UK Indymedia - Sheffield Newswire Archive

Interview with an anarchist student occupier at Sheffield University

Interview conducted today (24th November) with a student currently involved in the occupation of the Hicks Building at Sheffield University as part of the national wave of actions against education cuts.

Read more | 1 comment >>

Sheffield Students Protest Against the Cuts

Chris | 24-11-2010 14:29 | Education | Public sector cuts | Sheffield

Thousands of school children, college and university students brought Sheffield city centre to a stand still on 24th November 2010 in protest against the Tory/Lib Dem educations cuts.

Read more | 1 comment >>

Protest at closure of Erdington Connexions office

Support Connexions workers

First witness called for the Ratcliffe Trial

info@ratcliffeontrial.org (Ratcliffe on Trial) | 24-11-2010 12:23 | Sheffield

Yesterday the first witness was called by the prosecution - Raymond Smith, former plant manager at the Ratcliffe on Soar power station. The defence probed him on E.ON's record on sustainability.

Yesterday the first witness was called by the prosecution – Raymond Smith, the former plant manager at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, on duty at the time of the arrests.

As the defence questioned Mr Smith, it emerged that during the week of the intended action the power station was working at a much lower capacity than normal. Mr Smith confirmed his original statement, in which he states that the reason for this was due to ‘market conditions and system demands’. In more simple terms, the power station runs according to whatever is most profitable at any given time, demonstrating the lack of concern for the environmental consequences.

When questioned further Mr Smith confirmed that E.ON bases its choice to use coal, the highest emitting fossil fuel, on its potential profit. The court will hear more about the devastating effects of burning coal when Jim Hansen, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Adjunct Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University’s Earth Institute gives evidence on Monday. E. ON’s greenwashing is further evident when we compare Mr Smith’s statement on E. ON’s commitment to increasing their efficiency, with the rise in CO2 emissions at Ratcliffe by 870,000 tonnes between 2007-2008.

Full details of Reimagine the University Event

ROU | 23-11-2010 20:54 | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles | Sheffield

Full details of the Reimagine the University event are now available at:

http://reimaginetheuniversity.org.uk

Ratcliffe Conspiracy Trial Begins

A year and a half after being pre-emptively arrested alongside more than 100 other people, 20 climate change activists began a month-long trial at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday.

On the newswire: Ratcliffe conspiracy to trespass trial opens today | Ratcliffe on Trial - Day 1 - cheap pix | Defendants & Supporters outside Nottingham Crown Court ahead of the Ratcliffe Trial today | Ratcliffe on Trial - Day 1 - the trial begins

Supporters gathered outside Nottingham Crown Court holding signs which read, "I would stop emissions too".

Anyone in the Nottingham area who would like to meet the defendants or help out can come along to the SUMAC centre (NG7 6HX) each evening after the trial at 7pm for dinner at People's Kitchen.

The arrests were thought to be the biggest ever pre-emptive arrest of environmental activists. The defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Trespass for planning to safely shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station for a week and in doing so stopping 150,000 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted. While they admit the intent, they maintain that they are not guilty of of a crime.

The defence will show that the activists acted out of necessity, to prevent death and serious injury. According to official sources, 300,000 people per year already lose their lives due to the effects of climate change and half a billion are at "extreme risk". (http://www.preventionweb.net/)

Rebecca Quinn, 32, who was one of those arrested in April but later had the charges dropped, said, "Climate Change is hitting those least responsible for it the hardest. Low-lying island nations are already seeing salt water encroach on their farm land, and in recent years we have seen an increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Coal is the dirtiest method of electricity generation, and must be stopped. To avoid a climate crisis, we must put people before profit. In the face of government apathy and the failure of the Copenhagen conference, it is ordinary people taking direct action who are desperately trying to avoid a bleak future of flooding, drought, crop failure and water shortages."

James Hansen, the high profile scientist who is the Head of NASA's Goddard Institute, is one of the many expert witnesses who will testify during the trial at Nottingham Crown Court. The leading climatologist will guide the jury through the complexities of climate science and explain how coal burning is jeopardizing the lives of millions.

