Capitalism / Globalisation – Page 53

Billionaire’s for Coal strike in Bank of America’s home state, 4 protests in 3 days

July 11th 2008

July 11th 2008
Today Asheville Rising Tide’s billionaire bloc descended on Bank of America’s regional headquarters to demand that BoA continue to invest their money in coal. The Billionaires for Coal carried signs reading “More Profit, Less Mountains” and sipped on dirty (coal) martinis to applaud BoA for its funding of mountaintop removal coal mining as well as the new generation of dirty coal plants. The Asheville Police Department did an excellent job of blocking access to the bank entrance and the ATM surely scaring off a number of bank customers.

Two days before, activists with Croatan Earth First! visited three Bank of America branches in Raleigh and Chapel Hill. The activist entered the banks raising a ruckus and handing out fliers to customers until being forced to leave. The motley crew of billionaires then proceeded to demonstrate outside and informing the public of BoA’s dirty deeds. A few weeks before several activists were detained by police in Charlotte, NC (BoA’s hometown) for hanging anti-coal poster’s in the neighborhoods of several BoA executives homes. After intensive interrogation, they were let go without charge (remember kids, never talk to cops).

Bank of America is guilty of funding such notorious human rights abusers and ecological destroyers as Massey Energy, Arch Coal, and Peabody Energy. They have recently handed over heaps of cash to companies such as Duke Energy that is currently building the 800 MW Cliffside coal plant in Cliffside, NC.

Spirit of Freedom (July 2008)

Produced by
EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK

“The whole experience has been tough, but all the kind and strengthening words and wise thoughts from strangers made it much easier!” (Former Swedish Animal Rights Prisoner)

Produced by
EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK

“The whole experience has been tough, but all the kind and strengthening words and wise thoughts from strangers made it much easier!” (Former Swedish Animal Rights Prisoner)

Welcome to the July 2008 edition of Spirit of Freedom. As a number of ELP supporters will be aware, ELP has traditionally dedicated our newsletters to fallen friends, who have either been killed or seriously injured as a result of their protest activities. For the past few months ELP hasn’t carried any dedication and we hoped that we would not have to dedicate another newsletter to a fallen friend again. However last month, ELP received the heartbreaking news about the death of Marie Vesco. Marie was a French activist living in England. She was involved with a number of groups including ‘Food Not Bombs’. On Wednesday the 4th of June 2008 Marie was cycling to the Carnival Against the Arms Trade when a Four Wheel Drive
vehicle (an SUV if your American) swerved across two lanes hitting Marie. A second vehicle then also hit Marie. Marie died instantly: she was just a few days away from her 20th birthday. Marie is remembered as a warm, loud, fun, vivacious figure with an infectious laugh that was always ready to help others. ELP understands that at least two Critical Mass cycle rides have already been dedicated to Marie. Likewise in memory of Marie ELP is dedicating this newsletter to her memory. The loss of Marie is a blow for the movement and our thoughts are with her family and friends.

ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS

Tre Arrow, SWIS #640393, Multnomah County Detention Center, 1120 S.W. 3rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97206, USA. Awaiting sentencing of six and a half years imprisonment having reached a non-cooperation plea-bargain with the authorities who accuse him of involvement in two arsons. 1) an arson on logging trucks 2) an arson on vehicles owned by a sand & gravel company. (Tre is a raw energy vegan – He has asked that his letters of support are written on scrap paper or tree-free paper).

Grant Barnes #137563, San Carlos Correctional Facility, PO Box 3, Pueblo, CO 81002, USA. Serving 12 years for setting fire to a number of SUV vehicles. The letters ELF were spray painted onto all of the vehicles. (Grant is a vegan).

Nathan Block, #36359-086, FCI Lompoc, Federal Correctional Institution, 3600 Guard Road, Lompoc, CA 93436, USA. Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Diet unknown).

Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland. Serving 18 years. 1) Ten years for using explosives to destroy electricity pylons leading from nuclear power stations. 2) Eight years for the murder of a Swiss Boarder Guard whilst on the run. In ’02 Marco completed a 12-year sentence in Italy for destroying electricity pylons in Italy. (Marco is a meat eater who encourages organic living).

Daniele Casalini, Casa Circondariale, Via Burla 59, 43100 Parma, Italy. Il Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of using explosives to damage an electricity pylon in protest at nuclear energy. (Daniele is a vegan).

Rod Coronado – See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.

Francesco Gioia, C.C. Sollicciano, Via Girolamo Minervini 2/R, 50142 Firenze Sollicciano (FI), Italy. Il Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of using explosives to damage an electricity pylon in protest at nuclear energy. (Francesco is a vegetarian and Straight Edge).

Paola Gori, Via delle Macchie 9, 57124 Livorno, Italy. Il Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of allowing her house to be used to plan illegal activity. (Paola is a vegan).

Jeffrey Luers, # 13797671, CRCI, 9111 NE Sunderland Ave, Portland, OR 97211-1708, USA. Serving 10 years for arson on a SUV dealership & the attempted arson of an oil truck. The original sentence was 22 years & 8 months, but was reduced on appeal. (Diet unknown).

Eric McDavid, 16209-097. FCI Victorville Medium II, PO BOX 5700, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA. Serving 19 years & 7 months for planning to destroy the property of the U.S. Forestry Service, mobile phone masts and power plants. At the point of his arrest no criminal damage has actually occurred. (Eric is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan, Columbia County Jail, 403 Jackson Street, Portage, Wisconsin 53901, USA. Serving 7 years for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an old growth logging corporation. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Daniel is a vegetarian).

Jonathan Paul – See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.

Briana Waters, 36432-086, FDC – Seatac, Federal Detention Center, P.O. Box 13900, Seattle, WA 98198, USA. Serving six years for involvement in an ELF arson on a University. (Diet unknown).

Joyanna Zacher, #36360-086, FCI Dublin, 5700 8th St.- Camp Parks- Unit F, Dublin, CA 94568, USA. Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership. Also admitted her role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Diet unknown).

ANIMAL LIBERATION PRISONERS
(All Animal Liberation Prisoners follow a minimum vegetarian diet and most are vegan).

Jon Ablewhite TB4885, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA, England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied guinea pigs for vivisection. (Jon is a vegan).

Gregg Avery TA7450, HMP Winchester, Romsey Road, Winchester, SO22 5DF, England. On remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to his involvement with the SHAC campaign. (Gregg is a vegan).

