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WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IT'S YER SARKY AS YER LIKE...

SchNEWS

Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective

Issue 217, Friday 25th June 1999

Video screening of June 18th day of action at Glastonbury @ Groovy movie cinema, Green futures field 25-27 June 10pm every night

SUITS YOU, SIR!

"Booze-fuelled hardcore anarchists turn anti-capitalist protest into orgy of violence."
- Daily Star

It all started nicely enough - 500 cyclists staged a Critical Mass blockade of the streets, Lloyds and NatWest banks were occupied and animal rights activists shouted at an empty building. No-one - least of all the police - could anticipate the mayhem to come.

"Just heard that the boys at Tullett and Tokyo whose office overlooks London Bridge have been waving their gold cards and shouting 'Wankers' at the eco-warriors going past."
- E-mail circulating City

Liverpool St. Station, 12 noon: Ten thousand ungrateful, work-shy dole-scroungers gathered to bite both the hand that feeds them and the free sandwiches provided to lure them away from consumer Utopia; colour-coded party masks distributed amongst the crowd resulted in four separate columns of protesters winding their way through the city streets to converge on the belly of the beast - The London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE). At this point the Carnival - organised by and for a coalition of nice, peaceful anarchists- was hijacked by the disgraceful, masked-up, beer-swilling, black-clad, cop-hating psychopaths that give anarchy a bad name.

And then the fun really began.

"We're being beseiged by open-toed-sandalled hippy vandals. We have armed our doorman, Bernard, with a shotgun."
- Partner at Maclay, Murray and Spens ('The Lawyer')

To the noise of pneumatic drill gabba from a sound-system, a trained Class War hate mob trampled on the bare toes of decent liberal protesters and embarked on a systematic redesign of the urban environment. 'Imagine London with its rivers unearthed and its valleys revealed' they screamed as CCTV cameras were bagged up, revellers danced in a four-storey fountain of their own urine and the front door of LIFFE was bricked up with breeze blocks and cement hauled in by crack-fuelled chaos junkies. Punk band P.A.I.N.- at least one member sporting an outrageous mohican haircut- baited rioters with angry hate music- with added percussion from boots going through the windows of a Mercedes showroom.

"Five activists are reported to have shaved the head of a besuited City type, while pinning him against Freshfield's wall."
- 'The Lawyer'

Dreadlocked crusties disguised in Oxfam suits stormed their way into the reception of the Liffe building, showering traders- cowering behind piles of photocopied tenners- with fountains of diseased blood as bare feet demolished the plate-glass reception. The masked middle-class mayhem mongers stormed the escalators in pitched battle with salt-of-the-earth Cockney dealers before being squirted back out on the street with champagne cannons.

"Bankers, traders and stockbrokers are the real working class."
- Daily Telegraph editorial

Other demonstrators attacked branches of McDonalds; kamikaze vegans hurled themselves through the windows and bombarded police with frozen burgers, urging customers to eat Edward and Sophie instead. Others covered themselves with ketchup and deceitfully claimed police brutality.

"Schroeders were attacked by climbing nuts, who attempted to scale the building with ropes and crampons, but were thwarted when traders urinated on their heads."
- E-mail circulating city traders

Thankfully, citizens, such spontaneity is unlikely to happen again. Assistant Chief Constable James Hart of City Police has stated: "We may, if conditions call for it, be more assertive next time; we'll come in harder, at significant risk to innocent members of the public peaceful protesters and police officers." Or maybe they'll just ban dissent altogether. Meanwhile…

"Next Friday will be the International City Day of Action. On this day, we ask you all to don your finest pinstripe, knot the italian silk tie, booted with British brogue, apply your monocles, glue mobile phone to ear and then head off down to Brighton to disrupt as many dreadlocked soap dodging men and women with dogs on string as possible."
- E-mail circulating City traders (unfortunately everyone in Brighton will be at Glastonbury).

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WHO WERE THE VIOLENT MINORITY?

The actions of a few hundred troublemakers clearly intent on causing mayhem and violence marred what was otherwise a great day out. This small, highly organised group, some of them wearing suits and sporting mobile phones, managed to get into buildings housing major financial institutions. One man who didn't want to be named told SchNEWS: "They had little or no connection with the thousands of ordinary protesters out on the streets and were clearly intent on causing serious violence. They used computer and comms equipment and were quite aware of what they were doing. We did all we could to stop them but by the end of the day they had killed 11,000 kids. That may sound shocking, but these people are responsible for that, through easily preventable poverty-related diseases, every day . They give protests like the one today a very bad name, because they own the newspapers that print complete crap about what's really going on. It is very important that the public supports our efforts to bring these people to justice".

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SO WHY THE CITY ?

