A research expert in police ethics warned that the biggest danger is that the technology would be used for political control. “If authorities in Egypt or Syria had this, would they use it for dispersal or to shove crowds into potentially lethal harm’s way?” he asked from Leeds.

Given the new police commissioners penchant for expensive novelty devices – it was Bernard ‘Hulk’ Hogan Howe the Oxbridge graduate now in charge of the police who introduced the enormous ‘Berlin wall’ style crowd barriers onto the streets during the last student demonstration and his dedication to kettling –  it won’t be long before we see the British police using the new riot shields for political purposes.

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Parents in Sheffield have joined together and formed a protest group to campaign against their local secondary school becoming an academy. The group KES PLEAS (King Ecgbert School Parents for Local Education Authority Status) is angry at the school Governors going behind parents’ backs in ensuring the school is changed to academy status.

The group discovered that as far back as June 2011 Governors had registered an interest with the Department for Education in converting to an academy, some five months before the consultation process. The Governors are set to formally make a decision and vote on the proposals on January 17 depending on the results of the consultation. Headteacher Lesley Bowes said the financial advantages brought by academy status are essential as the school is facing a 25 per cent cut to its sixth form funding.

• Campaigners who demanded a public consultation involving “ordinary people” in the face of sweeping cuts to small hospitals in the region have won a three-month extension to threatened services at Bridport Community Hospital, Dorset. Plans to remove outpatient appointments, day case surgery & radiography from Bridport hospital have been pushed back from March to July after a concerted effort by local people to stop the move.  Community Health Campaign (CHC) was formed to challenge decision after a consultation process had been set up that excluded those who would be directly affected by the change. Eileen Harding, a member of Community Health Campaign (CHC) said: “To discover that a group, which I did not know existed, is being consulted on my behalf, is unacceptable. Any group dealing with Bridport should be local and represent ALL aspects, including, pensioners, families, low paid workers, and the disabled.”

• The Court of Appeal approved a case brought by a King’s Cliffe residents against the Secretary of State over the dumping of low level nuclear waste (LLW) at the King’s Cliffe landfill site in Northamptonshire. Despite this Augean PLC who are set to deposit up to 250,000  tonnes per year of radioactive waste, ignored requests to stop until a legal decision has been made. Residents of King’s Cliffe and surrounding villages responded by mounting a blockade of the site in December.Around 25 residents arrived at the site early one morning, and set themselves up in the entrance. In order to delay the passage of lorries bringing LLW, four residents clipped themselves into steel tubes inserted in barrels of concrete, leaving a small group to continue the protest by the roadside. Six people who had ignored police instructions to move were arrested, and later released.

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These tests are part of the latest attempt to distinguish between a mass of ‘idle’ and a few ‘deserving’ poor. Whereas the former are demonised, the provision of alms for the latter is used to maintain the guise that capitalist regimes can be ‘progressive’ (a term that really needs to be reclaimed from Clegg) and caring systems of social relations.

Atos’ implementation of the WCAs resulted in the company also becoming a target of widespread criticism from beyond the radical community. Campaigners have e.g. repeatedly referred to the substantial success rate of appeals against Atos’ decisions. A report by the BBC Inside Out ‘found that of the 146,200 appeals that have been heard to date, 56,500 (more than a third), have been upheld in favour of the claimant’[1].

Furthermore the professionalism of those conducting the assessments has been repeatedly questioned. The Guardian reported in August that twelve doctors employed by Atos were ‘under investigation by the General Medical Council over allegations of improper conduct’ [2].

With Atos being such a particularly disgusting part of the modern British ‘welfare’ system, there have been a number of protests against the companies’ offices all over the country. The protest in Nottingham was not unusual in having been not only entirely peaceful, but also extremely (one might say far too) polite.

The rather ham-fisted reaction by the local police, until now better known for their frequent blunders and blatant incompetence rather than a particular urge to repress peaceful protests, as well as the CPS’s decision to charge the Atos Two have been received with astonishment. The prosecution is widely seen as politically motivated, a perspective only underlined by one of the arresting copper’s admission that ‘there’s been too much of this sort of thing going on and we’ve been told to crack down on it.’

