Capitalism / Globalisation – Page 38

Earth First! Summer Gathering Update – programme, directions, website and more

It’s only weeks until the Earth First! Summer Gathering begins.
Five days of workshops, info sharing and learning new skills, 1-5 August.

The Earth First Summer Gathering takes place each year to provide a space in which the radical ecology movement can share skills and plan for future campaigns and actions.

Discussions around the importance of community building in inner cities, the state of the anarchist movement and patriarchy in activism.

Skill shares including women's self-defence, researching corporations and navigation.

Campaign round ups from Frack Off! Smash Edo and Luddites 2000 amongst others.

If you have workshops you like to run or discussions you'd like to facilitate then email us at earthfirstsummergathering@riseup.net

Full programme.

Camping is on a sliding scale of £30 to £15, pay what is genuinely appropriate.

Food will be from Anarchist Teapot and meal tickets will be £5 a day.

Kids can have separate meals if they want for £3 a day.

There will be a couple of kids spaces, and special workshops being ran for kids. If you’d like to run any kids workshops get in touch at earthfirstsummergathering@riseup.net.

If you want you dog to come along then you’re going to have to email us at earthfirstsummergathering@riseup.net

And of course there will be entertainment and a bar open in the evenings.

The camp is ½ mile from the Berrington village, and 1 mile from the larger village of Cross Houses.

We encourage non-cycling campers to use public transport if possible as Cross Houses is on a bus route.

BY TRAIN
The nearest train station is Shrewsbury. You can then get the bus to Cross Houses (see below). If coming from a long distance it can sometimes be cheaper to get a ticket to a large station such as Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Manchester or Crewe and then a separate ticket on to Shrewsbury. Check national rail for train times and prices. If coming from the London direction, it’s generally cheaper to buy a Super Offpeak Return, specifying “London Midland & Arriva only”.

BY BIKE
See here for directions and a map to the camp from Shrewsbury for cyclists and drivers.

BY BUS
When you arrive at Shrewsbury train station, ask someone to point you to the bus station. It’s only a few minutes walk from the train station. The bus service that runs from town to within a mile of Crabapple is the 436 towards Bridgnorth. It runs every hour from 7.40am to 5.40pm with a “late” one at 7.40pm. The journey to Cross Houses is approx 15 mins. You will need to press the stop button when you see the sign for Cross Houses. Some of the services on this route are low-floor accessible buses. Please note that the last bus leaves Shrewsbury at 7.40pm, Monday to Saturday and there are no Sunday bus services. For the bus timetable see here http://shropshire.gov.uk/bustimes/timetable.jsc?timetable=436mfi0412.
The camp itself is about 1 mile from the bus stop. From the bus stop at Cross Houses, walk back towards Shrewsbury past the petrol station (on your right) and take the first left turn signed “Berrington”. After about ½ mile, the road forks at the edge of the village. Take the right turn signposted “Betton Abbots” and we’re about ¼ mile up the road on the right.
If you intend to come by bus but need help getting to and from the bus stop, you can arrange a pick up with us: details will be available nearer the time.

BY TAXI
There is also a taxi rank just outside Shrewsbury train station. Accessible taxis can be got from here.- but it is MUCH cheaper to book a cab from a local company – Comet Cabs 01743 344444, or Vincent Cabs 01743 367777. Vincents also have a booking office just across the road from the station, which is handy if you don’t have a phone to book a cab in advance.

USEFUL LINKS
See here directions and a map to the camp from Shrewsbury for cyclists and drivers.
See a map of where the site is here
See the bus timetable
Directions from places other than Shrewsbury