Caroline Lucas MP, Leader of the Green Party will give expert evidence about the failure to achieve action on climate change domestically and within the EU parliament through more conventional political means. It will be argued that the defendants had no alternative but to physically stop the power station emitting CO2, having exhausted other channels such as lobbying, campaigning, and attending marches.

The defendants are a diverse mix of people of varying ages from 21 to 45. Living across the UK, they work in teaching, science, computing, and many other areas. 114 people were originally arrested on 13th April 2009, but most subsequently had their charges dropped.

Improve the UK Animal Rights Feed

Dave B | 23-11-2010 00:06 | Animal Liberation | Technology | Sheffield

The UK animal rights feed has been running since early September and has been going very well

The feed collects news from various websites, twitter accounts, blogs, indymedia (animal lib) and the animal rights calender (see bottom of article for full list).

This information is filtered and combined into a single RSS feed which is automatically updated every half hour and made available to anyone who wants too keep up with news on animal rights across the UK.

Read more | 1 comment >>

Burngreave New Deal for Communities waist £4.5 million of public cash..

underclassrising.net | 22-11-2010 18:20 | Sheffield

Sorby House, on Spital Hill bought and refurbished by Burngreave New Deal for Communities at a cost of £4.5 million may have to be closed and sold - for as little as a quarter of its value.

Ratcliffe conspiracy to trespass trial opens today

18 months after 114 people were initially arrested at the Iona School in Sneinton, 20 climate change activists have begun a month-long trial today. They were originally arrested on 13th April 2009.

On Monday 22 November 2010, they have appeared to answer charge at Nottingham Crown Court: that they conspired together to cause aggrevated trespass at the Radcliffe Power Station. The trial is expected to last 4 weeks.

On Monday 22 November 2010, they have appeared to answer charge at Nottingham Crown Court: that they conspired together to cause aggrevated trespass at the Radcliffe Power Station. The trial is expected to last 4 weeks.

Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid in Nottingham
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/427471.html
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/427496.html

Today has largely been taken up with agreeing a timetable for the progress of the case. Arguement about whether legal representatives are to visit the Ratcliffe site. The defence would like to, to get a 'feel for the location'. The prosecution thinks this un-neccesary, since no one was arrested there. E-on didn't want to co-operate with this visit, health and safety implications etc ... The swearing in of the jury has also now been completed. Opening statement from counsel will begin tomorrow.

>> Statement from their blog:

Supporters gathered outside Nottingham Crown Court holding signs which read, "I would stop emissions too".

Anyone in the Nottingham area who would like to meet the defendants or help out can come along to the SUMAC centre (NG7 6HX) each evening after the trial at 7pm for dinner at People's Kitchen.

The arrests were thought to be the biggest ever pre-emptive arrest of environmental activists. The defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Trespass for planning to safely shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station for a week and in doing so stopping 150,000 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted. While they admit the intent, they maintain that they are not guilty of of a crime.

The defence will show that the activists acted out of necessity, to prevent death and serious injury. According to official sources, 300,000 people per year already lose their lives due to the effects of climate change and half a billion are at "extreme risk". (http://www.preventionweb.net/english/professional/publications/v.php?id=9668)

Rebecca Quinn, 32, who was one of those arrested in April but later had the charges dropped, said, "Climate Change is hitting those least responsible for it the hardest. Low-lying island nations are already seeing salt water encroach on their farm land, and in recent years we have seen an increasing frequency of extreme weather events. Coal is the dirtiest method of electricity generation, and must be stopped. To avoid a climate crisis, we must put people before profit. In the face of government apathy and the failure of the Copenhagen conference, it is ordinary people taking direct action who are desperately trying to avoid a bleak future of flooding, drought, crop failure and water shortages."

James Hansen, the high profile scientist who is the Head of NASA's Goddard Institute, is one of the many expert witnesses who will testify during the trial at Nottingham Crown Court. The leading climatologist will guide the jury through the complexities of climate science and explain how coal burning is jeopardizing the lives of millions.

