Sheffield Feature Archive

Rob, a young lad in his early twenties, lost his footing on a walkway almost 50 feet up when he slipped on an icy platform, plummeting to the ground. He has suffered multiple injuries, broken bones and organ damage. He is in the Critical Care Unit at Kings Mill Centre for Healthcare Services.

For more information on the Sherwood Protest, see also Eviction Alert!: Sherwood Tree Camp.

Read updates 02/03/04 and 05/03/04.

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Bellway Homes are attempting to destroy a group of ancient trees and a natural meadowland to build what campaigners say is an unnecessary road junction. The area is supposedly guarded by a Tree Protection Order as it possesses a 300 year old beech tree, yet the council are refusing to take any action against the developers.

Local campaigners and residents at Mansfield Woodhouse's tree houses' and tunnels were visited by the Sherriff on Tuesday 10th February and informed that an eviction of the protest camp would be taking place imminently.

Welsh Bailiffs came on site with a warrant conducting a health and safety review of the site. They said they would be returning imminently with a professional tunnel team and climbers.

Campaigners hope they can delay the destruction long enough for action to be taken in the courts. On Saturday the small numbers present were boosted by a call for support which mobilised enough people to foil what they say was an illegal eviction attempt (report). The campaigers say they desparately need more people in site to help build defences, and to stay over night so numbers are at a maximum when the bailiffs move in. It seems likely it will happen very soon.

Updates here | Photo Gallery | Old Campaign Site | Travel directions | Road Alert

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Saturday 31st January was a Europe Wide Day of Action against Refugee Detention and for Migrant Rights. As part of this day there was a noise demo outside Lindholme Refugee Detention Centre near Doncaster with a good turnout from from Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds.

The Sheffield Samba Band contributed to the noise and have some photos on their site.

Timeline | Photos | Video

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Nine Ladies Anti-Quarry Protest Camp, Derbyshire, Possession Court Order obtained Thursday 22/01/2004, papers served Friday 23/01/2004 - eviction now imminent!

Press release from the protestors: Eco Warriors send profits warning to Marshalls Plc - 6th February 2004 | Collection in Sheffield City Centre raises £75

Background: If Quarrying goes ahead, a 100m deep scar will blight a beautiful, and well loved landscape, to produce profit from the sale of building materials. The protest camp has been protecting the site since 1999 (history of the struggle). People are needed urgently to help with defences, and resist the eviction. Report and list of things needed at 9 Ladies.

Images: Photos (12 large images) | Nine Ladies Photo Gallery | Arial view of the site

Audio: Interview (mp3) and transcript

Video: rtsp://www.piratetv.net/archive/ptvaltmedia/nineladiesmix.rm | Download the video, real format

Nine Ladies web forum | Nine Ladies offical website (not updated since august 2003)

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The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is a full United Nations Summit to be held 10-12 December 2003 in Geneva with a second meeting in Tunis in 2005. [Official Website]

Community media and other civil society organisations are organising a number of events to run alongside and contra to the WSIS which, they believe, fails to promote media diversity or engage with the question of fair access to the Information Society.

The Summit's stated objective is to address the inequalities that will arise as the world changes from an industrial to information-based society. Information is a powerful tool for economic and social development and the WSIS was announced as a platform for the UN, governments, the private sector along with civil society groups to contribute to bridging digital and knowledge divisions.

However the Civil Society grouping including many progressive electronic networks have severly criticised the process for failing to agree on a comittment to basic human right standards (most prominent in this case being the freedom of expression), as well as failing to properly include a development agenda and address issues such as media concentration, support for community media, internet governance, free software, and security. The stage is now set for a confrontation as the movement for media democracy and communication rights continues to gain pace.

Links: UN Summit Information Society | Prepcom Reports | WSIS? We Seize! | Polymedia Lab | WFCR | Indymedia Switzerland

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George W Bush and his 700 hangers on have now arrived in the UK for his state visit. Last Saturday saw a 1,000-strong demonstration in Sheffield City Centre and now he's here Sheffield folks are keeping up the pressure.

Thursday 20 November

The major focus of the day's action was in London. This does not mean however that people in South Yorkshire for the day were no less furious at Bush's visit. In Sheffield, Sheffield Stop the War Coalition called for a demonstration aginst the visit outside the Town Hall and were joined by over 100 students. The group processed along Pinstone Street chanting and expressed their anger at Furnival Gate by a sitdown causing traffic disruption.

In Barnsley a 'straw man' Bush statue was toppled from an empty plinth, mirroring the toppling of the Saddam statue in Bagdhad on 09 April 2003. A fuller report of South Yorkshire actions has been posted.

No Sheffield reports of London actions as yet. But much can be gleaned from the main UK site. It is known that samba players were involved in the slow procession down Oxford Street 'escorted' by the Metropolitan Police. This part of the day's events were reported in the 19:10-21:55 section of the London timeline. Photos and videos have come in from elsewhere of this part of the day's activities.

Main UK report Stop Bu$h - National Demonstration.

