Category: Action Reports

Five people locked together using lock-on tubes blocking the only access road and denying entry to vehicles supplying equipment essential in the infrastructure and operation of the smelter. The blockade started at the beginning of the morning shift change and lasted for almost five hours.

Alcan are a target because of their involvement in the destruction of the beautiful Icelandic wilderness. They are specifically supporting construction of a huge new dam at Thjorsarver which is to power expansion of their existing plant just outside Reykjavik and increase aluminium production. Great areas of wilderness will be destroyed and the subsequent environmental damage and ecological instability will be beyond measure.

Five people were arrested and have been charged with Breach of the Peace.

The campaign continues against the industrialisation of Iceland’s natural wilderness and the expansion of heavy industry.

On ALCAN see http://www.savingiceland.org/node/278

and http://www.savingiceland.org/node/68

Alcan’t – The struggle against Alcan in India:
http://www.saanet.org/alcant/intro_en.html

Press statement:
“Our protest is designed to express our opposition to the proposed expansion of the aluminium smelters at Straumsvík (ALCAN) and Grundartangi (Century), as well as the construction of an anode factory at Katanes (R&D Ltd.) and yet another Century smelter at Helguvik. We find it wholly unacceptable that the Faxaflóahafnir bay should become the most highly polluted area in Northern Europe, yet this is what will happen if these plans go ahead.

The additional sacrifices of Iceland’s most precious natural jewels, the Ramsar protected wetlands of Thjorsarver and one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes, Langisjor, to facilitate the expansions of the ALCAN and Century smelters are completely unacceptable.

We also wish to show our solidarity with the people who have suffered from ALCAN’s immoral and inhuman working practices around the world; from the workers at Straumsvík who have contacted us to describe their unacceptable working conditions and the abuse of employees’ rights, to the inhabitants of the Kashipur district of India who have been fighting for twelve years against a planned bauxite mine and ALCAN aluminium plant which will force at least 20,000 people to leave their farm lands and will pollute their water supply (see www.saanet.org/alcant), not forgetting the residents of Hafnarfjörður in Iceland who are demanding a local referendum on the expansion of the ALCAN plant.

We urge the Icelandic press to better inform themselves about the environmental impact of the planned build-up of heavy industry around Faxaflóahafnir bay, and equally about the record and working practices of the foreign companies that the Icelandic government continues to eulogize and acclaim as the saviors of Iceland.”

The Alcan Song:

ALCAN the Aluminium Man
The Aluminium Man with the Aluminium Plan
For making lots of aluminium
Out of other peoples land!

Will this Man of Aluminium
Realize what he’s done,
Once he’s done what he is about to start?
He’s got aluminium, but he’s got no heart!

In Birmingham, 13 campaigners met up at midday, and staged demos outside all 4 of McDiseased city centre stores.

The tour started with the McDevastation store on The Pallasades ramp, just off New Street. A large banner was unfolded and placards held aloft. Several McD`s staff were insistent that we couldn`t protest outside their store, but after 10 minutes, they came back informing us that we could protest afterall, so long as we didn`t block the doorway! Well, how kind of them to let us protest!! Did they really think we were going to move on just because they didn`t want us there?!!

After half an hour, the protest turned mobile as we marched down New Street, to the store on High Street. They seemed equally keen to see us! Whilst some protesters held up posters, others distributed `What`s wrong with McDonalds` and `go veggie` leaflets to the masses. Our next stop was the McDeath store inside Paradise Forum, where we exposed McDomineering for another half an hour.

The tour ended up at the McDeath store on Cherry Street, where we were soon joined by another 6 campaigners from Food Not Bombs, who set up a free food stall, right outside!! Free food on offer included veggie burgers, fruit and lots more. The protest continued alongside the food stall until 4pm. Well over 1,000 leaflets were handed out in total during another great day of action which will be repeated again soon!