June 18th was the day when the world's seven most industralised countries and Russia (G8) met in Cologne, Germany. On their agenda was more economic growth, more 'free' trade and more power for corporations. (check back issues of SchNEWS to find out why these are bad things)

The city was chosen because it is the place, as Anthony Sampson described in the 'The Midas Touch' where "people buy and sell blips on an electronic screen. They deal with people they never see, they talk to people over the 'phone in rooms that have no windows. They sit and look at screens. It is almost like modern warfare where people sit in bunkers and look at screens and push buttons and make things happen."

It's a place where a small number of people play the world's largest and most risky video game - the money game. But the consequences of this game are very real: human lives, ecosystems, jobs and even entire economies are at the mercy of this reckless system. To the frenzied traders it's might be about just gambling with blips on a screen, but to the Peruvian coffee growers who's just had the value of their crop halved ovenight, the game's for real.

As Business Week once observed "in this new market…billions can flow in or out of an economy in seconds. So powerful has this force of money become that some observers now see the hot-money set becoming a sort of shadow world government." Perhaps one demonstrator put it best "the damage to property that happened today, is nothing compared to the misery these financial corporations create in their never ending quest for profits."Are we all ready for a terrorist back-lash?

And now for a lesson on how multi-national companies bribe whole towns. One of the UK's biggest companies, Vodaphone recently got planning permission to build a giant HQ on a greenfield site on the outskirts of Newbury. Vodaphone refused to contemplate moving to other sites such as the vacated MOD site at Greenham Common (which they reckoned was a security risk because of the peace women there - all three of them!), they said to the town, give us permision or we'll pack our bags and go. Vodaphone were also surprisingly enough supporters of the Newbury bypass, which was built, residents were told, to stop traffic congestion and infil development.

  • Did you witness, photograph or video an arrest or injury at the J18 protests in London? If so please send details (location & time of incident) with your name, address & tel number to Legal Defence & Monitoring Grp, BM Haven, London WC1N 3XX.
  • A discussion pamphlet on J 18 to be published soon. Send contributions, analysis, critiques and graphics etc to rts@gn.apc.org or RTS, PO Box 9656, London N4 4JY
  • http://www.j18.org/

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"OUR RESISTANCE WILL BE AS TRANSNATIONAL AS CAPITAL"

Hey, it's wasn't just about one day: "It's about building a movement. From the global to the local it's about taking back control of our lives." Here's a quick round-up of what SchNEWS has heard so far about last Friday…

AUSTRALIA | ARGENTINA | BELARUS | BRAZIL | CANADA | CZECH REPUBLIC | GERMANY | ISRAEL | ITALY | MEXICO | NETHERLANDS | NIGERIA | PAKISTAN | SPAIN | SWITZERLAND | UK | URUGUAY | USA

AUSTRALIA

Kim Beazley, Opposition leader, was pied for speaking at an APEC/Global Trade meeting sponsored by Shell. Protestors harassed the Stock Exchange, McDonalds and Australian bank, Westpac who invest in the Jabiluka uranium mine. Elsewhere in Melbourne, bells were sounded to wake up the world to Third World Debt problems, a Critical Mass and a Food not Bombs breakfast were held. Protesters blockaded the stock exchange with dead wombats!

ARGENTINA

Unfortunately the report we've received is all in Spanish.

BELARUS

Picketers from Eco-resistance and Chyrvony Zhond gave out flyers and toilet paper to customers leaving McDonalds. Permission for a large demonstration wasn't granted. 

BRAZIL

In Desterro protesters defaced a city centre clock (built by an 'entertainment' corporation) symbolising the 500 years of "discoverment" (invasion) of Brazil.

CANADA

In Vancouver a hundred people blockaded the Stock Exchange. In TORONTO the RTS was a fun celebration and reminder that public space is for public benefit, though it occurred very much within an imposed framework.

CZECH REPUBLIC

350 people met in central Prague, disrupting banks and multinationals despite over a thousand police (probably due to the previous 7000-strong street party with people from the Intercontinental Caravan, where there were 114 arrests.)

GERMANY

In Cologne, about 95 people were arrested, mainly from the InterContinental Caravan, who have been making peaceful protests thoughout Europe. People were beaten by police outside an art hall and 500 people protested outside the chemical transnational company Bayer in Leverkusen.

The Caravan members came to Cologne for the World Economic Summit to ridicule the Gang of Seven in a Gandhi-style "Laugh Parade", but 250 were prevented by police from entering the city centre. They were surrounded and some arrested, including Vijay JAWANDHIA, president of the Inter-State Co-ordination Committee of Farmers' Organisations, and his wife. Police used brute force, injuring at least two and making racist remarks, this despite an admission that there had been no violence on the side of the Caravan. On Saturday 19/6 estimates of the numbers still in custody ranged from 6 to 30 people.

ISRAEL

In Tel Aviv, a street carnival was held, and torches lit for the victims of corporate human and animal rights abuse. 

