Police “Bubble” Students
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#04 | theoccupiedtimes.com 16NOV2011 RoRy MacKinnon POlice “Bubble” Students Campers, construction workers and student activists alike have been left steaming over heavy-handed policing at last week’s protests. An estimated 10,000 university students, schoolchildren and parents swarmed through the city centre last Wednesday to protest the government’s higher education agenda — described by organisers from the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts as an attempt to end education as a public service. Scotland Yard reported just two- dozen arrests from the day’s events — but the protesters themselves complained of heavy-handed policing. Around 4,000 officers policed the demonstration, hemming in the march on all sides in a moving kettle known as a ‘bubble’. Even before the march began, organisers voiced anger at reports police had authorised rubber bullets and written to activists with no criminal record warning them they could be arrested for “anti-social behaviour.” Meanwhile videos uploaded to YouTube showed dozens of >> Z G G t OVT Tar eTRoRy MacKinnons Stacey Knott squatters THe CITY Vs OLSX Westminster’s war on squatters will hit demonstrations within a square people, and is passing violent and After the City of London Corporation of the banking and finance industries protest camps next, housing activists kilometre of Parliament — but the draconian laws to silence those who told OccuplyLSX campers to pack up since the 2008 financial crash. have warned. government’s Police Reform Act, which are losing out. by Christmas, or expect an eviction, The occupation regards The Members of Squatters’ Action has been passed but not yet come into “Certain Tories have also made it occupiers turned the tables, telling City of London Corporation as an For Secure Homes issued a call for force, scales down the scope of the clear that if they would like nothing the City what it would take for them undemocratic authority, which is more solidarity this week. after 15 appeared in ban to protests in Parliament Square better than to extend these laws to make any further decisions. The accountable to corporations than the Westminster Magistrates Court charged directly outside the House. against squatting to cover other General Assembly of OccupyLSX told public. In a statement, occupiers said with unlawful assembly for their part in Mr Chada appeared confident of an types of properties, and thereby to the City it planned on staying on in “We cannot negotiate with such an an overnight protest outside Parliament. acquittal, saying the Crown had until criminalise occupation as a form of solidarity with the global movements. institution without undermining our The activists’ lawyer Raj Chada said 23 November to decide. protest - in universities, workplaces, It issued three demands to the sister occupations across the globe, last week he had won a two-week But spokesman Rueben Taylor and public places.” City last week; for the City to publish, who are being violently oppressed by adjournment to lobby Crown prosecutors warned that the vilification of Meanwhile the current proposals in full, year-by-year breakdowns authorities with the same interests as to drop the case, since the charges stem squatters and the Occupy movement were “just a test”, says Taylor. “If of the City cash account, future and the City of London Corporation. from legislation which has technically was “intimately connected.” they are allowed to get away with it, historic, that the City be subject to ”The occupation was still working been repealed. “We are being ruled by a we will undoubtedly see even more the Freedom of Information Act, and with the fire service, the health and The Serious Organised Crime government that believes that repressive laws being pushed through thirdly, it wanted a detailed account safety executive and St Paul’s and Policing Act bars “unauthorised” property is more important than in the coming months,” he warned. >> of all advocacy undertaken on behalf over logistics of the camp. CONTENTS >> The charges stem from a 150-strong before it was passed and before publication PAGES/ campout near the Houses of Parliament of the government’s consultation report - 02 Editorial earlier this month after Justice Secretary threatens homeless people in residential Listing Ken Clarke rammed through an buildings with fines of up to £5,000 and up 03 Strong Voices of Youth amendment criminalising squatting in to a year behind bars. 03 Police Foil EDL Attack residential buildings. Around 35,000 people in Britain 03 Finsbury Occupiers aim Police ordered the demonstrators will lose their home between now and 03 for Sustainability to disperse, then kettled around 50 Christmas, according to estimates from 03 Rage with the Occupation protesters who refused to leave. housing charity Shelter — an average 04 While you were Sleeping The amendment - tacked on just six days one person every two minutes. 