CUTTING 'N' RUNNING

WHO WILL TORONTO THE LINE AT THE G20 MEETINGS AS AUSTERITY TOPS THE AGENDA..?

So ‘austerity’ took shape this week as George ‘where were you hiding during the election campaign’ Osborne went for broke on Tuesday with his hard-hitting ‘fuck the poor’ budget.

Yes, taxes & VAT are going up and almost every type of benefit is being slashed (and tied into being available for whatever work they deem you fit for), but hey! it’s not all bad news - corporation tax is being reduced!

Well someone’s gotta pay for all those huge profits, bonuses and debt screw-ups – and it might as well be the less well off. After all there’s so many more of them. Easier to take say £100 a year off 30 million relatively powerless people (bringing in £3bn) than try and take half a million each off the richest 60,000 (and just think – the deficit is hundreds of billions!).

Events in Greece (see below) have lead to a few tight sphincters around the European elites – how best to avoid similar scenes in their own countries? A fashion for economic hair shirts has swept Europe with Germany, Spain, France (a bit) and many others joining in to see who can self harm the most. But it is a big gamble. Opinion amongst leading economists is split as to whether excessive blood letting is actually more or less likely to lead to another longer, more severe depression. And many in the US, included Obama’s most trusted advisers, err on the side of less austerity now.

Not that we are flag waving one way or the other for methods to prop up a failing, structurally flawed exploitative system – but it all means that this week’s cosy get-togethers of world leaders at the latest G8 and G20 meetings might be the scene of more disagreements than usual. Don’t worry, we’re sure they’ll cordially agree to differ here and there and come out for the usual photo-opportunities afterwards.

Both summits are being held in Canada (G20 in the centre of Toronto, G8 in a more remote luxury ‘resort’ in Huntsville, Ontario) – where the conservative Government is currently introducing its own programme of heavy public cuts. But somehow they were still keen to pitch for the chance to host the ‘Austerity’ round of meetings – and demonstrate their own commitment to penny pinching by spending a jaw-dropping $1.1bn on wining and dining the World’s most powerful for a week. Well it’s not cheap to get 20,000 police to shut down, clear out and create a impenetrable ‘ring of steel’ in the middle of your capital city.

Not that all the cash has gone on a huge overblown security operation - despite the media being full of footage of uber-riot gear cops sporting serious weapons up to and including a ‘sonic cannon’. A spokesman for the Canadian secret service reported no particular intelligence of very large scale protests or extremist threat – but don’t worry though, there is an officially-sanctioned ‘protest zone’ miles away from the action. No, nearly $200m dollars has been spent on creating a artificial lake out by the media centre, presumably to provide a more picturesque backdrop to those handshaking photo calls. Well Canada is the country with the highest number of natural lakes in the World, so it obviously badly needed a new fake one.

Such utter wastefulness did not go completely unnoticed by the Canadian public and media, and it will be interesting to see if that swells numbers as a week of whatever-protest-is-still-possible is set to begin with the largest likely to be Saturday (26th)’s ‘People First!’ union / socialist alliance type shindig.

Yesterday saw a protest in the financial district – up against the giant security fence erected across downtown Toronto - where oil-dowsed protesters spilt through the streets decrying the many shortcomings of a black gold worshipping World, whilst others handed out ‘$1bn’ bills to passers-by.

There was also a 1000-strong march in support of the First Nation peoples, who of course have been treated like shit since the European invaders first nicked their country. And not only historically – as well as numerous unanswered land claims, they claim that hundreds of their women have been murdered or disappeared in the past decades as part of a deliberate strategy to dwindle their numbers down to extinction. see www.defendersoftheland.org

* A convergence and full program of resistance events is planned for the whole week – for details see www.g20.torontomobilize.org

UP SHIT GREEK

The tide of strikes and general disorder continues across Greece (see SchNEWS 720) as austerity measures begin to bite.

