Home | 8th September 1995 | Issue 39

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! THE WORLD IS UNDER ATTACK!

SchNEWS

CJA ARRESTOMETER
Hunt Sabs 154
Road Protestors 70
Footie Fans 45
Environmentalists 43
No Live Exports* 38
Peace Campaigners 35
Tree Defenders 14
Travellers# 11
Ravers 10
Illegal Gatherers 3
Druids 1
* 1000+ animal rights activists nicked this year
# not including grief and harassment

Le BOOM!

AS FRENCH STAY DEAF TO PROTESTORS

"The ocean turned white... a flash like lightening underwater - then the whole sea boiled over."

5/9/95 2130 hours GMT and France conduct an underground nuclear test.

"A virtual paradise is slowly being turned into a wasteland. Following Syphilis and Christianity nuclear radiation is the latest export of the European civilisation."

Despite worldwide outrage, France is preparing to explode a second nuclear bomb - eight times more powerful than Tuesday's blast! The second blast, equivalent to about 150,000 tonnes of TNT, is almost ready for countdown, and could be too dangerous for the fragile Mururoa Atoll, which sinks an inch with each explosion.

Condemnation was swift and in nearby Tahiti - direct. In the capital, Papeete, protestors rioted, storming the airport and setting fire to the terminal building. (Road protestors note that a good use has been found for a bulldozers) The countries equivalent to Britain's Trade Union Congress has called for an indefinite general strike and the reaction to the nuclear tests has given new impetus to the independence movement. When the French carried out nuclear tests in the Algerian desert in the sixties it was one of the reasons that kicked off a bloody civil war leading eventually to Algeria's independence. The same could happen in Tahiti. However as one campaigner commented "The protests shouldn't just be about the environment. The tests are aimed at increasing France's ability to make war and an increase in Western militarism means death not only for the South Pacific Atolls but for human beings as well:'

The French - not content with sending in the Foreign Legion to quell the Tahiti riots - have crippled Greenpeace's protests by impounding two of their ships along with a helicopter, 11 inflatable craft and two aircraft - in all around £10 million worth of assets. However the mood among the remaining 20 or so small boats remains angry and defiant - some are expected to enter the 12 mile exclusion zone despite risking a new penalty announced yesterday of a year in prison and/or a £10,000 fine.

"No doubt the French government hope that now the first test has happened, the fuss will die down... lets show them it won't"

ACTION STATIONS

Demonstrate - this Saturday (9th) 1pm outside French Embassy. And then every Tuesday party and protest outside the French Embassy . 5-7.30 pm 58 Knightsbridge SW1 Youth CND 0171 607 3616

Boycott French Goods - especially wine. Picket your local supermarket or off licence. Petitions & leaflets from CND 0171 201 1000

October 7/8/9 ALIEN action at Faslane Peace Camp, Scotland The camp is situated outside the Faslane Naval Base, home of Trident - Britain's new nuclear weapons system consisting of 4 nuclear powered subs, each armed with the destructive capacity of 750 Hiroshima's 01436 820901

IF IT'S SO FUCKING SAFE WHY DON'T THEY TEST IT IN FRANCE?

* The government has banned from cinemas an advert by the euro-wide Ban Nuclear Testing coalition. Despite being screened throughout Europe, UK censors deemed the ad 'irresponsible' - unlike exploding 8 Hiroshima's in the South Pacific!

* An American nuclear reactor deemed 'seriously unsafe' by American scientists and shut down in the 1980's is due to re-open anytime now due to 'essential demands for heat in the area'. The original reason for its closure? Its located on an active fault line!! If this baby goes up it'll make Chernobyl look like a wet fart.

* NIREX (the governments nuclear bin men) announced its plans to hung huge amounts of nuclear waste in a hole in the ground, then cover it up and see if it leaks. If it doesn't then they'll start digging all over the place.

EVICTION ALERT!

