earthfirst – Page 286

Enawene Nawe blockade succeeds

29 June 2007
The Brazilian government has agreed to several key demands of the Enawene Nawe Indians after they blockaded a major highway. The government’s Indian agency, FUNAI, will survey lands claimed by the Enawene Nawe and other tribes, with the aim of officially recognising the areas as indigenous.

For three days in May, the Enawene Nawe, a small and remote Amazon tribe, erected barricades in Mato Grosso state to protest against plans to build a series of hydroelectric dams along the Juruena river. They were also demanding the official recognition of their vital fishing waters in the Rio Preto area, which are being rapidly destroyed by cattle ranchers.

Neighbouring tribes joined the protest in support of the Enawene Nawe’s demands, swelling the number of protestors to 200.

The government responded quickly by dispatching officials to negotiate with the Indians on the barricade.

It agreed to pay for representatives of various tribes in Mato Grosso to travel to Brasília to meet with the President of FUNAI.

Despite the recent concessions, however, the dams still look set to go ahead.

For previous news on the blockades go to: http://www.survival-international.org/news/2459

Miffed by Miffy

I don’t know how it came about but the Miffy rabbit character has for a long time been associated with the Earth First! movement and radical ecological direct action. But do the creators and copyright owners of the character know or approve of Miffy’s political activities?…

Miffy is a picture book character created by Dick Bruna in 1955, after telling his one-year-old son Sierk stories about a rabbit they had seen on holiday. Miffy now features in about 30 titles which have been translated into 40 different languages, selling over 80 million copies all over the world.

Drawn in a very minimalist style, Miffy requires only a few lines and one or two primary colors drawn in two dimensions to be recognisable. Perhaps this, and the sense of air of innocence over mischief explains why she become involved in ecological direct action.

It’s unclear exactly when exactly it began but you can trace her political activities, in this country at least, back to the early 90’s and the anti-roads movement. Seen coyly holding a spanner behind her back, one could only imagine the trail of monkey wrenching she left behind her in her efforts to defend the fields, woodland and hedgerows she loved.

By the late nineties, with the roads building program in retreat, Miffy joined the growing anti GM movement, taking up a spade to join the resistance. More recently, Miffy joined her fellow protesters for a game of golf up in Scotland during the 2005 G8 summit and who know, perhaps she also took part in the blockades in Heiligendamm this year.

At over fifty years old you’d think that Miffy would be her own person, free to express her political beliefs as she sees fit but sadly it appears not. The copyright owners of all Dick Bruna’s character constantly hunt down unlicensed users of her image in order to defend their profitable merchandising business.

While Miffy was created for a children’s book, the design has been capitalised on to sell numerous other products like clothes, stationery, toys, glasses, household items etc. A search for Miffy products on google brings up over 100,000 pages and no doubt many of the products sold are unlicensed copies made in far eastern sweat shops.

However, Mercis, the Dutch company that owns the copyright, are not content to simply take action on those producing ‘fake’ merchandise, they appears to have stumbled on Miffy’s radical secret life and they are not amused. They are deeply offended, ironically, by Miffys involvement in the campaign against patents on life, as depicted in sticker produced many years ago promoting the (long dead), www.resistanceisfertile.com website – copies of which can now only be found in resource archives of the (no longer maintained) Totnes Against Genetics (ToGG) website.

Mercis (www.mercis.nl) have unleashed their legal team to threaten expensive legal action against whoever might be held accountable – the inactive Totnes Genetics Group who’s long unmaintained website sill contains a picture of that Miffy sticker.

While ToGG volunteers try to get long forgotten passwords and access from the internet service provider which hosts the website in order to remove the offending image, more important questions have been raised. Will Miffy tolerate this attack on her freedom of expression and will her friends in the movement stand idly by and watch as her freedom to protest is taken away?

