Jenny Jones statement on events in Tottenham

Green Mayoral candidate and member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Jenny Jones, has reacted to last night's riots in Tottenham by calling for swift action to restore vital youth services and a review of communications failures between the police and the community.Jenny Jones said:"We urgently need to examine all the factors that led to last night's events in Tottenham, a community suffering

Derek Wall discusses “The green left alternatives” in Belfast

Belfast Béal Feirste Tuesday 9 August, 1 p.m. Unite Political Summer School, 2011First Jim Brown Debate: “The green left alternatives”Speaker: Derek Wall (environmental activist). Chairperson: Ritchie Browne (Unite). ▶Unite (26 Antrim Road) Máirt 9 Lúnasa, 1 i.n. Scoil Samhraidh Pholaitiúil Unite, 2011Céad Díospóireacht Jim Brown: “The green left alternatives”Cainteoir: Derek Wall (gníomhaí

Left publisher should reject racist author

I am shocked that Zero books are apparently publishing a book by Gilad Atzmon, who is a pretty solid example of anti-semite, as I noted here.I often disagree with Harry's Place and I am sometimes known to have my disagreements with Socialist Unity but this seems a straightforward example of a racist being helped to promote his views.Atzmon claims that Jews were responsible for their persecution

Comment on riots and policing in Tottenham

Rangjan has left a new comment on your post "Nick Clegg 'I predict a riot' silent over Tottenha...": An alleged gangster was shot dead by police during an operation to arrest him. Police say they fired back, after the gangster shot at them. A witness claims to have seen the young man being shot while held down on the pavement. Either way the police operation, that went wrong which ever way you

Nick Clegg 'I predict a riot' silent over Tottenham

Nick Clegg predicted riots if Tories elected. His prediction has come true not because voters elected the Tories, perhaps they took note of his fears of major social unrest, but because he put them into power.More cuts, more unemployment, more misery.Well we could cut Trident and foreign wars and fund education and create jobs, but that would all be too radical for the powers that be.The police

Is Brighton Green Party attacking the unions?

This is about 3 weeks old, it has been sorted since then. [union] reps had a meeting with directors, HR, and Councillors a few weeks ago and raised our concerns about this news. One of the UNISON reps present had already got a letter telling him his facility time was being stopped. To be fair, the Greens were pretty outraged by this, (apparently they hadn't known about it) and Bill Randall (

Anonymous targets Monsanto

MAM ZAID SHAKIR on GREEN RAMADAN

IMAM ZAID SHAKIR on GREEN RAMADANA video of Imam Zaid Shakir promoting the idea of an environmentally friendly Green Ramadan. He gives some useful tips and shares his own experiences of how to make ramadan a little greener.Watch this video here: http://vimeo.com/24966455

How they stole the land in England!

Great history lesson do read and take note!The process of forcible expropriation of the people received in the 16th century a new and frightful impulse from the Reformation, and from the consequent colossal spoliation of the church property. The Catholic church was, at the time of the Reformation, feudal proprietor of a great part of the English land. The suppression of the monasteries, &c.,

Who is the real leader of the opposition?

Keith Taylor, Green MEP does good in Gaza

Keith Taylor, the new Green Party MEP who took over from Caroline Lucas when she became an MP, is currently touring the Middle East to see how the Green Party can input into the peace process. Excellent stuff, he seems to be playing a very positive role.It was a groggy crew that were checking out of the hotel just six hours later, and our tribulations were only just beginning. When we got to

Jenny Jones: Boris Johnson misled Londoners during active police investigation

Jenny Jones: Boris Johnson misled Londoners during active police investigation28 JULY 2011After this morning's meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Jenny Jones, Green member of the MPA said:"Kit Malthouse says he did not tell London's Mayor about a police briefing last September over new claims on phone hacking."However, the Mayor said that he and Malthouse were in continuous discussion.

Tim DeChristopher get the man out of jail and make him President instead

">http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/26-13Published on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 by CommonDreams.org I Do Not Want Mercy, I Want You To Join Meby Tim DeChristopher Tim DeChristopher, who was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison and a $10,000 fine for disrupting a Bureau of Land Management auction in 2008, had an opportunity to address the court and the judge immediately before

Odd Man Out (1947)

Just watching Odd Man Out (1947) Carol Reed about an IRA chief on the run in Belfast after a bank robbery gone wrong.Classic film, the Irish accents are a little sporadic however.James Mason is spot on, highly recommended film, not politics but art.Having said that the bit with the artist is a bit shite but otherwise watch and enjoy.Black and White so much better than colour (other than Godard)

Breivik's stole his manifesto from this man!

Wisewords from the Sandwich man, it all looks sub Francis Parker Yockey to me.Generally Counter Punch is a very good source but this is a little disturbing.Lind, who is mentioned below, butchers Western Marxism, I mean its a rubbish confused argument, I mean I know Marx and Engels spent most of their time discussing LGBT (alas not).....Cultural Marxism?My overall impression is that the bulk of

Daily Mail inspired mass killing?

">http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/news26-07-11.phpThe Rise of the Nutters: This is Norway to Go..?"The lunatic is all idee fixe, and whatever he comes across confirms his lunacy. You can tell him by the liberties he takes with common sense, by his flashes of inspiration, and by the fact that sooner or later he brings up the Templars." - Umberto ECO, Foucault's PendulumThe Norway attacks have

Indigenous rise against death squad democracy and FARC

yeah fuck you Rory Carroll! Sitting round the pool with the rich people I bet.For more on Rory read here, if you want some Latin American news that matters read on.The oldest and strongest grassroots indigenous organization in Colombia, TheRegional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC), has issued a call for a "Minga ofresistance" to restore autonomy and peace throughout Indigenous territories

Elinor Ostrom in London for ecology conference

Fran: Do you have a message for the general public?Elinor: We need to get people away from the notion that you have to have a fancy car and a huge house. Some of the homes that have been built in the last 10 years just appall me. Why do humans need huge homes? I was born poor and I didn’t know you bought clothes at anything but the Goodwill until I went to college. Some of our mentality about

Caroline Lucas 'What the Frack!'

Fracking is horrendous, Caroline Lucas is doing such a good job as our Green MP, great to see her put some of her scarce time into anti-frack.

Special Briefing on Human Rights and the Law in Colombia

6.30pm Wednesday 3rd AugustAt Hodge Jones and Allen LLP (solicitors)180 North Gower Street, London, NW1 2NB(near Euston Square, Euston and Warrant Street tube stations) Eduardo Carreño will give an in-depth briefing on: · The Justice and Peace Process · The ‘para-politica’ scandal · DAS case (interception of phone messages by the state intelligence agency, lists of targets

Green administration announces living wage for Brighton & Hove

Green Council Leader Bill Randall yesterday (21 July) announced radical plans to introduce a Living Wage to the city of Brighton & Hove.At a Full Council meeting, he confirmed that the council will be taking a number of steps to reduce inequality in the city through narrowing the gap between the highest and lowest paid workers.Cllr Randall commented: "Reducing inequality is a key plank of our

Caroline Lucas 'Don't blame the badgers'

Great to see this from Caroline.Brighton Pavilion MP, Caroline Lucas, who is an honorary vice president of the RSPCA and a longtime campaigner on animal protection issues, said:"The decision by Defra to give the go-ahead for a barbaric slaughter of badgers in our countryside shows a shocking disregard for animal welfare - and flies in the face of scientific evidence on the spread of bovine TB."

Do you know... what the trees say when the axe comes into the forest?

some stuff I am thinking about, comment welcome! Not finished yet, pure process!How do we fight the crab? “Formerly, when animals were people, a giant crab, called Ugkaju, commanded an army composed of ants and fish that killed the strongest warriors, than were the tigers, vixens and birds as the paujil and the pava of the mount. Ugkaju struck the water with its clamp forming floods that drowned

LIVE EXPORTS DEMONSTRATION

(Photo is of a Green Party speaker at a previous demo)Saturday 13th August major regional demonstration against live exports, organised by Thanet Against Live exports and Compassion in World Farming.Saturday 13th August, bring your friends and family and help to show the level of opposition to this inhumane trade. We will meet at Ellington Park, Ellington Road, RAMSGATE, CT11 9SX from 11.00am,

From crisis to commons

What apparently began as a financial crisis that turned into an economic one is soon to be called a “political crisis.” The abject destruction that capitalists have created with their “management” of the two great commons of labor and the planet’s eco-system will stop being considered a “tragedy of the common” (where no one in particular is responsible) and come to de-legitimate the capitalist

WHY LATIN AMERICA WORKS.

PUBLIC MEETING WHY LATIN AMERICA WORKSA roundtable discussion with:PROF ERNESTO LACLAU, Political theorist, Essex University and Universities around the world.JEREMY CORBYN MP, Longstanding parliamentary friend of progress in Latin America and the world.DR FRANCISCO DOMINGUEZ, Latin American Studies, Middlesex University. Secretary, Venezuela

here's Jonnieeeeeeeeee!

His tweets before pieing Murdoch JonnieMarbles Jonnie Marbles It is a far better thing that I do now than I have ever done before #splat4 hours ago Favorite Undo Retweet ReplyJonnieMarbles Jonnie Marbles It might be quicker if Baby Murdoch simply listed all of the things that he does know #hackgate5 hours ago JonnieMarbles Jonnie Marbles One gets the sense that they haven't really done the

Rupert Murdoch attack video: Media mogul hit in face with 'foam pie'

just thought Jonnie Marbles was a rubbish local comedian.Take it all back this was quite amusing.Murdoch if found guilty is unlikely to go to prison so nice to see him getting his just dessert!

Fortnum Mason arrests showed face of political police

109 activists, arrested following a non-violent UK Uncut demonstration on the 26th of March 2011, have had their charges dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.Over 150 activists were arrested on 26 March 2011. They were handcuffed and transported to police stations across London, where they were held in cells for up to 24 hours.Jenny Jones, Green member of the Metropolitan Police Authority and

'Rupert Murdoch, the controversial media mogul, has reportedly been found dead in his garden'

Rupert Murdoch, the controversial media mogul, has reportedly been found dead in his garden, police announce.Murdoch, aged 80, has said to have ingested a large quantity of palladium before stumbling into his famous topiary garden late last night, passing out in the early hours of the morning."We found the chemicals sitting beside a kitchen table, recently cooked," one officer states. "From what

Dead NOTW journalist Sean Hoare video on why he hacked phones.

Sean Hoare is dead.How convenient.£100,000 bribes to cops, thousands of phones hacked.

An arrow in the indigenous struggle!

First Green council undertakes energy revolution

Work is underway to radically boost energy from renewable sources produced in Brighton & Hove, the local authority led by a minority Green Party administration.In April, an independent scrutiny commission set up by the council called on the authority to help radically increase use of low-carbon power city-wide.Now a report, discussed at last week's Brighton and Hove cabinet meeting, has outlined

Young Greens host 'Just Do It'

As part of its nationwide release, 'Just Do It' is coming to Stratford, and following the film's screening, the London Young Greens will be hosting a question and answer session and discussion about the film and the relationship between politics and activism alongside members of UK Uncut and the film's production team. The film is showing at Stratford Picturehouse (Gerry Raffles Square, Salway

Tell Vedanta to stop attack on Dongria Kondh

Why: In August 2010 India's Dongria Kondh tribe won a historic victory when Vedanta's plans to mine in the Niyamgiri Hills were stopped by the government. But that success is currently under threat from a challenge in India's Supreme Court. We will be at the AGM to tell Vedanta - and its shareholders and investors - that resistance to the mine is still strong, and that it's time to stop trying to

Saving the Earth = Mother Rights!

Saving the Earth will take more than merely adjusting our actions—polluting less here, conserving more there, moving toward sustainability within the confines of today’s prevailing worldview.To really declare our commitment to protecting the rights of nature, we must change how we think about the world itself and our place within it. This means taking a fresh look at nature, learning from its

Gordon Brown rinses Murdoch.

