Squatting / Free Spaces / Protest Sites – Page 15

Corrib campaigner released from Castlerea prison

21st June 2013

Corrib campaigner released from Castlerea prison

21st June 2013

Corrib campaigner released from Castlerea prison

Liam Heffernan released after 10 days imprisonment and 5 days on hunger strike

Today at Harristown court, Castlrea Co. Roscommon, Liam Walsh Heffernan (28) of Castlebar Co. Mayo, was released from Castlerea prison after 10 days in custody. For the last 5 days of his imprisonment he had been on hunger strike protesting against his detention and the extraordinary conditions of the bail terms that he had thus far refused.

Mr Heffernan was arrested on the 12th of June while protesting against the Shell Corrib gas project at Aughoose Co. Mayo. At Belmullet Garda station he was charged under sections 8 and 9 of the Public Order Act. He was offered bail, with the extraordinary condition that he stay away from Aughoose, site of the Shell tunnelling works for the Corrib gas project. Aughoose is also the location of the Rossport Solidarity Camp and is a central focus of protest against the project. Mr Heffernan refused the bail conditions, and has been held on remand until his release today.

On the 17th of June Mr Heffernan began a hunger strike against his extraordinary bail terms and his continued detention. This morning at a bail hearing in Harristown court, Mr Heffernan, representing himself, made an application to the Judge Browne to change the terms of the bond, in order to permit him to return to Aughoose. The Judge said that he was unable to alter the bail terms in that court. Mr Heffernan then signed the bail bond, stating that he would challenge the bail terms and contest the public order charges. Mr Heffernan's first appearance in relation to the charges is on the 10th of July, Belmullet district court.

Upon his release Mr Heffernan said: "The state has attempted to limit my freedom of speech and movement, by applying these extraordinary conditions on my bail. People in Mayo have suffered decades of injustice because of the imposition of the Corrib gas project. What we do with our natural resources should be open to national debate, and for any project to proceed, the consent of the people must be sought."

Corrib campaigner on hunger strike in Castlerea prison

On Monday 17th of June Corrib campaigner Liam Heffernan began a hunger strike in protest against his continued detention in Castlerea prison.

On Wednesday morning the 12^th of June Liam Heffernan – a campaigner from the Rossport Solidarity Camp – was arrested at Aughoose, County Mayo under sections 8 and 9 of the Public Order Act for allegedly obstructing Shell construction vehicles without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

At Belmullet Garda station Mr. Heffernan was offered to enter into a bail bond with the condition that he stay away from the Shell tunnelling compound at Aughoose. After refusing this extraordinary condition, he was remanded to Catlerea prison, Co. Roscommon for two days until the court sat on Friday morning last.

In Harristown Court, Castlerea, Mr. Heffernan, defending himself, read a statement to the court saying that he believed he was being illegally detained and informed the Judge of some of the history of the Corrib gas project and his reasons for protesting at Aughoose. The Judge replied that he should take up these issues with the High Court and/or the Government. At this point Mr. Heffernan accepted to enter into the bail conditions set out by the Judge and to appear before Belmullet District Court on the 10th of July.

The Judge however found problems with Mr. Heffernan's signature and remanded the campaigner in custody until the next sitting of Harristown court.

Today, Thursday the 20th of June, marks Liam's ninth day in prison and fourth day on hunger strike. Supporters of Liam are invited to attend Harristown Court, Castlerea, tomorrow, Friday the 21st of June at 10.30am

Shell speedboats ram and sink kayaker for Corrib gas project

19 June 2013. On Sunday Shell began laying the offshore umbilical pipeline for the Corrib Gas Project. Kayakers from the Rossport Solidarity Camp entered Broadhaven Bay to protest against the continued imposition of the disastrous project.

The Gardai are allowing Shell increasingly to police the protests themselves, by using their private security force – IRMS, and at sea, so called extra "safety" boats.

Do you want private militias operating in Ireland at the behest of the most powerful corporations in the world?

If not you are welcome to come to Mayo, check out the situation for yourself, and if you like add your skill, creativity and time to the resistance.

Reclaim the Fields and Climate camp 2013 in Colone, Germany

Reclaim the Fields and AusgeCO2hlt invite you to an actioncamp in Rhineland, close to Cologne (Germany), from 23.8. until 6.9. 2013.