After four months of action against the A299 Thanet Way, protesters in North Kent fighting the £65 million road extension scheme, are facing eviction from their last camp. An illegal eviction took place two weeks ago at an old military bunker so they moved to a woodland site in Chestfield, which is the site now being threatened. "Kent police have been complete bastards, consistently using the CJA at every possible opportunity- arresting 51 people under various sections and evicting every camp the 'Whitstable Rat Oak Society' have had." Now those nasty Kent coppers have been hassling the people at the Chestfield site 15 turning up late last Friday evening without a warning. Then back again on Saturday morning this time looking for illicit substances. It took 15 police and 3 security guards to arrest just one person for possession of two (really small) cannabis plants. The person was later cautioned and released.

A protester told SchNEWS "The area resembles a military base. With £1.2 million (and rising) spent on heavy duty / razor wire fencing and scores of guards everywhere, the security at the site is completely over the top. There have been occasions when there have been more than 200 guards ensuring this wildlife destroying, pollution factory gets built."

Legal notices have been served on the woodland site at Chestfield and Monday seems the most likely day for it to happen but it could be at any time next week. Kent protesters have in the past been quite pissed off with the lack of support from round the country and the eviction would be the perfect opportunity to get involved as well as showing Kent police we won't be intimidated by their tactics. If you're going down, get there by Sunday night and take food, drink, weathesproof clothes, torch, camera etc. Travel directions & info, on 0973 262259

And if doesn't kick off here on the Monday what about.

The 100th Day of Suffering at Dover. Pledged Mass Sit-Down and Black Ribbon Vigil - 01304 374064

Or 01843 227l86 on the same day (11th)

INSIDE SchNEWS SPECIAL REPORT

THE MINERS STRIKE - LESSONS FOR TODAY

The year long miners strike of 1984-1985 produced a wealth of lessons for anyone involved in direct action and anti-CJA campaigns today. It is estimated that the strike cost the government £5 billion. - a price worth paying, as far as Margaret Thatcher and her pals were concerned, to beat what she called "the enemy within".

Pickets during the miners strike were described as "acts of terrorism without the bullet and the bomb" by Manchester's Chief Constable. Nowadays animal rights activists, road protesters and others involved in direct action to save the planet are accused of being "terrorists" in the same way as picketing miners were. We are the new "enemy within".

"You've got more chance getting support by going out to ordinary people and explaining your case to them than anything else."

The CJA gives powers to the police to stop people from moving around the country to meet and to protest. During the miners strike the police just did it anyway, often completely illegally. For the first six months of the strike an average of 6,000 pickets were turned away from Nottinghamshire every week.

The cops were busy in other ways familiar to anti-CJA activists, road protesters and hunt sabs - one and a half million deployments of police officers took place during the strike to stop the miners from winning. Thousands were arrested and over 150 miners were given jail sentences.

One of the most significant features of the miners strike was the leading role played by women in sustaining it. They joined picket lines, organised demonstrations in working areas, formed committees, provided meals for families and supported those imprisoned for supporting the strike. The women of the mining communities were the backbone of the strike. SchNEWS recently interviewed Sylvia Pye of Women Against Pit Closures about the lessons we can all learn from their experience.

How did Women Against Pit Closures get started?

During the miners' strike it was the women who had to keep the communities together, to make sure the soup kitchens were run and everyone got fed. There were women in groups in all the different mining areas doing all this work, as well as going on the picket lines, and we were getting more and more politicised. So we decided to get together into a national organisation and that was Women Against Pit Closures.

We got women from each coal field area together in Chesterfield for the first meeting. From there we formed a committee with two delegates to the national Women Against Pit Closures from each of the areas. There were just so many groups in each area it was hard to keep track on. And there was tremendous support from the Miners' Support Groups in towns and cities everywhere in the country - ordinary people going out and collecting money for us and joining the picket lines because they supported the miners' stand.

We're still going strong. We have times when it goes down and we don't have a lot to do but now we're concentrating on stopping the open cast mines. We meet regularly, we've still got a full national committee.

