Posts Tagged ‘norfolk’

Practical Solidarity With Rojava

Saturday, September 10th, 2016

We received this message slightly too late to be shared at our Rojava screening but it is insightful and practical so we wanted to share it here. It comes from Jo at A Girl and Her Thumb.

So obviously the biggest news is that Turkey has invaded Rojava under the pretext of fighting ISIS, and is instead killing Kurds (as usual), including unarmed civilians in Rojava who are protesting the building of a new wall that Turkey is erecting along the border, between North Kurdistan (East Turkey/Bakur) and West Kurdistan (North Syria/Rojava).

It’s important that we stand up and take action on this. Turkey is a NATO member and our government is permitting this to happen. If we want Rojava to survive, this is the time to act. It has never been as important as this before. There is a new strategic alliance between Erdogan, the USA, Assad, Iran and Barzani (KRG/Iraqi Kurdistan) ALLLLL against Rojava and the wider Kurdish movement. These people and states all hate each other, but they are coming together to fight the Kurds.

Another important campaign is the campaign to free Ocalan. There are currently 50 people from multiple Kurdish parties and platforms on an “indefinite and irreversable” hunger strike. They are really ramping up the pressure on this one now, as Ocalan has been entirely cut off from absolutely everyone for something like 2 years now. The other day I met 2 men who have been on hunger strike for over a week already in Strasbourg, who were on their way to a meeting with the European committee against torture. They want them to apply to visit Ocalan on Imrali island and check his condition, as all other applications from lawyers, etc have been denied. There have also been fringe meetings at all the big trade union meetings, with the aim of getting the trade unions to sign up as supporters of the campaign. I believe this process is going very well.

There are also other campaigns, such as the campaign to delist the PKK and the campaign to open the Simalka border crossing, previously the only open border into Rojava, in order to allow vital supplies of food and medicines to enter.

You can also still fundraise for Feed the Revolution. I have their bank details, though they very much prefer cryptocurrency as they “don’t like to encourage the use of banks”.

On a smaller level, these are a couple of interesting articles about things people are doing in solidarity on the coops front:

One coop has partnered up with a bakery coop starting up in Rojava and they are fundraising specifically for that coop.

There is going to be this conference here in Brighton in November that might interest people:
http://steps-centre.org/events/emancipatory-transformations-radical-democracy-kurdistan/

Mike Huskisson at Norwich Anarchist Bookfair 2016

Monday, September 5th, 2016

We recorded the talk given by Mike Huskisson at this year’s Norwich Anarchist Bookfair and have uploaded it for you. Whether you were there and want to re-listen, weren’t there and would like to check out what happened, or would like to use it for samples/reference/fun, the recording below is yours to do with as you please. A slightly edited version will be appearing soon on Which Side Podcast as part of their lectures series.

Mike talks about hunt sabotage and his experiences with undercover work. This is followed by crowd discussion involving Mike about various animal liberation topics.

Our original version can be found here.

Thanks to Mike for his permission to put this up online. For more on his current activities check out the Animal Cruelty Investigation Group.  Thanks also to the Bookfair organisers for letting us make this recording.

Veganism: A Different Approach – I. Capitalism Is Not The Answer

Saturday, August 27th, 2016

For the past few months we have been working on putting together a publication that is aimed at the Norwich and Norfolk vegan scene, one that would introduce what seems to be an important but missing discourse from the community.


(more…)

Some Local Bastards

Sunday, August 14th, 2016

Here is a Government-mandated list of local bastards, taken from an 11th August 2016 press release, that can’t even be bothered to pay their staff minimum wage.

While this lot are horrible, let’s not forget that there are plenty of larger companies doing similar things that the Government turn a blind eye to because £££s.

Bijî Rojava

Friday, August 12th, 2016

Title: Bijî Rojava
Location: Space Studios, 5 Swan Lane, Norwich, NR2 1HZ
Link out: Click here
Description: Rojava is the autonomous Kurdish cantons of northern Syria, who since 2011 have been implementing a system of horizontal direct democracy they call “Democratic Confederalism”. Influenced by the works of the late Murray Bookchin, as well as autonomous struggles such as Revolutionary Catalonia and Zapatista Chiapas, the people of Rojava are implementing one of the most inspiring and successful anarchic societies the world has yet seen – and it is happening RIGHT NOW. All this whilst also being just about the most successful force of resistance against the spread of ISIS in the region during the past few years.