04 Occupied Elsewhere: 04 Birmingham 05 Tahrir Square & the >> plainclothes police and snatch who had sought to link up with the 04 Occupy Movement squads dragging away apparently students’ march. Myths in the Media peaceful protesters. Even the march’s endpoint at Z 06 Funny Money Policies The day’s events also saw yet Moorgate was subjected to kettling, t 07 May we Live in another clash between police and with a further cordon near St Paul’s 07 Interesting Times the Occupy movement: around 30 preventing protesters from rejoining 08 Money Talks activists from Occupy London Stock the occupation. The Loophole Economy Exchange broke away as the march A Tranquillity team member who 09 The Evil of Usury & the rounded Trafalgar Square, dashing did not wish to be named told The 09 Good of Neighbourliness across the flagstones and throwing Occupied Times he was in a group of EDITORIAL 09 On the Futility of up pop-up tents around Nelson’s around 50 protesters held en masse 09 Regulating Finance Column in a matter of minutes. while trying to get home at around 5pm. fter editorials opinions within the camp, and we reject 10 Intern Model Police originally held back, with Police told them they had Do we have Consesus focussing on the idea that The Occupied Times in any one camper drawing laughter as he deviated from the march route and the birth of way resembles an “official” publication. It The importance of congratulated the officers on ordered them to disperse, he said. being Learn-ist the movement is our intention to provide an alternative “upholding their oath to protect The group was escorted to here in London, journalistic narrative and offer a platform 11 Occupy Local Communities and serve the Olympic Clock” — a Farringdon Police Station more than What do Bankers have to Cannon Fraser’s for discussion. We hope that campers at reference to clashes with protesters a mile away before being issued resignation, and St. Paul’s and Finsbury Square will learn do with Oceans, Ice Sheet in the Square in March amid claims of street bail, he said. and Orangutans the student march as much from our articles as do visitors vandalism. But many protesters remained of last week, perhaps it is time for a who stop to pick up a copy. 12 Placard But police moved in just over optimistic: second-year Sussex A little introspection. The Occupied Times That means we have to straddle an hour later, arresting around a University sociology student Elsie CREDITS is now a familiar sight around St Paul’s many borders. We must reconcile dozen of the campers for a public told The Occupied Times the day’s every Wednesday, despite a print run of the need for open debate with the CONTRIBUTORS/ order offence - deviation from the events were a sign of things to come. Steven Maclean only 2000 copies each week. constraints of our weekly publication authorised march route. “This is a moment when people What started as an ambitious schedule. In relation to the many Martin Eiermann Occupied Times reporter Mircea are realising that even our left-wing Natalia Sanchez-Bell endeavour is starting to look like a issues discussed - sometimes very Barbu was among those arrested. parties are actually quite right-wing. legitimate newspaper, we hope, if a passionately - in the camp, we want to Rory MacKinnon Meanwhile in nearby Fetter Lane “It’s a time when people on Stacey Knott little more aesthetically radical. Like the avoid taking sides. Our shared questions police kettled around 150 striking the streets are important — not movement itself, those of us producing and individual convictions outnumber Ragnhild Freng Dale electricians from the Unite union politicians,” she said. Jake Bexx the paper have had our ups and downs. the conclusive answers we can give. And David Wearing We’ve had three changes of premises, in relation to the mainstream media, we David Robinson TeNTCITY CALENDAR FOr THe WEEK... two changes in format, and one arrest. Is want to preserve our independence as Hari & Jake it like this at the Guardian? well. We welcome outside voices and Herman Daly WEDNESDAY 16TH SUNDAY 20TH Four weeks in, we have time to attention, but we must not become part James G Rickards 12:00 – 13:00 / Personal Income 11:00 – 12:00 / Veronica chapman. sit back, look at the lessons learned, of someone else’s agenda. Prima Sikka Limits - Alan Cottey. 14:30 – 16:00 12:00 – 16:00 / Tent City University peek around the next corner and ask Many campers have written for Counterpublic / Connecting Universities and Social Drawing Class: Documents of Hope and ourselves: What is the role for this The Occupied Times or have helped with Tom Hodgkinson Movements - Tristan McCowan et al. Resistance. 14:00 – 15:00 / What is the newspaper? Even that question might a myriad of other tasks, from setting Sid Ryan 16:00 – 17:30 / The economics of crisis Impact of Capitalism on Children? be contested: Should we aspire to up our newsroom tent to the folding Harvey Bruce Lord Robert Skideslsky.