What do you think of the current anti-CJA direct action movement?

These new protests show that we're not complacent. We will fight if we're pushed far enough. There are people who will say that you're loony left, that you're from another planet, if you stand up for what's right, and it's just not true. That's how we're put over by some people and it's on purpose, isn't it? It's meant to scare people off joining up with each other.

We visited the Courthouse in Brighton when that was being squatted against the CJA. It was really good to see so many young people organising themselves like that. It's important to do things that bring in new people all the time.

We were glad to be invited to the Courthouse because you have to learn lessons from each other. It's important to link issues together or at least get people from previous campaigns to come in and give talks - not to take over, but to advise and pick each other's brains. The more you work together the more you find everyone has got different talents that can be used.

"I just think you keep on protesting, keep on getting arrested and keep on letting them know that you don't give a shit whether you're arrested or not"

Ten years on, what lessons do you think can be learnt from the miners' strike for the people who are active in campaigns now?

I really do think you need to be organised. You need to be disciplined as well - in any group, whatever you're doing. I'm not saying you need leaders, I don't think you do need leaders, but you need to be disciplined to have any success. At our pit camp you sometimes had 20 people on a rota, so you had to know what you were doing. We learnt quickly to be very organised and very politically aware.

When you're involved in an issue and the police come in it changes your views of what the police are. Most of the time it's the state you're fighting. We learnt a lot about how ruthless the police can be when they're out to get you - but if you just tell someone what has happened it's not always believed. You have to go and see things and then you think "I didn't believe that before but I believe it now. Seeing is believing, because some of what the police get up to is so unbelievable.

Another thing the miners learnt was that you have to put faith in yourselves, each other and other people who are involved in different struggles, rather than in politicians or leaders of big unions. The miners' leader, Arthur Scargill, was an exception because he stood by his members and fought alongside them. You've got more chance getting support by going out to ordinary people and explaining your case to them than anything else.

We get asked to go to colleges and universities to talk about the miners' strike and the young ones really enjoy it. Most of the ones who are at university now were children then, so they weren't really involved. But you can get snatches of what they remember, things they didn't even think they remembered.

The miners strike saw Support groups being formed up and down the country - but the TUC and the Labour Party did not come out wholeheartedly in support of the miners. Do you think there are any lessons there for activists today?

"I used to think that anyone is better than the Tories but I can't see Tony Blair being any better"

We got loads of support from people up and down the country but it was from ordinary people rather than from anyone else. The TUC completely let the miners down. Locally we got support from union members and the local Labour Parties but nationally the Labour Party was no help at all. Things have got worse since then as far as the Labour Party goes. I used to think that anyone is better than the Tories but I can't see Tony Blair being any better. No one knows what he's going to do but it probably won't be that different from the Tories.

What do you think about the Criminal Justice Act?

I think it's absolutely shit, the worst thing that ever came out. And that's another thing I have against the Labour Party because they completely agree with everything that's in it. We've very little left in the way of freedom of speech and gathering and that's taking the rest of it.

Most of the people who have been arrested under the CJA so far have been hunt sabs, road protesters - not people involved in union disputes. Do you think the police will ever use the CJA against strikers?

Of course they will. They're just practising now. If there's ever a strike now they'll use it. We were at our pit camp for two years and the CJA only came in after we came off. I'm damn sure if the CJA had been in then the police would have been much more heavy-handed. They were heavy-handed enough but there were some things that they couldn't do. But they can do anything now, aggravated trespass and all that crap.

I think they'll attack whenever there is a protest now because they don't want us to do it. They don't want people to protest, it's as simple as that. I just think you keep on protesting, keep on getting arrested and keep on letting them know that you don't give a shit whether you're arrested or not. They think they've got you frightened to death and it's time a lot of us said "We're not frightened, do what you will".

