Bailiffs are making final preparations before they begin clearing the Dale Farm travellers’ site in Essex.
As many as 400 people have been living on the 51 unauthorised caravan plots – but officials said 12 families had already left the site at Crays Hill.
Those remaining have built reinforcements at the six-acre site.
Police have been drafted in from several forces ready for the eviction at the UK’s largest unauthorised travellers’ site.
It is understood representatives of the Gypsy Council, the Irish Traveller Movement and a resident, Kathleen McCarthy, were due to meet council officials shortly after 10:00 BST.
Mary Sheridan, a representative of the residents, has applied for a personal injunction in another bid to stop the evictions and this will be heard by the Court of Appeal at 11:30 BST.
The campaign against the travellers has been spearheaded by a man who residents refer to as ‘our racist neighbour’. During my visit he was arrested for attempting to burn down a structure on the site. A stockpile of firearms was seized from his house. He has also reportedly sprayed sewage close to the encampment. Yet newspaper sources have for the most part given a sympathetic hearing to him.
Dale Farm was a scrapyard before the Travellers bought it.
The same can’t be said for the residents who risk losing their homes – including children who risk losing their access to education. Nor do the people from outside the camp who have agreed to help resist the eviction get a good press. While I am there the local newspaper writes about ‘anarchist thugs’ coming to Basildon. During a lengthy conversation with a journalist I turn the questions on him and ask him about the coverage so far. ‘To be honest, the story’s mostly written before we get here,’ he tells me, ‘and writing about thoughtful bookish types standing up for human rights doesn’t sell newspapers the same way as stories about anarchists and violence.’ It is no surprise that mainstream media access to the site has been restricted to allotted times.
Tamara Hernandez today accepted she tried to kill the head of the Prisons, the long hated Albert Batlle i Bastardas .
Albert had refused repeatedly to grant any clemency to the amazing anarchist prisoner Amadeu Castellas,
when he was on his 2nd hunger strike in 2009 after serving 22 years, way over his sentence.
The campaign for Amadeu went world wide, with daily attacks and demos all over, as he was apparently dying,
and put incommunicado in solitary by the same Albert Battle i Bastardos.
Tamara sent Albert a packet of gunpowder, 50 grams.
We had understood it wasn’t ‘loaded’ and was just a threat, but at the hearing yesterday the `police produced
‘proof’ that it was potentially lethal.
Then Tamara agreed a legal deal, her sentence was reduced from 17 to 8 years if she admitted it.
”I wanted to kill him”.. she said,. (well so did nearly everyone.)
SOLIDARITY DETAILS WILL BE PUBLISHED HERE WHEN AVAILABLE.
La Audiencia de Barcelona ha condenado a ocho años de prisión una joven anarquista por enviar un paquete bomba al ex secretario de Servicios Penitenciarios Albert Batlle en octubre del 2009. La chica ha aceptado los hechos y la pena, que se ha rebajado a la mitad respecto lo que pedía inicialmente la fiscalía.
Tamara iba a ser juzgada hoy en la sección séptima de la Audiencia de Barcelona, pero finalmente ha aceptado la rebaja de pena planteada por la Fiscalía y
Tamara''s attack on Albert Battle was to defend our comrade Amadeu Casellas, then dying on hunger strike due to Battle's refusal to grant basic human rights.
se ha conformado con una condena de ocho años de cárcel, la mitad de lo que el ministerio público pedía inicialmente para ella, según fuentes judiciales.
El fiscal pedía 16 años de cárcel por los delitos de asesinato en grado de tentativa (12) y tenencia de explosivos (4).
Ha habido una concentración en la entrada de la Audiencia de Barcelona, frente a fuertes medidas de seguridad, para protestar por la condena de la anarquista
love and rage: life after the collapse of capitalism
Greetings to all, especially you FoFees (friend of the Free) hope you’re enjoying the book
Set in the Collapse of Capitalism our heroes escape their School and Family and fall in with the squatters, anarchists and gays, who are busy getting ready for the final confrontation and the Dawn of a co-op Money Free world.. It’s a thriller as well..
