No Borders – Page 4 – Earth First!

no borders gathering 21st-22nd feb bristol

Hi everyone, it’s time to get out your diaries and book your travel….

The Bristol No Borders group are hosting the next network-wide No Borders
Gathering, on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd February at St. Werburgh’s
Community Centre here in Bristol.

The Gathering will be a chance to discuss, network and plan, and to build

Hi everyone, it’s time to get out your diaries and book your travel….

The Bristol No Borders group are hosting the next network-wide No Borders
Gathering, on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd February at St. Werburgh’s
Community Centre here in Bristol.

The Gathering will be a chance to discuss, network and plan, and to build
on the discussions held at the last network-wide gathering earlier this
year in Newcastle. It’s is a collectively organised event with shared
responsibility for content and organisation, being co ordinated this time
by people in Bristol with help from our friends over in South Wales.
Although you don’t have to be active in an existing group to attend and
the gathering is open, it is a working meeting rather than a place to
necessarily find out more about the network in general. For this we
suggest contacting a local group see noborders.org.uk for a list of
contacts.

Programme looks like this so far:
Friday 20th evening, Agenda planning meeting, accomodation sorting and
hopefully dinner. Venue Kebele Social Centre, 14 Robertson Road, Easton,
Bristol.
Saturday 21st 9am breakfast at St Werburgh’s Community Centre, meeting
starts 10am. Ends by 6pm, followed by dinner elsewhere (tbc).
Sunday, 9am breakfast, meeting starts at 10am, Ends by 4pm. Dinner at
Kebele Cafe for those that want it.

Accomodaton will be available in people’s houses.
Please email bristolnoborders@riseup.net with your email subject as
GATHERING asap with details of how many people need accomodation for which
nights, Friday to Sunday.
If anyone has friends or contacts in the area they can stay with, and
possible room for anyone else, this would be very much appreciated.

Agenda
To suggest items for discussion please write to noborderswales@riseup.net
as they will be preparing draft agenda.

Anyone who is willing to help with faciliation please also let us know.

Cost will be kept as low as possible (donation of between £10 and £15 tbc
to cover venue and vegan food) and free to asylum seekers.

Travel: nearest rail station to both Easton and St Werburgh’s is Stapleton
Road. Connections from Temple Meads station.
nearest coach stop Eastville Tescos on Mega Bus. More detailed travel info
will be provided nearer the time and maps will be available.

A PDF version of the invite will be sent soon.

Hope to see you all then

Cheers,
Bristol No Borders

No Borders is a network of groups struggling for the freedom of movement
for all and an end to all migration controls. We call for a radical
movement against the system of control, dividing us into citizens and
non-citizens. We demand the end of the border regime for everyone,
including ourselves, to enable us to live another way, without fear,
racism and nationalism.

protests against the roll-out of the ID card scheme & database

Against the imposition of ID cards on Non-EU students and marriage visa holders.

This is not the first time foreign nationals or migrants have been used as guinea pigs to test a law or technology. Examples include the Asylum Registration Cards (ARC), which is a similar card that asylum seekers have been required to carry since 2002. Once migrants have been used as a ‘road test’ for the widely opposed ID scheme, the government will start on the rest of us. From 2010 on, the government predicts that one million cards will be handed out every year.

For more background information on how this ‘drip drip’ approach to imposing biometric ID cards relates to migration management and the Home Office’s points system read:

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=3147
http://nobordersmanchester.blogspot.com/2008/11/defy-id-cards-no-one-is-illegal.html

==========

27th November 2008
This evening approximately 13 activists from No Borders North East handed out 200 anti-ID card leaflets to shoppers in Central Newcastle. Banners and placards were also held, and a very positive response was given from the public.

Tuesday saw the introduction of Identity Cards for non-EU citizens. No Borders views this as yet another attempt to victimize an often voiceless group, and so has orchestrated a series of protests this week throughout the country.

http://www.noborders.org.uk

…..

This morning, during the peak rush hour time of 7.30 – 9.00 am, 4 activists from No Borders North East performed an anti-i.d card banner drop from a bridge over one of the city’s busiest inner motorways. The largest banner read “No To ID Cards, Freedom For All!” and was accompanied by a smaller No Borders banner.

The reaction from the drivers below was overwhelmingly positive, with many honking horns, waving and giving thumbs up.

Today sees the start of the ID card scheme, with non-EU citizens applying for, or renewing visas for study or marriage, being made to carry a card and have their details put on the Government’s database. Immigration law already gives the Home Office powers it would like to exert over everybody. Under a cloud of anti-immigration hysteria the government is increasing it’s social control and attempting to usher in unprecedented powers of surveillance over the whole population.

The police came along while we were doing it, but didnt seem to have any problem with it. Interestingly however, they said that an anarchist symbol can be deemed offensive and thus removable under a public order act (?!). We told them that our No Borders banner with a large anarchist symbol wasn’t in fact anarchist related, and they believed us for some reason…. 😉
—

Yorkshire Activists blockade Sheffield Border Agency Centre

1.12.2008
At 8am this morning a group of Yorkshire activists blockaded the Sheffield Border Agency Interrogation Centre at Vulcan House using bicycle locks and superglue to attach themselves to both entrances. The group are there in response to the introduction of compulsory ID cards for non-EU people on student or marriage visas. They are displaying two banners, one reads “My identity is not your property” and the other “Nothing to hide? Everything to fear! Defy ID!”

Some applicants have been turned away by the Border Agency staff but many were supportive of the actions the group has taken. Speaking to a blockader, one applicant said that by introducing compulsory ID cards, the government have shown that “they just want to control people”. Border Agency staff have called the police to remove the protesters but at the time of sending (10:30am) the protesters are still in place.

An activist from Bradford (who is currently superglued to two others in front of the main entrance) said “The government are trying to introduce ID cards through the back door, targeting some of the most vulnerable people in the country.” A Sheffield activist added “If we want to save the people of Great Britain from ID cards, we must act now!”

Government legislation has meant that, since 25^th November, foreign spouses and non-EU students who apply for, or renew, visas will be forced to attend an interrogation and be issued with an ID card that will hold their name, photograph, nationality and immigration status, along with a biometric chip that will hold their fingerprints and digital image. The details will be held indefinitely on the UK Identity Service database. Delays meant that the Sheffield Border Agency Centre only began interrogations from today (1^st December).