ITALY

Demonstrators established night-long autonomous zones in the centre of Bologna. Similar actions took place in Milan, Rome, Siena, Florence, Ancona and Hamburg.

MEXICO

On June 15, the Electronic Disturbance Theatre staged a virtual sit-in and clogged up the Internet pathways to the Mexican Embassy in the UK in protest at the continuing war in Chiapas.

NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam protesters were not allowed any sound (not even a car radio) or an 8x6m banner. 50 people and lots of press showed up.

NIGERIA

A 10,000 strong "carnival of the oppressed," brought Port Harcourt, Nigeria's petroleum capital to a standstill. Many were from the Niger Delta where oil corporations are destroying their environment. Shell and Agip had their offices blockaded and a street named after General Abacha was unofficially re-named after Ken Saro-Wiwa and the old signpost pulled out.

PAKISTAN

In Gujrat, Pakistan there was an enthusiastic anti-nuclear procession. The leadership of the trade union association, Apfutu, which had gone underground on the 14th came out masked and veiled and joined the rally despite blockades by a local administration eager to arrest them. Angry protesters broke the police control circle. Women went on hunger strike outside the deputy commissioner's office.

During a protest gathering about 300-400 hundred police commandos arrested several of the leaders. They used baton charges and tear gas on innocent men, women and school children. 50 of the protesters were released on bail, and the rest were shifted to the district jail. A reliable source says they are charged with attempting to damage/harm the territorial integrity of the country. The punishment for this is death. Bail had now been granted to all but about 9 leaders, who are said to have been tortured and beaten.

Neither the defendants not the trade union organisations can raise the money to hire lawyers to defend them in court, but they welcome any donations to the "International Solidarity Funds of APFUTU": title of account: International Solidarity Fund of APFUTU, bank account no : 1180 (U.S. Dollars), 1181 (German marks); Allied Bank of Pakistan Limited, main branch, Chowk Nawabsahib Gujrat (Pakistan).

Supporters may transfer cash direct to the above accounts or send cheques/bank drafts to the union address: All Pakistan Federation of United Trade Unions (APFUTU) Union House, Rang Pura, Sargodha Rd, Gujrat 50700, Pakistan Tel: + 92 4331 28736/26398 Fax: + 92 4331 525302 E-mail: union@grt.space.net.pk

SPAIN

300 people spent a couple of hours with music, fireworks closing down streets and banks and Lladro's, the richest and most hated speculator in Valencia.

In Madrid seven days of action in the financial capital came to a head with a Reclaim The Streets smack bang in the commercial centre of the city. Other highlights of the week included 100 people occupying the Madrid Stock Exchange for more than an hour.

In Barcelona, two small groups of people closed two main streets in. One of them, in Sant Andreu Town, recreated a beach and they give fried potatoes to commuters in cars. 100 people took part in action at the derelict site of a squatted house evicted and demolished by police two years ago, creating an organic vegetable and medicinal garden, with water features.

In Sant Cugat (20 km from Barcelona)a bike demonstration of just 13 people managed to close the motorway and get to Barcelona to join the main demonstration. Barcelona's Reclaim The Streets proper took place with up to 700 people dancing until 11pm.

SWITZERLAND

In Zurich, 300 people occupied a construction site in an area currently being gentrified and held one of "the best parties for years". In Geneva, over 50 anarchists washed (!) major banks in the centre and 100 took part in a mobile carnival.

UK

In Lancaster activists occupied Freshfields, a city law firm which boasts of representing nuclear, aviation, road transport, chemical, mining, asbestos companies, tobacco products and the drinks industry, this was followed by a critical mass.

500 people turned Glasgow's George Square into the site of an unofficial party with two sound systems, a critical mass bike ride and one old Ford Fiesta with a J18 RTS registration plate. The Bank of Scotland, the Job Centre, The Army Recruitment Office and Strathclyde Police HQ were targeted as demonstrators marched around the centre for about 2 hours then headed for the park for more partying.

In Edinburgh Reed Employment had paint and posters telling them what people thought about their involvement in New Deal plastered all their offices.

URUGUAY

The Montevideo June 18th Network occupied the main square of the Old Town (the financial centre).A trade fair was set up, with themes such as cheap labour, child labour, education, local culture, consumption and communication. Trade unions were also involved. There was also a parade, entering into the Stock Exchange, the Banco de Montevideo and passing in front of the Ministry of Housing and the Environment and McDonalds, where they stayed for a while singing and getting in the way.

USA

37 people were arrested after people reclaimed the streets in New York's financial centre. For nearly 2 hours, 500 costume clad protesters took over, tying up traffic and rallying in front of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. 2 People were nicked and equipment seized.

In San Francisco over 500 people came out to Reclaim the Streets, dancing through the Financial District, stopping outside the corporate headquarters of some of the world's largest and most vile transnational corporations and financial institutions. Stops also occurred at two of the city's giant retail chains.

