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

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

ISSUE 302, FRIDAY 27th April, 2001

SUMMIT WRONG?

"When laws are unjust, it's criminal not to resist them." - José Bové, the anti-globalisation French farmer who helped demolish a McDonalds.

"The truly violent are those who prepare for the summit by accumulating tear gas, plastic bullets and pepper spray. Those who enact laws and measures that will put hundreds of thousands of poor in the street, those who let pharmaceutical corporations make billions on sickness causing the death of millions of people, those who are copyrighting life and creating dependence and hunger. In a word, those who put their profits before our lives. These are the ones we should fear, not the anarchists." Black Bloc communiqué

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It was the largest and most expensive police operation in Canadian history. People were turned back at the borders. Ninety people even received the honour of being named on a "preventative detention list" to be rounded up shortly before the Summit began. Six thousand police dressed in thick body armour and heavy shields, with water cannons and guns that fired plastic bullets, tear gas and smoke rounds were protecting a no-go zone. This zone, surrounded by a four kilometre long, ten-foot-high chain-link fence, was unapproachable unless you had special residents ID; otherwise you could expect a tear-gas canister in the face for your trouble. Inside this fence was the Citadel, an actual fortress that was built in 1820 to defend against an American assault. Except this time the Americans with their free trade neo-liberal agenda were the guests of honour.

"Don't worry about the Black Bloc; worry about the Blue Bloc [the police].These leaders are not committed to non-violence." Jaggi Singh, CLAC

Last weekend leaders of 34 nation states were in Quebec City for the Summit of the Americas. Amongst other things they hoped to achieve was to put the finishing touches on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) which aims to establish a "free trade" zone extending NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement - see SchNEWS 200) to the tip of South America. It's been described as 'NAFTA on steroids'.

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Unfortunately every time the world's elite have a corporate knees-up, their meetings are met with resistance. Tens of thousands of people from all walks of life faced the usual barrage of rubber bullets, mass arrests and a thick white blanket of gas. No matter if they were masked-up black bloc trying to pull down the fences or peaceful protesters sitting in the road; the treatment was the same. As one protester pointed out, "The scene looked and felt like war, yet only one side had any real weapons. After the extreme police violence I'd witnessed the past few days, a few broken windows didn't merit a second thought."

But like Professor and author John McMurtry put it, "The corporate media will continue to block out the life-and-death issues at stake, focus on the saleable spectacle of a large public confrontation, blame and trivialise the thousands of opponents who are assaulted for putting themselves on the line, and return to selling other images and distractions once the violence entertainment is over."

TRADING STANDARDS

Free trade accords are the icing on the cake for the globalisation-will-solve-all-the world's-problems cheerleaders. That's because they eliminate "barriers to trade"- you know, inconvenient little things like environmental protection and worker rights- and push the way for the privatisation of anything that moves, even essential services like health care and education.

So just who benefits from these Free Trade Agreements? John W. Warnock, a Canadian political economist and author of 'The Other Mexico: The North American Triangle Completed' spells it out: "Mexico has always been characterised by inequality, but this has risen under the neo-liberal regime." 73% of the population live in poverty, 45 million in extreme poverty.

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Since NAFTA was signed, wages in Mexico have declined by 10%, while labour productivity increased by 45%. This is mainly due to the fact that many workers have increased their hours of work from 8 to 12 hours a day.

In 1980 the average carworker in Mexico earned about one third of the wage of an American car worker. By 2000 this was down to one twelfth.

Warnock continues: "Neoliberalism and NAFTA have been good for the rich in Mexico and the large corporations. The banks, privately owned and robbed by the Mexican rich, have been bailed out of bankruptcy twice by taxpayers. The illicit drug industry flourishes and is now more important than the oil industry, and free trade and cross-border trucking have made marketing much easier. Mexicans know that their country is falling behind the United States and Canada in every area. Aside from incomes, spending is very low on education, health, agriculture and rural development plus research. It is not surprising to find that most people, including academics, do not believe that so-called "free trade" has been good for their country."

And that's without even mentioning the environment. According to the Sierra Club total pollution has doubled in Mexico since NAFTA was introduced. As mentioned above, under NAFTA corporations can sue governments for getting in the way of business with daft stuff like pollution laws and safety regulations. In August 2000, following a NAFTA ruling, US corporation Metalclad won $16.7m compensation and the right to pollute an area in San Luis Potosi after local protests delayed the building of a waste treatment and disposal site which would poison the local water supply. Which is all rather depressing, isn't it?

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For possession of a weapon - a theatrical catapult that shot stuffed animals over the Quebec fence.