The case of the Atos Two is indeed not an isolated one. The offence of aggravated trespass was introduced in the 1990s in response to the successes of hunt saboteurs and road protesters. It is frequently used against activists to deter people from engaging in acts of protest and civil disobedience. Recent examples include the cases against activists who went into Fortnum & Masons or Panton House.

All of these protests were using forms of direct action that are usually accepted within western representative democracies unless a certain line of annoyance is crossed. After the wave of direct action by UK Uncut and others in Nottingham and across the country over the last year this is apparently now the case.

‘Total policing’ does not only entail total surveillance and the increasing armament of the repressive apparatus, be it with Tasers, water cannons or rubber (and live) bullets. It also entails the repression of anything perceived to be putting a spanner in the efforts to maximise the accumulation of capital, however small that act of direct or indirect sabotage may be.

The ‘Atos Two’ have been supported by an impressive solidarity campaign. At their first court hearing there was a solidarity demo of around 40 people outside, despite it being early morning on a workday. A further protest is planned for the first day of the trial, as well as a demonstration on February 3rd with a number of other activities in the pipeline.

Their case shows that fluffy protesting is as liable to repression as more radical forms of direct action. As one of the solidarity messages sent to the ‘Atos Two’ noted, it is an example of ‘the ruling classes cracking the whip’. But the solidarity shown towards the defendants from within and outside the radical community as well as the wave of demonstrations and direct action against the imposition of “austerity” in the UK show that the attacks by the ruling classes can be – and are being – resisted. If anything, an increase in repression can often be a sign that resistance is beginning to work. We just need to keep pushing.

For updates on the ‘Atos Two’ please follow http://twitter.com/nottsdefence
Email: nottsdefence@riseup.net

 UPDATE: The charges of the Atos Two were unexpectedly dropped by the CPS on January 13th apparently ““complainant no longer supports the prosecution”. The ‘Atos Two’ have asked us to express their gratitude to everyone who has supported them over the last few months and let you know that you’re all fantastic! Check the campaign website for details of further actions against Atos: https://network23.org/nottsdefence/2012/01/13/atos-two-charges-dropped/

Notes:
[1] http://bbc.in/ulXxMG
[2] http://gu.com/p/3x7jd

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Just before Christmas over 50 mechanical and electrical workers occupied the headquarters of BBC Scotland in Glasgow. It was part of an ongoing campaign of co-ordinated protests by electricians and other skilled workers, over the decision by the big eight construction companies to withdraw from the 40 year old Joint Industry Board (JIB) national agreements.

The construction companies want to impose their own non-negotiated contracts that would see workers force to accept lower rates of pay, and the downgrading and de-skilling of their entire industry. The BBC was targeted because of its media blackout of the electricians’ dispute which began in August.

The previous day some 40 electricians and supporters, which included anarchists from the AF and Solfed, occupied the head office of Network Rail in London to highlight the impact these new conditions would have on railway safety. Both these actions followed a week of protests and pickets outside major construction sites throughout the UK including Manchester, Cardiff, Liverpool and Newcastle. What is interesting about these activities, beyond adopting a very proactive direct action approach, is they were organised and led by militant workers who came together in the summer as part of a construction rank and file network, against the wishes of the union leadership. It was Unite’s national construction officer Bernard McAulay that called them “this cancerous group”.

Known informally as the Sparks and made up of largely Unite union members, this rank and file initiative was highly combative in the way it approached the dispute effectively mobilising both workers and supporters against industry employers. Originally formulated to put pressure on Unite, the union most electricians are members of, to call strike action, it became a mobilising force in itself and weekly demonstrations flourished into escalating direct action against the main construction companies.