For this evening we will take a slightly different approach to previous months. Rather than airing a single feature length documentary (of which there aren’t many out) we have decided instead to curate several short films that will hopefully show a number of different sides to Rojava and the revolutionary Kurdish peoples. We do not claim to be experts in the subject, and cannot claim the films shown are the best possible available, but we hope they will at least inform you and introduce you to what exactly is happening in northern Syria at the moment.

We hope to have some people with more experience than us coming along, to share their opinions and knowledge, but won’t guarantee it right now. Watch this space for updates though.

This will be on the third floor of Space Studios, 5 Swan Lane, Norwich on Sunday 4th September. Runs from 6pm to 9pm with the films running a total of approximately 80 minutes. There will be time after to discuss what’s been aired.

As ever, this is free entry. Bring your own food and drink.
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2016-09-04
End Time: 21:00

Whin Close Poultry Farm approved

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Sedgeford poultry farm application approved by west Norfolk councillors

West Norfolk Borough Council approves plans for a high intensity poultry farm near Sedgeford, in the north west of the county.

The farm will comprise four buildings, each 20.1m by 91.4m, that each hold 45,000 broiler hens (i.e. chickens raised for meat rather than egg production). According to Newcome Baker Farm’s own application this equates to 38kg/m2; at an average maximum weight of 2.5kg that broilers reach before slaughter, that means there are approximately 15 chickens per square metre. This falls below even the RSCPA’s already poor “Freedom Foods” expectations.

  • Website for the proposed development. Note the use of the word “farm” rather than factory: a facile attempt at distraction and PR control that continues throughout the entire website. For example, there are almost no details about the actual development itself even on the so-called “The Facts” tab.
  • The planning applications submitted by Newcome Baker Farms Ltd to West Norfolk Borough Council. These contain actual details.
  • List of appointed directors. Other businesses owned by them include Fakenham Racecouse, South Pickenham Estate which holds regular pheasant shooting days, and “Countrywise Sports Ltd” and “West Norfolk Amateur Racing Club Ltd” that both  seem to be shell companies for who knows what. A bunch of lovely people, in other words.

While the No to Poultry Factory campaign focuses primarily on the impact that Whin Close Poultry Farm will have on the local human community, this is an important issue for people in Norfolk that give a shit about animals and the earth.

The Angry Brigade: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Britain’s First Urban Guerrilla Group

Wednesday, July 27th, 2016

Our August screening will be of the fun 70s BBC documentary about The Angry Brigade, who were the most fun gun-toting and bomb-wielding anarchist crew walking London’s streets during the late 60s and early 70s.

Please check out the Facebook event here.

This will be at yet another new venue: Space Studios. It is located on Swan Street, in Norwich, and the entrance is basically a gate between two shops. Because the venue is on a third floor it’s not friendly for people with difficulties climbing stairs this time around but if you are such a person and want to come along to the screenings then please let us know and we’ll try to make other arrangements for the future.

There’s no entrance fee and, as per usual, there will be space and time after the documentary itself to discuss the topics and issues that the film brings up.

See you there, compañerxs.

Let’s Chat – July 2016

Monday, July 4th, 2016

Our next discussion group is planed for Friday 22nd July at 6pm, when we will be discussing Heidegger’s “The Question Concerning Technology”. As ever, this is more about getting together than it is about showing off philosophical/political nous, so all are welcome. Having said that, Heidegger is also not the simplest writer to follow so we apologise in advance for any difficulties with this text.

Let us know if you’re interested in participating either by email or via Facebook and we’ll let you know where in Norwich you can find us.

We Shall Begin in the Night

Friday, June 24th, 2016

On Sunday 19th May, 1816, Reverend Bartholomew Edwards discovered a letter that had been left on the driveway of Ashill Rectory, which today is known as The Glebe. It was addressed to “the Gentlemen of the parish of Ashill, Norfolk” who, 30 years earlier in 1786, had enclosed 1986 acres of common land.

(more…)

If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

Tuesday, June 14th, 2016

The next screening we are hosting will be of “If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”, which looks at Daniel McGowan and the Oregon, USA, based ELF cell to which he belonged. It is a reflection on the limits of environmental direct action and the political repression that it faces.

The Facebook event page can be found here.

It will be at The Stage, 52 St Augustine’s Street, Norwich between 18:00 and 21:00. There is a kitchen with free tea and coffee available (we’ll bring soya milk), a couple of car parking spaces out the back, and an entrance friendly to people with disabilities. If you have any questions or need help then please send us an email or a message on FB.