For sticking stickers. Police in central London arrested a man on charges of criminal damage last weekend for the heinous crime of pasting up Mayday Monopoly stickers. Tailed by police after leaving a Mayday organising event held in Hyde Park, the dangerous criminal stickerer was then caught in the act of "defacing" the sacred storefronts of several chain stores. It's a fair bet that the stickers' anti-capitalist messages had something to do with the arrest, as police would most likely have rewarded him had the stickers contained slogans such as-"Buy more Big Macs" or "Consume, Consume, Consume."

MAY BE OR MAY BE NOT

From its origins as a pagan festival, Mayday was a time to eat, drink, reject the control of our rulers and 'ave a laugh. So they banned the May fairs. Then Mayday got adopted by the workers movement as the day to celebrate the general strike by the anarchist Haymarket martyrs, executed in Chicago in 1886, and its now got a new lease of life as a time to party and protest- in case it's escaped your notice! Here's wot's 'appenin in a town near you:

UK...

Newcastle: May Day March to Newcastle Exhibition Park. Great speakers, good beer! Assemble 28th April 11am Forth St. Bring banners, placards etc. Rally begins 1pm @ Exhibition Park.

Hackney: There will be another day of strikes against the council (who have apparently gone bankrupt because of financial incompetence). In a recent ballot, workers rejected management's latest ultimatum, despite threats that rejection would lead to dismissal! Meet May 1st 12 noon at Hackney Downs, Hackney Road. March to Hackney Empire for rally at 2.15pm. Donations to the strike fund please!! Payable to Hackney Unison; send to Unison, 3rd floor Netil House, 1-7 Westgate Street London E8 3RL.

London: A fun filled day of direct action all across the capital. For more info check out the Mayday Monopoly Website: www.maydaymonopoly.org

Mayday Convergence Centre in London A temporary social centre is being set up to put up people participating in both autonomous Mayday Monopoly actions and the main Sale of The Century action in Oxford St. Meeting/crash space, café, library and more. Location to be announced closer to date. Contact: 079609 73847 or email: convergencespace@hotmail.com

Swansea: Giant game of Global Monopoly with huge Chance and Community Chest Cards. Bring Music, Fancy Dress, Street Theatre 12.30 pm, Castle Square, Swansea pea-brain@mail.com

Brighton: May Day Memorial mourning the death of nature, more specifically the excessive culling of over 1.5m animals in the name of foot and mouth. Meet Pavillion Gardens Café, Brighton 5.15pm. Please wear black.

Glasgow: Meet 12.30pm Buchanan St Underground, bring music, costumes, and good vibes. www.mayfirst.fsnet.co.uk

Birmingham: Party and Protest against Capitalism.12.30 pm outside Virgin Megastore, Corporation Street, Birmingham. Info: 07980 415577 or email: s26brum@hotmail.com

Manchester 'Exposing the Myth of the Global Economy'. Loadsa groups.10am-4pm, Manchester University Students' Union, Oxford Road M13

Sheffield: Mayday Picket of the Sheffield GAP Store. www.sheffieldmayday.ukf.net

Bristol: A variety of events!: Meet 8.00 am @ Arnolfini for Critical Mass. 12 noon @ The Fountains for Carnival around town: street theatre, stilt walkers, drumming, etc - and some surprise activities.

Dudley: 600 hospital workers are continuing rolling strikes against Private Finance Initiative scheme. (see SchNEWS 278) May Day Rally and Social Thurs 3rd 7.30pm at Pensnett Welfare and Social Club, Commonside, Pensnett. Details: Mark New, Branch Sec. 07970 788873

AND AROUND THE WORLD.

Melbourne, Australia: Go to www.antimedia.net/awol if you wanna know: must we do everything for you?

Bangladesh: Garments Workers Unity Council, campaigning for a May Day holiday in the garments sector. Visit http://www.ainfos.ca

Iran: Co-ordinating Committee of Workers Left Unity Iran. Email: info@etehadchap.com or visit http://www.etehadchap.com Fax 004631 139897 00448701257959

Contrary to what Louise Casey, the 'Tsar' of homelessness, knows, squatting is still legal. Just to prove it the new 11th Edition of the Squatters Handbook is now out. A definitive guide, even having the diagram of a yale lock!! Fully updated to take account of new Civil Procedure Rules. Great value at an incredibly low price of £1+57p postage. From the Advisory Service for Squatters, St. Pauls Road, London N1 2QN. (For squatting advice call 0207 359 8814 Mon-Fri 2-6pm; and they're always on the lookout for new volunteers)

The saga continues! Manchester's Okasional Café is back. After a kickin' launch party last Friday, it's business as usual. Events, workshops, poetry and film nights, 3 course vegan meals, capoeira.all are planned. Now at the old Empire Exchange, 61 Charles St, nr. Oxford Rd train station. Tues-Sun 4-Midnite (or later!) Wanna get involved? 07753 606723/ 07977 760842

Women Squatters in Newcastle have reclaimed a building to delay it being turned into a lap-dancing bar. It's been opened by the women as a Social Centre for the community rather than the proposed sad sordid watering hole that was given approval last Tuesday. Named Eclectic City II after a squat that was set up back in October on the future site of a massive entertainment complex called Electric City, the new squat is located in Carliol Square off Market Street. Eviction is threatened for early next week, so get down there soon to show your support before the poles go up! Events are happening every day with a May Day benefit night this Saturday starting at 7pm (to follow on from the Tyneside May Day march). Squat Hot Line 07833 646228

The squatted Atherden community centre in Hackney is gonna be evicted very, very soon. So get down there this weekend for a final fling of festivities and frolics designed to hold off the bailiffs!

