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Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective
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WAKE UP! it's yer foxed up
Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective
ISSUE 274, FRIDAY
8th September, 2000
Croydon hunt saboteur Steve Christmas lies fighting for his life in intensive care this week after being run down last Friday by a thugs' Land Rover in what appears to be a premeditated attack at one of the first hunt meets of the season. Steve was one of four sabs disrupting the Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent foxhunt near Horsted Keynes, where the hunt were 'cubbing'- the cuddly term for letting your dogs tear foxcubs to bits to get a taste for blood. Tired of killing small woodland creatures, the hunt apparently thought they'd turn their hand to something bigger. Steve was airlifted to Haywards Heath hospital with four broken ribs, a crushed pelvis, a damaged lung and severe internal bleeding. He's had to have two operations- one to remove a metre of his intestine and one to fit a metal plate to his pelvis- and is breathing through a ventilator. Tubes are inserted in his heart and doctors fear his lung may have collapsed. His condition remains critical.
This was the second assault sabs had suffered that day: twenty minutes earlier, three inbred thugs (from the same 4x4 which later ran over Steve), aided by huntsman Mark Bycroft, started attacking the protestors. One sab was knocked over by the vehicle as they tried to flee the field; luckily they got away uninjured and briefly carried on sabbing, until the scum in the 4x4 returned- with tragic results. After nearly killing Steve the driver came back to taunt Steve's mates as they tried to help him.
Dawn Preston, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: "This incident shows both the hunters and hunt supporters blatant disregard for life - whether it be human or animal. It must be a sick and twisted individual indeed who is so fearful of his favourite 'sport' being banned that he tries to kill those who seek to prevent him from torturing our wildlife. Do not forget that two hunt saboteurs have already been killed in the last ten years - and at one stage today I was terrified that another name could be added to that list. How many lives have to be lost before we see an end to this abhorrent sport and those that partake of it?"
Sabs congregated the following day outside the hunts' kennels in Felbridge, Surrey to 'discuss' the matter with hunt staff- and were met by country chaps wielding pick-axe handles. The cops were there, predictably- and equally predictably made no arrests. The kennels are home to huntsman Mark 'One Ball' Bycroft, convicted in 1991 for assaulting a sab and notorious for his violent overreactions to the presence of 'antis': a man so unpopular his own mother wrote to sabs to inform them of her beloved son's genital inadequacy. A further demo happened on Wednesday evening, at the home of the hunt master, and passed without incident.
Sussex police have apparently arrested, interviewed and released a man on police bail in connection with the 4x4 incident. The hunt has claimed he is 'nothing to do with them'. Obviously random passers-by have developed the habit of driving into fields, exchanging matey greetings with complete strangers on horseback and then beating the crap out of anyone with non-leather footwear.
- Steve would love some get well cards and messages of support. Please send them- and any donations if you can afford it (cheques to Croydon H.S.A. or Steve Christmas)- to Croydon H.S.A., PO Box 1072, Coulsdon, Surrey CR52ZT
- Thankfully, incidents as serious as this are very few and far between. Sabs are needed out there in the field NOW- the full hunting season doesn't start until October, but the brutal spectacle of cubbing is now in full swing.
Hunt Saboteurs Association, PO Box 2786, Brighton, BN2 2AX www.huntsabs.org.uk 01273 622827 for details of your local group and Howl mag.
- The Countryside Alliance are planning a series of public talks in Brighton during the Labour conference. Keen to disguise the fact that they are an organisation formed with the sole purpose of making sure that rich people continue to be able to kill things for fun, they're making a show of debating rural post offices and the like. SchNEWS phoned the happenin' things at the CA offices for details; we were told that events would include "creative executions of one kind or another". When asked if this meant ritual fox dismemberment on the beach, the spokeswoman seemed a little confused. They get to the real issue on Tuesday 25th -the theme is 'Country Sports'. Anti-hunt counter demo: meet 10am, the Steine, Brighton.