In Los Angeles protesters played cat and mouse with the police as they tried to hold a party, blocking streets despite baton charges. Police were forcing people out of the park by pushing and hitting people with their batons.

More than 100 activists joined in a Carnival Against Capital in frontof a Bank Boston in the city's financial district. Hundreds more workers watched, costing the bankers many thousands in lost "productivity." 600 demonstrators organised by Jubilee 2000 in Washington DC formed a human chain around the U.S. Treasury Department.

In Eugene, Oregan, a parade escalated into violence as police deployed tear gas and arrested 15 people for rioting, a felony, and other charges. Three officers suffered minor injures in the rioting, as did an unknown number of protesters. As many as 200 protesters played cat-and-mouse with police for hours stopping long enough at intersections to disrupt rush-hour traffic and anger drivers, but paraded away when threatened with arrest and tear gas.

Around 50 demonstrators in Austin, Texas baracaded both ends of a street and took control of a section of road. The police arrived and arrested three of them.

For more weblinks on J18 click here

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YOU WTO MATE? IT AIN'T ALL OVER?

Unfortunately, global capitalism has obviously managed to survive June 18th and so the process of stripping away what minimal protection the inhabitants and environment of planet Earth currently enjoy continues.

After the big G8 shindig at Cologne, the next date on the calendar of the world's power elite is 29th November, when the 3rd Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will start in Seattle, USA.

Here high ranking representatives of member states will continue shaping what has been called 'the constitution of a single global economy.' Feeling nervous? You should be - that quote was from ex WTO head Renato Ruggiero. Since its birth in 1995 the WTO has, surprise, surprise, become almost entirely dominated by the big economic powers, who have vast technical, political and economic resources deployed to ensure 'negotiations' go their way. Most 'agreements' are dreamed up in small, informal meetings of Western officials, and then forced onto developing nations, whose small, under-resourced and overworked delegations have little chance of getting a word in edgeways.

Even big powers like the EU can feel the wrath of the WTO's unelected globalising maniacs - which is why we are being forced to buy all our bananas from one of Clinton's funders, not just the 70% we already did buy from exploitative US firms in Latin America. Its also why we shall soon be importing US beef pumped full of carcinogenic hormones.

What can we expect from Seattle99? More of the same, of course. The Millennium Round of "negotiations" will focus on amongst other things TRIPs. This one is unfortunately not about acid legalisation, but the sinister stitch-up which allows US agribusiness companies to patent plants that farmers and herbalists have been using of thousands of years, and them charge them for the right to continue using them. So, what are we gonna do about it? As SchNEWS went to press we were awaiting info on the plans for the resistance.We can tell you that there will be a second Inter-Continental Caravan from Latin America, and expect J18 style antics.Watch this space. PGA_Seattle99-subscribe@listbot.com

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STONEHENGE

"Excuse me, Mr.Policeman, why are you in riot gear, guarding a load ofold stones."

Down came the fence, and in poured the people, heading for the five thousand year old Stone circle. It was nearly two hours before the Cavalry started clearing people out. Private security swung punches and cops dragged people away while all the time a helicopter with spotlight buzzed nosily overhead. Next from the darkness came the riot cops, dog-handlers and the horses, their heads flashing with red-lights, pushing people back out over the fence.

The next few hours were a surreal stand-off as the sunrise began in earnest. Every now and then someone made a dash for it, there was the obligatory naked protest, while others who had managed to clamber onto the relative safety of the stones were joined by people who had been given tickets by English Heritage. About 500 people had gathered now, watching through the lines of riot cops as the sun began its spectacular sun-rise. With the 4 mile Exclusion Zone recently ruled illegal in the High Court, this was the nearest most people had got in years.

Stonehenge means a lot of different things to a lot of people. To some it is a spiritual home - so imagine if you can, being at a church service, surrounded by riot police who every now and then throw someone out who hasn't got a 'ticket'. To others it has been the scene of so many broken bones, arrests and trashed vehicles as the authorities put their foot down hard on the free festival scene.

The next night people again headed for the Stones, but this time even the ticket-holders were banned by English Heritage. As one veteran put it "You don't stop the whole football season because of a twenty minute pitch invasion."

  • In 1985 a large convoy of vehicles on their way to Stonehenge were forced into a field and brutually attacked by cops. It has gone down in traveller folklore as the 'Battle of the Beanfield'. For a copy of the video 'Operation Solstice' send £8 inc p+p (cheques made payable to Neil Goodwin) to 37 Nightingale Road, Wanstead, London, E11 2HD. Essential.
  • Stonehenge Campaign newsletter Send SAE + donation to 99 Torriano Ave., London, NW5 2RX
  • 'Last of the Hippies ' Wally Hope was one of the people who got the StonehengeFestival going in the early 70's, and met with a very suspicious death £1 + SAE from DS4A, Box 8, 82 Colston St., Bristol,BS1

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GAVIOTAS - A VILLAGE TO REINVENT THE WORLD

by Alan Weisman (Green Books)

This is one of the most amazing, inspiring books you'll ever read. Over the past 30 years, the Gaviotas community have turned parched savannah into a sustainable forest of Eden, despite being surrounded by the violence of Colombia. But this isn't some hippie drop-out commune, Gavotias have searched and come up with solutions - dreamers who put their words into practice, and for the most part got it right. "Surrounded by a land seen either as empty or plagued with misery, they had forged a way and a peace they believed could prosper long after the last drop of the earth's petroleum was burned away. They were so small, but their hope was great enough to brighten the planet turning beneath them, no matter how much their fellow humans seemed bent on wrecking it."