Wednesday 19 November

At 1100 in Trafalgar Square, the proposed assembly of school students was described in Government crushes school student dissent?.

However Trafalgar Square didn't just contain a few school students. Other folks were up for a little creative disobedience. The fountains reminded passers by of the blood on Bush and Blair's hands.

By mid-afternoon, many protesters were getting a little peckish, so tea and cake seemed to be a great idea. Where better to have a tea party than Buckingham Palace? Lizzie and Dubya didn't seem to be in a very welcoming mood though [report & pictures].

Meanwhile, the sambistas were having a roaming street party. Starting at ULU on Gower Street, the party also disrupted traffic on Tottenham Court Road and Shaftesbury Avenue, before arriving at Trafalgar Square for the end of the women's action. This action was massively over-policed, one passing Londoner "was astonished how small the demo was after seeing the massive entourage of cops and vans".

Main UK report Resist Bush! Day of Civil Disobedience.

Tuesday 18 November

A group of Sheffielders attended the 3,000-strong Burning Planet March, organized by Campaign Against Climate Change which left Lincoln's Inn Fields at about 1930, ultimate destination: the American Embassy via Esso/Exxon HQ at Aldwych. The Samba Band joined forces with London's Rhythms of Resistance.
[report | report and pictures]

Main UK report Bush Arrives As Protests Increase.

Monday 17 November

One of the Sheffield Samba Band who went down early to meet Dubya reports Police tried to follow me home. A taste of things to come perhaps.

multimedia

photos

Burning Planet March [Tue] [1</> | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8]
School students assemble [Wed] [1 | 2]
Trafalgar Square redecorated [Wed] [1 | 2 | 3]
Tea party on The Mall & at Buckingham Palace [Wed] [1 | 2 | 3 | 4]
Sit down action outside the Palace [Wed] [1 | 2 | 3]
Sambista roaming street party [Wed] [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5]
Sheffield protest [Thu] [1]
Samba cordon down Oxford Street [Thu] [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14]
Placards, banners, graffiti and body art [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21]
Malet Street postcard sellers [1 | 2]

Samba Band Bush gallery

video

Samba cordon down Oxford Street [Thu] [1 [wmv] | 2 [rm]]

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On Saturday afternoon, up to 1,000 people gathered for a demonstration in Sheffield City Centre to say 'No!' to George W Bush's impending state visit to the UK. The demonstration took the form of a 'traditional style' march around the streets. Sheffield Samba Band were in attendance, who provided a musical backdrop to leafletting.

Reports & Comments

1. Sheffield Shoppers encouraged to go on a Bush Hunt
2. Sheffield Against Bush March
3. What is the point of marching?
4. Sheffield Anti bush demo & analysis

Photos

1. Sheffield anti Bush demo pics
2. Sheffield Samba Band saying Stop Bush
3. The unity of Police and protesters symbolises a secret set of shared goals.
4. Anti-bush sentiment from the Samba Band yesterday who drew a large crowd on Fargate
5. Bush comes up North on Friday

Follow the Read more link below for more on Bush's visit.

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A co-ordinated protest in London's Camden Market scored a victory against Caterpillar, the company that supplies the Israeli army with bulldozers and tanks. Rhythms of Resistance were joined by members of the Sheffield Samba Band in this protest. At the same time, various groups including the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and the International Solidarity Movement took over Camden High Street with several banners, some of which where designed to represent the (in)famous wall Israel is building inside the West Bank. [Pics 1|2]. A street theatre performance also recreated an Israeli checkpoint in the middle of one of the busiest street markets in London [Photo]

The protesters approached the manager of the chain of shoe shops Future Designs explaining the issues relating Caterpillar with the violent Israeli occupation of Palestine. He said that until today's demonstration, he was unaware of the connection between Caterpillar and the repression in Palestine. He then thanked the demonstrators and promised to remove all Caterpillar stock as well as writing to the company to explain his decision. At a time when millions were ignored over the War on Iraq, today's small action showed how effective direct action can be.

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The Lost Film Festival, a collection of short films by radical DIY independent film makers. Films of documented pranks, anti-capitalist culture jamming, hilarious social commentary, riots presented by the festival director, Scott Beibin, is coming to Sheffield on the 8th November at Sheffield Independent Film (3 Brown Street, along from the Showroom, opposite Spearmint Rhino's :-o ) from 7.00pm, £3 on the door.

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Legal Update 16th September here.
Samba player in deep trouble after having been badly beaten by police and spending two days at Charing Cross police station; Witness appeal.

Liberty are asking for reports from people who were stopped and searched, ASAP. An email list has been set up for people who were arrested / beaten etc..

Since the 1st of September, 144 people have been arrested in protests against the Defence Systems and Equipment international arms fair (DSEi) that has been taking place in East London. Policing tactics have been condemned by a wide range of people and Liberty is have won the right to seek a High Court injunction over use of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000; they have also offered to provide legal representation for anyone stopped or detained under this legislation. Bindmans Lawyers have also requested information or witnesses from DSEi.

