click here for the bigger picture

SchNEWS

Story Links: Loch around the Clock | And The Peat Goes On | Space Invaders | Homeland Insecurity | SchNEWS in Brief | Wheels Of Justice |  Positive SchNEWS | Black Book Bloc | Inside SchNEWS | The Goon Show | ...and finally...

Loch around the Clock

WE SIZE UP THE CRAP ARREST-O-THON OF THE YEAR AT FASLANE 365

Even in far Northern Britain, anti-nuclear action is a world wide affair, as demonstrated by the arrests of 23 Swedes and 19 Finns who made up the bulk of the 42 people nicked at last Monday's Faslane 365 demo (see SchNEWS 562) at the nuclear weapons base in Scotland.

Despite all the heavy-handedness, cops would probably have felt a bit more chuffed about nicking almost two thirds of the total number of demonstrators there, were it not for the fact they'd spent so long trying to clear access to the base. It would appear that the same nation that wowed the world with sturdy cars and well-made furniture also makes top grade tubes for lock-ons! Cops spent two and a half hours cutting people away from the north gate whilst the tripod lock-on made a welcome return and police struggled to reopen the south gate for more than three hours.

Protesters were nicked for breach of the peace, held for more than 30 hours and then released with a warning letter. Things got a bit tighter for one protester as he found himself nicked for attempting to pervert the course of justice when he nipped off for a pee in a nearby wood. Unfortunately for our bustin' hero, police wouldn't let him finish what he'd started and he had to cross his legs for another three hours!

The action was part of the Faslane 365 campaign - a year long 'relay blockade' of the nuclear base on the river Clyde. As UK plc prepares to splash out another £76 billion building new bombs, its own breach of the Non-Proliferation Treaty risks pushing the world into another potentially deadly arms race. Between now and Christmas loads of different groups have planned dozens of actions that are sure to keep cops busy and the bomb builders out of their place of work.

The first few days of action saw a 90-strong Women in Black blockade. A couple of days later the baton was passed to activists from Sheffield and North Derbyshire who did a little bit of locking on themselves, with another 12 arrestees being given sternly written letters warning them off doing any blockading in future. On Sunday, a physician was arrested as he joined members of the Assynt Peace Group from Sutherland in another demo, and the next day a Welsh grandmother was nicked for chaining herself to the north gate causing a three-mile traffic jam.

So far protesters are just getting written reminders from cops about how naughty they've been, but how long this 'leniency' will last in the face of such determined protests remains to be seen. Keep an eye on our Faslane365in365-ometer - will the cops get an average above one arrest a day for a whole year!? Special SchNEWS prize for the 365th arrestee!

* For more see www.faslane365.org

AND THE PEAT GOES ON

SchNEWS gets its hands dirty and fingers burnt in the climate change debate

So what on earth do bogs, moors, muskegs, mires and tropical swamp forests all have in common? Yep, the clue was in the question - they're made of good old peat that's what. The rich soily stuff forms from layers of decayed organic matter. Under the right conditions it is an early stage of the coal forming process. And all that means that it's packed full of carbon, which as nearly everyone (!) now knows causes major hassles for the climate when it gets rudely and massively released at the hands of unthinking humans. You might be surprised to learn that the carbon stored in global peat is the equivalent of 100 years of fossil fuel emissions at current rates.

If you're thinking of boggy Ireland and the swampy Florida Everglades as typical examples of peatlands, and guessing that there must be loads of inaccessible places where the peat is left largely undisturbed, you'd be right. Only 7% of the world's peatland has been exploited and yet the effects of it have already caused measurable problems for the environment.

So how does the world's peat every get its carbon released? Well, for example over 60% of the world's tropical peat is in one place: Indonesia. There, and across South-East Asia, huge greenhouse gas emissions are caused annually as forests and peatlands are deliberately torched, largely to make way for enormous oil palm plantations and acacia plantations. These produce palm oil, timber and paper, plenty of which heads straight for the European market. The destruction has accelerated recently because Europe has started importing vast amounts of palm oil for biodiesel and also for biomass to burn in power stations.