Earth First! Summer Gathering Collective
earthfirstsummergathering@riseup.net

http://earthfirstgathering.weebly.com

BBVA pours more blood

Last march 16th activists from Bilbao belonging to environmentalist, anti-militarist, internationalist groups and trade-unions protested outside BBVA’s AGM. BBVA is a Bilbao bank which has grown to nº 66 of the Forbes list as most powerful transnational in the world. The Platform against BBVA denounces BBVA’s funding of arms manufacturing and exportation as well as very destructive projects and companies: nuclear plants, dams, oil and gas pipes, extraction, mines and quarries, etc. all over the world but mainly in Latin America. In the last year BBVA has also been involved in the eviction of families unable to pay their mortgage, finding organized resistance. Meanwhile BBVA launches face-washing propaganda to pretend caring for environment, being responsible, etc., which is pure demagogy. That’s why, once again, as it has happened in the last 5 years, five activists poured red paint down their head, symbolizing BBVA’s bloody businesses. The activists manage to pass the police cordon while round 100 more held a vigil. They got the attention of the media holding a press conference right in the access to Euskalduna Palace, venue for BBVA’s AGM. No one was arrested but just charged with criminal damage.

You can find more information, pictures and videos at the Platform’s site: www.bbvagh.org

Shut Down the Corporations: Report from F29 actions against ALEC

29th February 2012

Rising Tide North America sent out this report today about the Shut Down the Corporations call to action: “#F29 is off to bang this morning with actions across the country. big props to our Rising Tide & Occupy comrades in Portland for initiating this great day of action.

The target of the day is the American Legislative Exchange Commission, or ALEC, & their member corporations. ALEC is the shadowy front group that has been pushing a right wing agenda on everything from labor to climate change.

Here’s some updates:

-OccupyLA is blockading a massive Wal-Mart Distro Center
-Occupy Wall Street had a teach-in with Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi & is seeing marches to Pfizer, blockades at Bank of America & lots of heavy handed police repression (shocking, we know)
-OccupyDC is blockading Monsanto’s offices
-Actions are stepping off in Arizona, Salt Lake City, Connecticut, Hattiesburg, MS, Fargo, ND, Lakeland, FL, Tampa, FL, and Winston-Salem, NC.
-Today at 1130, OccupyPortland has organized a mass march to visit all ALEC offices in the city.

here’s the Global Live Blog if you want to keep up

Great article this morning on Mother Jones

…solidarity, RTNA News”

And check out this video of a blockade of G4S security company today in Tucson, AZ: http://youtu.be/AB5MZDdjHck

Hinkley Barnstormers Eviction Imminent ! Help Needed !

JOIN THE HINKLEY BARNSTORMERS BEFORE THEIR EVICTION !

On 27th February at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, EDF won a possesion order against anti-nuclear activists who are occupying a barn on the proposed new site for a nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point.

The barn has been successfully occupied for over two weeks now but the eviction could come at any time in the next few days.

The occupiers are welcoming any one who wants to come and help dismantle the camp. There is lots of food available and a cosy and convivial atmosphere to be enjoyed ! Please come !

PHONE : 0793 392 0425 or 0753 094 7554

The activists will be celebrating what the camp had achieved in terms of raising awareness of Hinkley to the national level , as many people do not know that the government is planning to build new nuclear reactors, they want to slip these plans in "under the radar" to avoid a proper public debate taking place, like there has been in Italy and Germany, in the wake of Fukushima.

Nuclear power is a catastrophic choice for Britain's energy future. A part from the fact that nuclear power is still very fossil fuel reliant and won't make much of a dent in the carbon emmissions: If Hinkley C is built, it won't be in operation until 2023 at the earliest ! Also, nuclear is a bottomless pit of expense to the tax payer, all that money will be diverted away from investment in safe and sustainable alternatives.

There is no such thing as safe nuclear power, problems occur in the reactors for inumerable reasons, including human error, and once every 12 years or so there is a major disaster. There is also the ever looming problem of nuclear waste, Britain already has enough to fill 5 Albert Halls and no where long term to put it. Only an insane government/industry would want to make more.

After Fukushima, many countries are saying enough is enough, Nuclear power is finished. It's a dinosaur of the 20th century and leads to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It's time we said the same !

Please show your solidarity and go to the camp for some fun !

If you can't make it to the camp, there's another chance for you to show your opposition to new nuclear on 10- 11 March at Hinkley Point for the Surround and Blockade action. Details below :

Coach tickets are available to take you to the Surround action on 10 March from Bristol CND:

secretarybristolcnd@gmail.com

For more information about the 10-11 March see:

www.stopnewnuclear.org.uk

Reclaim the Fields Spring Gathering 2012 – details & updates

@ The Wilderness Centre, Mitcheldean, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, GL17 0HA

The first Reclaim the Fields Gathering of the year will be taking place this March at the Wilderness Centre in the Forest of Dean.