Update – 11 activists were arrested (significantly more than were thought to be locked on) after holding the blockade for more than three hours. All released with with verbal cautions.

—

Identity Cards Protest, Lunar House, Croydon

26.11.2008
On the corner of George Street in Croydon, London, a November sun was warming the shoppers and office workers on their lunch breaks, but a few hundred metres north on Wellesley Road a biting Siberian wind seared the demonstrators outside Lunar House. It seemed appropriate that such a freezing blast should surround the UK headquarters of the Border and Immigration Agency and indeed be generated by its twenty stories of the grim early 1970s office complex. After all its raison d’être is to give would-be immigrants and asylum seeks an extremely cold reception.

Its bleak anonymity is also a warning of things to come for all of us in a Brave New Britain of state surveillance and control whose infrastructure is increasingly with us through security cameras, the interception mobile phone signals and electronic communications and the planned introduction of universal ID cards.

The picket, called by London NoBorders http://london.noborders.org.uk and NO2ID http://www.no2id.net/, marked the start of Biometric ID cards, which are being issued from today, 25 November 2008, to all non-EU students and spouses applying for, or renewing visas for study or marriage. The cards will have a photograph with name, date of birth, nationality, immigration status and biometric details, including fingerprints and digital facial image will be stored on a chip on the card as well as being held indefinitely on the UK Identity Service database.

Soon all foreign nationals in the UK will be required to have these cards, which will be rolled out to other groups including students who want a student loan by 2010. And from 2011 you will need to get one – and have your details on that database – if you want to renew or get a passport.

What worries many of us is not just the use to which our own government and security services might make of such data – linking to face recognition software working on images from security cameras and mobile phone data would enable our every move to be tracked – but the certainty that it will get into other hands – such as those of our US friends in the CIA, as well as criminal and commercial organisations who will have their own ideas about how such all-pervasive data might be used.

Among those at today’s demonstration was David Mery http://gizmonaut.net/bits/suspect.html a man who has achieved a small personal victory against the juggernaut database state.

Mery was stopped by police entering Southwark tube station on 28 July for being “calm on arrival, almost too calm” and having a largish rucksack and a strong French accent. It was three weeks after the London bombing – and – perhaps luckily for him, six days after the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. This time at least the police didn’t shoot first and ask questions later, but his treatment in the months and years following the event can most favourably be described as Kafkaesque. He finally (or at least probably) succeeded in having both his fingerprints and DNA record removed from the police databases, but it took over two years of fighting. His blog http://gizmonaut.net/ and articles are essential reading for anyone who wonders why civil liberties are important.

—

Leeds NO2ID have burnt a mock ID card in protest at the introduction of the ID card scheme for foreign nationals

Video – video/quicktime 13M

Around 20 activists braved the freezing temperatures and rain to gather in Leeds last night on the eve of the introduction of ID cards for foreign nationals.

The protest was made my burning a mock ID card in public.

The Protest passed off peacefully without the presence of West Yorkshire Police.

—

Liverpool anti-ID picket: No One Is Illegal

20 students and No Borders/anti-ID campaigners from Manchester made their way to Liverpool on 25th November, the day that the government introduced ID cards for non-EU nationals living in the UK. There they joined a group of 30 Merseyside activists outside Reliance House to protest at the introduction of compulsory ID cards for international students and non-EU spouses on that day.

Reliance House is where interviewing, photographing and fingerprinting will take place from 4th December before being issued with a biometric ID card. It is also Liverpool’s reporting centre where those seeking asylum have to ‘sign in’ on a regular basis while their claims are being processed. If their claims fail they can be held, without prior notice, in the immigration detention facility in the same building for up to 7 days.

It is thus imperative to make the connection between ID cards and the assault on the rights of non-EU nationals wanting to live, work and study in the UK. People from Manchester No Borders had brought along placards and banners proclaiming that “no one is illegal”. Where the state reinforces the division between legal and ‘illegal’ people our solidarity must extend to those most affected by the scheme.

Some mention in the news:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/11/25/protests-in-city-over-id-cards-100252-22330184/
http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/news/display.var.2470740.0.Protests_as_first_ID_card_scheme_launched_in_Britain.php
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/11/26/protesters-say-no-to-introduction-of-id-cards-for-foreign-students-64375-22341365/

(During the picket of Reliance House, some first contact was made with individual No Border activists from Liverpool, Merseyside and North Wales. If you are from this region and want to get active in a No Borders group, please email us, so we can get you in touch)

manchesternoborders@riseup.net
http://www.manchesternoborders.org.uk

—

Over 60 people attended our protest against the introduction of Biometric ID Cards for non-EU students and spouses on Tuesday. The demonstration was held for a couple of hours at midday outside the Cardiff office of the UK Border Agency at 31-33 Newport Road. People the government is forcing to carry ID cards will have to attend this centre for interrogation, photographing and fingerprinting.

We displayed banners, held placards, waved giant mock ID cards and distributed 600 copies of this leaflet – the reaction from passers by was completely supportive. Many people used their lunchbreak to join the protest for a short while before returning to work or study. This protest was part of a nationwide day of action outside UKBA centres by No Borders Network who, along with Defy ID, NO2ID and other groups, held protests in Croydon, Liverpool, Glasgow, Solihull, and Newcastle. Though many of these protests around the country got into local newspapers, Welsh media coverage has been minimal.

This protest appears to be just the start of resistance to ID Cards, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has threatened industrial action if the government goes ahead with it’s plan to impose ID cards on airport workers next year. Tens of thousands of people have signed up to NO2ID’s pledge not to register for a card, even if that means going to prison. No Borders South Wales will be protesting outside the Border agency again, on Wednesday 10th December when the Cardiff office will start to register people, join us if you can.

