earthfirst – Page 207

Japanese Whaling Fleet Is On the Run

Friday, December 19, 2008
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin now has the entire Japanese whaling fleet on the run.

At 2345 G.M.T. the Steve Irwin intercepted the Japanese harpoon vessel Yushin Maru #2 inside the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone at 64°26 South and 132° 40′ East.

Friday, December 19, 2008
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin now has the entire Japanese whaling fleet on the run.

At 2345 G.M.T. the Steve Irwin intercepted the Japanese harpoon vessel Yushin Maru #2 inside the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone at 64°26 South and 132° 40′ East.

The encounter took place in dense fog and in dangerous ice conditions. The Steve Irwin launched a Delta boat with a crew to attack the Yushin Maru #2 with rotten butter bombs. Unfortunately the wind increased to fifty knots with blizzard conditions. Captain Paul Watson called the small boat crew back for safety reasons when they were halfway to their target some three miles away.

The Yushin Maru #2 then headed due North to lead the Steve Irwin away from the whaling fleet. The decoy did not work. The Steve Irwin is now in pursuit of the whaling fleet.

They have ceased whaling operations and they are now running from the Sea Shepherd crew.

The Yushin Maru #2 was the same vessel that the Steve Irwin crew boarded in January 2007. This year the crew observed that the Yushin Maru #2 has set up large netting to be run along the side of the ship to prevent boarding parties from going over the side. When the whalers realized that the Steve Irwin was onto them, they immediately ran on deck to deploy the netting.

“It looks like Whale Wars, season #2 is officially underway,” said Captain Paul Watson. “We’ve got them on the run. They are not in the Ross Sea where they said they would be. They are in Australian waters. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is officially calling on Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith to order the Japanese fleet to comply with the orders of the Australian Federal Court and to cease and desist from killing to whales in Australian waters.”

COAL CARAVAN – route & dates update

The fabulous climate caravan lives on.

This time we will be the COAL CARAVAN, walking and cycling between the sites for proposed open cast mines and new power stations in the Midlands, Yorkshire and North East.

The fabulous climate caravan lives on.

This time we will be the COAL CARAVAN, walking and cycling between the sites for proposed open cast mines and new power stations in the Midlands, Yorkshire and North East.

On our route we’ll be talking to local people, organising bicycled power films and events, holding public discussions and displays, and linking groups from different areas to help strengthen isolated campaigns.

24 April 2009 Co2al Caravan launch party, Sumac Centre Nottingham
25 April – set off to Shipley Glen
27/28 April – cycle to Yorkshire
29 April – Fairbairn Ings
30 April – 2 May – cycle to North East
3 May – Anti-opencast workshops
4 May (Bank Holiday Monday) – Grand Finale

The caravan itself will not involve direct action (although we may offer training, if local groups so request). It will be openly organised and if you would like to go on the list please email caravan@climatecamp.org.uk.

Stop the Weymouth Relief Road Update & Videos – wish list & overhanging branch tactic!

Latest news: a technicality has meant a tree top protest against a new £87m relief road scheme in Dorset has continued despite a legal ruling.

The government has given the go-ahead for the Weymouth relief road and Dorset County Council secured a land possession order to evict protestors.

Latest news: a technicality has meant a tree top protest against a new £87m relief road scheme in Dorset has continued despite a legal ruling.

The government has given the go-ahead for the Weymouth relief road and Dorset County Council secured a land possession order to evict protestors.

But the demonstration, which began last Thursday, was continuing on Friday and has delayed work at Two Mile Coppice.

Protestors have now occupied a tree branch overhanging neighbouring land.

In the morning, Dorset County Council served a compulsory purchase order on the land which meant the protestors were legally required to leave.

While the oak tree they are in is on land covered by the notice, the branch they occupy overhangs adjacent Woodland Trust land.

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Tat list – What we need

And latest update (Saturday 20th December):-

www.greenvoice.com – shortly to be a web space for us

PLEASE CIRCULATE

update– we have an address of sorts, and donations and xmas gifts would be great !”!!

Cash is ok to send as it is a secure post box, but phonecards for Orange are better than cash.
Also need AAA and AA batteries – Duracell and Energiser or alkaline ONLY.
Rope – Green or blue polypropelene – 6mm or 10mm thickness.
Rope – Static climbing line – 10mm or larger.
Rope – Dynamic climbing line – any thickness
Rope – arborist lines – we have 2 tree surgeons living with us and this rope is useful.

second hand rope is normally FREE from climbing centres -indoor centres often throw their ropes out every 6 -9 months – just call in and ask for it.