And quite aside from the environmental concerns, all this resource exploitation has also lead to the usual capitalist vices: local farmers are evicted and forced into barely arable natural areas, there are massive human rights abuses and an estimated 30% of children under five in the peatland areas suffer from respiratory diseases and associated growth retardation because of the fires.

Overall this flaming mess is responsible for carbon emissions of a not-so-cool 1 billion tonnes a year - a heavyweight contributor when you consider that the Kyoto Protocol only aims to reduce total global emissions by around 188 million tonnes per year from 1990 levels. This underlines just how woeful a response to climate change the global governance game has come up with. The emissions they encourage and allow in Indonesia alone would take several Kyoto's to negate. And the real irony is that the industries responsible for all the destruction are getting large amounts of their funding through the crazy carbon credit competition bonanza (See SchNEWS 311), the so-called 'Clean Development Mechanism' transfers under that same Kyoto Protocol.

One report claims that the 1997 emissions from Indonesia may well have exceeded total emissions from any other country, including the US. Gee, that's some real great pollutin there, especially when you remember that California is the world's 4th largest total polluter on its own. And as South East Asia continues to burn and slash, with others like Malaysia and Brunei joining the party, the climate is doubly threatened as not only does peat destruction release massive quantities of carbon, it also destroys one of the planet's most important carbon sinks, meaning less other CO2 emissions can be absorbed by the biosphere.

This all means that peat should be the word on everyone's lips - but over here more people are concerned about the latest crises in the world of Pete and Moss. While receiving little press, the situation is now so alarming to informed climate campaigners that they have organised into new groups to try and raise awareness - and do what their governments are failing to do for all humanities sake. One of these is the new Biofuelwatch, which is distributing an urgent action alert at www.climateark.org as well as a campaign to stop Npower from profiting from cleverly fulfilling their mandated 'Renewables Obligation' by just burning palm oil from Indonesian and Malaysian deforestation.

SPACE INVADERS

* The squatted theatre in Dalston Lane, Hackney, is in danger of eviction as the council has got permission to demolish the building from this week. The theatre is used as a community centre since occupation began in February. There is a general call-out for support now. For more see http://opendalston.blogspot.com

* Queens Market, in Upton Park - London's most multi-ethnic market - is threatened with destruction as part of 'renewals' for the 2012 London Olympics - which include building 240 executive apartments on the site. Residents from the borough of Newham are protesting against the loss of the market with a march and samba carnival - all welcome - from Plashet Park along Green St to the market, at 11am on October 28th. The protest will be directed at St Modwen, the developers, to pull out - as ASDA did four months ago under public pressure. Nearest tube East Ham and Upton Park. For more details call 07956 649696 or see www.friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk

* The Stockton Heath Primary School - is a large, listed Edwardian red-brick school in Warrington threatened with replacement by a new concrete job knocked up on the cheap - as well as 400 new homes on the land waved through by a dodgy council deal. This is part of the Govt's £17.5 billion 'Building Schools for the Future' programme which aims to 'renew' all secondary schools in the UK over the next 10-15 years - which will see half of current schools demolished in quick-buck PFI projects. A local pressure group is fighting the plan, and needs to raise £1million to refurbish the current building see www.savestocktonheath.co.uk

HOMELAND INSECURITY

The warmongering White House just refuses to be intimidated by international human-rights standards as Puppet No.1, G.W. Bush, signs into law the Military Commissions Act. Back in June, the Supreme Court ruled that the military tribunals set up to prosecute detainees at Guantanamo Bay violated both US and international law. The tribunals avoided inconveniences like habeas corpus (the right of a detainee to challenge their detention) as the Bush Junta sought to extract guilty verdicts whether or not the accused had committed any crime. They reckon the way to get a confession is through a little bit of prison rough and tumble and, Abu Ghraib aside, Amnesty has documented many cases of secret detention, enforced disappearance, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

Referring to the Act as "one of the most important pieces of legislation in the War on Terror™" Dubbya gave himself the right to imprison anyone indefinitely and to determine what constitutes unacceptable interrogation techniques. Meanwhile those US officials who tortured detainees captured before the end of 2005 will be immune from prosecution and US courts will be prohibited from using "foreign or international law" when deciding on the guilt of CIA and Army interrogators who stand accused of using torture.

