firmness in principles, flexibility in tactics
STATE OF EMERGENCY seeks to highlight and take direct action against the causes and effects of the War on Terror. We stand in solidarity against military and economic oppression by defending ourselves against the ever increasing domination of the state. We recognize that the state of emergency in which we live will continue for as long as our obedience enables them to control us.
Smashing the Arms Trade: Smash EDO Carnival
London Public meeting: London School of Economics Room A379 (Old
Building), Aldwych, Sunday 25th May, 4-6pm
Map: http://www.lse.ac.uk/resources/mapsAndDirections/findingYourWayAroundLSE.htm
SmashEDO the Movie - On the Verge - extra London showing - 7pm, April 21st - London Action Resource Centre
Cos lots of folk missed it at Housmans (couldn't get in) State of Emergency cordially invites anybody who hasn't seen this important movie to an extra showing.
LARC is at 62 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, London, E1 1ES. Nearest tube Aldgate East or Whitechapel.
Here's a map.
The good news: The government backed down over the police's request to harmonise the law on marches and assemblies, and proposes the repeal of those parts of SOCPA which require demonstrators to get police permission.
The bad news: The repeal is tied to an enormously complex bill which is unlikely to pass for a long time and the Public Order Act was reinforced by the consultation.
The ugly: Buried in the small print the government asks parliament to come up with a new way to remove Brian Haw, and new controls on demonstrations to replace the toothless Sessional Orders.
More detailed analysis here soon.
Next CFA demo: 5th April, 1pm
http://freeassembly.notlong.com/
From SchNEWS:
CARMEL CREAMED
In yet another victory, yesterday all charges where dropped - after seven months of police bail - against the six arrested at Carmel Agrexco during Camp For Climate Action in August last year (See SchNEWS 600). The six were arrested for burglary with intent to cause criminal damage after a blockade where two activists d-locked themselves to the gates to stop deliveries at the Hayes depot of Carmel - the 50% Israeli state-owned importer of produce grown in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. One of the arrestees said "Basically I was arrested for being a gobby little shite to one of the security goons who accused three protesters of assault - when in fact it was him physically abusing us."
When the protesters were released, police kept their clothes and they had to wear paper suits. Yet, as soon as they were out of the station, them and their clear plastic bags of possessions were searched under the Terrorism Act.
Essential information for anyone likely to get arrested, or trying to avoid it.
An expanded and revised version of a feature posted to Indymedia UK, analysing the government's 'Managing Protest Around Parliament' consultation document, and putting in context of the current public order law situation in the UK.
Preserving Disorder - PDF (220kB)
Gordon Brown plans to extend the restrictions on demonstrations near parliament to cover the whole country, claiming that this will simplify the work of the police. The current law totally bans spontaneous protests, requiring advance police permission, which allows the police to impose arbitrary limits on numbers and effectively act as political censors. The consultation proposes extending these rules to any protest anywhere, in the name of 'harmonisation'. The freedom to protest was won through hard struggle and if we want to keep it we must take a stand to say enough is enough. Come to a public meeting to plan a public response: we propose early January.
Where have all the flowers come from?
18/8/2007 3m19s
Counter-Recruitment Picket
Saturday 1st September
11am-1pm
The Strand, London
map
This Saturday - 1st September – at the Strand army recruitment centre, people will be going armed with placards and fliers to give a counter view of what life is like in the army. With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan raging the chances of being killed and injured have increased dramatically over the past few years. But even if ex-services personnel make it back alive many are still scared for life from their experiences. The Strand recruitment centre is coincidentally located opposite BAE Systems' London HQ.
We encourage everyone to help us hand out fliers and let people know what it's really like in the military!
Direct action against war, from the root to the fruit - 18 August 2007
This afternoon a group of around 60 protesters from State Of Emergency have entered and blockaded the main UK warehouse of Israeli company Carmel Agrexco in Hayes, Middlesex. Their action coincides with the nearby Camp for Climate Action and is part of the growing movement to boycott Israeli apartheid, which aims to end Israel’s breach of International law and abuse of human rights in the occupied territories of Palestine.
The action has been taken to coincide with the Camp for Climate Action because all of Carmel Agrexco's produce is air-freighted into Heathrow and also to highlight the consequences of the resource wars which are inevitable as the climate changes.
[UPDATE: a response to Amos Orr's lies to the Press Association has been posted on Indymedia.]