The Ministry of Public Order was shown exactly how orderly the Greek public currently are when a bomb went off on its 7th floor yesterday (24th), killing a senior ministerial aide. Previous bombings have targeted prisons and courthouses.

In the past week alone there’s been several smaller public sector strikes, most impressive of which was the Piraeus dockworker’s strike. Organised mainly by PAME (middle of the road Communists), the dockworkers prescribed a 24hr blockade on the country’s main port last Monday (14th).

In retaliation the courts declared the action illegal, leading to PAME blocking all entrances to the port again on Wednesday (23rd). All tourist boats had to cancel their trips to the islands. Asked by the tourist cartel why the dockworkers were not treated “as the law requires”, the Ministry of Public Order claimed that “such problems are not solved by means of repression”. Elsewhere industrial action against the austerity measures has included a 24hr strike by journos which saw all TV, Radio and internet news unplugged for the day and a complete public transport strike in Athens.

Another general strike looms. In preparation, this week began with the abstention of markers from the final exams. On Wednesday (23rd) a law attacking social insurance was due to be voted in parliament. Grassroots trade unions alongside GSEE and ADEDY (garden variety trade unions) held demonstrations in Athens with hundreds in attendance. The voting has now been postponed for Monday. As seems to be the fad, hospital doctors went on a 24hr strike across the country. At the same time railway workers will be engaging in rolling two-hour stoppages throughout the week that are predicted to periodically interrupt all major train journeys in the country.

Meanwhile the government is hesitating to bring its new anti-labour laws before Parliament for a vote as the PM is fearful of his rule collapsing. You don’t say...

EDO TRIAL UPDATE

After sixteen days of evidence the EDO Decommisioners trial is near to the end. After closing speeches the jury is expected to be sent out as early as next week. The defence closed (apart from character references) with eyewitness testimony from Sharyn Lock, who was on the ground in Gaza during the Israeli attacks in 2009 (see SchNEWS 661). She described how the hospital she was working in was struck by missiles and white phosphorus. Video footage of Sharyn’s blog, (http://talestotell.wordpress.com) documenting the effects of the bombardment were shown to the jury.

She closed her evidence by saying that she had no doubt that those who armed the Israeli airforce ‘had the blood of children on their hands’.

Smash EDO told SchNEWS “Whether the verdict is guilty or not guilty our resistance against EDO/ITT will continue... We will be here until EDO are not! We are planning to hold a demonstration as soon as the verdict is known. Keep an eye on this site for updates. If you’d like to receive an update about the verdict and about the demonstration please send your email address or mobile number to smashedo@riseup.net”.

* See www.smashedo.org.uk http://decommissioners.co.uk

GREEN VILLAGE PRESERVATION SOCIETY

Democracy Village and the camp which has occupied Parliament Square since Mayday is into the second week of the High Court battle – Democracy Village vs Boris Johnson (who wrongly assumed he had default power over the square – see SchNEWS 727). The judge will decide next Tuesday whether to issue a possession order to the GLA London council and, if that goes ahead, bailiffs could arrive for an eviction within days. In the 6-8 weeks there’s been over 20 arrests including those for direct action rooftop banner drops and three arrests for climbing parliament.

The village are arguing on various fronts to win the case, including the need to have a public space and forum to discuss unlawful govt actions, such as illegal military adventures. Then there’s four European human rights convention laws about freedom of expression, free assembly, religion and the right to legally question govt activites; Also the fact that traditionally, the land around Westminster Abbey was a mound which was the site of the Goreshedd of Tothill, a place of free speech, bardery, and festivities, enshrined by Richard I “Lionheart” in 1189, ratified by parliament in 1858 and never repealed.

There is still a call out to come to the square, and there will continue to be the regular events, including the talking circle on Wednesdays at 7pm, poetry and music from 5pm on Fridays, and the Peoples’ Assembly on Saturdays at 5pm. The whole camp is in fact a peoples’ assembly - a discussion forum - which became known as Democracy Village. It has side-stepped SOCPA laws (see SchNEWS 612) by saying it is a discussion not a protest. Even if there is an eviction, nothing can stop the continuation of peoples’ assemblies if it’s new people or those not named on injunctions.

