Yorkshire & The Humber – Page 29

documentary: Reclaim Power – voices from the camp for climate action 2006

In the summer of 2006, 600 people convinced that there is no time to waste set up a Camp for Climate Action in the shadow of one of the biggest C02 emitters in Europe: Drax coal-fired power station in Yorkshire / UK. Cine Rebelde produced a documentary film about the camp.

Climate change is now a reality. Leading scientists across the world agree that in a ’business as usual scenario’ we have no longer than 10 years to prevent 2-3 degrees of additional global arming that will lead to irreversible climatic changes with dramatic consequences for our planet.

However, in a world driven by profit and committed to unlimited economic growth, humanity seems very unwilling to change the course of the fossil fuel economy.

In the summer of 2006, the 5th hottest year ever recorded in recent history, 600 people convinced that there is no time to waste set up a Camp for Climate Action in the shadow of one of the biggest C02 emitters in Europe: Drax coal-fired power station in Yorkshire / UK.

With over one hundred workshops on a wide range of topics, the 10 day camp was a space of collective learning, sustainable living and taking direct action on the root causes of climate change. The gathering that showed practical low energy solutions in action, culminated in a day of protest and mass direct action in an attempt to shut down Drax.

DVD 62min + extras
English with subtitles in English, French, German and Spanish
reports on indymedia UK: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2006/climatecamp/

Trailer download: 2:58 min
http://www.cinerebelde.org/site.php3?id_article=356〈=en

a cine rebelde production in cooperation with http://risingtide.org.uk and http://climatecamp.org.uk

indymedia reports of the Camp 2006:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/actions/2006/climatecamp/

Pictures, information and film orders:
orders@cinerebelde.org
http://www.cinerebelde.org

DVDs will also soon be available from rising tide, climate camp groups and at the meeting in Bristol.

* * * * * *
Preparations for the Camp for Climate Action 2007 are in full swing. The upcoming meeting will be in Bristol on March 17th /18th.

Rising Tide North America is currently doing a Road Show. Check out:
http://risingtidenorthamerica.org

The Campaign Against Prison Slavery

The Campaign Against Prison Slavery is a group set up to try to expose the reality of prison labour, how little of it teaches skills that can be used after release and which could help reduce the chances of re-offending.

We also seek to expose the private companies that have contracts with prisons that are making huge profits using prisoner labour while the prisoners are paid pennies an hour, any loses incurred by the prison industries contracts are covered by the tax payer.

CAPS now has a new website www.againstprisonslavery.org and the contact details are:

Campaign Against Prison Slavery
P.O. Box 74
Brighton
BN1 4ZQ
E-mail: againstprisonslavery@riseup.net

Bradford Climate Criminals flyposted

22.1.07
On Wednesday evening, a number of concerned Leeds and Bradford residents decided to draw attention to the activities of a number of climate criminals in Bradford city centre. Advertisements for damaging air flights were modified to tell the truth; that flying is the fastest growing cause of climate change, the “single greatest threat to human-kind” according to the government’s chief scientist.

Despite assurances that climate change is being taken seriously by any number of politicians or business people, the fact is that new runways are planned, motorways are being expanded, and pipelines being built to increase our dependence on fossil fuels. In the face of this hypocrisy, it was clear that the time had come to make a direct statement that irresponsible criminality of this kind will not be tolerated by sane and moderate people.

Several travel agents, shamelessly plugging massively destructive air flights for profit, had their misleading window displays obscured by handy stickers which made plain the true cost of flying. Those people taking part in this vital service did so as a way of encouraging others to stand up against the climate criminals and carry out similar public-spirited actions in their areas. The stickers used are available at a cost of 50p each to anyone who wants them – just email trees@riseup.net with your order. The stickers are just £10 for 20, post free!

There is still time to prevent runaway climate change but we must act now.

Part of that action must be to expose the ongoing activites of those who wish to destroy the planet for profit. Clearly, we can’t leave it to business and government to sort out the mess – they are the ones making it because of their bizarre obsession with an economic system based on continual growth and unsustainable consumption.

The rich are plundering the Earth, and as always the poor will suffer the worst. We can all act in our lives, and join together to create a radical, and ultimately reasonable and moderate, movement for social change and climate justice.