Gordon Brown has gone up in my estimation quite astonishingly.The Murdoch Empire may fall but we slaves all need to give it a little push if we are to be free.Did you know that people are shoplifting the Sun such is the disgust at stealing Gordon Brown's sons medical records, the hacking of murder victim Milly Dowler's phone and that the protests are spreading to the USA and Australia.The end of

Anonymous targets RBS and Exxon

Anoymous have shifted from fighting Scientology to attacking the tar sands companies who threaten our collective future.Please spread the word! The war against the crab continuesAnonymous statement hereTarmeggedonFree-thinking citizens of the world:Anonymous' Operation Green Rights calls your attention to an urgent situation in North America perpetuated by the boundless greed of the usual

Our war against Ugkaju

“Formerly, when animals were people, a giant crab, called Ugkaju, commanded an army composed of ants and fish that killed the strongest warriors, than were the tigers, vixens and birds as the paujil and the pava of the mount.Ugkaju struck the water with its clamp forming floods that drowned the people. The warriors could not defeat it. Finally, the weakest animal met to plan an attack. They were

Debbie Fink news on returning Green Party activists from Israel

Just had this about the activists held in Israel from Debbie Fink, incidentally big shout out to all the Jewish Socialist Group comrades, etc from me!Dear all,I've been informed that all but three British activists will be deported tonight on the EasyJet flight EZY 2086, scheduled to land at Luton Airport at 23.55 tonight. The other three had refused to go. Pippa Bartolotti is among them, as I

Political statement of the Broad Front of People’s Resistance Frente Amplio de Resistencia Popular (FARP)

News from Honduras, workers, indigenous, farmers getting organised for socialism, democracy, ecology, human rights....Political statement of the Broad Front of People’s ResistanceFrente Amplio de Resistencia Popular (FARP) We want reconciliation but do not find any will; we demand freedom for political prisoners and an end to persecution. We want JUSTICE; we are going to sue the material and

FIFA must condemn Nigerian anti-lesbian witch-hunt

really pisses me off homophobia and general LGBT persecution, not good, just had this from Peter. Flashmob protest planned for Wednesday 13 July in Frankfurt London – 12 July 2011 The international gay rights pressure group – www.AllOut.org - has called on FIFA to publicly condemn homophobia in football, starting with a full investigation of the Nigerian Women’s Football Coach, Eucharia Uche, for

Some good news from Australia, 24 hour solar.

24-hour solar power: here and nowSaturday, July 9, 2011Spain's Gemasolar concentrated solar thermal power plant.It’s the best news on climate change for years, and you’ve probably not heard about it.Spain’s new Gemasolar power plant produced uninterrupted clean energy all day and all night for the first time on July 3. That’s 24 hours of zero emissions power, here and now.Gemasolar is a

Mark Northfield 'The Death of Copyright'

Mark is a member of my local Green Party!

Caroline Lucas speaks out on Green Party prisoners in Israel

Several British citizens, including Pippa Bartolotti, Deputy Leader of the Wales Green Party, have been detained in Israel this weekend while en route to Bethlehem for a human rights demonstration.The group was held at Ben Gurion airport and were then transferred to Givon Prison. It remains unclear under what legislation they are being held, and whether any charges have been brought.There are

Marxman 'Ship Ahoy'

Pure class!Enjoy!

A very short opera entitled 'Never Buy the Sun'

A bill of rights for irradiated citizens

Nuclear Power Irradiated CitizensBill of Rights1. All planned releases of radioactive gases or liquids, no matter what level of radioactivity, will be announced to surrounding communities prior to the release.2. All radioactive releases will be monitored in detail and the data from those releases including quantity of all radionuclides, wind direction and duration of releases will be published

Aidesep say 'don't kill our brothers and sisters!'

Autonomous indigenous brothers and sisters, mislabeled in isolation or notcontacted, and Initial Contact depend on their territory for subsistence andare highly vulnerable to rapprochement with outsiders because they do not have thebody defenses to fight disease easily transmitted outside thesame may be common and easily treated for the rest of thesociety.Aidesep the inter ethnic association of

Ed Miliband should take the train

A lot of my friends are off to the Durham Miners Gala, my heart goes with them, its one of the premier labour movement events.One person who wouldn't be there is Labour Party leader Ed Miliband.Scared of the Murdoch press and the Daily Mail he refused to go.Too scared to move an even an inch, he will be buried like the News of the World.Sad but true, in Britain the right are powerful and the

Salma Yaqoob resigns as councillor

Really sad to see this, I have known for some time that Salma has been ill. If I was a praying person I would pray for her.One of very few really impressive UK political figures.Caroline Lucas and Salma have been mutually supportive which is something that I have also been inspired by.Get well soon Salma we need you!This week I told party members, friends and supporters of my decision to resign

Labour Party and Green Party issue joint statement against EDL

oh and here's some classic Marxman, my music does not mean its endorsed by Lab or GreensCambridge Labour Party and the Green Party have issued a statement rejecting the views of the English Defence League.The two parties, whose members, who will be joining the counter march, protesting against the far-right group this Saturday (July 9), said: “As Cambridge councillors we do not welcome the

Bob Crow fight for Bombardier jobs

Who you going to call, Ed Miliband.........don't think he would have much muscle in a fight for jobs.UNIONS REPRESENTING the Bombardier workforce in Derby confirmed today that they will be mobilising a mass demonstration on Saturday 23rd July in the city in protest at plans to axe over 1400 jobs as a result of the Governments’ refusal to award the company the Thameslink carriage contract.Details

Ed Miliband admits he is Rupert Murdoch's bitch

Bring on the clones!Ed is on the way out but I no question that the New Labour leader will be loyal to Rupert Murdoch.The fact that Ed is boycotting the Durham Miners Gala says it all.This is worth a read,Ed Miliband’s reneging on a commitment to speak at the Durham Miners Gala looks like a timid attempt by the leadership to distance itself from the trade unions and the working class. Such an

Keith Taylor's Bees

Rather liked this from Green World, the Green Party Magazine about Keith Taylor, who took over from Caroline Lucas as our South East MEP after Caroline Lucas was elected to parliament.There’s a crisis in the world of bees...Between 1985 and 2005 the number of honeybees in the UK halved. Colonies disappearing is a real and significant threat, not only to honey production but also to the production

‘Where will the lower orders buy their Christmas presents?’

Your new book is called Chavs:The Demonization of the Working Class. Can you briefly explain where the term ‘chavs’ comes from, what it is supposed to represent, and who is using it?The word ‘chav’ comes from the Romani word ‘chavi’, which means ‘child’. When it first entered the Collins English Dictionary in 2005, it was defined as a ‘young working-class person who dresses in casual sports

Agent Orange being used to clear Amazon

Wonder if Rory Carroll is having a nice time sitting next to the pool, a well, lets get on to some news:Agent Orange is one of the most devastating weapons of modern warfare, a chemical which killed or injured an estimated 400,000 people during the Vietnam War -- and now it's being used against the Amazon rainforest. According to officials, ranchers in Brazil have begun spraying the highly toxic

Ray-gun killer statue shames London

A Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Briefing 4 July 2011According to Baroness Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, whose statue was unveiled outside the US Embassy in London today, was responsible for ‘winning the Cold War without firing a shot.’However, behind the cosy facade of the great statesman and communicator who ended the Cold War was a man whose ideologically-driven foreign policy, uncluttered

Guardian correspondent writes 'advertisement features' for human rights abuser

Alvaro Uribe's methods and allegiances have been criticised, but Colombians are simply happy that, under his regime, there is relative peace and security - at least for now. Rory Carroll joined him on a typical working day.Surely, for the sake of the Guardian's credibility, now is the time to relieve Carroll of his duties and let him to what he does best; composing 'advertisement features' for

Chomsky denounces 'extreme dishonesty of the Guardian'

Indigenous people get killed in Colombia day after day.This is hardly news worthy to Rory Carroll, the Chavez dictator meme has instead to be reinforced day after day.Chavez is worthy of criticism but don't forget the agenda behind this, Chavez is a target because he challenges US hegemony and attacks elites when they attack indigenous people, farmers, etc.From: "Noam Chomsky" Date: 3 July 2011

EARTH FIRST SUMMER GATHERING, EAST ANGLIA - 10-15 Aug

Got to love the bunnies, u pay you rent?At a rapid speed the earth is being torn up by human greed. Where therewere once wild untamed woodlands there are now mining machines. Wherethere was once clean water with fish running free, there are now damns andthe waste products of civilization. Where once non-human animals roamed invast numbers, there are now sprawling suburbs, motorways and

Elinor Ostrom 'an accidental life'

Here are my rough notes towards a biography of Professor Elinor Ostrom, only women to win a Nobel Prize for economics and if you ask me about the only economist to ask serious questions about the big stuff like propsperity, ecology, human freedom and collective choices.Rough, may have missed some references but enjoy, her really interesting life has helped shape her economics.ha and lovely

Protest causes facebook to reverse ban on indigenous rapper

Indigenous rapper Caper says a backlash from his fans caused Facebook to reverse their banning of the video to his song "How Would You Like To Be Me?" (lyrics below).The song, which addresses racism in Australia, has enjoyed extensive radio airplay, becoming one of the most requested songs on Magic FM.The 30-year-old musician, otherwise known as Colin Darcy from Whyalla in South Australia, said

Colombian indigenous organization protests five killings in Antioch

Must blog up my encounter with Emma Reynolds MP, the Labour Shadow Foreign Office Minister for Latin America, who I challenged at last weeks Westminster post election Peru meeting. I told her how disgusted I was with her remark about 'the increasingly authoritarian Chavez' when the previous Labour government had cuddled up to Peru and Colombia where there was state complicity with death squads

Coalition of Resistance conference, July 9th

RCoR national conference: 9 JulyUniversity of London Union 10am-5pmOur second National Conference will be the first opportunity since the pensions strike to take stock discuss the way forward. Plenary speakers will include PCS General secretary Mark Serwotka together with Zita Holbourne from the PCS executive [and BARAC] and NUT executive member Alex Kenny. All played important roles in ensuring

'dedicated to the common use of the pobladores'

I am enjoying reading Vincent Ostrom's Phd thesis, may not be your idea of fun, but Vince who was later to marry Elinor Ostrom, was already fascinated by commons in 1950.Here he looks at how the Spanish monarchy created common property, while I am a stern critic of the European invasion of North America and the destruction of indigenous and indigenous property rights, its still a fascinating

Green MSP Alison Johnstone says free the commons!

It’s also time to take another look at Scotland’s Common Good assets, most of which are the legacies of the old Burghs. They do not belong to local authorities - they belong to local people - and I’ll be pressing the Scottish Government to bring in a full register of these assets and clear and simple legislation to protect them for their original purpose. The same process could define how new

Remember when the nurses and teachers crashed the economy?

Remember when teachers, policemen, prison officers, ambulance staff, nurses, doctors and firemen crashed the stock market, wiped out banks, took billions in bonuses and paid no tax? No, me neither. Please copy and paste to your status/blog etc for 24 hours to show your support against the Government's latest attack on pensions and public sector workers.

Green Party Trade Union support for tomorrow's strikes!

GPTU calls on all its members and all Green Party members to suppot the strikers of UCU, ATL,NUT and PCS in the pensions strike tomorrow. We have posted a message from Sally Hunt of UCU on the GPTU blog which explains that, contrary to media myth, public sector pensions are hardly generous. These pensions are in any case a slight compensation for the low salaries of the public sector where many

Green Party Trade Union support for tomorrow's strikes!

GPTU calls on all its members and all Green Party members to suppot the strikers of UCU, ATL,NUT and PCS in the pensions strike tomorrow. We have posted a message from Sally Hunt of UCU on the GPTU blog which explains that, contrary to media myth, public sector pensions are hardly generous. These pensions are in any case a slight compensation for the low salaries of the public sector where many

J30, we are many, they are few!

Strike action over the Teachers’ Pension Scheme tomorrowAs you will know tomorrow on Thursday 30 June UCU members in FE and post-92 universities will be taking strike action alongside PCS, NUT, and ATL and there are picket lines, demonstrations and rallies taking place across the country.Members in post-92 universities, FE colleges and adult education are asked to support their pickets and

Councillor Alan Weeks joins Green Party.