Natasha Avery NR8987, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx. TW15 3JZ, England. Jailed for breaching her parole conditions imposed on her for telling a fox hunting murdering scum what she thought of them. Also awaiting trial accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to her involvement with the SHAC campaign. (Nat is a vegan).

Mel Broughton TN9138, HMP Woodhill, Tattenhoe Street, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK4 4DA, England. On remand accused of involvement with an arson and blackmail campaign against an Oxford University vivisection establishment. (Mel is a vegan).

Martin Balluch, Antirep 2008, Postfach 101, 1070, Vienna, Austria. One of ten Austrian’s held on remand accused of various animal rights actions. (Martin is a vegan)

Christoph, Antirep 2008, Postfach 101, 1070, Vienna, Austria. One of ten Austrian’s held on remand accused of various animal rights actions. At the moment Christopher does not wish to have his full name published.

Jacob Conroy #93501-011, FCI Victorville Medium I Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA. Serving 48 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Jake is a vegan).

Rodney Coronado #03895-000, FCI El Reno, PO Box 1500, El Reno, OK 73036, USA. Serving one-year imprisonment after he informed people how to make an incendiary device during a speech at an animal rights gathering. (Rod is a vegetarian).

Donald Currie A3660AA, HMP Parkhurst, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5NX, England. Serving an Indeterminate Sentence, of not less than six actual years, for carrying out arsons against targets associated the vivisection industry including HLS. (Don is a vegan).

Lauren Gazzola #93497-011, FCI Danbury, Federal Correctional Institution, Route #37Danbury, CT 06811, USA. Serving 54 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Lauren is a vegan).

Sarah Gisborne, LT5393, HMP Downview, Sutton Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PD, England. Serving 5½ years for conspiracy to cause criminal damage following the damaging of 8 vehicles owned by people linked to Huntingdon Life Science. Due for release at the end of July (Sarah is a vegan).

Joshua Harper #29429-086, FCI Sheridan Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 5000, Sheridan, OR 97378 USA. Serving 36 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Josh is a vegan).

Jan, Antirep 2008, Postfach 101, 1070, Vienna, Austria. One of ten Austrian ‘s held on remand accused of various animal rights actions. At the moment Jan does not wish to have his full name published.

Kevin Kroemmer, Antirep 2008, Postfach 101, 1070, Vienna, Austria. One of ten Austrian’s held on remand accused of various animal rights actions. (Kevin is a vegan)

Leo, Antirep 2008, Postfach 101, 1070, Vienna, Austria. One of ten Austrian’s held on remand accused of various animal rights actions. At the moment Leo does not wish to have his full name published.

Sabine, Antirep 2008, Postfach 101, 1070, Vienna, Austria. One of ten Austrian’s held on remand accused of various animal rights actions. At the moment Sabine does not wish to have their full name published.

Sean Kirtley WC 6977, HM Prison Blakenhurst, Hewell Lane, Redditch, B97 6QS, England. Serving four and a half years for running an anti-vivisection campaign website. (Sean is a vegan).

Kevin Kjonaas #93502-011, FCI Sandstone, PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072 USA. Serving 72 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Kevin is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan – See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.

Heather Nicholson VM4859, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx. TW15 3JZ, England. On remand accused of conspiracy to blackmail, in relation to her involvement with the SHAC campaign. (Heather is a vegan).

Jonathan Paul, #07167-085, FCI Phoenix, Federal Correctional Institution, 37910 N 45th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA. Sentenced to 51 months for an ALF arson on a horse meat plant. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Jonathan is a vegan).

Andrew Stepanian #26399-050, FCI Butner Medium II Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 1500, Butner, NC 27509 USA. Serving 36 months for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Andrew is a vegan).

Kerry Whitburn TB4886, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA, England. Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied guinea pigs for vivisection. (Kerry is a vegan).

Sarah Whitehead, VM7684, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx, TW15 3JZ, England. Serving two years for: 1) rescuing a puppy from horrific conditions. 2) rescuing over 100 animals from a pet breeder who was later prosecuted for animal abuse. Also awaiting trial for SHAC activity. (Sarah is a vegan)

PLOUGHSHARES PRISONERS

Helen Woodson, 03231-045, FMC Carswell – Admin. Max. Unit, POB 27137, Ft. Worth, TX 76127, USA. Serving 8 years 10 months for actions that focused on the interrelationship of war & the destruction of the natural world. The actions included pouring red paint over the security desk of a federal court and making threatening communications. Previously Helen had served 20½ years for: 1) Using a hammer to disarm a nuclear missile silo. 2) Burning $25,000 on the floor of a bank whilst denouncing war, environmental destruction & economic injustice. 3) Mailing warning letters with bullets attached to Government & corporate officials. (Diet unknown).

THE LECCE FIVE
The Lecce Five have been charged with “subversive association” accused of damaging Esso petrol pumps to oppose the War on Iraq; sabotaging the cash machines of a bank which funds an immigration centre; and targeting the multinational company Benetton in support of Mapuche land rights activists in Chile. All of the defendants are currently either under house arrest or released on bail.

ANTIFA PRISONERS

Vahtang Devitlidze, ul. Libbedova 42, UO 68/2, otryad 14, brigada 142, g. Hagyshensk, Krasnodarskiy Kray, 352680 Russia. Serving 2½ years for stabbing a neo-nazi in the leg whilst defending himself from attack. (Diet unknown).

Augustin Kraus, Vazebni veznice, PP-1, Litomerice, 41 201, Czech Republic. Serving 14 months for his participation in attacks against local neo-nazis. His charge was “bodily harm”. He speaks Czech, Slovak and Polish. You can
also write him short postcards in English. (Diet unknown).

Fabio Milan, C.C. via Pianezza 300, 10151 Torino, Italy. On remand accused of fighting with the police after an anti-fascist protest. (Diet unknown).

Andrea Neff, Bnr: 746/07/2, Justizvollzugsanstalt fur Frauen in Berlin, Arkonastrasse 56, 13189 Berlin, Germany. Serving 14 months for anti-fascist activity. (Diet unknown).

Christian Sümmermann, Bnr: 441/08/5, JVA Plötzensee, Lehrterstr. 61, 10557 Berlin, Germany. Serving 40 months for breaching the peace whilst serving a suspended sentence issued for anti-fascist activities. (Diet unknown).