“These new ID cards are not only a repressive measure against non-EU students and spouses, they are the first shot in an attack against everyone’s liberty. In targeting a largely voiceless migrant group, who have the least chance to complain and the most to lose, the government is following a familiar path of repressive regimes throughout history. Immigration law already gives the Home Office powers it would like to exert over everybody. By resisting the repression of migrants, we defend the freedom of everyone!“

For links to leaflet, video and other stuff, see http://noborderswales.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/cardiff-protest-against-id-cards/
—

Solihull protest against the imposition of biometric ID cards on migrants

26.11.2008
Yesterday Noborders Birmingham protested against the imposition of biometric ID cards at the UK Border Agency Office in Solihull. They were met by a puzzling disproportionate police response at Dominion Court, 41 Station Road, Solihull – around 12 police officers, including 3 police vans and an evidence gatherer. This may have something to do with the policing of a previous protest around the corner at Sandford House, the home office reporting centre, where hundreds of Congolese demonstrators facing mass deportation occupied the main road http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2007/04/368076.html

A banner proclaiming ‘Freedom of Movement for All’ was held by the entrance of the UK Borders Agency Office. The police offered to ‘facilitate’ our protest by a seemingly polite offer to arrange for a metal barrier to hang our banner from. However, we realised that the six foot high hedge in front of the building would make our protest invisible to almost everyone, so instead we hung our banner by the main road and distributed around 600 leaflets to some very interested members of the public.

Following a concerned report from a dedicated community police officer earlier in the day, two equally committed council workers from the environmental and health department at Solihull Council turned up in their lunch hour to ensure that the literature being distributed was of a political, rather than commercial, nature and thus would not run afoul of local bye-laws on littering/flyering (no one seemed quite sure). This follows several other incidents known to us in central Birmingham where council officials have attempted to apply similar bye-laws (with accompanying threats of fines and court appearances) to dissuade people from handing out political literature. It has been noted before that the parliamentary legislation which serves as the basis of these bye-laws specifically exempted materials of a political nature. The council workers also showed some interest in the banner, raising concern over the manner of its attachment to some local shrubs and something else about private property, but in the end they seemed to decide that neither the public nor the shrubs were at any risk (potential, real, or otherwise) and returned to what remained of their lunch hour.

Two students from Pakistan informed us that they had to book an appointment to begin the biometric ID card process and they couldn’t return home until this had been completed. They claimed today they were told by staff that they would be required to give blood samples and have iris scans for their biometric cards so if they committed any ‘crimes’ in the UK they could be identified immediately. It appears that the private company contracted to the tune of £5.6 billion, and entrusted with sensitive biometric data, are already doing their best to impress upon applicants that ID cards will be effective at ‘fighting crime’. Liberty, the civil liberties and human rights organisation, have already expressed concern about the Government’s ability to safeguard individual’s intimate details on the National Identity Register after Government departments last year lost 30 million pieces of personal data, including those of 25 million child benefit claimants. ‘We have ID cards in our country but they aren’t biometric’ said one of the students. ‘It feels very discriminatory that we are being targeted first. Why aren’t they processing UK nationals first?’ The international students also pointed out that this was costing them a great deal of money. Not only did they have to pay exorbitant fees for their courses but on top of that they have to pay £300 for their visas and now they have to pay for their biometric ID cards and they are only permitted to work 20 hours a week. They also added that these measures would serve to put overseas students off studying here citing Australia as a more welcoming alternative.

The use of foreign nationals as guinea pigs for the more widespread introduction of ID cards is a strategy to run a testbed for the technology on people without a voice. It has become apparent that the government is likely to pick off certain sections of the community in Britain one at a time. This divide and rule strategy has been used throughout history, most notably by the Nazi regime in Germany.

When the British government came for the migrants,
I remained silent;
I was not a migrant.

When they came for the airline workers,
I remained silent;
I was not an airline worker.

When they came for the convicts,
I did not speak out;
I was not a convict.

When they came for the health workers,
I did not speak out;
I was not a health worker.

When they came for the students,
I did not speak out;
I was not a student.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

noborders-brum @ riseup.net

—

http://glasgowanarchists.wordpress.com/

—

Also in the news:

ID ‘reading’ machines on Canada and Mexico borders
‘Smart’ CCTV in Portsmouth

SOLIDARITY WITH MIGRANT WORKERS: DEMO AT AMEY HQ, OXFORD: MON 8TH DEC

SOLIDARITY WITH SACKED MIGRANT WORKERS 8/12/08

On Monday the 8th December at 11.00am there will be a noisy demo outside
Amey PLC’s Corporate HQ in Oxford (address below)called by the Campaign
Against Immigration Controls, and The No Borders Network

In September this year 5 migrant cleaners were sacked by Amey Plc for “bringing the company into disrepute”.

SOLIDARITY WITH SACKED MIGRANT WORKERS 8/12/08

In September this year 5 migrant cleaners were sacked by Amey Plc for “bringing the company into disrepute”.

(Those of you with long memories may remember Amey as the contractor for Whatley Quarry way back when in 1996.)

How were they damaging the company image? By belonging to a Trade Union and telling other staff at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in London where they work what was happening to them. Since them they have had their appeal against dismissal rejected.

Background:

Julio (one of the sacked cleaners) recently described how Amey were contracted by the National Physical Laboratory to do the cleaning work. Originally there were 36 Latin American cleaners. When Amey took over the contract at NPL the cleaners were paid £7.10 per hour. The company were surprised at this rate of pay and so attempted to get rid of those workers contracted at this rate of pay.

Their first act was to reduce the levels of staffing. When the workers resisted the company responded using intimidation. On one occasion the workers were invited to a health and safety training session. Once in the room 60 police and immigration officers entered. Some of the workers did not have the papers needed to work and have since been deported.

But this did not deter the other workers who knew their rights and continued to show a tremendous spirit of solidarity and courage.

No Borders Groups from Bristol,Oxford,London & South Wales are attending. It would be great see other groups and individuals there.

Transport is available from Bristol. E-mail: bristolnoborders@riseup.net

About The Campaign Against Immigration Controls:

Immigration controls are a weapon against the whole work force. They divide us and are a tool of discipline the workforce. If there are workers with less right or no rights, this undermines the position of workers as a whole. The answer must be to oppose immigration controls. EQUAL RIGHTS ARE IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL WORKERS!

http://caic.org.uk/

About The No Borders Network:

/www.noborders.org.uk

Amey
The Sherard Building
Oxford Science Park
Edmund Halley Road
Oxford
OX4 4DQ

“I got a letter from the government the other day, I opened and read it, it said they were suckers” Chuck D

A report from the No Borders network gathering

A report from No Borders gathering in Newcastle

On 9 & 10 November a gathering of No Borders activists was held in Newcastle with groups and individuals from Brighton, Bristol, South Wales, London, Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow taking part. Altogether, about 50-60 people attended.