There is a small but interesting green and left tradition in the Liberal Democrats, think of all the sterling work the Young Liberals did to fight apartheid in the 1970's.Indeed some of the people in the Green Party I work with like Victor Anderson come from this traditiona and of course, hate to say this but one of my real political heros is a lib, Eric Lubbock! (cos of his work for indigenous

PUBLIC MEETING : ECO-SOCIALISM - NOT DESTRUCTION

WITH DEREK WALL: GREEN LEFT, ENVIRONMENTALIST & SOCIALIST.TUESDAY 28TH JUNE7.30-9.30 p.m.FRIENDS MEETING PLACE, QUAKER HALL, 34 MILL ROAD, WESTWORTHING,BN11 5DRGlobal warming, climate change, populations starving and indigenous peoples under attack. The environment and the future of our planet is facing a crisis. Our economic system is in a state of collapse. Capitalism has failed

Trees for Human Rights/ Víctor Jara Festival

ECOMEMORIAMachynlleth, Wales13 - 14 August 2011As part of the Víctor Jara Festival Ecomemoria invites you to participate in the planting of 2 trees in memory of the victims of the Chilean military junta.======================================================================= OVERVIEW (This information is in the attachment.) The decades of the ‘70s and ‘80s were witness to the implementation of

Tragic deaths of Alf Filer and Frank Gallagher

I am just back from a lovely weekend in the North East spending time with Green Party friends and sad to find news in my in-box of the death of two people who I respected so much.One was Frank Gallagher from Donegal who did so much to oppose the Irish Green Party's descent into madness.Also Alf Filer, I have only met Alf more than once or twice but he had asked me to speak in Worthing on tuesday,

I am going to G..........

Gateshead, lol!for the mini green festival.see some of you tomorrowBill Quay FarmHainingwood TerraceGatesheadCreated by: South Tyneside and Sunderland Transition TownMore info South of Tyne Transition Town and Bill Quay Farm will be holding Gateshead's first community green fest on the 25th June 2011, from 11 o'clock to 4 o'clock. It is going to be family and learning focused with some folky

Adrian Ramsay says 'No Nukes!'

Greens say Britain should avoid dangerous nuclear distraction"Nuclear power creates a toxic legacy of waste and is bad value for money.Investing the same amount in energy efficiency and renewable energy wouldmake much more difference more quickly in reducing carbon emissions, makingour energy supply more secure and creating skilled, lasting jobs."Green Party deputy leader Adrian Ramsay responded

That Petrol Emotion Big Decision

That Petrol Emotion!Marxist pop I love, Scritti Polliti, Gang of Four, etc.

Alberto Pizango believes that President-elect finds Peru in a deplorable condition.

The Amazon leader Alberto Pizango, exiled for time to Nicaragua by the previous Garcia government (who murdered the indigenous at Bagua in the government campaign to open the Amazon), has argued that the incoming President Humala finds Peru in a desperate state. Indigenous are in poverty and have had their land stolen for inappropriate projects. An economy that respects the indigenous and

Do Monkeys Wonder?

Dunno!I wonder....Couldn't resist the photo, though.

Green Party argues MPs must act on cruelty

Greens call on MPs to listen to constituents' views on wild animal banThe Green Party has called on MPs to listen to the voices of theirconstituents this Thursday, when they have an opportunity to vote on a banon the use of wild animals in circuses and make the coalition act on thisissue. Nearly 3 out of 4 British citizens favour a ban. As MPs prepare to vote, ministers have tabled a

US government apologies to indigenous with $3.4bn award

Good news but comes after the systematic theft of resources by corporations and US governmentA US federal judge has approved a $3.4bn settlement over mismanaged Native American royalties, in a case that represents the largest settlement ever approved against the US government.Elouise Cobell of Browning, Montana, claimed in the 15-year-old suit that for more than a century, US officials

African Union says Libyan bombing must stop

On 15 June 2011, the United Nations Security Council and the African Union met to discuss the war in Libya. Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, gave the African Union’s stand on NATO’s bombing of Libya: Mr President, 1. Thank you for organising this interactive dialogue. It is good that the United Nations Security Council has met the African Union (AU)

Green Party must confront war culture.

love water melon harris blog, great blog from Australia, must must must re-post more of his stuff.If you are in the know Leichhardt is a word to conjure with!More deaths in Afghanistan - the Greens must confront Australia's war cultureThe Greens attempt to challenge Australia’s Afghan war policy in parliament last year has by and large sunk without trace. In spite of recent polls showing

Peru After the Elections: A Panel Discussion

Peru After the Elections: A Panel Discussion Wednesday 22nd June 20114pm - 6pm Committee Room 4a Palace of WestminsterSW1A 0AAFollowing a tightly-run contest, left-of-centre candidate Ollanta Humala narrowly defeated Keiko Fujimori on 5th June 2011 to become Peru’s next president. But what will the new administration look like and what will be the major political, economic and social challenges

Daisy Zapata Fasabi salutes the Aymara struggle for Mother Earth!

Aymara protesters have mobilised to stop a silver mine on the shores of Lake Titicaca in Southern Peru, three days ago, their leader Walter Aduviri was threatened with arrest by Alan Garcia's government after a TV interview.For a time Aduviri was trapped in the TV building but is now free, Garcia's police murdered hundreds of indigenous Amazonians at Bagua.The vice president of the federation of

Brian Haw - Rest in the peace you fought for every day

So sad that Brian Haw has died.He worked for peace and was a thorn in the side of the killer clowns in the House of Commons.Met him once or twice, a towering presence and a proud embarrassment to the killers, arms dealers, back bench MPs who did so much evil.He was persecuted everyday....him memorial will be more of us making a noise for peace.Saturday 18th June 2011 Dear friends and supporters,

'"Activism is my rent for living on the planet."

Alice Walker once said "Activism is my rent for living on the planet."I owe Alice a big thank you, when I was writing my anthology 'Green History', published in 1993, she let me use her piece 'Nobody was supposed to survive' about the MOVE organisation, radical ecologist murdered in Philadephia.You can find it fairly easily on the net and its always worth reading:'Nobody was supposed to survive.'

Palestinians call for flotilla support

More than 40 Palestinian civil society organisations released a statement on June 12 calling for international support for the Freedom Flotilla 2, which aims to break the siege of Gaza.The first freedom flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza was violently attacked in May, 2010. Israeli commandoes killed nine Turkish volunteers aboard the Mavi Marmara, the flotilla’s lead ship.Israeli troops

"They care more about trees than people"

Interesting article from Naomi about the population debate from last year, Amartya Sen's work on population and the 100 million missing womenis also essential.Charles Coven wrote recently in the Sunday Times of the green dividend to the child benefit cut. Put simply, less benefits will result in fewer children and therefore less consumption and while this is not the aim of the cuts it is

New victory for Amazon indigenous as Peru recognises their languages

Aidesep are amigos of amigos, the federation of indigenous Amazon people in Peru, they mobilise for their communities and Mother Earth especially seeking to conserve the Amazon.I have quickly translated this news of the new law in Peru to defend indigenous languages. Spread the word, salute Aidesep!AIDESEP, June 15, 2011. The Peruvian Congress has approved the Law for the preservation and use of

Green leader challenges homophobe visit to parliament

Green Party leader in Scotland, Patrick Harvie does an impressive job, just spotted this story.Brigham Young is a hardcore anti-LGBT university, what with Brian Souter's support for the SNP it makes one wonder whether an independent Scotland would be friendly to LGBT people.BY university states quite boldly: "Homosexual behavior or advocacy of homosexual behavior are inappropriate and violate the

Mass blockade of Hinkley nuclear power station announced

With Italy being the latest European country to reject nuclear power, a coalition of anti-nuclear groups in Britain has announced plans to hold a mass non-violent blockade of Hinkley Point nuclear power station on 3rd October. The plant, near Bridgwater in Somerset, is expected to be the site of the first new nuclear power station, if current plans go ahead.Hundreds of campaigners are expected to

Green politics and socialism

Chris Burton joined the Green Party because of its environmental policies but has increasingly been impressed by its socialist principles.Here he kicks off a debate.To my mind Caroline Lucas has got this right already, no ecology without social justice.Socialism must be 'eco', democratic and effecient (think commons/open source/Ostrom).Indeed Caroline has written about Elinor Ostrom

Sign the petition for arrested students

www.defendtherighttoprotest.org Defend the right to protest – Drop the charges – Full independent investigation into SOAS arrests now! On late Monday afternoon, a hundred students and staff from SOAS and the University of London assembled to protest against Universities Minister David Willetts’ visit to the college. In order to avoid a repetition of what happened to A.C. Grayling’s lecture at

Eider duck or how sustainability can still be cruel.

My surprise was slightly modified when I knew that this tranquil and solemn personage was only a hunter of the eider duck, the down of which is, after all, the greatest source of the Icelanders' wealth.In the early days of summer, the female of the eider, a pretty sort of duck, builds its nest amid the rocks of the fjords—the name given to all narrow gulfs in Scandinavian countries—with which

Caroline Lucas looks to decriminalising drugs

An urgent new evidence-based approach is needed to tackle the UK’s drug crisis and make our communities safer, Caroline Lucas MP will say today.The Green party leader will make a speech to NHS healthcare professionals in Brighton this evening. She will echo the findings of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which earlier this month called for a major review of drugs policy.The Brighton MP will

Italian voters say good bye to Berlusconi

Just got this from an Italian facebook friend.WE WON!!!! The referendum in Italy repealed the laws for the return of nuclear power, for privatization of water and immunity for prime minister. The age of Berlusconi is coming to an end. In a green way ;)...looks like Italy is heading in the Green direction.Love to see Blair in prison with Berlusconi, Tony used to borrow the old crooks holiday home.

Indigenous leaders threatened with death

Indigenous leaders, community members, rural workers and members of socialmovements are receiving death threats because of their opposition to the BeloMonte Dam Complex on the Xingu River in Pará, Brazil. The threats, which have been going on for some time now, are adding to anextremely tense situation which has only worsened [...]Continue Reading:http://intercontinentalcry.org/

EUROZONE IN CRISIS - Solidarity with the Resistance

just had this from Joseph Healy, gracias Joseph.EUROZONE IN CRISIS - Solidarity with the ResistanceWednesday 15 June 6:30pmUniversity of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1Speakers:Esther Romero, Democracia Real Ya – LondonSofia Hilari, Greek anticapitalist activistKate Hudson CNDAlex Kenny, NUTThe EU, the IMF, and the European Central Bank have created a Europe of bailouts for the rich and

#SpanishRevolution, and the Commons Here and Now

Its commons or catastrophe, I believe.Going to take part in this splendid event, hope some of my readers do too....spread the word24 June · 13:00 - 17:00Location SOAS - School of Oriental and African Studies London, Woburn Suite Large Room (B102)Thornhaugh Street, Russell SquareLondon, United Kingdom “In the beginning, nobody, not the traditional media, nor the big parties thought that it was a

Climate change' an excuse to pay bankers a bonus and steal forests?'?

The global solutions to climate change are pants, they use market mechanisms to commodify nature, and to line the pockets of bankers....even the survival of the planet is an excuse for the fattest people on the planet to put on more weight. Stupidity and greed are the statues that worshipped by the policy makers, we need real action on climate change and we need it now.REDDS as Bolivian

Indigenous welcome Humala victory but remain firm in their protest

video is a little out of date but if you don't hable Espanol, it will give an idea....sin embargo its best to get the news from the indigenous rather than mainstream media...Just translated this, the indigenous welcome Humala's victory but remain firm. The social movements in Peru are strong and strong in defence of their rights and the rights of Mother Earth, I salute them, spread the word,

Take action against Brian Souter knighthood

We the undersigned are deeply offended that Brian Souter has been awarded a Knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2011.Mr. Souter ran a campaign of fear and misinformation which was deeply hurtful to the LGBT community in Scotland.The Keep The Clause Campaign increased hatred towards an already victimised group and saw a corresponding increase in violence against LGBT people.We believe that

Oil is thicker than blood?

Lot of hot air about climate change but when the indigenous defend the Amazon and stop it being wrecked by gas and oil companies, how many environmentalist defend them from the death squads?Too busy worrying about climate change to defend the indigenous defending our collective future?Two years ago over a hundred indigenous people were massacred at Bagua. Defeating the hard right candidate in

Crash!