For more information about the campaign against McDeath, including how campaigners won a mammoth court victory against them earlier this year, check out the McSpotlight website http://www.mcspotlight.org/
See also http://www.foodnotbombs.net/

West Midlands Animal Action
e-mail: wmids_animalaction@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:http://www.geocities.com/wmids_animalaction/

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On October 16th 2005 Food Not Bombs participated with other groups in an action outside McDonalds near Pigeon Park (St. Phillip’s Cathedral) in Birmingham City Centre. Birmingham Food Not Bombs believes that food should be a right not a privilege and regularly serves free food in the city centre to anyone who wants it, homeless or otherwise. Food Not Bombs is an international movement and also campaigns on issues such as poverty, homelessness, war & military spending, the environment, and globalisation.

The day of action was to highlight a variety of issues concerning the McDonalds corporation. Free veggie-burgers and fruit were served right outside McDonalds to lure people away from buying McDonalds food, and to engage them in conversation about the hot McDonalds issues. The place looked quite empty and we had a lot of support from passers by and some McDonalds employees! To alleviate their poor customer turnout, we thought it would only be fair to lend them support by asking people to enjoy their veggie-burgers in the comfort of their restaurant..

http://www.mcspotlight.org/

“I feel badly about what I’ve done with young people. I was the happy face on something that was horrendous.”
-Geoffrey Gulliano, former Ronald McDonald who later embraced vegetarianism.

 

“For the last eight years I have documented coercion, threats, intimidation and manipulation by McDonald’s and Leo Burnett Advertising against me due directly to my work as Ronald McDonald.” Joe Maggard, former Ronald actor, 2003.

Although McDonalds are not the only culprit when it comes to the following issues, their profligate attitude and shameless advertising to young people has made them stand out from the crowd in the world of corporate misconduct..

Poverty

Water, energy, and land for crops are resources which can be used to alleviate poverty. Unfortunately the production of meat uses up to ten times the amount of these resources as the production of crops for human consumption. McDonalds are now exploiting markets in poorer countries which culturally do not consume large quantities of meat. This expansion is likely to exacerbate global poverty by increasing demand for these already scarce and controlled resources. There is often enough land and resources to feed the population of a poor country but national debt repayment obligations force these countries to grow cash crops (for export to wealthy countries) rather than food for the local people. Ethically, land should be used to feed people in poverty, not animals for people in rich countries.

Employment

Worldwide, McDonalds pay many of their workers a poor wage and are known for their hostility to trade unions. Even in the UK, the phrase “McJob” has recently been coined to describe any boring, repetitive, soul-destroying, and poorly paid job. McDonalds could do much to alleviate poverty worldwide by paying their workers a decent wage.

The environment

The massive and unnecessary amount of (un-biodegradable) packaging used for McDonalds meals is pre-requisite for them to operate serving a high turnaround of customers. Not only is this bad for the environment but it fosters wasteful habits in children, who McDonalds relentlessly target with their advertising campaigns.

http://www.ronald.com/

Globalisation

The voracious spread of chain stores across the western world (in recent years this activity has been coined ‘globalisation’) has ousted many smaller businesses who cannot compete with mass advertising and the economies of scale which such large multi-national companies can benefit from. Although this is the result of free trade and competition, increasingly people are feeling that they have less consumer choice, and that their local community or city centre lacks character and individuality. We are seeing the bleaching of the human rainbow in our public spaces.

Healthy Eating

McDonalds advertising tries to purvey their food as healthy and ‘nutritious’ (all food is nutritious) and have recently started serving salads which ironically are almost as unhealthy as their burgers. A high fat diet is directly linked with cancer and heart disease. The concern is that consumers are lead to believe that eating McDonalds meals frequently can be ‘healthy’.

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Manchester:

updates from Manchester’s anti-McDonalds weekend: critical mass and stink-bombs

On Friday evening, a critical mass of about 20-25 cyclists stopped at 2 McDonald’s outlets for a little street dance to a mobile sound system. When they eventually drew the attention of the police to them, the cylists ended their tour with a dinner of delicious vegan burgers.

On Saturday lunch time, at least 3 (possibly more) McDonald’s outlets in the city centre were stink-bombed. But McDonald’s customers seemed to be surprisingly immune to the stench.

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McDonalds, Nottingham.

After the Critical Mass Bike Ride around Nottingham, a few folks went down to the local McDonalds, to hand out leaflets and the tell passers by, about the court success of the McLibel Two.