White House Inc. can't wait to take some revenge for 9/11 ahead of the Congressional and Presidential elections. First up for a lethal injection will be Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the attacks. The US defence department has another 10 detainees who are ready to be processed by the tribunals and the are preparing to charge about 65 more. No doubt where 'tough interrogation' fails to extract a confession, the tribunals will pick up the slack, ready to deliver a guilty plea on the flimsiest of evidence not even disclosed to the accused beforehand. Bush told an audience gathered for the signing ceremony that the act will show that the US "is patient and decent and fair," - no doubt the thousands of detainees held in secret US prisons will beg to differ.

SchNEWS in brief

• 28th October: No Borders Day School, 'Migration, Borders and Racism' - £ Free, 11am-5pm at Community Base, Brighton. Kids welcome.
• 29 Oct will see an "Unauthorised" 24-hour peace camp in Parliament Square to demand an end to the Iraq occupation. Join the likes of Maya Evans and Milan Rai and assemble 12 noon, Parliament Square.
• Never apologise they say, but subsequent to our recent article about restriction of press in Nottingham (See SchNEWS 563) a check of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, has revealed that the Council has no power to ban political protest (they'll just have to extend SOCPA for that). It states no permission is required to hand out leaflets where the distribution is for political purposes or for the purposes of a religion or belief. The streets of Notts are still free for ideological warfare - for now...

WHEELS OF JUSTICE

The Fairford Coach saga moves to the House Of Lords on 23-25th October when the Lords hear the case of the protesters who, on 22nd March 2003, were in coaches bound for RAF Fairford to protest against the beginning of the invasion on Iraq, but were detained by police, searched, and made to return to London. (See SchNEWS 477). The 120 protesters have yet to receive an apology or compensation for the detainment. For more info contact Jane Laporte on 07817 483 167 or Jesse Schust on 0781 458 7361 or see web site www.fairfordcoachaction.org.uk

Positive SchNEWS

An eco-friendly Australian company is launching a new, 100% biodegradable material with the potential to replace a large number of plastics. Called Zelfo, the petro-chemical free material is made using recycled natural fibres, such as hemp, sugar cane, waste paper and textiles. The treated fibres can then be spray moulded to produce all the sexy rounded one-piece shapes plastic designers know and lust after. The resultant product is stronger and lighter than many plastics, with wood-like properties meaning it can easily take nails and screws etc. While we of course need to cut down on unnecessary consumption, things will always need to be made and maybe this is the stuff to make them from... See for yourself at www.zelfoaustralia.com

BLACK BOOK BLOC

This weekend is the 26th Anarchist Bookfair. As usual it will be chocka with 80 stalls, talks, films, discussions, and more, featuring the full gamut of groups on the libertarian side of politics tackling issues like climate change, ID Cards, asylum seeker support, worker solidarity, anti-fascism, and feminism, as well as stalls by the main alternative media crews, and purveyors of anarchist literature and paraphernalia. It'll be a pick 'n' mix buffet of information with an impossibly packed schedule. Talks and discussions will be going on all day across the spectrum from animals rights, the effect of the 2012 Olympics, the 2007 DSEI Arms Fair, NHS Privatisation, Residents Groups and the Co-op Movement through to theoretical talks about anarchism, class struggle and radical history.

But it's not all deadly serious as there will also be a live comedy cabaret, London Class War will be discussing proposed celebrations for Thatcher's death, and yer SchNEWS will be screening the latest 'SchMOVIES' from 12 noon. Food and creche provided. Saturday 21st October at The Resource Centre, 356 Holloway Rd, London, N7 10am-6pm, tube: Holloway Rd. For more see www.anarchistbookfair.co.uk

* Make sure you're well brewed up with a ready bail address by four at the latest for the annual scuffle with the police (for more see last year's SchNEWS 518).

