| Geert Lovink on Wed, 25 Sep 96 10:34 METDST |
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STREET PARTY 96 The summer kicked off with the M41 job on 23rd July. 10, 000 people dancing on the motorway, chilling out on the central reservation, planting trees in the fast lane, and twenty foot skirted ladies grooving to the sound of happiness from the hard shoulder! It was great to see the Met and pals powerless yet again to put a stop to the spontaneous coincidence of people reclaiming their space. The post-party response was excellent - the answerphone/postbox was jammed with exuberant nice ones and whens the next party? for weeks after. A few criticisms were raised: about the litter and DIY toilet facilities created on the adjacent housing estate, and about there not being enough variety of music and activities. The litter question is a sore point. Some people did hand out binbags and collect litter at the end of the day but these bags were subsequently ripped open! The DIY toilet facilities were cleared up the following day and one of the reasons that was necessary, was due to the fact that the loos were among items confiscated by police on the way to the street party, along with the bouncy castles and other party pieces such as PAs for alternative (ie not rave/techno!) music! RAID On the morning of Friday 2nd August, the RTS office and one persons private home were raided by police who seized computers as well as various personal effects. At the moment it seems as though at least one person is to be charged with conspiracy to cause criminal damage to the M41. Don't worry about the computer - the database was PGP=92d so there's no chance of them having got hold of your details! Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), is a special means of encrypting any information on your computer that you don't want certain people to get hold of. For details of how you can use this yourselves, call the RTS office. *********************************************************** STOP THE CLAMPDOWN - RECLAIM THE FUTURE! A 3 Day Event including a massive parade, party and action against the CJA, JSA, Scotland Yard and life as we know it is happening at the end of September! Reclaim The Streets, Advance Party, Freedom Network and other grassroots groups are working in solidarity with the Liverpool Dockers who have been fighting for a year against 'casualisation', after Merseyside Docks and Harbour Company sacked 500 workers. Not only is that a bit crap but there's the environmental issue i.e. legit dockers are choosy about what cargo they handle - no toxics, no nuclear waste - while the scabs will handle anything for =A32 quid an hour! Anyway, we're fighting back and forging links with STOP THE CLAMPDOWN, RECLAIM THE FUTURE on 28, 29, 30 September in Liverpool so come up and play! The plan for the weekend is a massive march/party through Liverpool on Saturday 28th meeting at Myrtle Parade, Liverpool at 12 noon. The day after there will be relaxation, workshops, direct action training and entertainment and on Monday 30th there will be a mass action, meeting 10am at Seaforth Docks, Liverpool. For transport/accommodation details, ring us here at the office on 0171 281 4621 nearer the time. *********************************************************** AROUND THE STREETS IN 80 DAYS Birmingham Street Party happened on 17th August as well as another one the same day in Bath. The Brighton Street Party turned into a march after police stormed in and arrested about 90 party-goers on a random we-don't-like-your-face-and-what's-that-poem-you're-reading basis! Cambridge then held a very successful Street Party on 14th September, with over 1,000 people attending. October 19 Manchester RTS - meet 1pm Albert Square (ends 6pm)???? Party and info help line 0161 226 9904 In London, we got active in support of the Tube Workers. There was a special Critical Mass on 7th August followed by an occupation of the London Underground Headquarters where an opportunity was taken to have a chat with Chairman Peter Ford. as to his involvement in the exploitation of his tube workers. There were 11 arrests but no charges as yet. The FIT (Forward Intelligence - special branch) team were there - tru to form- to take snapshots. People have been getting active all over London with a West London, North London and South London Critical Mass adding to the Hackney and Central London Masses. On Friday 30th August there was a critical mass in Oxford, followed by, you guessed it, another Street Party. There was also a road block in West London on 25th July. Anti-JSA (Job Seekers Allowance) demos are kicking off nationwide - the changes in benefit rules that will come into operation on October 7th are going to affect a great number of people involved in campaigning. There are actions planned nationwide for the 7th. The second phase of work on the Newbury Bypass has begun. There were six days of protest at the Flim-Flam Festival 25th to 30th August and, as ever, they need support down there. For info ring Third Battle of Newbury 01635 550552/45544. The A30 camps down in Fairmile, Devon, also need support a.s.a.p. They know for certain that they are due to start building the road on 1st October and it is very likely that the evictions will be in late September. Their no is 01404 815729. ANARCHIST INFILTRATORS! The press have been having a blue fit recently about the infiltration of RTS by a 'lunatic anarchist fringe'. The summer's activities have successfully