A-Infos SchNEWS 239, Friday 3rd December 1999

["SchNEWS" <schnews@gn.apc.org>]

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This is SchNEWS, the weekly direct action newsletter published by Justice?
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http://www.schnews.org.uk/thisweek.htm

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WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IT'S YER US VERSUS U.S.!

SchNEWS

Published in Brighton by Justice? - Brighton's Direct Action collective

Issue 239, Friday 3rd December 1999

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SEATTLE'S A GAS

"I came here to get arrested -- let's get back out there tomorrow"
Dan, protestor, Tuesday night

"My Trade Minister went to Seattle and all I got was this import
quota" T-Shirt for sale, downtown Seattle

"Whose Streets? Our Streets!" Everyone!

Thousands of people are marching on Capitol Hill; the police are at a
loss, their most vicious tactics ineffective against the masses
gathered in the streets. The alliance of workers, environmentalists,
students, human rights activists, anarchists, in fact everyone from
the Church of the Underground Elvis to the Wobblies is rock
solid. Hundreds of arrested protestors have cut their plastic
handcuffs with nail clippers, barricaded themselves in the buses used
to take them to the nick and are refusing to even give their
names. Yes, the SchNEWS team is in Seattle for what was gonna be a
nice quiet winter holiday, and seems to have stumbled on America's
biggest protest in decades.

As SchNEWS went to press downtown Seattle was still in chaos: riot
police in armoured cars (called Peacemakers!) sped through the battle
zone lobbing tear gas at anyone in the streets, while protestors still
held many parts of the city centre, effectively shutting down the city
for a second day running. A state of emergency has been declared;
Martial Law is in force; a curfew declared every night between 7 and
dawn in the centre of town and residential areas. The National Guard
are on every street corner arresting anyone, riot cops still loosing
tear gas at a peaceful student demos we write. For those Poll Tax/June
18th veterans who reckon they can handle the odd copper, riot police
here are better armed than the average Storm Trooper, and the policy
seems to be gas first, beatings and arrests later. On Wednesday
afternoon a spontaneous march on Bill Clinton's hotel by the
Steelworkers and hundreds of protestors was broken up by a constant
tear gas barrage, gassing hundreds of shoppers, passers-by and people
driving home.

TOP TEAR GAS TIPS: Although we're not sure about toothpaste under the
eyes, SchNEWS can confirm that vinegar on a scarf does help you
breathe more easily.

SchNEWS has been bangin' on about the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
for a while (see SchNEWS 233, 190), but now as US Senator Pat Hayden
says, "Yesterday no-one knew what the WTO was. Today the whole of
America knows it as a household word, and they know it is bad."

The WTO is a shadowy organisation that for the past five years has
been busy dismantling labour and environmental laws under the guise of
'free trade' (see SchNEWS 220, 204, 187). Effectively this amounts to
world domination by multinational corporations, fronted by national
govts, with surprise, surprise the good ol' U.S of A running the
show. Seattle is the location for thrashing out new agreements, and
activists have been arriving for over a week to show their
opposition. The aim of the protests was to shut down the meetings -
and shut them down they did, with Tuesday's opening ceremony delayed,
then finally abandoned as delegates were stopped from entering the
Conference centre.  Thousands laid siege, blocking the streets in the
face of tear gas, pepper spray, concussion grenades, and rubber
bullets.

Many have been injured, protestors and delegates alike complaining
about the cops' reckless and enthusiastic use of weapons. The crowds
were later joined by a 40,000 strong union crowd, worried that the WTO
will mean even greater job losses, worse working conditions, lower
pay, less job security and greater profits for bosses. Students and
schoolchildren walked out, and taxi-drivers with their own grievances
went on strike, as buses were under siege round the Western Hotel in a
situation reminiscent of Custer's last stand.

By Wednesday the protests were smaller, anyone daring to raise their
voice facing arrest and being shipped off to a naval base. The
pre-conference hype had been immense, making Seattle the world's most
clued-up city on the WTO. Everyone had an opinion, most
unfavourable. One garage attendant told SchNEWS the WTO was "a global
conspirarcy to make us all eat poison shit."