Tomasz Wiloszewski, Zaklad Karny, Orzechowa 5, 98-200 Sieradz, Poland. Serving 15 years for accidentally killing a neo-nazi whilst defending himself. (Tomasz is a vegetarian).

OTHER PRISONERS

Olga Aleksandrovna Nevskaya, UU163/5, 7 Otryad, pos. Dzerzhinskiy, Mozhaysk 140090 Moskovskaya oblast, Russia. Eco-activist serving 6 years for arson, criminal damage and causing explosions in protest at the war in Chechnya. Due for release in 2009. (Diet unknown).

Vaggelis Botzatzis, Komotini Juridical Prison (“Dikastikes Fylakes Komotinis”), T.K. 69100, Greece. On remand accused of setting fire to two company cars owned by a energy/power company. It is believed that the person or persons unknown who carried out the arson did so in protest at the destruction of the natural environment and in support of two workers who
died at the power plant. Vaggelis is also accused of setting fire to a bank and starting a fire inside a car yard. (Meat Eater).

Michael W. Sykes, 100 East 2nd St, Monroe, Michigan 48161, USA. Youth held on remand accused of anti-sprawl arsons, criminal damage, spray-painting an anarchist sign and burning the American flag. (Diet unknown)

Fran Thompson, #1090915 HU 1C, WERDCC, PO Box 300, Vandalia, MO 63382, USA. Serving Life for killing, in self-defence, a stalker who had broken into her home. Before her imprisonment Fran was an eco, animal & anti-nuke campaigner. (Fran is a vegan).

MOVE
MOVE is an eco-revolutionary group who carried out protests in defence of all life. All move prisoners describe themselves as vegetarians. There are currently eight MOVE activists in prison each serving 100 years after been framed for the murder of a cop in 1979. 9th defendant, Merle Africa, died in prison in 1998.

Debbie Simms Africa (006307), Janet Holloway Africa (006308) and Janine Philips Africa (006309) all at: SCI Cambridge Springs, 451 Fullerton Ave, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403-1238, USA.

Michael Davis Africa (AM4973) and Charles Simms Africa (AM4975) both at SCI Graterford, PO Box 244, Graterford, PA 19426-0244, USA.

Edward Goodman Africa (AM4974), SCI Mahanoy, 301 Morea Rd, Frackville, PA 17932, USA.

William Philips Africa (AM4984) and Delbert Orr Africa (AM4985) both at SCI Dallas Drawer K, Dallas, PA 18612, USA.

Mumia Abu Jamal, (AM8335), SCI Greene, 175 Progress Drive, Waynesburg PA 15370, USA. In 1981 Mumia, former Black Panther and vocal supporter of MOVE, was framed for the murder of a cop. He was originally sentenced to death but is currently awaiting re-sentencing following a court hearing in 2001.

STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE
Some people listed in this newsletter have carried out violent actions. ‘Spirit of Freedom’ does not condone violence. But we are also against censorship & believe people can decide for themselves who they wish to support.

ABOUT E.L.P. SUPPORT NETWORK
ELP is an international eco-prisoner support network founded, in Britain, in 1993 to support jailed eco-activists. We support the prisoners by producing various regular prisoner lists:

Spirit of Freedom is ELP’s international monthly prisoner listing which is circulated by e-mail.

Urgent ELP! Bulletin is an e-mail service that distributes the names of any new eco-prisoner as soon as ELP gets their details. For more info e-mail ELP4321@hotmail.com

On-Line Newsletters – ELP has a number of websites that provide news, prisoner lists and additional info about ELP & the prisoners.

English language ELP Website
www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk

Greek language ELP Website
http://greekelp.blogspot.com

North American ELP Website
www.ecoprisoners.org

Turkish language ELP Website
www.geocities.com/yesilanarsi/elp.htm

ELP Extra is an e-mail group that circulates the details of political prisoners, ELP learns about, who do not fall within the remit for support by ELP. To subscribe to the list e-mail ELP4321@Hotmail.com

Australian ELP.SN is our Australian contact. For more info e-mail elp4321@hotmail.com

Belgium ELP.SN is our Belgium contact. For more info e-mail elp_bel@hotmail.com

German ELP.SN is a prisoner led initiative run by eco-prisoner Marco Camenisch. For more info contact Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland.

Greek ELP.SN is our Greek contact. For more info e-mail greekelp@yahoo.gr

North American ELP is our North American contact. For more information e-mail naelpsn@mutualaid.org

Turkey ELP.SN is our Turkish contact. For more info e-mail yesilanarsi@yahoo.com

Products expropriation from supermarket (Athens, 1/7/2008)

“Another novel robbery of foods was realised at Marinopoulos supermarket on Evdoksos street, Neos Kosmos. Unknown persons entered the super market as mere customers, filled their trolleys with foods and left the store without paying. Continuously, they distributed the foods at the people shooping in a nearby open market, throwing leaflets with slogans against costliness…”

Translation from: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=887219

Today around 12:30 an intervention was realised at Marinopoulos supermarked on Evdoksos street, at Neos Kosmos. The people’s behaviour was encouraging and supportive. A typical example of that is that during the expropriation, outside the store people gathered with their wheel-carts waiting for the products distribution.

Following is the text distributed at the open market.

Every day that passes we experience intensely the consequences of the increasing raise of prices the capital is enforcing on society, the same time that wages and pensions remain at the same poor level, leading us below survival limits. Simultaneously, every kind of experts and responsibles, cry out for the continuous raise of prices suggesting “boycottage” styled solutions that lead to the illusion of a stronge reaction to the problem.
We select to react taking products of basic needs from shelves of large supermarket chain stores and distributing them freely to those that they belong to.
We do not regard our action as robbery, because these products are the fruits of our own exploited work and belong to all of us.
This action isn’t altruistic, but a symbolism with the aim to encourage the social ensemble to an unconstrained, free circulation of goods and the conscious erasing of the cash desks, overcoming the legal limitations. For the generalisation of the challenging of state and capital.
Our choice to act with our faces covered doesn’t mean in any case to frighten the people, but to our personal security against those that think our action is illegitimate.