- The regional organiser over the four-day bumpkin-fest is Tom Lewis. Please don't phone him on 01892 770388 or 0777 593-8790.
.to replace Mark Bycrofts' missing one perhaps? A few gems of foot-in-mouth
from the hunting set:
"To many women, a Master of Foxhounds is an irresistible catch". 'The Field'
hunt mag.
"Hunting people tend to be church-goers on a higher level than ordinary folk.
One has a religious experience in the field".-Rev. Christopher Seal, Oakley
Beagles supporter.
"The huge majority of hunt saboteurs are urban dwellers and several appear not
to have washed for quite a while" -David Greenwood, ex-master, Ampleforth Beagles
Pissed-off villagers in Briston, Norfolk, fed up with the stink from the industrial Bernard Matthews turkey farm on their doorstep, have bought the rights to a website named Bernard-Matthews.com, where they have established it as a forum for spleen and grudges against the not-so-bootiful fowl tycoon.
For smoking! For having £10 worth of hash an Australian gentleman was nicked at Charing Cross and given seven days in gaol!
Jack Straw, being his usual tolerant self, has banned a Gypsy horse fair that was due to take place in Horsmonden, Kent this weekend. This horse fair has been happening on the village green for more than 400 years, but unlike other traditional Gypsy fairs such as Stow-in-the-World and Appleby in Cumbria, this fair has never been given a Royal Charter. Traveller families have traditionally met on the common to mark the end of the hop picking season and have a chance to catch up with friends before winter time. Eli Frankham, president of the National Romany Rights Association (N.R.R.A) said "My Grandmother was born on the green in Horsmonden. In an age where nomadic life is all but outlawed, fairs such as these bind the Gypsy community together. The attack on this fair is therefore a direct attack on the Gypsy community of this country."
The name Horsmonden means "horse trading" and the village was mentioned in the Doomsday Book as a centre for horse trading but all this means nothing to Straw and his cronies, as he has used the Criminal Justice Act to put a 5 mile exclusion zone for assembly around the village to prevent people from gathering on the common. Undeterred the Gypsy Council and the N.R.R.A, who represent the 100,000 Romany community, have called for a demonstration through the village on the 9th (Sunday) led by traditional Gypsy wagons . Charlie Smith of the Gypsy Council says "Gypsies will be in Horsmonden this year and we'll be there every year until the fair is re-instated . We have the moral right to be there"
N.R.R.A. 01945 780326; Gypsy Council: 01708 868986
There were emotional scenes this week at Greenham Common, Berkshire as the last caravan left the Women's Peace Camp after 19 years of continuous occupation. The camp was set up on September 5 1981 by 36 women, 4 babies and 6 men who had marched from Wales to protest about the American ground launched cruise missiles that were due to be deployed there. From 1983, 96 cruise missiles were stored on the Common. Although the missiles were removed from the site in 1992, the women stayed on to ensure that the land was handed back to the Commoners. The land was sold back to the Greenham Common Trust in 1997 and the women have now left in order to make way for a Commemorative and Historic Site which is due to be officially opened on the twentieth anniversary next year.The women's peace camps at Greenham Common were the site for literally thousands of nonviolent direct actions, by tens if not hundreds of thousands of women from around the world for almost two decades. With classic 80's actions such as "Embrace the Base" encouraging more than 30,000 women at a time to take action against the siting of US Cruise missiles in Britain.
Greenham has been the source and inspiration for many related campaigns and actions since 1981. Direct action, protest camp and non-hierarchical women-only methods of working have been developed with the spirit of Greenham ever since.
