Turning Baghdad into Vietnam STOP THE WAR COALITION
NEWSLETTER No. 2007/01
13 January 2007
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Telephone 020 7278 6694
Web: www.stopwar.org.uk
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) JANUARY 24: ALL EYES ON PARLIAMENT
2) NO TO TRIDENT / YES TO TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
3) TURNING BAGHDAD INTO VIETNAM
4) NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION: 24 FEBRUARY
5) MORE WAR CRIMES IN SOMALIA
6) TONY BLAIR ON TRIAL
7) ISLAMOPHOBIA - THE NEW RACISM
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1) JANUARY 24: ALL EYES ON PARLIAMENT
Predictably, Tony Blair is virtually alone among world leaders in supporting George Bush's "new strategy" for Iraq. Blair says the plan "makes sense". Is this the same Tony Blair who barely one month ago welcomed the Iraq Study Group's report, saying, "It is practical, it's clear, and it offers also the way of bringing people together"? The ISG report called for a phased withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and dialogue with Iran and Syria -- in other words, the opposite of Bush's "new strategy."
There is one group that has always had the power to stop Blair's compulsive subservience to George Bush: members of parliament. So far, the majority have acquiesced in every stage of Blair's warmongering. On 24 January, Iraq will be debated and voted on in parliament. Stop the War has called for a lunchtime lobby of MPs, followed by an evening demonstration outside the House of Commons (details below). Between now and then we need to do everything possible to ensure that MPs know that they must not repeat their abject performance on 31 October 2006, when only 12 Labour MPs voted for an inquiry into the whole Iraq disaster. (See http://tinyurl.com/y95y6q)
Stop the War is organising a concerted campaign over the next two weeks to put pressure on MPs - particularly Labour MPs -- to stop collaborating with Blair's war policies. Round the country, all local Stop the War Groups are being asked to organise protests and lobbies at MPs' surgeries, where the local MP can be urged face-to-face to say yes Troops Out of Iraq. We have launched a postcard write-in campaign (see below), for MPs' constituents to write to their local MP and ask how he or she will be voting on Iraq and on Trident missiles (see below).
This will culminate in the two events at parliament on 24 January. Please join us if you can and encourage as many of their friends, work colleagues, fellow students, etc, to be there too. See the Stop the War website for further details: www.stopwar.org.uk
*JOIN THE LUNCHTIME LOBBY AT PARLIAMENT
WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY AT 1.00PM
STOP TRIDENT / TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
HOUSE OF COMMONS, PARLIAMENT SQUARE
*JOIN THE EVENING DEMONSTRATION
WEDNESDAY 24 JANUARY AT 5.00-7.00PM
STOP TRIDENT / TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
HOUSE OF COMMONS, PARLIAMENT SQUARE
(MPs vote on the Iraq motion at 7.00pm)
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2) NO TO TRIDENT / YES TO TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
Stop the War and CND are organising a postcard write-in campaign aimed at every MP. We are asking all our supporters to get as many people as possible to send their local MP a special postcard, which is available free of charge from the Stop the War office. The postcard calls for a commitment from the MP to vote for Troops Out of Iraq and against Tony Blair's plans for a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons. The postcards are available from the Stop the War office (office@stopwar.org.uk or 020 7278 6694). The design and text of the postcard can be viewed on the Stop the War website here: http://tinyurl.com/y5ky5k
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3) TURNING BAGHDAD INTO VIETNAM
There is nothing "new" about George Bush's latest plans for Iraq. The same strategy has been used repeatedly, twice before in Baghdad, in Falluja, in Ramadi, in Tal Afar and many other places. The intention and the result have always been the same. Devastating military force aimed at pacifying a town or city doesn't achieve its aim but turns much of the target into rubble, slaughters countless civilians, drives thousands from their homes and destroys the local infrastructure.
This time the consequences have the potential to be more horrific than anything we have seen before in Iraq. The main aim of the "new strategy" is to destroy the resistance to the US occupation which has made Sadr City, home to two million of Baghdad's poorest citizens, a virtual no-go area for the occupying army. This is a dramatic escalation of the Iraq war but the Bush plans don't stop there. The "new strategy" includes open threats against Syria and Iran, which -- coupled with the leaks that show Israeli has it own plans for bombing Iran -- means that we may be on the brink of a Middle East conflagration with results too horrendous to contemplate.