Tarps, plastic sheeting.

Tools – hammers, nails, saws, pruning saws, bill hooks.

2 way radios, nightvision goggles, catapults (to get rope up), grappling hooks. Head torches – LED are best.

The Woodland Trust still own the land that the road is being built on, but have waived their 14 days notice period and told Dorset County Council that it is ok to get on with cutting down the Ancient woodland – basically they have thrown in the towel without even standing up to argue or delay the destruction on their land. The fact that the Woodland Trust still own the land was recorded in the Court case of the 18th december 2008 of Dorset
County Council ‘ v ‘ Persons Unknown in Weymouth County Court. Her Majesty’s Land Registry in Plymouth also confirmed it.

The people of Weymouth brought Two Mile Copse through public subscription. Local people dug deeply into their pockets and put their money into conserving the land for perpeturity, for us and all future generations.

Dorset County Council have so far not given one penny in compensation, either to the Woodland Trust, nor local people who raised the public money to preserve the wood in the first place.

—————————-

More update:-

Hi Ho!, HO!, Ho!

Living up 6 trees at weymouth – Two Mile Copse / Teddy Bear Woods. I helped fight against
this road back in 1996, and 2004 and we won it then.

BUT now they gone and done it and cut 70% of the trees…..

We have a 400 year old Oak in Ancient Woodland that’s are protecting and 4 Ash trees reaching 90 feet up into the sky. Also a tall and healthy young elm.

We have a tree house, a net, lots of walkways in the sky and an off route visitors site on the ground.

GET HELP + MEDIA now if u can.

regards

2 Mile Copse Protest Camp
c/o Lorton Barn
Lorton Lane
LittleMoor
Weymouth
DT3 5QH

Sorry we currently are in the process of arranging a site mobile phone – number to follow
shortly

Links/more below & in previous story.

—–

Following from the Stop the Weymouth Relief Road bulletin. Apparently there is a chainsaw gang now operating 1.5 miles further North from Littlemoor, between Littlemoor and Ridgeway. There are 3 protesters down there but they need more back up. I have been in contact with the protesters occupying the sight at Littlemoor. They are in urgent need of more support from locals to help on the ground and others to help build tree houses along the route, all help would be greatly appreciated.

On site mobiles are 07792717821 / 07807952822

—–
Videos: 1 | 2

COUNCIL chiefs will go to court tomorrow in a bid to remove a growing number of protesters from the route of Weymouth’s planned relief road.

It comes as the stand-off intensified in Two Mile Coppice as eco-warriors began moving a fence and telling security staff it encroached too far into the ancient woodland.

But today Dorset County Council is hoping to be granted possession of the land by Weymouth County Court.

The council is asking the court to rule that the protesters must leave the property, and if they agree to that request, when they must leave.

The number of protesters reached seven as a camp was set up beneath an oak tree that stands alone in the fenced off area of the woods.

Four protesters set up camp and roped off their own area below three more based up inside the tree.

One new arrival, known only as Andy, said: “We are here to stop the road as there are many reasons why the woodland should not be chopped down.

“The oak tree we are in and beneath is hundreds of years old.

“We heard about the people here and wanted to come to support the action.

“We can help provide food and whatever else they need in the tree.

“If you let the council go ahead with the road it won’t be long before they want to chop more of this beautiful woodland down for development.

“The road won’t actually help prevent traffic congestion in the end anyway.”

A council spokesman confirmed clearance work is continuing in the western edge strip of Two Mile Coppice and said it is hoped this will be finished before Christmas.

She said: “There is a county court hearing today where the county council will be asking for an order for the trespassers to hand over the land to the possession of the council.”

Nick Pepper, 41, has camped in the woods since he came down from a tree which has now been chopped down.

Mr Pepper, who previously lived in Weymouth but now lives in Bristol, said: “As soon as we received the legal papers to evict the tree we thought we’d better have a legally legitimate support camp.

“We are protected under the 1977 Criminal Law Act which stops us from being legally evicted or illegally assaulted.

“We’ve actually squatted in an area of land so we can protect the people up the tree from intimidation or illegal activity.

“There needs to be open access so we can monitor what’s going on.”

