekend and agreed to organise another camp this year. The dates have been decided (14th to 21st August) but not the location. The next meeting will be in Leeds again on the weekend of 17th February, and the one after that will be in Bristol on the weekend of 17th March.
In 2005 TimeWatch handed in a 10,000 signature petition to North Yorkshire County Council in an attempt to save Thornborough Henges from quarrying. They never even got a response, and apparently North Yorkshire Council Officers will be recommending that Tarmac should be allowed to proceed with the destruction.
I haven't been following the 2007 G8 process, but I notice there is a new News from the Fence and Beyond if you are interested in what is being planned.
Check out the Mission Statement of the Campaigns Wikia. So what are Wikia:
Wikia are wiki communities creating free content with the MediaWiki software. These are hosted for free by Wikia, Inc., the company which runs the project. Anyone is free to start a new Wikia in accordance with the creation policy and terms of use.
I have just signed this Free the Sagada 11! petition. It relates to a group of 11 backpackers who were arrested in the Philippines by police looking for NPA rebels. They were tortured until they "confessed". I don't sign many petitions these days but this one seems like something where international pressure may help. Please consider signing it or do something through Amnesty or whatever.
The UK Activists' Legal Project website has recently been revamped.
To commemorate the seven-year anniversary of the "Battle of Seattle", CrimethInc has released a 64 page pamphlet called "N30: The Seattle WTO Protests A memoir and analysis with an eye to the future"
Protesters who have occupied a section of a huge natural gas pipeline being laid from Milford Haven to England say they aim to stay "for the long haul".
I have a lot of friends who are vegan but so far they have failed to convert me (I am not even a strict vegetarian). If I go to my friends' house and they have just milked their goat I would certainly not refuse some milk if they had more than they needed for the day (they are part of the WWOOF scheme). Of the health, ethical and environmental arguments I am most persuaded by the environmental ones, and while I do consider environmental issues when sourcing food, I could go a lot further. Anyway, I was prompted to write this entry after reading Aaron Swartz' blog entry Meeting Peter Singer.
Protesters who scaled cranes, at the King's Cross Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) construction site to hang banners in solidarity with an ongoing workers' struggle, successfully appealed convictions for Aggravated Trespass last week, in a two-day hearing at the Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court.
Lost n Found is a project to find a lost and derelict building in Manchester and turn it into a hub of creativity and activity for 16 days from 11th October to 27th October (from 11th to 14th the space will also be used for the first Manchester Temporary Autonomous Arts Exhibition).
I have just heard about an emergency assembly to plan direct action against the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Venue is room H216, Connaught House, London School of Economics, Tuesday August 1st, 18:30. For background information on the current situation in Southern Lebanon check out this article on the Infoshop wiki.
Thames Valley Police mounted a huge operation on Saturday to counter a mass leafleting day by animal rights activists. The day of action was called Bravehearts - Remembering George.
The disturbing asymmetric extradition arrangements between the US and the UK have come in for much criticism but I had not been aware of any specific coordinated campaign on the issue. Friends Extradited is a campaign organised by family, friends and ex-colleagues of the so-called "NatWest 3" but it is unlikely to get much attention in the activist scene that I am familiar with because, as symbols of Capitalism, bankers are generally considered to be part of the problem and will get little sympathy. That is a dangerous attitude though. First they came for the bankers....
On 2006-06-29 there was a march by over 100 businessmen from the Institute of Directors to the Home Office. They were protesting against the Orwellian UK-USA Extradition Treaty and in particular against how it has been used against the so-called NatWest 3. Garry McKinnon also joined the demonstration to show his support (and because he is facing a similar fate). Check out this report.
Barbar Ahmad is also facing extradition to the USA. His final appeal will take place on 2006-07-11 at the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. A demo has been organised by his supporters, see FREE Barbar Ahmad.