For these reasons, this is a pivotal moment for the anti-war movement, particularly in Britain and the US, home to the two war criminals who instigated the Iraq catastrophe. The stakes are very high. The "new strategy" is George Bush's last throw of the dice, aimed at disproving what everyone else knows: America has lost the Iraq war.
We have been here before, as Senator Hagel from Bush's own Party reminded us when he said the "new strategy" "represents the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam." In 1968, America had clearly lost in Vietnam but it was six more bloody years, in which two million people were killed, before the US military was driven out.
The worldwide anti-war movement has to do all it can to help stop a repeat of the Vietnam experience. Time is short but the opposition to Bush's plans is huge. Seventy per cent of Americans and over 70 per cent of Iraqis oppose the "new strategy". In Britain, over 60 per cent of people have consistently opposed Tony Blair's warmongering and his slavish support for George Bush. Millions of British people have been involved in anti-war activity over the past five years.
The American anti-war movement has called a March on Washington on 27 January and there are now campaigns in every US locality to pressure US Congressmen and Congresswomen to stop Bush's strategy in its tracks.
(See http://tinyurl.com/sz2s4)
In Britain, on 24 January, when parliament will debate and vote on Iraq, Stop the War is organising two protests, including an evening demonstration at the time MPs will be voting on the Iraq motion (see above and www.stopwar.org.uk).
On 24 February, CND and Stop the War have called a national demonstration combining the call for Troops Out of Iraq with the Stop Trident campaign (see below and see http://tinyurl.com/y9c7z5).
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4) NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION: 24 FEBRUARY
Hot on the heels of parliament's debate and vote on Iraq on 24 January will be the House of Commons debate and vote on another strand of Tony Blair's war policies -- his intention to spend a projected 75 billion pounds on a new generation of weapons of mass destruction (see http://tinyurl.com/y6y8os). The Trident debate will take place in early March. CND and Stop the War Coalition have called a national demonstration on 24 February which will have a twin purpose: Stop Trident / Troops Out of Iraq.
Coaches are now being organised around the country to bring protestors to London for this crucial demonstration. We will be publicising details on the Stop the War website as we get them (see http://tinyurl.com/y9c7z5). If there are no coach details yet for where you live, contact the Stop the War office and we will put you in touch with the local group organising transport.
Local groups, often in conjunction with CND, are organising Stop Trident / Troops Out of Iraq public meetings and rallies, details for which can be found on our website here: http://tinyurl.com/q3y4k
If you are not involved in a local group and would like to help build support for the demonstration on 24 February, contact the Stop the War office and we will give you contact details for anti-war activists in your area.
NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION
STOP TRIDENT / TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
SATURDAY 24 FEBRUARY
ASSEMBLE HYDE PARK 12 NOON
MARCH TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE
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5) MORE WAR CRIMES IN SOMALIA
George Bush's bombing of Somalia this week broke innumerable international laws but you wouldn't know it from the mainstream media, which hasn't questioned the legality of a bombing campaign that has devastated four villages, killing over 100 Somali civilians, without any indication that any of the supposed Al-Qaeda targets of the bombing were killed. This is yet another indication of the barbarity that has characterised much of Bush's foreign policy. These Somali civilians were killed by attacks which were to a large extent publicity exercises aimed at softening opposition to the "new strategy" in Iraq and an attempt by Bush to re-assert his "right" to order mass slaughter anywhere he pleases in his bogus "war on terror".
Stop the War has organised an all-London public meeting on Wednesday 17 January to discuss the escalating crises in Somalia:
PUBLIC MEETING: HANDS OFF SOMALIA
WHY US INTERVENTION WON'T HELP
WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY 7.00PM
ROOM G50, SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES
THORNAUGH STREET, LONDON WC1
Speakers:
DAHABO ISSE (Somali Civil Liberties And Human Rights Organisation)
LINDSEY GERMAN Stop The War Coalition
JEREMY CORBYN MP
All welcome.
