The Bath Bomb
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Issue #16
free/donation
Nov 08
Because now it’s okay to love America
We Won’t Pay For Their Crisis
Saturday the 22nd of November sees a new campaign taking to the streets of Bath. Going under the slogans ‘Can’t pay, Won’t pay’ and ‘We won’t pay for their crisis!’, the campaign will be taking the fight to the greedy politicians, bankers and bosses who are behind this financial crisis. The campaign will also focus on protecting the rights of average people and will centre around five key demands – 1) decent council subsidies on gas and electric bills, 2) affordable food and housing, 3) bailiffs and repossession men out of our communities, 4) protection of jobs and benefits, and 5) full control over the banks that our money has bailed out. These demands, and the campaign itself, are timely. Already, in the early stages of the crisis, unemployment is up 20%, gas and electric bill prices are up over 40% and home repossessions are up 70% on last year’s figures. Now more than ever, we need to group together to protect ourselves against the callous greed of the wealthy. We need to be ready to fight against bailiffs who for too many years have strode unopposed into our homes. We need to be ready to fight against the energy companies who increase our bills, leaving thousands to freeze while continuing to rake in profits. We need to be ready to fight against the government who cut our benefits and use our money to bail out their big business buddies and we need to be ready to fight against the bosses, who think nothing of making dedicated workers redundant to keep their own wallets fat. We have not caused this crisis, neither have we asked for it. It has been caused by greedy politicians, bankers and bosses, chasing after the big bucks, not worrying about who they crush to get there. Yet who is expected to pay when their shit hits the fan? Us. We are expected to pay with our taxes, with our jobs and with soaring food, rent and gas and electricity costs. Well no more! This campaign is not just about waving placards or ‘making a point’, it is about winning. It is about taking back what is ours from the greedy and wealthy who work so hard to take it from us, and it is a campaign that we can win together. If we are united in a belief that ‘enough is enough’, and a determination not to let them get rich from our labour while we struggle to make ends meet, we can and will win this campaign. So, to get involved, and wrench control of our lives back from the greedy bastards at the top, meet at 12.30pm in the Abbey courtyard on Saturday the 22nd of November.
Nude Girls Do It Together…
…Unionizing to improve their working conditions, that is. Screening on Sunday November the 30th as part of the monthly Bubbling Under radical cinema, from 1 til 4pm, get an eyeful of ‘Live Nude Girls Unite’, a documentary about the formation of the first union of strippers in the US. This raucous film is to be presented by Bristol Indymedia, who are sure to come back with future offerings. Entry is free, and the Porter veggie lunch is highly recommended. Get your placards out for the lads!
Minibar – 0 MegaBAN – 1
In the latest of a long line of foie gras victories, Minibar have pulled the delicacy from their menu after just two demos. At the end of the second 14 strong-protest, members of Bath Animal Action and Bath Activist Network reached an amicable agreement with the owner that foie gras would be removed from the restaurant with immediate effect. After this demo, activists paid a short and sharp visit to an eminently less sensible foie gras purveyor, Christophe LeCroix, owner of The Pinch in St Margaret’s buildings. Starting at 9pm, the demo lasted only 10 minutes, during which time the letterbox was flooded with leaflets, diners’ conversations were drowned out with a barrage of noise, leaflets littered the outside of the building and Christophe, seen cowering at the back of the restaurant, bravely sent a waitress to lock the doors and draw the blinds. Christophe has twice removed and replaced foie gras from his menu, and is now selling again, and despite his macho image, and a history of punching and sexually assaulting both male and female activists, has twice been seen begging protesters to leave him alone. Well, not anymore. BAA and BAN are back outside The Pinch until foie gras comes off the menu for good. The protests could come at any time, but for now, we will leave Christophe to ponder the fact that Hallowe’en is not the only time of year when things go ‘smash’ in the night! All foie gras-related complaints to:
Christophe LeCroix
The Pinch
11 St Margaret’s Buildings
Bath, BA1 2LP
01225 421251
info@thepinch.biz
Tofu Saladfest Ahoy!
Saturday the 22nd November is promising to be a busy day for Bathonians, as we also have the Bath Vegan Fayre! Running at the Percy Community Centre on New King Street from 12 til 3.30pm, all are welcome to come along and sample the delicious food, and find out how those pale and sickly lentil-eaters can still scrape up protein enough to draw breath without a nice slab of steak or cheddar. As well as information on veggie health, nutrition, environmental benefits, compassionate living, and vegan-catering eateries in the city, GeneWatch will also be there to talk about genetic modification of animals in scientific research, just like the franken-doctors do up at Bath University – such as potentially high-risk tampering with the genes of insects to control food supplies. Controversial? Contact eatoutveganbath@yahoo.co.uk for more information.
