WAKE UP!! WAKE UP!! IT’S YER RIOT-WING...

Friday 19th August 2011 Free/Donation Issue 784

and fuel. More than 300,000 protesters from THE U.N.HOLY LAND different backgrounds took to the streets on AS SchNEWS TAKES AN OVERVIEW OF EVENTS IN /PALESTINE the 11th of August, with rallies in Jerusalem, Holon and Haifa, as well as Lod, Hod Ha- The machine-gunning of an Israeli bus been residing there for over a quarter of a sharon and Nazareth. and the subsequent air-raids on Gaza rep- century. 299 of the prisoners have been there This is the largest ever Israeli protest over resent another dangerous turn of the screw over 20 years. Further indignation comes from socio economic issues. It seems Israel is hav- for Palestine. Anxious to rescue themselves the ever decreasing access Palestinian prison- ing its Arab Spring, even if it’s a bit of a late from their own domestic discontents (see ers have to education; 1800 Palestinians were bloomer. On Saturday the 13th demonstrators SchNEWS 781) another border war might ready to take their June examinations but were were encouraged to head out of Jerusalem be just what the Israeli authorities want. prohibited by the prison service. and Tel Aviv to support protests across the While it’s the shocking attack on the Israe- All facets of a prisoner’s life are suppressed. rest of the country. There was a call-out for li bus that’s grabbed the headlines, the slow Many in need of health care are simply denied demos in eighteen different cities. The gov- grind of the occupation is the reality on the it. Medicine, food parcels, clothing and blan- ernment response was passive and watchful, ground. Just in the last week there have been kets often don’t seem to reach them. A spokes- and some protesters accused them of using the usual assortment of never-ending attacks, man for Wa’ed, an organisation fi ghting for delaying tactics. One spokesman told Israeli raids, air strikes and killings, to name but a the rights of prisoners said, “Israel has been press “We don’t want a group that will just few of the daily realities each Palestinian preventing family visits to 750 Gazan prisoners hold discussions over and over again for has to endure. On Friday (12th) three chil- for fi ve years now.” Last week Palestinians en months.” A tenuous promise of change in dren were injured during an anti-wall protest route to see family members detained in South- the future just doesn’t cut it any more. The in the village of al-Ma’sara, by ern Negev prison were subjected to chants of weekend protests attracted 75,000, huge in Israeli troops. The children, Abada Brijiyah, “No visits for Gilad, no visits for you” from a a country of just 6 million. 11, Osama Brijiyah, 9 and Hareth Brijiyah, group of fi fty Israelis they passed. Confrontations between hundreds of Is- 10, were assaulted with rifl e butts and batons The latest addition to the jail house is Samer raelis and police took place on the 16th as by the Israeli military as they approached Allawi, a Palestinian journalist for Al Jazeera. a 500 strong march made its way towards the site of the wall. Many others were tear Allawi was detained on Wednesday(10th) as he the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem. Inside the gassed and shot with rubber coated steel bul- was leaving the West Bank to return to his post Knesset sat the ruling elite plotting, erm... lets. In the village of Bil’in soldiers attacked in Kabul. He has not been charged. discussing the recent protests, as the protest- internationals and Israelis during the weekly The situation in the region is as dire as ers shouted “We want social justice”. The protest against the apartheid wall. Local vil- ever, yet the upper echelons in Palestine police were unable to restrain the demon- lagers have held non-violent demonstrations are pinning their hopes on gaining UN rec- stration and failed to keep it away from the every Friday for over 6 years in villages ognition for Palestinian statehood on 20th parliament. Recent polls suggest that 80% across the area. (see SchNEWS 673) September. While a Palestinian state could of all Israelis are against the policies of PM In the early hours of the 16th August Is- prove a diplomatic headache for the Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu, with 88% supporting raeli air strikes zeroed in on Zeitun, Gaza government, what would the title of ‘194th the protest movement. So far this move- City and Khan Younis respectively. The trig- member of the United Nations’ really mean ment has taken no position on the Occupa- ger for this attack was a report from an Is- for the people of Palestine? What difference tion, with mainstream peace groups standing raeli policeman claiming a rocket was fi red would it make? Israeli journalist Akiva El- back so as not to de-rail the popular uprising. into the Israeli city of Beersheba. The raid dar, writing in Ha’aretz had this to say, “This What implications it has for relations with on Zeitun resulted in three people being seri- time, too, Israel will accuse the Arabs of the Arab world remain to be seen. ously wounded. At the same time Amin Ta- unilateral steps, ignore the United Nations, lab Dabash, 38 years old, died after Israeli expand settlements in the West Bank, and UK ACTION: ROTTEN TO THE CORP. border police attacked him in East Jerusa- build more neighbourhoods for Jews in East Meanwhile back in London, pro-Pales- lem. According to one witness ‘he was killed Jerusalem.” tinian activists on Tuesday(16th) dumped