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Day of Action against McDonald’s

A bunch of people and Ronald McD himself, turned out to protest against McDonalds at the bottom of Exchange Walk in Nottingham. They bought banners, handed out leaflets, and informed the passin’ public about the issues: nutrition [lack of it], environmental issues, fast food litter, their business practices and not least, workers rights ……

McDs leaflet:http://www.mcspotlight.org/campaigns/current/wwwmd-uk.pdf

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AntiMcDonald’s Daze in Israel

16th October 2005

Some recent history, and a report of a highly successful day’s protests

(for more pictures, see URL at the end)

McDonald­s has been met in Israel with a certain degree of resistance ever since it opened its first restaurant in Ramat-Gan (a Tel-Aviv suburb) in 1993, when a group of Anarchists chained themselves to the doors and blocked the entrance.

For some reason, anti McDonald­s sentiments here have revolved almost exclusively around the issue of animal rights, and only in the last two years or so are we seeing ecological, consumerist & health-oriented groups joining the campaigns (the workers’ angle is still missing, sadly).

In the early nineties, the “What’s Wrong with McDonalds ?” leaflet was translated into Hebrew in a joint effort by the animal rights organization “Anonymous” (nowadays a deradicalized, mainstream, somewhat welfare-oriented organization) and an Anarchist group calling themselves simply “Anarchist Movement”.

However, the International Anti McDonald­s Day has been decently observed only in the last 4 years, mainly through the initiatives of the Tel-Aviv based group “One Struggle”, a Human/Animal Rights Anarchist group quite similar in character to “Greenpeace London”. This group used to hold a regular, weekly vigil in front of McDonald­s for over a year (quite an achievement in a place like this), and produced a better, more didactic version of the Hebrew Anti McDonalds flyer.

In 2003, One Struggle – with the help of other groups organized a critical mass bike ride through central Tel-Aviv, carrying signs and stopping at various McDonald­s restaurants to leaflet passers-by. The bike ride, about 30 people strong, ended in a bigger demo outside a central McDonalds restaurant, with 60-70 people carrying banners, signs, setting up literature tables and serving free vegan food.

The 2004 event, although better organized and including vigils in Israel’­s three main cities (Tel-Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem), saw a more or less equal amount of people take to the streets, but was almost unanimously ignored by all media (generally, it is worth noting that Israel is a very political place as far as conventional Left/Right or Nationalist politics are concerned, but it has a strong tendency to downplay and brush aside more global issues, like McDonalds, which do not fit neatly into Israeli Left/Right categories).

In 2005, during the weekend of the 14th-16th of October, we organized the most successful Israeli anti McDonalds Day yet.

In Tel-Aviv, where the main event took place, we gathered at noon in the small garden on Shenkin st. – one of Tel Aviv’s central streets, packed with people on Friday afternoons for a general anti McDonald­s ‘happening’. It included activities for kids (creative games, street theater), free screen printing shirts with antiMcDonalds slogans, free vegan food, information stalls, a big picture gallery displaying the horrors of McDonalds connection to factory farming, pollution etc, and more. After a couple of hours we marched around 50-60 people – to the nearby McDonald­s restaurant on Shenkin st., with signs, bullhorns, drums, banners and festive costumes, and from there to a second McDonald­s at Dizengoff Square. The number of passers-by who asked questions and showed interest in our message was encouraging, and only a handful of people actually entered the restaurants while we demonstrated and handed out flyers outside.

After the Sabbath, on Sunday the 16th, there were anti McDonalds vigils in four different cities (Haifa, Jerusalem, Kfar Saba and Hertzliya, where local Green Party activists joined the AR activists). All vigils were well-attended, and coordinated by a new animal rights group called Shevi (acronym of Animal Liberation Israel). In the evening, there was free vegan food plus a screening of the documentary McLibel 2005 with Hebrew subtitles at the Salon Mazal Radical Infoshop in central Tel Aviv, with a big turnout as well.