A report from No Borders gathering in Newcastle

Saturday began with report backs from local groups, giving us an impression of the activity of the No Borders network. Opposition against ID cards and the IOM, and actions against deportation airlines and immigration snatch squads, are as much part of the No Borders agenda as is solidarity with detainees, deportees and migrant workers. It was obvious that the volume and variety of actions is one of the strengths of the network which has helped it to continue to develop and grow without losing momentum.

The international dimension of the network was stressed when people told of large-scale blockades of a detention centre in Belgium, of Hamburg airport to stop deportations, and of the attempt to dismantle a detention centre in Denmark. People felt it is increasingly important to continue developing info and action-sharing networks with people across Europe and elsewhere. UK No Borders activists are making connections with campaigners in Northern France to highlight the situation of hundreds of refugees trapped in Calais.

Discussions also developed around the idea of organizing a bigger No Borders event in the future that would include actions and info-sharing.

On Sunday, the need to develop No Borders politics was stressed in a discussion on ‘who are our allies’. At a local level, whilst working on some issues in coalition with groups and organisations that differ in character, No Borders has a firmly anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian stance. Over all, the network reiterated its explicit anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian position, and a group formed to work on publicity that offers an easily accessible guide to No Borders politics. This could take the form of written publications and media projects such as the development of a film.

All in all, sharing information and stories was an inspiring experience and by strengthening communications and network-wide tactics, people across the UK will continue to develop their ideas and inspire each other to take action against borders and to promote freedom of movement for all.

The next gathering is proposed for February/March 2009 in Bristol
www.noborders.org.uk

The latest EF! Action Update is out, bringing you reports of eco-resistance for the darkening days…

Bringing light & inspiration to the darker evenings are the action stories in the latest Earth First! Action Update.

Blockades of nuclear power, roads & rivers around the world were joined “with this Shell-blockading D-lock I thee wed”.

Bringing light & inspiration to the darker evenings are the action stories in the latest Earth First! Action Update.

Blockades of nuclear power, roads & rivers around the world were joined “with this Shell-blockading D-lock I thee wed”.

And if anti-fascist action, quarry sabotage, squats, tree platforms, wrekin’ opencasts, scaling luxury hotels & the latest protest camp news wasn’t enough for you, chuck in some glue, arm tubes, a pool of oil, stink bombs, airborne rape alarms and a Lego-sized occupation, then there’s full reports from this summer’s antics at the Camp for Climate Action, Rossport solidarity camp, EF! summer gathering and Saving Iceland camp, plus a crop of global climate camps & news of protest & resistance from all 5 continents.

“No nukes, no coal, no kidding” – with people dying (both literally & symbolically) from the activities of the Earth-destroyers, people have been shouting to just “Leave it in the Ground”, dragon boats have clashed with navy gunboats in Ireland, an oil war was declared in Nigeria, and ‘moles’ spent a week underground digging further and further away from the forces of darkness at an open-cast coal site.

Details of the new Coal Action Network, upcoming dates & a full contact list should help launch (or boost) you into the orbit of eco-resistance.

Subscribe and get it sent direct to a letterbox near you – you’d also be supporting the EF!AU to get printed and sent out to prisoners & protest camps. If you want some to distribute, contact us at: actionupdate (AT) earthfirst.org.uk

Download the latest issue or past issues here.

The EF!AU is there to inspire people to take ecological direct action, to provide info to help you just get out and do it. Don’t feel shy, put your best foot forward.

The EF!AU is the quarterly newsletter of people taking ecological direct action – send us news of your action or campaigns, and come along to the Winter Moot if you want to get involved in any of the campaigns you’ve read about.

What is Earth First!?

No Borders Network Gathering 8 & 9 November – update

No Borders Network Gathering
8 & 9 November 2008
Newcastle upon Tyne

No Borders is a network of grass-roots organisations that support freedom of movement and the abolishment of borders. The No Borders Gathering will bring together groups and individuals from across the UK to discuss, network and plan together.

No Borders Network Gathering
8 & 9 November 2008
Newcastle upon Tyne

Workshops and discussions suggested include No Borders and workplace/community solidarity, anti-deportation campaigns and wider struggles, ID cards plus loads more.

You can contact us at whydontyou@post.com or on 07523900260 (text/voicemail) if you’d like more info, would like to suggest items for discussion at the Gathering or would like to get involved.

Accommodation will be available, and directions to the venue will be provided nearer the time. Suggested donation, to cover the costs of the Gathering, is £10 but no one will be turned away through lack of funds. No Borders t shirts will be available, along with various dvds and other information.

If you are planning to come, please contact us to let us know if you would like accommodation, when you will be arriving, and any requirements, thanks!

No Borders is a network of groups struggling for the freedom of movement for all and an end to all migration controls. We call for a radical movement against the system of control, dividing us into citizens and non-citizens. We demand the end of the border regime for everyone, including ourselves, to enable us to live another way, without fear, racism and nationalism.
www.noborders.org.uk

Bath Bomb #15 out now

The Bath Bomb
@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Issue #15
free/donation
Oct 08

Knowledge is Power, So Arm Yourself

The Bath Bomb
@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Issue #15
free/donation
Oct 08

Knowledge is Power, So Arm Yourself

Of late, you’d be mistaken for thinking the end is indeed nigh. With the implosion of large chunks of the global economy, and the fall of banks like Bradford and Bingley and Northern Rock over here, Lehman Brothers, Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac in the States, capitalism’s days are looking numbered. Far from being an inevitable and efficient system, it seems like the constant financial fiddling and creative math required to meet targets and provide the illusion of continual growth, are causing a global credit crunch whose sting we’re all feeling. But whilst Brown & co donated £25 billion worth of corporate welfare to bail out blundering Northern Rock in one day, money sorely needed for our public services is nowhere to be seen. But are there any other answers? Well, last month saw the Bristol Anarchist Bookfair at St Werburghs Community Centre on Saturday the 13th September pulling in over 400 punters, and on Saturday the 18th of this month will be the Anarchist Bookfair in London. Expect reams of info on socially-just economics, alternative energy and lifestyles, childcare, music, food, talks and workshops, radical theory and lessons learnt from the past. Capitalism has been failing us now for decades with poor health, over-exploitation, over-work, increasing authoritarianism, and a widening poverty gap, and it’s high time we tried something new. And if you can’t make it to London, we now have a new online radical lending library in Bath – so, if you fancy an interesting read on the really cheap, check out the blog section of http://www.myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork.