An aircraft flew over on Sunday spelling out 'People Not Profit'; a
4-page spoof section of the Seattle Post Intelligencer was slipped
into thousands of the papers. You could buy t-shirts, caps, and a
whole range of other merchandise - even the local strip joint was
getting in on the act. Seattle has become a wealthy city, symbol of a
'revitalised economy' and home to Microsoft and Boeing. All this
despite a massive homeless problem, the same poverty found in any
American city and new laws recently passed to sweep the poor off the
streets. As one local paper asked, "Is Seattle nuts?" As Texas DJ and
former senator Jim Hightower put it, "they got the fat cats, we got
the alley cats."  Preparations for the arrival of the WTO included a
federal grant and a stash of hidden medication in the event of a major
biological or chemical attack!

This was the 2nd time Clinton had flown into mass protests over the
WTO, last May in Geneva, he saw 5,000 protestors get it on, when cars
were torched, offices occupied and trashed, etc (see SchNEWS
168). Clinton's hopes of ending his presidency on a high note, making
up for last year's indiscretions and showing the U.S's command of
international affairs has gone up in smoke. Only last year the WTO
were complaining about a low press profile, now it probably wishes it
could crawl back into its murky world of secret tribunals and hope the
protests go away.

Media attention has as always focussed on the violence, but as one
protestor said, "I don't think it's right to hurt someone, but
property destruction is not violence." SchNEWS favourites like
McDonalds, and the Bank of America lost their windows, while shops
were pillaged.

Seattle is a pretty laid-back city, considering the amount of coffee
consumed, so this was the first time the National Guard has been in
action in modern times. An example of the hypocrisy which
characterises American politics - in a country where you can buy
rifles over the counter, the mayor announced that having a gas mask is
illegal!

http://www.indymedia.org/
http://www.seattle99.org/
http://www.seattlewto.org/n30/

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CRAP ARREST OF THE WEEK

For juggling! Someone was nabbed by the taste police at the WTO
protest in London on Nov. 30th for 'going equipped to cause wilful
criminal damage' and not even for trying to single-handedly bring down
international capital. No, for twirling fire chains, his clothes were
seized, his house searched, and then he was released until the cops
can prove he'd set light to one of their vans.

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ANTI-WTO CRAZY

On 25 Nov. 5000 French farmers with their sheep, ducks and goats,
feasted on regional products under the Eiffel tower in protest at the
impact of trade liberalisation. On Tuesday, 800 miners clashed with
cops, ransacking a tax office and burning cars in 2 towns in eastern
France.

The more random 'Spackparade' in Berlin left police confused as
protesters waved mock banners demanding more order, more security and
'wealth for eels' (a pun on wealth for all).

In Iceland anti-American protests targetted a military base and
embassy demanding "Yanks Out" (a promise still unkept since WW2).

At the home of the WTO in Geneva, a city of only 300,000 managed to
produce 5,000 protestors made up of farmers and city-dwellers,
expressing their solidarity with the struggle against globalisation;
the farmers gathering at the UN building and the city folk marching on
the international banking district.

Food Not Bombs served up in Prague, and supermarkets were leafletted.

On the 24th in India, 300 scaled the fence of the World Bank building,
covering it with posters, grafitti, cow shit and mud, while others
sang slogans and traditional songs at the gate.

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In London over 1000 gathered outside Euston Station in support of rail
and tube workers, and for a privatised and safe rail network. Speeches
were made, drums banged, and people partied (despite the dull presence
of Socialist Wanker Parasites). Everything was peaceful until the
rally had ended and some protestors charged the cops in the return of
rabid riot ravers ruckus. A police van was set alight and protestors
and lots of heavy-handed cops pushed each other around. Arrests were
made, capitalism was mentioned, people went home. And remember folks:
you're not obliged to say anything to the cops or have your picture
taken! Earlier in the day there were protests in Trafalgar Sq about
asbestos, and outside Citibank, about student fees.