Pre-Gathering Help needed:

@ The Wilderness Centre, Mitcheldean, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, GL17 0HA

The first Reclaim the Fields Gathering of the year will be taking place this March at the Wilderness Centre in the Forest of Dean.

Pre-Gathering Help needed:

Anyone interested in helping out with the running/ setting up of the event, should come to the Wilderness asap. If you're interested in giving a talk, or demonstrating a skill – get in contact, or just show up and arrange to use one of the "spaces" available with one of the Protect The Wilderness Crew.

The provisional timetable includes:

Thursday 8th:

*Introduction to Reclaim the Fields – where we've come from and recent action, including feedback from the European Gathering.
* Wilderness Centre introduction & housekeeping
*Open Introductions; introduce your self & your projects & continue networking with our noticeboard

The remainder of the day is designed around open spaces, giving people a chance to work & communicate around these suggestions so far:

*WWOLF (woofing with teeth) and Reclaim the Field Trips
*Seed Sovereignty & grower-to-grower seed distribution networks
*Carrots session e.g. RTF internal structure/sharing workloads
*Using the food sovereignty principles as a strategic framework – (in a UK context)
*How to organise & maintain effective land occupations
*Composting gender
*Planning for International Peasants Day of Struggle on April 17th
*Legal options for accessing land
*Protecting bee populations

Friday 9th:

*Session on general Reclaim the Fields strategy and focuses for 2012
Workshops and talks:
*An introduction to land rights
*History of Land rights struggles in the Forest of Dean

Followed by a consensus based guerilla gardening action… remains open to suggestions!
(ideas so far…)
*Food forest, in an abandoned quarry
*Care home for the elderly
* Clear-felled Forestry land
* Victorian walled garden

Saturday 10th:

Protect The Wilderness open skill-share day!
Seed swap, Community bring and share.
Gardening the organic community garden, and walled garden.
Music and feasting!

Not forgetting gardening, charcoal burning, baking in the cob oven, seedbomb making, cobbing the round-house, and chopping wood through-out!

£5 suggested donation per day, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Items to bring:
Warm clothes, two sets (if you mind being muddy)
bedding, camping mats
tools for g-gardening [spades, forks, mattocks, billhooks]
Instruments, dancing shoes,
seeds for seedbombs,
home-grown veg, pickles, jams, whole foods

More info about the Wilderness Centre: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Protect-the-Wilderness-Centre-Forest-of-Dean/321890141176064
Who to contact for more information: use the RTF UK email list or email frankynecklace@yahoo.co.uk

Gourds work be done,

Protect The Wilderness,
Reclaim the Fields!

Earth First! and Occupy protesters blockade bridge in front of GAIM conference

24th January 2012

More arrests underway as conference is disrupted by activists inside the resort as well

Palm Beach County, Florida—Protesters from the Occupy movement and Everglades Earth First! blockaded a Boca Raton bridge yesterday, snarling rush hour traffic during a cocktail party of corporate investors at the GAIM USA 2012 conference. Among them was Ana Rodriguez, an editor of the Earth First! Journal, which is also published in Palm Beach County.

Using colorful lockboxes, three activists, laid on the bridge effectively stopping rush hour traffic from 5-6:30. Special operations police teams were called to the site to remove the lockdown devices that were linking the protesters together. The blockaders were cited with three charges, including: resisting without violence; obstructing a highway and violation of a municipal ordinance banning what the Boca police called “sleeping dragons.”

Two of the three arrested, Kevin Young and Don Carter from Occupy Miami, were released on their own recognizance. Ana Rodriguez was released today on a $1,500 bond, with the state attorney alleging that she was a flight risk to Venezuela, her country of origin.

“Every day we see corporate power destroying our communities. From environmental disasters to private prisons, corporations are operating with impunity,” said Ana Rodriguez before being arrested. “While the bank leaders drink cocktails and toast to increased profits, people across the globe are being hurt by corporate greed.”

