Dockyard shut by anti-nuke activists

Dockyard shut by anti-nuke activists

Monday 01 November 2010

Anti-nuclear campaigners successfully blockaded all entrances to a Plymouth dockyard today.
They were protesting at the role the site plays in maintaining Trident nuclear submarines.
Up to 150 people from England, Wales, Scotland and Switzerland peacefully occupied parts of the Devonport Dockyard from 6am - preventing traffic from entering and leaving for three hours.
Eleven of the activists - some of whom had locked themselves together - were arrested by Ministry of Defence police who patrol nuclear establishments across Britain.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/10/467165.html

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FBU members hold second strike as bosses keep up sacking threat

Monday 01 November 2010



London firefighters defied sacking notices and the imposition of a new shift system today in the first of two planned strikes this week
London firefighters defied sacking notices and the imposition of a new shift system today in the first of two planned strikes this week.
Bringing fire stations to a halt all over the capital, Fire Brigades Union members set up picket lines across the city, including in Bow, Stratford and Shoreditch.
The eight-hour strike started at 10am today after the London Fire Authority failed to withdraw sacking notices for their entire workforce in London firefighters.
FBU officials said that the London Fire Authority plans to re-employ firefighters on inferior contracts, including the imposition of shift changes.
Despite fire chiefs' attacks in the media, several motorists could be seen honking their horns in support of striking firefighters in east London.
Tower Hamlets branch secretary Chris Boag pointed out that if the threat of mass sackings were withdrawn, the union would halt the strike immediately.
"They are seeking to impose new conditions of service which will not benefit us or the community," he said.
"We are prepared to make changes to improve efficiency but not with a gun to our head.
"Their plans will reduce night cover leading to a closure of stations and statistically more people die in fires at night."
Mr Boag also criticised the use of private contractor AssetCo, which owns all red fire engines in London, to help break the strike.
He said the company's approach was "like someone walking down the street, eyes closed and picking five people at random to be firefighters for the day."
Mr Boag added that London Fire Authority chief Brian Coleman was "politically motivated" in his call for firefighters to be sacked.
Fire chiefs have accused some firefighters of being resistant to change due to having second jobs.
Stratford firefighter Nick Sadler defended their right to have second jobs because of the comparatively low pay they receive.
"No one does this job for the money. I get £1,800 take-home pay a month. I do it because I love it and to serve the community.
"If I didn't have a second job, I would not be able to afford a house locally."
johnm@peoples-press.com
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Brixton in London Anti-Cuts March & Vodafone Protest

The march and rally that took place in Brixton to protest about the imminent cuts in social spending attracted around 200 local people. At midday the rally started at the Brixton Oval, where representatives from Lambeth Save Our Services, Lambeth Pensioners Group, the local branches of UNISON, GMB, NUT and UCU unions, and workers from the Lambeth One O'clock Clubs gave speeches about how the imposed cuts will be afecting the local sercvices. Then, a rather ritualistic march started around central Brixton and into the market area. It wasn't exactly an expression of anger as seen in other parts of Europe, but it may, at least, represent the start of a local mobilisation.
Once the march ended, and as part of a UK-wide campaign, a group of people made its way to the Vodafone store right next to Brixton tube station to protest against the company's avoidance of a £6bn tax bill, effectively shutting it down for most of the afternoon
http://london.indymedia.org/articles/5842
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21 VODAFONE STORES SHUT IN ANTI-CUTS ACTION
30th october: around 100 people gathered at Speakers Corner before splitting into groups to target Vodafone stores. It didn't take long with the first store closing with the arrival of the protestors and by half twelve all three stores on Oxford St were shut down [report 2, 3] So far we've heard 5 in total are closed, including Brixton [report]. It's a similar story in other places where stores were closed ahead of planned direct action and protests or when demonstrators arrived.
In Glasgow people started early with the store in Buchanan St. Other shut downs include two in York, two in Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Hastings, Oxford [2] and two in Brighton where police made several arrests.

http://london.indymedia.org/articles/5834
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SPOOKED RIOT POLICE FORCED TO RETREAT AS 600 YOUTHS CLASH WITH THEM IN CENTRAL LONDON

CONFRONTATION BETWEEN YOUTH AND RIOT POLICE ON A SATURDAY NIGHT

A rave party in the heart of central London continued throughout the Sunday after hundreds of revellers took over a disused eight-storey building on Saturday 30 October

Police arrested eight people after a stand-off with riot police on Saturday night, when bricks and bottles were thrown and a number of buildings and vehicles were damaged.

Some party-goers had claimed the police, who at first attempted to stop them accessing the building, were overly aggressive.

Organisers said in the face of the economic crisis, unemployment and homelessness, raves like this, which were common in the late 1980s, were likely to see a resurgence. Scumoeen: The Squat Monster's Ball was organised by word of mouth and on Facebook, with the location disclosed via a secret telephone number on Saturday night.

On Sunday morning the party was still going strong, with hundreds of revellers spilling out onto New Oxford Street between High Holborn and Museum Road and deafening techno music pumping out into the surrounding streets.

About a dozen officers stood watch on nearby corners, while the crowd, aged between about 18 and 35, emerged into the sunlight.

Several police officers were hurt on Saturday night after bottles were thrown during clashes with a crowd of up to 500 people. Police car were set alight.

The officers called for backup after being "rushed" by the crowd with dozens of riot squad officers from the force's Territorial Support Group arriving on the scene. Bricks and bottles were thrown and at one point the crowd charged police with a wheelie bin.

The injuries to police officers were described as "minor stuff" with one suffering non-serious cuts to the head. A woman in her 30s suffered a cut face, while a man in his 20s needed treatment for intoxication.