In Leeds city centre, around 50 protestors (and yet more SWP sads)
were faced by over 300 cops. In the face of these daft odds, people
wandered around, handed out leaflets outside scummy companies, and
generally had a laff.

A disused garage and an old Toll House, soon to be "luxury flats" have
been squatted in Totnes, South Devon to draw local people's attention
to the WTO. In Cardiff a procession marched through the centre of
town. In Halifax a Nestle factory was occupied and a banner dropped
outside; 16 were arrested.

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HUNTINGDON DEATH SCIENCES

The good folk who brought you the closure of Hillgrove cat farm are
now set to bring you the demise of vivisectors Huntingdon Life
Sciences. The labs, in Cambridgeshire, will be targeted by 'avin' it
mass protests until they close.  Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty
Campaign promise the biggest actions yet. HLS holds 70,000 animals at
one time and was seriously undermined by campaigners a couple of years
back before being bailed out by Nat West. The first national demo is
set for Dec 11: details/leaflets/etc 0121 632 6460. Last Sunday's demo
against Shamrock Monkey Farm in Sussex saw activists blockading
Brighton town centre while the riot squad and EG units waited on a
country lane 20 miles away.  Nice One!! Save The Shamrock Monkeys PO
Box 3090, Brighton BN1 3QU tel: 0702 093 6956

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SCHNEWS IN BRIEF

Check out www.geocities.com/newburybypass for a huge archive about yer
favourite road.

Two hospitals are being closed to make way for a Private Finance
Initiative (see SchNEWS 210/219) 'superhospital' with losses of beds
and jobs. Demo. on Sat 11th Dec, 11 a.m, Selly Oak Hospital: details
c/o B'ham TUC, The Union Club, 723 Pershore Rd, Selly Park, Birmingham

Meals Without Squeals? this vegan recipe book for just #2.80 is right
up yer street, from VIVA!, 12 Queens Square, Brighton

9 Ladies need your help! Stanton Moor, the Nine Ladies Stone Circle
and related areas of the Peak District are in serious danger if the
application to re-open two dormant quarries is accepted. Tel 01332
663031

Got a spare video camera? A Brighton activist heading to Arizona to
document the forced relocation of Navajo Indians desperately needs
video equipment. Contact SchNEWS office.

Don't know what to get the folk this Christmas? Check out Green Books,
AK Distribution and Pluto Press catalogues. Green Books 01803 863260
www.greenbooks.co.uk; AK Distribution 0131 555 5165; Pluto Press 0181
348 2724 www.plutobooks.com

Ethical Xmas pressies? check out the Fair Trade Fair at Kensington Olympia 2,
10th - 12th Dec. More info P.O. Box 1001, London SE24 9NL
www.globalpartnership.org

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CAR SICK

This week, John Prescott incurred the wrath of car-lovers with his
proposals for higher fuel duty and city road tolls. Even Scum readers
demanded a series of one-day car drivers' strikes to show John that
they won't be pushed around - so now brave 'Two Jags' announces the
money raised is to be spent on more roads rather than public
transport. Yep, folks...time to dust down Swampy and prise him out of
his Armani 'cos 37 bypasses and motorways are planned over the next 7
years. And of course, there's also the Fat Hypocrite's sell-off of
London Underground, although he's ousted Railtrack from this process,
but privitisation goes on nonetheless (including a widely criticised
plan to remove air traffic control from the public
sector). Overcrowding, high fares, delays and accidents are all a
result of shareholders' concern for profits rather than people. But
before you unpack yer climbing harness, get a copy of Statewatch. Cops
are calling for new legislation to combat road protestors. In an
interview in Police Review, Chief Constable Stephen Green calls for
new laws and police powers to deal with non-violent protest and a
change in definition, 'upping' road protest from public order to
terrorism!! Statewatch: P.O Box 1516, London N16 0EW Tel: 0208 802
1882

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SCHNEWS AGGRO GUIDE: MAYDAY 2000

MayDay 2000, a 4-day gathering to be held across London from 28 Apr. -
1st May 2000. Conceived at the Bradford '98 conference and born at the
June 18th action.  Plans include workshops, speakers, into-the night
discussions, stalls, a bookfair, film festival, art exhibition, footie
tournament, tours of revolutionary London, a MASSIVE Critical Mass
bike ride, plans for a permanent social centre, top gigs, parties, a
May Queen event with a twist, maypoles, mayhem and a MASS ACTION in
London on Monday May 1st to celebrate "our diverse struggles against
capitalism, exploitation and the destruction of the planet."  Any
offers of help organising the festivities are welcome, as are
donations.