Initiative of anarchists for the free circulation of goods

Note: It is the fourth of this kind of expropriations. Previously, there were Sklavenitis on 31/5 and Veropoulos and DIA on 13/6

On the arson of Sprider store (Athens, 28/6/2008)

“After puting off the fire, firemen found gas canisters inside the store, a fact leading invstigations to an arson case, and police takes over…”

“After puting off the fire, firemen found gas canisters inside the store, a fact leading invstigations to an arson case, and police takes over…”

Communique sent via e-mail to directactiongr@yahoo.gr:

On June 28, 2008 we chose to strike one of the well-known Sprider chain stores, at Lykovrissi. This choise wasn’t random at all.

We live an every day life turned into an arena of competition as well as accumulation and demonstration of lifeless objects. The expensive car, the classy outfit, the new mobile phone and fast internet are the modern values of your world. The consumer crowds grumbles over costliness while they buy off at their shopping therapy a piece of “joy” and a sterile image of success and show-off. In our days, humans seek for an identity at the new accessories of their mobile phones, their cars’ covers and fashion trends. And everything seems cool.

It is enough for one to choose, of Saturday night’s dilemma between Kolonaki or Psyrri area, the right dress, the appropriate mobile phone and most of all that fake smile, to impress everybody around.

When it comes to everyday life, the lack of communication, loneliness, the slow suicide of alienation, the servitude to a job, the cops’ orders, the reporter’s truth, the bosses’ exploitation… Who cares about all that? Besides, they’re not even a life-style trend to be advertised and followed faithfully.

Thus, all of you faithful consumers, titled with misery and proprietors of the lie can keep dressing up your fancy nothingness tissued with all the shades of compromise and indifference. We instead have chosen for ourselves the colors of war: As long as our life suffocates in the tissue of commercial advertise, useless objects, stylish orders and all the symbols of a consumer paradise, our rage with consiousness will keep searching for break-outs.

We had written in our communique concerning our previous strike against the Aigaleo Police Station, that we do not need an incident or a concurrence to get to action. Now though, we come with an event. On July 11, 2008 the comrades Marios Tsourapas and Chrissostomos Kontorevithakis face a jury, for their arsonist attempt against a municipal police car, an action they have claimed responsibility for, and stand up to it.

All we have to say on that, is that the material damages and the total destruction of this luxurious store are illustrative of our wilfulness, in case of our comrades imprisonment continues.

Gangs of Conscience

Note: You can read the previous claim of the Gangs of Conscience (Symmories Synidisis) on their attack against Aigaleo Police Station here:
http://directactiongr.blogspot.com/2008/05/attack-against-police-station-plus.html

Double supermarket expropriation (Athens, 13/6/2008)

“Today at 13:30 goods of basic necessity were expropriated from 2 supermarkets (Veropoulos and DIA) and handed out in the open market of M. Voda. Following is the communique distributed at Veropoulos.

Thousands of supermarkets so full of goods, why don’t we just pillage them for our old age! -N. Asimos

Finally! the supermarket and corporation sharks frozen the prices of their products! Some of them were even more generous reducing their prices, in order to raise the “purchasing power” of the consumers. In simpler words: to gain more! As we can tell that no one takes into account this bullshit about a so-called price reduction, we put into action again our own “pack of measures” against costliness, expropriationg foods and basic stuff from large supermarkets.

PS. As far as it concers our covered faces, we say that: keeping in mind that society is yet unready and uneasy to listen closely and support these facts, so we think it’s necessary to adopt the basic measures for our own security, against the systems of security and repression mechanisms, in order to continue live and act freely. THE ONLY MEASURE AGAINST COSTLINESS IS THE EXPROPRIATION. MASSIVE INVASION IN THE SUPERMARKETS TO TAKE BACK ALL THAT BELONG TO US.

Angry anarchists against costliness”

From: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=880457

CANCELLED – Survival Picket in Solidarity with the Dongria Kondh Tribe – Stop Vendanta Mining Orissa, India.

The Dongria Kondh tribe of India and the land they live in is threatened with destruction by the UK company Vedanta. Vedanta wants to create a giant open-cast mine on the Dongria Kondh’s sacred mountain, destroying the lush forests that grow there and polluting the rivers.

The Survival demonstration outside Coutts Bank previously advertised on this website planned for the 10th June has been cancelled. In reaction to the planned picket Coutts has just informed Survival that they no longer hold shares in Vedanta, the British-based company whose planned bauxite mine will devastate the lands of India’s Dongria Kondh tribe. More info to follow.

—-

WHERE? Outside Coutts Bank, 440 Strand, London
WHEN? Tuesday 10th June 2008, 18.45 – 20.00

WHAT IS THE EVENT?

Coutts Bank hold shares in Vedanta. When Vedanta makes money, Coutts make money, so they are profiting from the abuse of the Dongria Kondh.

On 10th June Coutts are hosting the opening party of London Jewellery Week, which they are sponsoring. Survival will be there, urging Coutts to withdraw its shares in Vedanta, and to recognise the rights of the Dongria Kondh to live independently on their own land.

For directions, please see the following link:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=530188&y=180575&z

Background info:

There are 8,000 Dongria Kondh living in the Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa, India.

The Niyamgiri Hills are an area of outstanding natural beauty, rich in wildlife and dense forests. The Dongria Kondh farm the hill slopes, growing crops in among the forest and gathering wild fruit, flowers and leaves for sale. Their lifestyle and religion have protected the forests of Niyamgiri for centuries.

The top of the mountain, which is worshiped by the Dongria Kondh as the seat of their god, has rich deposits of the aluminium ore bauxite.

The mining project would lead to displacement of thousands of tribal people and destroy biodiversity and water sources. Niyamgiri hills are the source of Vamshadhara River and major tributaries of Nagaveli rivers – sacred to the Khonds. A large number of wildlife species including tiger, leopards, elephant and mouse deer also abode in Niyamgiri hills. Many of these species are endangered. In the past, efforts have been made by various governmental and non-governmental bodies to declare Niyamgiri hills as sanctuary or reserve area to protect its pristine natural habitat.

The local resistance against the project started with the land acquisition process but because of the poor economic and political clout of Dongria Kondhs, their voices and concerns are ignored by local and state authorities. This is hardly surprising given the Orissa government’s thrust on ‘accelerating economic development’ by handing over rich natural resources to big private companies, both domestic and foreign, for a pittance. Pressure on the financial backers of the scheme in Europe has already resulted in significant disinvestment is Norway and similar action in the UK could really stregthen the tribes hand.