Unfortunately Matilda has now been evicted and Yorkshire Forward have taken possession. From the Yorkshire Forward website:
Yorkshire Forward is the Regional Development Agency behind the economic regeneration of the Yorkshire and Humber region, we make a positive difference to its people, its business and its environment.
Yorkshire Backwards (as it should be known) has turned a popular and thriving social space into a derelict building - exactly how is that supposed to be positive? Fsckers! The last time I was at Matilda I joined about 100 people for a screening of the excellent Woody Guthrie biopic Bound For Glory followed by an open mic session.
The Matilda social centre in Sheffield was reclaimed by its owners this morning and re-reclaimed by the social centre activists by tea-time - it is now squatted.
Activists might be interested in KnowledgeLab III: Who Cares? at Lancaster University. It is an open gathering on the weekend of June 30 for people concerned about themselves, each other and the world we live in.
Greg Avery has spent seven years trying to close down Huntingdon Life Sciences. His early, crude opposition to animal experiments twice landed him in jail. But then he took his fight to the City - which is where, he claims, you really get results. Steve Boggan meets him.
Yesterday I got an email chain letter "petition" about Pascua Lama which requested that I add my name and forward it to everyone I know. Needless to say I did not do that, for reasons which are explained in this BreakTheChain guide to armchair activism.
NO2ID have started a renew for freedom campaign, encouraging UK citizens to renew their passports during the month of May. Obviously the earlier your passport is due to expire the more incentive there is to renew it now.
Tesco is making record profits but there are many indications that it is abusing its power. Read all about it at Tescopoly.
Guerrilla gardeners are sowing the seeds of resistance in south London, with a spot of illicit gardening in its neglected public spaces.
Castle Mill Boatyard, in Jericho, Oxford, is under threat. As the last public boatyard on the Oxford Canal, it is an indispensable resource for the local narrowboat community, in particular residential boat owners. However British Waterways wants to develop the land for luxury housing, in association with Bellway Homes Ltd. British Waterways have applied for an eviction order. Check out the Castle Mill Website if you want to help resist the impending eviction attempt.
With May Day 2006 coming up it is interesting to reflect on previous May Days. Six years ago I was present in Parliament Square for the May Day 2000 RTS "Guerrilla Gardening" action and I remember having quite a nice chilled out day. Some people had other ideas though and attacked such symbols as McDonalds and the Cenotaph in a way which drew outraged condemnation from the tabloid press. George Monbiot joined the criticism with a piece in the Guardian which suggested that RTS had lost the plot. This then prompted an editorial in the June edition of SQUALL and a subsequent exchange of letters that provides a fascinating insight into the internal divisions within the "direct action movement" at the time.
George Monbiot had been involved with The Land is Ours, a campaign which I came across about two years ago. Fairly recently he took on the role of honorary president in the Campaign against Climate Change which I have been involved with for about four years. Last year I took a soundsystem along to Beat The Bombers! which was billed as a party for peace against DSEi - some of the organisers were RTS veterans. It is amazing how all these things connect.
Clowns, Fools, Fairies and Dragons of the World Unite!
London noborders is calling for a demo in Harmondwworth on April 8th, in solidarity with a worldwide call for action from Australian noborder activists.
The UK Government is again considering a mass cull of badgers, justifying it by claiming that it will reduce the incidence of TB in cattle. This is a controversial issue but there are certainly many seemingly well informed people claiming that there is no scientific evidence to justify a cull. Black & White is a website campaigning against what may well be a useless slaughter.
Aktivix Links is an activist bookmarking system based on Rubric.
A season of events called Another World is Blossoming is underway at the Synergy Centre.
Activists often discuss the potential dangers of carrying a mobile phone. One unlikely possibility is that the authorities could use it as a listening device (it would probably have to be modified for the purpose and the modification would probably have fairly obvious side effects). A much more likely possibility is that it could reveal your location. In fact, there are companies such as world-tracker which offer mobile phone tracking services, and although they require the consent of the phone owner, it does demonstrate just how easy it is in principle. On the other hand, the world-tracker service only reveals information about which "cell" the phone is in so it does not provide a precise location.
