Home | 8th March 1996 | Issue 64

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

SchNEWS

SQUAT A CHEEK

See - 'Evening Anus' below

SCHNEWS IN BRIEF

*** Q: The last piece of ancient woodland in Sherwood Forest is under threat. From what? A: A new road, of course! Rare trees, a 17th Century icehouse and wildlife is threatened, and the work is at tree felling stage. There are currently no tree camps there and only a few pixies. Robin Hoods needed NOW! (01623) 756426/ 753155/ 720878

*** A follow up to "A Time to Travel? An Introduction to Britain's Newer Travellers" is being compiled. Do you have traveller stories from continental Europe? If so, contact Alan Dearling, Enabler Publications, 3 Russell House, Lyme Close, Lyme Regis, Dorset (01297 445024)

*** For the latest news on animal rights campaigns ARCNEWS is available from: PO Box 339, Wolverhampton, WV10 7BZ (01902 711 935) donation and SAE, please

*** e-SchNEWS: Want to get SchNEWS on the Internet? E-mail Justice@intermedia.co.uk, and you've got it... The latest SchNEWS, views, and gossip can be found on the Justice?/SchNEWS conference- pHreak information on 0171 434 3315

*** CS Gas was used for the first time in Monday at a disturbance outside a Bolton night-club

*** The Government has postponed pollution controls to safeguard asthma sufferers and reduce cancer risks, due to pressure from industry

*** A German court has ruled that McDonalds will have to pay an anti-litter tax. McD's complain that this will cut 80% of profits. Shame...

*** Earth Village Network are planning to co-ordinate groups to squat derelict urban areas. Organisers, Agenda 21 specialists and permaculture designers needed. Earth Village Network, 6 Edinburgh Crescent, Leamington Spa, CV31 3LL

*** EcoTrak Environmental Consultancy have undertaken a survey of local councils to respond to a policy of Low Impact Housing in accordance with Agenda 21, including small holder agriculture and bender communities. They are inviting comments from others involved. Details from: EcoTrak 01273 771664

*** The US has confiscated 400 computers bound for the Cuban health service - Uncle Sam making the world safe for democracy, killing- people style again. Protest against US sanctions against Cuba 6pm Monday11th March, US Embassy, Grosvenor Square, London

*** Interested in initiating a network of local resource centres, to affiliate groups involved in anti-roads movement, developmental studies, anti-racism, women's issues, LETS, etc.? Call: Simon on 01258 817518

*** Police are to extend Stop and Search powers from public to private places. Kids in Leicester schools have already had the Old Bill in without invitation

*** An RTS activist who was arrested and released without charge at the Valentine's Day demo in Brighton has received a Section 5 summons to appear in court at 10am on 13th March

*** The McLibel crew have a booklet in the pipeline, due for May. Also check out their web site at mcspotlight@globalnet.co.uk

*** A supporter entering Blackpools football ground with a souvenir stick of rock was asked by a policeman what was he going to do with it? 'Eat it of course' 'No yer not - I'm having it'. Said stick of candy was promptly confiscated as an offensive weapon. Other confiscations at grounds this year have included chocolate bars, asthma inhalers and an onion flan!

*** Newcastle are getting in on this Reclaim The Streets business. Meet 12 noon St. Thomas Church, Haymarket on Saturday 16th March.

*** SELAR OOPS! SchNEWS 63 stated that the Selar open cast site is 80 acres. It is in fact 880 acres. It is still the biggest hole in Europe. At least we own up when we make a mistake- eh, Celtic Energy?

NEWBURY

I'm sure anyone whose paying attention knows that the camps at Newbury are being evicted. All we can say is get down to Newbury! Third Battle of Newbury: 01635 45544. Travel from London - ring Reclaim The Streets: 0171 281 4621/0171 249 9114. From Brighton: 01273 685913/ 01273 604765 *** Mark Heightley (TN2277) is still on remand after being arrested at Newbury last month. Write to him at: A Wing, HMP Lewes, E. Sussex BN7 1EA

* SchNEWS has received a tasty little document listing those who are involved with the preliminary contract and the main contractor for the Newbury Bypass. Copies from Greasy Palms, c/o Road Alert! PO Box 5544, Newbury, RG14 5FB.

LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTS

A 79 year old great-grandmother who staged sit-down protests against animal exports at Brightlingsea was sentenced to two days imprisonment for non-payment of fines. Tilly Merritt refused to pay a police officer £50 for spraying him with a hose. She told magistrates, "I'd rather go to jail". Two anonymous donors made sure she stayed this side of the cell walls.

*** Live animal exporter Roger Mills was fined and banned for driving for 12 months after he was found guilty of driving up a grass verge directly at protestors in his Land Rover. Who says theres no justice?

TRAVELLERS

Ten travellers were arrested at a site near Durham on a dawn raid on Wednesday. 150 riot police piled onto the three week old site after complaints by local farmers, who have accused the travellers' dogs of the deaths of ten of their sheep. A spokesperson for the Friends and Families of Travellers Support Group said, "There is a raft of legislation already in place specifically aimed at people who don't control their dogs. The police are trying to set a legal precedent where there is currently none. If uncontrolled dogs were found on a housing estate, they wouldn't then try to evict the whole estate. This is just another example of traveller persecution." Exactly.

OCH AYE THE SchNEWS

It's official! We have a fully functional sister paper. Based in Glasgow, BaNewsed is the brainchild of DiY merchants into bananas. That's right! Their activities continue on the 30th March when they hold a "Critical Massive", a street party based on previous RTS efforts, and...you've guessed it...bananas! They are eager to hear from anyone who has past experience with RTS actions. Good luck to 'em. If you have any North of the Border stories, phone 01555 820 555.