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6) THE TRIAL OF TONY BLAIR
You have always hoped it would happen but feared it never would: the indictment of Tony Blair for war crimes. Well, next Monday he will be held to account exactly as we always wanted. Unfortunately, it's only a television drama but the track record of the anti-war playwright Alistair Beaton, who has produced some of the best and funniest satires on Bush and Blair's warmongering, makes this an unmissable event. Who knows, maybe it will presage the real thing.
The feature length film is on More 4 on Monday 15 January at 10pm and repeated on Channel 4 on Thursday 18 January. See: http://tinyurl.com/y7oxos
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7) PUBLIC MEETING: ISLAMOPHOBIA - THE NEW RACISM
A public meeting in London will discuss, Islamophobia which featured so prominently in the media over recent years. Speakers include Guardian journalist Gary Younge and human rights lawyer Lousise Cristian. All Welcome.
Public Meeting:
ISLAMOPHOBIA - THE NEW RACISM
Speakers:
GARY YOUNGE (Guardian)
URMEE MAZHAR (Bangla TV)
LOUISE CHRISTIAN (Lawyer for Guantanamo detainees)
CRAIG MURRAY (Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan)
CHRIS NINEHAM (Stop the War Coalition)
DATE & TIME: Monday 22 January, 7.30pm
VENUE: Bloomsbury Central Church Hall, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2 (Directions www.bloomsbury.org.uk)
Organised by Media Workers Against the War
Contact: mwaw@btinternet.com
Scotland: Call for a new look at addiction
bbc.co.uk wrote:
Scotland's Futures Forum said it had organised the gathering of senior police, academics and health experts to find a fresh approach to the problem.
Labour backbencher Susan Deacon MSP said there was a pressing need for a more open and informed debate on drug and alcohol use.
The full report is here
Religious groups protesting against gay rights bill Unbelievable - bet they would not wish to be discriminated against because they were christian, muslim or whatever :you_crazy:you_crazy:you_crazy
The report on this is here
Quote:
Faith groups joined forces on Tuesday to try to stop sweeping gay rights laws they say will force them to act against their religious beliefs.
Nothing like using religion as an excuse for discrimination is there? What will they seek next - the right not to have any contact with those who don't share their beliefs? :you_crazy:you_crazy:you_crazy
Skipper dies of a suspected drugs overdose
bbc.co.uk wrote:
Fears have been raised by politicians and campaigners about the high level of drug use in the Aberdeenshire fishing port town of Fraserburgh.
According to recent figures, police believe up to one in five adults in Fraserburgh may have drug problems.
the report is here
water kills it's like Leah Betts all over again
Quote:
US woman dies after water contest
A Californian woman who took part in a water-drinking contest to win a video game system has died of water intoxication, tests have shown.
Jennifer Strange had taken part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" game run by KDND 107.9 radio in Sacramento, which promised the winner a Nintendo Wii.
A work colleague said Ms Strange had reported her head was hurting hours after the contest and was going home.
Ms Strange, 28, was found dead on Friday at her house in Rancho Cordova.
Health warning
Local assistant coroner Ed Smith said initial tests showed death was "consistent with water intoxication".
Contestants were first given eight ounce (225 millilitre) bottles to drink every 15 minutes.
Contestant James Ybarra told Associated Press news agency: "They told us if you don't feel like you can do this, don't put your health at risk."
Mr Ybarra said he quit after five bottles but remaining contestants started on larger bottles.
"She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for her kids," Mr Ybarra said.
One of Ms Strange's work colleagues, Laura Rios, said: "She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad.
"She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her."
The station said its staff were stunned at the death
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6261509.stm
:cry:
Resistance Anarchist Federation bulletin - Resistance 90 - December 2006/January 2007
Also read/download now in PDF format from http://www.afed.org.uk
Contents of the December 2006/January 2007 issue:
HOME BY CHRISTMAS and other stories - government lies and conspiracy theories.
BASTARD OF THE YEAR - it's John Reid of course!
POLICE FINGERPRINTING TECHNOLOGY GOES MOBILE - "Will that be one finger, officer, or two?"