Reclaim the Fields and AusgeCO2hlt invite you to an actioncamp in Rhineland, close to Cologne (Germany), from 23.8. until 6.9. 2013. For three days we will take collective direct action against the open cast mining in Rhineland. Furthermore there will be a program including different practical and theoretical workshops, discussions and a lot more.

http://www.reclaimthefields.org/camp2013

On the background of the struggles in Rhineland we want to facilitate an exchange of dissident knowledge and action.We invite to 14 days of networking, collective learning and discussion as well as practical activities to exchange knowledge and skills and to resist in the Rhineland.

Apart from the three days of action there will be a lot of space for Workshops and getting to know each other to create new links.The Camp is a participatory process and waits for your contribution! We are looking forward to your ideas, contents and skills to create a program together.

You are artists, activists, peasants, urban gardeners, are living on a collective farm or are active in political campaigns or groups? You want to share you experiences, pass and broaden your knowledge? Then you are welcome to do this in the course of workshops, discussions, practical work or in other ways.

We look forward to alternative ideas on topics like collective and solidariy form of living and working beyond capitalism and structures of exploitation. Everything that strengthens our diverse daily and organized resistance is welcome.

Contact us at program (at) reclaimthefields.org

Some potential themes for workshops to inspire you:

foodsouvereignty // right wing politics in eco movement // animal rights/animal Liberation // self-supply/-sufficiency // self-organisation // access to land // connecting urban and rural struggles // urban supply of rural collectives (Community Supported Agriculture, Non-Commercial Agriculture) // permaculture // Private Properties – Commons // History and development of Agriculture: Agriculture and Capitalism (Green Revolution) // land liberation through purchase of land (different means of access to land: squatting, buying, etc) // how to organise struggles, „how to do resistance“/share and learn forms of resistance // energy // botany/knowlegde of herbs and plants

What is Ausgeco2hlt?

Our Campaign sees itself as an open platform where different groups and individuals can network with each other, educate themselves and take collective action. Our aim is to organize a broad protest movement against RWE¹ and for the immediate shut down of the open cast mines in the Rhineland coal fields.

We see the protest against brown coal as part of a global climate movement against Coal-energy, the exploitation of shale gas, Carbon-dioxide storage, etc. and stand in solidarity with energy struggles against fossil-nuclear capitalism.

We are convinced that in order to facilitate a true energy transformation, monopolised power structures have to be questioned and we have to change the rules of the game of the concurrent economy, built upon limitless growth and consumption of resources.Thus we support initiatives for self-determined ways of living as an alternative to superfluous consumption. At the same time we demand a collectivization of energy companies and a decentralized energy supply with renewable energies.

What is Reclaim the Fields?

Reclaim the Fields is a europewide constellation of peasants, landless and prospective peasants, as well as people who are taking back control over food production.We support and encourage people to stay on the land and go back to the countryside. We promote food sovereignty (as defined in the Nyéléni declaration) and peasant agriculture, as well as alternative ways of life.We are determined to create alternatives to capitalism through cooperative, collective, autonomous, real-needs-oriented, small-scale production and initiatives. We are putting theory into practice and linking local practical action with global political struggles.

Seeds

The "Reclaim the seeds" working group invites people to come with selfproduced seeds and any document they think would be nice to share. With the practise of seed swap's we want to reflect about the subject of seeds collectively.

A Camp welcoming Children

The Camp is meant to be a children friendly space, where children and their affinity persons have a space and are included in actions, the program and other camp activities. We are aware that political actions and camps often contain obstacles for parents and affinity person of children and thus exclude them. Taking into account the real needs of children and affinity persons we want to create a space for everyone. Please feel welcome to come to the camp and participate! We would be happy if you would get in touch with us beforehand in order to talk about an adequate arrangement.

No space for Racism or Sexism – Not at the Camp nor anywhere else

The camp explicitly takes a stand against Sexism and Racism as well as other forms of domination on the basis of hierarchical social categories, the camp positions itself determinant against sexist and racist acts.