http://www.anarchistbookfair.org/
www.bristolanarchistbookfair.org/

Labour of Hate

For the first time in decades, the annual Labour party conference was held outside of Brighton, the politicians instead opting for Manchester. The change in location did not bring a change in attitude though, and the conference saw more of the now familiar cosying up to big business, tired taglines and pro-war, pro-privatisation rhetoric. Outside the conference however, 4,000 citizens gathered to rip the agenda away from Neo-Labour and their corporate buddies and highlight the growing disgust the population feels at the contempt politicians show for the needs and desires of the average person. A large part of the demo consisted of the anarchist ‘freedom of movement bloc’.

Made up of up to 500 people, the bloc gathered to demand freedom of movement for migrants and an end to national borders, states and war. Before long, our fluoro-jacketed buddies from the deeply unpopular (and taser-happy) Manchester Metropolitan showed an interest in the bloc, diving in to arrest activists treasonous enough to don Gordon Brown masks. After a short, sharp fight however, the cops were sent packing with no arrests made. From then on, police tried to make frequent incursions into the bloc, all of which were repelled, and the least successful ending with 15 cops getting taken prisoner and cut off from their buddies for a period of 10 minutes! The most noticeable aspect of the demo was the increased size and prominence of anarchist politics on the march, a phenomenon that has been growing in recent years. While the demo was a mostly non confrontational affair, it was successful in reminding Neo-Labour that while they privatise our resources, imprison and torture our asylum seeking brothers and sisters, enclose us with CCTV and kill us with fuel prices – we are still watching, and we will not be silent.

Liberate Your Mind at Bubbling Under

Sunday 28th September saw a return to the monthly radical film showings at the Porter Cellar Bar in Bath. This month, the line up included ‘Bombs and Batons’, a short film covering Brighton’s Carnival Against the Arms Trade on June 4th. The film generally showed police officers looking totally fazed and out of their depth amongst hundreds of demonstrators taking a stand against the lucrative arms trade (see below for more info). The second film, ‘Can’t Complain’, was made up of footage from a demonstration in January outside Brighton police station against the oppression faced by those active in opposing EDO/ITT. The third film took viewers back in time to the tree camps of the 1990s. The film included daring stunts by activists to halt the building of the infamous Newbury Bypass. Whilst viewers enjoyed the films, they tucked into the Porter’s famous veggie roast. Aside from the fabulous food, previous showings have been accompanied by talks from political activists, live debates and workshops on events such as this year’s Climate Camp. Forthcoming events at Bubbling Under will include films about Climate Camp and coverage of the 1990 poll tax demonstrations. Organisers always welcome suggestions to bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk for films, workshops and debates.

Pigs Might Fly: Or Was He Pushed?

Matisse once said ‘flowers are everywhere for those who are willing to look’. Well, this month, our flowers come in the form of the forced resignation of Sir Ian Blair – ex-head honcho of the London Metropolitan police. Acts during his time at the top include the cold-blooded murder of Brazilian plumber Jean Charles ‘it’s one of them dark’uns, sarge’ de Menezes, the resignation of almost every black and asian high ranking officer he worked with amid claims of racism and the gleeful passing of laws to criminalize, beat and arrest legitimate protestors. The final turd on the mountainous steamer that was Blair’s career came when it emerged that he channelled taxpayers’ money away from the police and into his mates’ pockets. So, goodbye to true scum in its purest form (and hoping that more of his bastard buddies go the same way), and a fond hope that his forced retirement ends soon and bloodily with journalists reporting that the shooting was nothing more than a tragic case of mistaken identity.

Shut ITT, You Slag

Following on from June’s smashing Carnival Against the Arms Trade, on Wednesday the 15th of October, activists will converge from all round the nation on the EDO/ITT arms factory in Brighton, for around 2. Rather than toothlessly appealing to the state’s fictitious benevolent side to NOT sponsor corporate massacres half way across the world and at home, in the case of the ‘Smash EDO’ campaign, ordinary people are confronting the roots of war – the very manufacturers of instruments of death (Nazi Germany-affiliated ITT make the Paveway missile guidance system, used in Iraq and Palestine). Not petitioning them, but forcing them to stop, share by share, day by day, with the campaign biting down and holding tenaciously on, until these profit-obsessed bastards are brought down. It’s history in the making, an example of a focused campaign succeeding at its aims, even in the face of state, police and media censorship and harassment. And once ITT has been bankrupted, which company is next? Following this course, we will eventually have humanity, mutual aid, and dare we say it, world peace… even if we have to smash, d-lock, shout ourselves hoarse, and superglue our way through every dodgy industry and evil megalomaniac to get it: be there on the day! The demo starts at 12 noon, meeting opposite Falmer train station. For transport down, drop us an email at bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk.

http://www.smashedo.org.uk/shut-itt.htm

Positive’s Not News

It’s come to our attention here at the Bath Bomb of a worrying tendency in the local press. Whilst the same is true of national and regional papers the UK over, the Bath Chronic has taken upon itself to ignore positive local events and initiatives which show communities organising their own needs and doing good for themselves and their neighbours; take for example, the case of the Riverside Community Youth Centre’s open evening on the 26th September, where local youth showed off their music talents and staff put on food and highlighted to residents the important work the centre is doing. Staff were told by the Chron that such positive stories, which you might mistakenly believe are the fare of local rags all over the land, were not high enough priority to warrant a photographer, nor any more than reluctant coverage; perhaps the kids should have been out mugging people like a proper hoodie? Likewise, worthwhile activist events throughout the last six months have been equally censored: ‘Roots of Change’, ‘There is such thing as a free lunch!’, the Bath FreeShop… the list goes on. If these protesters had lived up to the stereotype and been busy breaking stuff, then perhaps that would have shifted a couple more papers? So whilst the Chron puts a cynical spotlight on the negative, the trivial, the celeb-obsessed, or fear-mongering, is it really the job of the media to decide what its readers are permitted to know or think?