"We have enjoyed seeing the land being cared for by a team of dedicated environmentalists of high integrity and, above all, we have rejoiced as we watched the perimeter fence come down and the Common returned to the people of Newbury." Said Sarah Hip-Person of the Commemorative Fund Collective. Money is also being raised to build a commemorative sculpture donations are urgently needed send cheques to Women for Life on Earth, Glangors, Ynyslas, Borth, Ceredigion, SY2 45JU Tel: 01970 871360 www.wfloe.fsnet.co.uk . Essential reading 'Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp: A History of Nonviolent Resistance, 1984 - 1995 by Beth Junor £8.95 (Plus 90p P&P) from AK Distribution: tel: 0131-555 5165 fax: 0131-555 5215 e-mail: ak@akedin.demon.co.uk
- Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp at the weapons establishment near Reading can always do with help. Contact them atawtt@hotmail.com or sian@aldercamp.freeserve.co.uk
15-17 September. The Civil Rights Caravan, set up by the Campaign Against Racism and Fascism and The National Civil Rights Movement will be touring the UK throughout September. It plans to highlight issues of racism and refugee rights and will be linking up with relevant demonstrations, conferences and events. Cities the caravan is set to visit include Coventry, Birmingham and Leicester.
Meanwhile, a similar caravan that is currently touring France has been met with a nasty response. Shortly after arrival in Marseilles 30 police, as well as riot police, arrived on the scene and began attacking the campaigners. Several people were arrested and kept in police detention. For more info on the UK caravan's tour contact CARF, 0307 8371450, BM Box 8784, London, WC1N 3XX, info@carf.demon.co.uk
* The caravan will be coming to Brighton in late September and events and planned. More details soon, watch this space.
* The next NoBorders meeting will take place on Sunday 10th September at the Royal Festival Hall in the ground floor bar.6pm.
- Simon Jones is killed on his first day of work (see SchNEWS 271) and nothing is done. 80 odd people protest outside the Crown Prosecution Service last Friday and someone is arrested for affray. As someone pointed out "My mate had his head crushed two years ago by a bunch of profit hungry gangsters without anyone being charged for it. We come to London to protest about that and one of Simon's mates gets arrested after half an hour. Says it all really." www.simonjones.org.uk
- On Thursday 14th September there will be a book launch of "The Zapatistas: A Rough Guide" and "Women of Maize: Indigenous Women and the Zapatista Rebellion" at the Ritzy Cinema Café, Brixton Oval, Coldharbour Lane, London SW2 1JG between 6.30 - 8.30pm Tel 020 7278 2829 or info@lab.org.uk
- Nick Pyne who was an active protester at Stringers Common, Lyminge, and Newbury sadly passed away last month. If any of his friends would be interested in organising a celebration of his life contact Lucy on 01483 821784
- On Sept. 11th, the World Economic Forum - 100 top bosses from the world's largest multinational companies - is meeting in Melbourne, Australia (see SchNEWS 271). Thousands of protesters are expected to turn up to shut it down. There's a solidarity demo in London, meet Monday 11th, 5pm at Shell-Mex House, the Strand, London. www.s11.org (Keep up-to-date with actions in Melbourne on September 11 at www.melbourne.indymedia.org )
- And if all the hype about the Olympics has put you off Oz, then check out a wizard book called 'Alternative Australia: celebrating cultural diversity' by Alan Dearling and Brendan Hanley. It is indeed "crammed full with tribal wisdom, feral attitude [no it doesn't bite] and hippy shit." ISBN 0 9523316 4 0 Enabler Publications, 3 Russell House, Lym Close, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3DE 01297 445024 They do other excellent books on travellers and more
- Benefit night for the London S26 Collective on Thursday 14th September featuring DJ Aki Nawaz (Fun-Da-Mental), Stone Valley, Fusing Naked and Blakelock. It's at the George IV (Brixton Hill) £4/3 B4 11, a bit more after
- There's a Radical Karaoke benefit for the Solidarity Federation on Saturday September 16, starting at 7pm Arsenal Tavern, Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park tube,
- On the same night there's a Benefit gig for the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh at the West Backpackers Hostel, 3 Queensferry St, Edinburgh. with two local bands, dj, visuals, and info Stalls www.autonomous.org.uk