More Details can be found on the website of ‘Survival – The Movement For Tribal People’:

http://www.survival-international.org/tribes/dongria

Direct Action Greece: 17th – 22nd May

Appelate Court’s expansion works sabotaged with fire (ATHENS)
Attack against the municipal police of Ilioupoli (ATHENS)
Bank firebombed (LOANNINA)
University rectors elections sabotaged (ATHENS-PIRAEUS)
Surveillance cameras destroyed during squaters solidarity march (ATHENS)

Appelate Court’s expansion works sabotaged with fire (Athens, 22/5/2008)
This is a translation of a claim sent to directactiongr@yahoo.gr:

“In the dawn of Thursday, MAy 22, we invaded the construction site of the appelate court on Loukareos street and moved into burning up three machinery-vehicles, sabotaging the construction of the new court buildings. With this invasion we dismantled the prestige of the enemy, striking in one of the most formidable occupied spots of the city. Our action is wilful, to set the justice itself on fire. Its nature, its ideology, its institutions.

It isn’t just the arrogance and vengefulness of the judges, the desolation and anger in the faces of the accused, the agony to find the money, the fear of facing prison. They are all part of this, that’s for sure. Justice lies in the core of democracy. It defends with a decisive violence, directly all interests of this world. It has conscience of its role, its meaning today. It is clothed with all the democratic alibis. The rules of courts, the high-court’s opinions, the laws, do not simply safeguard the regime. They are unceasing attacks with the aim to control and manage, to subordinate every moment of our lives. The 10.000 prisoners [note: the number of the greek state’s prisoners], the cameras that got legalized, the strikers summoned, the asylum broken, indicate them. These are not mistakes, we don’t talk about a few judges that don’t do their job well. We talk of the modern martial courts that safeguard the dominant order. We speak of judges that distribute 50 years in prison, every day, and then watch watch Lazopoulos on their TVs [note: a greek populist comedian commenting on the system’s faults]. And all of these, under the wrapper of independance and unselfishness. In order to shut up the questions, to blur critics, to enforce as truth, inside everyone’s conscience this truth that is revealed in the threats and guilty silences.

That’s because justice, apart from a mechanism of subordonation, is a tool to rearrange the social relations. Discipline, a sense of fairness, fear, are fundamental principles of integration of prohibitions on the totality of the social body. The civilization of lawfull and outlaw, of fair and injust, of good and evil, is a civilization that mutilates social relations. Is a civilization of dependency from a vengeful justice system. Its values end up to systematize justice to a machinery of individuals supervising each other. Insecurity, snitching and fear for the other, constitute behaviours of the perfection of the modern pattern of social organization. This system is n’t applied only inside the court houses but also in every expression of our everyday life.

The new courthouse halls, the new high-sevurity prisons, the prohibitions that proliferate, pave the way for the future offensives. Against the administration of justice, we take vengeance on this world of authorities untill its total overthrow.

Comando “Christos Tsoutsouvis”

PS. Our every hit is a beat of our heart. And our heart beats fiercely close to the hearts of our captive comrades. This action is dedicated to Giorgos Voutsis-Vogiatzis, imprisoned for robbing the ETE bank in Gizi.

Few notes: There is an older action claimed for “Comando Christos Tsoutsouvis” in Thessaloniki, 2007: “On Tuesday 15 May, 22 years after the assassination of the armed guerrilla Christos Tsoutsouvis by cops, and at 4:30 in the morning, the RairRoad station local organization of New Democracy (right-wing ruling party), was tipped with a small token of our rage (1 petrol can and 3 home gas canisters were enough to nudge them reface their offices), on the last repressive operations against the rebels of the whole country’s prisons.”
Christos Tsoutsouvis was an urban guerrilla, member of ELA (People’s Revolutionary Struggle) and Antistate Fight. He was murdered on 15 May 1985 by undercover policemen in Gizi, Athens after a shootout, succeeding though to execute three of them.

Attack against the municipal police of Ilioupoli (Athens, 22/5/2008)
From the mass-media:

“Mess and panic were caused Thursday night, when a group of around 20 persons attacked the city hall of Ilioupoli. The masked-up group suprised the policemen, throwing red paints and broke with stones the glass windows of the city hall. Then, they destroyed with batons, sticks and knifes the personal car of Ilioupoli’s mayor and two patrol cars of the municipal police. According to information, the attack of these young people was a form of protest and of support to two detained anarchists. The activists left on foot, towards the central square of Ilioupoli, throwing behind them communiques against the municipal authority. The police forces realised a manhunt to find and arrest any”…

Following is a translation of a communique sent to directactiongr@yahoo.gr

“We selected to attack on the 22th of May, against the municipal police and the city hall of Ilioupoli, as a signal of solidarity to the detained anarchists M. Tsourapas and Chr. Kontorevithakis, accused for attempting to burn up a car of the municipal police in P. Faliro, and facing a jury on July, 11.

The municipal police is another repressive mechanism in duty bound to keep the normal flow of consumption and hunting the so-called black market and the street-salesmen, safeguarding the profits of luxurius shops, while it constitutes yet one institution of policing in the mitropolis, against everyday petit-delinquent behaviours. The perceptions that contributed to its formation will be always a target for us, and so will be their carriers. This specific attack against the city hall of Ilioupolis is not blind at all, since this municipality through the former municipal counsellor Athanasios Kouretsis invested in the pilot project “The neighborhood’s municipal policeman” in the footsteps of the failed police project “The neighborhood’s policeman”. This ex-cop that participated in Ilioupolis’ city counsil wanted simply to contribute in the strenghening of the citizen’s sense of security, as his proposal suggests. We will always stand opposed and choose the offensive way against the dogma of “Security, law and order” based on a total system of institutions and perceptions that eternalize the modern reality. Their effort to sharpen repression and control over our dignities and our lives, will now meet with the climax of our attacks.

