Home | 16th February 1996 | Issue 61

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IT'S YER UNCOMPROMISING...

SchNEWS

"BATTLEGROUND!"

- as protesters bounce on castle and eat candyfloss!

"Valentines Day, Brighton, 1996. A main street seems to have been transformed into some kind of surreal theatre. People are dancing, singing, laughing. A banner hanging from a balcony proclaims "Snog Not Smog" - where's the traffic, who are these people, why are they here and what is this explosion of passion and play!"

"We're holding this street to ransom, till every car is a flowerpot and every road an allotment...."

SchNEWS watched the day's events unfold...

As the first mass of people arrived onto North Street, a tripod went up on one end. A climber scrambled to get up but just then the police following the crowd piled in and pulled him down. We had failed to block off the side streets as riot vans and police had been patrolling the area all morning and as they started pushing and shoving the crowd along, it seemed for a few seconds that this Reclaim the Streets would be stopped before it had started. Then the other group arrived and we all realised there were just too many people to be controlled - police backed off and the fun began....

"The twenty foot stretch of road between the two police cordons turned into a kicking party. People were dancing, drumming, blowing whistles and getting excited! The bouncy castle in the middle of the road went down well with the kids but even more so with the adults! As more and more people arrived - and were refused entry into the area - another mini party started going down on the wrong side of the police."

"The Tragics played but the police weren't having it; they told them to stop and shoved people onto the pavement. Again, after a while a critical mass of people was achieved and the cordon moved back a block or so."

The party went on for about three and a half hours. Some took the occasion to dress up, a few climbed the balconies of nearby shops. Families enjoyed a car-free space and pretty much everyone had a good day out. There were banners everywhere, streamers, whistles, fluffy hearts, free food, candy floss. It was a temporary community space to protest at car culture and offer people an alternative to our smog filled towns.

At four thirty, without warning, the completely peaceful street party was violently attacked by police. Hundreds of them stormed the party people disregarding mums, kids and anyone else in the area. People were forced into a narrow space between Infinity Foods and Kensington Coffee Shop. One of the workers at Infinity told SchNEWS: "I was really worried that our shop window was going to smash from the pressure."

What we at SchNEWS couldn't understand was why the police needed to pile into a party that was clearly winding down - the bouncy castle deflated, the drummers starting to make their way to the West Pier.

"I saw six police jump on one man who'd just stuck his tongue out. They dragged him to the floor and kicked him in the head and the face. I've never seen anything like it, they just beat him up". A man who'd brought his four children, said,"I've never been so terrified in my life. The police just shoved at everyone with no warning and I lost sight of my kids. I was terrified for them and I didn't understand why they were doing it."

After half an hour of shoving demonstrators out of the way there had been 36 arrests, adults punched, children injured and numerous demonstrators attacked and abused by police. Twelve were charged, mostly with public order offences, but some with assault. Three senior officers from the Metropolitan Police had come down to "advise" local police on how to deal with this protest - advice that turned a peaceful celebration of a car free-zone into an area of mayhem and police violence.

"The police action (punch up) was not a mere road clearing operation. Once the peaceful protestors had been 'strategically removed' (walloped) from the road, officers pursued people up the sidestreets, batons drawn, starting scuffles, making arrests, smashing buskers banjo's(!) and so on. It was a blatant attempt to create a violent situation in order to blacken a totally effective peaceful protest/carnival that had attracted support from a total cross-section of the public."

Local resident: "We can't bring our children up in all this pollution, yet you get attacked for saying so."

The media had a field day, most scandalously claiming that ambulance men came under attack when tending the injured. NOT TRUE, and Justice? have the video evidence to prove it.

To end the day coppers put the dampeners on further Valentine Day fun by advising the Richmond Pub to cancel their Bosnian Benefit gig because they feared trouble from the protesters!

Despite the nasty ending, caused completely by the police, a few hundred people had successfully reclaimed a busy Brighton street for the afternoon. Keep it flossy!?!

Things to spot at R.T.S.:

(1) The plain clothes copper sprinting down Kensington Gardens getting chased by a protesters dog. (2) The sad policeman who had to return the candyfloss he was given when one of his seniors had a go at him. (3) The constable who said no he didn't have a police whistle but his baton made a nice noise...

Come see the truth of "Brighton's Huge Demo" (Argus 15th Feb) at next Wednesday's launch meeting of a Public Enquiry into Police Behaviour in Brighton at the Unemployed Centre (6 Tilbury Place 7pm). There will be video footage of the party, eye witness accounts and a discussion about how to make the police accountable for their actions. Candyfloss essential.

If you were assaulted on Wednesday, contact Justice? who will put you in touch with a sympathetic lawyer or come to the enquiry.

* Following on the tradition of Brighton police getting rather irate, over anti-car activity. four people were in court earlier in the day who were arrested at January's Critical Mass. The police had kept their bikes as evidence - and were applying for a destruction order under Section 69 of the CJA 1988. "the court has the power to deprive a person of property if it has been used, or if it is intended to be used to commit an offence"! One pleaded guilty and was find £35 - they all got their bikes back and intend to fight the destruction order.

NEWBURY - KEEPING UP THE PRESSURE

"My instinct is to turn up my nose and yet, you know, they are doing what has to be done" - Daily Telegraph reader at Sunday's rally in Newbury.

Week Six of the Third Battle of Newbury. Diggers continue to grub up trees and vegetation around Tot Hill - there are fears that this site might be used as a security compound. Uninhabited benders and tree-houses have been trashed and now a 3mm rare eco-snail which has been found near the route may halt work for a while.....hmm.