Another World is Probable: Opening of the People's Bookshop in Durham

Just had this from Benm gracias Ben!As many of you will know, since leaving the TUC at the end of February, I have been hatching a plan to open a second hand bookshop in Durham. The first stage came with the discovery of a beautiful little space tucked away in Saddlers Yard. Now, after a lot of hard work, the rest of the pieces of the jigsaw have finally been shoved into place and on Saturday the

Tahrir is in Yorkshire

DEMOCRACY CAMP YORKLibrary Square until at least SundayInspired by similar camps around Europe and in Trafalgar Square, the camp is turning the newly revamped Library Square into a place to debate the failures of our current political system, and cuts are high on the agenda. A statement explaining the camp (and an early draft) are on the website: http://democracycampyork.wordpress.comRegular news

Vote Tory, kill a cyclist?

Injury and death to cyclists seems to be the policy!JennyJones AM, Green Party candidate for London Mayor 2012, has responded afterConservative Assembly Members walked out on her motion calling for theretention of the 20mph speed limit on Blackfriars Bridge. The temporarylimit was put in place due to road works, but Jenny's motion would havesent a strong message to Mayor Boris Johnson that the

Sian Berry joins the mutiny!

Sian Berry former London Green Party Mayoral Candidate is going to be a star attraction at the Mutiny on 4th July.Love the mutiny, always a good night.“Work is the curse of the drinking classes”, joked Oscar Wilde. And today there are few lives which are not blighted by work. Hours seem to ever increase, wages have stagnated and fallen in real terms, bosses continue to be vindictive.Mutiny

Peruvians say Earth First! Profit Last!

well the slogan is "Mina no, agro si" but saw this on the Earth First! UK site while I was finding out more about the mining protests.24th May 2011For more than two weeks, thousands of people have blocked an international border in Peru — and almost no one in the English-speaking world seems to have noticed.The story has fallen through the cracks, but here's what's happening:A proposed mining

Vandana Shiva on the great India land grab

Land is life. It is the basis of livelihoods for peasants and indigenous people across the Third World and is also becoming the most vital asset in the global economy. As the resource demands of globalisation increase, land has emerged as a key source of conflict. In India, 65 per cent of people are dependent on land. At the same time a global economy, driven by speculative finance and limitless

Massimo De Angelis on commons

Massimo De Angelis: My interest in the commons is grounded in a desire for the conditions necessary to promote social justice, sustainability, and happy lives for all. As simple as that.MORE HERE

BNP MEPs fallout big time video here

Brons and Griffin clash on screen, BNP in meltdown

Caroline Lucas MP argues conservation limited if no real action on carbon

GOVERNMENT'S MIXED MESSAGES ON NATURAL ENVIRONMENT COULD HAMPER CONSERVATION EFFORTS, SAYS GREEN MPGreen MP Caroline Lucas today warned that the Coalition Government's inconsistency on policies to protect our natural world and encourage a greener, more sustainable economy could ultimately hamper conservation efforts.While she welcomed the Natural Environment White Paper published by the

Changes the rules, subvert the system, save the planet

The recent figures on CO2 emissions are sobering. Despite the fact that the world has suffered a terrible recession, emissions are still rising.In essence all the efforts to tackle climate change have simply slowed the rise a little rather than reversing it.The problem is that the solutions to climate change put forward at international conferences like Copenhagen and Cancun dare not deal with

Qorianka Kilcher free again to fight for the forests!

Just got this from Qorianka Kilcher LA SELVA NO SE VENDE!!!! Two years after the massacre in Bagua, I am again ordered to appear in Washington's court.....posted 12 hrs agoBAGUA-Flying to Washington DC tonight to go back to court..for what I do not regret I did at the White House last year. EditTwo years after the massacre in Bagua , Peru, I am again headed to airport to fly to Washington DC to

They celebrated world environment day June 5th by killing Amazon defenders

I hear a lot of environmental rhetoric, not enough action.On 5th June, 2008 the Peruvian government killed over a 100 indigenous people resisting the destruction of the Amazon.Serious green politics, focussed environmentalism or even what we might call enlightened self-interest, has solidarity with these people.Spread the word, the indigenous are on the web, take a regular look.Finally don't

'Keiko's politics are kind of "Jamie Oliver meets Pol Pot"

An on the ground report from the Green Party's Matt Wootton on today's Peru elections.Its between Humala who would probably not be my ideal choice in an ideal world but is the left candidate and the far right Keiko Fujimori whose dad is in prison and was a notorious human rights abuser when he was President in the 1990s.The markets are keen that Fujimori wins, she will be full steam ahead for

Stop killing for bananas.

Just got this from Councillor Samir Jeraj, he is a Norwich Green Party councillor and as you can see has a global focus working for a just and ecological economy.Thanks SamirThis is from Banana Link, an NGO I worked for (and where I'm doing some volunteering at the moment). This is the latest in a long string of killings and attacks of trade union leaders in the last couple of years. I also seem

'We wont let fear rule the streets'

Public Forum, Weds 8th June, 7pm, *New guest speaker MERLIN EMMANUEL - speaking out for JUSTICE FOR SMILEY CULTUREPlus:*Jody McIntyre* *Alfie Meadows* * Tony Benn**UK Uncut* *Bryan Simpson (arrested for occupying Millbank) **The Guillotine 3 (under suspicion for conspiracy to commit street theatre during the Royal Wedding) * *John Mcdonnell MP ** Sara Tomlinson –NUT striking on 30th June & Stop

Indigenous in the Amazon say vote for Humala, manana!

The Second round of the Presidential election in Peru takes places tomorrow.The far right candidate whose father is currently in prison for human rights abuse when he was President in the 1990s is likely to win, there has been a huge media blitz funded by those who want to open up the Amazon to gas and oil exploration.Aidesep the organisation of Peruvian indigenous people in the Amazon are

I have now doubt Keiko Fujimori will kill

When Peruvian presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori arrived at a plaza in the city of Cajamarca for a recent campaign speech, she was met by a barrage of eggs thrown by activists who opposed her candidacy and called her a “murderer and thief.”The activists were referring to the legacy of her father, Alberto Fujimori, who was Peru’s president from 1990-2000 and jailed in 2007 for a quarter century

Meet The Leftwing, Green, Catholic, Gay, Southern Italian Governer Who Brings Hope To The Italian Left

Stephen Wood asked me about the programme of the green left freedom party in Italy, must admit I haven't got there but this piece is very nice.Build a social infrastructure for left green and promote renewables seems a start to me!This is a profile of the impressive Nichi Vendola A former Communist enthusiast, now voted the best-liked Italian politician, this man is full of surprises. Since his

Green left humilates Berlusconi in Milan

The hyper rich steal and corrupt but as they are the hyper rich they pull strings and as they own the media they generally win.In Britain we had a recession caused by a banking crisis, guess what in 2011 the bankers are getting fat bonuses and the recession seems to being blamed on the disabled.So good news that Giuliano Pisapia the Ecology Left Freedom candidate beat Berlusconi on his home turf

THEY SHALL NOT PASS!!! Hagamos que NO Pase!!!

THEY SHALL NOT PASS!!! Hagamos que NO Pase!!! Picket Against Mining Fever in Colombia1pm Friday 3 June, outside Colombian Embassy, London3 Hans Crescent, London SW1X 0LNNearest Tube: Knightsbridge">http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk/events/26-upcoming-events/538-they-shall-not-pass-la-colosa-gold-mineDAYSCHOOL ON LA COLOSA GOLD MINE CAJAMARCASaturday, 4 June 10am – 5pmDraught Orders, 180 North

Keep out of Colombia's Seven Coloured Sea!

Oil Companies: Keep out of Colombia's Seven Coloured Sea!Dear friends,Please support local communities on an archipelago in Colombia's Seven Coloured Sea who who are trying to stop oil exploration and exploitation in a highly biodiverse UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.The Spanish oil company REPSOL and Colombia's state owned oil company Ecopetrol intend to jointly explore and exploit oil reserves inside

'There is a war going on in Chile'

There is a war going on in Chile, a war that has been raging for over 500 years. It seems like such a normal part of life now that the world doesn’t even notice it anymore. Like many other conflicts, it concerns territory and resources. Those waging it are depicting themselves as the ‘General Custers’ of this story, bravely facing the threat of being scalped, carving out a niche for the more

31 years of 'la resistencia pacífica del pueblo amazónico'

Today is day of celebration.Probably the most important day in the year for those of us concerned with fighting climate change.While environmental campaigns are under threat right across the world, while emissions and temperatures rise, there is at least one clear sign of hope.Lets not forget that the climate change global conferences have failed, carbon trading has made bankers fat without

“The Climate Crisis: Why is nothing Happening?"

ANNUAL SUPPORTERS MEETING SPECIAL SEMINAR (London) Organised by Operation NoahDate: Monday June 6th 2011Times: 4pm (supporters meeting) & 6pm (special seminar)Venue: Friends meeting house, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ “The Climate Crisis: Why is nothing Happening?"A Social, Political and Moral Perspective on Obstacles to Action” Seminar led by Lynn McDonaldUniversity Professor Emerita at the

COPINH reaffirms its conviction to fight

COPINH reaffirms its conviction to fight, alongside the nation, against impunity, and to do everything possible to ensure that there will be punishment for the authors and actors of the criminal coup, in addition to continuing with the historic struggle that we have been undertaking in our communities defending our natural resources, our sovereignty, our self-determination and the creation of a

Green MP smashes watch on exit from a polluted parliament

My favourite green politician and if the truth be told the one I am closest to politically and personally of course is Nandor.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nándor_TánczosIts later than you think says Nandor.If you don't know the video, enjoy. Reminded by this as its the great man's birthday today, 29th May.Nandor kindly wrote this for a book of mine, Jah Rastafari!, he is a man with a strong hold

What the Frac!

OK fracking isn't shale gas totally but could not resist, another bad days work from the coalition and a good response from the ever impressive Caroline Lucas MP.Responding to a report published by the Energy and Climate Change Committee yesterday on the development of shale gas in the UK (1), Green MP Caroline Lucas said:"Given the serious concerns outlined in this report, it is astonishing that

Dissolving Oil Tankers

Lets move beyond an extractive economy! Ostrom! Commons! Usufrucht! If these are just weird words take a look here for some detail of ecological economics.This is quite a nice tactic, take a look at the Dog Wood Project good stuff from BC.Makes me think of Bertold Brecht who said '“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.' Posters made with environmentally

DEREK WALL AT TRANSITION TOWN FESTIVAL 25TH JUNE

See some of you in Gateshead on 25th June, be great to be back in the North East, last time I was up was helping the Green Party candidate in the Sedgefield by-election a few years back.South of Tyne Transition Town’s are organising the South of Tyne Transition Green Fest at Bill Quay Farm,Hainingwood Terrace, Gateshead on Saturday 25th June (11am – 4pm).Although the event is being organised by

Fairford Air Tattoo Sponsored bike ride

Saturday July 16 2011Start Time: 09:00 AMJust had this For more details email me on wallddd@hotmail and I can get you more info, not my event but certain supportive!Thank you to everyone who has either offered support for the Sponsored Bike ride or has committed to coming. The numbers are really building up now and the whole initiative is starting to build a momentum of its own.I will try and

Moscow police break up Gay Pride protest

Just had this from Peter, who does a heroic job and was badly injured at a previous Moscow Pride event....we need to fight Russian state hatred of the LGBT community. At least 18 arrested at Kremlin and City Hall Moscow - 28 May 2011 "At least 18 gay rights protesters were arrested today, 28 May, as they tried to stage a banned Gay Pride parade," reports British human rights campaigner Peter

Culture, Conflict and Ecology: The Commons in History.

I have started writing my latest book, my ninth, which will look at commons in history.This will be an academic title rather than introductory or polemical like my last few books.Feedback and thoughts welcome....I do think commons provides the key to a sustainable and prosperous future.Let me know what you think, there is economics beyond the market and the state! Culture, Confilct and Ecology:

Attica State

What a waste of human powerWhat a waste of human livesShoot the prisoners in the towersForty-three poor widowed wivesAttica State, Attica State,we're all mates with Attica StateMedia blames it on the prisonersBut the prisoners did not kill"Rockefeller pulled the trigger"That is what the people feelAttica State, Attica State,we're all mates with Attica StateFree the prisoners, jail the judgesFree

the best way of uncovering lies without falling into paranoia

I think the best way of uncovering lies without falling into paranoia is to have some other way of looking at the big picture. As well as looking at the official lies, you have to see the truth on the ground. I thought of this while reading Greg Muttitt's excellent new book Fuel on the Fire, published this month. Greg has been drilling into the allied policy on Iraq's oil for years and he hit a

Gracias!

to the hundreds of you who have wished me happy birthday on facebook today, saludos!Keep on struggling to the victory, neither Washington or Moscow but Caracas, Bagua and Havana, companeros!