Bath – 2, BNP – 0

Remember last year when Nick Griffin, head Nazi of the BNP, tried to come to speak at Bath Uni? Local anti-fascists mobilised to first kick him off campus, then out of several pubs, then into a field where the cops made him and his bonehead mates go home after a 5-minute speech on public safety grounds! Well, it looks like the Nazis may be back. Reports suggest that several BNP activists were handing out flyers at Bath Uni earlier this month. This month also saw a few hundred Nazis from across Europe converge at the Bungalow Inn in Somerset (against the scared owner’s wishes) to drunkenly sieg heil their departed fuhrer Ian Stewart Donaldson, singer of fascist band Skrewdriver, who bravely martyred himself over a decade ago after drunkenly falling in front of a car! While this was a one-off event, the BNP at Bath Uni may not be so, and Bath anti-fascists would appreciate any information on the situation there. The BNP are vicious racists who oppose immigration and trade unions and have a long history of racial violence, Hitler-worship and Holocaust denial (their leader still denies the Holocaust, calling it the ‘Holohoax’, and recently claimed in a speech to American Nazis that he would be happy to kill for the white race). We have kicked them out of Bath once, and we can do it again. Any information will be treated as confidential and can be sent to bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk.

Computer Says ‘No… 2ID’

Despite long resistance, the racist state will be pushing in ID cards, this year, starting on the 25th November with easy targets the immigrants. Incensed at this, 35 activists from No Borders across South Wales, Bath, Bristol and beyond converged on the Home Office Identity and Passport Office in Newport, on Saturday the 5th October. Despite the drizzle and minor police intimidation, they stayed on for two hours, leafleting the passing public about this insidious new (old) scheme. Whilst the cards will reach immigrants next month, if the scheme doesn’t meet too much opposition, it will then be rolled out to workers in ‘sensitive’ locations in 2009, and then students in 2010. Acting on flawed ‘intelligence’, bungling coppers turned up an hour beforehand to police the demo, and the office itself shut its barrier after one hour. But what’s all the big deal? Surely if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear? Management of this database (the most complex in Europe) will be doled out to private companies like PA Consulting, who already lost 30,000 people’s records back in August. Will their struggling software be able to handle this larger strain? We hope so, because with an increasing reliance on technology, and numerous such computer cock-ups, what’s to say that similar incidents won’t result in other horror stories, with data-loss victims unable to work, unable to pay bills, unable to shop, and unable to access basic services. But what about ID cards stopping crime? Unless the cards or RFID chips (radio frequency identification implants) miraculously address malnourishment, domestic abuse or poverty cycles, then these cards won’t prevent crime. So given that, why is Big Brother so intent on building up all this info? As the proverb goes, “First they came for the communists, and I did nothing because I was not a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did nothing because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did nothing because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to help me.”

http://current.com/topics/88831947_data_loss
http://www.no2id.net/
http://noborderswales.wordpress.com

Your Government Wants You Dead!

A dramatic headline? We at Bath Bomb are known for our occasional sensationalism, but on this occasion, we are being ‘deadly’ serious. Recent figures suggest that 1/3 of the population is going to be forced into a choice between sufficient fuel or sufficient food this winter. By encouraging price hikes in the private fuel sector and choosing to support failing business rather than average people, the government of this country will literally be responsible for thousands of deaths this winter. Let’s put this in perspective – the government is perfectly willing to shell out hundreds of millions of OUR money to slow the inevitable collapse of capitalism, while just down the road in Swindon, 69% of council house residents were recently discovered to be living well below the poverty line. There is plenty to be angry at the government over that we spend much time focusing on – the war on the Iraqi people and surveillance society being a couple of examples, but it is about time we start to resist the brutality that the state dishes out to us all on a daily basis; the fuel poverty, the cuts to NHS, education and jobseekers, the meagre support for low income families. The government has shown that it stands on the side of business above the needs of the people. The class war, this epic social battle between the haves and the have-nots was not started by us, it was started by a ruling class who care more for profit and preservation of the status quo than the lives of its citizens. We have had war declared on us by the political class and we need to begin asking ‘how will we respond to the assault of business and government on our lives’ and how can we organise to take back what is ours, our basic rights to warmth, food, affordable housing, enjoyment and an end to wage slavery? How will we organise to win the class war?

Mini Bar-stards

Just a quickie: on Friday 26th September, activists from Bath Animal Action and BAN did a short, sharp demo against foie gras seller Mini Bar on John Street, who have taken it upon themselves to sell the stuff. See every other issue of Bath Bomb for more on foie gras and the campaign. As per usual, BAA will be back again and again, until Mini Bar sees sense.

EVENTS

Mondays – Bath Hunt Sabs Meeting, 8pm, Bell
Wednesdays – London Rd Food Co-op, Riverside Community Centre, 4-7pm
Saturdays – Bath Stop The War Vigil, Abbey Courtyard, 11.30-12.30
Weds 15th Oct – Smash ITT, Falmer Station, Brighton, 12noon
Fri 17th Oct – Chris Baines’ green spaces in cities talk, Guildhall, 7pm £6
Sat 18th Oct – London Anarchist Bookfair www.anarchistbookfair.org
Fri 24th Oct – Bath Madhatters Birthday Party, Manvers St Baptist Church, 3-6pm
Fri 24th Oct – anti-foie gras demo, against Minibar, John St, 7-9
Sat 25th Oct – benefit gig, the White Hart, Easton, 6pm, £7 entry
Sun 26th Oct – Bubbling Under, Porter Cellar Bar, 1-4pm
Mon 27th Oct – Block the Builders, Aldermaston AWE blockade
Weds 29th Oct – Bath Bomb benefit gig, the Junction, Stokes Croft, Bristol, 8-late
Sat 1st Nov – Bath FreeShop, Stall Street, 12-3pm
Weds 5th Nov – Bath Animal Action meeting, backroom of Bell, 7.30-8.30
Thurs 6th Nov – BAN meeting, downstairs Hobgoblin, 7.30-9
Sat 22 Nov – Bath Vegan Fayre, Percy Community Centre 12-4pm

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.