www.vegansociety.com/
www.genewatch.org/
EVENTS
Bath Hunt Saboteurs meetings, 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, 8pm, The Bell, Walcot Street
London Road Food Co-op, Wednesdays, 4-7pm, Riverside Community Centre, London Road
Bath Stop The War Coalition vigil, Saturdays, 11.30am-12.30, Bath Abbey Courtyard
‘Baked Alaska’ film screening, Monday 17th November, 7.30pm, upstairs at the Rummer, Grand Parade
‘We Won’t Pay For Their Crisis’ march, Saturday 22nd November, meeting 12.30, Bath Abbey Courtyard
Bath Vegan Fayre, Saturday 22nd November, 12-3.30pm, Percy Community Centre, New King Street
Green Light lecture: the Severn Barrage, Tuesday 25th November, 7.30pm, BRLSI, Queen Square
Anti-foie gras demo, Friday 28th November, meeting 7pm, the Circus
‘Opening the doors to autonomy’: a day of workshops, activities and artwork on urban survival – credit crunching strategies for getting through hard times; from the legalities and practicalities of squatting and resisting repossession/eviction & gentrification to urban foraging, a bike workshop, tai chi & self-defence, screenprinting and DIY wireless internet – this will be a day of sharing skills and building the networks to not only survive the economic crisis but to begin to collectively shape what may replace it; Saturday 29th November, 11-6pm, the Red Factory, Cave Street, St Pauls, Bristol
Bubbling Under, Sunday 30th November, 1-4pm, Porter Cellar bar, George Street
Bath Animal Action meeting, Wednesday 3rd December, 7.30-8.30pm, back room of The Bell
Bath Activist Network meeting, Thursday 4th December, 7.30-9pm, downstairs Hobgoblin
Bath Greenpeace meeting, Monday 8th December, 7.30-9pm, Stillpoint, Broad Street Place
Transition Bath Forum, Tuesday 9th December, 7pm, Widcombe Social Club
Bath Green Drinks, Wednesday 10th December, 8.30pm, the Rummer, Grand Parade
Bath FreeShop, Saturday 13th December, 12-3pm, outside Pump Rooms, Stall Street
Tally Ho-peless
Well, it’s November again, so that means hunting season’s back on, and another 3 or 4 months of pompous red-coated throwbacks and legal grey areas. Although hunting was officially banned in February 2005, it turned out to be the one law police chose not to enforce, and a law fraught with so many loopholes that most hunts could carry on just like as they like – pretending to follow a trail set by a scented rag rather than a fox, when they’re being watched. And so the fine tradition of hunt sabotage can’t hang up its mud-crusted wellies, just yet. On Saturday the 1st November, a small group from Bath, Bristol, Pewsey and Newport kept an eye on the Monmouthshire Hunt, following leaked info about their meeting point. Using citronella spray to mask fox scent, cameras to monitor activity, and a combination of hunting horns, voice calls and whips (cracking the air, not physically striking) to call off or confuse the hounds, a crisp autumn day out in the Welsh countryside was enjoyed by all, especially the two pursued foxes that we helped escape. If you want to help save innocent lives and reclaim rural space from arrogant thugs, then become an Anti: ring Bath Hunt Saboteurs on 07854 062336.
http://hsa.enviroweb.org/hsa.shtml
Green Space: Going, Going, Gone?
Residents and greens held a protest in Bath on Saturday the 8th November outside the Guildhall, hoping to save Bathampton Meadows from unnecessary development. Potentially a victim of yet another B&NES Council jobsworth’s twisted logic, the idea is we can save nature by killing it; in this case, the ancient meadow will make way for a 1,400 space Park and Ride concrete job to abate traffic congestion and pollution in the city centre. The problem here is that the main cause of congestion in Bath is the flow of east to west and west to east through traffic, rather than that of drivers coming into the city, so the Park & Ride will be barely used and whatever slack is saved will just be taken up by suppressed demand. The consultation ends after the 14th November and the consultation form can be downloaded from the Save Bathampton Meadows’ site: http://www.savebathamptonmeadows.org.uk. Why not sign up today? It can’t hurt.
Alder-Nasty Antics
One activist from BAN joined 300 others from around the UK to blockade the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment on Monday the 27th October, part of the ongoing campaign to kick weapons of mass destruction out of the UK. AWE Aldermaston is the site where experiments for the next generation of unpopular ‘Trident’ nuclear submarine armaments will be designed. A major part in this costly scheme is expected to be the ‘Orion’ laser facility, currently being built. The MoD has also recently applied for planning permission to carry out uranium enrichment there, too. Protesters from as far afield as Scotland, London, Norfolk, Plymouth and Yeovil took part, meeting to plan actions the day before. At 5.30am, activists locked on to barrels of concrete and blocked the first gate, causing police to promptly close the road. Another group of Greenham women (Greenham Common being a famous and long-lived peace camp, running 1981-2000) took a second, while several other groups locked and superglued themselves to Tadley gate, the main entrance for factor workers. The main gate itself was also held for a short time. Both the Rinky Dink pedal-powered sound system and band Seize The Day also showed up. Work at the factory was shut down most of the morning, and 33 were charged with Obstruction of the Highway. As usual, the state refuses to heed public opposition to Trident: the campaign to shut them down continues!
www.tridentploughshares.org
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When You Threaten One, You Threaten All!