- Also on the same day is the Norwich Street Carnival. Meet City Hall 1.30 p.m 07944 874393
- On the Sunday (17) there's another Glasgow-Prague benefit night Sunday 17th at the 13th Note Club, Clyde St, Glasgow. Line up to be confirmed globalactionscotland@egroups.com (for details of transport Edinburgh-Prague call 07932 413 254)
- Also on the Sunday is the National Vegan Food and Drink Festival 10am - 5pm at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London, WC1 Contact CALF, BM 8889, London, WC1N 3XX email calf@alrob.freeserve.co.uk
- Again, on the Sunday there's a demonstration to Stop British Airways Deporting Asylum Seekers at Manchester Airport Terminal One (Arrivals), 2 pm. 0121 5546947
- Throughout the country traditional woodland crafts are still alive and kicking. To find out about willow weaving, wood turning, basket making and much more get along to the Working Woodlands open day at Shotover Country Park, Oxfordshire on Saturday 17, noon - 5pm for more details contact 01865 774911. Or if you miss that check out the Weald Woodfair between 22-24 September at Bentley Wildfowl Museum £5/4 (free bus from Lewes Station) Tel: 01825 840870 www.eastsussex.gov.uk/env/events/woodfair
- For more dates and parties, check out party and protest on the Schnews website.
In 1978, David Blagden, experiencing the effects of a bereavement after his parents died, burnt down curtains at his local vicarage worth £1200. For this most dangerous crime, David has been imprisoned ever since, longer than many prisoners serving life sentences. A year after being locked up, the judge who presided over the case recommended that David be released, suggesting treatment as an alternative to prison.Since then he has refused to talk about David's case. The vicar whose curtains were burnt down has backed the campaign to get David out of prison.
Around 3 years ago, when David was in an open prison and not feeling too hopeful about legal channels ever getting him out, he took his chances and did a runner, going to Leeds where he sorted himself out with a job and flat. The arresting coppers told him "You shouldn't be in prison", so what did they do? They locked him up again in a category B prison.
While he's been locked up, David has done charity work, while at the same time trying to get his case highlighted in the media with the aim of being released. Both these facts were used against him at his most recent Parole Board, when a psychiatrist diagnosed David with Borderline Personality Disorder, saying he was craving media attention!
After 22 years it's time that David Blagden was released. There's a demo on Sat. 12th Sept. at 11 a.m outside Wellingborough Prison, near Leicester, where he is being held. If you can't make it, letters of support would be very much appreciated: F76927 Blagden, HMP Wellingborough, Miller's Park, Doddington Rd, N. Hants NN8 2NH
Sound Conspiracy, a major cog in the European teknival scene, suffered a tremendous blow within the last two weeks. After a summer of having it large all over the continent the collective brought their sound system back to Portugal to carry out repairs and to rest and recuperate. While they were there a very large forest fire took hold in that region of Portugal, and in the chaos, a cottage, in which Sound Conspiracy bods lived, the trucks which housed the 10k sounds (including the amp racks )and a few more living vehicles, all perished in the raging inferno. Luckily no one was seriously injured, but ten years of work and dedication has gone up in flames. They now need help to get another sound system together so they can carry on putting on large scale, free teknivals all over Europe, send donations to Miss D J Ward, Abbey National: sort code-09-01-26, account number: 483 71 752. For more info visit www.soundconspiracy.freetekno.org Watch this space for info on benefit nights coming up.
The US is obviously feeling that its position as the most violent country in the world is under threat, and its top pimps of death are busy working on new ways to keep their number one position. Now that their kids are bored of dolls that just wet their nappy and cry, this year's new 'toy' is Death Row Marv. Marv is a 6in doll that can be strapped to an electric chair and then realistically convulses as he is electrocuted to death. Cor blimley what ever will they think of next.
disclaimer
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Honest
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Last updated 8th September 2000
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