This action was inspired by the Camp For Climate Action, which seems to have been a new beginning for the fight-back by reasonable and moderate people against the climate criminals and profit-terrorists who seek to kill us all.

M1 widening actions pigged

Police News Management, Incompetence and Poor Attitude To Peaceful Protest Exposed After They Prevent Peaceful Climate Camp Action With Massive Over Reaction

Today, Monday 19th of February, peaceful protesters from the Camp For Climate Action had planned a series of events to highlight the environmental cost of widening the M1. Unfortunately, a massive police presence, totally out of proportion to the proposed protest, appears to have contributed to massive tail-backs on the motorway near Sheffield. The protesters decided not to go ahead with their event after being offered a ridiculously limited space in which to make their point and no protester actions took place at any time. At no point did any of them approach close to the motorway, and they could not have therefore caused the tailbacks as the Police suggested to local radio. In fact, there had been an accident on that stretch, which combined with the roadworks and the police presence, was probably the cause of the delays.

Police News Management, Incompetence and Poor Attitude To Peaceful Protest Exposed After They Prevent Peaceful Climate Camp Action With Massive Over Reaction

In a second embarrassing mistake, the Police seem to have believed that the action had been planned by the No M1 Widening Campaign. In fact, the Camp For Climate Action was solely responsible. The police probably don’t realise the link between traffic growth and worsening climate change which threatens us all.

Sam Nexter said “Tony Blair has claimed that the government is taking climate change seriously but billions of pounds of taxpayer’s money is now being wasted on a scheme that will do nothing to ease congestion but will increase emissions. There are much more effective and economic ways to tackle congestion such as improving public transport and transferring freight onto the railways.”

“Its mad that, on top of paying for dangerous motorway building, money is also wasted paying large numbers of police to sit around in vans.” he added.

The work to widen this stretch of M1 started a month ago, and work on the section between junction 6a-10 is already well under way. In total 115 miles of the M1 is due to be widened from the M25 to Milton Keynes and from Leicester to Leeds, costing a total of over £3.74 billion. Many people believe the widening will allow traffic to grow, causing more CO2 emissions. Road transport already accounts for 21% of emissions in the UK and rises every year.

info@climatecamp.org.uk
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

Next national climate camp organsing gathering Feb 17/18 in Leeds

The next national organsing gathering will be in Leeds on Sat and Sun Feb 17th/18th. It will be at The Common Place in Leeds city centre and vegan food, accommodationand creche will be provided (please contact us with accommodation, creche or any other needs though so we can plan ahead).

Climate campers are at it again! More than seventy people from around the UK met in Leeds in January and decided to organise another Camp for Climate Action this summer from 14th to 21st August. As many of you know, for ten days last August hundreds of people gathered in the shadow of Drax coal-fired power station in Yorkshire to share knowledge and inspiration to tackle the greatest threat to life on Earth, live an example of more just and sustainable alternatives, and confront one of the UK’s biggest polluters in a day of mass direct action.

Following on from this success, Camp for Climate Action 2007 will take place near to a target relating to aviation or the coal or oil industries. The location will be chosen over the coming months. Organising outreach,
fundraising, site practicalities and workshops is underway. Self managed camping, eating and living neighbourhoods around themes and geographical areas are also being planned, contact details are on the website.

There is loads to do, and everyone is invited to get involved – no experience necessary! The next national planning meetings will be held in Leeds at the Common Place, on the 17th and 18th February, and then in
Bristol on the 17th and 18th March.

See www.climatecamp.org.uk for more info. There are lots of ways to get involved without coming to national gatherings, but coming to them is a great way of really feeling part of the whole process, we work with consensus decision making and collective responsibility, everyone gets their say in how the whole thing goes.

For a 20min film of last years camp get
V For Video Activist – SchMOVIES DVD Collection 2006 OUT January 2007
– £6 (including P&P). Contact the SchNEWS Office 01273 685913 or schnews@brighton.co.uk

leeds@climatecamp.org.uk
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk

Early Feb Critical Masses

4.02.2007 – York:

Another month, another ride, and this time around we narrowly exceeded the previous months attendance. However, the police made another brief intervention, as two cycle police and an officer on foot joined the ride.

