DALE FARM EVICTED

AS IRISH TRAVELLERS ETHNICALLY CLEANSED FROM ESSEX

At 7am on Wednesday (19th) morning hundreds of riot police stormed the rear of Dale Farm (see SchNEWS 669, 785). They met with stiff resistance on the barricades, resorting to Tasering at least one person as they ran away from them. Eventually breaching the outer wall of the site, police then had to fight their way through several more roving barricades (some aflame) as they made their way to the main gate under a hail of half-bricks.

The nature of the attack surprised even the most battle hardened protesters on site. There was no visible attempt to deploy evidence gathering teams and barely any media present until later in the day (though one camera crew did get footage of the first Tasering of the morning). In the words of one activist “it was a more continental style of policing”, with police relying more on physical violence than the threat of judicial violence.

Only once police had secured the rear of the main gate were any arrests even attempted. A couple of people got taken by a snatch squad, but the vast majority of arrests were of protesters manning towers and lock-ons. Others were able to regroup and attack lines of cops almost at leisure, with the  bulk of the police guarding the main gate from the inside. During the clearing of the gate one quick witted activist managed to D-lock a cherry picker to the scaffold tower it was sent in to evict. Though a couple of attempts were made to get more territory under police control they were quickly forced to retreat. Despite the police claim (circulated widely by most media present) that they had secured the whole of the site within 45 minutes, this was clearly not the case.

No bailiffs were present at the initial assault, when they did arrive (around 9am) they made an attempt to get vehicles on site through the newly created hole in the fence. However this was thwarted by activists up trees and scaffolding making the job of widening the gap impossible.

It was not until the following afternoon (once the last of the lock-ons had been removed) that any machinery would have been able to get past the main gate – by which time those left on site had decided to walk off together. Despite being aware of this, the council decided to then send in a representative to serve eviction notices on all those present – cue farcical scene of a heavily guarded council lackey being followed around site by a baying mob.

This led to some having second thoughts about the walkout (no one wants to leave when they’re told to) though it went ahead as planned – albeit a couple of hours late.

Now that the flames have turned into smouldering ashes, the barricades have been bulldozed along with what was once a settled community, and the last residents of Dale Farm walk away from their home into a displaced existence, what else is their to say about an event that will almost certainly be remembered by history for what it was: an brutal attack on a persecuted minority at the hands of the state, after abject failure by the legal system to protect their human rights?

The amount of bullshit spouted by the authorities during the eviction, and happily relayed without scrutiny by mainstream media dimshits, deserves a special round-up all of its own.

Step up, Councillor Tony Ball: “Sadly, this [travellers leaving] could have been achieved many years ago and without the scenes of violence which we have witnessed over the last 48 hours and the accompanying expense to the taxpayer.”

Basildon Council has led a concerted campaign to oust the Dale Farm community from the land it owns, knowing that it would cost at least £18 million before it even kicked off. Though the right-wing press are attempting to blame the travellers and supporters for the bill, it was the council who ultimately decided it was worth devoting a vast amount of resources to knock down a small number of structures built on an old scrapyard (many of the buildings on the ‘illegal’ half of Dale Farm are actually completely legal).

The fight is not over yet, with travellers and supporters deciding what to do next. For more info see dalefarm.wordpress.com

CRAP ALCHEMIST OF THE WEEK

A Belfast man ended up with a 3 month jail sentence after an, er, rather unusual attempt to create gold. Rather than use base metals, as many an ancient sage had tried and failed, Paul Moran decided to use his own poo. Unfortunately he left his shit (or ‘fertiliser’ as he referred to it) unattended on a heater for too long, starting a fire that caused £3,000 worth of damage to his flat.

In court the judge said “It was an interesting experiment to fulfil the alchemist’s dream, but wasn’t going to succeed.” At least he did manage to turn his turds into comedy gold though.

OCCUPY EVERYWHERE

In the last few days approximately 1,000 cities across the world have joined in the #Occupy movement sparked off by Occupy Wall Street (SchNEWS 792). As the Occupy Wall Street protests neared their second month camped up next to the Mamon of world finance, movements all around the world have copied the OWS model – with “Occupy” protest camps springing up in city centres all over the world. United by common tactics and the common slogan, “We are the 99%”, people are taking the fight against capitalism to the belly of the beast.

Saturday 15th October saw occupations take place all over the UK. The biggest and most headline-grabbing is, of course, “Occupy The Stock Exchange”– still going strong with several hundred people camped outside St Paul’s Cathedral. But it’s by no means the only one, and at the moment there are at least nine UK cities where the “Occupy” movement has successfully taken and held city centres.

