[Imc-london-audio] stories 7th june from planet

[planet-mail at aktivix.org]

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As the campaign to save Titnore Woods near Worthing, Sussex reaches it's
endgame, protestors have seized an area of woodland and built a tree camp.
Landowner Clem Somerset was surprised and perplexed by the sudden appearance of
tree houses in the woods at 6.30 on Sunday morning, the weekend before last.

Since then the camp has grown and attracted a lot of local support, building on
the widespread campaign to save the woodland from development. This is a
struggle with wide local support.

Police reaction, after circling in a helicopter during the afternoon, was to try
and evict the camp on Sunday evening under Section 61 of the 1994 Criminal
Justice Act. However faced with a rapid retreat on to the increasingly sturdy
tree-defence platforms, and a lot of local media interest, they backed down and
claimed that the incident had been merely 'a health and safety visit'.

Worthing District Commander Jason Taylor said, "As far as the police are
concerned we have a situation which is, at the moment, legitimate. People are
protesting lawfully and are not causing particular problems. They're causing
problems for the landowner and he can go to court - but at this stage I'm not
going to endanger the protesters or people in the area by enforcing the removal
of people."

The camp is a week and a half old now and despite attempts by the landowner Lord
Somerset, including digging ditches and putting up fences to prevent access
onto the disputed land, and sending his farmhands to spray muck on the fields
next to the camp, the site is getting stronger. 

for more details check out 
www.protectourwoodland.co.uk

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So the bi-annual orgy of football-related marketing is with us once again... 

Campaign groups are not happy however, pointing out that much of the
merchandising currently flooding our shops and supermarkets is produced under
sweat shop conditions...

The footbALLS used for the games will be made by some exploited child labourer
in Pakistan more than likely, where 90% of the world's balls are made. Brief
outrage during France 1998 at media exposure of sweatshop practices in Pakistan
led to 'code of practice' being adopted by FIFA and the major sportswear
multinationals,promising no forced labour, equality of opportunity, work hour
restrictions, minimum wages and all the rest. Backed up by independent
monitoring of course!

Eight years later and... guess what, little's changed....

Child labour and substandard working conditions are prevalent as ever, with
subcontractors farming work out to villages away from the monitoring zones,
while some companies are switching production to China where they get even less
scrutiny.

At the end of the day, an event like the world cup is a business gravy train for
corporate juggernauts - which has got nothing to do with helping the sport on a
grassroots level. Corporate shareholders and corrupt officials in football
associations around the world will make sure that precious little of the
bonanza reaches the bare-foot kids in the majority world, all huddled round one
battered portable TV, dreaming of glory in the 'beautiful game'.

for more see nosweat.org.uk and fairdealtrading.com

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Bad news for Stoke Newington - the Stokefest community festival due to be held
this weekend has been cancelled by Hackney Council - so it seems the bungling
bureacrats have let down Hackney residents once again. 

According to the Hackney Gazette the dipstick council officials forgot to apply
for the necessary licence, leaving the festival unable to go ahead and hundreds
of local volunteers having wasted hours of their time.

Organisers are now hoping to re-schedule the event in September which should
leave enough time for the muppets at Hackney Council to get their act
together.

It's not all lost this weekend however - another great event's taking place in
nearby Finsbury Park - which plays host to the one day Big Sexy Festie
Party....

it's a free festival (well £1 entry anyway) in aid of Crisis - the homeless
campaign - and has got a whole host of bands and Dj's and tons of stalls - it's
running from midday til late - finishing at 10pm.

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Sadly last week as we were on air the eviction of the Castle Mill boatyard near
Oxford was coming to an end. Bailiffs and a large number of police descended on
the site in the early hours, bringing the long running campaign to prevent
people losing their homes to an end.

A large crane was used to put the long boats - people's homes - back in the
water, after they had been used as barricades against the eviction. 

People resisted and some managed get in the way of the cranes delaying the
operation, but the outcome was unavoidable given the numbers of people and
police there - there were two arrests. 

For more see www.portmeadow.org

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UPCOMIN EVENTS:

Next Tuesday - the 13th june - sees an Indymedia screening of the film 'ARABS
AND TERRORISM' - it's introduced by the directors and that's at 7pm, Tuesday
13th June, at the Inn On The Green, underneath the A40 flyover at 3 Thorpe
Close, W10 - it's free of course and we think it's actualy the UK premiere of
the film.

The World Naked Bike Ride Documentary is being shown tomorrow at the Barbican
Centre, and of course the naked bike ride itself takes place on saturday -
details at www.worldnakedbikeride.org

We're in the middle of the "Stop the Arms Trade Week" - lots of events, check
out www.calltheshots.org - and saturday 10th also sees the Fifth annual Stop
The War Coalition Conference, that's at the Friends Meeting House, Euston Road
- for more see stopwar.org.uk

the weekend also sees Faslane Peace Camp's Birthday Party, celebrating 24 years
of defiance against the Naval base - for details see faslane.co.nr

as we said, saturday is also the Big Sexy Festy Party in aid of Crisis, at
finsbury park...

the weekend also sees the climate camp meeting in london - and the organisers
say it's an opportunity to find out about the camp for climate acion being held
at the end of august and get involved in organising it - for details see
climatecamp.org.uk

Saturday evening sees a protest against repression, meeting up at 7.30pm outside
Bank Tube Station

And the same night - this saturday - also sees the start of "Art Not Oil", with
a launch gig & oil-free cabaret at the 491 Gallery,  491 Grove Green Road, E11
- followed by a week of films, workshops & interactions with the BP Portrait
Awards - for details on that see artnotoil.org.uk

blimey! there's a lot going on!