FREEDOM FOR THE DETAINED ANARCHISTS
MARIOS TSOURAPAS AND CHRISSOSTOMOS KONTOREVITHAKIS”

Bank firebombed (Ioannina, 22/5/2008)
This is a translation of the claim posted on http://athens.indymedia.org

“Today during the dawn, 22/5/08, we attacked a subsidiary of Piraeus bank on Dodonis street, close to the technical college. We hurled 4 molotov cocktails at the bank’s ATM, the camera, and the main entrance. This attack was undertaken despite the constat patrols of the cops, who even passed by a few minuted before the attack. Material damages were realised against the ATM and the entrance, breaking a piece of the glass-window. This attack was clearly symbolic, so a total destruction of the bank was not an issue. We oppose every form of policing and authority and we trust in violent actions to overthrow the state. Solidarity to the actions that preceded and to those that will follow.

COMRADES FROM THE STREETS OF EVERYDAY STRUGGLE.”

University rectors elections sabotaged (Athens-Piraeus, 22/5/2008)

Students invaded halls where the rectors elections were held according to the new “frame”-law concerning universities, in the technical institutes of Athens and Piraeus, destroying voting papers, taking away ballot boxes, breaking them or throwing them to garbage. Students of DAP-NDFK (ruling party right-wing student youth) that were present, tried to guard the elections process but were repelled.

In the same time, over 35 faculties are occupied by student assemblies, against the new “frame”-law application.

Surveillance cameras destroyed during squaters solidarity march (Athens, 20/5/2008)
Photos of the march: http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=868546

Surveillance cameras were broken, during the march in solidarity to the Villa Amalias squat. The march was organised on the occasion of an arson attack against the squat two days earlier, and hundreds of people demonstrated in central Athens.

Fencing bars around the polytechnic school dismantled (Athens, 17/5/2008)

Photos: http://athens.indymedia.org/

According to a report from athens.indymedia.org:

“After 12 in the morning, people from the polytechnic school self-managed infoshop leftists, students and others, gathered around Zografou gate and destroyed all the extra fencing bars placed by the dead to prevent people from entering the university late at night and during weekends. An other door was also taken, so people wan’t bother to jump over fences to enter the university when it closes. Later on, some threw the bars at the door of the dean hall and at the dean’s office.

While this action took place, three undercover policemen gathered outside the gates, but left when they became noticed. A riot police brigade was set outside the nearby police station of Zografou, and a person was taking photos of the people gathered from a nearby building, but left when people approached the building.”

Arsonists hit a bank (Thessaloniki, 17/5/2008)
Responsibility claim at http://athens.indymedia.org/

“Early in the morning of Saturday, we attacked the national bank at Triandria. This action is symbolic, a sign of solidarity to the anarchist V. Botzatzis and our three fugitive comrades. No captivity can stop the war with the Existent. Our rage will set their peaceful nights on fire..”

Stuck for something to do!? Uninspired & lacklustre..? The all new singing dancing EF!AU is here to lift your spirits

As if putting the boot into the genetics industry, filling empty spaces with joy & creativity, and fooling the fossil-heads wasn’t enough, people have been busy washing lumps of coal and covering themselves with paint…we kid you not…all in aid of halting the trashing of the planet!

Parliaments have been climbed, airport terminals flash(mobb)ed, fields & various other sites occupied, building stormed & blockaded, pipelines blockaded & destroyed…

Parliaments have been climbed, airport terminals flash(mobb)ed, fields & various other sites occupied, building stormed & blockaded, pipelines blockaded & destroyed…

Throw into the mix ye oldie Reclaim the Streets, the tried and tested eeeeevil Mr/Ms Sabotage, the launch of a new campaign ‘Leave it in the Ground’, plus a summer-full of dates, new contacts list, it’s a wonder we’ve fitted in a brand new sexy EF! summer gathering poster (front & back). Download the latest EF!AU to share with others, subscribe or check out some past issues. The next issue will come out at the beginning of August.

And of course, this year’s EF! Summer Gathering (or follow the link to the left) is from Wednesday 27th August to Monday 1st September 2008, if you want to plot & plan, and laugh & chat with old friends & new.

Phew, what a scorcher!

Bath Bomb #10 Out Now

The monthly outpoured bile of Bath’s idealists and misanthrope’s reaches double figures…

The Bath Bomb
Issue #10
free/donation
May 08

Shock As 200 Shoppers Freeze Solid In Town Centre!

The monthly outpoured bile of Bath’s idealists and misanthrope’s reaches double figures…

The Bath Bomb
Issue #10
free/donation
May 08

Shock As 200 Shoppers Freeze Solid In Town Centre!

Last weekend saw a break from the banality of the familiar shop-till-you-drop routine of town centre. A couple of hundred people, using Facebook, organised a flash mob in which people milling around town would freeze at a given time, and stay that way for five minutes before, at another signal, continuing on as normal. Bath Bomb sent a reporter into town to see what the fuss was about, and the results proved pretty impressive. Two hundred people, frozen in mid sandwich, conversation and dance blocked a large area of the city centre while confused onlookers laughed and speculated. At one point, a miserable shopper laden with bag upon bag of disposable culture walked past moaning to her daughter that the frozen mob was ‘probably just a bunch of protesters’. My reaction had been that this was more an arty style event than a protest, but the miserable woman straining under tonnes of plastic got me thinking. Whether intentionally or not, this was a protest, and a very meaningful one. The message was that town is ours, the streets are our playground – the staging ground for fun, adventure and frivolity. The frozen masses briefly wrested town from those neon gods of consumerism who would see our
town centre reduced to nothing more than a means to get to shops, buy things, then go home again. The freeze event gave us a brief glimpse of how we can transform and re-imagine our surroundings, turn the banal into the beautiful and do something with our town more important, fun and interesting than more f**king shopping! So let’s take a leaf out of the book of our frozen comrades and start using town as a place for meeting, frolicking, sharing and creating. Who needs capitalism, when we’ve got imagination?!

The End Of The Beginning Of Something Special In Chippenham

Remember last month we brought you news of a new squat in Chippenham? We are sad to report that the building is now back in the hands of its lawful owner – a man who has let the place rot while living miles away for over 25 years. During the brief history of The 78 as the building became known, it provided a glimpse of what a fair society could look like. As well as providing a home for some, the space was a communal meeting place, organic garden and a centre of learning, co-operation and fun. Before the eviction, The 78 was in the process of organising gardening workshops, a free shop, free child day care for young parents and a weekly vegan cafe. The building itself was considerably renovated by the occupiers and neighbours (who were entirely supportive and glad that
space was no longer wasted ) agreed that it has never looked nicer! Still, the eviction is not the end – everyone who went to the place was inspired by the passion, dedication and commitment to equality and the environment showed by the occupiers. Where one liberated space falls, another springs up and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Chippenham. In its short history, The 78 succeeded in winning hearts and minds of people who would otherwise have negative views of squatters, radicalised and inspired a community and brought together strangers who are now friends, comrades and partners in liberation and adventure. The 78 is dead, long live The 79!