  • Order from Green Books Ltd, Foxhole, Dartington, Totness, Devon, TQ9 6EB Tel 01803 863260 http://www.greenbooks.co.uk/ £17.95
  • Or get yer library to stock it (ISBN 0 930031 95 4)

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RADIO 4A

July 4th, 106.6 FM, Independence Day special, Analysis on Kosova, June 18th,Britains part in the arms trade + usual mayhem 11am - 7 pm http://www.indifference.demon.co.uk/radio4a/, email radio4a@hotmail.com

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CAMP ROUND UP

Want something to do this summer - why not get along to a protest camp?

GORSE WOOD, ESSEX A new anti-road camp set up to stop the A170 bypass from Chelmsford to Southend, to be built under the Private Finance Inititive Scheme. Directions -go round the back of All Saints Church in Rettendon, and follow the path round until you come to the camp. 07957 915977

ARTHURS/CEDARS WOOD The camps are in National Trust owned woodland, but despite that Manchester airport want the trees chopped cos they might block radar signals. Directions: near Oversley Lodge Farm, Altrincham R., Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire. Tel 0161 225 4863/07931 931850

Victory! Plans to trash a neglected woodland HAGBOURNE COPSE by junction 16 of the M4 have been dropped. The woodland was up for sale and the agents dealing with it just love industrial development. However, after the Rational Trust, threatened direct action, the sale was dropped. Rational Trust, c/o 21 Beaulieu Close, Swindon SN5 8AQ.

AVON RING ROAD The Camp to stop 'Bristols answer to the M25' was recently evicted. A fun day and further actions are planned for 28th July. 0797 9990389

BIRMINGHAM RELIEF ROAD The campaign to stop England's first toll motorway continues despite the camp being evicted last Friday. The road will be 27 miles long and will pave the way for greenbelt expansion along its route. A new camp is promised soon. 07931 161761

FASLANE PEACE CAMP Still hassling the Trident nuclear base next door after 16 years! The latest is that there's a massive development under construction on the west bank of Loch Lomond. Trees have been cut down, a long-established swan's nest trashed, 2 lagoons filled in, so a golf course, hotel/lodges can be built. People are badly needed, a camp is planned and there's strong local support. 5th July there's a Reclaim the Loch meet Balloch train Station 11am. 01436 820901

The Anti-Wicca War" is a new book out that covers the 3 years of the PRESSMENNAN WOOD campaign in Scotland exposing how the bureaucratic process was rigged, and also talks about the importance of ancient woods especially their use in alchemy. The woodland is still under threat despite ancient woodland covering a mere 1% of Scotland - over 300 of the trees are due to be felled in the autumn. To get involved email lothian@burn.ucsd.edu To buy the book send £5 (includes postage) to Potent Productions c/o PO Box 1021,Edinburgh. EH8 9PW

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PARTY AND PROTEST SUMMER GUIDE