Another protester scaled a tree alongside the bridge and hung a large banner that read: “What Would Robin Hood Do?” The banner was taken down by a fire truck and confiscated by Boca police.

The protests against GAIM began on Sunday, January 22, with 100 people marching in front of the Boca Resort and a flotilla of boats and canoes along the resort’s waterfront.

More protesters returned this afternoon for day three of the GAIM conference, announced as a national day of action against private prisons and detention centers. At the time of this news post, there are reports of more arrests for immigrant solidarity activists disrupting the conference from the inside.

Xstrata mining stormed by Occupy London protestors + global anti-Xstrata protests

30.11.11

An action took place in London against a union-busting earth-trashing Swiss/British coal and metal mining company – for a selection of the global protests against them, see below the main article. There's various footage: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5. Part of the N30 mass strike (timeline).

#OccupyLSX had announced an action at 3pm at Piccadilly Circus. They set off with the samba band and minutes later a flare was set off inside Panton House, Haymarket, whilst a banner was hung from the roof. Outside protestors challenged some plainclothes cops in the crowd, after which a 'bubble' or kettle was set up, apparently with more plain clothes cops trapped inside it.

Occupy London – part of the global movement for social and economic justice – today highlighted the corporate greed endemic in the UK and called for a change within society.

About 60 protestors gained entry into the offices of mining company Xstrata, a ‘leading light’ of the FTSE 100 and British industry to highlight the fact that CEO Mick Davies was the highest compensated CEO of all the FTSE 100 companies in the last year, when his companies had losses and the economy collapsed. He received £18,426,105 for his efforts. [1]

This comes in a year when the average pay rise of executives across FTSE 100 companies was 43%, with ‘top’ directors at 49%. [2]

Led by a samba band to the building from Piccadilly Circus, the protesters entered the HQ at 25-7 Haymarket, London, with the protesters chanting against the corporate greed of Mick and other executives, in support of all those striking for fair pensions for all today. The protestors also unfurled a banner saying “All power to the 99%” from the roof top.

There are currently about 20 protesters inside – being held down on knees, of which many are women. There are a few hundred people kettled outside.

The protesters today are making the connection between the slashing of private and public sector pensions, while supposed ‘top’ executives cash in by increasing their own pay levels, leaving many without pensions. These CEOs like Mick Davies lavishly secure their own futures while ignoring the security and wellbeing of their own workers.

Mines have closed in Australia, South Africa and Spain within the last decade resulting in hundreds of workers in the last decade being laid off.

Karen Lincoln, supporter of Occupy London said: “Mick Davies is a prime example of the greedy 1 per cent, lining their own pockets while denying workers pensions. In this time when the government enforces austerity on the 99 per cent, these executives are profiting. The rest of us are having our pensions cuts, health service torn apart and youth centres shut down.

“We refuse to stand by and let this happen. We call on others to join us in the fight for a more just society. Today we have taken this to one of the offices of the 1 per cent. This is only the beginning. Come and join us on 15th December for Occupy Everywhere.”

Occupy London will unveil details of Occupy Everywhere soon. Be ready.

Notes

[1] According to the Income Data Services, Mick Davies from Xstrata (mining company) was the highest paid executive in the FTSE 100. His company has recently taken severe hits as FTSE 100 companies face drop in value (£104 billion off FTSE 100 companies). He was paid £18,426,105. LONDON OFFICE: Registered Office, 4th Floor 25/27 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4EN

Highest paid executives in the FTSE 100:

1. Mick Davies, Xstrata, £18,426,105

2. Bart Becht, Reckitt Benkiser, £17,879,000

3. Michael Spencer, ICAP £13,419,619

4. Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco £12,038,303

5. Tom Albanese, Rio Tinto £11,623,162

6. Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP Group £8,949,985

7. Todd Kozel, Gulf Keystone Petroleum £8,913,223

8. Don Robert, Experian £8,601,984

9. Edward Bonham Carter, Jupiter Fund Management £8,003,641

10. Dame Marjorie Scardino, Pearson £8,003,641

[2] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/business-as-usual-top-directors-get-49-per-cent-pay-rise-2376929.html