Top Shop Sweat Shop Stitch Up

A 17-strong coalition of students from Hayesfield Ethical Group and Bath Uni’s One World Society, as well as the usual rent-a-mob from B.A.N., endured the sunshine and soulless concrete on Wednesday the 24th April, to demonstrate outside Top Shop’s use of sweatshop labour. Indeed, the vast majority of UK high street fashion gets rich from the exploitation of desperate workers in the global South, but the Arcadia Group, of
which Top Shop is the leading brand, is highly influential. Whereas owner Philip Green made the record books in 2005 for netting the biggest share dividend in history, $1.2 billion, workers in Cambodia are coerced into involuntary overtime work below any living wage, suffering shocking health and safety, physical/verbal abuse from management, daily
strip-searches, and are barred from unionisation. Women are often refused employment if pregnant, and if they do become so, are still forced to do standing work in uncomfortable temperatures, until they quit. To add insult to injury, workers often contract bladder infections from lack of access to drinking water or toilet use. Demonstrators leafleted and held banners airing Topshop’s dirty laundry, asking customers to persuade their favourite brand to genuinely change its ways: like it or not, these fashion cartels have the power to change industry conditions for better as well as worse, if only they’d stop spouting empty PRomises for one second.

Hair today, gone tomorrow?

I’m not going to make this any more complicated than it needs to be – for most women to go about their daily lives feeling like their natural form, their unadulterated bodies, are at least wrong, at worst disgusting, is in itself wrong and disgusting. It’s not just women, although presently they do seem to fare worse, a significant proportion of us have problems these days feeling inadequate and ugly, as if we need to change our appearance constantly, daily, to be acceptable or even to look stunning – it is our duty to look as fabulous as we can at whatever cost. You’ve got women in their 60s with designer vaginas matching that of a 16 year old, 16 year olds having cosmetic surgery when they’re barely grown yet and 10 year olds being taken to salons to have their legs
waxed.

A healthy backlash is beginning to grow. For example, the live journal site ‘fuck shaving’, and on recent body image shows I’ve seen not one, but two women living their lives perfectly happily, with full on natural beards. I am fascinated – to me, they don’t look ugly, or wrong, or disgusting. They don’t even look like men. They just look like themselves. So, I beg of you society, can’t we just be us? This may seem like a simple thing on paper, but it is a huge step to take (or maybe lots of little ones.) But it is such a worthwhile step to take and I feel the world would be better off for it, changing many things, not just how we feel about ourselves when we look in the mirror. Cause this image stuff ain’t just vanity – it really does deeply affect, and even destroy, lives.

Mayday! Mayday! The Ducks Are Revolting!

And now for our obligatory foie gras campaign update: we’ve recently heard that good old Christophe at The Pinch, the French restaurant in St Margaret’s Buildings formerly known as Le Petit Cochon, has decided to brave the storm of controversy and put the ‘delicacy of despair’ back on the menu. When will they learn? Meanwhile, we received this anonymous report: “In the early hours of the 2nd May, in anger at Bistro Number 5’s continued sale of foie gras, Animal Liberation Front volunteers d-locked their front entrance, costing them hours of lost revenue for the following day. It’s high time they re-evaluated whether profiting from animal abuse really is good business!” If you feel moved to let the management of either of these outlets know your feelings on force-feeding and animal torture, here’s their contact details – The Pinch tel:
01225 421251, info@thepinch.biz and Bistro Number 5 tel: 01225 444 499,
fax: 01225318 668 chrome@globalnet.co.uk /ym/Compose?To= chrome@globalnet.co.uk&YY=10755&y5beta=yes&y5beta=yes&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b.

And remember, The Bath Bomb in no way condones repeated phone calls or threatening behaviour, and neither does it condone spreading these companies’ details to every spammer or junk mail list you can think of.

Government gets F- As Teachers Strike

There were impressive marches and rallies in towns and cities across Britain on Thursday 24th April. More than 2000 striking teachers, lecturers and civil service workers from across Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire and Somerset joined a lively and noisy march which brought traffic to a halt in Bristol. This march was supported by members of Bath
Activist Network. This action occurred to a background of an economic crisis where the poor are being forced to bail out the rich. Taxpayers are expected to pay £100 billion to Northern Rock, when in a time honoured fashion, the man who oversaw the collapse of his bank, walked off with a £750,000 pay off. The response of politicians to this crisis is for new labour Brown to abolish the 10p tax law, hitting the poorer workers the most and for the shadow chancellor, George Osborne, this week, to call for greater control of trades unions as a matter of urgency. With almost everything rising in price, the media warns of a ‘summer of discontent’ here and abroad. This means through riots, strikes and days of actions, workers and the poor are taking control of their own lives and not relying on politicians and bosses to sort out their problems.
This growing spirit of resistance must be supported by all those who wish to build a more just society. If you’re fired up about these issues, come to Bubbling Under on Sunday 18th May, 1-4 as usual at the porter cellar bar on George Street, where there will be a free showing of ‘The Gama Strike: A Victory For All Workers.’ This is a film about migrant workers in the Irish Republic who were supported by local workers to fight back against slave conditions.

Free Your Time-www.myfreethyme.com

Why buy when the best things in life are free? Credit cards, student loans and debt are the vices that trap us into this consumer culture. Man made money and money made man: mad. Media brainwashes us into thinking that if we work harder, earn more money and buy more things then we will be accepted. Excessive consumerism is ruining both the air we
breathe and the ground we walk on. All we need is an awareness of what we can contribute to a society of freethinkers that is simple and rewarding to become part of.