HOW TO BE GREEN AND GREEDY - government tries to convince companies that being green is profitable.
"MASTER RACE? YOU'RE HAVING A LAUGH" - BNP Blackpool Conference, eyewitness report.
ANTI-ID NATIONAL GATHERING REPORT - feedback from the Nottingham Defy-ID gathering.
CHRISTMAS CHEER - Christian hate.
SUBVERT - events in December and January.
HOME BY CHRISTMAS and other stories
It’s clearer than ever you shouldn’t believe a word that the state is saying. How many people believed in 2003 that the Second Gulf War in Iraq would be over in a couple of months and that British troops would be “home by Christmas”? In the years between then and now, the words of the press have shifted from ‘operation’ to ‘war’ to ‘invasion’ to ‘occupation’, and most recently to ‘civil war’. Politicians here and abroad have made various pledges that have not been fulfilled, like the Australia Labor Party who said its troops would be back by Christmas 2004.
Now as soldiers approach their fourth Christmas in Iraq we are hearing signs of more bullshit about a Spring withdrawal from the government who know that public opinion is turning against the bloodbath they have helped create, whereas army chiefs have planned to stay until 2010 at least. The military might be worried about losing battles if they stay, but they also have their eyes on cuts in military funding if they pulled out sooner. Never mind the reason they are there in the first place - to secure oil supplies.
Secrets and lies
The Spanish government cynically blamed the Madrid train bombing on Basque separatists, ETA, which turned out to be nonsense. Secret service claims that they have uncovered 30 terror plots in Britain, or 200 depending on which newspaper you read, just seem laughable.
You can add to all this a growing disbelief about Labour’s motives for promoting NHS electronic records and ID cards. Plus, the Tories may pretend they are now against ID, but they tried to introduce them in 1995 when they were still in power, so that’s an obvious lie by a party who will say anything to get elected.
Conspiracy theories
The big question is, with all these lies around, who is left to trust? How many people believe anarchists when we say we’d be better off without governments and capitalism? Will more people turn to anarchism if they see that lies are all around them? The answers are not at all clear.
We respond in many different ways to being lied to. For instance, there are signs of a vocal movement that claims that the September 11 twin tower collapse was an inside job by the US secret services to justify the Iraq war, using planted explosives, or that the Pentagon was hit by a missile rather than an airliner. Supporters of 9/11 Truth and the home-grown July 7 Truth campaign are organising in Britain, setting up websites and supplying thousands of leaflets CDs and DVDs at anti-war and anti-ID events to ‘prove’ their theories. And we are told that more than half of British muslims do not believe that ‘arabs’ were involved in 9/11.
Making sense of a world that seems to be (and ultimately is) run by a bunch of ruthless liars is not trivial. The majority of the middle class may be comforted that they can buffer themselves against the insanity of capitalism by keeping their heads down and trying not to think too much whilst the poor are left to rot. A minority of the middle class who dares to think more deeply may start to be swayed by conspiracy theories bolstered by internet forums and their would-be celebrity leaders, or succumb to depression, or both. They may be fascinated by freemasonry and Da Vinci codes. Their problem is they think too much, complain, but mostly do not act. This is not surprising. How can you fight something that so mysterious, secret and hidden? Capitalism may result in a crazy system full of lies, but its roots are not really so hidden. Land, money and power is held by a few and the systems set up to maintain this inequality are out there in our everyday lives. Laws that protect private property are the basis of nation states and these laws are written down. The military and secret services have training colleges and are supplied by arms companies that are registered in Companies House. Even religious ideology is not too difficult to understand if you can be bothered to read the Bible or Koran.
Workplaces are set up to give bosses power over our daily lives, but these bosses are real people with homes even if they live in another country. Local councils are involved with implementing government plans for ID cards and databases which will include giving planning permission for biometric interview centres. The same goes for CCTV or traffic surveillance schemes.
The whole system is complex but it can be fought by collective action, often locally, and if not by building national networks and international solidarity. There is no more a need to invent a Big Brother than to believe in Santa Claus.
BASTARD OF THE YEAR
It's John Reid of course!