Forest and climate activists shut down Gunns’ Triabunna mill woodchip mill, Tasmania

2008-12-16
Seven activists were charged with trespass today after shutting down Gunns’ Triabunna mill for over seven hours this morning. Fifteen people occupied the woodchip mill at 4:45am, with seven activists attaching themselves to a conveyor belt and other machinery.

“The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme White Paper makes it plain that the Federal ALP is not committed to ‘serious and credible’ emissions reductions. There is a failure by policy makers to grasp that we are facing a climate emergency – the policies proposed by the White Paper will result in the disappearance of Tasmania’s unique alpine ecosystems, the collapse of the Barrier Reef, and the salination of Kakadu,” Huon Valley Environment Centre spokesperson said.

“Targets of a 5% reduction by 2020 are pitiful and internationally humiliating. The Australian Government’s increased assistance to large emitters provides a clear demonstration that their priorities lie with heavily polluting big business, and not with Australia’s people and natural environment,” Warrick Jordan said.

“In Tasmania, the logging, burning and woodchipping of old growth forest releases massive quantities of carbon. Gunns Limited is the driver of this grossly irresponsible and morally reprehensible situation,” Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson said.

“Gunns hides this immense climate crime behind official carbon accounting figures which exclude the logging of native forest. Tasmania’s old growth forests are globally significant as unique ecosystems and carbon stores, and their protection can play a significant role in Australia taking real climate action,” SWST

“The Tasmanian Government has publicly expressed a will to address climate change. If the Bartlett government is serious about addressing climate change then it will legislate an end to old growth logging” concluded SWST.

Scottish coal rail terminal shut down by local residents and Climate campaigners

15/12/2008: this morning thirty campaigners from Coal Action Scotland together with local residents peacefully blockaded the entrance to the Scottish Coal-operated Ravenstruther coal rail terminal in South Lanarkshire. Having stopped its reopening after the weekend, this action is currently preventing the delivery of thousands of tonnes of coal to power stations across Scotland. Protestors intend to stay in place as long as possible.

With Scotland’s CO2 emissions increasing significantly, continuing the consumption of coal will make it impossible for Scotland to meet its 80% target reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050. Angus Mcloud said “The fact is that the government will not meet its own targets. This confirms what climate protestors have believed all along – that the Scottish government is paying lip service to the dangers of climate change.”

The action is aiming to disrupt the operations of Scottish Coal and Scottish Power in the region. The protestors are acting to oppose the five open cast coal mines that deliver coal to the rail terminal and in resistance to the thirteen new open cast coal mines due to open in Scotland.

Protestors erected and scaled a 15ft scaffolding tripod, blocking trucks from entering the terminal. Others are locked by their necks to a conveyor belt and a bulldozer, preventing coal stockpiles from being loaded onto trains.

Tilly Gifford who is at the site said: “In the face of dangerous runaway climate change, increasing our dependence on coal – the most polluting of the fossil fuels – is simply unacceptable. We urgently need to make the transition to renewable energy and close existing mines. We shouldn’t even be thinking about new ones.”

The demonstration today is in support of communities opposing new open cast mines. Rebecca Mackenzie, a local resident said: “We’re here today to send a clear message that we don’t want parts of Scotland such as South Lanarkshire to become the most heavily mined areas in Europe, as they will be if permission is granted for all the new open cast coal mines currently being proposed. If sites such as Mainshill near Douglas can’t be stopped through legal avenues, then action will have to be taken to make sure these last remaining areas of un-mined countryside aren’t destroyed”.

Beth Whelan, the campaigner perched on the scaffolding tripod, said: “Local authorities, the Scottish government and companies such as Scottish Coal and Scottish Power are ignoring the scientific evidence on climate change. We have to take responsibility for our climate and our future, and stop the coal industry and its expansion. This is what we doing today: acting responsibly”.

It is estimated that 6,380 tonnes of coal were stopped from being transported from the coal mines to power stations, equivalent to 11,675,400 kg CO2 (11,675.4 tonnes) released into the atmosphere.

Coal Action Scotland apologizes to any workers affected by today’s demonstration, but in recognizing the desperate need to stop burning coal sees no other choice but to target the companies responsible for mining it.

The action lasted over 8 hours and resulted in 6 arrests and not a single chunk of coal was transported from the terminal.

http://coalactionedinburgh.wordpress.com/

Kelsterbach protest against airport extension, camp news & upcoming events, frankfurt / germany

On Sunday, 14.12. about 150 people demonstrated in the forest of Kelsterbach (near Frankfurt / Main) against the construction of the new runway north of the current airport site.

