No. 8 Autum n '94 Magazine for Assorted Itinerants A ct Up • Exodus - Jah in Luton • Exclusive - Land Ownership • Criminal Justice Act-ors • Illegal Cities of the World Contents Act up 3. The State it’s In 23. The Jewel in the Mud Award the polical scenario words of wisdom in times of crisis 5. News Shorts 24. D IY in the Sticks and other busy ness new paths in the country 12 Actors of Parliament 26. G et on your L and situation comedy land ownership in Britain 14. News of the Skews 28. You've been Quango'd the British media and the second CJB rally housing associations are big business 16. Consultation Exorcise 30. Westmaladminister what the police say the gerrymanders of Westminster 17. The Trouble with Words 34. International Squatters lip-service from the D oE illegal cities and pirate urbanisation 18. R oad W ars 38. In T h e N e t nationwide road protests information revolution 20. The Triumph of Love Over Pain 40. Introducing Exodus the answer is alwaysyes the battles, the raves, the regeneration 22. Hackneyed Hypocrisy 53. L etters hot air in the city 54. C ontacts INFORMATION IS YOUR WEAPON The fundamental agent of change independent, affiliated to no autonomy must be made by Mailing List in this society is education. When organisations and having no individuals themselves: no-one people become aware o f the political backing, we are free to will do this for us. We are To receive SQUALL mechanisms of our present do this. responsible for our own society and its inherent hypocrisy ignorance; we are all ignorant - it’s regularly, subscribe to our they will be empowered to work No Flag, Badge or curable. mailing list. As a guide, £2 per towards a better society. Only Religion. Squall’s power comes copy will cover costs. Much when people become aware of from our awareness of, and active of SQUALL goes out for free their own prejudices will they Squall's priorities lie in involvement in, the issues (not or a donation to those who the disappearing concepts of observers out for a commission) become empowered to effectively cannot afford it. If you can demand a prejudice-free world. justice, tolerance and peace. It and the respect we obtain from To this end, information stands for the eradication o f fear, our readers and contributors. afford to send in an extra should be accessible to all and, ignorance and prejudice - This magazine needs donation to keep SQUALL more than that, should be free ultimately the levers that are used money - it has to be said. Every operating this way please do from the propaganda inherent in and abused by those who desire issue we go into debt and spend so - we do not survive from an increasingly corrupt media, control. We are not reactionary the following months begging. If subscriptions alone but also driven to distraction by market nor are we radical: simply you like what we're doing and can on benefits and larger forces. common-sense people who live help us - please get in contact. donations from individual Squall is concerned to the issues we write about and In Peace and Sedition, redress the false stereotypes cannot believe the state that 20th The Eds. readers. created and used by the media century western-derived politics If you are one of those and Government for the aims of: is in. who cannot afford to subscribe a) selling units / making money The whole structure of to the magazine simply send Cover Pic: Operation Snapshot b) consolidating the power base society needs a serious overhaul an A4 SAE with about 50p in monitoring events at the Mass o f the establishment but change must come from stamps and you will receive a c) forcing political agendas for community. We need Trespass on Twyford Down in the purposes o f a) and b). empowerment, and the first steps July o f this year. Photo: ^ copy. All cheques and POs Being politically towards greater responsibility and payable to: Much respect & without whom: Photography: SQUALL Andrea Latham, ASS, Tony Allen, Tim M, Laney Smith, N ikki All pictures Spawls, Rosy, Ben Schneider, Debbie A llen, Jim Paton, Sicco, Steve c /o 2 St Paul’s Rd, Kennedy, Zoe, Ruby, Chloe Ronaldson, Kes, Tribal Energy, C H A R London N12QN and Tinker. by Nick Cobbing. Written & Produced by CoMotion. Printed on recycled paper. Open copyright for non-profit making use only. The state it's in Travels in a political Arena he Criminal Justice Bill is House of Lords is often reluctant implementable shortly after the about to resume its to force obstructions to Bill becomes an act, via a statutory passage through government legislation with instrument from the Home parliament after a long excessive vigour; aware that its Secretary. Tsummer recess. The Home constitutional power is a weak one. It is important to