What does this mean for workplace militancy and where do anarchists fit in? As has been mentioned in Freedom previously there are a disproportionate amount of anarchists working in the public sector, but given they are smothered by the demands of the big bureaucratic unions there is little scope and there has been little evidence of anarchists being involved in independent grassroots action, even on the big set piece strike days. Of the 400 plus organised strike initiatives on November 30th only two were organised by anarchists.

In the private sector however electricians have led the way in adopting a strategy most anarchists would applaud and could actively engage with.  It is a surprise therefore to see little organised action by anarchists in relation to the sparks dispute.  Certainly many anarchists have attended the pickets and protests, but largely as individuals.  If this dispute, which is still ongoing despite the deadline for the ‘sign or be sacked’ ultimatum having passed, is to hint at a future of workplace militancy anarchists can only benefit from a more organised and active approach.

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NGBailey sites: NGB/No Go Besna

Wednesday 25th Jan:

» Kings Cross station • 6.45am
Euston Road
London N1 9AL
MAP
Facebook page

» Manchester Town Hall • 7am
Peter Street entrance
Manchester M2 5DB
MAP
Facebook page

» Llandough Hospital • 6.30am
Penlan Rd
Llandough
Penarth
Cardiff CF64 2XX
MAP
Facebook page

» Conoco Phillips refinery (Balfour Beatty site) • 6.30am
Rosper Rd
Immingham
North Lincolnshire
DN40 3DW
MAP
Facebook page

Whilst in Scotland they have a number of protests planned for NG Bailey Week listed below:

» Tuesday 24th Jan
Gore Tex Factory • 6.30am
1 Simpson Parkway
Kirkton Campus
Livingston EH54 7BH
MAP
Facebook page

» Wednesday 25th Jan
Exhibition Centre, Edinburgh • 7.15am
MAP
Facebook page

» Friday 27th Jan
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary • 7.15am
Cornhill Road
Aberdeen AB25 2ZN
MAP
Facebook page
Anyone want to travel to Aberdeen? Can you get in touch as soon as possible Email: siteworkers@virignmedia.com

» Saturday 28th Jan
Demo & Rally • 10am
John Smith House
145 West Regent Street
Glasgow G2 4RE
MAP
Facebook page

Let’s have a huge turn out this week and show Baileys that we are not going away and show our support for the Bailey workers. If you know of any ‘NGB’ site on your area please do your best to protest on the site, and hit it hard!

Unofficial action will also be needed to win this dispute and a total shutdown would be the answer. We must prepare for this it’s a massive step because it will required if we are to give ourselves a greater a chance of winning. Also “If any stewards or workers are sacked during the coming weeks, a mass walkout must take place”.

London Rank and File meeting

25th January • 6.30pm
Conway Hall
25 Red Lion Square
London WC1R 4RL
» MAP
Facebook page

The ‘recalled’ National Rank and File meeting in Birmingham 4th Feb 1-4pm Carrs Lane Centre, Carrs Lane, is a very important meeting, we should have the ballot result plus first strike date by then, so we need to get a plan together the actions to be taken the following week throughout the UK. If anyone needs assistance with travel costs to Birmingham please let us know as soon as possible.
Email: siteworkers@virignmedia.com

In a change at the top of Unite, Kevin Coyne a National Officer [appointed] has been drafted in to assist Bernard McAuley, which is badly needed. 4 National rank and File Committee members will be meeting with him [Kevin Coyne] and we will be able to discuss dispute and to make our feelings very clear, on Thursday 26th January at the Unite head office in London at 5.30pm. Let’s hope this is a change for the better.

Finally, on a different note ‘Blacklisted’ engineer and ex UCATT member, Dave Smith had his Industrial Tribunal last week against Carrillion for blacklisting him. Despite the revelations coming out in the tribunal about police involvement and Carrillion admitting that they did indeed ‘Blacklisted’ Dave, the case was lost! The Tribunal ruled that Dave was not an employee but that he had worked for various agencies, so much for justice!
We believe this case will now go to the Courts in Europe. Good luck Dave, keep up the fight brother and you can count on our support!