Last weekend saw the biggest mobilisation of people yet against a road scheme. The rally on Sunday saw thousands walk part of the route while hundreds stayed for a national day of action on Monday to stop the diggers. However, people were left twiddling their thumbs as security failed to materialise apparently due to a health and safety training day (yeah, right).

With so many people, attention was then turned towards some road building nasties: Tarmac in Newbury and Twyford Down, Blue Arrow Recruitment and Reliance Security in Southampton, Blackwells in Swansea and Mott McDonald, the engineers in Winchester, found their offices invaded and disrupted.

A spokesperson for Tarmac expressed dismay at environmentalists damaging their property - a bit rich coming from people who think nothing of trashing our countryside in the quest for cash.

One elderly man handed his war medals to one of the protestors on Sunday saying "I fought in the war to save this green and pleasant land and lots of my friends died - I see you lot as carrying on this fight".

From the Ogoni of Nigeria fighting Shell, Penan blocking logger roads in Sarawak, to the Newbury protests, it's all about people standing up to big business who don't give a toss about anything except money. Only in yer face direct action has got us anywhere, only the imagination of the anti-roads movement - from living in tree houses, to Critical Masses and Reclaim The Streets, has put the issue of cars on the political agenda. And - as Monday's day of action showed - only people turning up to Newbury en masse will stop the diggers.

"If you want to help, the best thing you can do is come down to Newbury, and show by your physical presence the depth of opposition felt to this sort of thing. The more people we have, from all walks of life, the more likely we are to win."

Rallies are all well and good, but they're never gonna stop the road - only people power will do that.

Isn't it time you got down to Newbury?
Third Battle 01635 45544
Travel from London - ring Reclaim The Streets 0171 281 4621 / 0171 249 9114
From Brighton 01273 685 913/ 01273 604 765

Crap bail conditions of the week:
Signing every weekday 10am and 1pm daily with a 9pm -7am curfew - the crime: intent to supply polyprop!

LABOUR SUPPORT ILLEGAL ACTION SHOCK!

In a shock move that has stunned direct action activists, the Labour Party has dropped its "don't break the law" attitude to racism. Within a week of the government withdrawing benefits from asylum seekers (on February 5th) Southwark's Labour Council has taken a firm stand - by outdoing the Tories at racism and illegally refusing to house a refugee couple from the Ivory Coast.

The withdrawal of benefits from refugees will make thousands of families destitute, but local authorities still have a duty to house people 'in priority need' as this couple clearly are. Southwark Council has simply ignored this legal duty and has since been taken to court by the Refugee Council. The couple that New Labour are putting on the streets have suffered the sort of horrors that most refugees coming to Britain describe - the man bears the physical effects of torture and has spent three months in prison. Both his father and uncle have been murdered.

Come the next election, when Labour try to get your vote by telling you they're "not as bad as the Tories" just remember the refugee couple that Labour couldn't wait to see on the streets - and decide for yourself whether one racist party is better than any other.

* Meanwhile in Hackney, anti-racists have getting on the direct action tip and created an 'autonomous refugee centre' to provide shelter to asylum seekers made destitute by the new laws. The Old North London Magistrates Court, which has being lying empty for five years, was squatted on February 5th, the day the benefit cuts came in. It has the support of various local refugee groups, churches and squatters - but needs more people to help defend the building.

Within a week of moving in, the centre has already faced a number of attempts to illegally evict the occupants. On one occasion the owner turned up with half a dozen heavies and tried to blow torch the front door! Unfortunately for him, the local Turkish and Kurdish community turned out to change the bloke's mind.

The benefit withdrawals have already affected hundreds of asylum seekers. As usual, it's not the political parties or big organisations that are providing the practical help and opposition to the attacks - the Refugee Council won't use the Hackney Centre because it's a squat. It's the communities directly affected and people willing to take direct action that are determined to stop the government getting its way - all sounds very familiar to us anti-CJA and anti-road protesters!

Late news: the Hackney refugee centre are in court on Friday 16th February and need as much support as they can get. Go along to the centre at 82 Stock Newington Road or contact them through SQUASH on 0171 226 8938 or the Colin Roach Centre on 0181 533 7111. And don't miss the national demo against the Asylum and Immigration Bill on Saturday 24th February, 11am at Embankment!

AND FINALLY

Following the example of "Mr Yorkshire Bank Are Fascist Bastards" one of the 300 Newbury protesters nicked under the Criminal Justice Act has changed his name by deed poll. He's up in court today charged with "aggrevated trespass". Formerly known as Hemulth John Osbourne, we could call him by his shortened new name, Mr Red Earth. But in court they must call him by his full name, which is ...

Mr Red Hats, Green Hats, White Hats and Police Hats guard the trolls work of the chainsaw gangs doing their little bit to build a wasteland where once was beauty. The fat controllers sit behind their piles of money weaving their power plays. In this dinosaur they like to call democracy, love and power to the tribe of eco-warriors and Mother Earth!

Next Squatting Estate Agents Meeting 21st February 3pm at Brighton Unemployed Centre

Disclaimer

The SchNEWS warns all readers not to attend any illegal gatherings or take part in any criminal activities. Always stay within the law. In fact please just sit in, watch TV and go on endless Xmas shopping sprees filling your home and lives with endless consumer crap. you will then feel content. Honest.

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Next Justice? Meeting Wednesday 21^st February, 7:30pm Brighton Unemployed Centre

Come and watch footage from RTS and make up your own mind about the day's events

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

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