WAKE UP!! IT’S YER DIGGING FOR VICTORY..

Friday 23th April 2010 Free/Donation Issue 719 owned by drinks giant Guinness. This camp was however plagued by problems caused GIVING THE GREEN FINGER by the more fringe members of society fl ocking to the ‘autonomous safe space’, AS GUERILLA GARDENERS SET UP AN ECO-VILLAGE IN BRISTOL... resulting in personality clashes and confl icts and a fl ourishing garden, then leave it for the of interest caused by - to quote SchNEWS local community to enjoy before moving on from back in the day - “people not willing, to another piece of derelict land which needs or able, to take responsibility for their own regeneration. The camp invites all visitors to actions”. Luckily this does not seem to be come for the day or to stay for longer - so grab an issue facing the recent eco-villages. your tools and gardening gloves and get down The action of unused land based to help green-up an urban wasteland. on principals of harmony with the land and FIRST IN THE KEW equality goes back further to before anyone had even come up with the genius idea of ab- The Bristol project was inspired by green- breviating ecology into a soundbite, and when fi ngered activists in who set up an villages had composting loos as standard. The eco-village at Kew Bridge in June 2009 (See movement from 1649, a network of Bristol eco-village set up camp this week SchNEWS 677, 679, 682). This provided an communes which reclaimed land after the with huge support from local people and example of post-peak oil, sustainable, urban English Civil War, has been heralded as the activists from all around the country. The living created from capitalist society’s waste prime inspiration for all of these modern day off-grid, urban community kicked off last - creating a thriving community space which actions. Following the execution of Charles I, Saturday (17th) on a patch of waste land in is still going strong nearly a year later. the Diggers started in protest against the treat- St Werburghs - previously notorious for fl y The two hectare site had been unoccupied ment of the common people who had fought tipping, arson attacks and hard drug users. for 23 years after failed development plans and died for a supposedly more egalitarian The ‘swoop’ to take the land started with for an eight storey block of fl ats were con- parliamentary system, while the MPs lived activists forming a walking block and cycle tinuously rejected at the planning stage. The in luxurious comfort (sound familiar..?). The block, trailed by an obligatory police pres- land has been left alone by the landowners, network however was quickly squashed by ence. After a wild goose chase to lose the cops who have not tried to evict the occupants, the military who went round smashing up all (who eventually got bored and wandered off), and by managing to keep the local residents the settlements (ditto). both teams took the site at about midday. and police sweet, the camp is now a hub of To get involved in this ground-up move- The fi rst day was spent clearing the site community interaction. There is a packed ment, go and visit for a workshop or a chat, of rubbish, yielding a plethora of waste weekly itinerary of workshops including or even better, start one up yourself in a building materials which have been put to , cookery and art, wild food neglected spot near you. walks around the local area, public meetings good use with tyre walls for an earthship * The Bristol Eco-Village is on land between and guided tour open days. The site is also being constructed, two composting loos on the M32 and Saxon Rd, Bristol, BS2 9SH a launch pad for protest with people getting the go and recycling facilities sorted. - for map see http://wtp2.appspot.com/wher- involved with demos like the anti-Counter St. Werburghs is known for being a ‘green’ esthepath.htm?lat=51.469250...oz=10%3E. Terror Expo action (See SchNEWS 718), part of Bristol with a city farm and a number For more info and contact details see the and the village is closed on Mondays as the of self-build eco-houses nearby, so the neigh- Facebook group: Bristol Eco Village - the occupants go and demo outside the MOD bours to the site have responded with gusto. Urban Centre for Alternative Technology. and ‘emanate love’ to promote peace. Residents have donated tools, a grey water * The Kew Bridge site is at 2 Kew Bridge system and polytunnel, as well as plants and With 30 permanent residents, nine of whom are original crew from the swoop at Road, Brentford, TW8 0JF, site mob seedlings, which were planted with help from 07967864370 see Kew Bridge Eco Village! the kids from the primary school opposite. the site, they also welcome visitors with a custom built guest house if you want to stay on Facebook and http://kewbridgeecovil- Police have reacted positively to the squat lage.wordpress.com. and offered their support to help prevent (though call fi rst to check if there’s space), and encourage all to come and help with * There are currently two other occupied a planned illegal eviction on Wednesday community gardens, both of which were (21st). Bailiffs had turned up the day before the community vegetable and herb garden or just chill out. toxic, disused petrol station sites, and are and served occupants with an eviction notice now thriving