Just to say it is selling well..Not a surprise as it’s FREE (lol). It also makes a very economical present.
Abuse of power being consistent in our culture, where fear colludes with the bully, it is cheering to see victims organising and supporting each other . This will appeal to a great many young people. You give us moments of delight:… rolling her big eyes back to us girls … such scandal would zoom round and round the area – like a bee in a jar … Then her daffodil moment of glory: dancing and swirling, waving the flowers at the grey building … the golden snow. I’ve never heard of ‘testerical laughter’, but it kind of hits the mood of the moment.I really like your book and back it with pleasure. Pia (Course of Mirrors)
Wow; I can’t stop reading! I’ve just finished chapter 8, and I’m only stopping because it’s 1AM! It seems to remind me a little of ‘A Clockwork Orange’, combined with ‘A Child Called It’. I cannot wait to read on. I’m still not entirely sure about a lot of things (such as the political situation) but everything I’ve read so far has been wonderful. If I get the chance, I will buy this book.
Karen Eisenbrey I read three chapters and the glossary. I like your ideas for remaking society, especially the mix of practical, earnest things with more whimsical ideas of fashion etc. I especially like how in the first chapters, it’s not obvious that the story takes place in (I would guess) the near future in a shifting, alternative society. But there are little clues all over the place that things are falling apart and changing, present but not taking over the story. We start with Linda, a real, relatable character. You’ve nailed the voice here. She’s articulate and smart, but not at all formal; young, angry, scared, beaten down but ready to stand up. Good luck with The Free!…Karen Eisenbrey
Aaron Pattis wrote After three chapters, nothing will stop me from reading the rest of this book! Who couldn’t pull for a kid like this and wonder where she’s going to end up? There are some terms that I have difficulty with sometimes, like “lekky” and such, but soon enough figure it out. But I wouldn’t change that voice for this story because it adds to the richness realism in the characters. Great job and backed with pleasure..Aaron,”80 Grit”
Lmfrenchwrote Wow, what can I say? I love how you capture Linda’s voice. It wasn’t too long ago that I was a fifteen year old girl and…well…wow. I read some of this the other day and wasn’t too
Occupy The Planet. Abolish Debt. For a Co-Op world.
impressed, but I re-read it and trudged on to see what happened beyond the first page and I must say, I am very glad I did. I found myself giggling a bit and read on with a smile. It is a fun story. I am not normally a fan of 1st person POV but you seem to be able to still bring your characters to life. Very nice.
Great opening. Fast-paced and spirited way of writing. I like the talk about men drooling over Janice (lol); very typical. It’s real! and the “like a pack of randy dogs snifting after her”…This is what happens most of the time, in real life. Good job Mike. This work is so rich and moving, good humored. I can’t stop reading it.GOOD LUCK!! Emma Philips…The Dark Intruder
Well Mikey…a huge HUGE contemporary tale. Brutal and brave..comical and painful. Your style is enviably quirky. The language stripped yet so incredibly weighted. Congratulations, I wish you every success with THE FREE. . Dawn:ARK
Por fin se fue su ridícula santidad, y con él las hordas de devotos, pijos, fascistas y demás ralea que inundó Madrid durante la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud (y de la represión policial). La CNT madrileña da, por razones evidentes, por concluida su campaña que, por desgracia, se ha quedado corta: ni los 1500 carteles, ni los 4000 comunicados, ni las 5000 pegatinas editadas para la ocasión han sido suficientes para satisfacer a los muchos simpatizantes de esta campaña que se han acercado a nuestros locales en la última semana para llevarse unos pocos y se han encontrado que ya se habían gastado.