4.02.2007 – York:

The women PC (on foot) was immediately very hostile, demanding that cyclists proceed single file, essentially making the ride pointless. However, they bizarrely vanished, and the ride finished off more or less in one piece. This did have the effect of encouraging a few riders to leave early. There was a bizarre moment where an officer announced into their radio that they’d found the organiser. Ironically, this was the one regular rider who’d been much quieter than usual!

The ride headed out through Monkbar and along the last untouched section of the inner ring: Lord Mayor’s Walk. The ride than headed past the hospital, where the ride had to evacuate the road to allow an ambulance through. Over the bridge into the Clifton area, and along Burton Stone Lane, before heading out to Clifton Green. Here the ride crossed the river, and headed through Leeman Road, before riding along Rougier Street and back across Ousebridge.

The next ride will be on 3rd March, when skies will just about still be light when we set off. And looking ahead, the first “summer time” ride will be on 6th April, Good Friday, when the ride will be advertised as family friendly (and much easier to photograph!!). It’ll be interesting to see what the police decide to do next: it won’t be surprising if they fail to show up until midway through yet again. Legally, they have no right to prevent the ride, nor to interfere with it, other than if the ride stops mid-road or mid-junction. Whatever happens, it should be fun non-the-less.

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Friday 2nd February – St Philip’s Cathedral, Birmingham City Centre:

The second Critical Mass cycle ride of 2007 was to celebrate the legal appeal victory of Daniel Cadden who refused to cycle in the gutter.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2007/01/361089.html

Critical Mass has steadily seen increasing numbers of riders taking part. This month almost 30 Birmingham cyclists met up for a cycle ride around the city centre to highlight the increasing presence of cyclists on our streets. The rides are expected to increase the consciousness of other road-users to the safety needs of cyclists as well as demonstrating that cycling is a fun, viable, healthy and environmentally-benign alternative to infernal combustion powered vehicles.

This month’s ride saw the arrival of Birmingham Critical Mass’ first junior rider in the shape of a two-year-old trailer passenger. Throughout the ride she was able to luxuriate in her carriage and enjoy a range of popular songs related to cycling. The ride was also publicised on the sound system using a sampled voice declaring ‘We are Critical Mass, come ride with us’.

Next month’s Mass will also be accompanied by a musical trailer and it is hoped that people will submit their favourite tunes beforehand for inclusion in a compilation to be played as the ride goes on. This will take place over the Brum Critical Mass riseup.net group. Sign up now, submit your tune ideas and come and hear them on 2nd March. The riseup group has now exceeded 50 members and more are expected following this month’s ride.
Future ride ideas include a ride of suits with bowler hatted cyclists Massing through Birmingham’s rush hour and heavy flyering along busy city cycle routes.

http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/brumcriticalmass

Some Jan Critical Mass reports – London, Leeds, Manchester (& I Bike Mcr festival)

You never know what the police are going to do next on the London ride. They clamp down on some things and relax on others from one month to the next and from one part of the ride to another. ‘Shambolic’ is perhaps the word that best describes their behaviour. They seem at times to behave more like Anarchists than the riders. You would think with their radios they could at least arrive at some sort of a consensus. In addition to our usual police overkill the Forward Intelligence Team were also in attendance at the South Bank, poking their cameras in people’s faces. All this just because of a bike ride!

This time the cops decided to get tough with riders without lights and those who go through red lights and also with sound systems in the SOCPA zone. Did you know, it is OK for someone with a car to play their sound system in the vicinity or Parliament but not for a cyclist with a sound system? How discriminatory is that? Anyway, the cops allowed an extra long ‘bikes high’ stop in Oxford Circus but no stop whatsoever in Picadilly Circus. Those riders who were pulled for going through red lights are now facing a £30 fine, despite the fact that some cops were actually ushering other riders through red lights!

One of the highlights of the ride was storming through the Aldwych underpass, something the police normally prevent. We had a fun time with Brian Haw in Parliament Square, he led the “More bikes less cars!” chants on his megaphone and seemed in a very good spirits. The ride split up after that at around 9pm, going off in all directions and leaving our yellow coated retinue behind, chin-wagging among themselves.
http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk

Quicktime video version – video/mp4 8.3M
Windows video version – video/x-ms-wmv 8.6M

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45 people rode around Leeds for just under an hour last night, with no police interventions. The largest ride for some years, its hoped that this is the beginning of reversal in the downward trend of recent times.

