The deaths of eight soldiers in Afghanistan in as many days brings home the
urgency of our campaign to bring the troops home from Afghanistan and to
shut down the Army showroom in Dalston.
The media may try to ignore us or spin the figures. But the fact remains
that a majority of people in Britain want the troops in Afghanistan
withdrawn by the end of the year. They do not believe this is a 'good war'.
In reality Nato forces are protecting a corrupt regime under President
Karzai and an undemocratic bunch of drug-running warlords. It is a state
where the position of women is worse than it was under the Taliban.
The government claims that the war must go on to prevent terrorism on the
streets of Britain. But the longer the occupation continues the greater the
likelihood of terrorist outrages occurring.
If politicians really want to save the lives of soldiers (and the lives of
Afghan civilians, who are now dying at double last year's rate), they should
recognise that this is a pointless, unwinnable war and bring the troops home
now.
And we must get the army showroom in Dalston shut down. Youth unemployment
is now at a sixteen year high. We don't want young people in Hackney being
conned by glitzy images into an army career, with the prospect of death,
injury or mental trauma as a result of the Afghan war.
Join the protest at 1.30pm on Saturday 25 July
at the Kingsland Shopping Centre, Dalston, opposite Dalston Kingsland
station.
We shall be leafleting, petitioning and distributing postcards. Any help you
can give would be much appreciated.
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Thursday, 16 July 2009
RETAKING OUR LIBERTIES is THIS THURSDAY - 16th!
Is the next exciting i'd rather be...productions event
This is the second of an irregular series of irb...productions events. The first, also held at London's Cross Kings (February 15th) was motivated by the outrageous assault by Israeli armed forces on Gaza. The event was extremely well received thanks to contributions from our brilliant line up of musicians: Low Key, Renu Hossain and Yaaba Funk. We successfully raised funds for Stop the War and Medical Aid for Palestinians.
About the cause...
This new campaign needs and deserves your support (and, yes, money!). Why? Please see below!
About Retaking our Liberties
For a mere £5 (plus optional donations) we guarantee you a real feast of goodies. The emphasis here is on guitars, lots of 'em! Sameh Moussa (acoustic Arabic/ Flemenco) Graham Larkbey and the Escape Committee (Bluesy/ Rocky) and the inimitable Barry 'the Fish' Melton (bringing us all that original 'electric music for the mind and the body' through his fiery, psychedelic blues!). Click on the flyer to find out more!
Why now...
We are focussing on a very important and alarming issue that has begun making the news with depressing regularity here in the UK: the increasing use of police violence as the State's chosen tactic, and forming part of a broader strategy, to drastically limit people's legitimate right to protest.
This has included the:
* Increasing use of stop and search, usually targetting particular ethnic minority communities despite there being little evidence of its effectiveness
* Use of oppressive terrorism legislation to hold protesters (for example the Gaza convoy members or, most often, climate change protesters) to disrupt organised opposition to particular government policies
* Recent events at the climate change protest when a protester was manhandled for asking an officer for their ID - see the Guardian front page (22/06/09)
* Filmed assaults on protesters, and non protesters, at the recent London G20 demonstrations
* Filmed tasering, kicking and punching of a man already on the ground in Nottingham only last week
* Shootings of unarmed individuals (Jean Charles De Menezes in Stockwell and Harry Stanley in Hackney) for which no one has yet been called to account
* Many unanswered questions regarding unexplained deaths in police custody, now numbered in the 100s, with, again, no one being charged in connection with any of them
* Intimidation (employing varying levels of violence) being regularly used to try and scare peaceful protesters off the streets, often coupled with aggressive surveillance and the use of filming in situations where it never used to occur
* Use of pre-planned and carefully rehearsed aggressive policing tactics (of which 'kettling' is but the latest) which are coming to represent a serious and sustained attack on the democratic legitimate right to protest.
Why support UCAPV...
We need a campaign to raise public awareness of both individual instances of the use of excessive force or violence by the police and the very real threat current methods of increasingly non consensual policing pose to all our civil rights. The United Campaign Against Police Violence is that campaign.
What we can do on Thursday, July 16th ...
Come and join Woodstock legend and the hippest Public Defender of all time Barry "the fish" Melton when he headlines an evening of entertainment that will deliver the musical event of the year as we make a start at....Retaking our Liberties
Remember the e-flyer is interactive - so download and click away!!!!!!!