So read the banner fluttering from the window of the 89 Ashley Road squat in Bristol as bailiffs last week clamoured at the door to evict the 20 residents who call the long disused building ‘home’. This came as a surprise to residents who had not been served the mandatory 7-day notice of eviction a landlord is required to provide. What happened next, and what of the sentimental message adorning the front of the building? Before we find out, a little look into the history, and intended future of the building, those inside, and those who hope to get rich off it. Owned by property developers ‘Places for People’, the building has been earmarked for ‘regeneration’ (read – gentrification) along with the surrounding area. Despite the group’s claims that they are primarily converting homes into assisted accommodation for the homeless and elderly, Ashley Road is earmarked to be turned into lucrative private flats, while the ‘charitable’ group is happy to allow otherwise homeless people to be turfed out into the street at the beginning of winter. After residents saw the bailiffs, a call for support was put out, and within an hour, around 50 activists, some from Bath, had descended on Ashley Road, making the illegal eviction a logistical impossibility. After a tense standoff, the bailiffs and their police mates left, dejected. A victory for solidarity, and a reprieve for the inhabitants of Ashley Road. While the bailiffs will certainly return soon, and may in the future be successful in their eviction attempts, the response of people to the fate of the squat demonstrates the power of solidarity and collective action over the often overwhelming seeming forces of authority and power.
Uncle Bulgaria Weeps
Regrettably, the Bath Bomb has just learnt about the demise of yet another of Bath’s greatest institutions: Envolve. Who? Under the motto ‘Partnerships in Sustainability’, the former environmental charity started out 14 years ago as the Bath Environment Centre on Milsom Street, and did exactly what it said on the recycled and biodegradable tin. Originally a resource for green activists and curious passersby, the centre got too big for its boots, and moved to larger premises in the subterranean tunnel complex beneath Green Park Station – now dependent not just on its benefactors but also on state funding. But such payouts rarely come without strings, and that proved the centre’s downfall. Becoming more and more corporate, Envolve began a campaign of ostracism towards its more pragmatic supporters, who recognise that ‘green capitalism’ is a contradiction in terms – they let go of staff and volunteers deemed too radical; arbitrarily chose between which local campaigns have a right to be advertised or not; and then, one-by-one, kicked out useful but unprofitable initiatives, like the green library, farmers’ market offices, meeting spaces for local greens, alternative transport offices, car-free schemes and food co-ops – after all, it doesn’t pay to be green. All that remained in the end was business consultants, education officers and a string of community schemes they didn’t quite have the heart to grind out: a textbook example of state co-option. Having commandeered and neutered yet another group of potential world-changers, they then cut the funding altogether – and that was that. The irony is that Envolve was held up entirely by compassionate people hamstrung by the restrictive conditions of their funding, dancing to the master’s tune… but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We here at the Bath Bomb hate to say I told you so, but… Let’s hope their successors, the Ethical Property Company, don’t go the same way.
Bath Activist Network are a local umbrella group campaigning on issues as diverse as development, environmentalism, anti-war, animal rights, workers’ rights and more. Helping to produce The Bath Bomb, we are open to anyone, and our members range from trade unionists to anarchists, liberals to greens, and people who just want to change Bath for the better. For details on meetings, demos, or just to get in touch, ring us on 07949 611912, email bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk, or see our website: www.myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork
Dancing On The Grave Of Capitalism
It is not just in Bath that people are getting angry about having to pay for a crisis caused by politicians and big business. Cardiff, Bristol, Edinburgh and London have also already seen mass action against the financial crisis. In London, the financial district has twice been invaded by hundreds of angry people demanding that the government stops using our money to bail out failing big business. The first London demo saw the police taken by surprise as hundreds showed their anger in the financial district, attempting, and only narrowly failing, to occupy the Bank of England. The second demo, called on Hallowe’en and billed as a chance to ‘dance on the grave of capitalism’ saw a larger turnout of both police and protesters and ended in clashes as people tried to make their way to the offices of recently bankrupted firm Lehman Brothers. Up and down the country, people are showing their disgust about a system that has failed us, and leaves us poorer and poorer while the rich continue to get richer. At both London demos, stockbrokers promised to violently confront protesters who dared to speak out about the system that keeps them rich and us poor, but, on both occasions, failed to materialise. We can only imagine they are flicking the last of the white powder from their nostrils, wiping a tear from their eyes, pushing the ‘top floor’ button on the lift and wondering how their little game has gone so badly wrong.
And now, to the disclaimer: As anyone is free to contribute, the opinions expressed in each article are not necessarily reflective of each contributor. Naturally, any right-wing or corporate bullshit will be binned and spat on. Needless to say, the opinions of the author of this disclaimer does not necessarily represent the views of any other contributor…
For further info on any of our stories see www.myspace.com/bathbomb
2008-11-23
18/11/2008
ROOFTOP OCCUPIERS CALL FOR PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF 87 ASHLEY ROAD, ST PAUL’S, BRISTOL
Waldbesetzung Kelsterbach (Kelsterbach Forest Occupation Camp)
On November 12th, 2008 at 5.15 pm. six climate activists dressed in period costumes as suffragettes complete with big hats, marched into a municipal city council meeting in Gothenburg, the second largest city of Sweden.