Newswires: G20 Summits | WOMBLES - News, Information for anarchist direct action

Mayday mayhem for London?

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:27:00 +0000

MAYDAY chaos looks set to return to the streets of London, England, in the run-up to the country's General Election.An Election Meltdown mass protest has been called by the same groups behind last year's anti-G20 protests during which newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson was killed by the police.Says the event website: "On International Worker's Day, Saturday 1st May 2010, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will take to the streets again at the head of four Mayday Carnival Parades."All four Parades will converge on Parliament Square at 2:30pm, and the carcasses of the four party leaders will be hung, drawn and quartered, or guillotined in accordance with the wishes of the assembled multitudes in a Mayday Carnival. "The Carnival will set up a Direct Democracy Village to occupy the Square until the General Election likely to be on Thurs May 6. "A People's Assembly will convene on the green, where people can meet as equals to decide what we really want. "Can we oust the bankers from power? "Can we get rid of the corrupt politicians in their pay? "Can we guarantee everyone a job, a home, a future? "Can we establish government by the people, for the people, of the people? "Can we abolish all borders and be patriots for our planet? "Can we all live sustainably and stop climate chaos? "Can we make capitalism history? "YES WE CAN! "DEATH TO THE OLD, CORRUPT ORDER – POWER TO THE PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY!"

New "Smart Meters" for Energy Use Put Privacy at Risk

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:12:47 +0000

The ebb and flow of gas and electricity into your home contains surprisingly detailed information about your daily life. Energy usage data, measured moment by moment, allows the reconstruction of a household's activities: when people wake up, when they come home, when they go on vacation, and maybe even when they take a hot bath. California's PG&E is currently in the process of installing "smart meters" that will collect this moment by moment data—750 to 3000 data points per month per household—for every energy customer in the state. These meters are aimed at helping consumers monitor and control their energy usage, but right now, the program lacks critical privacy protections. That's why EFF and other privacy groups filed comments with the California Public Utilities Commission Tuesday, asking for the adoption of strong rules to protect the privacy and security of customers' energy-usage information. Without strong protections, this information can and will be repurposed by interested parties. It's not hard to imagine a divorce lawyer subpoenaing this information, an insurance company interpreting the data in a way that allows it to penalize customers, or criminals intercepting the information to plan a burglary. Marketing companies will also desperately want to access this data to get new intimate new insights into your family's day-to-day routine–not to mention the government, which wants to mine the data for law enforcement and other purposes. This isn't just a California issue. Many threats to the privacy of the home—where our privacy rights should be strongest—were detailed in a 2009 report for the Colorado Public Utility Commission. The federal government has been promoting the smart grid as part of its economic stimulus package, and last year, EFF and other groups warned the National Institute of Standards and Technology about the privacy and security issues at stake. For example, security researchers worry that today’s smart meters and their communications networks are vulnerable to a variety of attacks. There are also questions of reliability, as PG&E faces criticism from California customers who have seen bills skyrocket after the installation of the new "smart meters." Unsurprisingly, California legislators are questioning the rapid rollout. Texas customers are also complaining. There are far more questions than answers when it comes to this new technology. While it's potentially beneficial, it could also usher in new intrusions into our home and private life. The states and the federal government should ensure that energy customers get the protection they deserve. Special thanks to Berkeley Law students Jonas Herrell, David Marty, and Shane Witnov, along with School of Information Masters Candidate, Longhao Wang for their work in drafting these comments to the California PUC.

The 2010 People’s Summit

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

*Invitation for Program Proposals* Building a Movement for a Just World June 18, 19 & 20, 2010 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada www.peoplessummit2010.ca Invitation for Program Proposals Proposals are invited for the program of The 2010 People’s Summit taking place in Toronto on June 18, 19 and 20, 2010. The Summit will create a space for community organizers, activists, non-governmental organizations, independent media, workers, artists – the people – to mobilize for global justice in advance of the G8/G20 Summits, happening June 25, 26 and 27 in Huntsville and Toronto. Below are some broad categories we are organizing around. Proposals beyond these topics are also welcome:

Bristol - RBS attacked with rocks & fire over Tar Sands project

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:44:00 +0000

Wednesday February 24, 2010 author by Carlo Giuliani - Black Bloc Report this post to the editorsIn the early hours of Tuesday 23rd February 2010, anarchists attacked the Royal Bank of Scotland HQ in the heart of developing Bristol, UK.Despite road traffic and proximity of security, the mob succeeded in breaking windows, smashing paint-bombs against upper floors and setting fire to tyres in the middle of the road.A litany of abuses by RBS or any other bank could continue for pages, but it is enough to state that every bank is part of the financial prison which incarcerates and impoverishes all of us.These actions will escalate and multiply.We dedicate this action to all indigenous fighters and their allies struggling against the Tar Sands project in Kanada which RBS is an investor in, and also all those who fight against the 2010 Winter-Olympics.This action is also in solidarity with Alfredo M. Bonanno, Christos Stratigopoulos, Polykarpos Georgiades, Vaggelis Chrisohoides, Giannis Dimitrakis, Gabriel Pombo da Silva, the entire London G20 defendants/prisoners and all other prisoners in struggle.For international struggle against capitalism and the state

Trying to make sense of the G20 protests

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:47:42 +0000

There have been ominous signs of it coming for some time but it seemed protesters were still unprepared for the level of police violence that was unleashed in London yesterday. The infamous kettling tactics of the British police have claimed their first life and there are numerous reports of head wounds, crushing and unprovoked attack. [...]