John Reid wins the award hands down for 2006, and he’ll be a good candidate 2007 too because of the wave of repression and misery he has in store for us.
Reid’s job as Home Secretary since May 2006 has been to implement the ID scheme with an ‘entitlement card’ and National Identity Register. To do this, he needs to classify foreigners as freeloaders so that everyone else will accept it. We must all give up personal privacy to prove whether we are entitled or not. If you doubt this is about restricting and monitoring everyone, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate says, “ID cards will implemented as rapidly as possible, starting with biometric residence permits for foreign nationals in 2008, and rolling to UK nationals thereafter”. Worse still, the government wants to make sure that the only non-EU nationals who come here ‘legally’ are business people, wealthy tourists or high fee-paying students.
Next, to convince us there is an ‘immigration problem’ and that the government has the right ideas for dealing with it, the IND expressed delight in July that “removals of principal asylum applicants increased by 91% from 1997-2005” and “applications for asylum are at around a quarter of their peak level”. This is surely not because the world is 4 times safer than it was before! Racist border police will be expected to profile anyone suspected of being ‘foreign’ and to monitor and make records of absolutely everyone going on holiday or whatever. Biometric visas and other paperwork will be needed to get on planes and will have to be gained before people leave their home country. We are told this is to “establish who people are and whether they are entitled to enter, and to ensure that they do not get here if they are not welcome”.
People ‘genuinely’ needing to flee persecution will not have the time, security and money to apply for a visa, nor produce legally supporting paperwork to prove that they are in danger of death, torture or imprisonment in their ‘home’ country. Reid also announced plans to allow anyone to shop those involved with ‘illegal’ employment through the ‘Crimestoppers’ phoneline. Although this is supposedly directed at employers, it will be used against illegal workers who are doing nothing worse than working for a pittance to survive, and also hurt ‘legal’ migrants and British ethnic minorities because of the racist suspicions it encourages.
On the other hand, you can win British citizenship if you are prepared to risk your life in Iraq or Afghanistan to get it. Commonwealth soldiers are to be offered ‘fast track’ British passports by Reid for this service to our colonial regime. This will encourage the 7,150 Commonwealth soldiers to stay in a force that sees 9,000 British soldiers leave it each year. This does nothing to solve the economic hardship that is the reason a Commonwealth citizen would take such a dangerous job in the first place.
POLICE FINGERPRINTING TECHNOLOGY GOES MOBILE
"Will that be one finger, officer, or two?"
During November, 10 police forces across the UK announced they were testing a roadside fingerprinting device. Stopped drivers were asked to prove their identity and, if unable to convince police of their name, offered the ‘choice’ of either having their fingerprints taken electronically at the roadside or of going to the police station for several hours while checks were made.
How you ‘convince’ police of a real name remains unclear, though not looking ‘dodgy’ and not questioning officers’ instructions probably help. A good citizen apparently has nothing to fear from allowing their fingerprints to be scanned and transmitted to police headquarters by this device. The biometric system makes checks against a database of 6.5 million fingerprints, which is set to grow hugely once ID cards and the national identity register come in.
The cops promise us that fingerprints aren’t stored in the system (for this test at least). But considering that if you are arrested now, fingerprints and a DNA sample are taken and permanently stored, even if you are released without charge, there would seem to be plenty of reasons not to trust them. The state is intent on collecting data on everyone and no one should be surprised if this is extended to cyclists, as well as motorists.
Fingerprints certainly aren’t infallible. Despite multiple experts being consulted, former detective Shirley McKie was wrongly accused of leaving her print at a murder scene, and came extremely close to facing 8 years. And that was a cop! If you are young or black or both, or your eyebrows are too close together, what chance will you have? Never mind that biometric scanners are only ‘94-95% accurate’ and errors get more likely as the database grows.
So when you get stopped and fall into that 1-in-20 margin where the machine can’t identify you or mistakes you for someone else, or you just don’t see why you should submit to dodgy technology to justify yourself to the cops - as they’re taking you in, just remember: if you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear.
