The Gaza Sea Weeps Blood
11-06-2006 16:12
On Friday, 9th of June, the Isreali Navy shelled families holidaying on Gaza beach. Ten people were obliterated in the bombing and children were left screaming over the mutilated bodies of their loved ones. Please follow the Full Article link for more details.
The situation in Palestine is becoming more desperate in every area of life, from the continual land theft and increase in illegal settlements across the West Bank to the daily incursions, assassinations and arrests.
Reports:
Check out the links below to read and listen to reports form across the region. For constant updates, please visit the International Middle East Media Centre website.
Palestine Today [ Mon, 5 June | Tues, 6 June | Wed, 7 June] | This Week in Palestine [2nd June] | Analysis from Palestine | Report from the West Bank | AL Numan report | New Fateh-led force in West Bank | Interview about the non-violent movement in Palestine | Israeli Army repression of non-violent protests in occupied Bilien
Full article | 1 addition | 8 comments
Gay and Lesbian Activists Defy Moscow's Gay Pride Ban
29-05-2006 20:13
Despite a total ban and threats of mass arrests by Moscow's mayor, topped up with pledges of violent counter-protests by religious leaders, local right wing groups and fascist militants, over 200 people took the streets in defiance in central Moscow for the first ever Gay Pride march in Russia on Saturday 27.
As soon as the lesbian and gay activists gathered by the Kremlin in Manezhnaya Square, strengthened by a contingent of mainly anarchist supporters and some internationals, around 100 fascists and religious fanatics started to attack them, whilst, at the same time, around 1000 riot police pushed and kicked demonstrators out of the square. But despite enduring high levels of harrassment and violence, the activists proved their stubborness in defending their right to protest, and kept coming back trying to gather. As a result over 120 people were arrested, most of which have already been released but charged with disturbing the peace and illegal gathering.
Reports: 1 | 2 | 3. Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
Related news:
- OutRage! Russian Embassy demo 2nd March call and report.
- Defiant Gay Pride goes ahead in Warsaw.
- IMC-UK Gender Page.
Full article | 1 addition | 1 comment
Protests Against The Economic Blockade Of Palestine
24-05-2006 18:15
A replica of the Israeli wall and a large banner with the words "Stop Starving Palestinians, End Israel's Occupation and Recognise Palestinian Democracy", acted as a back drop for the up to 20,000 demonstrators that gathered in London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday 20 of May.
Reports: 1 | 2 | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
The demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, was prompted by the Israeli government's decision to strengthen the economic blockade of the Palestinian people after the landslide victory of Hamas in the recent Palestinian elections. The Israeli and US governments, together with the EU, brand Hamas as a terrorist organisation and have therefore stopped vital aid and funding from reaching Palestine, with devastating effects on the everyday lives of Palestinian people living in the Occupied Territories.
An Emergency Vigil was held in Sheffield on Thursday 25th May, called by Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
For daily reports of life under Israeli occupation see the Middle East Media Centre and the Palestine Today audio reports in the IMC-UK newswires. Also check out IMC-Israel and IMC-Beirut for information about grassroots strugless and campaigns in the Middle East.
All This For Selling Flowers ...
13-05-2006 18:53
On Friday 12th May, several activists and human rights campaigners, as well as people from different groups including London's Zapatista Action Project (z.a.p.), Bristol Solidarity group Kiptik and the Comite Cerezo support group in the U.K, staged a peaceful occupation and noise demonstration in and outside the Mexican Embassy in London [Photos and Report]. Four people locked on in front of the Embassy, effectively closing it down for business for most of the day. Meanwhile a Samba band was playing whilst other activists held banners referring to the events that have been taking place in San Salvador de Atenco, northern Mexico [Press Release]. Another protest outside the Mexican embassy had already taken place on Wednesday 10th [Pics and Report]. The Electronic Disturbance Theater and the Borderlands Hacklab also called for a virtual strike against the Mexican Government on May 5th.
Last week, residents of Atenco, a municipality near Mexico City, suffered massive police brutality and repression, after local organisations helped 60 flower vendors of the Texcoco local market to resist a blockade by state police that prevented them from setting up their stands. People from Atenco quickly responded by obstructing the highway that borders their town and leads to Texcoco market. The events that followed speak of unprecedented levels of police brutality. More than 3000 armed police forces stormed the town beating everyone in their path [Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Videos: 1 | 2 | 3] and arrested more than 200 people after a house to house search around the town. Francisco Javier Cortés, a 14 year old local boy was killed as a result of police violence on the first day, and many were severely injured. Since then there have been reports that a total of up to 300 people have been arrested (of which the authorities have only recognised 109), 18 people have been disappeared, 5 women have been raped whilst in custody, and 5 foreigners have been deported.