To familiarize with the surrounding of the forest, which fraport (the company which runs the airport) wants to destroy and in view of the area which probably will be cleared first, the demonstration moved trough the forest towards the airport grounds, along the current path to where the road Okrifteler crossed the motorway 3 and the fast-train tracks. Throughout the Kelsterbacher forest are the preparatory measures (removal of munitions, sub-wood and animals) largely completed. Among the preparatory measures include marking work on the trees. These were from the demonstrators numerous and varied with paint and spray cans supplemented, so that the orientation for forestry workers in the forest in the future will be more difficult.

At the bridge on the ICE route had already posted the cops and blocked the transition towards soundproofing wall of the airport. Under the observation of a police helicopter there was a short rally, while on the road Okrifteler many new slogans against the expansion were painted.

The forest walk was a good step from the activist lethargy of the past few months!

Upcoming events:

4th January 2009: The first colourful walk in the forests in the new year will again explore the area and make the extent of forest destruction clear. Meeting: 14 clock Forest Camp

From the 12th January 2009: possible grubbing beginning, Day X
Day X is the day on which the site is fenced and / or with the clearing work is begun. Get on the alarm lists (soon under www.waldbesetzung.blogsport.de or in the forest camp)!

14th January 2009: demonstration together with pupils, students and others against the Hessian conditions in Frankfurt. Check: www.14januar.de

Even between the years, there will be activities around the camp and against the expansion type. Keep you updated on www.waldbesetzung.blogsport.de or www.flughafen-bi.de

Previous stories about the camp: 1 | 2

Stop the new Leeds Opencast

Join us on Saturday 10th January 2009 to march around the proposed open cast coal mine site at Newton Lane, near Fairburn Ings nature reserve and Castleford.

YANC SAYS:

NO CO2AL HOLE

It’s time to say NO!

We don’t want a dirty opencast coal site adding to climate change

Join us on Saturday 10th January 2009 to march around the proposed open cast coal mine site at Newton Lane, near Fairburn Ings nature reserve and Castleford.

YANC SAYS:

NO CO2AL HOLE

It’s time to say NO!

We don’t want a dirty opencast coal site adding to climate change

Join us on Saturday 10th January 2009 to march around the proposed open cast coal mine site at Newton Lane, near Fairburn Ings nature reserve and Castleford. Meet at the White Horse in Ledston at 12 noon for a 12:30 start. We will take a route on public rights of way around and through the proposed open cast site. The walk should take no more than an hour.

This protest event will be a joint venture between YANC (Yorkshire Against New Coal) and RAGE (Residents Against Greenbelt Expansion).

For a map of the area including location of Ledston, see the RAGE website at: www.savefairburnings.org.uk

White Horse pub postcode is WF10 2AB. Add this postcode to multimap for directions.

Multimap link: http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=WF10+2AB&countryCode=GB

We will have some banners and placards but please feel free to make and bring your own.

Media will be invited.

If we are to tackle climate change, coal must be left in the ground. We need clean, green renewable technology, energy efficiency and decentralised energy.

Your New Years Resolution? To stop climate change!

For further information see the YANC website: www.yanc.org.uk or find us on Facebook.

Yorkshire Against New Coal
events@yanc.org.uk

Titnore Woods battle goes on! Upcoming events & update

DETERMINED eco-protesters in Worthing are facing up to the hardest challenge yet in their two and a half year occupation of threatened woodland.

The freezing temperatures and stormy conditions mean life is currently no picnic for the hardy protesters camped out in Titnore Woods, West Durrington, in a last-ditch bid to try and stop a new housing estate and Tesco megastore from being built over green fields and ancient woodland.

And grateful local supporters are organising a pre-Christmas stall in the town centre to bring festive cheer to the tree-house dwellers, who moved onto the site back in May 2006.

They will be collecting provisions for the protesters under the title “A Hamper for a Camper” at Holder’s Corner, Montague Street, Worthing, on Saturday December 20, from 11am.

It wasn’t an easy option when the team of eco-heroes sneaked onto the threatened ancient woodland off Titnore Lane at the crack of dawn on a May bank holiday and started building their tree homes before anyone knew what was happening.

Most people assumed they’d be kicked off again straight away, but the days turned to weeks turned to months turned to years and they’re still there!