The court case which began on June 14th has been a lopsided battle between an unsympathetic judge – backed of course by extreme political weight – versus 19 uppity and up-for-it defendants aided by some top human rights lawyers and supporters. The judge got so pissed off with the defendants after being vigorously questioned about common law which he obviously didn’t know, and being reminded of state war crimes, he declared that the public would no longer be allowed in, only the defendants and the press.

He also disallowed an expert on war legalities and the rights to assemble – because he’s not a lawyer, even though he’s spoken on government committees. But Monday (21st) saw star witness Tony Benn, who came out for the village and their right to hold the government to account, saying it was ‘an integral part of the democratic process’.

As an interim measure the GLA have allowed tents at the Great George Street corner on the paving – on a license for an undefined period - so this could go on for some time yet.
 So it’s not over yet: it needs new people - bring food, tea, tents, climbing gear, cake, skills to share and good vibes. If a possession order is issued next Tuesday, look out for call-outs to help defend the village, and make plans for the future.

* See www.democracyvillage.blogspot.com and www.democracyvillage.org or see Facebook site. Site mobs 07981877462, 07722444146

* This Tuesday (22nd) saw a day of actions at the square against the austerity measures which will effect the poor not the war effort, and Ed Milliband was confronted about whether he voted for the Iraq War – which he refused to respond to, as he was whisked off by a minder to avoid some activists who wanted to citizens arrest him for war crimes.

TOME RAIDERS

Occupying an abandoned shopfront in the gentrified playground of Stokes Croft, Bristol, anarchists have set up a library. On May 22nd, the bookish radicals set up a free library with cafe and internet facilities to celebrate the Stokes Croft street festival in style. They told SchNEWS that they wanted “any radical literature which people care to share with their community”.

Zines and books are to be read on site, though allegations of book sales have been made on rare occasions. These include the overpriced sales of stolen Banksy books to local scenesters with proceeds being put aside to be invested in zine-printing.

The landlord is still in a state of shock since wandering into the free library in search of his own shop. His mental health may well have been permanently affected as he has suggested to the anarchists that they continue their good work but be sure to pay the electricity bills. Now in its second month of existence and resistance the bookshop has become the seventh autonomous space on the same road. It hopes to continue the fight against the yuppification of the croft.

If you happen to be passing through, feel free to pop by for a browse and a brew (nothing special).

Don’t be fooled by the grumpy faces. These individuals are community and communally loving radicals. The shop’s at 40 Stokes Croft opposite Classics the freeshop. It’s neon pink and black “and you couldn’t fucking miss it if you tried...”

RAZED BEDS

Brighton County Court issued an eviction order against the Lewes Road Community Garden (see SchNEWS 727) this Monday (21st). A 40-strong solidarity demo was held outside court.

Gardeners Ron Edwards and Duncan Blinkhorn were told to vacate and hand over keys by 4.30pm next Monday (28th) or be held liable for costs, estimated at £6,800 and counting.

Following the verdict, a garden moot on Tuesday saw a highly reluctant vote to quit the land in order to support the named individuals.

But that’s not to say the garden will fall fallow. One laughing gnome told SchNEWS: “We’re not just going to roll over with this one. Tesco can fek off and so can the betting shop come to that. Who in their right mind wants another friggin supermarket or somewhere else people can go and get totally fucking alienated.” Look out for another garden in the area sometime soon.

In the meantime planters and bigger items are to be moved to Fairlight and St Martin’s schools, Saunders Park, the Patch and possibly other derelict sites in the area. “In this way the garden will live on in the physical world as well as in our hearts – a garden in exile,” said Duncan. Well not exactly Tibet but yeah we get where you’re coming from.

Brighton Council is coming in for more flak as it comes to light just how little consultation residents were offered. The original planning applications back in ‘08-’09 proposed a 3-storey building including four flats. Residents in the area are now demanding a meeting with the council.