Costs of the Camp

We try to organize the camp as low-cost as possible but are dependent on your solidarity contributions. Please get in touch with us if you want to come but the travel is too expensive for you. We want to make it possible for everybody to come and share travel costs in a collective manner, but can not guarantee anything.

Visa

If you need a Visa to get to the camp an want to be supported in that case, get in touch with us at – camp2013_AT_reclaimthefields.org

Information and contact

More, up to date, information about the program, how to get to the camp, food, camping, etc. can be found at www.reclaimthefield.org/camp/2013

Through the mailadress camp2013_AT_reclaimthefields.org you can reach us with questions about the camp.

For workshops please write to program[at]reclaimthefields.org.

For more information about RtF and Ausgeco2hlt visit: reclaimthefields.org and ausgeco2hlt.de

Register for the camp at: reclaimthefields.org/registration

The more people register the easier it is for us to plan!

Feel free to forward this call to individuals or groups you know and come to the camp!

Resistance is fertile!

Your Camp-Organisation

¹RWE is Germanys second biggest energy supply concern, that keeps on using cole as th main energy and has compared to other european companies a very low share of regenerative energies in the mix of energies. RWE is being critisised of doing greewashing with "climate campaigns" whilst through open cast mining a lot of nature and towns are being destroyed, aswell as lowering the groundwater.

Tree Sitters Successfully Turn Away Workers Sent to Cut Trees at former Hayes Valley Farm

On the morning of Friday, June 7th, the tree sitters and participants in the Liberate the Land action at Gezi Gardens, the former Hayes Valley Farm, successfully turned away the workers sent to cut the trees down. The tree cutting company arrived at about 8:00 a.m. and had the gates locked on them as climbers mounted harnesses to climb the trees inside the fence and prepare to climb those on the edge.

There are 6 platforms built in trees on the land between Oak and Fell Streets on Laguna in San Francisco. Below, gardeners water the greens,
edible perennials, and other plants as others prepare meals, organize workshops and activities, and build a village to demonstrate ecological living in the city.

This Saturday, June 8th, Gezi Gardens is hosting a barbecue, live music, workshops, and a neighborhood meeting. Live music will start as early as 10:00 a.m. with a barbecue getting underway around noon. The neighborhood and community meeting will start at 3:00 pm to open a dialogue about preserving this open green space and potentially turning it into a commons for the people of San Francisco. This will be followed by a teach in on the situation in Turkey that started when the people of Istanbul attempted to stop the destruction of one of the last open green spaces in the city.

The day before the green space was planned to be developed into a commercial shopping mall, people popped tents or slept under the stars with their kids or a book. In the morning, people stood in front of the excavation machines to stop the trees from being cut down. Police responded with tear gas and burned the tents of people in the park. The next day, 10,000 people showed up and sat shoulder to shoulder, stopping development of the green space until another violent police response.

This sparked a social uprising throughout all of Turkey that goes far beyond environmentalism. The people of Gezi Park say they are trying to stop private interests from profiting off of their land. The #GeziPark protests, some of which calling themselves #OccupyGezi, has been joined by a general strike throughout Turkey of city workers and private employees, bringing the gears of industry to a halt. When Liberate the Land marched to the land in San Francisco, they called attention to the Free Farm and Esperanza Gardens' displacement for housing development while calling for solidarity with Turkey and liberation of land from private interests around
the world.

HumanBeIn.org

@LiberateLand

#LiberateTheLand

LiberateLand@gmail.com

Brighton squat trial – longer update

27.05.2013

One squatter convicted, two walk free. An appeal for the one has already been launched…

We are pretty shocked to report that the third and last defendant was found GUILTY under s144 on May 24. He was sentenced to 40 hours unpaid labour and a £250 fine. Previous updates can be found on the rooftopresistance website. This decision was immediately appealed and we will let you know the next court date asap.

The magistrates said in their “judgement” that:

The defendant was a trespasser
The defendant was living there
The building was residential

In support of their claim that the defendant lived there, the magistrates said there was shower gel in the shower, pots and pans in the kitchen and a light on in the fridge. This is clearly far from a legal definition of living, especially since the defendant was not actually linked to any of the items in any way.