So, the website, www.myfreethyme.com, was set up with this ethos in mind, with a mission to discover alternative ways of living which help preserve the planet, inspire trust and keep change in your pocket jingling. The possibilities are endless from Freecycle, grow-your-own and nettle munching, to bin diving, couchsurfing and woofing, the ultimate aim being to create a nurturing eco-space rather than a money grabbing metropolis. There are many communities which function on human compassion, not on money; the aim is to get these voices heard and known about. As a student at Bath Spa University, I was amazed at how little the general student population knows about the ways of free living. I was
inspired by reading about the Free Economy walker, Mark Boyle, and his attempt to get to Gandhi’s birthplace without a penny in his pocket. Though angry that most of the newspapers ridiculed his journey and didn’t focus on the philosophy behind it, it led me to become part of the FreeEconomy landshare/skillshare community (justfortheloveofit.org) and I realised this was something worth shouting about.

Seeing these things in action can inspire change, and who better to help out than the Bath Activist Network. As part of the Big Green Week bonanza, a live Freecyle stall was set up at the SU and welcomed with many a “What? Free? No fee?” squawks of glee as the skint students rummaged and browsed. In a university where they charge 15p for a sachet of tomato sauce and 30p for hot water, the general reaction was welcome shock mixed with curiosity and many a student-friendly bargain picked up. All in all, it went gloriously well. If you have any free living stories, feel free and let me know at thegreensofa@yahoo.com , I’d love to hear them.
Bath FreeShop is outside Holland and Barratts the second Saturday of every month if you’ve got some a hankering to get rid of some stuff then join us for some free
Earl Grey tea.

Green Space Invaders Evaded

Congratulations are due to the residents of Twerton and surrounds, who’ve just fought off plans to destroy green space near the much-loved Bath City Farm, flooding the Council with over 1,000 objections. Somer Housing, well-known for its commitment to selling off needed social housing to unscrupulous private landlords on the cheap, whinged about the foiling of their ploy to build 30 houses on the 1.6 contested acres
between Cotswold View, The Hollow and the City Farm: where they no doubt would have done the same. Bath City Farm is manned by dedicated volunteers and provides woodcraft skills, interaction with the natural world and meaningful leisure to local youths, and need the land to both progress their work and provide residential allotments.

Boris Johnson – Mayor Or Maniac?

Boris Johnson says he’s a feminist. Actually he’s sexist. And the worst kind of sexist. He thinks that by stating he’s a feminist and saying a few pro-women things, that when he begins one of his ridiculously misguided rants about men and women and the education system, people will say, well, he can’t be sexist, the man says he’s a feminist. Truth
is, as far as this writer’s concerned anyway, as long as we carry on gender stereotyping, this idiotic tug of war that is the perpetual see saw of men on top, women on top, men on top, will continue – with casualties on both sides (domestic violence against either sex, rape, misogyny, hatred of men, unfair pay at work and general disharmony and fighting against rather than helping each other.)

Boris Johnson may be entertaining, he comes off like a character from a comedy show, and maybe that’s a nice change next to some rather boring politicians, but is this the kind of figurehead we want as mayor of London? He’s out of touch, outspoken and seems so harmless. But it seems to me, to let someone like this have such a position of power is a very dangerous thing. When are people going to wake up to the mockery our governmental system has become, from the jibes and jeers of the commons, to the buffoonery of Mr Johnson himself, and choose something different? (ps – NOT the BNP.) As for Boris – do us a favour, give the man some bells and a funny hat and call a numpty a numpty.

SHAC Attack

On Saturday 26th April, a contingent from bath went to Horsham, west sussex, for the National Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty demos against Norvartis, a company that tests on primates and supplies the notorious vivisection lab, Huntingdon Life Sciences. The protest started at Horsham park and around 500 people marched through the centre of Horsham to suburbia where the animal abusing company is located. After a few speeches some of the protesters understandably got upset and started shaking the fences. The companies body guards (police) soon stopped this however, after a brief struggle. All in all a good day, and we went back to the park where legendary vegan caterer Veggies provided vegan burgers and cake. It seems Norvartis UK got off lightly, the Spanish HQ having been vandalised at a recent demo in Barcelona.

EVENTS

Monday nights Bath Hunt Sabs Meeting, 8pm, Bell
Wednesdays 4-7pm London Rd Food Co-op, Riverside Community Centre
Saturdays 11.30am-12.30 Bath Stop The War Vigil, Abbey Courtyard
12th May, 7.45pm Greenpeace meeting, Stillpoint, Broad Street
14th May, 8.30pm Bath Green Drinks, upstairs, the Rummer
17th May, from 6pm Punk benefit gig, The Junction, Stokes Croft, Bristol
18th May, 1-4pm Bubbling Under, Poter Cellar Bar, George Street
21st May Smash EDO phone/email blockade-see www.smashedo.org.uk
29th May, from 7.30pm Talk by chair of CND, Friends Meeting House, York Street
31st May-1 June Bristol Vegan Fayre, The Waterside, Bristol
2 June, 8pm Friends of the Earth meeting, Stillpoint, Broad St
3 June, 12-3pm There is such a thing as a free lunch stall, Queen Sq
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

Q: Who Are Bath Activist Network? A: 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

GOT A STORY? WANT TO RECEIVE THE BATH BOMB BY EMAIL? HOPING TO SUE?
Contact us by e-mailing bathbombpress@yahoo.co.uk . Large print e-versions available on request.

Eco-related arson against ministry of development offices in Greece (Athens, 21/4/2008)

A translation of the parts of a communique sent to “Eleftherotipia” newspaper and published on 25/04/2008, not mentioning any group’s name:

“Kavala, Almyros at Volos, Mantoudi at Evia, Astakos at Etoloakarnania, Elefsina: Residents mobilizations are realised against the plans of building new power plants using coal. Public Power Company (PPC) in cooperation with national or international partners promotes its investment plans, within the country as well as in the Balkans, responding to the system’s increasing needs for power consumption, something that signifies the constant amplification of economy and the wider subordination of our existance to it.”

“When capitalism is self-declared environment friendly, it is only to measure and manage the symptoms of the crisis it produced itself.”

“We don’t share any environmentalist compasion. It is impossible to fit within any green slogans that belittle any perspective of rupture in their partiality. The concern raised by the environmental destruction is disarmed through the participation of active citizens in ironic programms of beach cleaning or the ridiculous consumers preferance for “eco-friendly” enterprises.”

“The impacts of the use of coal are only a part of the symptoms of the development this world promises: climate change, species extinction, desertations, forest destruction. This is why, the way we talk and act against everything that turns our lives to a total disaster, aims at the constant subversion of the capitalist structures, the total overthrow of the authoritarian relationships.”

source: http://directactiongr.blogspot.com