More news from Soas Steph in Copenhagen

Day 3: The Bella Center

the good news: no one from SOAS got arrested or badly hurt.
the bad news: there was a lot of police violence, tear gas, pepper spray and police batons used on everyone. The demonstration did not achieve its aim of getting into the Bella Centre, and the delegates from the NGOs who were planning to walk out to meet the demonstration were prevented by the police from getting out. HOWEVER the demonstrators did manage to carry out a peaceful People's Summit justoutside the Bella Center, a democratic-ish forum for all the
demonstrators from all over the world to get together to exchange ideas and get them heard. As I type this demonstrators have marched peacefully back to the city proper.

I did not take part in the demonstration but I did make it to the People's Summit. I spent most of the night in the kitchen of the school we are staying in helping to get breakfast ready for the 100- odd activists. This involved skipping at the nearby supermarket at 3AM for fruits and bread and making many many pots of coffee. The first few people were up at 5AM. The police showed up around 7AM, and searched people's bags as they left. On the whole, it is still early to come to any conclusions, but I like to think today's action was a success, and the police left people alone after awhile. People were fearing violence from the demonstrators, but almost all of it came from the police.

You can hear the People's assembly on
Indymedia.co.uk. This page has updates: http://indymedia.dk/action_timelines/16th-dec

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Climate Camp 2009

I arrived at Climate Camp and spent the whole day talking to people about their main concerns. It was pleased to see such a good range of active people, for many of whom this was their first engagaement with anything political.

Climate Camp media team have done a fabulous job with their website and Climate Camp TV. You can follow regular updates from the blog HERE

I haven't yet announced the launch of our very own Mutiny TV because I am still playing around with it but 1) we are working with ClimateCampTV to upload vids to their site and 2) you can see some of ours HERE

I made a piece of bunting to add to this stream with 'Bail out Vestas not Banks' on it.

It's going well so far. Really creative and nice vibrant atmosphere.

Tower Hamlets college strikes are top of the agenda at Climate Camp. I will report more on this when I go back later today (I'm not actually camping)

More soon.

Press release: Climate Camp reveals Swoop positions for Wednesday!

Sorry it has taken me so long to correct this post including all details of how to get involved. With the governments hypocritical spending of £35BILLION pounds recently on and yet not wanting to engage with the fight over the closure of our only windturbine factory at Vestas we need as much pressure and creative campaigning as possible.

So pleased to see the excellent use of ICT tools. And the website is slick. The whole event looks really well organised. We really need to collaborate. HERE is the press release. Sign up for regular email updates HERE.


Personally, I am going to the Silver-east meet-up. Will be taking camera and uplaoding videos immediately as I did today from Netanyahu protest. See above post.

See you there climate campers...and this fabulous video says more than I could write. No thanks Mr Police, we do not need your assistance or protection (protection from whom exactly?)

London Vestas Rally 6.30pm Thursday

London Vestas Rally

Start: 06 Aug 2009, 6:30 pm

Where:

Outside DECC, 3 Whitehall Place

Thursday 6th August at 6.30 pm,

Outside the Dept of Energy and Climate Change, 3 Whitehall Place.

Speakers to include Michael Meacher MP (ex-Secretary of State for the Environment, Labour party), Jenny Jones, GLA member (Green party), a speaker from the RMT and a worker from the Vestas factory

An eviction order has been granted to end the occupation of the Vestas Newport plant. Now is the time for us to send a loud and clear message in support of the occupiers and their cause - to save the 600 jobes at Vestas, maintain the skilled work pool, keep the factory producing wind turbines and initiate as fast as possibe a massive expansion in wind energy and other renewables. Bring on the Green Energy Revolution !

Liberal Simon hughes goes down like a lead windballoon at Vestas protest

At minute 3.20 I interview him directly.

VIDEO COMING TOMORROW

After waffling on for well over his allocated time (loves the sound of his own typical politicians non-commital voice) the croud boo and heckle him for ages.

Refusing to answer any questions directly I force him to. He refused to back the occupation or to condemn the police for their illegal activity at occupation.

My movie maker is affected by this bloody trojan horse still so wont be able to download video til tomorrow.

Check back tmrw evening for 4 min video.

Boris on Monday, Hughes on Wednesday; lets hope a hat-trick with Afghan MP Malalai Joya tomorrow will provide us with much better food for thought.

Another Education is Possible conference-sign up now

Italian Students have led a wave of occupations and protests against the neoliberal cuts in the face of the economic crisis. Students and lecturers have united with such force that the government is debating sending in the state to break up the occupations. Student strike waves are shaking Greece and Ireland as we write this. Governments are reshaping our universities to fit the needs of capital and we need to be part of the fight back; we need to start to pull together the nucleus of a movement at home that can replicate the same sort of action at home.

The crisis of capitalism is ripping through all areas of the welfare state and working class life. We need to fight on every front in solidarity with workers while remembering the main fight is where we are.

Our starting point is rally our forces nationally at the Another Education is Possible Conference on Saturday 1st.

Jonathon Neal in the Independent on Sunday

Sunday, 7 September 2008.

In a new book on climate change, Jonathan Neale argues that solutions are within reach but the political will is lacking – a mass movement is needed to make governments take the lead.

Hear Jonathon speak st SOAS on Oct 1st, 6pm

Don't know why this silly green & red block is here?...

SOAS Freshers 2008 begins...

Thanks to comrade Ady for yet another fabulous poster.