destroyed the myth of single issue politics. No issue exists in isolation from other issues, as they all have a common cause: the state and the fatcats. Whenever issues are brought together and similarities identified the media always insinuates some 'outside agitatators' as the cause behind any action that lies outside their rigidly defined stereotypes. MOTOR SHOW The Motor Show, this year 'celebrating' the centenary of the motor car, will be held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Birmingham Reclaim The Streets are currently planning an action for the first day of the show, Tuesday 15 October. Anyone who wants to be involved is invited to contact Birmingham RTS on 0121 449 5452. ACTION POSSIBLY CANCELLED CALL TO CHECK OR IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!! DOSH It's really BORING but we're BROKE! The Street Party swallowed a couple of grand and dosh is needed for Stop the Clampdown, Reclaim The Future! If you can spare a bit of cash or preferably wads of cash, can send us some stamps, or are a fund-raiser in the making, contact us at the office or send big cheques to Reclaim The Streets, PO Box 9656, London, N4 4JY. EARTH FIRST! If you want to subscribe to or contact Earth First! Action Update which is a monthly roundup of direct action in the U.K., ring 0171 561 9146 or send to PO Box 9656, London N4 4JY. Or you can be added to the list of email subscribers by sending your email address to them at: [email protected] or check out the EF! website on: http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/earthfirst.html RTS also have a Website that you should visit (just in case you haven't already) on: http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/rts.html EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA EGM Hanson are to be holding an EGM, (shareholders meeting) on September 25th at 10am: Four Seasons Hotel, Hamilton Place (nr Hyde Park / Marble Arch tube station) London.Show them how you feel ! Assemble 9.30am outside the hotel. Hanson are the people responsible for environmental nightmares such as Whatley Quarry in Somerset. TWYFORD DOWN A book about the Battle of Twyford Down and the M3.. Were you there? Accounts, photographs, personal archives etc. needed. Can you help? Special Meeting and exhibition will be held in Winchester as well as a full moon picnic on St. Katherines Hill. Sat. October 12th 1996. Phone Alan 01962 868763 at the end of September for details. Please pass the word around, thanks. Friends of Twyford Down. The Northern Earth First! regional gathering will be taking place 2nd-3rd of November. Please get in touch if you can help organise, give workshops, have any input /ideas or are simply interested in attending. Tents and food for two days will be needed. Contact: 0113 262 9365. The Hunger Gathering is happening in Rome 8-17th November. It runs parrallel to the World Food Summit. The food insecurity campaign is concerned with many issues including biodiversity, biotechnology, TNC=92s, farmers, indiginous peoples=92 rights etc. There will be workshops and actions. For more info. transport details contact ASEED Europe, PO Box 92066, 1090 AB Amsterdam, Netherlands or tel Manchester: 0161 225 4863 Ogoni / Shell Nearly one year after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other environmental and human rights activists in Nigeria, campaigners across the world are preparing for an anniversary week of events from 4-10 November. The Ogoni are calling for pickets of Shell garages and other solidarity actions against the company. The focus is on pressing for the release of nineteen more Ogonis who face the same charges after challenging Shell just like Saro-Wiwa. Suggested evevnts include candlelit vigils on Friday 8th November (everywhere) and big demos / actions on Saturday 9th November (everywhere), along with occupations, mock hangings, workshops, videos and literature readings. Grassroots activists in one country will be shutting down all Shell garages nationally, so at least picket your local! Details of your actions can be included in an A3 Broadsheet which will go out nationally and internationally. The next DELTA Newsletter (#2) will be sent out in mid-October and will include all the latest news and background on Ogoni, Shell and Nigeria. Over 1,000 copies will be sent to Ogoni and elsewhere in Nigeria, so to help morale, please send DELTA news of what you have been doing in solidarity since this April - before September 30th. Any actions you are planning for November should also be sent to DELTA for inclusion in the newsletter and broadshhet as soon as possible. Further details from DELTA, BOX Z, 13 Biddulph Street, Leicester, LE2 1BH, tel/fax 0116 255 3223. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Reclaim The Streets meets every Tuesday evening at 7pm at the Battlebridge Centre, Battlebridge Road (behind Kings Cross train station). The venue will be changing very soon, so give us a ring beforehand on 0171 281 4621. ---------------------------------------------- Reclaim the Streets Tel: 0171 281 4621 http://www.hrc.wmin.ac.uk/campaigns/rts.html P.O. Box 9656 London N4 4JY -- * distributed via nettime-l : no commercial use without permission * <nettime> is a closed moderated mailinglist for net criticism, * collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets * more info: [email protected] and "info nettime" in the msg body * URL: http://www.desk.nl/~nettime/ contact: [email protected]