This is a movement of all of us! And it needs all of us to help if it’s going to win. If you are willing and able to camp out – come along to your closest occupation. If you can’t, they still need your help. They need tents, kitchen equipment, general protest tat (ie- rope and gaffa tape) food, and especially warm clothing, blankets and sleeping bags- it’s getting colder and they don’t plan to leave anytime soon.

For more information on occupations follow the links on the back. For up to the minute updates, follow @SchNEWS on Twitter, where we’re tweeting and re-tweeting info about the UK and world occupations.

More Occupations are planned, and there may be others that we’ve missed, so over is not necessarily the complete list. Please email/tweet/phone us with updates.

In London, Occupy The Stock Exchange has been doing well with hundreds of people attending every day. Thanks to some unexpected charity from the Church, the protesters have been able to camp up relatively unmolested on the steps of St Pauls Cathedral. The police have maintained a thin blue line across the entrance to Paternoster Square (i.e. the Stock Exchange) – it’s as if they expect trouble there. The occupiers are well stocked with food, some of it donated by sheepish bankers that work “in the heart of darkness” (their words).

After last weekend’s heavy handedness, the police presence has been (so far) relatively relaxed. Some FIT are lurking around, but they havent been routinely filming people. There has been a mixed response from City workers- ranging from the interested, the bemused, and the boring (who would have thought that some people would shout “get a job” at the protesters?!)

The camp is full of positive people organising workshops and meetings about how to overthrow the system and what to replace it with.  For a list of some of the current demands see www.occupylsx.org - if you don’t like ‘em get out there and argue for something else...

* See below for details of UK Occupations
 

UGANDA: DROPPING A KALANGA

SchNEWS always welcomes submissions from readers - we can’t be everywhere and know about everything, hard as we try - and it eases the load on our strung out, RSI withered writing team.  Here’s something we got sent, found of interest and passed on to you:

“The latest Oxfam campaign adverts recently caught my eye. A barren field with only Caterpillar digger and the poignant phrase: ‘Home is where the bulldozers are,’ and ‘This is where my family used to live.’

This image and others struck a chord, reminding me of the current plight faced by the families at Dale Farm. Imagine my horror when, under further investigation, I discovered that this campaign was to highlight the forced eviction of 22,000 people of of their own land in Uganda, between 2007 and 2011.

This eviction took place after the New Forest Company (N.F.C.), a British Timber company, took over the management of the Luwunga Forest Reserve. N.F.C., although painting an image of sustainability and social responsibility, are your typical climate criminals. Funded by the World Bank and other similar organisations, H.S.B.C. also owns a 20 per cent share. They have been buying up land all over Africa, clearing it and replanting Pine and Eucalyptus (two of the most ecologically damaging trees around), plus some indigenous species as well. (In Uganda the annual rate of deforestation has climbed 21 per cent since the end of the nineties, resulting in the loss of two thirds of its forest over the last 20 years.) Although claiming that they are investing in the community by building additional infrastructure creating jobs and water, the fact is N.F.C  have commandeered the local school as their head office in the field.

Land tenure is a major issue, with the government distributing parcels of land and then taking them back (sound familiar?). Many of the evicted claim they were given the land by the Idi Amin government after fighting for the British during WW2, while others have legally bought it. Termed ‘squatters’ by the Ugandan Courts and N.F.C., and given only three months notice before being forced of of their own land, (during which they experienced physical violence and destruction of their property, crops and livestock) the people are in shock and traumatised.

The N.F.C. states that Oxfam are exaggerating, and that this land grab only affected 800 people, most of whom left peacefully after being given four months notice by the police.  

The stories of the local people are different. Many of them have been left destitute, receiving no compensation or alternative land. They are no longer able to send their children to school, and they question how they are going to survive. One small farmer (termed a ‘squatter’ by the authorities) who grew three acres of coffee, five of bananas, plus avocados, mangos, beehives and two permanent houses, has lost everything. Previously self-sufficient, he now struggles to feed his family and has recognised that “if you don’t eat well, you become sick and weak”; a state that those in charge seem to be happy for us to be in.

On the 11th September 2011, the ‘Human rights network for journalists in Uganda’ reported (on Facebook) that ‘plans are under-way for Kalanga District Leadership to pass a resolution banning all media activity in the area’. This is a draft resolution prepared by the council and seems to confirm the treatment of media who question the state. Oxfam are requesting an investigation into the actions of N.F.C. and, looking at the facts, it appears that both this British company - and the international organisations which support it - are complicit in this inhumane land grab from the indigenous people and the destruction of the natural environment: all in the name of producing cheap resources for people overseas.

