In new twist, campaign is now found 'guilty by dissassociation'

Last weekend saw the mainstream media continue its barrage against the Shell to Sea Campaign by selling the line of nasty outside protesters corrupting innocent, misguided locals. With radical activists joining the local community for the long haul, the Rossport Solidarity Camp's long-term presence has reduced the impact of these smears, so an article targeting the camp is a welcome development for both Shell and its Government.

The prize for being first to publish the by now traditional fake infiltration story goes to the Mail on Sunday. While the muck-raking tactics are often the same, (they 'infiltrate' an open group) by sending along a young journalist pretending to be someone who cares, this case is interesting because the journalist they hired was one Warren Swords who had written articles critical of Shell and their activities in Nigeria.

Rossport Solidarity Camp website
Shell to Sea website
Shell to Sea on RTE’s failure to publish a poll bringing bad news for Shell

After waging a battle against Christian right-wing sect Faderhuset for several years, recent decisions in both the Copenhagen City Court and the National Court has ordered the current occupiers of infamous Danish social centre Ungdomshuset out on December 14th, 2006. This decision and the process through which it was made is hotly contested. This is obvious through both extensive coverage in mainstream Copenhagen social democratic newspapers like Politiken and in how opposition from the centre´s users more recently spilled over into street fighting when police attacked ( 1 ) a Reclaim the Streets demonstration.

Other links: Latest updates in English on Ungdomshuset site | You Tube video of solidarity action in Dublin | Youth Space Under Attack | A Short History of the Copenhagen Squatters Movement | A normally quiet Copenhagen scene becomes a whirlwind of activity | Danish Social Centre Under Threat | Early morning raids on Barca squats | Katsiaficas' History of the European Autonome Movement

Irish Efforts: Opening of Disco Disco | Closure of Disco Disco | Twelve Step Plan For Dublin Social Centre | Seomra Spraoi | The Leeson St Magpie Squat

Indymedia Ireland has come a long way since it first launched back in October/November 2001. We have been growing steadily in the number of stories, readers and contributors since then. We have covered many events and have been first with many stories that eventually broke through onto the national and even international scene. Every day, the website gets half a million hits. About 300,000 different people read the site each month. Lots of voices outside the corporate consensus are given a voice here and nowhere else.

As the site has grown, the Indymedia Ireland Internet Collective has grown too, suffering the usual growing pains of any organisation. In our case we have always tried to stick to our original objectives to be democratic, transparent and encourage participation and at the same time to try to adhere to the Global Indymedia Principles of Unity. Two years ago, we adopted a list of editorial guidelines to help us make objective editorial decisions. Now, we have agreed a number of structural changes, in order to make things run smoother and to make it easier for new people to get involved.

For this to work, and for us to keep on growing, we need your help.
It's that time of the year again when our bills are due, so we need donations to keep the website running. Our costs are very low; all we need is a couple of thousand euros a year to pay our hosting charges - all our members are volunteers and we put thousands of hours of unpaid labour into keeping things going. So, please, help us out by donating to our fundraising drive. Half of the money that we raise will be sent to Africa to assist in the set up of an Indymedia centre in Nairobi, Kenya, to coincide with the World Social Forum which will take place there in January 2007.
As well, make sure to check out the lists where people are working in the background on Indymedia - editing, making and planning independent media. Don't Hate the Media, Be the Media.

'He summed it up succintly with these vicious words:
It's your pay cheque or your planet, the loggers or the birds!'

Listening to the lyrics of great songs by revolutionary U.S. singer/songwriter and poet David Rovics help one understand the brutal conflicts bred by capitalist powerhouses against those concerned about environmental degradation throughout the world. On November 18th I happened to learn what these lyrics meant in a bit more depth when it came to Polish environmental campaigners 15 year struggle to save the Rospudy river valley. Rovic's words encapsulate in part the scene I recently witnessed in a small town of 30,000, close to the Belarussian border where the Baltic Highway promises to leave a concrete-laden, vehicle-polluting hell in it's wake, destroying the beautiful natural habitat in the nearby Augustow forest.

One eco-system, many colours
The following article will be a little bit light on analysis as a) it is the first time I have been to this area and to find out about the issues involved b) there will be others who can do more justice to the ins and outs of the current political context in Poland that is facilitating this infrastructural development c) my Polish is still at pre-intermediate level. Nevertheless, I hope it can help the international English speaking community to keep in mind and provide solidarity with those in Poland who are attempting to prevent another instance of humanity's blind habit of killing that which it proclaims to love – the environment, upon which our very existence depends. In the area we visited today, another micro eco-system may very well be facing an early headstone due to our obsession with cars and concrete, speed, capitalist convenience, and our inability to think about future generations' needs. An injury to one is an injury to all.

On the 24th of April 2001 Uachtaráin na hÉireann Mary McAleese officially opened the Crèche in The Coombe Woman’s Hospital with much applause ribbons and publicity. However on the 24th of October 2006 the children, their parents and the employees of this Crèche were informed it is now to close with much disappointment, upset and disruption, on New Years Eve.

We the parents have been advised the closure is to facilitate the Hospital’s Expansion Programme, which we note will not include any further childcare facilities on its publicly funded and owned campus. The unacceptable and untimely short notice period of two months We, the parents have been advised is a result of a failure of the crèche operators Tots & Co to fully inform us of the expiry of their operating lease and their communications with the Hospital Administration on the matter. We, the parents formally request your support to help us secure an additional 4 months notice period; We are not against the improvement or the development of the Coombe Women’s Hospital; We are not in dispute with the owners and operators of this Crèche Tots & Co; We are just endeavouring to secure safe and secure childcare for our children with as little disruption and tears as possible.