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critical mass manchester last friday and the next one..

Critical Mass on Friday was absolutely amazing. We stood around chatting outside the library for ages just chillin and socialising and meeting the many newcomers to the mass. People making the I Bike MCR did some filming for part of the film and someone taking photos for the bicycle exhibition in March.

Then the 40 or so of us took to the streets, riding around the city centre and down past the station right down Grosvenor street and onto oxford road where masses of students waiting for some gig cheered us as we rode by the union. We rode through Rusholme and then up to Withington and back , hardly any negativity at all instead we were greeted with cheers and friendly beeps and waves from car drivers and pedestrians… woooo!
After the ride we all went for a nice cold beer..mmm

Join us on Friday 23rd Feb for the next one, which will end at the rampant lion on upper brook st/anson rd where we will have our very own celebrate critical mass party with bands and dj’s playing reggae, ska and punk..

email us at: mcrcriticalmass@yahoo.co.uk
be our myspace friend: http://www.myspace.com/mcrcriticalmass
see our website: http://velorution.x21.org.uk

Manchester I bike Mcr festival:

From 30th March to 20th April the I Bike MCR festival takes place in
Manchester. It is a grassroots festival organised by cyclists for cyclists
with diverse events that will entice any cyclist. From Bicycle Polo
classes and matches to Alleycat racing to a Bicycle Art Exhibition,
there’s something for everyone.

Those involved in organising the event are cyclists from different walks
of life including cycling instructors, daily commuters, bicycle
messengers, Critical Mass advocacy group members and bicycle mechanics.

Timetable

Friday 30th March
6pm Critical Mass bike ride, meet at Central Library to celebrate the
bicycle over car culture.

8pm Exhibition Opening at The Basement, 24 Lever St. The opening event
will be one to remember and will feature the premier screening of new
Manchester bicycle film “I bike MCR”. We shall also be showing other
bicycle films and having a roller race (an indoor bicycle race- on
rollers) with lots of prizes to be won! Local acoustic bands will be
performing including the amazing Cooper Jones and Dr Butler’s Hatstand
Medicine Band

Saturday 31st March
1pm Platt Fields Park Bicycle Polo class. Oxford bicycle polo team are
coming to teach us how to play the sport. Please email to reserve a place.
(they return 2 weeks later to play a match: Manchester vs Oxford)

Sunday 1st April
2pm Central Library April Fools Day Bicycle Treasure Hunt. A fun treasure
hunt around our city.

Wednesday 4th April
Moonlight Pub Ride Start 7pm Sandbar, Grosvenor St (off Oxford Road/opp.
All Saints Park. A night ride out and around the outskirts of Manchester
stopping off at some lovely pubs for a drink on the way.

Friday 13th April
Hell Of The North West Alleycat
Fixies and roadragers ride the alleycat for a fast race round our city. £5
entry, amazing prizes to be won. with some donated by the wonderous Twin
Six and Keirin Culture
Email to register

Alleykitten
Shoppers, bmx’s and silly bikes ride alleykitten for a random race full of
games and nonsense round our city centre. £5 entry, amazing prizes to be
won. Email to register

Saturday 14th April
1pm Platt Fields Park Bicycle Polo Match: Manchester vs Oxford.

For more information see the website: www.ibikemcr.org.uk or email
info@ibikemcr.org.uk

Critical Masses This Friday (& others)

This is the first critical mass of 2007. Lets start as we mean to go on and make it a big one!

We cycle round the city to celebrate the bicycle:
It’s for anyone that rides a bike;
Its a celebration of getting round the city without polluting it;

This is the first critical mass of 2007. Lets start as we mean to go on and make it a big one!