Reports in the IMC-UK newswire by: Global Exchange | The Other Campaign Montreal | Irene of Mexico City | Erika Del Carmen Fuchs from Mexico DF | Kasa de Kultura para Tod@s.
Follow the unfolding events in: Narconews Bulletin | IMC-Chiapas | IMC-Mexico | IMC-UK Zapatista Page
Radio webstream with daily reports (Sp): Ke-Huelga Radio Zapote
Full article | 36 additions | 57 comments
Parliament Sq. Protest Trashed by Police
12-05-2006 12:57
Brian Haw's display was removed early in the morning of 23rd May by 50 police officers. At 2.45am they turned up and started to load a container with all the placards and banners and almost all of Brian's personal possessions. [Photos | Video]
A timeline since Monday 8th, when the state won its appeal against the decision that the SOCPA legislation could not be applied to the protest which Brian Haw appears in full article and additions below.
Creative activist roadshow in east-west collaboration
30-04-2006 19:44
The Art and Activism Caravan is a border crossing project, starting early June, travelling for 3 months from Greece via Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Hungary to the eco-activist gathering Ecotopia in Slovakia. Its aim is to support and connect youth, campaign, community and activist groups, their actions and campaigns with creative forms of activism. The participants will share skills in the field of video, creative writing, music and dance, sculpturing, street performance, drawing and painting, samba and screen printing.
Groups involved in the AA Caravan are EYFA (European Youth For Action), Candida TV (video collective, Italy), Rhythms of Resistance (samba), The Mischief Makers (creative activist collective, Nottingham), Undercurrents (UK video collective), Karahaber (video news network, Turkey), Loesje (creative writing), Rebel Clown Army and VideA (video collective, Balkans).
The local organisations and groups hosting the project are Medsos (Greece), Bitola Youth Forum (Macedonia), Mjaft (Albania), Plagus_M (Serbia & Montenegro), In Stage (Serbia & Montenegro), Kulturanova (Serbia & Montenegro), Tuzla Live (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Uruk (Bosnia & Herzegovina) and ZoFi and Valley of Arts (Hungary) and Ecotopia (Slovakia). For more information on the host groups click here. The artists taking part in the project come from Norway, Turkey, Italy, The Netherlands, UK, Ukraine, Germany and Armenia.
Links: AA Caravan website | Map of route | The host groups | The artists
Wikipedia on: Balkans | Greece | Macedonia | Albania | Montenegro | Serbia | Bosnia Herzegovina | Hungary | Slovakia
Local Indymedias: Athens | Belgrade | Croatia | Hungary
Art Activism Links: Design for Social Change | My Dads Strip Club | Northern Arts Tactical Offensive | Movement of the Imagination | The Church of Stop Shopping | The YES Men | The Lab of Insurrectionary Imagination | YoMango | Space Hijackers | videoactivism.org (everything for the video activist)
Background Links: ZNet Balkanwatch (Background articles on the political situation in the Balkans + lots of links) | Transitions Online (Online newsletter covering politics in the Balkans and wider region) | Maknews.com (Macedonian independent news agency) | Abolishing the Borders from Below (anarchist magazine focused around Eastern Europe) | Role of Women in The Balkans War (links) | Balkansnet.org (Balkans anti-war and human rights resources) | Our target is peace (The centre for peace in the Balkans)
Full article | 1 addition | 8 comments
Mayday Weekend 2006
28-04-2006 19:28
Monday May the 1st saw the culmination of the MayDay weekend 2006. A series of demonstrations and protests took place all over the UK and beyond. In London up to 4000 people marched from Clerkenwell Green to Trafalgar square in the traditional TUC march. One of the largest blocs of the march was the Autonomous Bloc which consisted of up to 800 people, marching on the issues of precarity and migration. Meanwhile, the Space Hijackers were having a 'police victory party' outside the Bank of England [Pics: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4]
The march went off peacefully until the Autonomous bloc tried to bring its soundsystem into Trafalgar Square to be used as an open microphone for speeches and discussion. At that point police snatched the pedal powered soundsystem from the crowd and prevented the Autonomous Bloc from assembling in the square. It was not until the march finished that the soundsystem was given back. Whilst this was taking place thousands of people listened to speeches at the rally in Trafalgar Square. After 4pm, people dispersed.
See: Timeline of Events | London Roundup | Eyewitness Account
Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
Audio: 1 | 2 | Videos: 1 | 2
Other May Day demonstrations and protests around Britain included:
A Workers Memorial Day demonstration in London to commemorate those people who have been killed at work. In Manchester, a Chaos Mass bike ride took place, as well as a May Day march, an anti-nuclear demonstration [Video] to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, and a picnic against capitalism. A march [more] also took place in Cambridge against the privatisation of public services, as well as an 'Extra tea for mayday' action where activists visited ASDA to give extra tea breaks to the workers forced to work on Mayday.