Green Party rises dramatically in poll

OK one poll doesn't make a summer but encouraging to see Green Party up.Caroline Lucas is having a very positive impact.The Green Party needs to consolidate and advance....be good to see improvement in things like the website and resources for local parties. Conservative 33 Labour 41 Liberal Democrats (Lib Dem) 11 Scottish/Welsh Nationalist 5 Green Party 5 UK Independence Party 2

DEREK WALL ON 'LA COMMUNE'

This is from tomorrow's Morning Star....I am not really a fan of Amazon but it does seem to be one place you can buy La Commune click here.It's time to be inspired again by Peter Watkins' film La CommuneThis month marks the crushing of the Paris Commune 140 years ago when, in 1871, the workers took control of the French capital and governed democratically for all.In doing so they demonstrated

Lowkey and Logic at Bolivar Hall, 16th June

16 June · 17:30 - 21:00 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location Bolivar Hall 54 Grafton Way, London W1T 5DL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Created by: Pablo Alborada, Carlos Martinez -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More info Latin America Rising,

Greens Rule Out Fusion

Just had this from my friends in NYC! Go US Greens!Greens Rule Out Fusion, Will Run Their Own CandidatesSelect Peace Sign as Ballot Symbol New York's Green Party state committee adopted rules over the weekend that affirmed the party will run its own candidates on its own Green Party line. Meeting in a Rensselaer church on Saturday, May 21, the Greens ruled out running fusion candidates who appear

Every tank of fuel leads to murder

Biofuel petrol runs red....Food versus Fuel. Threatened Communities in Colombia. Hosted by Pablo Del Monte for LAPE & Peter Deane from Food Not Fuel. Taking questions will be:Jane Calliste, Colombia Solidarity CampaignJosie Cohen, ActionAidDeepak Rughani, BiofuelwatchJosé Sagaz, Bolivia Solidarity Campaign Wednesday, 25 May, 5-7pm.Room S13, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, WC1H 0AL.

Blood soaked president gets a warm welcome in London!

Uribe paraco, el pueblo está berraco - picket against the presence of Alvaro Uribe at the Latin American Business Forum in London, May 21, 2011, organised by Colombia Solidarity Campaign, Latin American Workers Association - LAWAS UK - Hands Off Venezuela! - and many others

US right attack environmental historian

The historian William Cronon has been in the news recently in the US because of assaults on his civil liberties and academic freedom by the Wisconsin Republican Party. This story is likely to be of interest to Green Left Weekly readers because of the collision between university research and powerful corporate interests. However, Cronon's work as an environmental historian since the 1970s means

Fuel on the Fire

Just had this, looking forward to going tomorrow night...Hi Folks, Just a quick reminder about the exciting launch of Greg Muttit's gripping new book 'Fuel on the Fire' on Monday evening.7-9pm SOAS Khalili TheatreGreg Muttit will be in conversation with Madeleine Bunting, Associate Editor of the Guardian. The event will be interactive, with plenty of opportunities for discussions and a Q+A with

'Revolution' in Spain is a warning to the Left

The left in Latin America for all its weaknesses and contradictions has provided an alternative to neo-liberalism, in Europe the left have generally bailed out the bankers with the cash gained from closing down old peoples homes.The Irish experience has been, for example, devastating and has led to huge suffering and incidentally the virtual collapse of the Green Party.In Spain protest is rocking

Seven bullets for Tapan Dutta

Just had this from my dear friend from West Bengal, Debal Deb.This is green politics on most of the planet, defend a wetland and get bullet in the head.Vital ecosystems, for example, a wetland that stops disasterous flooding, are converted into cash.People are displaced.Commercial interest work with corrupt officials and those who stand for what is right are killed and tortured.The media takes

Derek Wall on the flaws in coalition climate policy

A battle has been won for climate change and it seems petty or fundamentalist to criticise it. However, criticism of climate policy remains necessary. While it is welcome that Chris Huhne has beaten his colleague Vince Cable and produced a policy for cutting emissions, it is debatable whether emissions will actually fall, and fall in a way that serves human beings and the environment rather than

Five cheers for Liz Campbell!

We seem to be gaining councillors every day at present, there is a revolt against neo-liberalism and left leaning political activists are joining the Green Party.We have a clear commitment to social justice and against cuts, we need to build on this and keep moving forward!Well done to Liz Campbell who is now the first Green Party district councillor in Milton Keynes.She said today:“The Green

LSE wrong to host killer

One might have thought that the London School of Economics at least would have learned the wisdom of caution after getting its fingers burnt for other dubious guests. And yet the LSE and the London Business School are both hosting the visit of Colombia's notorious rightwing former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez on Monday.Uribe was George Bush's favourite Latin American leader, seen as the model of

David Cameron soaked in blood welcomes dictator to Downing Street

Blood soaked dictators are so welcome in Downing Street if they use British kit to maim and kill their people!We should thank Peter Tatchell for letting us know about this and for all the other excellent work he does around human rights.Bahrain's dictator Prince feted by David CameronDowning Street's welcome insults the victims of Bahraini repressionLondon - 19 May 2011"It is a shocking

Greening the Green Party?

Taking part in Dave Bangs rally for forest access at Houghton Woods in Sussex and walking in the woods with him and other well informed naturalists, last saturday, it struck me that I ought to do more ecology. My knowledge of pollards and orchids is sadly limited!I have, however, despite having taught economics for pretty much all my working life, a background in environmental science (sort of).

The border agency insists!

Just ask Noah

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/05/17-14Climate Change: Neck Deep in the Big Muddyby Glenn Scherer The Mississippi River has risen to levels never seen in U.S. history – lapping levee tops and threatening cities and hamlets from Memphis to the Gulf. Floodwaters cover an area bigger than Connecticut, the result of a record 90 inches of precipitation in the Midwest.Some would point an

LSE hosts human rights abuser

URIBE VÉLEZWANTED FOR MURDERCRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY,CORRUPTION, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS SE BUSCA URIBE VÉLEZ CRIMINAL POR CRIMENES DE LESA HUMANIDAD, CORRUPCIÓN Y GRAVES VIOLACIONES DE DERECHOS HUMANOS Pickets / Plantones :4pm-7pm Saturday 21 May27 Sussex Place, Regent's Park, NW1Nearest tube: Baker Street5pm-8pm Monday 23 MayLSE Campus, Houghton Street, WC2Nearest tubes: Covent Garden, Holborn

Jenny Jones opposes Met resources for Madeleine McCann

My thoughts too, well done Jenny. Met Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson announced last week that his officers would undertake an evaluation of Madeleine McCann case, following a request by home secretary Theresa May. Madeleine McCann vanished during a family holiday on the Algarve in 2007.Jenny Jones, Green member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, and Green candidate for Mayor of London

Going Where the Grass is Greener - Why I'm Leaving Labour

Josiah Mortimerhttp://marchthefury.wordpress.comIt's been an tough decision to make, but I have decided to join the Green Party. For the past year I've been in the Labour party, and met some fantastic people - principled people, including many on the left. MPs such as Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have consistently acted upon their socialist beliefs, and been dedicated to fighting for social

My meeting with Rene Ramirez

Very impressed with Rene Ramirez, Minister of Planning and Development for Ecuador, spooky talking to an economics minister who speaks Ostrom, indigienity, Marx, very serious guy, real sign of an alternative to capitalist productivist economics winning battle in Ecuador....absolutely the real deal!We have to fight and win the battle here and everywhere against the work, consume, throwaway

Lib Dem councilllor defects to Greens

Cllr Howard Allen joins Green Party****Green Party now has 4 seats on Solihull Council* Shirley West Councillor, Howard Allen, has switched to the Green Party [1]having been a Liberal Democrat or Independent Liberal Democrat Councillor since 2003. Councillor Allen joins three other Green Party Councillors in Solihull to form a “gang of four”. Councillor Allen’s decision follows a string of

Sanctions now against King Al Khalifa's tyranny

just had this from Peter, thanks Peter!Halt crimes against humanity, protect civilians UN, EU, US & UK must withdraw support from Bahraini regimeLondon - 16 May 2011Speaking at a pro-democracy rally outside the Bahraini Embassy in London on 14 May 2011, organised by Justice for Bahrain, Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation, said: "We are here in

Maldives 'trashing' an island - Asia - Al Jazeera English

Maldives 'trashing' an island - Asia - Al Jazeera English

CLIMATE CAMP SOUTH COAST: OCCUPATION CONTINUING!

http://brightonclimateaction.org.uk/occupation-continuing/Following a number of meetings of the local community at the camp it hasbeen decided to continue the occupation of the site, at least until itbecomes clear what the situation is regarding the owner's (East SussexCounty Council) plans for the site. All the indications are that theywish to demolish the existing school buildings and sell the

Ecuador 'good living' lecture from planning minister at LSE, 18th May

Development of Good Living: The Social Transformation Agenda in EcuadorLSE public lectureDate: Wednesday 18 May 2011Time: 6.30-8pmVenue: Old Theatre, Old BuildingSpeaker: René RamírezChair: Dr Francisco PanizzaThis lecture provides an idea of the approach of the Ecuadorian Government to comply with its strategies of "Good Living", a concept developed in recent years that sees growth and economic

Breaking news Bright Green Scotland Editor arrested

Gary Dunion reports:Alasdair Thompson, of this parish, has been arrested by Lothian & Borders Police for displaying an anti-cuts banner during a peaceful Uncut occupation of a BHS store in Edinburgh’s Rose Street.Ali was the only demonstrator arrested. Police confirmed to Uncut activists that even before the action had begun, they had been ordered to make an arrest to “set an example”. A woman

Green leader promises cuts.

The economic climate is difficult and Central government is insisting we all take a hair cut to pay for the banking crisis.Essentially bankers bonuses are being funded by cuts in old people's centres and vital services.So I am pleased that the new Green Party Mayor of Oxford, Elise Benjamin, is cutting all the Mayor's stuff, councillors should take cuts and work in a greener way.In many councils

Video of Caroline Lucas at Gaza demonstration today

Caroline does such good work supporting Palestine!

Rally against Debt rallies not very many people

The eat the poor and shut down the schools brigade rallied all of 300 people today....a little less than the 100s of thousands who marched against cuts on March 26th.But hey 3 or 4 billionaires have more power and wealth than the rest of us in the UK.Small numbers may have been part of the message that Britain is run for billionaires by the millionaires in the Clegg and Cameron Cabinet

OPEN THE WOODS

Great to speak at a rally with Marion Shoard who has campaigned so impressively for public access to the countryside, here is here statement.....from todayOPEN UP ALL WOODLAND, SAYS AUTHORAll woodland in England, both public and private, should be opened for public access, Marion Shoard, the author of A Right to Roam, said today (Saturday, 14th May).‘A right of access to all woodland already

Caroline Lucas nominates Petra Kelly

Matthew Parris presents the biographical series in which his guests choose someone who has inspired their lives. Green MP Caroline Lucas nominates German Green politician Petra Kelly. Kelly was one of the first Green parliamentarians to be elected anywhere in the world. Intense, charismatic and beautiful, she became an international political superstar who rejected the idea of conventional

Logging companies assault Amazon, indigenous resist!

Peru: ORKIWAN Alleges That Logging Companies Want To Enter Indian Territory With Lies Translated from Spanish, Original Below The Organization Kichwaruna Wangurina of the High Napo - ORKIWAN, regional basis of ORPIO and AIDESEP, which brings together more than 30 communities of the Upper Napo, reported that the logging company Forestal Amazonas is touring the Upper Napo communities with the

Five logging camps, thirteen heavy machines set on fire!