Caroline Lucas MP, Leader of the Green Party will give expert evidence about the failure to achieve action on climate change domestically and within the EU parliament through more conventional political means. It will be argued that the defendants had no alternative but to physically stop the power station emitting CO2, having exhausted other channels such as lobbying, campaigning, and attending marches.

The defendants are a diverse mix of people of varying ages from 21 to 45. Living across the UK, they work in teaching, science, computing, and many other areas. 114 people were originally arrested on 13th April 2009, but most subsequently had their charges dropped.

For regular updates on the trial see http://ratcliffeontrial.org/blog

>>

Notes from the previous trial held at Nottingham Magistrates Court from 14 – 16th January 2008
Ratcliffe Power Station : Court Case Reporting
[addionally, this post contains some collected links to past coverage of the issues surrounding the Ratcliffe Power Station and concern about its operations]
http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/zines/670

http://ratcliffeontrial.org

the trial continues etc.........

____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:                 tash@indymedia.org
Web:                   http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
                                   It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>

All English Groups Campaigning Against Opencast mining get a Boost

A recent decision not to approve a new opencast mine application gains Government endorsement after a Public Inquiry - the first victory for Anti Opencast Campaigners for at least five years. This decision has implications for all prospective English applications including the Minorca application in Leicestershire

Defend the dissent 24th November

a little bird told me..... | 22-11-2010 12:48 | Sheffield

24th November has been called as national walkout for schools, colleges and universities. In London, a Carnival of Resistance has been called with an assembly point called for 11am at ULU, Malet Street.

Read more | 1 comment >>

Statement from NUT executive members in support of the school walk outs

We the undersigned members of the National Union of Teachers National Executive wish to express our wholehearted support for, and solidarity with, the national day of protests and walkouts being organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts on November 24th.

Antifascist Film Day at Bradford 1 in 12 Club

Antifascist Solidarity | 22-11-2010 09:58 | Anti-racism | Sheffield

Saturday December 4th

7 Dec Mass action. take your money out of the bank

jack | 21-11-2010 10:57 | Sheffield

Internet campaign for coordinated global bank withdrawals gaining momentum

Three Alternative Reforms for a Different Future for Higher Education

The British university system is at a crossroads. The recent Browne Review combined with the Lib-Con spending cuts spells out a dire future for the university. The proposal to remove the cap on fees, to slash funding for teaching in all the arts and humanities, and the continued imposition of market models on research and teaching are leading to far more than a ‘tightening of the belts’ – they will completely change the nature of the university.

Reimagine the University -24th-26th November - Leeds

Are you a skint student? An overworked member of University staff? A Leodian with a vision of a more inclusive University system?

The Really Open University invites you to ‘Re-imagine the University’, a three-day event dedicated to exploring and demonstrating an alternative educational system.

Download the programme here:

http://reallyopenuniversity.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/programme-of-events1.pdf

Guantánamo detainee, acquitted on 284 of 285 charges, faces 20 years

In a blow to the Obama administration’s effort to manipulate the civilian justice system to achieve guilty verdicts for alleged terrorists, a New York City jury on Wednesday unexpectedly acquitted a Guantánamo detainee, Ahmed Khaifan Ghailani, on 284 of 285 charges. The case was related to the 1998 terrorist attacks on US Embassy in Dar es Salam, Tanzania, which killed at least 11 people and injured another 85.

Global warfare: After NATO summit, U.S. to intensify military drive into Asia

Barack Obama, the latest rotating imperator of the first global empire, will arrive in Lisbon on November 19 to receive the plaudits of 27 North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies and secure their continued fealty on issues ranging from the war in Afghanistan to a continental interceptor missile system, the continued deployment of American tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, participation in the Pentagon’s cyber warfare plans and expanded military missions in the planet’s south and east.

Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre Protest

Interviews with protestors at the Queens visit to the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre ((Nuclear AMRC) in Rotherham on 18th November 2010.

Read more | 1 comment >>

Protest at the Queen's visit to the Rotherham Death Park

A small group of protestors were joined by a small group of fans at the Queen's opening of the "Factory of the Future", Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Rotherham on 18th November 2010.

Publish

IMCs