ON THE FRONTLINE
Storm in a teacup
Following the partial defeat of their cuts agenda this summer, Merseyside Fire Authority is trying to get its own back. Workers had struck to save essential frontline services. Three weeks ago, letters were served to fourteen emergency crew members, calling them to hearings over incidents during the walkout, including one for ‘smiling aggressively’. Now, a firefighter faces disciplinary proceedings after being caught having a cuppa while working at Buckley Hill fire station in Netherton. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service insists tea breaks can be taken only at certain times, and had emailed staff to say so.
Managers launched an investigation and told the firefighter, who was doing his daily checks and tests in the appliance room and had taken a hot drink with him, he would be put on a charge, and face disciplinary proceedings pending an initial interview. He could get a written warning on an otherwise exemplary service record, but the ultimate sanction is that he could lose his job.
Merseyside firefighters have a lot to smile about following their tremendous victory, which was won thanks to great solidarity, in spite of a corporate media campaign against the Fire Brigades Union. Not surprisingly, the bosses who tried to break the strike can’t bear to see happy - or even relaxed - workers.
For in-depth analysis of the dispute, visit http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/liverpool/2006/09/351022.html
HOW TO BE GREEN AND GREEDY
In a classic appeal to corporate greed, the government sponsored ‘envirowise’ advice line have launched a publicity campaign ‘Dnt b wstfl’ with the byline MinimiseWasteMaximiseProfit. Geddit? It’s going to take more than losing a few vowels and spaces to save the planet, when capitalist growth is the main driver for global resource and energy use!
In launching this scheme, the government are playing along with the latest business obsession with ‘Lean Thinking’ which is all about stripping their operations down to the bone. This redrafting of the idea of ‘downsizing’ means a lot more than saving money (sorry, trees) by printing on two sides of the photocopier paper. It’s got much more to do with working out which employees have the biggest impact on ‘customer satisfaction’ and getting rid of the rest of us - human waste, if you like.
For a more in-depth analysis of economic growth and the environment, check out the latest issue of the AF’s magazine Organise!
"MASTER RACE? YOU'RE HAVING A LAUGH"
BNP Blackpool Conference - Eyewitness report by a Liverpool Anarchist
In a desperate attempt to portray themselves as just another political party, the fascist British National Party held their annual conference at a seaside town on the weekend of November 25-26. Not quite having the numbers to fill the Grand Hotel in Brighton, they plumped for the rather less grand New Kimberley in Blackpool, presumably having been turned away from several of the hundreds of other equally down-at-heel hotels.
Unlike the other parties, they found it necessary to keep the location of their conference secret for fear of attracting protesters. It was all in vain as the intrepid local anti-fascists tracked them down anyway and so on Nov 25th a march was held from the city centre to where the fash were lurking. Despite a fairly disappointing turnout (about 200 people), a long walk along a very chilly prom was made more bearable by the number of people who saw us on the street and took leaflets (and the very friendly gent who, when I offered him one, said “I don’t need one of those to know they’re a load of shite”).
When we got to the hotel, we were cheered by the sight of how small it was and were informed that there were only 50 of them inside as many others had been told not to come till the following day when there wasn’t a demo on. “Shit party, shit hotel” as we sang to them. Media reports that 600 were expected to attend can be discounted as laughable – the hotel wasn’t big enough for more than 200 at a push. The few who turned up goaded us from the window, safe behind the lines of police who seemed more keen to watch us for any prohibited hand gestures, although one wannabe hero who came to the window and started posturing was soon sent running away like a naughty schoolboy when a cop tapped on the glass to tell him off.
An encouraging demo then as, despite a few boneheads Sieg Heiling when protected by the watchful eye of the police, the fascists were pretty shy and heavily outnumbered by antis. However, there is no reason to become complacent. In other areas of the North, the BNP do have numbers and serious support from voters, and we need to continue challenging them and exposing the reality of what they stand for, not what they tell the people they want votes from. We also need to send more people from Liverpool to the demos as only 7 people went this time in a hired 24-seat minibus, which meant money raised at benefits had to be wasted on empty seats. Yes, it’s important to show support with your spare cash at fundraisers but we need enough people to turn up on the day as well to show the BNP we won’t stand for their racist bilge.