MEMORIES OF THE MINERS STRIKE. SCOTLAND JULY 1984

In Fife in Scotland 140 children from a local secondary school super-glued their teachers in the staff room, and then marched in procession down to the picket-line with a banner proclaiming "We support our fathers". Police stopped them and attempted to turn them back but at the very last minute the lorries with coal went past - the children blocked the road and threw paint on to the windscreens, immobilising one lorry.

A UNION ACTIVIST'S ROUGH GUIDE TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT

If you think the Criminal Justice Act is just aimed at ravers, hunt sabs, road protesters, travellers and squatters then think again. These groups have been the first to be attacked (see the CJA ARRESTOMETER on the front page) but the powers the CJA gives the police will be used against anyone who gets out of line - including unions. If you're one of those trade unionists who thinks the point of unions is to run a pension scheme and shut up while Tony Blurgh lectures you about 'responsibility', don't worry - the only struggle you'll be involved in is the fight to the bar at the Metropole Hotel. If, on the other hand, you think unions are about defending the basic rights of ordinary people then here's a rough guide to what the CJA could mean to you:

*Your boss has just decided to 'downsize' his operation and sack half the workforce, so you organise a picket of your workplace. Tough - you can now face the new offence of 'aggravated trespass' (section 68 of the Act) which allows the police to order pickets off employers' property or face a prison sentence of up to three months.

* You leave his property and set up a picket line outside. Sorry. Assemblies in places with "a limited right of access" that might "result in serious disruption to the life of the community can now be declared illegal under section 7 1.

* Having been stopped from picketing your own workplace you decide to go to the company's main factory to picket that. Eh, no again. Under section 69 the cops can stop anyone travelling to a "trespassory assembly", arrest them and charge anyone refusing to turn back. Maximum sentence - three months.

* By now you're a bit pissed off and decide to call a demonstration at the company's headquarters - at least we still have the right to demonstrate in Britain! Well, I'm afraid you don't. Any demonstration can be banned under section 71 if the cops think it could cause "serious disruption to the life of the community". Given the way the police deal with anything but the most 'respectable' (i.e. ineffective) demonstration these days that's a self-fulfilling prophecy - so no demo.

* Even if you are allowed to picket or demonstrate, the police have a neat new way of stopping you carrying on for long - especially if you look like winning. First they arrest you on some ridiculous charge. Then, under section 27, they impose bail conditions on you without any need to refer to a court. Such conditions can be used to ban you, for instance, from going to any picket or demonstration against your employer. There is no right of appeal against such conditions and if you break them you can be imprisoned. Road protesters and animal rights campaigners at Shoreham know all about section 27 - coming your way soon!

On top of all the other anti-union laws brought in over the last few years it looks pretty bad - but don't expect a Labour government to do anything about it. Labour didn't even vote against the CJA in parliament and have made no commitment to repel it when they get into office.

As usual, if this Act is going to stopped in its tracks it will be by the direct action of those under attack, including trade unionists defending jobs and services. Shortly after the 1984-85 miners strike Arthur Scargill said that "Only direct action - including industrial action - can halt the utter destruction of those basic institutions such as the National Health Service... None of our struggles are separate - all connect, and all must be built in solidarity with one an-other."

That's as true now as ever. Trade unionists and activists in the anti-CJA, anti-roads and other direct action movements have a lot to gain by being more united. So if you are in a union and want to do something about defending fundamental democratic rights here's what you can do:

* Get involved in direct action against the CJA and tell other union members about what the Act means to them.

* Tell the SchNEWS what you're up to - we've already covered a number of union actions - so we can publicise it.

* Get copies of the SchNEWS for your workplace and come along to some of the actions we list.

There are a lot of people out there not in unions who are doing a lot of amazing things. Find out what - and get involved!

TREESTOPPED!

The fight to save an avenue of Royal Oaks planted in 1720 in Windsor Great Park is all but lost. Tree lovers sat up in the branches for a month in order to save them from the axe and work was stopped to avoid confrontation. However a change of tactics, the murderers returned and because there weren't enough people to guard every tree, many of the oaks were felled.