JULY

  • Thur 1 onwards Russian Rainbow Gathering, near Moscow Tel +7 (812) 3146920
  • Fri 2/4 Bracknell Festival £40 Tel: 01344 4241232
  • Fri 4 Return To The Source Open Air Festival, Tel:0181 674 6003 http://www.rtts.com/
  • Fri 2 - 4 Winchester Hat Fair Tel: 01962 849841
  • Fri 2-3 X72 End of the world (according to Nostradamous) free party, Spain Tel 0034 93 316 5763
  • Sat 3 Mardi Gras Gay Pride Festival, Finsbury Park, London £10/7
  • Sun 4 Free Festival of Global Rights (Hackney Marshes); Tel: 0181 808 9755 CANCELLED
  • Fri 9/11 Larmer Tree Music Festival nr. Shaftsbury £50 Tel: 01722 415223
  • Fri 9 Education for Sustainable Communities at Pearce Institute, Govan Rd., Glasgow 3 pm Tel 0141 332 8064
  • Sat 10 Conference on sustainable housing by the Urban Regenration and Greenfield Environment Network (URGENT!) Ruskin College, Walton St., Oxford Tel 07000 785202 http://www.urgent.org.uk/
  • Sat 10 Summer Animal Fair, Hove Town Hall, E.Sussex 10 am-5 pm organised by Justice and Freedom for Animals, PO Box 2279, Hove, BN3 5BY
  • Sat 10-11 T in the park, Kinross, Scotland £58 0115 912 9190 http://www.tinthepark.com/
  • Sun 11 Ambient Green Picnic, Shalford Park, Guildford 12 noon - 9 pm Michael Dog/Mandragora + lots more FREE/DONATION Tel 0956 319 692 http://www.guilfin.org/
  • Sun 11 Demonstration to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the fall of Srebrenica when 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were massacred when the UN 'safe area' was allowed to fall to the Bosnian Serb and Yugoslav armies. Tel Women of Srebrenica 0171 465 5312
  • Mon 19 The three hunt sabs who were nabbed in December 1997 and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Violent Disorder after a big day out at the Hursley Hambledon foxhunt are finally coming to court. Support them on the first day of the trial, 1:00pm, at Portsmouth Crown Court. Portsmouth 3 Defence Campaign, c/o Box H, 167 Fawcett Rd, Southsea, Hants.
  • Fri 16 Babymilk Scandel - London Anarchist Forum, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1 (Holborn) 8pm Tel 0181 847 0203
  • Fri1 6 - 18 Severn Revels CANCELLED; Tel: 01452 505384
  • Fri 17 - 18 Ashton Court Free Festival, Bristol Tel: 0117 904 2275 FREE
  • Fri 17 - 18 Music In The Square, Portsmouth FREE Tel: 01705 357593 http://www.btinternet.com/~themagiccat/square/square.html
  • Sat 17 National Day of Action against Tarmac contact Earth First! 07971 755823
  • Sat 17 Derby Punx Picnic Bass Recreation Ground, Derby 12 noon onwards + weekend of gigs
  • Sun 18 Tolpuddle Rally and festival nr. Dorchester. South West TUC events Tel 0117 965 3394
  • Sun 18 NATIONAL GENETICS EVENT:Stop the farm scale GE trial at Model Farm, Watlington, Oxfordshire rally followed by walk to the site. Meeting place in Watlington tba Contact GEN on 0181 374 9516 http://www.gene.ch/ To find out what genetic test crop sites are near you, check out the Friends of the Earth web-site http://www.foe.co.uk/
  • Mon 19-20 Organic Gardening Weekend Contact Henry Doubleday Research Association Tel 01203 303517
  • Tue 20 - onwards International anti-nuclear camp near the Balakovo nuclear plant, one of the most dangerous power stations in Russia. In 1990 protests stopped construction of the second part of the plant. Contact Ecodefense!,Moskovsky Pr 120-34, 236006 Kaliningrad Tel +7 0112 437286 email ecodefense@glasnet.ru
  • Wed 21 - 25 Buddhafield Festival, Somerset Tel 0181 677 9564
  • Thurs 22 - 29 Annual Congress of the European Civic Forum Stubbendorf @ Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Tel +33 (0)4 92731818 email Longomai@karatel.fr
  • Fri 23 - 25 Foothills Festival, Wales 01558 823005
  • Fri 23 - 25 Womad, Reading £65 Tel: 0118 939 0930 http://realworld.on.net/womad/
  • Fri 23 - 25 Guildford Live; Tel: 01483 454159
  • Fri 23 - 25 Music In The Sun, Donvalley Grass Bowl Attercliffe, Sheffield £6 Tel: 0114 275
  • Sat 24 Tissue! Tissue! We all fall down! Action against animal to human transplants with an attempt to break world record for largest ring-a-roses (currently 1,197 people) Jesus Green, Cambridge 2 pm sharp Contact Uncaged, 14 Ridgeway Rd., Shefield, S12 2SS Tel 0114 2530020 http://ds.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/py61/
  • Tue 27 - Wed 4 Aug. Sprial Women's Camp near Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Pay what you can afford Tel 0181 257 5028
  • Weds 28 - 1 Aug Northern Green Gathering, Pontefract, W.Yorks £30 0113 224 9885
  • Wed 28 Protest naked for the right to be naked in public 2 pm Royal Courts of Justice (Holborn tube)
  • Wed 28 National Bog Day 0131 312 7765
  • Thur 29 - 1 Aug Greenbelt 99 Cheltenham Racecourse, Cotswolds, £60 0845 845 0021 http://www.greenbelt.org.uk/
  • Fri 30 - 8 Aug The 4th Anarchist summercamp, nr.Hannover, Germany Tel 0049 531 82909
  • Fri 30 - 1 Aug Organic Food and Wine Festival at Royal Horticultural Halls, London, SW1 Tel 0181 746 2832
  • Sat 31 - 1 Aug Brighton Festival, Stanmer Park
  • Sat 31 - 2 Setting up Ecological Communities course at Stepping Stones Coop, Wales 0870 7332538
  • Sat 31 Sexual Freedom Parade 2pm Soho Sq., London, W1. Sexual Freedom Coalition 0171 460 1979 http://www.sfc.org.uk/