UK No Borders Gathering 8-9 November

Just over a month till the next network-wide No Borders Gathering, to be held in Newcastle on 8 & 9 November.

The Gathering will be a chance to discuss, network and plan, and to build on the discussions held at the last network-wide Gathering earlier this year.

Just over a month till the next network-wide No Borders Gathering, to be held in Newcastle on 8 & 9 November.

The Gathering will be a chance to discuss, network and plan, and to build on the discussions held at the last network-wide Gathering earlier this year.

The Gathering is a collectively organised event with shared responsibility for content and organisation, being co-ordinated this time by people in Newcastle. It will take place on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th November, starting 9am for breakfast for a 10am start each day, ending at 6pm on the Saturday and 2pm on the Sunday. Venue details and directions will be posted nearer the time. Accommodation will be available on request.

You can contact us at whydontyou@post.com if you’d like more info, would like to suggest items for discussion at the Gathering or would like to get involved.

No Borders is a network of groups struggling for the freedom of movement for all and an end to all migration controls. We call for a radical movement against the system of control, dividing us into citizens and non-citizens.
We demand the end of the border regime for everyone, including ourselves, to enable us to live another way, without fear, racism and nationalism.
Visit the website www.noborders.org.uk

newcastle planning group
whydontyou@post.com

Earth First! Winter Moot – last update

Brighton, February 6-7-8th 2009

The Earth First! Winter moot is an opportunity for people who feel affiliation with the ideas behind Earth First! to network, discuss and reflect on the ecological direct action movement and to plan for the future. In contrast with the yearly EF! Summer Gathering, which is held outside for around five days, the winter moot is a shorter weekend meeting, inside, less aimed at skill sharing and more at looking where we are at as movement and where we want to be going.

Brighton, February 6-7-8th 2009

Earth First! is not an organisation, but a banner for non-hierarchical organising and the use of direct action to confront, stop and eventually reverse the forces that are responsible for the destruction of the Earth and its inhabitants.

Topics that have been raised include (Updated):
– the Copenhagen climate summit with a number of people from Denmark coming over to talk about logistics, tactics and mobilisation
– the G20 summit in London
– Leave it in the ground / coal
– GM
– Rossport
– Strengthening the EF network: communication and security, actionupdate and gatherings
– Implications of the crisis
– Climate and migration / eco-activism and Noborder networks
– Heathrow expansion
– UK Biofuels
– Nanotechnology
– Water-based actions

There will not be workshops on any of these topics – please inform yourself on topics of your interest before the moot. We will be focusing on discussing strategy and action planning.

There will be a Saving Iceland meeting on the Friday afternoon before the gathering.

Please contact the organizing collective (moot2009@earthfirst.org.uk) know if you want to add anything, want to help with facilitation or have any other queries. You are welcome to use our PGP key below.
Suggestion: read the activist security guide on http://www.activistsecurity.org/

There will be sleeping places arranged and food available at cost price from Friday evening. The program will start on Saturday at 10 AM. Please be on time.

Venue: Cowley Club, 12 London Road.
http://www.cowleyclub.org.uk/
(Please do not contact the Cowley Club phone nr. with information requests).
Click for directions

Please note:
– No dogs please
– The weekend is not open to journalists

—–BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–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=DIGx
—–END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK—–

So, here’s the lowdown on what the Danish people coming over for the EF! Winter Moot will be talking about.

*Copenhagen Climate Summit*
Do we cheer them on, block them in, or close them down?

*When?*
*Where?*
*What?* Danish Klimax activists will kick off a discussion about the movement to stop climate change.
*Why?* The UN talks in Copenhagen this December are supposed to be the place where world leaders agree a new international deal to stop climate change.
But progress so far has been undermined by corporate lobbying and false, market-based solutions. When activists from across Europe hit the streets of Copenhagen, should we be calling on governments to do better, blockading them in until they come up with a good deal, or be saying they are so flawed we should try to close them down?

Most people now agree that we need to do something about climate change. But there isn’t agreement on what. For corporations and most governments its a form of green (or maybe greenwashed) capitalism and before we even get there it will probably be too late. In opposition to this corporate agenda, social movements in the South have proposed ‘climate justice’, a transition to a sustainable world which sees the rich minority who caused climate change pay to put it right, not try and push the costs onto the poor majority.

Within this more progressive agenda proposals range from a ‘green new deal’ of state-led investment for social and environmental goals, to those who argue that only a grassroots anti-capitalism can get us out of this mess. This is the political background to the mobilisation around the Copenhagen climate talks and the strategic and tactical decisions activists are trying to make about it.

This is a chance for activists who are less and more involved in climate campaigning to come together and discuss all these issues. We can also talk about how we mobilise for what may be one of the most important events since the ‘battle’ of Seattle exactly 10 years previously.

Earth First! gathering – programme and travel directions

Earth First! Summer Gathering
Ecological Direct Action without Compromise
27 Aug – 1 Sept 2008, Norfolk
Join us for 5 days of workshops and planning actions

Travel directions:

Earth First! Summer Gathering
Ecological Direct Action without Compromise
27 Aug – 1 Sept 2008, Norfolk
Join us for 5 days of workshops and planning actions

Travel directions:
The gathering this year will be held at Woolseybridge Farm – a lovely site in Norfolk with lots of trees and a little stream. It’s approximately 1.5 miles NNE of Diss. Diss has regular train services and a wholefood shop. The Grid Reference of the site is TM130819. The post code is IP22 5SY.