In support of their claim that the building was residential, the magistrates appeared to rely on the tried and trusted adage that ‘the police said it was true so it must be true.’ They ignored evidence obtained from the Council that the building had never been converted to residential.

What does this mean? We think this means that a judge (or indeed anyone with legal training) will quickly overturn this decision. Mike Weatherly says he is delighted that our friend is convicted. We will be interested to hear his reaction when our friend returns to having no convictions again in about six weeks.

The other two defendants had previously had their cases dropped on grounds of no case to answer (no comment from Weatherly about that). The only difference with the case for the third defendant was that a cop claimed the defendant had said to him that he lived in the building. This evidence was used in court despite not being taken under caution (there are grounds for appeal on that alone!) and the magistrates took it as a voluntary confession, despite it being disputed by the defence.

In order to reach this decision, the magistrates appeared to prize the word of one policeman over another, since although one had claimed that the defendant had said he lived in the building, another said he had not.

In the eyes of these right-wing dipshits, it is fine for the police to act as property protectors, an approach which has already had tragic consequences.

All in all, this trial was a farce, with untrained magistrates being asked to implement an ill-thought out new law. They failed to do their job properly and the only good thing to come out of this conviction is that hopefully a decent legal precedent will be set on appeal which makes clear what ‘living’ and ‘residential’ mean in the eyes of the law. We do not doubt that this will lead to our friend’s conviction being overturned AND this new law becoming unworkable in practice.

PS Thanks to everyone for their continued support and props to the entire public gallery for walking out when the magistrates unveiled their prejudices.

housingwar at squat dot net
@housingwar

rooftopresistance.squat.net

Faslane Peace Camp update

As you may know Faslane Peace Camp recently put out an appeal for new members. Fortunately the publicity has generated more people moving to the camp and the good news is that it now looks like the peace camp is not going to close at this crucial time in the debate about nuclear weapons in Scotland.

To help the peace camp some former residents and supporters of the camp have set up a Faslane Peace Camp Supporters network to help distribute information, fundraise, organise events and protests, benefit gigs, trips out to the camp and staying there regularly etc.

This summer the Support Network are planning to build an eco-house using recycled materials for use as a communal space at the peace camp and we recently held a successful 'Phoenix Gathering' at the peace camp. Some of us are meeting in Mono on Wednesday 22nd May at 7.30 to discuss setting up a Support Network in Glasgow and how we can do more to help the camp.

Anyone interested in helping to support the camp is welcome to come along!

Cheers!

Phill
Faslane Peace Camp Support Network

faslanepeacecampsolidarity@gmail.com

Or Faslane Peace Camp 01436 820901 / faslane30@gmail.com

40,000 form human chain around the ZAD

20.5.13

If any more proof is needed that direct action works, take a trip to Nantes in western France.

20.5.13

If any more proof is needed that direct action works, take a trip to Nantes in western France.

Fifteen or so miles outside the city, the regional authority backed by the French national government, has been trying to build “Nantes International” Airport. It claims it is required to replace the single runway airport in the city in order to attract investment into the area. The opponents commissioned their own study which refuted those claims. They also point out that Nantes is just a little over two hours by fast train from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. The new airport is dismissed as little more than an ego project of the former major of Nantes, Jean-Marc Ayrault, now the Prime Minister of France. It has been dubbed ‘Ayrauoport’.

Last weekend (11^th May) I was one of the 40,000 or so people who formed a 25 kilometre-long human chain around the site of the airport. The huge numbers have been inspired by the direct action of last winter. During the winter months there were tear-gas battles in the woods as police fought to remove hundreds of young protesters who had set up make-shift homes in support of the local community. The courage of the protesters from the self-styled ZAD as they resisted the police in the bitter cold and driving rain of last winter both cemented their support in the local community and inspired people from around France and beyond.

Now there are support groups, called “committees”, in 200 towns and cities. Each group stages demonstrations in their own towns and lobbies politicians in their own areas in support of the Nantes campaigners. Hardly a week goes by without one of the committees cycling or walking through France to the site of the proposed airport. Last weekend on my way back from the protest I spied a billboard in Le Mans– over 100 miles from Nantes– opposing the airport.

The ZAD resistance followed on from the 28 day hunger strike staged last year during the presidential election campaign by four peasant farmers against the plan to evict them from their properties.