• Legal resources:
  
• Activists' Legal Project
• Legal Defence & Monitoring Group
• free B.E.A.G.L.E.S. legal resource centre
• Urban75 legal page

Numerous requests for witnesses have been made on the UK indymedia newswire [1 2 3 4 5 6]. There have also been several videos posted showing police violence against demonstrators which may provide evidence [ 1 2 - more can be found on the full reports from the 9th, 10th and 11th September].

Meanwhile, Anti-War demonstrators are still being threatened with - and receiving - harsh sentences. Protestors from Fairford come to trial next week while some are still fighting to get the charges reduced before they come to trial (Background to the case). Yet others are still looking for witnesses and some, like Ulla Roder (who was arrested for damaging a Tornado war-plane), have had their trials delayed numerous times.

Further afield, Simon Chapman and the Thessalonikki 7 remain imprisoned in Greece (solidarity website). Simon's first appeal has failed (against the charges) and he is currently awaiting the results of a second appeal. Key evidence such as the video have been re-submitted. In the United States, webmaster of raisethefist.com Sherman Austin has been imprisoned for 1 year; he has since been subject to death threats and is being kept in solitary on the grounds of safety as a reason.

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Following on from the successful action at Fluent last week, many Sheffield protestors took their protest to the heart of the east end of London for the DSEi main event.

One Sheffield person was arrested on Tuesday and at least 3 people from Sheffield were arrested on Wednesday and taken to Charring Cross police station. One of them might have been charged with assault.

On Thursday the Sheffield Samba Band joind others at the Lancaster Gate protest.

Thursday report | witness appeal

Wednesday report

Tuesday reports: [1 | 2 | 3 ] photos: [ 1 | 2 | 3 ] video

Monday BAE action

Saturday photos: [ 1 | 2 | 3] video: [ 1 | 2 ]

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In recent days three more actions have been carried out against firms due to exhibit at the DSEi Arms Fair in London 9-12th September. Further protests against DSEi in London and NATO's Military Committee in Cambridge are expected over the next few days.

Birmingham

On 5th Friday activists from Birmingham staged a roof-top protest at the headquarters of Caterpillar(UK), in Desford, near Leicester, unfurling a banner reading "Caterkillar – Demolishing Palestine – Demolishing Peace". The action was in protest at the sale of Caterpillar D9 armoured bulldozers to Israel (see report and pics).

Surrey

On Wednesday 3rd activists occupied the roof of a BAe Systems Factory in Byfleet, Surrey hanging a banner reading "Destroy the arms trade" (see report).

Sheffield

Meanwhile on Tuesday 2nd around twenty people took action against Fluent Ltd, a computer modelling software company in Sheffield. Several campaigners barricaded themselves inside the revolving doors while more people climbed up onto the canopy above the main entrance and hung a banner reading "Fluent Deal in Death" (see report, pics). The action followed anti-arms street theatre in the city centre.

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Around 35 people from around the country joined in the 'Reclaim the Bases Summer Camp' at Aldermaston in Berkershire.

Organised by the D10 group the camp brought together activists from around the counrty to share information and skills to widen the network of non violent direct activists taking part in actions against militraism.

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A report from the UK's biggest direct action gathering.

This years EF summer gathering took place over 5 days from 13th August on an idyllic nature reserve near Ripon in North Yorkshire. These gatherings have been taking place annually now for almost a decade and continue attract around 4 - 500 people each year. There is no hype, no big name speakers to tell you how it is, and no mass marketing campaign advertising the event in cities all over the UK: all very different from say, the SWP's annual 'Marxism' event in London.

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'Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election' is being screened at the Showroom Cinema at 6:50pm on Saturday 13th September and this screening will be followed by a discussion with Richard Ray Pérez, one of the co-directors of the file. This award winning documentary is a co-production with the Los Angeles Independent Media Center.

There is further information on the Unprecedented movie web site, including links to audio and video previews, background information, reviews and stills.

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The area around the ancient sacred site of Nine Ladies Stone Circle, a place of outstanding natural beauty, is under threat by the quarrying companies Stancliffe Stone and Marshalls PLC. The Nine Ladies protest camp has succesfully managed to stop the companies quarrying for the last 4 years, but the end of August is a crucial time and help and support is much needed.

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Sheffield Indymedia is screening Revolution OS at The Showroom Cinema on Saturday 26 July at 4.00pm. It's a film about the anti-microsoft rebellion, the Free software movement and GNU/Linux, the Free alternative to Windows.

Read on for some more information about the Free software movement and why it matters and for some news from the Sheffield Linux community.

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Hundreds of people gathered on Devonshire Green in Sheffield City Centre on Saturday 21st June 2003 for the Peace in the Park festival of peace and solidarity.

It was also the first public event that Sheffield Indymedia attended — the IMC stall went down well.

[Report | Photos: 1 | 2]

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After almost 4 months of planning Sheffield Indymedia's web site has been launched as part of the upgrade of the UK Indymedia web site.

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