EXODUS

On February 25, police descended on HAZ Manor with 3 patrol cars, a riot van, dog handlers and a tactical support unit to nick someone for the heinous crime of... stealing a sandwich! A warrant was issued for the arrest of one of the crew after he liberated the said sarnie from the local Sainsbury's. This is indicative of the local constabulary's continuing victimisation of Exodus.

*** The Council have finally started to make some noises about getting together a working party to discuss the possibility of setting up Exodus' community centre. There may be a meeting next week, watch this space...

AND FINALLY...

A recent report on decreasing male fertility cites temperature being vital to sperm production. So men who sit snug in their cars are at an increased risk of firing blanks. The cure? Hang out in cool treetops and bide your time...The future is yours!

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.

Subscribe! Keep SchNEWS free! Just send 1st class stamps leg 20 for 20 issues) or donations (payable to Justice?). Mark 'Original' if you plan to copy: SchNEWS c/o on-the-fiddle PO Box 2600 Brighton East Sussex BN2 2DX. Tel: (01273) 685913.

SchNEWS is free to all prisoners - just send us your address

Dear Brighton Police - your spy camera appears to be jammed. It is permanently fixed on the Estate Agency. Need oil?

MP? NO WAY, SAYS JUSTICE?

NO FEES! NO KEYS! Homeless people + empty buildings = homes. Simple.

A crazed Tory MP has called for members of baby-eating anarchist trouble-makers Justice? to be live exported to Siberia.

He told Reporters at the Evening Anus: "It's a disgrace. How dare these people get off their knees and do something about the homeless situation. People should leave these sort of activities to the politicians."

An ex-squatter, now prize turncoat leader of a Council somewhere in Southern England was heard to mumble: "We would advise any homeless person to beg on the streets, watch TV through radio rentals window and slowly freeze to death sleeping in shop doorways. Homeless problem - what homeless problem?"

Now back to the real world..

"I wish Brighton Council were as quick to house people as they are to evict."

As SchNEWS went to press, Justice? Squatted Estate Agents was facing imminent eviction by Labour-led Brighton Borough Council. The Estate Agency was a response to the harassment squatters were experiencing in Brighton - as well as drawing attention to the fact that while empty buildings rot people sleep on the streets.

Armed with the usual cheekiness Justice? opened their doors smack bang in the centre of town. With photographs of empty properties in the shop front window, people could get the lowdown on the squatting laws and drop in for a cuppa.

The Criminal Justice Act had frightened a lot of people into believing squatting was illegal. Not true! The media loved it and the circus began. As people began coming in it immediately became apparent that we were only scratching the surface of a spiralling housing crisis.

One man who is HIV+ told us that the council were refusing to help him because he did not have enough 'local connections'. Another man who lives in a crammed B+B with no identification receives no income support and the council-owned property where he lives pays the rent straight through to a Landlord who he has never seen. Two couples who went down to the Council told us that when they asked to be put on their waiting list they were told they were not in priority need, there was nothing the Council could do to help them and they would be better off squatting! Six people were made homeless when the BBC incorrectly screened the potential site for the Agency even though the squatters concerned had approached the County Council for a short term lease. But being associated with the baby-eaters at the squatters estate agency they suddenly found themselves on the streets again. People started to pour through the door telling of injustices at the hand of their Landlord or simply informing us of properties that have been left to waste for years. (Other stories are more positive. An old guy came in to tell us that his mate had died a couple of weeks previous the house was empty and did we want the key - a couple with a kid were also in the agency looking for a place and so we put two and two together ......)

Extremists? Last week The Guardian editorial stated: "Squatting Estate Agency is a good idea whatever Brighton says". Yesterday Guildford Council stated they would be putting pressure on private landlords to bring empty properties back into use. Even Tory MP Hartley Booth tabled a Private Members Bill in the Commons suggesting any publicly-owned building left empty for five years should he made immediately available to anyone who needs it.

While the squatting estate agency has been getting favourable mentions in everything from Norwegian television to Australian radio, Brighton's own Evening Argus has seen fit to lie and generally do anything in their power to attack Justice? and create fear amongst its readers about what we're trying to do. It hasn't had much effect as the hundreds of people passing the squat and giving us their support shows, but thanks anyway! If anyone still thought that papers owned by massive media conglomerates were 'objective' they've got rid of that idea big time. One article headlined 'No victim is turned away' said that no homeless people are turned away by Brighton Council and that people are homeless because they 'fall outside the system for a variety of reasons, such as being single, a couple without children and those who do not have strong links with the town' in other words thousands are turned away! But the first thing you do if you want to slag someone off for doing something about a problem is deny that there is a problem anyway - even as you trip over the homeless on the way to your comfy editor's desk.

Shelter estimates there are 1,928,300 homeless people in the UK; officially, there are 1,378 homeless households in Brighton (the real figure is much more). The Empty Homes Agency estimates there are 820,000 empty properties in the UK, 2,500 of them in Brighton.

Squatters eat babies

Several babies were discovered half-chewed in Brighton today. There are believed to be squatters in the area. Justice? declined to comment.

A Message to the Argus

New York Times editor John Swainton said to his staff on retirement. "There is no such thing as a free press, you know it, and I know it. There is not one of you who would dare to write his honest opinion. The business of a journalist is to destroy truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fall at the feet of Mammon and sell himself, his country and his race for his daily bread. We are jumping jacks. They pull the strings, we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are the properties of these men. We are intellectual prostitutes."

Justice? & Conscious Cinema are organising a Media training Day. 01273 685913

OUR POLICY

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