"I will form part of a human chain around the Westminster no protest zone but only if 6,000 other people join in." I was the 543rd person to sign this pledge. The deadline is 2006-05-01 which is a bank holiday Monday and seems to be the proposed date for the action. I have been involved in some sort of protest in London on Mayday every year for the last few years and this seems like a good way to maintain the tradition:-)
On Saturday there will be a national gathering of remembrance for Jill Phipps in Dover, followed by a demo against live animal exports.
I went down to London on Saturday for the march in support of UK Guantanamo detainees but things did not go quite according to plan. Here is my report.
There is an excellent collection of activist videos at KinoKast. Almost all of them are available as both Windows Media and QuickTime files.
The Art & Activism Caravan is a three month border crossing project starting on 2006-05-01 following the European Social Forum in Greece and ending on 2006-08-01 at Ecotopia in Slovakia.
A few months ago I saw a film of the 2002 Woomera refugee breakout. Produced by SKA TV this film is available from the Internet Archive.
I just read an interesting article about Yukio Mishima by Colin Dickey in The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest.
Along with an estimated 210 other detainees, Omar Deghayes is on hunger strike asking for enforcement of Geneva Conventions at Guantanamo. The Justice for Omar Deghayes campaign has called for a national demonstration to "Bring Them Home". Assemble 2006-01-21 at 12:00, Tothill Street (near St James Park tube) for a march to the US Embassy via Downing Street.
The demo on Tower Bridge last night did not go quite according to plan. I took the tandem soundsystem to Southwark Needle to meet other cyclists but the DJ couldn't make it and I ended up with only a couple of tapes and an old Walkman for tunes. Apparently the delegates had been told not to make their own way from the conference centre to Tower Bridge "for security reasons" and coaches were organised. We stood around waiting for a cue - the plan seemed to be to try to intercept the coaches and provide them with our own escort:-) There were police everywhere with riot vans, horses, dogs etc. We got fed up waiting in the cold and decided to ride around a bit with the soundsystem and a huge papier mache aeroplane on a trailer (which slowed us down because one of the wings kept falling off). At a certain point we slowed down and I saw someone D-locking his neck to a railing. Suddenly there were loads of people in the street with lock-on tubes trying to form a complete human chain across the road to stop the coaches. The cycle cops were seriously outnumbered but did their best to stop the chain forming. It is hard to say who would have won - we didn't find out because news came through that the coaches had gone a different way and someone used the soundsystem to call off the lock-on. By the time we got to the bridge the delegates were already up in the restaurant. The bridge was swarming with police (some with dogs) and the general feeling was that we were not going to achieve much more so people dispersed. As a group of us stood around eating chips I heard that there had also been a climbing action planned, but that the police had cottoned on and followed the climbers to prevent them doing anything. Oh and I also heard that some people had managed to get in to the conference centre earlier and released rape alarms tied to helium balloons.
I posted the above as an addition to a UK Indymedia page where Doug had posted a video of the ride.
Greenpeace protesters have disrupted a speech used by Tony Blair to launch an energy review which could lead to new nuclear power stations in the UK.
From the flyer at planestupid.com:
As climate change spirals out of control, the Institute of Economic Affairs has gathered over 300 delegates, including "CEOs, Chairmen, Board Members and Senior Executives from over 25 countries" to discuss "key issues" facing the aviation sector today.
They will be dining on Tower Bridge tomorrow evening, and environmental activist will be there to send a clear message: "Air Transport - No Future!" I hope to be joining other cyclists at Southwark Needle at 17:45 to ride to the event, which has been referred to as "Tango on Tower Bridge".
I missed the CCC meeting I mentioned in my last entry, but I did get to see The Vacuum Cleaner. He called a few other people to speak during the presentation, including someone from the Space Hijackers, and Reverend Billy.