gardens and community spaces: (after which a fi re was mysteriously started in DIGGING DEEP The Lewes Road Community Garden the corner of the site), and a call out went out The eco-village phenomena is not a new in Brighton has been an oasis of green on for people to help protect the village. After concept, with a six-month long community a grinding high street since last May (See a good turnout of supporters, the bailiffs set up in 1996 (See SchNEWS 73, 95) by a SchNEWS 680) www.lewesroadcommunit- didn’t show, having been served notice that collective called Pure Genius, who occupied ygarden.org, see also Facebook group of the the eviction would be illegal under common a site in Wandsworth before being evicted to same name. In East Oxford, the Barracks and criminal law. Another attempt to evict is make way for a supermarket and fl ats (who Lane Community Garden has been running expected soon, so campers are urging people says nothing changes...). The land there had since 2007, with regular events see www. to continue to respond to call-outs. previously been empty for six years and was barrackslanegarden.org.uk One camper told SchNEWS that the col- Copyleft lective plans to set up the site with buildings Published in Brighton since 1994 CRACKDOWN AFTER DEATH IN DETENTION CENTRE THE FULL ENGLISH Asylum seekers in Oakington Detention Centre arbitrary arrests, including the detainees closest Back in SchNEWS’s local haunt, Brighton, have reported that protests over the cover-up of the to the dead man. They now can’t be contacted. March For England plans to demonstrate through death of a Kenyan man caused riot police to descend A number of those arrested were sent to prison in the city’s streets on St. George’s Day, this Sunday on the centre and make 60 arrests and removals. Birmingham. The sister of one of the men was told (25th). Meeting at 11.30 they plan to march to Detainees managed to contact Cambridge Mi- by his lawyer, who had been in touch with immi- the King and Queen pub on Marlborough Place. grant Solidarity following a solidarity demo on gration offi cials, that he and the others were in pris- Matters are somewhat confused at the moment Sunday (18th). They claimed on April 15th de- on because “there is nowhere else for them to go” - last years march was a fl ag-waving jamboree tention centre staff denied the Kenyan medical and they were there “just to calm the situation”. with a few racist remarks hurled at passers by. treatment and even turned away an ambulance Many of those still inside the centre say they have It was ignored by nearly everyone. The March called by the inmates. Trouble fl ared when the been handed the dates for their deportation. The for England does have links to the EDL on their detainees tried to prevent the removal of his ‘removal directions’ have been issued despite on- website (and they haven’t got a long list of links). body, fearful of a cover-up. going legal cases. So far so - unpleasant. In the confrontation that followed, police made * See www.ncadc.org.uk However this time round Unite Against Fas- cism have announced a counter demo, claiming that the English Defence League are on their way TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS SEIG HEIL-LYWOOD to the City-by-Sea. They’re holding a ‘celebration Migrant rights campaigners will take to the On Saturday (17th) members of NSM (National of unity’ opposite the pub from 10 am onwards. streets this afternoon to protest the collusion be- Socialist Movement) from Detroit rallied outside The EDL meanwhile have expressed surprise that tween a cleaning company and the UK Border the City Hall of Los Angeles due to the city’s they’re supposed to be in Brighton this weekend - Agency (UKBA). large population of migrants. The 50 strong fas- but some have now announced that they’re going Lancaster Cleaning Services, having recently cist group encountered hundreds of counter pro- to turn up because of the counter-demo. taken over the contract for the London branch of testers across police lines in a heated stand off Local anti-fascists are urging people “To be in town, be on the ball and see how the situation Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), provided the that resulted in several arrests, hurled projectiles develops”. UKBA with information on a worker who had and LA’s fi nest in riot gear. just left the company. The UKBA acted on the The nationalistic dregs clasped American fl ags information by raiding his house and detaining and swastika banners while emitting shouts of PUT YER BACTON INTO IT the man in an unknown location. “Sieg Heil!”