From: "Jo Makepeace"
To:
Subject: SchNEWS 294, Friday 23rd February, 2001
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wake up! wake up! It's yer spaced out!
SchNEWS
Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective
ISSUE 294, FRIDAY 23rd February, 2001
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BOMBING PEACE TAKE
"Our intention is to make sure that the world is as peaceful as possible"
President George Bush
"Turn your cameras to this boy and tell me if it is a military target"
George Galloway MP at Yarmouk hospital in Baghdad
You couldn't make it up. Just three days after the U.S and Britain bombed
Baghdad, the new Terrorism Act became law. So while in theory pulling up
genetic crops or disarming nuclear weapons could now get you put in the
slammer as a terrorist, breaking international law and bombing a capital
city will only get you grunts of disapproval from the international
community.
Not that the bombing of Iraq is new - it just usually isn't news.
This forgotten war has been going on since 1991 and is costing the
taxpayer £4 ½ million a month. It's costing the Iraqi people a lot more -
since bombing resumed in 1998, 317 have been killed and 936 wounded
because of the air raids in a war, which was first justified on
humanitarian grounds - to protect Kurds in the north and Shia's in the
southern marshes. Then the bombing was justified to stop Saddam Hussein
getting weapons of mass destruction.
Now SchNEWS isn't some apologist for the Iraqi regime, but can someone
tell us what has changed after 10 years of constant bombing and economic
sanctions apart from the deaths of one million people, over half of them
children under age of 5. And what would happen if, say, Sweden started
bombing the Faslane naval base where Britain's weapons of mass destruction
are kept?
And should we start bombing Israel now they've elected a president who's a
war criminal who invaded Lebanon and commited genocide in Palestinian
refugee camps and is single handedly responsible for the current intifada?
A War is Born
"Throughout the course of the Bush administration, U.S and foreign firms
were granted export licenses to ship U.S technology directly to Iraqi
weapons facilities despite ample evidence showing that these factories
were producing weapons." US House of Representatives Henry Gonzalez
The UK's Foreign secretary Robin Cook this week justified the bombing by
quoting the occasion when chemical weapons were used against the Kurds in
Halabja, killing 5,000 men, women and children. What Cookie Monster forgot
to say was that it was Western corporations who sold Iraq the weapons and
chemicals in the first place. And the frontline cheerleader for America's
corporate contributors to Saddam, the man who paved the way for Iraq to
purchase millions of dollars worth of weapons and dangerous dual-use
technology from U.S corporations, was none other than the co-architect of
Gulf War I, former president George Bush. Still, that's business for yer,
and woe betide any British citizens who take direct action to stop such
companies making a fast buck out of misery. You'll only get yourself
hauled up in front of a magistrate and labelled a terrorist.
* No more war - no more sanctions on Iraq. Join the 24 hour picket of the
Houses of Parliament from 22nd till 28th February. 0207 403 5200
www.mariamappeal.com
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STAR-WARS IN THEIR EYES
"To describe Star Wars as criminally insane is to slander reputable
psychopaths" Nick Cohen
The world is set for a new arms race as America pushes ahead with its
plans for the 'Son of Star Wars'. If this all sounds familiar then hark
back to the 80's when Thatch and Raygun ruled the world and nuclear war
was a rizla paper away. The Star Wars programme was originally started by
Ronny Reagan in the 1980's and is a sophisticated defence system designed
to destroy incoming missiles in space using radar, lasers and rockets. The
US claims that it needs this level of protection from attacks by so-called
'rogue states' such as North Korea, Iran, Iraq and Florida, (we made the
last one up-honest) all of which are well known for developing nuclear
missile technology!
A key element of this mad scheme is the siting of new radar facilities at
RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire. These new facilities will need
planning permission for a programme of works which includes building a
concrete block up to 14 storeys high in part of a national park, without
this permission the programme's dead! Unfortunately after searching his
soul Tony Blair is flying out to Camp David this week to meet with George
W. Bush and a Downing Street source told SchNEWS that "Tony" is likely to
give the go ahead for this insane plan. Bruce Gagnon of the Global Network
Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space commented "If the US is allowed
to move the arms race into space, there will be no return. We have this
one chance, this one moment in history, to stop the weaponisation of space
from happening."
All this talk of the 80's is getting us all nostalgic and carries echoes
of the deployment of U.S. Cruise missiles at Greenham Common.
Demonstarations are already taking place at US bases and RAF Fylindales
where one protester was recently arrested for using the US flag with STOP
STAR WARS written on it. She's been charged with 'insulting and disorderly
conduct which was 'racially motivated.'
* 27th Feb, Vigil against Star Wars 2-6pm Parliament Square. Contact
London CND 020 7607 2302 email carol@caro50.freeserve.co.uk
* 4th May, Nukes in Space. Conference on space militarisation and National
Missile Defence. Contact: Yorkshire CND, 22 Edmond Street, Bradford 01274
730795 email cndyorks@gn.apc.org
* Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases, 8 Park Row, Otley,
West Yorkshire, LS21 1HQ, England, U.K Tel 01943 466405
www.gn.apc.org/cndyorks/caab
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IT COULD BE YOU!