MayDay 2000 BM MayDay London WC1N 3XX
Email enquiries to: mayday2k@email.com
Discussion group: mayday2000-subscribe@egroups.com
and the site... http://www.freespeech.org/mayday2k/

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INSIDE SCHNEWS

While you're all out 'avin it over the winter hols, spare a thought
for those locked down and send a card, or better still a letter. It's
important to support those who are serving time for trying to make the
world a better place, and contact with the outside world can really
make someone's day. Don't forget it could be you... Here's a list to
start you off, for more info on letter-writing and prisoner support
contact London ABC, 27 Old Gloucester St, London WC1N 3XX
londonabc@hotmail.com

Harold H. Thompson, #93992, N.W.C.C, Site 1, Route 1, Box 660,
Tiptonville, Tenn. 38079, USA

Edward Mark Williams, P15135, E Wing, HMP Wormwood Scrubs, Du Cane Rd,
London W12 0AE

Mark Barnsley, WA2897, HMP Full Sutton, York YO41 1PS

Burley William, 097234 - A1 - P110GW, Box 221, Raiford, FLA 32083, USA

Hannah Thompson, CF 4997 - 01.20, HMP Eastwood Park, Falfield, nr.
Wootten-Under-Edge, Glos GL12 8DS

Andrew Kerry, HMP Swaleside, Eastchurch, Kent ME12 4AX

Pablo Locke, MM2797, HMP Kingston, Milton Rd, Portsmouth, Hants PO3 6AS

Richard Gilbert, DP4786, Houseblock 3, HMP Belmarsh, Western Way,
Thamesmead, London SE28 OEB

Will Hudson, HG0089, D Wing, HM Prison Blundeston, Lowestoft, Suffolk
NR32 5BG

John Bowden, B41173, HMP Long Lartin, South Littleton, Evesham, Worcs
WR11 5TZ

Tim Pockett, JW1522, HMP Littlehey, Perry, Huntingdon, Cambs PE18 OSR

Raphael Rowe, HMP Kingston, Milton Rd, Portsmouth PO3 6AS

And another prisoner is being held in relation to June 18th. Letters
of support: Darren Sole CW 9599, HMP Wandsworth, P.O. Box 757,
Heathfield Rd, London SW18 3HF

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AND FINALLY

After years avoiding anything more strenuous than rushing to the shops
for a pack of biscuits, SchNEWS was very surprised by the results of a
survey into people's attitudes to work published in the Financial
Times this week. We're not sure who was interviewed or if they come
from the same planet as we do, but here's some of the 'statistics'
that had us running to get on the sick:

* 10% said they go to work because they enjoy it

* 2% go to work for the company of others

* 79% are 'very' or 'fairly satisfied' with their job

* 89% would seek work at once if made unemployed

* Managers are rated as 'very good' or 'quite good' by a staggering 78%

And the survey said, "Are you out of your fucking minds?" On the basis
of the above, some employees are too unimaginative to think of
anything better to do, have no mates outside the workplace, and love
being ordered about by power-crazed nutters. The results might
surprise those who continue to endure shit working conditions, get
paid virtually fuck-all, and are on a one-way fast-track route to old
age with no pensions.

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DISCLAIMER

SchNEWS warns all readers not to attend any illegal gatherings or take
part in any criminal activities. Always stay within the law. In fact
please just sit in, watch TV and go on endless shopping sprees filling
your house and lives withwith endless consumer crap...you will then
feel content. Honest.

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Phone/Fax: 01273 685913
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