The final planning application isn’t even through yet – they had to rethink part of it – and you can still object, writing to the Worthing Borough Council planning department at Portland House, Richmond Road, Worthing and quoting WB/04/00040/OUT.

But, sadly, Worthing campaigners against the development have already discovered through years of campaigning, letter-writing, petition-raising and large, peaceful, demonstrations that money and power don’t listen to the little people who know the difference between right and wrong.

We live in a world where even if police commit murder or theft they can get completely off the hook.

We live in a world where politicians can lie through their teeth, start wars that kill hundreds of thousands of people, and get away with it. We live in a world that is being choked to death by the blind greed of capitalism and yet we are told there is no other option.

The Titnore campers are part of that bigger picture – they have the guts to physically put themselves on the line and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Please support them in any way you can – food, supplies, a friendly visit.

There are tough times ahead and we all need to be there for each other.

* 1990s road protester Jim Hindle will be giving a talk at 8pm on Thursday January 29 upstairs at The Rest in Bath Place, Worthing. All welcome.

Santas Against Excessive Consumption, London UK, Xmas 08

Five brave counterculture warriors don Santa Suits, sing anti-consumerist and anti-capitalist Xmas carols, and leaflet for more mindful attention to love, gifts, and catastrophic climate change – in Oxford Street, in the heart of the shopping district of Old London Town, on the busiest shopping day of the year: Sat 13 De

Turning material wealth into possessions makes you happy; shopping till you drop and retail therapy are good for everybody; proving you love somebody means giving them an expensive present. The bullplop promoted by Capital’s advertising and marketing psyche-manipulators has never needed challenging more than it does today, in the worst of the madness of Xmas shopping mass-psychosis during a cash-strapped credit crunch recession.

Our yuletide ‘tradition’ at London Rising Tide [1] involves a ‘Santas Against Excessive Consumption’ [2] choral street action – mass dressing as Santa Claus, social singing of anti-consumerist Xmas carols, and letting folks know by leaflet that there is an alternative to the dominant the-one-who-dies-with-the-most-toys-wins idiocy of hyperconsumerism. Since the rain was heavy and steady, we sought shelter and performance space in the West One indoor shopping mall on Oxford Street, by Bond Street tube station. But anti-capitalist choristers only dampened what little Xmas spirit the security boss had left – and he threatened to call the cops if we didn’t leave forthwith.

Thankfully, his remit seemed to run out at the doors to Oxford Street, which still left us with a suitably sized covered area in which we could sing to our hearts content, and compete with the McDonalds McFlyer to see who could give away the most leaflets per unit time. The applause of shoppers happy to be spared, if only temporarily, from the soul-rotting rounds of shopping for tat was much appreciated.

The lyrics of the songs you can hear us singing in the video (so you can sing along, or even stage your own Santas Against Conspicuous Consumption street action) are as follows.

___________________________________________________________________
1 (& 3). Jingle All The Way – to the tune of Jingle Bells

Chorus:
Profits here, profits there,
profits everywhere
Christmas time is funny
we smell money in the air
Advertise, glamorize,
fool you with a flair.
Let’s make sure that Christmas
is a businesslike affair.

You’re eating up our lies and dashing to the stores
Then all our prices rise and how the money pours
If we don’t keep you drugged and watching your TV
You might see the hypocrisy
then where would business be?

Chorus

We’ll tell you how to think and tell you what to try
What to eat and drink and how to live and die
And if our plan succeeds, when Christmas-time is nigh
Instead of seeking love and peace you’ll hunt for gifts to buy

Chorus

___________________________________________________________________
2. Consumer Wonderland – to the tune of Winter Wonderland, lyrics by Erica Avery

The TV’s on / are you watching?
Another product / that they’re hawking
one more thing you need
to make life complete
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

In the stores / you will hear it
“Pricey gifts / show holiday spirit”
That’s what they call it
to get to your wallet
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

At the mall we can go out shopping
and buy lots of stuff we can’t afford
we’ll have lots of fun with our new toys
until we realize that we’re still bored

When you shop / ain’t it thrilling
until / you get the billing
the money you still owe the stuff broke long ago
Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

___________________________________________________________________
4. Oh Come All Ye Shoppers – to the tune of Oh Come All Ye Faithful

Oh come all ye shoppers
Burdened and despondent
Come all ye followers of ma-a-mon
Come and buy things
Sparkly and redundant

Oh come let us ignore it
Oh come let us deplore it
Oh come let us abhore it
Money and greed.