* An Anti-Tesco demo will be held outside the garden on Monday 28th June between 5-7pm.
* See http://lewesroadcommunitygarden.webs.com

STICKY WIKI

A US intelligence analyst and alleged Wikileaks source, Bradley Manning, has been arrested while serving in Iraq and shipped to a US military prison in Kuwait, where he has been held for three weeks without charge. Manning allegedly leaked the infamous ‘Collateral Murder’ video showing a 2007 US helicopter strike as well as as-yet unseen footage of the 2009 Garani massacre in Afghanistan which killed over 100 people – mostly children. It is also claimed that he leaked 260,000 diplomatic cables, which Manning reportedly said would expose “almost criminal political back dealings” and “how the first world exploits the third, in detail”.

Wikileaks have rather cagily said claims they are in possession of the cables are “as far as we can tell, incorrect” but admitted they are working on the release of footage of the airstrike on the village of Garani.

The ‘Collateral Murder’ video, which showed US Apache helicopters gunning down 12 Iraqis and two Reuters journalists, caused a media storm when it was released in April. Wikileaks have said they don’t know if Manning leaked the video as they keep never collect records on sources, but that if he did then he is a “National hero.”

The whistleblowing while they work Wikileaks have been earmarked as a major threat to US ‘national security’. In 2008, Wikileaks released a classified US Army Counterintelligence Centre discussing ways to bring down the FOI champions. The report said, “successful identification, prosecution, termination of employment, and exposure of persons leaking the information by the governments and businesses affected by information posted to Wikileaks.org would damage and potentially destroy this centre of gravity and deter others from taking similar actions”. With Manning now on the verge of being fitted for an orange jumpsuit, it seems this is exactly what has happened.

Following the arrest, Wikileaks founder Justin Assange went into hiding, and although he has now surfaced, he still won’t travel to the US for fear of arrest.

Wikileaks have now sent a three man legal team to Kuwait to fight Manning’s corner but have so far been denied access. They are appealing for people to get involved and support Wikileaks by setting up local “Friends of Wikileaks” groups.

Email friends@sunshinepress.org for instructions.

ISRAEL IN THE DOCKS

The port of Oakland in the US has refused to allow an Israeli ship from being unloaded in protest against Israel’s blockade of Gaza and attack on the Freedom Flotilla. Over 800 activists intercepted the gates of the docks (6th largest port in the US), encouraging workers to refuse to cross the picket lines where they were scheduled to unload the Zim Lines ship - which they did.

Protesters stood by the four gates of the Stevedore Services of America from 5:30am to 9:30am chanting “Free, free Palestine, don’t cross the picket line” and “An injury to one is an injury to all, bring down the apartheid wall.” An emergency arbitration was held around 9am to decide whether it was unsafe for the workers to cross the picket line or not. The ruling proved to be in favour of the workers not crossing without disciplinary measures taken against them. This was greeted by boisterous cheers of “Long live Palestine!”. Jess Ghannam of the Free Palestine Alliance said “This is truly historic, never before has an Israeli ship been blocked in the United States!”

Oakland’s reaction is the beginning of several protests and strikes planned around the globe, including Norway, Sweden and South Africa

* www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/06/20/18651361.php

...AND FINALLY...

Manchester cops this week slammed a mystery Moss Side rapper, who has made over seven hundred 999 calls in the last three months alone.

A one-man campaign bringing ‘no justice, no peace’ (or quiet) back to the police, he bombards the switchboard with calls in which he raps, preaches and plays loud music to the helpless operators - who aren’t supposed to hang up in case vital information comes out.

Obviously not Hip Hop fans, fuming top brass have complained about the caller wasting police time and that it’s not even real music – all shouty, no singing. Despite attempts to track the man down – he has used and discarded over 60 mobiles - so far they haven’t found anyone to take the rap.

Police are now appealing to the public to track the 999 spitter down so they can lay down some fresh beats of their own. Will the real SIM Shady please stand up?