In Newcastle a contingent from Tyneside Community Action for Refugees marched demanding the right to work for refugees and asylum seekers, in Liverpool the Merseyside May Day celebrations included a march and a rally in Princes Park, and in Nottingham a march and rally [more] also took place. In Scotland there was the traditional May Day march and rally in Edinburgh, and a MayDay parade in Glasgow.
For reports of the massive demonstrations in the US and the several Euro MayDay Parades in Europe, as well as the full UK's Mayday 06 events listing click at the 'Full Article' link on top.
"European Alternatives Resistance", United Against Repression
18-04-2006 20:35
The French city of Strasbourg became a 'free party area' on Saturday 15 April, when around 3000 people gathered for the "European Alternatives Resistance" Sound-System Parade [Flyers]. The protest was called by Free 4 Euroalternatives, a loose coalition of sound systems, free party and festival organisers, squats and people from around Europe.
The parade was a show of defiance to the increasing levels of repression against non-commercial and autonomous forms of culture, and in particular to protest about last summer's brutal attack by Czech police against the Czechtek tekno festival. This event was widely considered as the 'breaking point', when police in riot gear steamed into dancing people with baton charges and tear gas attacks. As a result, two people died and over 50 were seriously injured. [See Czech Teknival attack feature]
The demonstration passed peacefully with people dancing to music played by several mobile sound systems, and it ended with different parties across Strasbourg. Some of the banners read "Nothing Stops People Who Dance", "Free Party! Free People!", "Respect Our Rights" and "Against Police Brutality". One of the organisers said: "We chose Strasbourg because the city accommodates several European institutions, in particular the European Court of the humans right, to which we intend to immediately address a letter after the demonstration".
Photos and Czech TV news report
Photo Galleries 1 | 2 | 3
Israeli Repression in Palestine Intensifies as the Borders are Re-drawn
15-04-2006 16:35
Since the election of the Kadima party, violence and incursions against the Palestinian population has intensified. A report prepared and published by the Palestinian National Information Centre on the Israeli violations in the period between 4 and 10 April, 2006, revealed that Israeli soldiers shelled Palestinian homes, killing 19, while 7 residents were extra-judicially assassinated.
The Israeli violations also include repeated invasions of Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, with checkpoint closures isolating the Palestinian territories from each other.
Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Global Indymedia feature
Audio: report on extra-judicial killing | interview with Dr Ghassan Hamdan of the PMRS | interview with a member of the Hebron Christian Peace Maker team who was attacked by settlers
Read also: article from Laila El-Haddad's blog
For continuous updates on the situation in Palestine, please visit International Middle East Media Centre | Palestine News Network | and also This week in Palestine, which is a weekly audio round-up of key events in Gaza and the West Bank.
Hunger Strike in Colnbrook Detention Centre
10-04-2006 08:11
Updates: 27th April: Some remain on hunger strike.
24th April: The hunger strike in Colnbrook seems to have ended [Timeline | Solidarity Page]. Meanwhile, around 20 Turkish Kurdish detainees in Harmondsworth began a hunger strike on 20 April.
17 April: About 25 detainees in Haslar have staged a peaceful protest in the courtyard early this afernoon and are still there, refusing to re-enter the building. There are also news that the hunger strike have spread to Tinsley House.
15 April: More than 120 detainees in Haslar detention centre, Protsmoth, have gone on hunger strike in protest againts arbitrary detention and in solidariety with the detainees in Colnbrook.
In protest at their inhumane treatment by security guards during the No Borders demonstration last Saturday (8th April, 2006), over 150 detainees in Colnbrook detention centre went on hunger strike. According to the latest updates, nearly 100 of them are still on indefinite hunger strike. A delegation from the Home Office is supposed to pay them a visit to hear their demands for release. [Strike update 17/04]
The hunger strikers have been subject to repression from Colnbrook’s management, with one detainee, deemed to be the "organiser" of the protest, having been locked in an isolation cell on Saturday night, then later removed to another detention centre.
Many of the people inside Colnbrook have been there for over 6 months, with some being detained for up to 3 years. There is no automatic bail review process for immigrants who are being detained. Last January, a detainee at Harmondsworth Detention Centre took his own life out of despair. Fellow detainees responded with a one-day hunger strike and a written statement about their conditions and treatment in detention.
On Thursday 13, a solidarity protest took place outside the Home Office building in central London [Report and Pics]. This had been urgently called by London No Borders and The Square Social Centre. On Satuday 15 No Borders fundraiser also took place in London. And on Thursday 20 Cardiff saw another solidarity demonstration called by the No Borders South Wales group.
Read: initial reports [1] [2] | press release | detainee tells of beatings in Colnbrook (video)