Ring tills with profit
Ring in exploitation
Ring all ye registers of capitalism
Glory to profit
At it’s highest

Oh come let us ignore it
Oh come let us deplore it
Oh come let us abhore it
Money and greed.

___________________________________________________________________

For capitalists, giving means buying tat from them first. For anti-capitalists, a gift economy can undermine the market economics that poison our environment, our culture and our minds – for example, see ‘Creating Our Future World One Gift At A Time’ – http://tinyurl.com/gift-economy

Footnotes

[1] London Rising Tide – http://www.londonrisingtide.org.uk

[2] The Rising Tide “tradition” of ‘Santas Against Excessive Consumption’:
▪ ‘Santas Against Excessive Consumption hit London, 16.12.06’ – http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/12/358481.html
▪ ‘Santas Against Excessive Consumption invade Oxford Street’ – http://www.londonrisingtide.org.uk/node/33
▪ ‘Subversive Singing Santas Spread Seasonal Sanity in London and Norwich’ – http://risingtide.org.uk/node/247

[2] Carol resources:
▪ Christmas Carols – http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/resources/carols.html
▪ Our Entire 11-song Songsheet – http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/17929

Author earthfirstPosted on December 14, 2008Categories Capitalism / Globalisation, Climate Chaos, Culture Jamming/Subvertising, London

Day 7 of the revolt in Greece

Following the police shooting of a 15 year old anarchist, riots, protests & vigils continue throughout Greece, with worldwide solidarity protests taking place. Latest report below (click Read more). For much more info and all the latest, see https://www.indymedia.org.uk

The Greek Intifada continues and the government is unable to impose its control in the country, spreading fears among the ruling classes all over the European Union.

The Greek Intifada continues and the government is unable to impose its control in the country, spreading fears among the ruling classes all over the European Union. In the EU Summit in Brussels, Sarkozy but also the other bourgeois leaders demanded to the Greek right wing Prime Minister Karamanlis “to arrest immediately those responsible for the chaos”. So in today’s demonstration in Athens of tens of thousands of schoolchildren, students, parents, teachers and professors, the riot police tried to make mass arrests of 12-15 years boys and girls. The teachers and parents intervened to save the kids, fought with Police and liberated most of them apart from 3(more or less kids of 12-13 years old) who are added to the 176 already officially arrested.

Clashes between schoolchildren and riot police took also place in front of the parliament in Syntagma Square. The repressive forces of the State attacked afterwards the Law Faculty under occupation where our Independent Action Center is functioning. The center of Athens has been suffocated with the chemical gazes used by the riot police. But the police had to retreat as the students defended themselves with stones and a few Molotov cocktails. Then the Students Assembly took place and a new program of actions was decided for the next days.

The Karamanlis government was unable to have the support of other bourgeois parties and the official Left to declare the stage of the siege. The government itself is split on that crucial issue. Nevertheless, the real State of Emergency was declared by the schoolchildren who have put under siege tens of Police Stations in Athens and all over the country.

The Stalinist KKE continues to escalate not only its attacks against Synaspismos /Syriza accused to be “protectors of the hooligans”, but the revolt itself. Officially the leaders of KKE insist that there is no… any revolt! Today, at the same time that the schoolchildren waged their battles with the riot police in front of the Athens University and in the Syntagma Square, the Stalinist bureaucrats kept their supporters away, in Omonia Square and rapidly dispersed them in a few blocks distance from that Square. Nevertheless, KKE deputies and their newspaper Rizospastis repeated their slanders against the revolted – to be hooligans, Talibans, drug dealers, prostitution racketeers( 12-13 years old boys?) , police agents- adding now a new slander: that those fighting the police are agents of imperialist agencies namely of CIA!!!

As the political crisis intensifies, the economic crisis is exacerbated. Today’s news show that over-indebted Greece finds more and more difficult to get new loans to pay both its past debts and its deficits. To give an idea: the spread( the difference between the interest rates) of the Greek State bonds in relation to those of Germany has escalated to 202, while in the beginning of 2008 was just 20. Until March 2009 it is expected that the spread will grow to 500 or more. Greece is de facto bankrupt. It is the weakest economic link in the chain of the Euro-zone countries, and now it is proved above any doubt that it is also the weakest political link. The global capitalist crisis not only destabilizes all social relations but produce now explosions and a tendency towards a pre-revolutionary and/or revolutionary situation.

http://www.eek.gr/default.asp?pid=6&id=639