ANTI-ID NATIONAL GATHERING REPORT
60 people attended the event hosted by Nottingham Defy-ID at the Sumac Centre on November 25th from (at least) London, Surrey, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Burnley, Coventry, Lincoln & Notts. In the morning, the conference covered themes including how and why we have arrived in this state of intense surveillance, and a range tactics that had worked in other struggles that might (or might not) work for ID cards and databases. In the afternoon the meeting covered ideas to take the fight forward – anti-ID arguments, direct action and networking amongst activists. The meeting concluded by agreeing to prevent opening of 69 Identity and Passport Service ‘Authentication by Interview’ centres that are currently being set up around the country by a private contractor, Mapeley.
See Defy-ID: http://www.defy-id.org.uk
Defending Anonymity is a free pamphlet by the Anarchist Federation. Send an SAE for a copy or find it on our website.
CHRISTMAS CHEER
We anarchists like a good party as much as anyone. Most of us like to put our feet up, eat too much, have a few drinks and relax with our families and friends. So on the whole, we pretty much enjoy ourselves over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
But there are a load of things that really annoy us too. Firstly, the way the shops use it as a way to con people into spending more than they can afford. Secondly, the credit card companies that make obscene profits by conning people into borrowing more than they can afford. Thirdly, all the nonsense that the Christians come out with. We’re sick of hearing about “Baby Jesus, Meek and Mild” and his “Loving Father”.
Let’s have a look and see how loving their God really is. These were some of the Bible’s instructions of what to do with sinners:
- Children that disobey, eat too much and get drunk should be stoned to death.
- Women who wear showy jewellery and clothing shall be punished by misery, baldness, ugliness and death.
- People who eat too much should die of the plague. A bit of a problem around Christmas time, we think.
- Jesus said that anyone who has sex before marriage will wind up in Hell.
- Single parents shouldn’t be punished, but their children will go to Hell.
- Women who have sex with more than one man should have their noses and ears cut off.
- Those who failed to sell everything they had and give it up to Jesus were struck dead.
- All gays should be killed.
So, we hope you have (or had) a good holiday, steer away from too much debt and remember what a load of bollocks religion is.
We got the information for this piece from our favourite church website: http://www.landoverbaptist.org. We thoroughly recommend it.
Wishing a happy new year to all our readers too ...
SUBVERT - events for December and January
December 2006
5 - Smash The Big Brother Exhibition. This December Olympia hosts the Counter Terrorism World exhibition, where security and police forces from around the world meet, and this time they will be looking at new surveillance equipment, software for sifting through emails and tapping phones. Prominent guests include a large Israeli contingent. There will be a demonstration outside Olympia at 1pm (Olympia tube). More info from: http://www.londonclasswar.org
11 - Block the Builders at AWE Aldermaston, Newbury, West Berks - where Britain’s Trident nuclear warheads are assembled. AWE is spending millions of pounds recruiting scientists, building the huge new ORION laser facility – capable of simulating nuclear weapons tests – and many more buildings at enormous public expense. The action will take place in the morning, and free accommodation is available for the night before - tel: 0207 700 2393. For more info visit: http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk, http://www.cnduk.org, email: btb@aldermaston.net
15 - Just Defy! Anti-repression benefit gig, at the RedStar bar, Camberwell Green, London. From 10pm, 5 pounds on the door. DnB, Breaks Techno, Grime, Dubstep, Post-punk, Ska, Reggae, Electroclash and Indie.
January 2007
28 - Social Centres Gathering - space for discussion, practical workshops, sharing ideas, skills & experience followed by MAYHEM cabaret and cocktails at the 1in12 Club, Albion Street, off Fulton Street, Bradford, BD1 tel: 01274 734160 web http://www.1in12.com. Accommodation available contact 01274 745002 or hive@riseup.net
29 - Phone In Sick Day - bring the country to a stand still, by encouraging nation to phone in sick! For more info call 07737 020 496, email: johan@thesicknote.com web: http://www.thesicknote.com
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UK : East : Colchester : Bus driver puts swear word on destination display unlucky - whoever did it drove the bus just at the time a Tory councillor was in town...
Colchester: You'll be 'bus'ted!
A probe has been launched after a bus had a swear word where its destination should have been.