[3] Facebook page for Occupy London’s Stock Exchange site just by St Paul’s (OccupyLSX) is https://www.facebook.com/occupylondon. Overall Occupy London twitter Occupy Londonhastag is #occupylondon. OccupyLSX Twitter is https://twitter.com/#!/OccupyLSX ; hashtag#occupylsx. Twitter for the new Finsbury Square site is https://twitter.com/#!/OccupyFS; hastag #occupyfs. Twitter for Bank of Ideas is http://twitter.com/bankofideas and facebook is http://facebook.com/bankofideaslondon

——

What happened next (& photos) – ejection, kettling (with new added 'info screens'), arrests and arrestee-coach blocking.

——-

Oct.'07: Xstrata, criticized heavily by a growing number of Chileans opposing the Swiss mining company’s plan to build a large hydroelectric dam in northern Patagonia (Region XI), is no stranger to controversy – especially when it comes to rivers. More

Oct.'06: THE traditional Aboriginal owners of land near the Gulf of Carpentaria are travelling to Darwin to protest against the mining company Xstrata's decision to expand a zinc and lead mine by diverting the McArthur River. More

Jan.'08: Communist rebels have attacked a $2 billion copper and gold mine owned by Xstrata in the Philippines. More

May '11: Peru – Xstrata halts activities at Las Bambas due to protests More

Nov.'11: Workers of the mining group Xstrata are to demonstrate in Johannesburg on Tuesday to demand the right to take part in industrial action…."This march will be taking place amid the impromptu arrest of Numsa members by [the] SA Police Service under the instruction of one of Xstrata's key executives." More

Nov.'11: Vehicles torched in job protest at Xstrata mine More

Consumer Culture Brought to Its Knees in Bradford – Buy Nothing/Steal Something Day

In one sweeping stroke the false consciousness of consumption was served a mortal blow in the streets of Bradford today. As the worldwide ripples of Buy Nothing Day crashed upon the shore of BD1, multinational capital trembled in it's bloodstained boots.

The 26th of November has been known by some as Buy Nothing Day for twenty years. A day to celebrate the madness of our self-consumption and to plead for the soul of our civilisation, Buy Nothing Day is about touching people. Inspiring a thought, a doubt, a scrunched up brow, a gob of spit in the face maybe, but a reaction.
Today the hardy shoppers of drizzley Bradford met friendly faces, offering a smile, a song, a book and a drink. No money accepted.
Shivering souls warmed their long neglected cockles with some fine rebel coffee, lovingly grown by Zapatista cooperatives in Mexico.
Confusion reigned as people wondered, "why is this stuff free?". The answer: "why not?"
We can't buy happiness, even dodgy science has shown that paying for experience rather than things is more satisfying. Our habits of purchasing antidotes to alienation are seemingly furthering our descent into dissappointment, and so we fill our lives with shiny things while we deplete our planet of necessary survival items like air and water, and thus ending potential for japes and jiggery-pokery.
Luckily, a collection of people put an end to this cycle of depravity by having some stalls in the soggy streets. A free shop was erected and people played songs, outside a monument to failed capitalism, an empty shop. (The sweet irony of protesting against consumption in a half-vacated city centre was not lost). A worthy target was found, and Starbucks was picketed by free shoppers and Zapatista supporters, highlighting their bullying tactics towards small farmers and their own workers. Their dubious involvement with greenwash front Conservation International was blown wide open (see this http://londonmexicosolidarity.org/content/chiapas-coffee-starbucks-and-conservation-international or http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/starbucks.cfm) and people complained that their independent cafes were being suffocated by this silky sham sofa swarming of sterile Starbucks, with one independent observer commenting "I don't know why people go there, their coffee's shit." The Yorkshire Zapatistas were on hand to offer some free coffee, and a taste of autonomy to curious people, and many fruitful discussions were had.
So is this the end of the consumerist model?

Maybe a Buy Nothing Christmas will hammer the final nails into the coffin.

—–

Background:

No purchase necessary!