The destruction of global ecology by an economy based on produce, consume, throwaway is not even on the agenda.A gun is pointing at our heads and we ask what colour wall paper is best.Trivia rules.Indigneous people are taking action, if environmental politics is about personal moralism or token action it is apolitical....don't load the gun with lead free bullets fight for an economy based on

Emergency demo 'Lib Dems stop trashing our future'

Emergency Demo - No backtracking on climate targets!8.00 AM, Monday 16th May.Lib Dem HQ, Cowley Street.They lied and they lied and they lied during the General Election.Now they are going to water down climate policy.Lets make it noisy and show what we think....demo moves on to Downing Steet after Lib Dem HQ.Resolute reminds me:Facebook event for the demo here if you want to invite friends,

Friends of Bradley Manning are my friends!

Just came across UK Friends of Bradley Manning, the US is a pretty brutal system and those who value liberty need to organise in support of Bradley, please link and tweet and spread the word.The following account is good description of their work.“During Lent I made a decision to do a weekly 2 hour vigil at the American Embassy in London for Bradley Manning. The main sign I took read FREE BRADLEY

Derek Wall at Keep Our Forests Public Protest, 14th Saturday

Worthing Keep Our Forests Public is staging a rally and walk from Whiteways car park on the A29 near Amberley and Arundel at 12 noon on Saturday May 14. Map reference TQ 001 107, 2.25 miles south west of Amberley railway station.Although the government backed away from its original controversial plans to raixe £250m by selling off forest land, the group is warning that the danger is not yet over

Capitalism is freedom

“Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate.” - Bertrand RussellFound this on a rather nice new politics blog here....take a look, amigoes!

GREEN PARTY GLA CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED

The Green Line up for the GLA is as follows:Be good to see Noel Lynch re-elected, I think given the wipeout of the Lib Dems, he could well win.We need to get involved and support, I know I will. Green Party list of London-wide Assembly candidates:1. Jenny Jones2. Darren Johnson3. Noel Lynch4. Natalie Bennett5. Shahrar Ali6. Farid Bakht7. Charlotte Dingle8. Sue Luxton9. Caroline Allen10. Romayne

Socialist Green Coalition will fight to win in Durban!

The Socialist Green Coalition (SGC) announced its Election Declaration tothe People on Friday 6th May 2011. Meeting on the steps of the Durban CityHall at 2:30pm the SGC introduced its electoral candidates to the crowdwhich included representatives from the Democratic Left Front (DLF), MuslimYouth Movement, African Muslim Youth Congress and Socialist Party of Azania(SOPA). Alan Murphy (SGC

Labour refuse to run Brighton with Green Party

Just been told that the Labour Party have refused to go into coalition with the Green Party who on 23 seats are five short of a majority.Local government is tough in the face of cuts but my suspicion is Labour simply wish the Greens to fail because the threat of an example that works or at least works a lot better than the still rather Blairite Labour Party would provide the threat of a good

THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS

Just got sent this by Mike, thanks Mike, of course there is one economist has got this all covered the wonderful Elinor Ostrom.....if you are serious about prosperity with ecology please look at her work!THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESSMike Chadwick, on behalf of the organising groups (Transition Town HighWycombe, Wycombe Friends of the Earth, and Wycombe Environment Centre)What makes us happy? Amidst

'You Can't Occupy a Smile | لا يمكنك تحتل ابتسامة'

I ran into Jody McIntyre on friday night as you do, I told him how much I had enjoyed the Equality Movement event I had been to a month or two ago....he told me that another one was coming up this Friday, I am running around quite a bit at the moment but I will try and make it, may be see you on friday.You Can't Occupy a Smile | لا يمكنك تحتل ابتسامةSolidarity with Palestine - From Nakba to

Caroline Lucas celebrates new election victory in Brighton

Indigenous M10 movement shut down highway

Indigenous people are the vanguard for life on earth, join them! Spread the word....pay your rent to mother earth.Green scams and carbon credits....or an economy based on respect for humanity and nature....just seen this!On May 6, 2011, the grassroots indigenous and environmental group known as The10th April Movement (El Movimiento 10 de Abril, or "M10") shut down a section ofthe Panamerican

Greens win big in Brighton

Just had this press release, amazing stuff....Lib Dems wiped off of the map in Brighton by Green Party and gains from Tories and Labour, shows the effect of Caroline Lucas becoming the first Green Party MP, 23 Green councillors making us the biggest group on the council (total councillors 54) however short of a majority."A huge vote of confidence in the Greens" Brighton and Hove Greens become

My result in Winkfield and Cranbourne ward

Winkfield & Cranbourne results Election Candidate Party Votes % Mary Ballin Conservative Party Candidate 1308 39% Elected Alan Kendall Conservative Party Candidate 1250 37% Elected Derek Wall Green Party 269 8% Not elected Carol Ann Draper The Labour Party Candidate 255 8% Not elected Anthony House The Labour Party Candidate 252 8% Not elected So pleasing to beat Labour and the Lib Dems (

Greens win Tesco battle ward in Bristol

Gus Hoyt has gained 42% for the Green Party defeating the Lib Dems and taking a seat in Ashley ward Bristol, where the conflict over the Stoke's Croft Tesco has occurred.I used to live on the Ashley Road in the early 1990s so am very pleased.

First results show Lib Dems smashed

Suggestion from BBC Scotland that Lib Dems are on 3% and 4% in constituency and regional vote in Scotland.In Liverpool Paul Cain who had 53% of vote concedes defeat.The Conservatives are wrecking Britain and enhancing Thatcher's revolution and the Libs put them in powerMy prediction is that Charles Kennedy will join Labour within days and Clegg will face a leadership challenge.Even if the initial

Amazon people say economist de Soto is a threat to their survival

In the past indigenous land was stolen with impunity and ideological support was given by economists who attacked indigenous people as backward.The indigenous today have a voice and they no longer take the slanders and lies. The well know economist de Soto, who is ignorant of Elinor Ostrom's work on commons, insists the Amazon be parcelled into private property. The indigenous were massacred at

Hands off Venezuela Conference

As advanced capitalist countries embark on austerity programs, cuttingspending on health care, education, increasing tuition fees etc.,Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution has massively increased spending inhealth care, created hundreds of thousands of free university places andstood up to the pressures of imperialism.As a result, it has earned the wrath of Washington and the local oligarchywho

Red under the Bed goes green!

Best way of kicking the neo-Liberals is to make sure that the Green Party beats them, this looks increasingly likely in Scotland.Noel Lynch kindly drew Red under the bed's post on why to vote Green in Scotland, to my attention:Why I’ll be voting GreenAs well as the referendum on our Westminster voting system, May 5th also sees elections to the Scottish Parliament. For those of you who don’t know,

Elizabeth May elected as Green Party Member of Parliament

Not much good news from Canada's election day.The right wing Tories are back in power.Although interesting that the left NDP are now the opposition.And like Caroline Lucas, the Green Party leader Elizabeth May has won a seat in Ottawa on first past the post.I think Liz is less radical than are own Caroline but good news.Green party leader Elizabeth May pulled off a remarkable upset to defeat

Bolivia’s Act of the Rights of Mother Earth (my translation)

Actually not my translation, I am still working on my Spanish, but Karen Hoffman's here, gracias Karen!I think its a fair criticism that Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador proclaim 'Mother Earth Rights' and 'Ecosocialismo' while relying on fossil fuel economies.However, at least they have good intentions, in countries like the UK its all about growth/waste/extractive economy, we for example wasted

Why the 'head-shaking stupidity' of the No campaign is winning me over to voting Yes to AV

According to the No campaignAV is costlyThe change to AV will cost up to an additional £250 million. Local councils would have to waste money on costly electronic vote counting machines and expensive voter education campaigns. With ordinary families facing tough times can we really afford to spend a quarter of a billion pounds of taxpayers' money bringing in a new voting system? Schools and

Resurrection for the Insurrection

Imagine another world. A world where people matter, where the outstanding issues of the day, climate change, community resilience and workers rights are addressed and we can look forward to a more radical and sustainable future. Visit http://brightonclimateaction.org.uk

May Day message from Green Party councillor

Councillor Philip Booth delivers a Green Party May Day message.He also has an excellent blog here

10 Reasons to vote Green

Excellent post from Adrian in Reading Green Party:1. Fight the cuts to services. The Green Party stands full-square in opposition to these cuts. Instead of a response to a crisis of capitalism, this is an agenda the Tories have long wanted; let the wealthy dodge taxes meanwhile cut services for the rest of us. We should cut instead things we don't need, Trident, subsidy for the arms trade and

No Redd + free Territories, Rights and Autonomy of Indigenous Peoples

(This is my rough translation)AIDESEP, April 28, 2011. Meeting in the city of Iquitos, eight regional organizations, including the federations of the Amazonian people gathered in AIDESEP and the solidarity of the CONACAMI, denounced the danger of catastrophe and destruction of the Amazon basin, expressed in the irregularity of the seasons, massive flooding, frequent droughts, disappearing rivers,

Met Undercover Snatch and Grab Squad at Soho Square - April 29

have a look at this vid. appears to be a number of plain clothes (possibly TSG, SO15, maybe even army...fat, steroidal... definitely not London Met) snatching an individual for singing - the rest are British transport police except one chap with a clipboard who is also TSG (U on the shoulder).

Indigenous fight for the Great Lakes Commons with water walk

(Water commons stuff at 3 mins in)Deterritorialization may mean to take the control and order away from a land or place (territory) that is already established. It is to undo what has been done. For example, when the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, the Spanish eliminated many symbols of Aztec beliefs and rituals. Reterritorialization usually follows, as in the example when the Spanish replaced the

5th May, ULU, Right to protest meeting with Alfie Meadows, Fortnum & Mason occupiers etc

EMERGENCY OPEN MEETING - STAND UP TO THESE ATTACKS ON OUR RIGHT TO PROTESTTime 05 May · 18:30 - 21:30Location University of London Union (ULU), Malet Street, WC1Created by: Right To Protest, Hannah Dee, Susan MatthewsShow all (7)More info Speakers to include:ALFIE MEADOWS-arrested protesterJOHN McDONNELL MPFORTNUM & MASONS OCCUPIER and defendantUK UNCUTNINA POWER Senior Lecturer and

Term 'Radical Media' copy write, protest on tuesday!

It has come to our attention that you are using the RADICAL MEDIA trademark to advertise a conference to be held in central London on 8th and 9th October 2011. This conference is not an event licensed by @radical and you will therefore appreciate that your use of the RADICAL MEDIA registered trademark constitutes an infringement and passing-off of @radical’s valuable intellectual property rights.

List of the fifty Facebook sites closed on Royal Wedding day

FB, etc, they do what they are told, whether in China or UK or Bahrain....one world with elites in control!Open BirkbeckUWE OccupationChesterfield StopthecutsCamberwell AntiCutsIVA WomensrevolutionTower Hamlets GreensNo CutsArtsAgainst CutsLondon Student AssemblyBeat’n StreetsRoscoe ‘Manchester’ OccupationBristol BookfairNewcastle OccupationSocialist UnityWhospeaks ForusOurland FreeLandBristol

Sign up for solidarity with censored Ecosocialist FB

The Ecosocialist United Facebook group has been taken down as part of purge of 50 groups on royal wedding day.Britain is like Bahrain!Please provide solidarity and sign up to the Ecosocialist list on the web!http://www.ecosocialistsunite.com/the-list.html

Mumia Abu-Jamal death sentence reversed.