For more details of demos protests and meetings near you please visit:

• Electricians Against The World http://www.jibelectrician.blogspot.com/

Get in touch with us by Email: siteworkers@vignmedia.com

Spread the word ‘NO TO BESNA YES TO STRIKE ACTION’!

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When Oxbridge graduate Bernard Hogan-Howe began his new job as Metropolitan police commissioner in September he brought with him the quaint PR phrase ‘total policing’ (that he himself coined when chief of Merseyside police) as a way of introducing himself into the new role as top cop.

As a soundbite it ticked all the right boxes for an insouciant media – enticing, unspecific and unavoidably non-committal. But what in reality does a change at the top of the police pile mean for anarchists and activists especially during this period of economic disintegration and increasingly fractious social unrest, what can we expect in this new era of total policing?

Already this year we have seen several examples of pro-active policing taking on a more sinister role – the kind of policing that goes beyond public order and preservation of the peace but designed to undermine political expression.

When education activists did a banner drop at the Lib Dem party conference in September they were remanded for three days by West Midlands police as their “membership of an organisation showed that they could not be trusted not to cause danger to the public”. In Bristol there was a raid on The Autonomist radical magazine where police seized phones, computers and paperwork looking for a connection to the August riots, and it was during the August riots that several people received long jail sentences for simply posting messages on Facebook encouraging participation in the unrest. There were also the pre-emptive arrests and raids on squats in the run up to the Royal wedding and of course the arrest of 145 people for the Fortnum and Mason peaceful occupation on March 26th.

But perhaps the most pronounced indication that we are entering a new era of political policing was the excessive and overt role of plain clothes police during the November student demonstration in central London. Despite the tightly regulated route of the march – each sidestreet blocked by a small army of well defended barriers – gangs of plain clothes police, acting independently of uniformed police, embedded themselves in the demonstration and sought to impose themselves upon the crowd, only revealing their identities when people grew hostile towards them. Whether this was to provoke a reaction or simply target individuals they wanted to arrest, the gang strategy highlighted a new and potentially dangerous example of things to come.

This new approach to the management of political dissent and public protest will impose itself more and more as the crisis deepens, where the legitimacy of government is constantly questioned and the role of the state relentlessly challenged, where ordinary people, angry and disillusioned with the current state of things, become active political subjects.

For the state to maintain its authority and control over an increasingly embittered population they must ensure not only a compliant protest culture but the continued separation between political activists and the rest of society. Policing now has taken on the form of dissuading us from expressing a common purpose. This is the political policing of the future.

This article originally appeared in the December edition of Freedom newspaper see here
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In addition to these figures the MoD spent £24.87bn on its suppliers during 2009-10 with £4bn of that going to Bae Systems despite the company sacking 9,000 employees this year due to ‘government spending cuts’.

This article originally appeared in the December edition of Freedom newspaper see here
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Social centres, simply defined are ‘radical independent social and community centres’ and they have had something of a resurgence in recent times. This may be due to the upsurge in political activism in general and recognising the need for a radical community hub and active political base. As the people involved in the Birmingham Social Centre say “The spaces by their nature attract local residents, local activists and often create exchanges and meeting points that result in strong communities actively pursuing their civil power and asserting control over their own lives”.

Groups in Birmingham, Sheffield and Manchester are all committed to establishing permanent social centres in their respective cities. This is an incredibly positive move and hopefully in the new year we will see emerging new places for radical ideas and activities.

If anarchists wish to get involved in any of these projects then get in contact below:

• Sheffield: http://sheffieldsocialcentre.org.uk/
• Manchester: http://www.manchestersocialcentre.org/
• Birmingham: http://birminghamsocialcentre.wordpress.com/

This article originally appeared in the December edition of Freedom newspaper see here
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London wide meeting
Saturday 14th January • 4pm-6pm
London Action Resource Centre
62 Fieldgate St
London E1 6ES
MAP

AN APPEAL TO ALL RADICALS AND ANTI-AUTHORITARIANS
Why we should all help form radical local community-based groups

Our goal should be the creation of a society free from the exploitation of capitalism and the oppression of the state – a society which is non-hierarchical and in which everyone is free, yet works together collectively. This will be achieved when the mass of the working class share these goals; in other words, we need to help build mass grassroots movements in which radical and anarchist ideas and ways of doing things can flourish in our communities.

