T h e n e w s l e t t e r o f H a r i n g e y S o l i d a r i t y G r o u p w w w . h a r i n g e y . o r g . u k Spring 2005 FREE Issue No. 7 “The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” Steve Biko (1946-77) South African anti-apartheid activist Stop Big Brother ID cards THE GOVERNMENT is try- ing to rush the Identity Cards WHAT YOU CAN DO... Bill through parliament before people have a chance to realise help with distribution of what has hit them. It could be leaflets passed early this year unless display a poster in your there is a visible increase in window opposition. If passed it will bring in a sign the pledge to range of new offences, requir- refuse to co-operate if ing everyone over 16 (other ID cards are brought in than people on a short stay write letters opposing visa) to attend appointments to the scheme to local and have their fingerprints, photo- national papers, your graph and iris scans taken and union, or anyone else have all their details logged £3.1bn to £5.5bn - money that stalls and organised door to you can think of into a new government com- would be better spent on pro- door leafletting. If you can puter database. Anyone not viding decent healthcare for help in any way, or would like join protests against ID complying faces penalties of all. to be kept informed please get cards up to £2500. There’s also a The government have in touch with HAID. set up groups in your £1000 penalty if you don’t repeatedly tried to prevent any Defeating the ID cards bill workplace, street, keep your details updated and public debate about ID cards now will save a lot of hassle school or college notify the government every by saying ‘if you’ve got noth- later! time you move house. ing to hide, you’ve got nothing Your details will be avail- to fear’, implying that anyone Haringey Against ID Cards meets on the 2nd Saturday of able to the Immigration opposing ID cards must be up every month 3-5pm at Wood Green Library, High Rd, N22 Service, Police, Tax and to no good. Yet the and the last Thursday of every month, 7.30pm at Tottenham Benefits offices, and also to Government has banned the Green Leisure Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, N15. “providers of public services release of legal advice it was Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings. and private sector organisa- given on whether the ID card tions” (e.g. employers, banks, scheme will invade people’s CONTACT credit reference agencies, util- privacy or human rights. } HAID c/o PO Box 2474, London N8 ities companies). And those Clearly they DO have some- [email protected] organisations can be required thing to hide. § 020 8374 5027 to supply information about We should always resist any you for the government data- government attempts to collect For more info see: base. We will pay for the more information on us as it www.haringey.org.uk/ID.html cards, yet they won’t entitle us will be used against our inter- www.defyid.org.uk to anything we’re not entitled ests. Once all your personal www.no2id.net to already. data has been collated there’s You can read the ID cards bill (and associated reports) at: The Government is already no going back. Even if you www.homeoffice.gov.uk/comrace/identitycards/ employing more than 80 peo- trust this government, can you ple to develop the scheme be sure you can trust all future even though the bill has not ones? GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES? become law yet. This Opposition to the ID card includes 40 consultants from scheme has been growing £50 million – the money pledged by the British government PA Consulting, who were throughout the country. In to the Tsunami affected areas (as at 5th January 2005). awarded a contract worth Tottenham a packed public approx £10 million to help meeting in September agreed £6 billion – the money the British government has spent on develop and implement ID to set up Haringey Against ID the Iraqi war and occupation. cards. Expected costs for cards (HAID). Since then the the introduction of ID cards group has met regularly, pro- £50million is the same amount as the UK spends every five have already risen from duced leaflets & posters, held and a half days on the war Resisting the ALMOst privatisation MUMS STORM of council housing SCHOOL’S KITCHENS DESPITE A GROWING protest cam- Tenants reject Propaganda MOTHERS OF KIDS at a Camden paign throughout country, the Despite this official blackmail and spin, a school have led a revolt after raiding its Government is still scandalously refusing majority of tenants and leaseholders sig- kitchen and finding freezers stuffed with to release available housing funds to local naled their opposition to any form of pri- reconstituted meat, tinned and packet councils, forcing them to privatise public vatisation. They have been backed by food, and hardly any fresh vegetables or housing, either by direct transfer to hous- campaigners involved with Haringey fruit. There wasn’t even any flour or oil ing associations, or by the two-stage Defend Council Housing, who’ve kept to cook with. process which begins with setting up an tenants informed of what’s really going Since the discovery, the number of chil- Arms Length Management Organisations on, and demanded that government dren eating school dinners has skrunk (ALMOs). The ruling elite can’t stand the resources be released for improvements. from 210 to less than 50. fact that, due to past campaigns and strug- It looks like the campaign has forced The unofficial inspection came after gles, working class people are entitled to the Council to concede that there should parents started phoning and writing to the decent housing. Hence for decades they be a full ballot of all tenants & leasehold- council and privatised catering company have starved such housing of the funding ers in early spring, for them to decide if Scolarest to find out exactly what their it needs. any changes are to be made. However, kids were eating. A typical day’s menu at Throughout the last few months of 2003 arguments continue over the likely word- the school includes chicken dippers, Haringey Council claimed to be consult- ing of the ballot, and the Council is cheese slices and breaded fish or veg- ing over the future of the 21,000 local preparing to step up its propaganda in etable shapes – hardly the most nutritious council homes. To “help” tenants & lease- favour of an ALMO. If they succeed it of combinations. holders decide, the Council hired an will mean higher rents for tenants and big Even the school’s head teacher has “Independent” Tenants Advisor - the dividends for the private companies admitted that the dinners have “plumbed director of Mouchel Parkman Limited - a involved. As with all public services, the new depths” since they were privatised. company which says it is keen to “exploit battle continues... So far the parents’ protests have gone opportunities created through develop- unheeded by Camden Council who con- ment of the PFI/PPP (privatisation) mar- Contact: tinue to claim that quality has actually ketplace” and a company which already } Defend Council Housing, c/o Unison, improved and that the meals meet gov- has at least 15 contracts with local author- 48 Grand Parade, Green Lanes, ernment guidelines. ities to run their housing stock! N4 1AG However, how long will Scolarest be § 020 8888 7836 able to keep the contract if parents contin- ue to give their kids packed lunches instead of dinners? by Sophia Koumi We at Totally Indypendent support the Curfew Copper actions these parents took. Maybe Haringey school kitchens are due a THE ANTI-SOCIAL Behaviour Act, the same bus stop window and sometimes look… which became law in January 2004, even massive after-school fights with the makes hanging around on the streets with whole school involved and teachers try- take everyone off home because they’ve your mates illegal. ing to break it up: just a bundle of heads, got lots of friends and are therefore in a The Act includes provisions for a cur- legs, arms and hands. big group? few for under-16s that starts at 9.00 pm The police now patrol these areas 24/7 Teenagers are already used to walking and ends at 6.00 am. This means that so under-16s have no escape. Teenagers into a shop and having the security guard you’re not allowed on the streets during rush home at 8.45 pm because after 9pm immediately on their back, checking they this time and can be taken home by the don’t steal anything and being threatened police if you are. The Act also gives with arrest because the Community power to the police to disperse ‘threaten- Officer thinks they’re ‘acting suspicious- ing groups’ of teenagers at any time. This ly’ by walking around. means that if you’re in a group of two or We’re used to being in the park and more, and not with a responsible adult, seeing all the parents slowly backing they can force you to go home and even away, giving you evil looks and wishing ban you from going back to that area for there was a sign on the gate saying ‘no 24 hours.