Love
irb... productions
The story of i’d rather be...productions
"I'd Rather be Dancing" is the title of a most moving and powerful song by Seattle-based political activist and singer/ songwriter Jim Page about the brutal murder of American human rights activist, Rachel Corrie, in March 2003 by the Israeli military. He used Rachel’s own words, written to her parents, for the song.
We borrowed Jim’s title and decided to adopt it for our umbrella group of artists, promoters and other activists who came together outraged by what was going on in Gaza and like so many others wanted to do something about it. We settled on a ‘don’t get mad get even’ approach, agreeing to work together ‘fund raising the roof’ in various guises and contexts. We now intend to promote different fundraising events so contributing to organisations that can actually effect change on the ground. Feel free to contact us if you’ve any thoughts and ideas for fundraising at irbdproductions@googlemail.com. Let's work together and be creative!
This is the second of an irregular series of irb...productions events. The first, also held at London's Cross Kings (February 15th) was motivated by the outrageous assault by Israeli armed forces on Gaza. The event was extremely well received thanks to contributions from our brilliant line up of musicians: Low Key, Renu Hossain and Yaaba Funk. We successfully raised funds for Stop the War and Medical Aid for Palestinians.
About the cause...
This new campaign needs and deserves your support (and, yes, money!). Why? Please see below!
About Retaking our Liberties
For a mere £5 (plus optional donations) we guarantee you a real feast of goodies. The emphasis here is on guitars, lots of 'em! Sameh Moussa (acoustic Arabic/ Flemenco) Graham Larkbey and the Escape Committee (Bluesy/ Rocky) and the inimitable Barry 'the Fish' Melton (bringing us all that original 'electric music for the mind and the body' through his fiery, psychedelic blues!). Click on the flyer to find out more!
Why now...
We are focussing on a very important and alarming issue that has begun making the news with depressing regularity here in the UK: the increasing use of police violence as the State's chosen tactic, and forming part of a broader strategy, to drastically limit people's legitimate right to protest.
This has included the:
* Increasing use of stop and search, usually targetting particular ethnic minority communities despite there being little evidence of its effectiveness
* Use of oppressive terrorism legislation to hold protesters (for example the Gaza convoy members or, most often, climate change protesters) to disrupt organised opposition to particular government policies
* Recent events at the climate change protest when a protester was manhandled for asking an officer for their ID - see the Guardian front page (22/06/09)
* Filmed assaults on protesters, and non protesters, at the recent London G20 demonstrations
* Filmed tasering, kicking and punching of a man already on the ground in Nottingham only last week
* Shootings of unarmed individuals (Jean Charles De Menezes in Stockwell and Harry Stanley in Hackney) for which no one has yet been called to account
* Many unanswered questions regarding unexplained deaths in police custody, now numbered in the 100s, with, again, no one being charged in connection with any of them
* Intimidation (employing varying levels of violence) being regularly used to try and scare peaceful protesters off the streets, often coupled with aggressive surveillance and the use of filming in situations where it never used to occur
* Use of pre-planned and carefully rehearsed aggressive policing tactics (of which 'kettling' is but the latest) which are coming to represent a serious and sustained attack on the democratic legitimate right to protest.
Why support UCAPV...
We need a campaign to raise public awareness of both individual instances of the use of excessive force or violence by the police and the very real threat current methods of increasingly non consensual policing pose to all our civil rights. The United Campaign Against Police Violence is that campaign.
What we can do on Thursday, July 16th ...
Come and join Woodstock legend and the hippest Public Defender of all time Barry "the fish" Melton when he headlines an evening of entertainment that will deliver the musical event of the year as we make a start at....Retaking our Liberties
Remember the e-flyer is interactive - so download and click away!!!!!!!
Love
irb... productions
The story of i’d rather be...productions
"I'd Rather be Dancing" is the title of a most moving and powerful song by Seattle-based political activist and singer/ songwriter Jim Page about the brutal murder of American human rights activist, Rachel Corrie, in March 2003 by the Israeli military. He used Rachel’s own words, written to her parents, for the song.
