Counter Information #42 March 1995
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social struggles, such as claim- EVICTED - BUT ants’ resistance and opposi- tion to the M77. THE CENTRE We're still battling to re- open Broughton Street. 200 LIVES ON! demonstrated outside the A Centre activist reports: closed Centre on 10 Decem- 70 POLICE forcibly ended our ber. Ont Februarythe drum- tJ\\ 6 month occupation of ming at our demo drowned out Edinburgh’s Broughton St. the Council meeting! Both Centre on 1 December, demos were called without C‘ 1§\‘\tll\’ arresting 21 people. 80 people permission, in defiance of the l resisted the surprise eviction Criminal justice Act. Ni‘(mt for 8 hours. Labourcontrolled The struggle for self-man- Lothian Region were aged community spaces is an determined to shut a self- important part of the struggle managed community centre foraself-managedworldl Viva involved in direct action Ia Centre! struggles. The Centre is in the basement ofthe St Ten Yearsof Counter Information 1984 -94 But the Centre lives on! We Stephen Centre, St Stephen St (enter by lane at left of building). Open Mon March/April/May 1995 No.42 Free/Donation immediately found new tempo- - Friday 12 - 4 pm, meetings Tues rary premises, and continue to 6.30pm. tel 0131557 5846. Mail to give advice and solidarity on ben- The Centre, c/0 Peace & Justice, St Johns, Princes St, Edinburgh. Sup- efits and poll/council tax has- port eviction defendants -meet 9.30am sles, and to act as a base for Sheriff Court, Chambers St. 17 May. OVER the last 6 months, it site on Nov.7th. 400 Anti-CJA Centre supporters resist eviction in Edinburgh on 1 Dec.. ( Photo Crat'gMacLean) has been impossible to avoid people invaded the grounds of the angry reaction to the Michael Howard’s (Home Criminal Justice/Public Secretary) mansion in Lympe, Order bills, now Acts in Kent. England, Wales & Scotland. In October & November, illegal Enraged by being targeted evening demonstrations erupted forincreasedpoliceharassment in Glasgow. Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee complete with sound & the removal ofso-called civil systems and attitude. Faced with liberties, “kill the bill” and 4.000 in Glasgow defying the Act. now “defy the act“ has become the police tried to charge two theburningissueforthousands organisers. A ‘spontaneous’ demo ofpeople. Previouslyseparate. of 150 through the Glasgow city marginal groups. with some centre a couple of days later anxiety and dread, united in marched to the Police station and action and illegal demos to declared “Charge one, charge us oppose the CJA. all”. Down south, numerous Early defiance included the actions took place, for example in shifted to the community opposition house roof of a hated Tory MP. opening of collective squats in Leicester and Hackney, where a to the live export of animals. In The persecution of hunt sabs a disused Cinema in Oxford, riot took place outside the town previously sleepy Shoreham in continued with two in Kent up on NHS trust building in Rugby. hall. Elsewhere, 4,000 Sussex, 80 arrests were made of local ‘aggravated trespass’ charges. disused Church Hall in demonstrated in leafy North people trying to stop the export of Further trespasses took place in Swansea and old Courthouse Devon,20 occupied a Dundee veal calves.ln police operations Edinburgh, when 6 were charged Court to protest against trials of costed at £8 million, similar angry near Rifkind’s (Defence in Brighton, all evicted after community responses took place in Secretary) residence as 200 police violent police assault. activists and the Labour Council denounced a “rent-a-mob” who Coventry, Swansea, Plymouth and provoked the 150 activists. A MUSHROOMING Brightlingsea in Essex. Hundreds of larger action took place atWindsor By September ‘94, actions disrupted their conupt business. BALL BLOOTERED brave protesters were injured and Castle with 20 arrests after clashes had mushroomed, with the By December, resistance was tragically Jill Phipps was killed by a with 500 cops. Within 4 months, huge Hyde Park Demo that widespread. In Cheltenham, 300 lorry at Coventry airport. 