AUGUST

There's loads of eclipse events in the 'line of totality', all of which will see you seriously out of pocket, so keep your ears to the ground for free events. The police have already promised to use the party-pooping 'five mile exclusion zone' powers contained in the Criminal Justice Act if they think a rave might take place, so use your wits - and respect the land.
  • Sun 1 Sunsplash 99 http://www.reggaesunsplash.co.uk/
  • Sun 1-2 Ecotopia nr. Timisoara, Romania solar eclipse info EYFA, Postbus 94115, 1090 GC Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel + 31 20 665 7743
  • Sun 1 - 15 Moonshadow Eclipse Family Camp, Cornwall 0181 941 6277
  • Sun 1 - 21 Green Futures Eclipse Family Camp - a snip at £200 01736 788926
  • Fri 6 Hiroshima Day
  • Fri 6 - Sat 8 The Big Chill 'Enchanted Garden 99', Salisbury £73 Tel: 0181 372 9735 http://www.bigchill.co.uk/
  • Fri 6 - 13 Zac's Tipi's Total Eclipse Camp (family friendly) 01558 685682
  • Fri 6 - 12 Megadog Essential Total Eclipse Festival, Plymouth £95 Tel:0181 806 6242 http://www.megadog.net/
  • Fri 6 - 15 Sunshadow Festival, Torpoint, Cornwall £85 Tel: 01502 230387 http://www.sunshadow.com/
  • Sat 7 - 12 Eclipse Party, Cornwall Tel: 0161 860 6472 £25 http://www.splintered.demon.co.uk/eclipse/
  • Sat 7 - 14 Lizard Festival, Goonhilly Down, Cornwall £125 Tel: 0906 2102376(25pp/m) http://www.lizard.net/
  • Sat 7 - 14 Cornish Eclipse Stone Festival, nr.Lostwithiel
  • Sat 7-8 Organic Gardening Weekend - Henry Doubleday Research Assocation 01203 303517
  • Mon 9 - 16 Solipse 99 Tel: 0049 30 440 56263 http://www.solipse.com/
  • Mon 9 Nagasaki Day
  • Mon 9 - 16 If I had a hammer.Trident Ploughshares 2000 Disarmament Camp at Coulport Trident missile base, Scotland Tel 01603 611953 http://www.gn.apc.org/tp2000/
  • Tue 10 Prisoner Justice Day This day has been commemorated in several countries since 1976. This year in the UK the focus is on the notorious Woodhill control unit in Milton Keynes. Opened last year, it consists of 3 units, where prisoners considered too "subversive" to be contained in the mainstream of the prison system can be arbitrarily confined until they "progress" with the behaviour modification programme. More details from Anarchist Black Cross (London), 27 Old Gloucester St., London, WC1N 3XX email londonabc@hotmail.com
  • Wed 11 Total Solar Eclipse Devon/Cornwall 11.11 am
  • Wed 11 Tribal Gathering, Men-an-Toll, Cornwall FREE
  • Thur 12 Day of action against the glorious Twelfth (protest against the start of the grouse shooting season) Hunt Sabs Assocation 01273 622827
  • Fri 13 Abbey Park Festival Leicester Tel: 0116 2673196
  • Fri 13-14 Cropredy (Fairport Convention) Festival, Oxfordshire Tel: 01869 338853
  • Sat 14 Brighton Gay Pride FREE 01273 730562
  • Sun 15 National Vegan Festival, Camden Centre, Bidborough St., London WC1 0181 670 9585
  • Sun 15 Smokey Bears Picnic, 2 pm Southsea Common, Portsmouth FREE
  • Wed 18 - 23 Earth First! Summer Gathering in East Anglia. Contact 0113 262 9365 http://www.eco-action.org/gathering/
  • Sat 21 - 22 V99 Weston Park, Staffs £70 Tel: 01142 554973
  • Sat 21 - 22 V99 Chelmsford £70 Tel: 01142 554973
  • Mon 23 - 26 second conference of the People's Global Action against 'free' trade and the World Trade Organisation.Hosted by the Karnataka State Farmers Association in Bangalore, India. http://www.agp.org/
  • Tue 24 Aug - 19 Sept Apple - a story of club culture The Etcetera Theatre (above the Oxford Arms), Camden Town, London NW1
  • Fri 27 - 29 Reading Festival £78 Tel: 0181 961 5490 if you must
  • Fri 27 - 30 Exodus festival, Long Meadow Farm, Charlton, Beds FREE 01582 508936
  • Sat 28 - 30 Leeds Festival Tel: 0181 961 5490 http://www.readingfestival.com/
  • Sun 29-30 Notting Hill Carnival, FREE
  • Mon 30 Sutton Green Fair, Carshalton Park, Ruskin Rd., Carshalton, Surrey. 10.30 am - 8 pm 0181 647 7706