Other siting of Miffy can be found at https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/374195.html?c=on#comments

manchester bike stuff this weekend – critical mass, bike polo, summer party, critical commute, climate carnival

We cycle round the city to celebrate the bicycle:

It’s for anyone that rides a bike;
Its a celebration of getting round the city without polluting it;
Its about every journey being an adventure instead of just sitting on a boring bus or in a stressful car;
Its about cyclists riding together to demand more respect from other road users;
Its a way to meet other cyclistas;

We cycle round the city to celebrate the bicycle:

woooo it will not only be an amzing bike ride to celebrate the bicycle, to meet other cyclists, to have an excuse to ride around, to feel part of a bike gang, to have a fun evening etc etc

but!

this month we will also be having an ace bbq with the bike soundsystem..woo a nice outdoor bicycle summer party.ace.

woo. so please bring vegan stuff to put on it and things to drink! we will be quite near shops so if you dont its easy to get stuff.

last month we had around 120 cyclists on critical mass, lets make this one even bigger!

see http://www.myspace.com/mcrcriticalmass

Saturday 2pm bike polo practise, platt fields park on the clay pitch behind the basketball courts. everyone welcome to join in!

see http://www.myspace.com/mcrdropouts

ALSO:

don’t forget that it’s Critical Commute this Friday morning.

Details of starting points and times at

http://www.manchesterfoe.org.uk/lyb/critical.php

AND:

Cycling Contingent

saturday 30th June 4 Climate Change Carnival

[Manchester]

There will be a parade with samba band and kids entertainment and speakers to talk about Climate Change.

Starts at 1pm from Peace Gardens (between St. Paul Square (Manchester Central Library) and Piccadilly Gardens.

mcrcriticalmass@yahoo.co.uk
http://velorution.x21.org.uk

Welsh Anarchist Radio

Gagged! 17 has been produced in audio format, with some music in the background and a few songs, check it out and let us know what you think!

Check it out here:

http://www.archive.org/details/GaggedAudioVersion

Gagged! 17 has been produced in audio format, with some music in the background and a few songs, check it out and let us know what you think!

Check it out here:

http://www.archive.org/details/GaggedAudioVersion

info@gaggedanarchist.tk
http://www.gaggedanarchist.tk

PAD Cardiff Social Centre – OPENING

21.06.2007
P.A.D. opening barbeque this Sunday
from 3pm (come earlier if you wanna help)
food, music and all the usual treats, find out more about what’s going on in the pad.

21.06.2007
P.A.D. opening barbeque this Sunday
from 3pm (come earlier if you wanna help)
food, music and all the usual treats, find out more about what’s going on in the pad.
There’s also a work day on friday in the pad from 12noon.

PAD re-launched: a new Social Centre!
118 Clifton Street, Adamsdown, Cardiff has been transformed into a collectively run social centre. The “Peoples’ Autonomous Destination” (PAD) is due to be open in June. It will be a place, independent from government or commercial control, to socialise, meet other like-minded people, share ideas & enjoy food, drink, music & films. Importantly, the PAD will be a place for people to come together & organise around social struggles both locally & globally.

The PAD is run voluntarily so nobody gets paid & nobody makes a profit, everyone involved can have a say in how it functions, with no leaders or hierarchies. Anyone can come along to a meeting to help organise & take part in making decisions about the PAD. The space will be inclusive, open to all individuals, with discrimination not tolerated & diversity respected. For more about upcoming events or to get involved, e-mail thepad@riseup.net or come along to a meeting on Wednesdays at 7:30pm at The PAD itself. Find out more about other social centres: www.socialcentresnetwork.org.uk

http://www.thepad.org.uk

Ramona Africa – ON A MOVE tour of UK

Ramona Africa is touring the UK speaking about the incredible story of MOVE. MOVE are a largely black eco-revolutionary group based in Philadelphia. They have campaigned on environmental, animal rights and anti-police repression issues for thirty years. They have never backed down in the face of overt racist police repression.

More info: www.onamove2007.org.uk

In 1978 nine members of MOVE were imprisoned for a blatantly framed murder, they are still imprisoned with their first chance of parole in August 2008. In 1985 the city of Philadelphia sort the ‘final solution’ for the MOVE ‘problem’ by attacking their home with 10,000 rounds of ammunition, tear gas, water cannons and finally a bomb that burnt 60 homes to the ground. 6 MOVE adults and 5 children were burned to death. Ramona managed to escape with one of the children.
She was sentenced to seven years for ‘riot’.