The most surprising aspect of the 2005 events, in complete contrast to previous years, was a lot of national media attention regarding these protests. The two major Israeli daily newspapers, Yediot Aharonot and Ma­ariv, both ran articles about the events and the general worldwide protests against McDonald­s, in their printed as well as online editions. Ma­ariv, the second largest newspaper in Israel, with hundreds of thousands of readers, even devoted the main article of its Business section, cover and all, to the protests. There were interviews with activists on television programs – including one on channel 2, Israel’­s leading channel – and also on several radio stations, including Galei Tza­al­s economic report (that’­s the IDFs radio station and the most popular one in Israel).

We do not know what caused this minor media frenzy, but we tried our hardest to take advantage of it, and are satisfied that a record number of Israelies have now heard that there is indeed something very wrong with McDonald­s. The corporation, by the way, maintained a ‘no comment’ policy to all reporters regarding our actions and our claims.

All in all, we feel these events were fruitful, positive & enjoyable, and that a crystal-clear message of resistance to the McDonaldization of the planet was conveyed.

For pictures of the various Israeli 2005 vigils, flyers, posters, press cuttings etc.:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a100/xzoidbergx/Israel%20AntiMcDonalds%20D…

For a sample of Israeli mainstream mediaís report of the events:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3155577,00.html
(from the Yediot Aharonot site)

For more information, please contact One Struggle at:
vegan_politics@yahoo.com /http://www.onestruggle.org
or Shevi at:shevi_liberation@yahoo.com /http://www.free.org.il

The Save Swallow’s Wood Campaign held a protest on Friday 14th October outside the national park authority headquarters in (Aldern House, Bakewell).

Peak District National Park Authority members were greeted by local campaigners who are urging them to reconsider their support for the A628 bypass and support instead an HGV ban.
A preliminary study into the potential for an HGV ban has been commissioned by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. The study, compiled by independent transport professions MRTU (the Metropolitan Transport Research Unit, concluded that the HGV ban would bring significant benefits to justify the costs, even without taking into consideration the special characteristics of the National Park Landscape.

Monster houses being built on rare meadow floodplain by nottinghams richest man whilst 600,000 residential homes lay empty in nottinghamshire alone.

South of Nottingham near Clifton Bridge in Wilford, the company voted the UK worst housebuilder is currently destroying a meadow & cutting down trees for monster 4 storey houses on a floodplain. Locals have voiced dissent, but to no avail. Trees, hedges & rare Nottingham crocuses have been maintained by locals including yours truely for many years, roman remains have been found, this has helped save some of the trees & crocuses, but floodplain & meadow which are being destroyed are very rare.
Vehicles on site have been regulary made safe & trees protected in various by clever monster foxes & badgers using various hand tools.
Recycle the empties & build ecohomes in the right area for the people made environmentally out of strawbale etc, maybe even bricks moulded with resin from the waste currently burnt at Eastcroft. If we don’t then it maybe Nottingham facing a crisis like New Orleans, meanwhile the wildlife of Sherwood & Charnwood are already expressing their opinion with action.

A VIGIL for the “death of demcoracy” is to be held on Saturday October 29 by campaigners fighting to save ancient woodland in Sussex.

The protest is to be staged from 2pm at the junction of Titnore Lane, Durrington, Worthing, and the A259 Littlehampton Road.
The roundabout, near Northbrook College, is just five minutes’ walk from Goring railway station, served by direct trains from Brighton, London and Portsmouth.
In June Tory-run Worthing Borough Council gave outline permission for a 875 home development plus road widening, which will see more than 200 trees felled in one of the last patches of ancient woodland on the coastal plain.
This was despite massive public opposition and years of petition raising, marching and meetings.
On September 4 protesters blocked busy Titnore Lane with a burning effigy of John Prescott, whose department had just refused to call a public inquiry into the highly unpopular scheme, claiming it was not of regional or national significance.
The protest, together with a lively stage occupation at the council meeting where the plans were passed, featured on a recent edition of ITV’s “Tonight With Trevor McDonald”.
Council officers claim work on the site may now start in “early spring” but the campaigners have pledged to fight the bulldozers every inch of the way and are appealing for help from outside Worthing.