SEPTEMBER

  • Fri 3-5 Building Sustainable Economies, Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth,SY20 9AZ http://www.cat.org.uk/
  • Sat 11 Norwich Reclaim The Streets 0793 1308091
  • Sat 11 National demo at Wickham Research Laboratories 12 noon meet in Mill Lane car park Tel 01705 588516
  • Tue 14-17 Demonstrations against the Defence Systems Equipment International, Chertsey and London Docklands arms fair. Campaign Against The Arms Trade 0171 281 0297

OCTOBER

  • Sat 16 Anarchist Bookfair, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London 0191 2479249
  • Mon 18 Marks the 15th anniversary of Veggies catering company to be celebrated with parties and picnics. The comprehensive Animal Contacts Directory is available for £4/3.50 from Veggies Catering Campaign. Tel: 0115 958 5666 E-mail: veggies@veggies.org.uk A book is to be published, if you've got any submissions should be sent to 180 Mansfield Rd., Nottingham, NG1 3HW
  • Fri 15 23 Aberdeen Alternative Festival http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/abfest/

NOVEMBER

  • Tue 2 - 4 Shut down the Copex arms and equipment fair at Sandown Park.This is the place to be if you are a dictactor on the look out for the latest in electro-shock batons or other torture equipment. Campaign Against The Arms Trade, 11 Goodwin St., London, N4 3HQ Tel 0171 281 0297 http://www.gn.apc.org/caat/

DECEMBER

  • Wed 22nd Winter Solstice and Full Moon
  • Sat 1/1/00 Satanic orgy Royston Parish Church. Please bring condoms and a partner.

REGULAR

  • Rebal Alliance last Weds every mnth 7pm upstairs @ Hobgoblin Pub (next one 30 June)
  • London Reclaim The Streets meet every Tuesday 7pm - Cock Tavern pub, Phoneix Road, Euston. Tel 0171 281 4621 rts@gn.apc.org
  • SQUALL Crew presents COMMOTION every alternate Friday (next one 2nd July) Pembury Tavern, Amhurst Rd., Dalston Lane, London http://www.squall.co.uk/
  • London Anarchist Forum meet every Friday 8pm Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1r (Holborn tube) Tel 0181 847 0203
FOR MORE PARTY & PROTEST INFO CHECK OUT

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FREE PARTY GUIDELINES

Despite the best efforts of the authorities, people are still putting on free parties up and down the country. Here's a few do's and don'ts just in case you stumble wide-eyed across one:
  • Be prepared to be self-sufficient. Facilities will be minimal.
  • Park sensibly, keep site roads clear.
  • Be friendly to local residents, ramblers etc. Smile - you're at a free party!
  • Bury your shit!
  • Don't trash the site - take a bin bag.
  • Fires - use dead not live wood (it doesn't burn)
  • Make a donation - if someone passes a bucket round, don't be a mean git. It costs money to put on a free event.
  • Know your rights - get yourself a BUST CARD, 10p from Release. Advice line 0171 729 9904.

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SchNEWS SURVIVAL GUIDE

If you like this piece of paper you have in your grubby Glastonbury hand, why not get a copy of our all new 260 page book. Includes issues 151-200 +photos, cartoons and other articles to help you survive the new millenium, & comprehensive database of over 500 grassroots organisations. Yours for £7.20 (inc.p+p). Don't forget our other books, SchNEWS Annual (issues 101 - 150), SchNEWSround (issues 51 - 100) Both £5 inc. p+p. Or get all three books for just £15 inc postage

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ONE LUMP OR TWO?

Monsanto's aspartame nutrasweet slowly destroys the nervous system. It is made up of 3 neurotoxins - phenylalanine (20 million people cannot metabolose it); Methonol (wood alcohol, deadly to diabetics). Monsanto fund the American Diabetics Association - funny that)& Aspartic Acid (a substance that rots the brain especially of new born babies) Symptons of aspartame include convulsions, loss of memory, cramps, dizziness, headaches, depression, anxiety attacks -so beware, it may be sugar free but it ain't poison free. Info from Dr.HJ Roberts (diabetics specialist and world expert an aspartame poisoning).

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AND FINALLY

If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.

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DISCLAIMER

SchNEWS warns all readers that if they got a bit carried away in the heat ofthe day last Friday and forgot to put on a disguise, lay low for a bit. Don't go on any demo's, cut/bleach/perm your hair, grow a beard (ok, maybe not) get some cosmetic surgery (and let's face it some of you ugly-bugs need it, this'll just give you the perfect excuse), then hopefully you won't get your collar felt. Honest.

DISCLAIMER PS

Please don't take people's masks off - if someone's a bit shy and doesn't want to reveal their identity, that's up to them. No-one runs up to you and forces a balaclava over your head now do they?

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Last updated 21 July 1999
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