The site is easily accessible by public transport, you can get the train either to Diss or Norwich and then catch the bus route no 1 (Simmonds) from Diss to Norwich or vice versa – this route goes right past the site and we’ll be asking the local bus company if they will stop right outside the site on request. Or you could walk or cycle – it’s only 1.5miles away from Diss train station. Please come by public transport if at all possible! .
We will run pick-ups from the train station for anybody who can’t use the bus service or for larger groups of people. If you need a lift please let us know well in advance (and not in the middle of the night, when you’re at a train station somewhere!). Ring the Gathering mobile on 07789 331857

For a map and further details on travel including bus times and directions for drivers check out http://earthfirstgathering.org.uk/2008/where.html

Programme
This year’s programme focusses on info and planning for actions, direct action skills as well as spaces to discuss how we can respond to and deal with the widening ecological, economic and societal crises. We hope there’s something for everyone.
We recommend that you arrive Tue evening, as workshops will start on Wednesday morning and run until Sunday evening

For more info about the gathering check out our website or email us (though we won’t be able to answer email after 21 Aug, as we’ll be on site setting up)

http://www.earthfirst.org.uk, summergathering _ AT _ earthfirst.org.uk

The workshops

Wednesday

12:00
Introduction to Earth First! and the gathering
Dealing with the mainstream media – how to get your message across
Basic electrics – for squats and homes.
Capitalism and climate change – how to make the links visible in actions
Queer networking session

2:30
Self-defence – mixed practise session
Squatting FAQ – sharing tips and tricks
Action Reconnaissance for beginners
Introduction to the root causes of ecological destruction and an exploration of alternatives
Advanced Navigation

4:30
Saving Iceland – Introduction to the campaign
Nuclear waste and nuclear weapons
Consensus Decision-making
Introduction to Ecology
Confronting Abusive Behaviours within our Communities – without the police/prison.

6:00
Library Space: Negotiating Safer Sex: tips on putting the theory into practice, and making your sex life more fun as well as safer!

8:00
Cinema: Talk with video on resisting rainforest destruction in Tasmania

Thursday

10:30
Dealing with Public Order situations – understanding police tactics and how we can deal with to them/turn them to our advantage (runs until lunch)
State and corporate oppression of the Australian Aborigines
Action reconnaissance – advanced skillshare, share your most clever tips and tricks for getting info for actions
Practical plant identification (beginners)
Activist trauma and recovery

12:00
Saving Iceland – an evaluation of the camp this summer
Security for Activists Part I: Do’s and don’ts of organising action, from arranging to meet, planning and what happens after
Arrest support for actions – how to provide support for your affinity group, medium sized actions or mega camps and gatherings.
Introduction to Earth First! and the summer gathering

2:30
Women’s self-defence – introductory session
Food and Climate Action: info for action
How to plan an action
Police liaison for actions – what it is, its uses and limitations and how to make it work.
Changing light bulbs or smashing the system. Sharing +/- experiences of working within/outside the system

4:30
Opposing nuclear expansion: planning for action
How to plan and run a successful medium to long-term campaign
Night time skills Part I: introduction (followed by practise session at 8.30pm)
Legal and arrest workshop
Introduction to anarchist history/potted anarchist histories

6:00
Library space: open discussion ?Direct action or publicity stunt??
8:00

Cinema: Seashepherd film and talk
8:30

Night time skills Part II – practice your skills in the field.

Friday

10:30
Blockading tactics
Climate Camp debrief: a critical look at the climate camp, its achievements and politics
Introduction to Earth First! And the summer gathering
Computer Security for the non-technical
Prison Abolition: what’s wrong with prison? what do we mean by abolition and how can we make it happen?

12:00
Food and climate change: action and campaign planning
Self-defence mixed practise session
Squatting to resist – occupations to resist the powers of darkness
History of Earth First!

2:30
The Earth First! Action Update and website: feedback and getting involved
Resisting agrofuels – update on the situation and action planning
Sea Shepherd – an intro to its campaigns and how to support/get involved.
Grow your own food – share you skills and experience
Queer Activist Forum: Radical queers organise for the future!

4:30
Queer Self-Defence: an intro to basic self-defence skills (verbal and physical)
Setting up new direct action groups
Saving Iceland ? planning actions for the coming year
Techno-fixes and climate change ? report by Corporate Watch
Urban self-reliance and self-sufficiency

7:30
Library: Prisoner Support – An informal get together to discuss the state of prisoner support in our movements, find out news and get advice on writing to prisoners, as well as making and writing cards to send to prisoners.

8:00
Cinema: A talk and film by a tribal activist from Orissa opposing mining

Saturday

10:30
Campaigns and Actions Round-up: UK and international news (no other workshops)

12:00
Women’s self-defence practise session plus running alongside – introduction to women’s self-defence
Stopping GM test fields – discussion on future campaign/actions
Research and destroy – how to research corporations
Future models of society – finding a path to sustainable living
Introduction to Earth First! and the summer gathering
Using tripods for blockading

2:30
Leave it in the ground – building resistance to new coal mining and power stations
Facilitation of meetings
Activist Security Part III: doing actions without leaving traces
Restoration Ecology
Creating safer spaces
Visit to Burston Strike School

4:30
Regional meetings and action planning (no other workshops)

6:00
Library Space: Working without leaders – discussion about core values of anarchism

8:00
Cinema: Smash Edo film and talk

Sunday
11:00
Self defence mixed practice session
Sorting out ways of communication within EF!
Using radios on actions
Introduction to Earth First! And the summer gathering
Fences: getting over them/taking them down

12:15
The summer gathering: feedback on this year’s and getting involved in organising the next one

2:30
Condoms, capitalism and climate change
Smash Edo
Introduction to navigation
What’s new in the world of law?
Feminist Health
Climbing trees, lamp posts and anything else

4:30
Radical politics in the age of collapse
The Royal Bank of Scotland and Fossil Fuel Financing
Getting your electricity from solar power and wind
Radical Parenting
Looking after our mental health – sharing ideas and experiences

8:00
Cinema: films – climate camp footage, ready steady skip etc

Monday
Take-down: please stay for a day or two to help take down the site. If you’ve got access to a vehicle/van, it’d be great if you could help transporting marquees, recycling etc to the places they need to go. Cheers!

More info about the Earth First! Summer Gathering
EF! is about direct action to halt the destruction of the Earth. It’s about doing it yourself rather than relying on leaders, governments or industry.
Direct action is at the heart of it, whether you’re standing in front of a bulldozer, shutting down an open-cast mine or ripping up a field of GM crops.
We’re a loose network of people, groups and campaigns coming together for ecological direct action.
Join us for 5 days of workshops, networking and planning actions, run without leaders by everyone who comes along. The gathering is also a practical example of low-impact eco-living and non-hierarchical organising.

http://www.earthfirst.org.uk, summergathering _ AT _ earthfirst.org.uk