Mumia Mumia Abu-Jamal is a MOVE supporter who also has also experienced the injustice of the system whilst spending over 26 years on death row for a crime he did not commit.

Come and hear about all these events and see the MOVE documentary narrated by Howard Zinn.

.
.

June:
Thu 21ST @ 1in12 Bradford
Fri 22nd @ The Workshop Cafe Bar Norwich 7pm
Sun 24th @ The Common Place Leeds 6pm
Mon 25th @ The West Indian Club Leeds 6.30pm
Wed 27th @ The Cowley Club Brighton 7pm
Thu 28th @ The Rampart Centre London 7pm
Fri 29th @ Bath Place Leamington Spa
Sat 30th @ The Drum Birmingham 7pm
July:
Sun 1st @ The Star and Shadow Cinema Newcastle 7.30pm
Mon 2nd @ The Cube Cinema Bristol 8pm
(Kebele are also turning their regular Sunday Vegan cafe into a
benefit for MOVE on Sunday 1st July)

West London residents halt traffic outside DfT Headquarters

20.06.2007
West London residents protesting about plans to expand Heathrow dramatically stopped traffic this morning outside the Department for Transport (DfT) offices in Central London before attempting an invasion of the building.

The protestors carried a bed along Marsham Street from the flat of BAA Chief Executive Stephen Nelson (1) to the Department for Transport. In the bed were two figures symbolising the close relationship between BAA and the DfT under the slogan “DfT in bed with BAA”.

As they crossed Marsham Street a dozen residents halted the traffic when they painted a runway on the road. The residents, assisted by the direct action network Plane Stupid, then left the bed outside the DfT offices.

The action follows the revelation last week that the Department for Transport had secretly passed key information supporting expansion of Heathrow to BAA six months before it is due to be published (2).

Earlier in the year, on March 5th, West London residents invaded Chatham House and disrupted a speech by Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander.

Long-time West London resident Dr John Hunt and member of the Green Party said, “This action is to expose the unhealthily close relationship there is between BAA Ferrovial and the Department for Transport. While BAA and the Department plot and plan the expansion of Heathrow, residents and local authorities are left in the dark”.

Maggie Thorburn, a long-time West London resident, said, “Although I live under the flight path and am affected by the noise of the planes, I took part in today’s action not just because of the increased noise levels I would experience if expansion went ahead, but also because I firmly believe that any further expansion at Heathrow should be ruled out on climate change grounds.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

(1). BAA owns a flat for its Chief Executive (Flat 905, St Johns, Marsham St) about 60 yards from the Department for Transport headquarters at 76 Marsham St.

(2). Earlier this month (6th June) the Times www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1890224.ece revealed that “The Department for Transport has secretly passed key information supporting the expansion to the Spanish-owned company six months before it is due to be published in a consultation document. The department has also allowed senior BAA officials to influence a series of tests designed to show whether the third runway would breach limits on air pollution and noise. The Times has learnt that BAA has a team of 34 people working with civil servants, influencing the tests so that they find in favour of building the new runway. The department has given BAA a full copy of the preliminary results but is refusing to allow any opponents of the expansion to see them. Mike Forster, BAA’s head of strategy for Heathrow, admitted at a recent conference that he had seen the results and that they were “encouraging”.” The full report is not expected to be made publicly available until just before a consultation into plans to expand Heathrow, expected in the autumn.

Common Ground Community Garden – EVICTION UPDATE – Resistance successful so far.

Common Ground Community Garden, is a self-managed squatted community project in the heart of Reading. The land and surrounding buildings are council owned, and they have tried to obstruct this initiative every step of the way – and thanks to the spirit of the squatters and our neighbours, they have failed every step of the way.

Today, 20th June, is supposed to be eviction day. The day when the council takes back control of our land, and is able to flog it off to the highest bidder, for development of yet more unnafordable prison block flats. However, so far, its not going according to their plan…

Baillifs showed up early this morning, about 9am. However, activists were allready busy barricading the building that has been our home for the last 9 months and our beautifull squatted garden. Reporters and television cameras showed up, taking interviews from us and our neighbours (so if you are in the Southeast or Thames Valley, check local news services out!). A mixture of activists and local neighbours are holding a picket out the front of the building, and others are sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine! At this point balliffs have left, and we have won for now. But we are sure they will be back fairly soon with backup, so any help is appreciated.