100 activists, mainly Hunt Sabs ended in a pitch battle when who picketed a Fox-Hunting Ball Back in Scotland, 700 marched had been charged under the CJA. cops tried to prevent the were attacked by police. A mass in a Coalition demo to the Scottish At present, opposition is movement of a sound system. trespass in Ayrshire to a Tory Office on 21st Jan..The next week, united against the new powers for Ten days after there was a Huntmaster’s mansion after-1 sabs thugs in uniform broke up a demo in the State and with the ‘official’ Maidstone, Kent, leading to 33 opposition such as Labour & the vociferous angry lobby of became the first charged under arrests. Among many charges against Union leaders on the sidelines, a Parliament. The week the Scottish CJA; there were 6 arrests in Chelmsford after a pro- activists, 3 in Bristol were charged possibility exists for huge numbers following, some weird fluffies with aggravated trespass after anti- of people to be involved in direct tried to levitate Parliament, and sacked busworker’s rally was chargedby police during a sitdown Wimpey solidarity actions action. Many people still aren’t following anarchist skirmishes protest; a confrontation took place TANKED UP aware of the new powers to stop with the cops made the earth in Stoke between 150 Defiance Using imagination, an old walking in the countryside or pursuing industrial action. With move. Alliance activists and Labour MPs centurion tank was driven into After the passing of one of protected by Police; 700 tried to Downing St. and other early February festivals, raves etc. likely from the Acts on November 4th, invade Chequers, the country actions included youths from the the Spring, expect opposition to protesters scaled on to Parliament’ s retreat of Prime Minister Major; ‘Salford Firm’ turning up in force at Britain’s police state to grow in roof, and the first charges under 2000 in Bristol and 400 in a Manchester demo, plus marches in confidence and intensity. News on resistance to the Criminal t.he Act were used on Earth First Liverpool marched illegally, while Loughborough and in Birmingham. activists, including a 51 year old where 3,000 mobilised. In Newcastle, Justice Act from the weekly news- a street presence took place in sheet SCI-INEWS, c/0 on-the fiddle, woman, in Manchester who had Sheffield and Manchester. six riotvans, ahelicopter and mounted cops greeted a peaceful (decoy) demo. PO Box 2600, Brighton. 01273 taken over a Crane on a Wimpey By early January. the focus 685913. Meanwhile, 70 activists occupied the Freefestival, Hyde Park, J1/12 June. Sara Thornton .' -.-- l Unjust Desserts Act Locl 'I‘I'I'I‘I'I'I'I'I'I'I'I‘-I 1‘-".1...-.l.I.l .g.I.I.lI'II_I.I.I.I.I_I.I.I.I.I‘I-I.I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I_o.o‘I.-I.I.I_I_I.I_I_II I'I'I'I I'I'I I I I I I I I I -I'I I I 0': I I I I I'I'I'I'~'I'I'II‘l.l‘l.\'l.I.I.I~ I'I I I I‘II‘I'I-'I'I IN OCTOBER 1994 Sara -I-.-.-.-.-.-I-.~.-.'.-.-I-I-I'I-I'I‘.‘I'I'I'.'.'I-I'.'.'.'I'.-.~.-I‘I-I'I'I'.'I'.'I-I-I'I-'I'.'.'.'I"I°I-I'I‘!-.'.'_- IIIIIIIIIIIIIIInIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IN JANUARY 8 Scottish prison- I'I‘I‘I‘I'I‘I'I'I'I‘,‘I'I'I'I'I"I‘I'I‘I'I'I‘I'I‘I'I'I‘I‘I'I'I'I'I'I°I'I“I'I'I'I'I'I'I'I'I'I'I‘I"I'I'I°I'I'~'I'I"I'I'I I I I I I_I I I_I I I .‘l.I u_I I_ _ I I‘I-I I_I-I'I. I '.' I‘ I‘I ‘I 'I‘I‘I‘I Thornton, jailed for killing her IIIIIIII II.I III IIIII IIIIIIII IIIIIllII.l III. III IIII-III 'I‘I‘I‘I ‘I |'I ' ' I I'I'I"I‘I ‘I'I I'I I I I I I I'I‘. ers (or more) went on hunger 'I'I‘I‘- I I'I‘ I'I'I'I'I 'I'I'I'I'I I‘ ' ' 'I‘I‘I‘I I'I‘I‘I'II_I I'II. .lI‘ I‘I'II II _I.I'I'I‘I‘I-I 'I'I'I‘I'Il- -II‘ ‘I I _I‘I_II‘ "<'I MASH THE MAC! 3 husband after suffering years of I I I ~ I I I ~‘I -‘ IIIIIIe‘¢nIIII'IIII'I I II'I'I'-InnaIIII'IIIIII-I'I‘IIIIIIIIIo‘I'I‘I‘ _IIIIIIIIIIIII-IIII-IIIIIIIIQI-|IoIIIIIIIIIIaIuII-IIIIIIIIIIIII-_-_- I-Q_I_I-O I_- I_I'I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I I O I'D I I'I I-I-I'I l‘l.l.l I I I I I I I I-I-I.I.I \-I I I strike in support of the Glasgow I'I I I'I I I I -‘I I'I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I'I‘-I'I I‘I'I I'I I I I'I I I I'I'I‘I‘I'I‘I‘I'I I I I I'I I'I'I' MCDONALDS are suing Dave 'I'I‘I‘I‘I‘I'I'I‘I'I‘I'I‘I'I'I‘I‘I'I‘-‘I'I‘I‘I“I'I'I'I'¢'I'I‘I'I'I'I'I'I‘I'I'I‘I'I‘I'I‘I'I'I'I'I'I'I'I‘-'I‘I'I‘I‘I‘I‘IIIII I IIIIIIIIIIIIIII I I III I II III I I I abuse from him, came off a 40 ._.‘._._._...‘._._I I I I I'I I'I I I I.I.I.I.I I._.I I I.I.I._.I I'I°III'I'I°I‘I'II .