The First Eastern bus was in Mersea Road, Colchester, when it was spotted by keen-eyed Colchester councillor Kevin Bentley and his wife, Karen.
Mr Bentley, portfolio holder for culture and public relations, said: "Karen spotted it first because she was driving and told me to look at the bus. We were both totally incredulous about what we had seen and checked with each other we had seen it."
Bob Dorr, operations manager for First, said: "We understood the destinations were set electronically and couldn't be overridden but it would appear there is a technical glitch with the programming.
"Some drivers are able to programme the electronic destination blinds with other words - this is a loophole we weren't aware existed.
"This concerns us greatly and we are taking immediate steps with the manufacturers to get this loophole closed.
"We consider this to be a very serious disciplinary offence for any driver to display words like this in the destination display."
8:58am today
Exclusive By Lynne Milford
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more info / forum etc
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Grassjuice! This is from SJ today
Code:
http://stealth.squatjuice.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=70962&sid=4c5f6479ac9d2a5d48bb4e63f48554ae
djbubblejuice
Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 383
Location: on my myspace page
PostPosted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:58 am
Post subject: THE ESSEX POLICE QUESTIONAIR Reply with quote
i done it
there looking for a groupe called (i pissed myself when they said this) the azteks they say there from mk and london.
the dna! their tring to find the person that was flicking blood at them!
so i told them fucking wankers where did this blood come from? why was this person bleeding is it because the police just bashed him the face with his shild. then i said the chances are this person proberbly never realised they was flicking blood at them and was proberbly just shouting at the fucking wanker the just beat fuck out of him!
the worst question they asked was who do u know at the party
i told him no one
you have to circle your tent on this stupid fucking map
"bulldog" (possibly a troll called "Mike The Baptist" or "Davros", although they do appear to be someone with good knowledge of the East of England and East Midlands) then posted this follow up
to me this is tantamount to actually grassing to cops (all the rave boards
being fairly carefully monitored nowadays)
bear in mind that we host the Aztek forum - although Jason and Andy rarely use it I think there is an amount of PM traffic there as well as occasional posts from ravers..
bulldog
Joined: 08 Nov 2006
Posts: 267
Location: corby
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:16 am
Post subject: Reply with quote
haha everyone knows its aztek system innit,dumb fucks cheesy
yeah but u ravers gave as good as we got,i defo dropped a few pigs cool
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Sacred Weeds: Documentry on psychedelics Found out about this while browsing the Divine Moments of Truth site. It's a documentry called "Sacred Weeds" which was on Channel 4 back in 1998, I managed to hunt them down on YouTube... see links at bottom of page.
Quote:
Sacred Weeds was a four part television series of one hour documentaries investigating the cultural impact of psychoactive plants on a broad array of early civilisations. The Reader in European Pre-History at Oxford University, Andrew Sherratt, was the series host. Each episode began and ended with Sherratt inscribing his diary with his reflections on the series' scientific and cultural investigations. The series was filmed at Hammerwood Park by the producer, Sarah Marris, and her production company TVF for Channel 4, a British television network.
In its four episodes, the series investigated the following psychoactive plants: magic mushrooms (Amanita muscaria), Henbane, salvia divinorum and the blue lily.
Each episode involved scientific research into the effects of the individual plant and an examination of its cultural significance.
Also each episode sees two willing people take the drugs that feature in that paticular episode, the researchers then monitor the effects the drugs are having on both takers, it's quite interesting. Blue Water Lilly raaa
Scared Weeds:
Fly Agaric 1
Fly Agaric 2
Fly Agaric 3
Fly Agaric 4
Fly Agaric 5
Salvia Divinorum Part 1
Salvia Divinorum Part 2
Salvia Divinorum Part 3
Salvia Divinorum Part 4
Salvia Divinorum Part 5
Salvia Divinorum Part 6
Henbane Part 1
Henbane Part 2
Henbane Part 3
Henbane Part 4
Henbane Part 5
Blue Water Lilly Part 1
Blue Water Lilly Part 2
Blue Water Lilly Part 3
Blue Water Lilly Part 4
Blue Water Lilly Part 5
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