deliberately’. The same day a 17 year old THE ZION SLEEPS TONIGHT rotten in the foyer of UK/US invest- Palestinian was shot down dead by Israeli ment fi rm . The fi rm has ma- Meanwhile west of the Apartheid Wall jor investments in Carmel Agrexco, Israel’s gunfi re. The teenager was killed as he drew in Israel itself a story of suppression and nearer the border with Israel, at a refugee largest exporter of agricultural produce, har- reaction is unfolding. At the beginning the vested from illegal Israeli settlements on Oc- camp in the central Gaza strip. discontent arose from the continuing rise of cupied Palestinian land. The protesters then Talks between and Israeli offi cials the cost of living and rocketing house prices have been taking place in Cairo with Egyptians as well as the 5th highest income inequality held a boisterous picket outside the Apax acting as a (sort of) impartial go between. A amongst developed countries. One in four offi ces, handing out information and chat- hoped for prisoner deal could free 1,000 Pal- Israelis lives below the poverty line (See ting to passers-by. The solidarity action was estinians held in Israeli prisons in exchange for SchNEWS 781). This month numbers of part of the ongoing boycott, divestment and one Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, held since 2006. protesters have escalated and their demands sanctions campaign to halt the Occupation. At the moment at least 6,000 Palestinians are are changing from outrage over the sky-high *for more http://electronicintifada.net/ rotting in Israeli prisons, 219 sit in detention cost of living into calls for social justice, and http://www.bigcampaign.org/ cheaper housing, education, healthcare, food with no charge. Out of the detained, 44 have PARTY & PROTEST Copyleft For events listings updated weekly see Published in Brighton since 1994 www.schnews.org.uk/pap SHOCK TACTICS CRAP JUSTICE OF THE WEEK CHILE: EDUCATION RIOTS On Tuesday (16th) evening Dale Burns, a 27 year “This was about people showing indifference Riots hit the streets of Chile again this week old from Barrow, Cumbria died after been Tasered to right and wrong, people with a twisted as demands for education reforms continue 3 times by police at his home. Police had been moral code, people with a complete absence to ignored by the centre-right government. called to a “disturbance” and apparently felt the of self-restraint.” Protesters were asking for a increased spend- need to use a Taser to arrest Dale on suspicion of Fast-forward ten years and Cameron’s words ing on schooling and a ‘free and equal’ public criminal damage. might be a better description of the judicial lynch education. Tasers, which fi re 50,000 volts into anyone mob mentality taking hold in England’s court- Chilean schools are funded on a local level, unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of rooms right now. In what seems to be a sort of meaning rich areas also have the best education them, were fi rst issued to British police in 2003, ‘shock doctrine’ approach to criminal justice, facilities, while the majority are forced to attend but only to armed units as as a ‘non’-lethal the government have decided to wage “all-out understaffed, poorly maintained and overcrowded alternative to fi rearms. Years of gradual creep war” on gangs and gang culture. If anything schools. Many of the upper-class children are sent has seen Tasers issued to more and more ordi- illustrates the ruling elite’s fear of the mob it abroad or to private schools for their education, so nary bobbies – such as those that electrocuted is this return to transportation-era justice. Five there is little appetite for reform amongst the ruling Dale – being issued with them. Hundreds of months for receiving a pair of shorts, six months elite. Another bone of contention has been that private the notoriously incompetent British Transport for stealing water, six months for nicking ice universities enjoy charitable tax status despite making Police have been equipped with Tasers since cream, four f**kng years for organising a riot on huge profi ts, which aren’t being spent on educational 2009 – so you could be in for a shock next time Facebook that never happened. This uprising had improvements as required by law. you jump the train. our masters worried (one top cop has leaked that Demonstrations around education have been Current guidance is that Tasers should only during a COBRA meeting a panicking Cameron prominent in Chile for the past few months, occa- was considering bringing in the army). be “used in the most extreme circumstances”, sionally spilling over into mass civil disobedience This wave of vicious sentencing has been co- although this is the same language that was ordinated from the top. While cops were considering with banks, government buildings and the police originally used for the now common place pepper introducing tactics, like the use of baton rounds, from taking the brunt of the anger. Last Thursday (11th) spray, and we’re not sure quite how “extreme” Northern Ireland onto the streets of the mainland the over 900 arrests in an attempt to prevent a march an arrest for criminal damage can get. In the last judiciary has taken a leaf out of the Stormont book and is taking place, on Tuesday (16th) over 100,000 decade over 250 people have died as a result of in effect introducing a form of internment. The existence people were forced to march through the side Tasers in the US alone, the last death