En otro orden de cosas, no nos cansamos de felicitar a todos los participantes en el concurso de diseños ateos que nos han enviado cerca de 50, y que han conseguido la simpatía de miles de visitantes a nuestro blog. A todos ellos/as trasladamos la invitación de Tinta Negra anARTchist blog a unirse a este proyecto. De las propuestas enviadas, habéis mostrado vuestras preferencias por el diseño “Noconmisimpuestos” enviado por Ángel desde Murcia, al quele llegará ese obsequio pobre en lo material pero rico en lo espiritual que le tenemos reservado.
Desde aquí debemos dar las gracias a los participantes y colaboradores en esta campaña que han contribuido a difundir carteles, pegatinas, comunicados, el blog, proponer iniciativas o que han acudido a la Semana de Cine Ateo, etc. y que han hecho posible que tome forma un mensaje humanista integral, la de aquellos que no queremos que nos gobierne ni un Dios, ni un viejo disfrazado, ni nadie, porque queremos gobernar todos los ámbitos de nuestra vida en sus vertientes tanto individuales como colectivas, y no nos cansamos de repetir:
“La religión dejará de ser necesaria cuando el hombre sea lo suficientemente inteligente como para gobernarse a sí mismo”.
Por fin se fue su ridícula santidad, y con él las hordas de devotos, pijos, fascistas y demás ralea que inundó Madrid durante la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud (y de la represión policial). La CNT madrileña da, por razones evidentes, por concluida su campaña que, por desgracia, se ha quedado corta: ni los 1500 carteles, ni los 4000 comunicados, ni las 5000 pegatinas editadas para la ocasión han sido suficientes para satisfacer a los muchos simpatizantes de esta campaña que se han acercado a nuestros locales en la última semana para llevarse unos pocos y se han encontrado que ya se habían gastado.
En otro orden de cosas, no nos cansamos de felicitar a todos los participantes en el concurso de diseños ateos que nos han enviado cerca de 50, y que han conseguido la simpatía de miles de visitantes a nuestro blog. A todos ellos/as trasladamos la invitación de Tinta Negra anARTchist blog a unirse a este proyecto. De las propuestas enviadas, habéis mostrado vuestras preferencias por el diseño “Noconmisimpuestos” enviado por Ángel desde Murcia, al quele llegará ese obsequio pobre en lo material pero rico en lo espiritual que le tenemos reservado.
Desde aquí debemos dar las gracias a los participantes y colaboradores en esta campaña que han contribuido a difundir carteles, pegatinas, comunicados, el blog, proponer iniciativas o que han acudido a la Semana de Cine Ateo, etc. y que han hecho posible que tome forma un mensaje humanista integral, la de aquellos que no queremos que nos gobierne ni un Dios, ni un viejo disfrazado, ni nadie, porque queremos gobernar todos los ámbitos de nuestra vida en sus vertientes tanto individuales como colectivas, y no nos cansamos de repetir:
“La religión dejará de ser necesaria cuando el hombre sea lo suficientemente inteligente como para gobernarse a sí mismo”.
by Phil Dickens..For the English Defence League, today was undoubtedly a spectacular flop. After months and months of hype about “marching into the lion’s den” in Tower Hamlets, they managed only to get 600 people to the final demo point – and that outside of the Tower Hamlets borough! Meanwhile, huge crowds of anti-fascists turned out to defend the streets.
……Anti-fascists are unanimous in declaring the day a victory, but not so much in what was responsible for said victory. In his only acknowledgement that not all anti-fascists agreed with a state ban, Nick Lowles claimed “today has proved that [the ban] was the right decision.” Unite Against Fascism laid the credit at the feet of “the greatest possible opposition to the racists and fascists,” who “ensure[d] the [EDL] could not threaten the borough’s multiracial, multicultural community.” Tower Hamlets ALARM largely agrees, saying that “a mob of locals and antifascists” defended the area and saw the fascists off…..
It was the solidarity of the RMT (effectively threatening illegal strikes to shut the stations down) which saw the EDL’s movements interrupted and foiled rather than any legal measure. And of course the “mob” was the best protection Tower Hamlets could have had.
The Free 