Radicals are involved in a wide range of activities. The media tend to stress the more visible and physical roles such as the direct action at demos, arrests etc. But to overcome isolation and not just be a mere pinprick in the side of capitalism and the state, we must also reach out to the mass of the working class.

So what can we do?
The groups that are linked into the Radical London network believe that setting up local radical/anarchist/solidarity groups and networks, with the aim of engaging in local community actions as well as supporting local workplace struggles, is a key way of spreading ideas, solidarity and resistance amongst the wider working class. In addition, we are strengthened by our connection to others and we are in a better situation to actually participate in and win struggles.

For example…

• Campaigns against cuts, to save a local market or a green space, or challenging the impact of the Olympics;
• Supporting community groups and activities such as tenants and residents associations;
• Local industrial disputes and supporting local workers involved in national strikes;
• Practical solidarity work with claimants, people fighting eviction etc;
• Fighting oppression, working with others to challenge racism and other forms of oppression;
• Putting on activities such as film-shows, public meetings or radical history walks;
• Producing leaflets and news-sheets with alternative ways of thinking about current issues & organising.

The groups in Radical London (and around the UK) are doing all of these things. If there were groups throughout London and the UK doing similar things and sharing our experiences and learning from each other, it would be a crucial step in making anarchist & radical ideas influential in a range of grass roots struggles – and a serious alternative to the current establishment / status quo.

Website and more info: http://www.radicallondon.net/

Despite an uncharacteristic mild autumn, winter brings with it the necessity of increasing gas and electricity consumption to keep warm during periods of lowering temperatures. Typically many people cannot afford to do so. The number of those in fuel poverty, those dying unnecessarily because of the cold, especially the elderly, and those suffering from seasonal disorders escalates each year, highlighting the lack of concern and provision by government and the energy business towards people, particularly those on low incomes, to ensure their survival during this period.

Fuel poverty in this country is defined by households who spend more than 10% of their household income on fuel to keep their home in ‘satisfactory’ condition. According to the most recent figures four million homes in England were classified as being in fuel poverty.

Along with those alarming statistics is a recent report that estimates almost 3,000 will die this winter as a direct result of fuel poverty – more than the number killed in traffic accidents each year. The Hills Fuel Poverty Review, commissioned by the government, base their findings on figures from the Office for National Statistics that states there are 27,000 extra deaths on average in the UK each winter compared to other times of year, most due to the cold weather. A death rate that is one of the highest in Europe, worse than Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway and France.

The Hills Review concluded that living in cold homes has a series of effects on illness and mental health, but the most serious is its contribution to Britain’s unusually high rates of “excess winter deaths”.

In contrast the big six energy companies British Gas, EDF, Eon, Npower, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern, who have a monopoly on supplying domestic properties, continue to make massive profits from ordinary customers. According to the energy regulators Ofgem, profits per customer rose an astonishing 733% over the past six months rising from £15 in June to £125 in October. On top of this the average electricity tariff is set to increase by £300 a year to £800, with gas prices rising from £845 to more than £1,300.

To put that into some perspective it is estimated that for every one per cent rise in energy prices, an extra 40,000 people will be thrown into fuel poverty.

Adding to this catalogue of economic greed is the coalition government’s plan to exclude social landlords from the fuel poverty element of the energy company obligation (ECO) subsidy. Social tenants, including some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in society, are at risk of not benefiting from this badly needed funding and falling further into fuel poverty – despite paying for the subsidy through their energy bills. Another stark example of big business colluding with wealthy government ministers to stitch-up ordinary people.

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