The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination is supported by the Arts Council of England - so when people saw police chasing clowns during the G8 Summit it was a performance in which the protagonists were both government funded! The Live Art Development Agency is involved with this sort of thing.
TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson had a custard pie thrown in his face after he picked up an honorary degree at Oxford Brookes University on Monday.
I am planning to go to London tomorrow for a couple of things. Fist at 18:00 there is a Campaign against Climate Change meeting at their new(ish) office near Old Street. Then at 19:30 there is a performance presentation called "An A to Z of Exits" by The Vacuum Cleaner at the ICA.
Smiley's Radical Campaigns Jump Page lists more than 250 UK radical campaign groups (I am not sure that I would describe them all as "radical" but I guess it is both relative and subjective).
I was wondering whether to go to the Earth First! Summer Gathering but now it looks like I will be going to Brighton instead.
This Saturday there will be a whole program of events for activists at the Circle Community Centre in London. The schedule has been published on the Peace Not War website, and includes a seminar at 18:00 about the history and future of Peace Not War.
I have recently read an article reportedly written by an academic at a British University who specialises in the study of crowd behaviour. The article examines how the UK Police see crowds and how this affects public order policing. I have found two copies on the web - exhibits A and B.
Restrictions on protest around the Houses of Parliament in London will come into force at the beginning of August. Anybody thinking of making a political statement will be legally obliged to apply for permission. An active campaign of civil disobedience is being planned - see www.parliamentprotest.org.uk for details.
On 2005-10-23 there will be a Freedom to Protest conference in Central London.
I was in London for Mayday but I don't have time to write up a proper report so I Will just mention a couple of things briefly. I got a text message at noon which said "MAYDAY MAYDAY! GO TO BETHNAL GREEN STATION BY 1pm AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!". But having got up late I was not going to rush to get there and instead I went to Parliament Square and waited for the Space Hijackers to show up. They arrived only slightly late, and rather than spend time describing what happened I will just point you to the report on their own website.
I didn't stay for the whole match as I had to be at RampART to help prepare for "Cycleogical" - a G8 Bike Ride benefit party. When I got to RampART there was someone there who had responded to the Mayday callout and she described some of what had happened. I won't go into details - see this Indymedia report.
And now for something completely different - check out the dowethics.com website.
I have not been keeping up with plans for Mayday action in London but there are a couple of things I have heard about. The EuroMayDay has a link to this London Site which says:
To participate in this years MAYDAY action please send your mobile phone number to: euromayday@hushmail.com and you will be texted one hour before the action starts on MAY 1st.
The Space Hijackers are again going with a Cricket theme and are advertising a Mayday Challenge in Parliament Square!
Changing the subject, 2005-07-23 is WM3 Worldwide Awareness Day with events planned in 30 cities to highlight the plight of the West Memphis Three.
I have just put up a page about printing which currently just consists of a list of places which have been recommended to me for getting flyers and/or stickers printed.
The McLibel Two have won their case at the European Court of Human Rights:-)
The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is looking for six visionaries who can make the world - or part of it - more just and more peaceful. Those selected will be paid a salary and office costs for five years to enable them to just get on an do their thing!
I really should find the time to have a good look at The Open Co-op.
Over the last couple of years I have been photographed and filmed numerous times by the police, who are making increasing use of digital technology to gather information about activists. Of course anyone who lives and works in a town or city is likely to have their image captured several times per day by CCTV cameras, but activists get special treatment. The police require no special authority to photograph you in a public place, and indeed you are perfectly entitled to take photographs of them (although this sometimes seems to wind them up). The photographers I come across are members of "Forward Intelligence Teams" which in are in turn part of the the "Public Order Intelligence Unit". For more about the POIU check out Tash's On Being Watched....
Friends and family demand end to inhumane treatment of Luis, Lina and Miguel by Immigration Service.
This Practical History Homepage has loads of good stuff which puts activism in a historical context.
I created this section today as part of an effort to improve the organisation of my website.
www.zenatode.org.uk Ian Gregory 2010