We borrowed Jim’s title and decided to adopt it for our umbrella group of artists, promoters and other activists who came together outraged by what was going on in Gaza and like so many others wanted to do something about it. We settled on a ‘don’t get mad get even’ approach, agreeing to work together ‘fund raising the roof’ in various guises and contexts. We now intend to promote different fundraising events so contributing to organisations that can actually effect change on the ground. Feel free to contact us if you’ve any thoughts and ideas for fundraising at irbdproductions@googlemail.com. Let's work together and be creative!
Friday, 10 July 2009
Stop the War protest on Monday 13 July at Downing Street, between 5pm and 7pm.
179 British soldiers have now died in Afghanistan... the same number as in Iraq.
Stop the War protest on Monday 13 July at Downing Street, between 5pm and 7pm.
Be there. Pass the message on.
Stop the War protest on Monday 13 July at Downing Street, between 5pm and 7pm.
Be there. Pass the message on.
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Public meeting: The good war? Afghanistan in the media
Afghanistan has always been portrayed as the "good war" in contrast to the catastrophe in Iraq. But is it?A public meeting on Monday 13 July, hosted by Media Workers Against the War and Stop the War Coalition, will discuss this issue.
Speakers include prominent journalists Stephen Grey (investigative journalist embedded with British troops in Helmand), Guy Smallman (recently returned from Afghanistan) and Seamus Milne (columnist, the Guardian).
7pm, Mon 13 July, Friends Meeting House, 173 Euston Road NW1 2BJ, opposite Euston Station/tube.All welcome.
For further information telephone 020 7801 2768.
Hackney Stop The War
Protest: 6.15pm on Tuesday 14 July at the Petchey Academy Shacklewell Lane E8 2EY
The Army Presentation Team is holding an evening for invitees only at 6.15pm on Tuesday 14 July at the Petchey Academy Shacklewell Lane E8 2EY. This seems to be part of the attempt we have seen in respect of the Showroom in the Kingsland Shopping Centre to promote the Army but conceal the reality what is happening to soldiers and civilians in places like Afghanistan.
Hackney Stop the War will gather outside the Academy at 5.45pm to distribute material to those going to the meeting, urging the shut down of the Army Showroom in the Kingsland Shopping Centre, Dalston.
Please join us. Contact me for further details.
Gareth JenkinsSec.
Hackney Stop The War
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Iraq: Let's demand a proper enquiry
I am forwarding the following to everyone. Stop the War holds no position in respect of 38 degrees. But you may be interested in signing their petition.
-------------------------------------------------------
Gareth Jenkins
Sec. Hackney Stop The War
Iraq: Let's demand a proper enquiry
You may be interested in the campaign ‘Iraq: Demand a proper enquiry’, which is being run by an online campaigning organisation called 38 degrees, www.38degrees.org.uk
The campaign was launched this week in response to Gordon Brown finally announcing that there will be an inquiry into the Iraq war. He also announced that he intends it to be held in secret, not report until after the next election, and not apportion any blame. Does that sound like a proper inquiry to you? Brown is hoping that this inquiry will draw a line under the whole episode.
The Iraq war was declared in the face of fierce opposition. Serious questions about its justification and legality remain unanswered. Millions of us marched against the invasion, and many more felt betrayed when claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction turned out to be false. Countless thousands of Iraqis have died, as well as 179 British service men and women.
A genuine inquiry would be our chance to understand why all this happened and how to prevent it happening again. A stitched-up, secret inquiry will encourage future governments to think they can get away with the same again.
http://38degrees.org.uk/page/s
------------------------------
Stop attacks on the Muslim community, FRIDAY 26 JUNE 6.30PM BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE
Muslims in Britain face attacks on many fronts. A broadly
based campaign is being launched at a public meeting on Friday
26 June to confront the growth of racist attitudes towards
Muslims and rising governmental and state harassment. It is
supported by Muslim organisations, MPs, trade unionists,
church representatives, members of the legal profession and
prominent figures from the world of arts and media. SEE THE
FOUNDING STATEMENT HERE: http://bit.ly/vXlJ8
LAUNCH MEETING: DEFEND THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY
FRIDAY 26 JUNE 6.30PM
BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE, BISHOPSGATE, LONDON EC1
(OPPOSITE LIVERPOOL ST TUBE)
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
George Galloway MP, Daud Abdullah, Diane Abbott MP, Anas al
Tikriti, Ismael Patel, Lindsey German
FULL DETAILS AND TO DOWNLOAD LEAFLET: http://bit.ly/Cee4
IRAQ INQUIRY: PROTEST PARLIAMENT WED 24 JUNE
The scandal over Gordon Brown's decision to hold the Iraq war
inquiry in private has united in condemnation the most
unlikely people, including MPs, peers in the House of Lords,
military leaders, former civil servants, bereaved families and
even Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's US ambassador at the
time the decision was taken to go to war.