The Terrorism Act came into full effect on Monday with a brand new
spankin' direct action busting definition that is so wide that it is
basically up to the Government and the police to decide who they want to
treat as a terrorist. (see SchNEWS 268).
To find out more about the act contact The Network against the Terrorism
Act 01273 298192 http://go.to/ta2000
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Food Chained
"The British government is ignoring the wishes of the vast bulk of British
customers. The public have made it very clear that they are unhappy about
eating GM foods and about GM crops growing in the countryside" - Adrian
Bebb, Friends of the Earth.
Last week the European Parliament introduced a new directive allowing the
further spread of GM food into our lives. The legislation will bring an
end to the three-year moratorium on the granting of licences for
commercial growing of GM products. The ruling is expected to bring about a
flood of licence applications from biotech companies. Applications will be
dealt with by a committee of representatives from EU member states with
regulations said to be strict, yet anti-GM campaigners aren't impressed.
"The new directive is not enough to protect the environment, consumers and
farmers from GM crops" said a spokesperson from Friends of the Earth.
*Yesterday saw protestors attack supermarket giant Sainsburys by
blockading regional distribution centres. Sainsburys was chosen due to
their failure to announce any intention to ensure that their own brand
animal products are GM free. Iceland, ASDA, Tesco and Marks and Spencers
have recently given dates by which all their own-brand animal products
will be from animals on GM-free diets. There are no regulations regarding
the labelling of animal products meaning that GMOs had been entering the
food chain through their use in animal feed.
Protestors have used a variety of tactics to prevent goods leaving the
distribution centres including locking themselves onto lorries and
securing gates.
*From the 5th-10th March there will be a week of anti-GM actions and
events in Liverpool, home to a feed-processing mill of one of the major
players in the GM industry. Cargill controls the food supply chain from
beginning to end, selling their seeds to farmers, processing the produce
into animal feed, shipping the feed abroad to be fed to poultry, cooking
and packaging the poultry and then finally selling it onto supermarkets or
fast-food chains. For more information on the week of action contact 0160
226 6814.
*GenetiX Update, PO Box 77, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5ZJ, 01803 840098
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Land Army
Work started last week on the Blackwood Bypass in South Wales. The road
will destroy 4 acres of ancient woodland of the Ebbw Forest. 67 percent of
Wales ancient woodland has been lost since 1930. The plans are strongly
opposed by local people and a direct action campaign is now beginning to
try and stop the work. Help is urgently needed on the ground as well as up
in the trees. blackwood_protest@yahoo.co.uk
*Protesters are looking for support to set up a camp to help save a small
wildflower meadow in Todmorden, Calderdale from a proposed housing
development. If you can help then contact 0161 227 9014
*A pensioner in Northern Ireland has successfully stopped the construction
of a multi-million pound supermarket by refusing to sell her garden to
developers. Lena Hunt, 78, from County Derry was offered £250,000 for her
garden which backs onto the proposed building site. Limavady Borough
Council is now set to withdraw its offer to the developers due to being
unable to meet conditions of sale because of the garden. Miss Hunt said
that no amount of money could persuade her to part with it. "I prefer the
garden. It is home and it is part of my home."
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CRAP ARRESTS OF THE WEEK
For subverting the symbols of authority! A protester was found guilty in
court this week of 'impersonating a police officer' at a demo against the
now defunct Shamrock farm. The woman in question was wearing a plastic toy
helmet from the Early Learning Centre and a reflective jacket. The fact
that that she was wearing a 'Close down Shamrock Farm' poster around her
neck surely should have given the game away.
For pissing on a fence (instead of sitting on it)! At an action yesterday
against GM animal feed, while some protesters locked on to trucks and got
their heads down, another was arrested for answering a call of nature. The
police later modified their position.
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SchNEWS in brief
* The Carbeth Hutters are holiday homes in Scotland owned largely by
people on low incomes. Many are now facing eviction because they have
refused to pay rent increases. The Hutters are now trying to get
legislation passed to give hutters across Scotland security and fair
rents. Help is needed to pay legal costs, send donations to Carbeth
Hutters' Association, 0/1, 81 White St., Glasgow G11 5DD. Tel.
0141-562-5640 or contact them at chris@nedluddisking.freeserve.co.uk
* The London School of Economics has passed a resolution that will stop
the Student's Union doing business with any companies that operate in
Burma. For more info contact Rachel Goldwyn: 07931 753 138
* To find out what's going on in Luton, get yerself a copy of Black Cat
the monthly direct action news sheet. They can be contacted at PO Box
923, Luton, LU2 0YQ, kittyplant@netscapeonline.co.uk
* The Campaign Against Arms Trade this week published a report into
organizations, including charities and universities, that invest in
the arms export trade. To find out more contact them on 0207 281 0297
or visit www.caat.org.uk
* The Dudley Group of Hospitals campaign against hospital privatisation
continues with a Birmingham demo in Chamberlain Square at 10.30am, 3
March. www.labournet.net
* Word On The Streets, an evening of spoken word, live music, Indy
Media
Films and Megabitch Sound System in aid of People's Global Action. At
the Arsenal Tavern, Finsbury Park, London. 3rd March 8.30pm to 2am,
£4/3.