MOVE people were not middle class. Many of them were high-school dropouts. Many of them were mothers without husbands. Or young men who refused any inducement to 'fit in'. Yet they had the nerve to critique the system. To reject it and to set up, in place of its rules, guidelines for living that reflected their own beliefs.The people of MOVE are proof that poor people, not just upper- and

DEREK WALL AT LONDON SOCIALIST FILM COOP, 8TH MAY

Great to be back at the London Socialist Film Coop, catch me next sunday, companeros!TIME TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE Alexandra Posada and Andre Camargo global release 2009 [E], DVD, 21 mins Made for Sustain Labour and the International Trade Union Confederation, the video was first launched at the COP 15 Climate Change Convention in Copenhagen and showcases trade unions’ concrete experiences,

NOT THE ROYAL WEDDING - TODAY!

going to stay in and practice my Spanish, did think of going to this but hey its a trek into to the city but if you are going enjoy and stay safe.Hello everyoneThe timetable is as follows:1-7pm (or until it rains!): ANTI-MONARCHY STREET PARTY with punch, cake, music and even some performances! Underneath the 'Christ Life' sign 7-10pm: ROYAL WEDDING? WOT A JOKE! Stand up comics, spoken word and

Royal Wedding arrests continue as Chris Knight taken in

Chris Knight was arrested yesterday in case he took part in street theatre during the Royal Wedding.Says it all about Britain today.Let me make it clear. This is a day of celebration, joy and pageantry for Great Britain. Any criminals attempting to disrupt it - be that in the guise of protest or otherwise - will be met by a robust, decisive, flexible and proportionate policing response. Part of

Repression rises as cops shut down community film in Bristol

One said " I always thought the police were to protect us, when they showed up in riot vans and clothes, then blocked all 3 exits to the park; I got to feel like a criminal. I just brought my son to watch a movie and involve him in community discussion"Comment on St Werburghs film showing....yes we do live in a police state, look at all the secret police infiltrating activist groups and political

Police shut down dissident film in Bristol

Hey not as many secret police as Libya but quite a few.Protest the Royal Wedding and you get clapped in irons.Alfie Meadows injured by the police charged with assault.Lots of lovely dictators at the wedding.In Bristol show a dissident film and get rounded up....got keep tescopoly in power!Incidentally lived in St Werburghs and fought Tescopoly in Bristol.There seems to be a confrontation building

Windsor and Slough Against the Cuts March –, 7th May

Are you worried about cuts to the fire service?Is your job under threat because of the cuts?Are you angry that bank bailouts are being paid for by the destruction of local services?Join the march against cuts.Saturday, 7th May.Slough to Windsor.Meet Salt Hill Park, 11AMMORE DETAILS HERE

Interesting article on Salafism in Gaza

Interesting article on Salafism in Gaza.The Saudi oil state armed to the teeth by the US and UK, addicted to oil and the most regressive type of Islam is the source.Anyway on to article:Traditional Salafism arrived in Gaza in the 1970s when Palestinian students returned from religious schools in Saudi Arabia. To this day Salafi groups in Gaza receive support from Saudi sources. According to

Green Party video argues Education is not for sale

Earth First! and the anti-roads movement

Book of my phd (that's put you off) from 1999, its not cheap so if you are interested try and may be get a library copy.Earth First! UK dropped the deep ecology, fought the road menace and morphed into Reclaim the Streets, anti-globalization movement and ultimately Climate Camp...Review here, review was from Amazon but if you do buy books go for Housemans or Bookmarks or Word Power or News from

Green Party member risks 10 years in jail for spoof website

Climate activist Kevin Lister has been threatened with a possible 10 years in prison for a spoof website that said that an air tatoo had been cancelled.Wreck the environment and you get a medal, protect it and you are an enemy.I still very bitter how the indigenous people at Bagua were killed with impunity so that corporations could cut into the Peruvian Amazon for oil....no protest of course by

Amazon indigenous call GM crop plan an assault on Mother Earth

Its later than you think, there is a very serious crisis on our planet and most environmental action is proving tokenistic and irrelevent.However indigenous people are fighting for ecology, while we must reject romantic bullshit, indigenous can get things badly wrong as well, because indigenous people depend on local environments they have generally found ways of managing them ecologically.Green

'My mother was a suffragette' says oldest Green Party election candidate

Long time campaigner and Green party member, Edith East, is proud to be standing for Medway council in next months full local election in her home ward of Walderslade. She has been an activist most of her adult life and this year volunteered to be the Green candidate in her ward. Edith reaches a respectable 90 years old in October this year but feels that age should not be a barrier in politics,

Lowkey 'Where does hip hop live?'

Greens fight in 1,600 seats on anti-cuts platform.

The Green Party of England and Wales is running 1,600 candidates in the local elections. This is a fantastic achievement for a party with 12,000 members. I am standing in Winkfield and Cranbourne ward and like many Greens I face just Conservative and Labour candidates, many Liberal Democrats have with drawn and the BNP is only running in a third of the seats it contested in 2010.There will be a

Royal Wedding Dictators invite list

"William Hague approved royal dictators?" asks Peter Tatchell Palace said it acted with FCO agreement "Exceedingly poor judgement, an insult to the victims of royal repression" Invitations should be withdrawn - Tyrants not welcome London - 25 April 2011 "St James's Palaceclaims the Queen invited eight royal dictators to the royal wedding with the agreement of the Foreign Office. This approval was

Torturers are us!

We know how it works, the secret services and police find vulnerable people and lean on them. Ends are said to justify means.You might know somebody is innocent but pressure can be put on them to use as an assett.Wikileaks for backing up what is known with solid documentation is enemy number one for the US. A number of British nationals and residents were held for years even though US

Bolivia Celebrates Law Granting Rights to Mother Earth

Bolivia Celebrates Law Granting Rights to Mother EarthLA PAZ, Bolivia, April 20, 2011 (ENS) - Bolivia today marked the International Day of Mother Earth with a ceremony in the Plaza Murillo, the center of political power. An ancient ritual shared center stage with speeches in which authorities in this Andean nation extolled the Law of Mother Earth - the world's first legislation that grants to

Joe Glenton 'Vote Green on May 5th’

Lucky to count Joe Glenton as a personal friend.He told me a few weeks back about his time in prison for refusing to fight a second tour of duty in Afghanistan, he said in military prison he had a lot of support and understanding for other soldiers.And he returned his medal as a protest against the war.Really proud to know ex-military comrades like my amigo Shane who is a Kansas based radical and

Oppose racist 'March for England' 11am, Brighton station, today

If you want to celebrate St George's Day then go and have a picnic on the Downs somewhere. Despite what you may think no group of 'Muslamics' is going to descend on you to stop you celebrating..DON'T march through our town, we don't want it and despite what you say you are only doing it to be confrontational. You're all about as 'patriotically English' as Adolf Hitler. You want to raise money?

Nine Queens

Just rewatched 'Nine Queens' excellent Argentinean film about two con men. A cast of interesting characters, lots of twists.Gets you thinking too of the spectral nature of money and the way banks are rather more dangerous to most people than bank robbers.Ok its got a narrative but shows you can have films beyond Planet Hollywood.Watch and enjoy. As this review from Novel Adventures (a pretty

Derek Wall 'In a desert of eco bullshit, climate camp is an oasis of real action.'

Climate Camp has set up in a closed down school in Lewes.Location:St. Anne’s School (disused)Rotten RowLewesEast SussexBN7 1LJIts happening now and you should get down there asap because they need numbers to hold it and make it happen.In a desert of eco bullshit, climate camp is an oasis of real action.please if you love your planet get down to Lewes, easy by train from London.MORE DETAILS HERE

Anti-Tesco riot video

Analysis from Laurie Penny here

Mark Bergfeld wins NUS post

Sadly my good friend Mark only came third for NUS President but I have just heard from him that he was elected as a part time member of the NUS executive.A victory for the (green) left.Mark is not of course a member of the Green Party but he has researched climate justice for his masters and is a good socialist with a strong concern for ecological issues.Good news!

GREEN MEP SAYS LYDD AIRPORT IS ‘DEEPLY WORRYING THREAT’ TO RARE DUNGENESS WILDLIFE

Date: Tuesday 26 April 2011Time: 11.30 a.m.Place: RSPB Dungeness Visitor Centre GREEN MEP SAYS LYDD AIRPORT IS ‘DEEPLY WORRYING THREAT’ TO RARE DUNGENESS WILDLIFEOn Tuesday Keith Taylor will be visiting Kent to sign the Natura 2000 pledge at the RSPB’s Dungeness Nature Reserve. The reserve is part of the European-wide Natura 2000 network.Keith is supporting the campaign against the proposed

Green Party condemns new sale of Britain's forests

_40,000 hectares stillto be sold, with no guarantee on the rest_ Defra recently announced thatthe plan to sell off 15% of England's public forest - started under thelast government, and which was never subject to consultation but merelypostponed (1) - is to go ahead within the span of the spending review (2).This means that 40,000 hectares will be sold within the next four years,with no genuine

Bill Hicks 'We let the little demons run amok'

Bill Hicks love the man.Very sad he died so young.Excellent attack on advertising.In the USA more cash is spent on advertising than education.Then he gets on to fundamentalism, sex, forgiveness, war....love the man.....Great Bill Hicks movie here, watch and learn.

Derek Wall: “Green politics is the most important thing and one of the most difficult."

Derrida said that the meaning of a word was always deferred. He meant that words have meaning only in contrast to other words. Black makes no sense without white and so on. The search for the meaning of a word goes on forever.Sometimes it seems that green politics is always deferred. Just when you think you have reached an example of green politics, you see a flaw and look for another example and

Like Rudi never died

Mark Bergfeld, who came 3rd in this year's UK National Union of Students' presidency election. "For a fighting NUS!"Filmed April 13th at the 2011 NUS National Conference, in Gateshead, Newcastle. His final speech before voting opened.NUS is sewn up by career politicians, the lowest of the low.No nice jobs on a dead planet, stooges!However Mark Bergfeld raised the flag of rebellion!Good for him!

Malcolm X no sell out!

'They take one little word out of what you sayIgnore all the restAnd then begin to magnify it all over the worldTo make you look like what you actually aren't.'This is a bit 1980s poptastic but still fabulous.Like Malcolm X, I mean he was fablulous not poptastic....He evolved amazingly politically from Nation of Islam to an appreciation of Islam and to socialist politics that went beyond

A tribute to Vittorio Arrigoni (1975-2011)

As some one said 'there are some fucked up salifists in Gaza' and constant pressure from the IDF.Sad and terrible.Hat tip to teifidancer here

Derek Wall at Keep Our Forests public rally

Saturday May 14 Keep Our Forests Public. Rally/walk at Whiteways car park on A29 north of Arundel at 12 noon. Featuring speakers Marion Shoard (writer), Tony Whitbread (director Sussex Wildlife Trust) and Derek Wall (forner principal speaker of Green Party). Worthing meet-up for lift-sharing at Beechwood Hall, Wykeham Road, Worthing, 11am. Hotel open for coffee/breakfast from 8am but book ahead

Murdoch media attacks the Green Party

While Palestinian, Israeli and international non-violent protesters who march against Israel’s policies in the Occupied Territories are literally showered in sewage, beaten, arbitrarily arrested and sometimes killed by Israeli forces, the battle against non-violent resistance has taken its own ugly form in Australia.Supporters of the non-violent global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS)

THE GREAT BP-SPONSORED SLEEP-IN

Sunday 17 April 2011, 2PM at Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG To mark the one year anniversary of the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, join us for ‘The great BP-sponsored sleep-in’, a 4-minute flashmob art installation inside Tate Modern. Imagine the turbine hall of this former power station filled with BP-branded sleeping figures, who will soon wake from their BP-sponsored coma to sound the

A Cockermouth man believes he is the oldest candidate standing in this year’s local elections.

Michael Baron, 82, of South Street, is representing the Green Party in the town’s Christ Church ward.Mr Baron, who has been a member of the Allerdale and Copeland Green party for five years, wants to raise the profile of green and environmental issues.He said: “We will be looking to promote pro-green issues because we have to look at things like climate change. We have to change our lifestyle.“We

Green Party broadcast says no to the cuts!

Great anti-cuts broadcast.

'as surely as Charlie Sheen generates gossip?'