The anger over this appalling decision has intensified with
the revelation that Tony Blair was behind Brown's decision to
have a completely secret inquiry (SEE http://bit.ly/oun55).
A motion calling for a public inquiry is to be debated in
parliament on Wednesday 24 June. Stop the War has called a
protest for 2pm at parliament to insist that there is a full
public inquiry, and not the whitewash Brown has planned,
prompted by Blair.
Stop the War is also asking all its local groups and
supporters to contact their MPs as a matter of urgency, by
letter, telephone, email or fax, and urge them to support the
call for a full public inquiry. A letter from Stop the War to
MPs can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/GqK1P
There is every chance that Brown will have to make at least a
partial U-turn, but -- as Sir Christopher Meyer says -- there
is no reason why the whole inquiry should not be held in
public. We also need an inquiry with the power to subpoena
witnesses under oath and it needs to be broadly based, rather
than comprising the five establishment toadies appointed by
Brown to produce a cover-up.
Time is short but we need to do all we can to maximise the
pressure on Brown to reverse his scandalous decision. The need
for a full public inquiry has been highlighted yet again by
the leaked government memo from January 2003, which reports on
a meeting between George Bush and Blair, at which they plotted
in secret to commit the supreme crime of an unprovoked act of
aggression. (SEE http://bit.ly/SvSFd)
PROTEST: PARLIAMENT
WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE 2PM
Please publicise as widely as possible.
CONTACT YOUR MP AND URGE HIM/HER TO PRESS
FOR A FULL PUBLIC INQUIRY
inquiry in private has united in condemnation the most
unlikely people, including MPs, peers in the House of Lords,
military leaders, former civil servants, bereaved families and
even Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's US ambassador at the
time the decision was taken to go to war.
The anger over this appalling decision has intensified with
the revelation that Tony Blair was behind Brown's decision to
have a completely secret inquiry (SEE http://bit.ly/oun55).
A motion calling for a public inquiry is to be debated in
parliament on Wednesday 24 June. Stop the War has called a
protest for 2pm at parliament to insist that there is a full
public inquiry, and not the whitewash Brown has planned,
prompted by Blair.
Stop the War is also asking all its local groups and
supporters to contact their MPs as a matter of urgency, by
letter, telephone, email or fax, and urge them to support the
call for a full public inquiry. A letter from Stop the War to
MPs can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/GqK1P
There is every chance that Brown will have to make at least a
partial U-turn, but -- as Sir Christopher Meyer says -- there
is no reason why the whole inquiry should not be held in
public. We also need an inquiry with the power to subpoena
witnesses under oath and it needs to be broadly based, rather
than comprising the five establishment toadies appointed by
Brown to produce a cover-up.
Time is short but we need to do all we can to maximise the
pressure on Brown to reverse his scandalous decision. The need
for a full public inquiry has been highlighted yet again by
the leaked government memo from January 2003, which reports on
a meeting between George Bush and Blair, at which they plotted
in secret to commit the supreme crime of an unprovoked act of
aggression. (SEE http://bit.ly/SvSFd)
PROTEST: PARLIAMENT
WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE 2PM
Please publicise as widely as possible.
CONTACT YOUR MP AND URGE HIM/HER TO PRESS
FOR A FULL PUBLIC INQUIRY
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Public Meeting: Shut down the Army Showroom in Dalston Thursday 18 June
Public meeting
Twelve soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in May this year. The death rate is now higher than at any time since the invasion in 2001.
And, at around a thousand major casualties a year, every British soldier in Afghanistan has a one in eight chance of being seriously injured or contracting a serious illness.
Why doesn’t the army tell visitors to its showroom in Dalston about these horrific statistics instead of presenting war as a video game?