A load of aristocratic toffs are going to be down at Windsor Great Park this weekend for a horse show. Local people are organising an action and want lots of people to go and sit on the felled trees so they can't be dragged away, as well as to let everyone turning up for the weekends events aware of what's going on. Meet at the front of Home Park at 11am this Friday, Saturday or Sunday - 01635 521 770

INSIDE SchNEWS

TREVOR HARRIS FH1875 who got 20 months for affray at last Octobers' anti CJA Hyde Park rally wrote to SchNEWS: "I'm as good as can be hoped for here. Just bored. I'm missing partying and all that. The only good thing about being in Brixton is there's a few pirate stations up here who spin a few good tunes." HMP Brixton, Jebb Ave., Brixton, London, SW2 5XF.

MARK SKELLY FH1589 inside for 12 months for his alleged role in last October's demo has been moved to HMP Ranby, Retford, Notts, DN22 8EU

STUART EDWARDS PB 1864 and JIM CHAMBERS PV2504 both recently got sent down 18 months apiece for alleged damage to a road construction site. HMP Pentonville, Caledonian Road, London, N7 8TT.

PHIL EJ3496 arrested at the anti-fascist demo in Welling. HMP Elmley, Church Road, Eastchurch, Sheerness, Kent ME12 4DZ.

The people below are on remand for their alleged involvement in the arson attacks connected with the Shoreham live animal export protests.

MICHELLE RATCLIFFE RLI456 has been on hunger strike for over a month and needs your support and BARBARA TRENDHOME RL1292, both at Wing B3 HMP Holloway, Parkhurst Rd., London, N7 0NU. DUNCAN GEORGE GE3 097, JUSTIN WRIGHT GE3046, & KEVIN CHAPMAN GE3148 segregation unit, HMP Lewes, 1 Brighton Rd, Lewes, BN7 1EO

KENNY CARTER was nearing the end of a short sentence for robbery when he was accused of murdering a cellmate - who tragically had hung himself in the night. Despite no forensic or fingerprint evidence or evidence of a forced hanging he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Kenny has increasingly protested his innocence. For more info on how to help write to Newcastle ABC, PO Box 1TA, Fenham, Newcastle, NE99 1TA. Send letters to Kenny, AD3434, HMP Hull Special Unit, Hedon Rd., Humberside, HU9 LS.

RIOT?

A lot of you may remember the demonstration in East London two years ago to protest against the British National Party headquarters. It happened just a month after BNP man, Derek Beackon, won a council seat in Tower Hamlets and soon after the vicious beating of Quaddus Ali by racists. About 60,000 people marched despite Met. Police Chief Paul Condon trying to frighten people into not attending because of anticipation violence. Then at a junction of the march - where there were hundreds of police and video cameras - the route was blocked, and the demonstrators repeatedly charged by riot and mounted police. Even the Chief Steward of the march was truncheoned as she appealed for calm.

"The police said it was a riot but there was no damage to peoples house, no looting, just thousands of terrified people." 14 people have been found guilty of 'Riot' - which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years - and are to have their sentences decided next Tuesday 12th September . Please picket Maidstone Crown Court, Kent from 9 am . Ring 0171 924 0333 for transport details.

*A demo to end police brutality, murder and frame-ups by the state, (all of which are often racially motivated,) is being organised in London for Sat 7th October. For more info. on the march for JUSTICE, ring 0181 533 4533

NUN NICKED!

Twenty six people including a Buddhist Nun were nicked on Sunday under the CJA for 'aggravated trespass'. They were protesting at the Royal Navy and British Army equipment exhibition in Aldershot, Hampshire where representatives of some of the world's most brutal and repressive regimes come to buy and view British weaponry. All were later released without charge although two were strip searched - including a thirteen year old girl.