This story has so many parallels with the planned eviction of Dale Farm in Essex. Earlier this year, the Romany Council began a world-wide campaign of ‘zero evictions’, stating people have a right to have a safe space to live whatever their financial situation. I am aware that President Chavez of Venezuela has committed to this. Safe, secure housing in whatever form we choose is a basic human right, and it is important at this time that we unite against the common enemies who threaten this. In Uganda locals have already started to uproot the trees planted by the N.F.C. Remember: actions speak louder than words.”

LSX: OCCUPY EYED

Just some of Occupy LSX's demands: “The current system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; this is where we work towards them. We refuse to pay for the banks' crisis. We do not accept the cuts as either necessary or inevitable. We demand an end to global tax injustice and our democracy representing corporations instead of the people.

We support the strike on 30 November and the student action on 9 November, and actions to defend our health services, welfare, education and employment, and to stop wars and arms dealing. We want structural change towards authentic global equality. The world's resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich.

Join the democracy in action:

London
Occupy the Stock Exchange, St Paul's Cathedral, EC4M 8AD.
Web: http://occupylondon.org.uk
Twitter:@OccupyLSX

Nottingham
Old Market Square.
Twitter: @OccupyNotts
Email: occupynottingham@hotmail.co.uk
www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Nottingham/176572135759014?sk=wall

Bristol
College Green.
Twitter: @OccupyBristolUK 
www.bristol.indymedia.org.uk/article/706047 
www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Bristol/156092691150973?sk=info

Manchester
Peace Gardens, near St.Peters Sq.
Twitter: @OccupyMCR
www.occupymanchester.org
www.facebook.com/OccupyMCR

Norwich
Haymarket NR2 1QD
Twitter: @OccupyNorwich
http://occupynorwich.tumblr.com 
www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Norwich/291233767570027

Newcastle
Twitter: @OccupyNewcastle
http://occupynewcastle.org

Edinburgh
Twitter: @OccupyEdinburgh 
www.facebook.com/Occupyedinburgh

Glasgow
Twitter: #occupyglasgow 
www.facebook.com/occupyglasgow
www.indymediascotland.org/node/25189

Birmingham
Victoria Square (UK apparently Birmingham, Alabama is also occupied!)
Twitter: @OccupyBhamUK
www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Birmingham-UK/154845231274653?sk=wall

* Also check out www.occupybritain.co.uk and http://www.occupytogether.org - two websites that are trying to connect the movements around Britain and around the world.

BROUGHT TO THE BOOK

This weekend it’s the big one. No, not Man U vs Man C, but the 28th London Anarchist Bookfair.

Still in the University of London site in Mile End, this year they’ve bagged a better building.  The action will be less spread out and all contained in one building for easy access and a more social experience; handier for those wanting to use the kids space, catch a film or some caberet and still find time to persue stalls for some dusty 70s paphlets or obsure philosophical ramblings.  A place to meet and network with other campaigners, like-mindeds and the plain weird, it’s a fun and educational day out for the whole family. 

And while yer there, why not pick up some (we’re over-) stocking-filler copies of the unputdownable SchNEWS graphics book.  All the funniest bits of the last few years with nearly all the boring news bits taken out. Form a disordely queue.

* 10am-7pm at the Bancroft Building, Queen Mary, University Of London, Mile End Rd, London, E1 4NS www.anarchistbookfair.org.uk

BLACKPOOL ROCKED

It was officially confirmed this week, as if we needed any more evidence, that the two freak minor earthquakes that occurred near the site of Caudrilla’s fracking exploration near Blackpool were the fault of...the fracking exploration (see SchNEWS 790, 788).

The government has now said that unless Caudrilla (not yet a star of Japanese monster movies) can prove that they make remedial measures to make sure the quakes don’t happen again, the fracking will have to stop. Whether this happens or not is uncertain: the potential for profiting from shale gas has pound signs flashing in the eyes of oil’n’gas companies all over the world.

And it hasn’t stopped them in the US: The town of Guy, Arkansas - which happens to lie between a multitude of fracking wells - had more than 700 earthquakes in just  six months earlier this year.

But hey, what’s a bit of man-made, permanent seismic shifting when there’s big bucks to be made? See www.nofrackinguk.com.

AND FINALLY

One for conspiracy nuts everywhere: US government has been hiding evidence of Air Force UFO protocols. The 2008 Air Force Manual included details of what pilots and radar operators should do if they encounter Unidentified Flying Objects.

Oddly, the US Air Force claimed that it ceased investigations into UFOs back in 1969, with the termination of Project Blue Book. When a US news site decided to investigate, the Men in Black in charge of keeping evidence of little green men secret from the public simply removed all mention of UFOs from their new manuals. “The reason why the military is claiming they don’t investigate UFOs is because they don’t want to respond to people like you,” former Air Force Captain Robert Salas told The Huffington Post.

Good idea, there’s nothing that will shut UFO-believers up quicker than a cover up by the military....