The local community has fought a great campaign over the years – and recently won an important court case in the courts where the judge ruled that the airport’s promoters had failed to carry out proper flood plain and environmental assessments of the project, as required by the European Union. The campaigners believe that the ruling from the court may provide a way for the Government to drop the airport and save face. But the reason the Government is under so much pressure is because of the way that direct action – the hunger strikes and the resistance from ZAD – electrified support from across France. No wonder there was such a carnival atmosphere last Saturday. We were holding hands around an airport that will probably now never be built.

John Stewart guest post's blog

Resistance to the Nordic Mining Boom – Action Camp in Finnish North Karelia Starting 18 June 2013

Talvivaaras' nickel-uranium mine has caused the most serious environmental damages in the finnish history in decades. The mine has been continuously polluting the amazing waterscapes of eastern Finland. More and more people and organizations are demanding closing of the mine and the locals can't use water from several lakes anymore, but it doesn't seem to have any impact in a country where the finance elite knows that the government is in their service.

The eco-disaster in the Talvivaara mine is not a rare exception: rather, it is business as usual wherever large mining corporations are operating. For the surrounding areas, polluted groundwater has been the price to pay for every single uranium mine in the world so far. Despite this, a number of projects for opening huge mines are underway in Finland and Sweden.

Disregarding the cost to the ecosystem or the opposition of locals, the international elite has decided to sacrifice the Nordic flora, fauna and waters to fuel the growth-compulsive economy.

Determined resistance is needed to keep the environment viable. Join us to share knowledge and skills, and to act!

The camp is located ca. 30 km from the Talvivaara mine. The first week of the camp, we will share info about the mining situation in the north and explore tactics for open direct action. These skills will be put to use during the second week.

More info & updates coming at turvaverkosto.wordpress.com

Feel free to offer your own program! The camp will work in a self-organized manner, so participants are expected to do their share of running the camp. To cover costs we ask for a donation of 5-10 € per day, taking into account people's personal economic situations. Rides from more accessible locations will be arranged as often as possible. When signing up for the camp, please contact us if you would want a ride or have any other special needs, allergies etc.

Let us know you're coming by mailing turva@riseup.net before 10th of June, if possible!

TURVA – Action network against uranium industry
turvaverkosto.wordpress.com

Hyökyaalto network (Rising Tide Finland)
hyokyaalto.org

Friends of the Landless Finland
http://maattomienliike.wordpress.com/

Faslane Peace Camp: Phoenix Gathering 3-5 May 2013

Watch the great new video call-out.

A 3 day gathering at Faslane Peace Camp to work out logistics etc of rebuilding or tatting down the camp. For everyone who wants to be involved as a new resident or part of the new support group.
Please get in touch if you want to attend either phone the camp on 01436-820901 or e-mail the peace camp solidarity group:
faslanepeacecampsolidarity@gmail.com

3rd, 4th and 5th May
Faslane Peace Camp, Shandon, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire G84 8NT

Faslane Peace Camp is looking for new members!

Faslane Peace Camp is the longest running peace camp in the world. Opened in 1982 by local people opposed to the basing of Trident missile submarines here, the peace camp has been a symbol of hope and resistance for over thirty years.
Over that time numbers at the camp have fluctuated from 2 to 25 people living there at any one time.
Now numbers are falling and the people living at the camp want to move on. They've decided to set a deadline of May 12th 2013 to find more people or they are going to start dismantling the camp and turning it into a peace garden in time for the peace camp's 31st birthday on 12th June 2013.
We don't have that much time to find a group of people who are committed to staying at the camp to continue the resistance to British nuclear weapons on the Clyde.
Some former peace campers and friends at the peace camp have set up a group to try to do this and are committed to providing support for new people moving to the peace camp.
Please if you don't want to see the Peace Camp close at this crucial time in the debate about nuclear weapons in Scotland and can offer help in any way or are interested in finding out more about living at the peace camp please email us the Faslane Support Network at: faslanepeacecampsolidarity@gmail.com
Or talk to the peace campers themselves by contacting Faslane Peace Camp on 01436-820901 or faslane30@gmail.com

Lots more recent stories here,