Inside SchNEWS

Harris, who is a published pancreatic cancer doctor, was disgusted by the pressure his colleagues were putting on him to perform animal experiments. A girlfriend left him when she found out what his job involved. He finally decided to fight back and waged a one-man campaign against firms he knew supplied HLS with vital equipment. Offices were flooded, computers smashed and warnings left on walls as Harris left a trail of damage to the tune of £25,000 around Cambridgeshire last year. * If anyone knows this guy (or you are he!) and would like him to go on our Prisoner support list, let us know.

* For more see www.alfsg.org.uk

* For more on SOCPA see SchNEWS 483

THE GOON SHOW

Surprised it's been a bit quiet lately on the new 'screw civil liberties' law front? Panic over, Neo-Labour have recently published a draft Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill with new powers being given to bailiffs (for the first time ever) to force an entry into yer home. Currently when the hired goon squad come round for some polite, non-intimidatory debt renegotiation (!), no seizure of possessions can be had without first getting the occupier's permission to enter. In response to this, bailiffs tried 'Walking Possession Orders' whereby they would look through a window to see what you had and make a note of what was worth selling. But without a legal way inside, it was not all easy loot for them or their pals in the booming credit industry.

Now though, if plans work out, they'll be able to smash their way in, use force against the occupiers if 'necessary' and strip your house bare - including taking pets, so keep that pedigree puss well hidden! You'll then get oh, about £100 knocked off your bill - depreciation and costs mate, innit?

Although the proposed law exposes everyone to the unaccountable actions of bullet-headed bozos in bomber jackets, it will ultimately hit the poorest the hardest. There's more than £1.2 trillion worth of debt out there, but it's the people who are borrowing just to survive that struggle the most and end up in court. Then there's the problems that'll be caused by pumped-up bailiffs forcing entry to premises where the debtor is no longer living - goons just never seem to understand the word 'no' do they...

But still, good news for the loan sharks and the high street bankers who will soon benefit from access to a nice supply of cheap second hand consumables. Lovely jubbly! For more see www.lag.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=91691

...and finally...

There was a flurry of media-o-critique this week as Universities hit back over Government plans asking them to carry out surveillance on Muslim students and report findings back to Special Branch. Uni spokesman Prof Drummond 'bass to the' Bone warned of the "dangers in targeting one particular group within our diverse communities." Seeking to deliver fairness in education, Neo Labour are presumably now busy redrafting the plans to get every student spied on equally - Well any of 'em could be a potential white supremacist / anarchist / Yardie / Triad / Basque separatist/ East European gang-member / Irish Republican / Mafioso or hard line vegan...

Disclaimer

SchNEWS warns all readers...next time you visit a bog don't let off any unwanted emmissions. Honest!

SchMOVIES

Download free short films produced by SchNEWS, or order a copy of the new SchMOVIES 2005 DVD only £6 incl. p&p. Click Here for more info

SchNEWS Annuals

OUT NOW!!! 'SCHNEWS AT TEN' - A Decade of Party & Protest - £9 inc p&p

• Peace de Resistance - issues 351-401. £7 inc p&p
• SchNEWS of the World - issues 300 - 250. £4 inc p&p.
• SchNEWS and SQUALL’s YEARBOOK 2001. £4 inc p&p.
• The SchQUALL book Sold out - Sorry
• SchNEWS Survival Guide Sold out - Sorry
• SchNEWS Annual issues Sold out - Sorry

(US Postage £6.00 for individual books, £13 for above offer).

In addition to 50 issues of SchNEWS, each book contains articles, photos, cartoons, subverts, a “yellow pages” list of contacts, comedy etc.

Subscribe to SchNEWS: Send 1st Class stamps (e.g. 10 for next 9 issues) or donations (payable to Justice?). Or £15 for a year's subscription, or the SchNEWS supporter's rate, £1 a week. Ask for "originals" if you plan to copy and distribute. SchNEWS is post-free to prisoners.

SchNEWS, PO Box 2600, Brighton, BN2 0EF, England
Phone: +44 (0)1273 685913
email: schnews@brighton.co.uk

@nti copyright - information for action - copy and distribute!