. They were shouted down by such In solidarity with the ongoing resistance of cam- It’s not the fi rst time cleaning companies who rely epics as “Hey hey, ho ho, Nazi scum have got to paign group Shell to Sea (see SchNEWS 716) to a gas pipeline in Rossport, Eire, activists block- on migrant labour have used the UKBA as a tool go!” from the 500 protesters. Events reached boil- aded a similar facility on the Norfolk coast. Bac- against their workers. Migrant cleaners attempting ing point as the anti-fascist protesters fought a man ton gas terminal is the largest of its kind in the to organise for their rights have been targeted for inked in Nazi insignia and another fascist sym- UK, pumping gas from the North Sea into Britain deportation at the University of SOAS (See Sch- pathiser. There were a total of fi ve arrests. As the and mainland Europe. NEWS 680) and cleaning fi rm Mitie/Willis. protest was wrapping up, the counter protesters left Protesters laid across the access road to the Many of the workers were members of union the Nazis with departing mementos, hurling rocks, Shell owned terminal locked into steel arm tubes. UNITE, who have accused campaigners high- branches and other keepsakes over the police line. They closed the road to traffi c for 7 hours, un- lighting the issue of “frightening people off from The confrontation followed a number of recent til they were removed by police. Seven of the union membership and activity”. street marches across the USA calling for reform campaigners were arrested for obstruction of a The protest will take place at 5pm, outside of legislation to include amnesty for some ille- highway and three have been ordered to appear UBS, 100 Liverpool Street, London. gal immigrants. NSM regional director Jeffrey at court at a later date. * See www.thecommune.wordpress.com Russell has warned that the group plans to back The action on Wednesday (17th) was one of any political candidate that supports their anti- more than 150 protests worldwide being co-ordi- QULLA SURPRISE immigrant message. nated by global environmental action group, Ris- Indigenous Bolivians stormed the site of a Japa- * See http://la.indymedia.org ing Tide, for a day of Fossil Fuels demonstrations. nese mining company last week and are occupy- * For more on the demo see www.indymedia. ing the offi ces in protest against environmental PARTY & PROTEST ie/article/96387 abuse and the exploitation of communities. For events listings updated weekly see * Also www.shelltosea.com & www.risingtide. On April 12, seven hundred Qulla people www.schnews.org.uk/pap org.uk blockaded a key road and rail routes to the silver- zinc mine, owned by the Sumitomo Corporation. ing you a bit now mate.... Before winding up with On the 16th they occupied the offi ces, setting the ...and fi nally... claiming that homosexuality is also an egg-stra site on fi re and overturning containers fi lled with Evo Morales, idiosyncratic leader of Bolivia, result of this fowl diet: “The chicken that we eat mineral ore awaiting export. what a guy! Well, sort of, nearly. Er, but.... is chock-full of feminine hormones. So, when The Qulla claim Sumitomo is dumping toxic Speaking at the fi rst Worldwide Peoples’ men eat these chickens, they deviate from them- waste into the Madera River, contaminating their Conference on Climate Change and Mother selves as men.” Er, hang on, surely homosexual- water supply and land. They are demanding an end Earth, he was hitting all the right notes, observ- ity slightly pre-dates Kentucky Fried Chicken? to the environmental degradation and calling for ing: “Mankind is facing the choice of either con- Oh dear, we thinketh Evo doth protest too more investment in their impoverished community. tinuing along the path of capitalism and death or much; and the aggressive view just refl ects his A spokeperson for the protesters said, “Our to take the path of harmony with nature and re- own self loathing for lacking the courage to demands are fair and must be met. The mine is spect for life so as to save mankind.” Right on! come out of the closet. (© all psychologists) ransacking our natural resources. We want com- He claimed the richest countries of the world Well, never fear, SchNEWS can help there... pensation for the damage and… we want help owe a debt to the rest of the planet because the with our development.” “atmospheric space” is “fi lled with the emis- With Bolivian President Evo Morales busy es- sion of winter-effect gases” and called for in- pousing half baked theories on the roots of homo- ternational borders to be lifted to allow free mi- gration for the coming environmental refugees. sexuality to those assembled for the alternative We’re with you Evo, sock it to ‘em! He followed climate summit the World Conference on Climate on to sing the praises of local Bolivian foods Change and Mother Earth (see And Finally...), the and folk medicines. OK, we can forgive a bit of government has yet to offi cially respond. The Bo- playing to the home crowd... livian Deputy Minister of Environment, Juan Pablo But then... “Baldness appears to be a normal Ramos, said it wasn’t their intention to circumvent disease in Europe, almost all of them are bald, the discussion, but the world conference was not and that is because of the things they eat; while the appropriate setting because it would be focused among the indigenous peoples there are no bald on global issues. Demands from the Qulla for their people, because we eat other things.” Erm, los- own table at the conference have been refused. * See earthfi rst.org.uk/actionreports/node/23876 Disclaimer SchNEWS warns all readers, keep your hair on, only eat organic Bolivian. Honest. Get SchNEWS free every week by email in pdf or text fi le - visit our site, or send us stamps and we'll post it to you. Copy and distribute! Keep SchNEWS free with do na tions (via website or cheques payable to Justice?). Posted free to all prisoners. 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