remember Secretary, Michael Howard, had The fact that the Government have that the public order sections of the hoped to walk into the Tory Party booked only four weeks to finish CJB put the onus of enactment on conference in early October, the bill off, is a testament to their the police. Implementation of the trumpeting the imposition of the confidence that any opposition will Bill, therefore, is initially likely to CJB as law. He was thwarted be easily overcome. As a result it be the subject of regional however, by unexpected looks likely that the CJB will variation. For instance, a Chief amendments to the Bill voted for become an act before the Houses Inspector in the Bedfordshire by the House of Lords before the of Parliament rises again, two Police force has said that he wants recess. These amendments to the weeks before the Queen’s speech to avoid using the Bill (see clauses on penal institutions for on November 16th. 'Exodus, the battles' - page 42 & young offenders, criminal injuries Most of the public order 'Consultation Exorcise' - page 16). compensation and the removal of sections of the Bill will become Parliamentary opposition to local authority duty to provide law immediately upon the seal of the Bill has basically consisted of a caravan sites for gypsys, will be royal assent. These include clauses few principled back-benchers and the subject of further Commons’ 56 (trespass), 58 (banning raves), concerned peers, fighting the cause debate commencing on 19/20th of 60 (travelling to raves), 63 of civil liberties. The Labour Party October. (protesters’ trespass), 64 (removal executive failed to lend any Parliament sits again in of protesters), 65 (trespassory support to their own MP’s over the October for a four week period in assemblies), 66 (sanctions against Bill, with the Lords’ amendments order to finish off last year's attendance of assembly), 72 proving to be the only fruits of a legislative programme. This (sanctions against camping), 73/4 very weak parliamentary includes the Deregulation Bill and (removal of campers) and 75 opposition. As such, this period of the Scottish Local Government (repeal of local authority duty British political history will go Bill, as well as the amended towards gypsys). down as a triumph of media­ clauses of the CJB. Besides the The clauses imposing pandering over social concern. The specific Lords’ amendments, the criminal sanctions against mental and physical welfare of CJB has been passed by both squatters require changes to the people, particularly those who houses and will not be the subject rules of court, determined and have not fared well in economic of further parliamentary debate issued by the Lord Chancellor’s Britain, is an issue that is the before becoming an act. Department. The nature of these subject of much lip-service but When the Bill goes back to changes is still the subject of the seemingly little genuine political the Commons in October, it is second of two consultation papers interest. unlikely that the Government will and their final draft is not due until Traditionally, Conservative simply accept the amendments to next February. This means that government has represented the the Bill, particularly the one Interim Possession Orders and ex- economic face of Britain, whilst delaying the repeal of the Caravan parte court procedures cannot be Labour have championed social Sites Act until 1999. If the implemented against squatters affairs. Whilst it is important to Government do not accept the until at least February. However, have both sides represented, the amendments, they will send the the nightmare clauses allowing balance has tipped alarmingly Bill back to the Lords. In theory, violent entry against occupants of toward personal, profit-motivated this yo-yoing could go on property do not depend on these politics. Whilst Tony Blair may indefinitely but, in reality, the court rule changes and will be describe himself as a Christian- Continued The State It’s in socialist, both the Christian and the NEW NINE-WORD ‘RIGHT TO politics is swinging further away socialist part of that definition from the reality of need. seem vestigial to his aspirations. SILENCE’ CAUTION IN FULL The quality of life for the The nipple without the milk. It was increasing number of people undoubtedly his decision that led ‘forced out’ by current politics will the Labour Party to officially depend on how much the voice of abstain in the vote on the Criminal British people render the political Justice Bill. chess players redundant. Beggars, At a press conference held single mothers, squatters, recently in the Houses of travellers, homeless people, youth Parliament, back-bench MP Peter and the unemployed are all pawns Hain (Lab.