from email, 29 March 2010: "The Stockholm Programme, the latest in a series of EU agreements on security policy, was endorsed in December 2009. Based on the "principle of availability", the Programme plans to enable the cross-border collection, processing and sharing of data on a massive scale. Supposedly promoting "openness and security", it is a further step towards a hi-tech Fortress Europe..." more

from irr, 25 March 2010: "Baroness O'Loan's report to the UK Border Agency uncovers casual brutality and callous neglect in detention centres. She details serious injuries to detainees during attempts to remove them from the UK included a broken finger, a dislocated knee and a punctured lung. Force was frequently resorted to as a first rather than last resort, with no consideration given to its necessity or proportionality..." more

from newint, 25 March 2010: "Recently I listened to a radio programme on the growth of not just mega cities (those of over 10 million people) but meta cities with 20 million or more people – some crossing national borders – as a kind of corridor of mass humanity. One thing that the discussion failed to mention was the increase in forced removals of the poor from informal urban settlements to the outskirts of the mega/meta cities. The Shackdweller movement Abahlali baseMondolo, based in Durban, South Africa, has been under siege for the past four years and last September the Kennedy Road settlement came under attack from outsiders..." more

from email, 25 March 2010: "Assemble 12 Noon, Wednesday 14 April, Olympia Way W14, near Kensington Olympia, West Kensington, High Street Kensington, and Barons Court stations. Sponsored by arms company Thales, and organised by Clarion Events - responsible for Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEi), the world's largest arms fair, the Counter Terror Expo takes place between 14-15 April 2010 at Olympia, London..." more

from greenleft, 25 March 2010: "It was common during the opening of the Iraq war to see slogans proclaiming “No blood for oil!” The cover story for the war — Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s links with Al Qaeda and his weapons of mass destruction — were obvious mass deceptions, hiding a far less palatable imperial agenda. The truth was that Iraq was a major producer of oil and, in our age, oil is the most strategic resource of all... Why then, are there no slogans saying “No blood for opium”?" more

from decommisioners, 24 March 2010: "The EDO Decommissioners always intended to go to trial – now set for May 17th – Not as the accused but as the accusers making the case that their action was lawful because they were disarming an arms factory which is complicit in war crimes. Postponed from last autumn, the trial of the six people charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage at the ITT/EDO MBM offices in Brighton in January 2009 now begins on May 17th..." more

from imc-uk, 24 March 2010: "An animal rights campaigner jailed for 10 years for plotting a fire bomb attack on Oxford University has had his conviction overturned. He appealed against his conviction earlier this year and, after taking more than a month to consider the verdict, Lord Justice Thomas returned to the Court of Appeal today to quash the conviction. After an application by crown prosecutors, the judge ordered that Mr Broughton, who was not present in court, be retried on the allegation as soon as possible..." more

from yorkshireanarchist, 23 March 2010: "Oh God it’s another General Erection! We know – all elections are a waste of time. Politicians of all parties fill their pockets, you couldn’t tell their policies apart without a microscope, the power of the rich, the global corporations and financiers continues merrily whoever is elected; well-meaning do-gooders get elected, then become sucked in or ground down by the weight of the system..." more

from Black Cat, updated 26 March 2010: "Come down and help save Bath's best (and only) occupied community social centre. Enjoyed sticking it to the man at Jesters last week? The Black Cat Social Centre on Lower Bristol Road in Bath is due for eviction this Friday 26th March. This eviction will be resisted. In addition from 9.48am there will be a street demo with free acoustic music provided by the fabulous Madame Hatter with special guests The Bailiffs (due onstage at 10am)..." more

from OL, 20 March 2010: "Despite the fact that the police claims that Lambros Foundas was a key member of a terrorist group, anarchists in Athens and Thessaloniki have launched an extended campaign in honor of him. A demonstration of memory took place 20 March in the area where the anarchist was shot dead last week. The same time, in Thessaloniki a gathering took place. The banner was placed at the spot of the shooting and reads “Lambros is one of us”..." more

from corporate media, 20 March 2010: "Violent protesters have been condemned by police following 74 arrests out at a demonstration in Bolton town centre. The English Defence League (EDL), an organisation which opposes "radical Muslims" and Sharia law, organised the rally in Victoria Square. A counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) was also being held, and hundreds of police officers fought to keep the two factions separate, aided by police dogs..." more

from email, 22 March 2010: "The Metropolitan Police has paid damages to protesters it unlawfully arrested during the G20 protests. The force paid £6,000 in damages to Hannah McClure and Andrew Rubens who were held during a raid on a squat. The arrests came about when officers in riot gear broke up a meeting of some 60 climate camp activists during the April 2009 global summit in London. Solicitors for the pair said that others demonstrators held during the same operation would now sue..." more

from denverabc, updated 23 March 2010: "Havoc broke out within minutes of Montreal’s 14th annual anti-police brutality march on Monday 15 March, resulting in about one hundred arrests. Arresting large groups, riot police gathered people and cornered them against a wall. The two sides remained in a standoff for over an hour before the protesters were loaded into city buses and carted to a police station in the city’s east end..." more

from meltdown, 20 March 2010: "The politicians for sale at Westminster have no plans for our future. We need to take it into our hands. We don't see any choice on offer except between bankers, bankers and more bankers, between capitalism, capitalism and more capitalism. We demand an equal and accountable voice for all, but we don't see any prospect of democratic representation by politicians who are in the pockets of corporate vested interests.

Right now we live under a dictatorship of the rich, a tiny minority hogging the world’s resources, who make all the decisions about the planet and our future to satisfy their greed. It’s time for democracy to dictate back to the rich! So all of us who are fed up and disgusted, cry DEATH TO THE ELECTION! Vote for a hung parliament!" more

from brh, 19 March 2010: "The Bristol Radical History Group Election Special 2010 - Date: Monday 12th April 2010, Venue: The Stag & Hounds, 74 Old Market Street, BS2 0EJ, Time: 7:30pm. Ian Bone relates his experiences of contemporary interventions into the electoral process including 'The Alarm', the Swansea based forerunner of 'The Bristolian', the legendary anarchist tabloid 'Class War' and the 'Vote Nobody' campaign of 2001.

Millsy will briefly analyse democracy, is this country for the working classes, and describe what it means for us now. How democratic are society, our political parties, and our organisations?" more