In Praise of Marx By Terry Eagleton Praising Karl Marx might seem as perverse as putting in a good word for the Boston Strangler. Were not Marx's ideas responsible for despotism, mass murder, labor camps, economic catastrophe, and the loss of liberty for millions of men and women? Was not one of his devoted disciples a paranoid Georgian peasant by the name of Stalin, and another a brutal Chinese

AV, Hilary says yes, Kevin says no

Do you think that AV will exclude creative minorities even more effectively than the first past the post system?At least, tactically, a genuine proportional representation system might allow more space for voices from beyond the mainstream. But the proposed Alternative Vote (AV) system isn’t proportionate. Instant run-off voting is designed to make the current ‘first-past-the-post’ system seem

The Green Party is marching steadily towards being a credible party

Some on the whole wise words from Green Party member Brian Orr, hey I am less pessimistic and I don't agree with him on population and I think we still have our roots (I know I do) but worth reading comments welcome!The Green Party is marching steadily towards being a credible party with a prospect of slowly becominga genuine factor in British politics (with AV being of zero consequence here for

EUROPEAN CONFERENCE AGAINST CUTS 1ST OCTOBER, 2011

The Coalition of Resistance is organising a European conference against Austerity, Cuts and Privatisation, and in defence of the Welfare State on Saturday 1st October in London.In Britain, the appeal for the conference is supported by Tony Benn, Len McCluskey (Unite General Secretary), Bob Crow (RMT General Secretary), John McDonnell MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Caoline Lucas MP, Jeremy Dear, NUJ

Evangelicals support Gay Christian pilgrimage

This encourages me!Jeremy Marks, director of Courage UK, an evangelical group supportive of gay, lesbian and bisexual people, said: ‘Symon Hill’s pilgrimage of repentance is one of those projects that truly warms and encourages the heart of any gay person, because it recognises deeply held views yet illustrates the process of repentance in a very real and inspiring way. Let us pray that Symon’s

The Unfair Fare Dodge! A railway adventure

16 April, 12 noonDressed as The Railway Children (as much tweed as you can manage!) we willhold a rally at Monument station before taking red flannel petticoats andflags to the railway platform. From there you’re invited to join theUnfair Fare Dodge as we pay a reasonable fare for a 30 mile journey (we’llpay the amount you would pay for the equivalent journey in Europe). Ourgovernment plans to

RCN Nurses say up yours Lansley!

Well that was the sentiment if not the exact word used in the RCN motion.The Lib Dems and Cons want to destroy the NHS, although lets be honest Labour were having a good go at making it into a market too.NHS is life and death for us in the UK, great the nurses are up for a fight.The RCN conference passed the no confidence motion in the health minister with a huge majority.Going to be interesting

Green Party calls on RCN to revolt to save the NHS

Stuart Jeffery, the Green Party's health spokesperson has called on nurses to unite against the draft Health and Social Care Bill.Stuart, himself a registered nurse, has written to the Royal College of Nursing's president, Andrea Spyropoulos, and its general secretary, Peter Carter, calling for the RCN to come out fighting against the devatating changes to the NHS being driven through by the

Mirrar block uranium mining in solidarity with Japanese

The Mirrar People have renewed their opposition to the multibillion-dollarJabiluka uranium deposit in Australia's Northern territory, declaring theirwish, in solidarity with the people of Japan, to include the deposit as part ofthe UNESCO world heritage-listed Kakadu National Park.In a recent letter to UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon (PDF), Mirrar ElderYvonne Margarula lamented [...]Continue

Chris Bambery sets up new socialist party in Scotland!

I think I am more sympathetic to the SWP but lets see, these left group do multiple don't they.glad to b green, less multiple splits.....Dear CC and Party Members,We, the undersigned, are writing to inform you of our resignation from the Socialist Workers Party. This is not a decision that we have taken lightly: for all of us, it is an immense emotional and political strain to abandon an

Liberal Democrat MEP expects angry voters to pick up guns and shoot Nick Clegg

It’s incredible to learn that some Liberal Democrat council candidates are reluctant to promote the achievements of the party in Government. “Keep it local,” they argue. “Don’t mention the Coalition or the cuts.”Jo Grimond, the former Liberal Party leader, said in 1963 that he would march his troops to the sound of gunfire. If he’d have looked behind when this lot were in his battalion he’d

HUGO BLANCO PERU ELECTION 'VOTE COCACHACRA"

This is a very rough translation of a statement from Hugo Blanco, the indigenous ecosocialist leader from Peru, sunday saw the first round of the Presidential election with Humula the most left of the candidates winning the first round.Hugo argues that all the candidates are constrained within an extractive capitalist model, those most oppose to this model and wanting justice have voted for

teifidancer

I can't really do design, although thanks to P for making this blog look passable, so I do love a good looking blog.Take a look at teifidancer which is beautiful and pushes thing a little I feel.Always had a soft spot for snails since I used to look at dead neolithic ones when I was an archaeologistResist the ordercelebrate diversityshake rattle and rolland all that jazz.Tremblethrough the

SWP CC on Chris Bambery’s resignation

Chris Bambery’s resignationChris Bambery has resigned from the Central Committee (CC) and the SWP. This is very disappointing, but we strongly reject the analysis Chris has put forward in his resignation letter.The CC has for some time had worries about aspects of Chris’s work. As Chris’s letter states, the CC asked him to step aside from responsibility for our work in Scotland, and after the

Independent Commission on Banking report means more debt and cuts

Mervyn King in a devastating speech argued that British banks are too big to fail.If a bank collapses like dominoes it knocks over the banking system and crashs the economy.Because they know this banks have a hidden subsidy, they can afford to take risks because if it all goes tits up, the government has to bail them out.The bank bailout is part of the reason why we have a fast appraoching £1

Penny Kemp on 'GREEN SURGE IN EUROPE '

Nice statement, once wrote a book with Penny, thats a while back now! The Green Party Press office does good workGreen politics across Europe received a boost asa new poll indicated that the German Greens have overtaken the SocialDemocrats as Germany's largest opposition party. The figures from theindependent poll put the party at 28%, and mean that if a national electionwere held today Germany

Chris Bambery resigns from the SWP

Saw this on Alex Snowdon's blog including Chris Bambery's resignation letter.To be honest while I have criticism of the SWP, generally they seem to have been doing good work, I have been very impressed with their support for climate action which has not been about parachuting in but long term steady work where people like Jonathan Neale and Martin Empson have worked cooperatively with Green Party

Communiqué From Anonymous to the British people

Just got sent this, make for it what you will, it was sent by anon.We are anonymous. And so are you. This is a call to all political activists and all people in the United Kingdom to join our fight against the UK establishment. We are aware that the government is increasingly indifferent to traditional forms of protest even when organised on large scale. Any effective means that the people may

The Caroline effect

I have referred in previous posts to the ‘Caroline Effect’ – how the election of Caroline Lucas has changed, and is changing, the face of politics in Brighton and Hove. I was wrong. There isn’t a ‘Caroline Effect’, there are several ‘Caroline Effects’.Effect 1: galvanising anti-Tory opposition. Many tribal Labour supporters, like me, alienated by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, student fees,

'They fought with dresses'

1) Films on the frontier 'Paris is Burning''Paris is Burning' is wonderful film of the drag balls put together by gay African-Americans in the 1970s and 1980s in New York.Though she was only 27, Angie had been a mother more than a dozen times. Not in the usual way; she was biologically male. "But a mother is one who raises a child, not one who borns it," Hector pointed out. And as mother of the

Derek Wall interviews Mark Bergfeld NUS presidential candidate

The eruption of student protests against the Con Dem government's cuts, took virtually all of us by surprise, when late last year young people took to the streets to challenge university fees and the removal of the EMA. The force of such protest from the grassroots has been challenging for the National Union of Students. Aaron Porter, the President of the NUS, condemned militant protest and as

Green Party House of Lords results

1. Jenny JONES2. Emma DIXON3. John WHITELEGG4. Shahrar ALI5. James HUMPHREYS6. Rupert READ7. Alan FRANCIS1st reserve: Jessica GOLDFINCH2nd reserve: Rebecca JOHNSON3rd reserve: Stuart JEFFERY Candidates' 1st preference votes.John WHITELEGG 335Jenny JONES 692James HUMPHREYS 180Emma DIXON 439Shahrar ALI 320Rupert READ 202Rebecca JOHNSON 72Stuart JEFFERY 46Jessica GOLDFINCH 94Alan FRANCIS 78Hazel

Naomi Wolf 'I want my Al-Jazeera'

The right wingers don't want Americans seeing another view. Al Jazeera correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin is on a victory lap in the United States – or rather, Al Jazeera is sending him on its own victory lap.After all, Mohyeldin is a modest guy, despite being one of Al Jazeera's best-known reporters – and clearly a rising international media star.Al Jazeera has good reason to gloat: it has a new

'These are our streets' protest against Gaddafi in Tripoli

A group of activists claiming to be part of the February 17 youth revolution organises a small protest at dawn in Tripoli. It declared its main objectives to be - to support efforts to oust Gaddafi, to lift morale in the silenced capital, to resist attempts to silence dissent and to show solidarity with pro-democracy fighters across Libya.Below the video is the unedited English version of the

Vote Dan

Dan totally brilliant and he did an immense amount of work for me during the General Election.He is part of block of 15 supported by the Young Greens.DANIEL COOPER FOR FOR NUS NATIONAL EXECUTIVEI'm standing as a grassroots activist, anti-cuts/free education campaigner and socialist, to help make sure this year's magnificent student revolt has a strong voice on NUS NEC.My recordI am

Naomi Klein says carbon trading makes climate action look fake

If there is one thing that the failure of cap-and-trade has taught us, it is that trying to win this battle by lobbying elites behind closed doors is a disastrously losing strategy. Not only did it fail to deliver even weak climate legislation in the U.S., it made climate action look like just another opportunity for cronyism, helping to alienate a large sector of the public. MORE HERE

Bloodstained bananas

Chiquita is a brand to boycott but the point is time after time peasants and indigenous people are killed and repressed to run our extractive economy.Contrary to claims by Chiquita Brands International that its payments to Colombian paramilitary and guerrilla groups over more than a decade were extorted, internal company documents released here Thursday strongly suggest that the transactions

Smile it's Friday :-) Simon Jenkins giving Clegg a kicking:

Smile it's Friday :-) Simon Jenkins giving Clegg a kicking:"You are a fence-sitter, a turncoat, a scapegoat, a liar, a pledge-breaker, a class traitor, probably a scumbag into the bargain. You are a stock-in-trade figure of fun and/or hate. Little old ladies quake at your name. When children won't go to bed and are threatened with a "right Clegging", they scream in terror."http://

Los Años Dorados occupy Lambeth Social Services

Just had this, all to pay the bankers....close down a nursery pay for a bonus, shut down a pensioner service fund a new carpet for bond traders office.The Golden Years’ will “occupy” Lambeth Social ServicFor the first time in a long time and for the first time in the history of London (and maybe the history of England) a group of Latin American pensioners will picket outside Phoenix House,

SWP critique of autonomism doesn't cut it

Very embarrassing article from the SWP.I am not an autonomist and obviously see a role for political parties but its so didactic and over simplified, we can straw man or women any alternative as a means of foolishly just insisting on support for our own particular perspective. No one on the left has a recipe that works, a certain modesty, plurality and self-criticism are all needed rather than '

No U-turn as Con Dem government sells off NHS

Even before the government’s Health and Social Care Bill has passed through the House of Commons, private healthcare companies are increasing their influence within the NHS. Pulse magazine reported last week that private company bosses are set to be handed seats on the new NHS Commissioning Board, which, come June, will oversee commissioning of all primary care services and allocate budgets to GP

Hyper rich take to the streets demanding poor take a cut

Coalition of Resistance to Counter so-called 'Rally Against Debt' The Coalition of Resistance - a broad campaign against cuts and privatisation – will be working with all anti-cuts campaigners to organise a Resist the Cuts counter-demonstration to the so-called ‘Rally Against Debt’ on 14 May 2011. The official website for the ‘Rally Against Debt’ says it will be a ‘polite demonstration’, whose

Climate Change: Why Nuclear Power is not the answer.

Martin Empson has brought out a new edition of his anti-nuclear pamphlet. Its an essential tool, I would have thought for any green activist or for that matter anyone who wants to see a safe future for human beings.Nuclear, despite the Fukuyshima disaster, is back on the agenda. Hundreds of new nuclear power stations are being built currently and more are on the way.It is claimed to be clean

Quakers are boycotting Israeli settlment goods. Now for the lies and abuse

British Quakers announced today (5 April) that they are calling for a boycott of goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This is a brave decision, given the volume of abuse, hate mail and downright lies that face those who take a public stand against the Israeli authorities.Personal experience has made me very aware that there are few more subjects likely to

Young Greens back united left!

Just got this, good news, I have an article about the United Left and Mark Bergfeld going into the Morning Star....its very delayed because they have had a back log of stuff to cover around 26th March.The Young Greens are left and full of fire and inspiration!The Young Greens, the youth branch of the Green Party, have announced that they are endorsing the ‘United Left Slate’ in the upcoming NUS