We cycle round the city to celebrate the bicycle:
It’s for anyone that rides a bike;
Its a celebration of getting round the city without polluting it;
Its about every journey being an adventure instead of just sitting on a boring bus or in a stressful car;
Its about cyclists riding together to demand more respect from other road users;
Its a way to meet other cyclistas;
At roughly the same time on Friday hundreds of cities around the world do the same thing…all get together for critical mass. its beautiful to know that as you ride with your mates through your own city that all around the world thousands of people are doing the same thing…

Rides in the UK this Friday include:
* Brighton – Gather 18:00 at the Level (BN2 3FX)
* Cambridge – Maybe gather 18:30 Cambridge Market Square
* Leeds (This month’s callout) – Gather 17:30-18:00 Millenium Square
* London – Gather 18:30 Waterloo Bridge, by the National Film Theatre
* Manchester (videos of previous rides) – Gather 18:00 Central Library
* Nottingham – Gather 17:30 Savoy cinema on Derby Road in Lenton
* Oxford – Gather 17:45-18:00 Cornmarket end of Broad Street outside The Oxford Story
* Reading – Gather 17:30, Reading Town Hall

Please leave a comment if your ride has been left off (or is incorrect).
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York Critical Mass

In order not to clash with other rides in the vicinity, York Critical Mass is on the first Friday of every month meaning that the next ride is next Friday on 2nd February. Assemble at 5pm outside Costcutters at the University or 5:30pm outside York Minster. See you there!

Birmingham Critical Mass: Friday, February 2nd

Brum’s critical mass is also on the first friday of the month, Friday 2nd February.
We meet up at Pigeon Park (St. Philip’s Cathedral) at 5:30pm and set off at 6pm.
The rides are getting more popular and more creative. There’s now a mobile soundsystem and for winter critical mass’ riders bring along fairy lights to illuminate the ride.
Subscribe to the list below if you want to get more involved!
http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/brumcriticalmass

Glasgow CM

This Friday at 5:30, George Square.
http://www.citystrolls.com/strolls/pages/critical.htm
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For list of UK rides & links, see also http://criticalmass.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Critical_Mass_rides#United_Kingdom

Activist Mediation Network Launched!!!!!

Want to learn mediation skills?
Interested in helping support activist groups engage with internal disagreements and conflict, to make them more effective?
Want to tackle conflicts in your personal life that interfere with your activism?

Our launch events will be training days:

Northern Launch –
Leeds on 10th March 2007, from 11am – 5pm

Southern Launch
– London on 17 March 2007, from 11am – 5pm.

The aims of these days are:

To train people in conflict resolution skills that they can use in their own lives and activist work
For people interested in volunteering with us to receive training and to meet with us to discuss taking it further.

If you have a specific conflict or situation that you would like to discuss with us, then please get in contact and we’ll see if we can help.

Activist Mediation to the rescue! (not really!)

Details of the training days:

Booking essential: Please email activistmediation [at] aktivix [dot] org
Cost: We are asking for a £10 donation to fund expenses and help set up a travel fund to help with our mediation work. If money would prevent you from attending, then get in touch.
Creche: We are not providing creche facilities, but if childcare issues are preventing you attending, please get in touch and we’ll try and sort something out.
Access: Both venues are wheelchair accessible, and have accessible toilets. For other access needs, please contact us.
Lunch: Not provided. Please bring your own.
Transport and Accommodation: Get in touch if you have any issues or can offer a lift.

For further information have a look at our website www.activistmediation.org.uk
or telephone us on 0845 223 5254, and get in touch.

Background

For the last few years we have both been involved in mainstream mediation, and using these skills at various activist camps and situations (Climate Camp, Earth First!, Radical Routes, Trident Ploughshares). We have also been asked to work with other activist groups to help them resolve internal conflicts. There is obviously a need for this work to be done on an ongoing basis, and so we have decided to set up an activist mediation network. The aim is not for us to solve conflicts, but to skill share and offer impartial mediators in order to help groups and individuals resolve their own conflicts.

26th Jan – Leeds Critical Mass callout

At November’s ride, two critical mass riders were arrested and assaulted by police. They were subsequently released without charges when the cops realised the riders hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

Critical Mass in Leeds will continue, and to show our determination let’s make the January ride the biggest yet.

Critical Mass gathers outside Millennium Square every last Friday of the month at around 17:30. The next ride will be January 26th.

http://www.leedscommunity.info/wiki/index.php?title=Critical_Mass

Your assistance in publicising this ride would be appreciated. Fliers and posters are available for download at http://www.sendspace.com/file/ot3h9v