Our petitioning shows that people are also concerned at the Army’s attempt to exploit youth unemployment in a poor borough like Hackney.
The war in Afghanistan is getting uglier by the week. British pilots are firing an increasing number of “enhanced blast” thermobaric weapons, designed to kill everyone in buildings they strike. The violence will get worse, warns Lieutenant General Jim Dutton, Nato deputy commander in Afghanistan.
Shut Down the Army Showroom in Dalston
7.30pm, Thursday 18 June
Round Chapel, Powerscroft Road, E5, Lower Clapton
Speakers:
Councillor Angus Mulready-Jones
Jenny Sutton, College of North East London
George Solomou, Military Families Against the War
Lindsey German, Convenor Stop the War Coalition
Twelve soldiers were killed in Afghanistan in May this year. The death rate is now higher than at any time since the invasion in 2001.
And, at around a thousand major casualties a year, every British soldier in Afghanistan has a one in eight chance of being seriously injured or contracting a serious illness.
Why doesn’t the army tell visitors to its showroom in Dalston about these horrific statistics instead of presenting war as a video game?
Our petitioning shows that people are also concerned at the Army’s attempt to exploit youth unemployment in a poor borough like Hackney.
The war in Afghanistan is getting uglier by the week. British pilots are firing an increasing number of “enhanced blast” thermobaric weapons, designed to kill everyone in buildings they strike. The violence will get worse, warns Lieutenant General Jim Dutton, Nato deputy commander in Afghanistan.
Everyone should ask themselves: is this what we want for the people of Afghanistan or for young people here to become involved in?
Youngsters in Hackney deserve better. The choice shouldn’t be between rotting on the dole or facing death or maiming in Afghanistan. Money should be poured into education, not chopped from college budgets.
Protest: Shut Down the Army Showroom in Dalston, Sat 20 June. Defend the right to protest
Shut Down the Army Showroom in Dalston
Join the protest
Another British soldier has just been killed in Afghanistan. It's time all British troops were withdrawn - for the sake of the Afghan people and the servicemen and women sent to defend a corrupt and unpopular regime.
And it's time the Army Showroom in the Kingsland Shopping Centre, Dalston, was shut down. We don't want any more young people, faced with unemployment, falling for the glossy video images and being sent to kill or die or be maimed in Afghanistan.
We also need to defend the right to protest in the face of the outrageous arrest of one of our supporters, who was assaulted and racially abused, as he was walking to work through the shopping centre.
Join the protest at 1.30pm on Saturday 20 June
at the Kingsland Shopping Centre, Dalston
(opposite Dalston Kingsland train station).
Keep up the pressure!
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Public Meeting: Shut down the Army Showroom in Dalston
Thursday 18th June
7.30 pm, Round Chapel
Powerscroft Road, E5
Lower Clapton
Speakers
Lindsey German, Convenor of Stop the War Coalition
Jenny Sutton, College of North East London
George Solomou, Military Families Against the War
Cllr Angus Mulready-Jones
More than 170 British soldiers have been killed in Iraq and more than 150 in Afghanistan. Young ex-servicement are three times more likely to commit suicide than their civilians counterparts. Shelter estimates that over a quarter of homeless people are ex-servicemen and women. Servicemen and women have no employment protection rights. There is a well documented history of bullying and racism in the army. Hundreds of young army recruits go absent without leave every year. 14000 servicemen and women leave the army every year.
CREATE REAL JOBS IN HACKNEY. BRING THE TROOPS HOME.
7.30 pm, Round Chapel
Powerscroft Road, E5
Lower Clapton
Speakers
Lindsey German, Convenor of Stop the War Coalition
Jenny Sutton, College of North East London
George Solomou, Military Families Against the War
Cllr Angus Mulready-Jones
More than 170 British soldiers have been killed in Iraq and more than 150 in Afghanistan. Young ex-servicement are three times more likely to commit suicide than their civilians counterparts. Shelter estimates that over a quarter of homeless people are ex-servicemen and women. Servicemen and women have no employment protection rights. There is a well documented history of bullying and racism in the army. Hundreds of young army recruits go absent without leave every year. 14000 servicemen and women leave the army every year.
CREATE REAL JOBS IN HACKNEY. BRING THE TROOPS HOME.
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