SchNEWS IN BRIEF

Between six and eight tree-huggers are in court from the 13th -16th September and want people to turn up for their case. The tree-cutters originally said they wouldn't be chopping the Canadian Memorial trees until after VE. Day and then at the last minute changed their mind. People were arrested under the CJA for trying to protect the trees but as these charges weren't going to stick they were changed to traffic offences! Alton Magistrates Court 930am, Road Alert! - 0635 521770 for more info.

*** Brighton are setting up a Legal Defence and Monitoring Group to monitor police misbehaviour at demos in the Brighton area. To get involved or get trained as a legal observer go to the meeting at the unemployment centre, Thurs 14 Sept. Sept.

*** Residents on the Meadowell estate in North Tyneside reclaimed their streets this weekend. They threw up barricades and pelted traffic with stones after the killing of a child by a motorist. Failure by the council to slow down mad motorists in the area has seen weeks of road sabotage, with home-made zebra crossings springing up all over.

*** Talking of which: in a bizarre speech/rant, shadow home secretary lack Straw demanded that the streets be reclaimed 'for the law-abiding citizen from the aggressive begging of winos, addicts and squeegee merchants, who are obstacles faced by pedestrians and motorists going about their daily business.' As a member of the opposition, you would have thought his time would be better spent condemning government policies that have put people on the streets, but once again it is proved that our politicians are all one and the same.

*** Following on from the Ramblers against The State shocker last week comes...TV's Geoff Hamilton. turning eco-revolutionary! The jovial presenter of Gardeners World has banned limestone from his TV garden and is leading a vociferous campaign against further mining of limestone from the last few remaining sites, which are home to a vast array of rare plant life.

*** Environment Secretary John Gummer donned his green wellies this week and unveiled proposals to turn the M4/A4 from Heathrow to Central London into a tree lined boulevard or 'green corridor'. "First impressions are very important" he said, "I want to enhance London's image as a green and leafy city and create a spore attractive landscape for visitors and residents alike"! Tell that to "visitors and residents" near the M11

*** Paul is going up in the world. Our regular SchNEWS reader was officially called a 'sophisticated squatter' by a local letting agency yesterday. (As opposed to the common or garden variety we assume...)

*** 'Green mania' the wooded camp in Leytonstone in the way of the M11 link road was evicted on Thesday. Around 50 people held up the bailiffs for over 10 hours. There were no arrests but more costs for the DoT.

E-SchNEWS
e-mail: Justice@intermedia.co.uk
Sorry to e-mail subscribers for the temporary halt in electronic communication. Full service and Web page coming soon

Party And Protest

MON 11th - The ICA (Institute for Contemporary Arts) are holding a "riot' a sort of play! JUSTICE? will be there at 7:00pm The Mall, London.

11-15 Green Party Conference, Southport, Lancs. 0181 882 0955

12 - 13 Howard League for Penal Reform Annual Conference 0171 281 7722

FRI 15th - Otley Folk Festival, W.Yorks 01943 462801

FRI 15th - Windsor Grass Roots Festival, Windsor Arts Centre 01753 859 336

SAT 16th - Hemp Conference, Kentish Town 0171 613 5166

SAT 16th - Green Fair Richmond Park Surrey.

SAT 16th - Green Festival 10 am - 5 pm Portsmouth Central Library 01705 737 455

TUE 19th - International Day of Peace (tell that to France)

22-24 Midge Death 2 Free Festival in-between Invagarry and Invermoriston, West Scotland 01436 820901

and Finally

Grant Mitchell, Eastenders' nastiest piece of work, is off to Cumbria to get 'a bit of a laugh and free beer' as a security guard on a road building site. Watch this space... Meanwhile, hoping to avoid kickings of the type Grant likes to dish out, the NO M65 campaign is attempting to get the head of Group 4 tried for contempt of court. Unusual to have the chairman of a multinational in court - the trial is set for the 8th November at Preston County Court, it's expected to last 3 days, and mass protests are planned. This case follows hot on the heels of NO M65's legal claim for damages against the Secretary of State, Northern Security, Tarmac, some named Grant-wannabes and dear old Group 4. Start date 1st November, same venue.

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