* The Surveillance Camera Players are a group from New York who
demonstrate and do 'theater' in front of surveillance cameras. They
are doing a tour of Europe and would like to hear from people
interested in working with them, email notbored@panix.com
* Day of Action in support for Mark Barnsley, 3.30pm, 25th February.
Meet outside Wakefield Westgate Train Station for a march to
Wakefield Prison for a noisy vigil. www.freemarkbarnsley.com
* I Love Cuba Cabaret, with Simon Munnery, Jeremy Hardy, Rob Newman and
others at the Camden Centre, London, 24th Feb, 8pm to 2am, Tickets
£15/£12, 020 7263 6452.
* Undercurrents are having a sale of lots of stuff, VHS videos for £5
each. Details at www.undercurrents.org or phone 01865-203662.
* Free Winston Silcott. March and Protest at Prison Minister Barbara
Roche's surgery. Assemble 10th March, 12 noon, Tottenham Police
Station. There's also an International Solidarity Evening with music,
dance, food and speakers, 24th March, 6pm to 11pm at Hundred flowers
Cultural Center, Belgrade Road, London N16
* There is now a Network 23 site based in Edinburgh to encourage more
solidarity between Soundystems and partypeople in Scotland and the
UK. For more details, info@n23-edinburgh.co.uk
* Don't forget the 11th annual Spam Carving Contest which will take
place in Seattle. Contestants will have 15 minutes to create an
imaginative sculpture from two small tins of Spam. The use of power
tools is banned.
* A Brighton partyer who is shortly moving is looking to sell his rig.
Anyone interested should contact him at 07931 384456 or visit
http://members.tripod.co.uk/SystemAtiT
* Veggies Web-site has gone down temporarily, but will be back very
soon. In the meantime call 0845 4589595.
* On Sat 3rd March there will be a day long workshop on the
International Womens Day (see Schnews 293) by the Crossroads Womens
Centre @ the Brighthelm Centre, Brighton from 10.30am till 5pm.
* For info on loads more parties, actions, meetings, vigils etc check
out our party and protest page
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Inside SchNEWS
On Nov 8th of last year Eduardo Garcia became yet another victim of a
State fit-up when he was sent down for 20 years, charged with sending
seven letter bombs to right-wing politicians and journalists. Although
only 22 years old, Eduardo has been a prominent political activist in
Madrid for some time, recently being involved in the jail solidarity
movement. The movement has been organizing coordinated hunger strikes to
end the isolation system of political prisoners, for the release of
terminally ill prisoners and campaigning for prisoners to be held near to
their families. When Eduardo was arrested the cops searched his flat and
made a video record of this search. After finding nothing while the
cameras were rolling, they miraculously 'found' 40 grams of firework
powder when it was switched off! Although the package containing the
powder had none of Eduardo's fingerprints on it, this 'find' was deemed
enough evidence to convict him. Apart from this obvious fit up, there are
a few other reasons why Eduardo is innocent: because of his high profile
campaign against the Spanish prison system - which included being a
prominent spokesperson in the campaign, helping to organise peaceful
demonstrations outside prisons and visiting different prisoners on a
weekly basis-it would be unlikely that he would be involved in more
clandestine actions; also after Eduardo was jailed, four more identical
bombs were sent to different targets, which would suggest that the person
that did that also sent the previous seven. This case seems to have much
in common with many other incidents involving activists who have been
fitted up by the State, namely to silence any dissenting voice which goes
against their reactionary policies.
Send any messages of support to Eduardo via the Spanish Anarchist Black
Cross, (because of the isolation policy letters sent directly to prisoners
are disallowed) at CNA-ABC, Paseo Alberto Palacious No2, 28021 Madrid,
Spain or E-mail: edulibre@yahoo.es
*Last Sunday (18th ), 29 different prisons across the state of Sao Paulo
in Brazil erupted in a mass rebellion against the inhumane treatment of
inmates. No less than 25000 prisoners took part to protest about
overcrowding, insanitary conditions and the widespread torture that
happens on a daily basis. The riots started in the infamous Carandiru
jail, the largest in Latin America, where in 1992 cops opened fire on
inmates killing 111 - making this the worst case of human rights abuse
since Brazil became a 'democracy' in 1985. The Casa de Detencao , one part
of the huge Carandiru complex was meant to house 3200 : it now houses
7200. The rebellion was brutally put down on the Tuesday afterwards by
thousands of riot cops, but, SchNEWS asks, how long till it all kicks off
again?
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