So long as the baillifs keep their distance, the rest of the day will be enjoyed in the garden with a picnic and acoustic punk rock show later.

EXISTANCE IS RESISTANCE!

P.S. Our solidarity greetings to Brecon eviction resisters! FIGHT THE PIPE!

========================================

01:07
Hi,

Just to give a last quick update, the baillifs stayed well away all day, and the rest of the day has been fantastic!

Quite a lot of local residents have been through during the day, telling us how much they love the garden, use it all the time etc etc.

Some residents have even showed a fair amount of interest in anti-capitalist/anarchist politics, including ex-Labour members who agreed all political parties are the same now and ‘this’ (i.e. direct-action, DIY etc like the garden) IS the alternative now, and a local couple having trouble at work who are now interested in joining IWW!

A couple of local people were among those who stayed in the garden past eviction time, being prepared to face arrest to defend the garden.

This evening the day has been finished off with a public BBQ and absolutely fantastic acoustic punk-rock show. Again, several neighbours stuck around all night having a drink and enjoying the music, and the tunes were amazing. Big thanks to the artists who travelled down to play tonight for free!

Obviously, this project is most likely not going to last much longer (although you never know and we’ll keep fighting!), but all our neighbours are saying they want the squatters to stay and do similar things, and who are we to refuse!? 🙂

Spirits are high,
LA LUCHA SIGUE!

Greenpeace gives away free train tickets at airports across the UK

19 June 2007.

UPDATE (9.25am): The booths have now all been moved by security.

Over the past hour or so, impromptu ticket exchange booths have been appearing in airports across the UK.

19 June 2007.

UPDATE (9.25am): The booths have now all been moved by security.

Over the past hour or so, impromptu ticket exchange booths have been appearing in airports across the UK.

Greenpeace volunteers (fetchingly dressed as stewards and stewardesses – pics here) have been offering BA passengers checking into domestic flights climate-friendly train tickets.

It’s not just because we’re generous souls – it’s also because flying causes 10 times more damage to the climate than taking the train. And it’s responsible for 13 per cent of the UK’s impact on the climate (that’s the government’s own figures).

It’s also the fastest growing source of emissions in the UK; between 1990 and 2050, emissions from aviation could quadruple, which scientists say could wipe out all other emissions savings we make in every other sector.

The main cause of this massive growth in the UK is the proliferation of short haul flights – often unnecessary domestic ones like the 30 or so a day between London and Manchester.

British Airways (despite its claims to be green) is one of the worst offenders, opening new and unnecessary domestic routes, fiercely opposing any measures that will curb growth in emissions, keeping a tight hold over government policy and lobbying hard for airport expansion.

You can find out more about aviation and climate change here.

And you can email BA’s Chief Executive, Willie Walsh, asking him to ground unnecessary domestic UK flights on routes that are already well served by trains, and to end BA’s lobbying for more runways and bigger airports.

Brecon anti-pipeline camp eviction has begun (& updates Tues/Wed, press releases…)

19th June 2007
Brecon tree camp eviction has begun. Support needed!

Brecon pipeline camp eviction 19th June 2007
Brecon tree camp eviction has begun. Support needed!

The eviction will most likely last a few hours, if you can make it, it would be a great help!

Site phone: 07733190958

===============
IF U CAN GET THERE TAKE A CAMERA, THE EVICTION TEAM IS GOOD OLD NET FROM SWANSEA

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update

11:40am

A40 has been closed.

There has been at least one arrest.

================
PRESS RELEASE

THIS MORNING THE EVICTION OF THE BRECON CLIMATE CHANGE CAMP AT PEN PONT BRECON IS GOING ON. THE ROAD HAS BEEN CLOSED BETWEEN SENNY BRIDGE AND BRECON FOR THE EVICTION TO TAKE PLACE. PEOPLE ARE ENTRENCHED IN THE CAMP. TREE HOUSES WILL HAVE TO BE EVICTED BY SPECIALIST CLIMBERS AND TUNNELS BY CAVE SPECIALIST

WE URGE ANYONE WHO CAN TO GET TO BRECON TO PROTECT THE PECEFUL PROTESTORS WHO ARE REFUSING TO MOVE VOLUNTARILY DUE TO THE MASSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION THE 48″ PIPELINE FROM MILFORD HAVEN TO TIRLEY IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE IS CAUSING.