Saturday November 26th is Buy Nothing Day (UK). It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from shopping and anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

Everything we buy has an impact on the environment, Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries – only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage, and an unfair distribution of wealth.

People around the UK will make a pact with themselves to take a break from consumption as a personal experiment or public statement and the best thing is – IT'S FREE!!!

For a quick start to Buy Nothing Day read the FAQ page. If you want to take part in more actively, which is far more fun, then you may want to organise an event – take a look at the TOOLKIT for info and ideas and check the EVENTS page. If there are no events near you – organise one! Get social and follow Buy Nothing Day UK on TWITTER and FACEBOOK

Of course, Buy Nothing Day isn't about changing your lifestyle for just one day – we want it to be a lasting relationship with you consumer conscience – maybe a life changing experience? We want people to make a commitment to consuming less, recycling more and challenging companies to clean up and be fair. The supermarket or shopping mall might offer great choice, but this shouldn't be at the cost of the environment or developing countries.

Buy Nothing Day Website

—–

Steal Something Day, a shameless 24-hour stealing spree!

Critique and call-out

As the Occupations go Global, nine are ongoing in the UK

22nd October 2011

On 15th October 2011 the Occupy Wall Street protests went global with over 1,000 protests around the planet. In the UK a number of towns and cities saw occupy actions which are ongoing.

22nd October 2011

On 15th October 2011 the Occupy Wall Street protests went global with over 1,000 protests around the planet. In the UK a number of towns and cities saw occupy actions which are ongoing.

Birmingham protestors met at Victoria Square, [ 1 | 2 ] and started their on-going occupation. A small protest took place in Sheffield and Cardiff. Several thousand attended a rally in London, where despite a show of force by the Met, a General Assembly was held and tents pitched in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. In Scotland, tents were pitched in Glasgow's George Square and Edinburgh's St. Andrew's Square. Ongoing occupations also started in, Norwich, Nottingham, Newcastle and Bristol [ 1 | 2 ]. These occupations joined Manchester which had already been in Occupation since October 3rd, when a camp was started in Albert Square, which later moved to the Peace Gardens after negotiations with the council and police. Future occupations are being discussed in many other places.

Occupy! Manchester – 2nd October Tory Party Conference

From 2-5 October 2011 the Conservative Party are coming to Manchester to hold their annual conference. All eyes will be on this city as the Tory’s analyse their progress in implementing their disastrous program of public sector spending cuts, and reveal plans for the years ahead. This conference should not go unopposed. We intend to make the opposition to the cuts and the widely shared belief in a better alternative future visible, and we’d like to do this with you!

We have been inspired by the large and vibrant student protests that took place last winter, by the dynamic and high-impact actions of UK Uncut, and by the popular demonstrations we are witnessing across North Africa, the Middle East, Spain and Greece. The times are changing and people are speaking out against injustice and inequality.

What are you planning to do?

We need to try new forms of opposition. We have marched in our tens of thousands at previous party conferences, and in our hundreds of thousands in London. Crucial as they are, more marches in bigger numbers will not be enough. As the anti-war protests of 2003 showed, the government finds them easy to ignore. As anger at the Con-Dem cuts grows we need to make it more visible.

The cuts are for the benefit of the rich – we refuse to pay for their crisis!

The TUC have called a national demonstration to be held in Manchester on Sunday October 2nd. That afternoon anti-cuts protestors will occupy Albert Square to create an assembly of protest on the doorstep of the Tory’s conference, a symbol of the mass opposition to the cuts and a place for real
debate and discussion about the alternatives and the possibilities.

Come ready to make noise, and stay for the long haul!

Occupy!MCR

Supporters so far:

* Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union – Manchester and Merseyside.
* Education Activist Network.
* Geoff Brown, Secretary of the Manchester TUC (pc).
* Manchester Book Bloc.
* The Manchester Green and Black Cross.
* Manchester UKuncut.
* Manchester University Staff against the Cuts.
* Manchester University Student Union.
* Queer Resistance North-West.
* Real Democracy Manchester.
* Shift Magazine.
* Socialist Workers Party.
* Socialist Worker Student Society.