This Sat (28)'Never Mind The bailiffs' spring fete, 1-8pm. Music, stalls, food etc.; Sun 29 café and film night; Mon 30 benefit café for Rhythms of Resistance samba band. Tues May 1st: 7am Mayday brekkie for striking Council workers, then all day open house, folks with kids especially welcome. Get down there!!

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* 27 till 12th May 1 in 12 club in Bradford celebrates 20 years of autonomous mayhem and fun, providing cheap food, beer and gig/party space (Sch 296). Program of events: 27th critical mass 5.15 pm from Centenary Square and then 20th anniversary party at the club. 1st: May Day carnival meeting at Infirmary Fields 12.30 pm. 5th-6th: Grand Football Competition, and yet another dance party. Finishing 12th with a day of workshops based on 'Taking Control - Direct Action and Autonomous Social Centres' from 12 pm till 5 pm and then cheesy disco from Leeds Action Group for Environmental Resistance (L.A.G.E.R) crew till late. 1in12 Club, 21-23 Albion St., Bradford, BD1 2LY Tel: 01274 734160 www.1in12.com

SchNEWS in brief

• J-Day Postponed! 'J-Day' Cannabis Festie in Brockwell Park next Saturday (5) is postponed! The reason?.er, the grass is too wet, man. We kid you not. The park is waterlogged, so the fun has been put back til June 16th
• The Rising Tide Climate Change Tour kicks off in Brighton (3-4 May), Farnborough (8), London (11), Hackney (12), Edinburgh (14-16), Newcastle (16-18), Lancaster (22-24), Liverpool (24-25), York (26-29), Hull (tbc), Reading (7-8 June), Oxford (9 June) Each Tour visit will see an evening of 'infotainment', alongside workshops, street theatre and creative actions. 01865 241 097 www.risingtide.org.uk If you can't make any of the Tour events but would like to receive the Tour info booklet, or info on inviting people to do workshops or talks on climate change, email climatechaos@yahoo.com
• Guilfin's web address has been sold by their internet provider to an Armenian porn site! Who then demanded $500 for them to buy it back. So the new one is www.guilfin.net
• Hate George Bush? Turn up at US Embassy, Grosvenor Sq (Bond St tube), Sat May 5, 11am. Rally in support of Kyoto: tell the Toxic Texan wot yer think! 0208 533 7274; www.goatbyte.net/climatedemo

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Inside SchNEWS

Lee Himlin: charged with damage to digging equipment at Stanton Moor Quarry (Nine Ladies). Lee's pleaded guilty and is on remand. Lee is finding life in Sherwood prison hard and is feeling isolated. Letters of support to: Lee Himlin EX7748, HMP Perry Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, N65 3AG

Harold Thompson: Tennessee Prison Authority has sent back the SchNEWS's that we sent US prisoner Harold, refusing them 'cos we 'promote anarchy and advocate rebellion against authority.' What a plug! Write to Harold W. Thompson, #93992 at: NWCC Site 1, Route 1 Box 660, Tiptonville, TN 38079, USA.

It appears the authorities aren't keen on things former US ALF prisoner Rod Coronado has written for anarcho-rags No Compromise and EF! Journal. His parole board has given him an ultimatum-shut up or go back to jail. Rod's new conditions forbid him from writing or volunteering for activist publications, and ban him from speaking out, publicising or supporting illegal actions.

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...and finally...

"Big Hairstyles-How High is Too High?" "Monster Trucks: Trading in the Behemoth for a Family-Sized Model" and "Why Manly Shotguns are Preferable to Wimpy Handguns." Do any of these pressing redneck issues keep you awake at night? If they do, click on to www.michaelchaney.com/TrailerTrash/issue1/index.html. Trailer trash tips for dealing with trespassers include: "If you're not drunk, act like you are. Unless it's cold out, be sure that you're missing a piece of clothing, probably your shirt. Cuss like a sailor. Squint a lot, regardless of how bright the sun is. And make sure to have a couple of dogs tied up around the yard that will bark incessantly the whole time someone else is around." It's not the revolution, but it's a laugh, especially if you're having trouble "keeping commies, fags, hippies, druggies, tree-huggers, and other undesirables off your land."

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Last updated 27th April 2001
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