POW (Protect Our Woodland)

SCAR (South Coast Against Roadbuilding)

On the 16th of June 2005, “Bloomsday” the 5 were still free, and protesting. That was the morning the Corduff’s abandoned breakfast was photographed and we read of how Shell had illegally entered the lands in Rossport to begin illegal work on an illegal pipeline.

The Rossport five have been released FOR NOW from Cloverhill prison. The courtroom was packed with supporters as the decision became clear.There was a group of up to 100 outside during the duration of the hearing which lasted about an hour.

The men could still face jail however as there will be a hearing regarding theissue of civil versus criminal contempt and the punitive nature or not of each on the 25th of October.More details are to emerge on this issue…

The national demo in ireland is to go ahead as planned tomorrow and the hope is with all the media attention todays announcemnet will attract that the numbers could be very big indeed!

The men vowed to fight on as they were surrounded by ravenous journalists at the gates of the Court(and flanked by politicians,many of whom have been absent on the entire issue).The rain could not dampen the spirits of the men and their supporters though as they defended their actions and pledged to continue in the same vein.

more info on www.indymedia.ie

a battle won today but the war far from over

The latest in a series of one-day gatherings to plan actions against road and runway expansion will take place in Nottingham on Saturday 8th October, meeting at the sumac centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham, NG7 6HX – We’re looking at a 10am start.

It will have a practical what-we-can-do-about-it emphasis as opposed to being predominantly information or discussion based.

More information re. food, accomodation etc. will follow once we’ve got all that sorted out, but we can say now that we have no funding for this, so please expect to make a small donation towards costs, and certainly your food, so no-one ends up skint and disgruntled. For similar reasons, it is vital that you let us know with as much notice as possible if you are intending to come along, and particularly if you have any specific needs. Phone 0845 355 0111.

Organised by Roadblock: http://www.roadblock.org.uk/

PROTESTERS in Sussex blocked a road with a burning effigy of John Prescott on Sunday afternoon, September 4.

The drama followed a rally held by campaign group Protect Our Woodland! (POW!) against plans to build 875 new homes on fields and ancient woodland off Titnore Lane, West Durrington, Worthing.

Outline planning permission has already been granted by Worthing Borough Council for the scheme, which would see more than 200 trees being felled in the last remaining ancient woodland in the area.

A plea for the decision to be called in for a public enquiry was rejected by the office of deputy prime minister Prescott.
Angry locals gathered in numbers in Northbrook Park in Durrington to hear speeches by representatives of POW!, local amenity groups such as the Worthing Society, Sussex Wildlife Trust and a former county councillor.

Most of them then joined a procession down Titnore Lane itself, to show “John Prescott” the woods whose death warrant he appears to have signed.

In the heart of the woods the crowd came to a halt and gathered around the effigy, which was set on fire to cheers and chanting and the annoyance of queues of motorists.

Said a POW! spokesman: “We hope this sends a message to Worthing council and the government that local people are not going to sit back and watch property developers trample all over their countryside and their heritage.

“They have thwarted the democratic will by pushing ahead with this scheme and they are going to meet with spirited resistance every inch of the way.”

Homepage: http://www.protectourwoodland.fsnet.co.uk

Finally the seeds that have been planted by people from all over Europe and the States that came over this summer to protest against the construction of a massive Dam in the highlands Iceland and an Aluminium Smelter are starting to grow.
Three Icelanders entered the seat of the Icelandic government (the offices of the Prime minister) and climbed onto the roof where they took down the Icelandic national flag and replaced it with a flag that said “no Fucking Aluminium Smelter!â€?

This action happened on the early afternoon of the 26th of august.

Two of the protesters got arrested and the Police are talking big about consequences, as this people entered the house illegally and climbed the roof.

In Iceland the national flag is a great symbol and so therefore this was a strong message as it is considered “disrespectful”.

The three protesters didn’t have any contact with the people that had the protest camp at the highlands these past few months.

This action got planned by them on their own accord that for the few of us that are left here, from the camp was an amazing surprise and made the entire struggle worthwhile.

It is shown that the camp has given inspiration and courage to Icelanders to stand up for their believes and not let their opressive government get away with murder.

e-mail: savingiceland@riseup.net
Homepage: http://www.savingiceland.org