THE RIVERS IN BRECON ARE RUNNING AS RED AS BLOOD DUE TO THE SILTING UP OF THE RIVERS WITH THE RED BRECON SOIL. SEE FOR YOURSELVES THE MASSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROIPHE THESE PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO STOP.

NO FOSSIL FUELS..

TELEPHONE

01639 632286

07790 727 250

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No Embargo
**
*Pipeline protesters refuse to climb down as eviction starts*

Protestors have refused to climb down from trees on the route of the
controversial high pressure methane gas
(LNG) pipeline in Wales after being given a 10 minute warning by bailiffs to
leave the site or face being arrested.

Protestors have locked themselves together high up in the trees using
bicycle D locks while others have gone down into the tunnels they dug with
food to last for several days in order to delay National Grids multimillion
pound destructive and dangerous project.

One protestor has today said “We are willing to risk arrest as the
consequences of this pipeline will be far more devastating than spending a
night in a police cell. National Grid, as a private company, are putting
shareholder profit before peoples saftety, both locally and more
globally. We are putting ourselves in the way to say this is completely
unacceptable.”

Another protestor, from Bristol Rising Tide said “The Government, National
Grid Plc and other Corporations are continuing to build and profit from
fossil fuel infrastructure despite the clear fact that to prevent
catastrophic climate chaos, carbon emissions must be cut by 90% by 2030. So
it is up to people to take responsibility and take
action and that is why I am here doing what I can to stop this being built.”

The road from Brecon to Sennybridge, which runs past the camp, has been
closed by the police.

Contact:
Bristol Rising Tide: 07917 383517

*Notes to Editor*

Rising Tide is a climate action network dedicated to challenging the root
causes of climate change – the fossil fuel growth based economy. Rising Tide
argues that climate chaos is an issue of social injustice and that the
poorest will suffer most.

This pipeline, 4ft in diameter, will run at 94bar pressure – that is
96kg/cm2. National Grid have no experience of running pipelines at such high
pressure and it is unprecedented in Europe and the US.

In 1999, a family of four were killed in Scotland when a high pressure gas
pipe exploded by their home. Massive corrosion in the pipeline, and a
failure on the part of National Grid/Transco (NG/T) to keep adequate records
on what kind of pipes were being used, led to the explosion. Corrosion has
already been seen on the welds in the South Wales pipeline.

Since privatisation, NG/T have shed thousands of engineering jobs and cut
maintenance work. In 2000 it was revealed that Transco had underspent its
agreed pipeline maintenance and replacement programme
by £358m over the previous two years. This same corporation, accountable to
only its shareholders and board, is now supposedly responsible for the
safety of thousands of people along the route of
this pipe.

300 Construction workers at the Dragon LNMG terminal were recently on strike
over safety concerns on site. One workers was hospitalised and workers were
demanding safer working conditions.

================

brecon eviction update! 14:14

The Eviction continues with two arrests on the ground and people locked on in the tree tops, there are also people underground with substantial supplies! please support these people by donating towards fines etc on the “fight the pipe” website.

if anyone can make it they need the support!

peace love and fuck the pipe, national grid, national eviction team and anyone else involved XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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Eviction update…
16:49

There has now been at least 5 arrests, we have no idea who has been arrested yet as they are being kept on site at the moment. There are still people locked-on in trees.

The A40 has now been re-opened but is down to one lane.

RESPECT & LOVE to all those who will be arrested over this.

FUCK YOUR PIPE NATIONAL GRID, FUCK THE GOVERNMENT FOR LETTING THIS STUPID PROJECT HAPPEN, FUCK THE POLICE & EVICTION TEAM.

We stand proud and strong knowing we are defending our beautiful earth that others want to destroy in the name of money.

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