in the UK of the directive ...sorry ‘guidance’ was revealed by the streets of Santiago as they were banned from us- was in 2006, though as recent as July Met police chair of the bench at Camberwell Green Magistrates ing the main avenues. Later in the day protesters hospitalised an 82 year old by Tasering him. Court, Novello Noades,as she sentenced one man to six threw paint, bricks and street furniture at police, The IPCC investigation following Dale’s months in prison. Don’t forget that most of those headed who returned fi re with water-cannon and tear gas. death is unlikely to have much effect on the for custody now are actually on remand – an astounding By the time the dust settled there were 273 arrests increasingly tooled-up nature of British cops so two thirds of all defendants have been remanded. and 23 injured cops. maybe it time to integrate a Faraday cage into Cruder weapons are set to be deployed The government has refused to hold a your black bloc clobber? as the principle of ‘collective punishment’ is referendum on education reforms as they feel used. Tory-controlled Wandsworth council is it would be “dangerous”. Ever increasing GETTING THE HUMPBACK trying to evict a family because one member privatisation of education and spending cuts has been accused of involvement. “We wanted in the UK should fuel similar protests on this It looks like all the blood, sweat and tears to get the ball rolling,” said the council, nodding side of the Atlantic. in the icy Antarctic seas have paid off for in the direction of the old fashioned ‘innocent Sea Shepherd, the direct action anti-whal- ‘til proven guilty’ schtick by saying “If he is EDL: YOU CAN NEVER TELFORD acquitted we will end our eviction proceedings”. ing group. Some Japanese offi cials are It was another piss-poor effort for the EDL this Wandsworth Council and others have promised looking for ways to end the annual ‘scien- wide application of these powers. week as around 250 of them showed up in Telford tifi c’ whaling expeditions in the Southern Today 25 protesters gathered outside the on Saturday to face off with a similar sized crowd Ocean. A senior member of a government house of Ravi Govindia, head of Wandsworth of anti-fascists. Unfortunately for the League of review panel set up to advise options after Council, shouting “Evict the Tories – not decidedly ordinary gentlemen they squandered the last years ‘disastrous’ season (thanks to the poor”. One arrest was made. For more opportunity last week to pose as the defenders of Sea Shepherd, whalers returned with only http://noriotevictions.wordpress.com civilisation from unbridled looting (see SchNEWS a fi fth of their allocated quota of 1000 Prison support groups are being set up 783) by having a riot of their own. Cameron knew around the country alongside the Anarchist he was on safe ground with Middle England when whales) has raised the stakes by openly Black Cross. Currently nearly 2000 have been he condemned them as ‘sick’. So the EDL are calling for a halt. nicked following the riots – with no doubt back to having their marches banned, no more Japanese consumer advocate Hisa Anan many more to follow as cops trawl through town centre parades, just hanging around, pissed rejected any scientifi c need to kill whales. “Re- the CCTV. up, in a police kettle on the outskirts of town. A search whaling has been conducted for more than * http://bristolabc.wordpress.com/de- heavy police presence kept the two demos apart 20 years now, I think they’ve gathered enough fendant-solidarity/ but forty arrests were made after a post-match scientifi c data and even if they want more, they punch-up in Morrison’s car park. Arrests were can conduct non-lethal research.’’ OXFORD ANTI-SOCIAL made on both sides. Unfortunately Ms Anan is in a minority Of course this amounted to a dress rehearsal on the all-important Fisheries Panel and A new social centre opened its doors this week in for this year’s big one – the EDL’s attempt to despite losses of £25 million last year – the Oxford. The building, a squatted warehouse on march through Tower Hamlets on September Japanese authorities may authorise another Randolph Street, is still in the early stages with 3rd. Watch this space. throw of the dice. occupants calling for interested people to come get *brightonantifascists.wordpress.com, Paul Watson has confi rmed that all three of stuck in everyday between 5-7pm with meetings http://malatesta32.wordpress.com the group’s ships would be positioned in Sydney following at 8pm. Despite the owners showing no and Fremantle in October. “We are also looking intention to use the property, court papers arrived ...and fi nally... for a fourth ship,” he said “if they return we will on Wednesday with a hearing set for next Thurs- The winner (and only entrant) of this weeks be ready to engage them again.’’ day (25th). Undeterred the space will be holding intra-offi ce riot haiku competition: Meanwhile Sea Shepherd activists are read- a big work day this Saturday (20th) followed by Nike trainers on ying themselves to disrupt the annual bloodlet- a community meal on Sunday. Is it time to kick it off? ting of the Grind – the Faroese slaughter of Pilot For updates keep an eye on http://oxford. NO says Cameron. whales in Operation Ferocious Isles. indymedia.org.uk or, better yet, get yer arse Disclaimer down there. SchNEWS advises all readers, it’s time to unfriend Facebook. * www.seashepherd.org Honest. 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