Update – 20/06/07

Welcome to another Glasgow Autonomy Update.

This weekend, a major conference on human rights and sustainability comes to Glasgow. Why is there war in Iraq? What’s the cause of so many human rights abuses in Colombia? “It’s the oil stupid!” Check the sustainability section for more details.

Refugee week is off to a great start with several asylum seeking families in Glasgow being granted 3 years’ leave to remain. But you can still help destitute refugees at tomorrow’s sponsored Positive Action in Housing sleepout, and celebrate diversity at Saturday’s Unity party. Information in the Refugees section.

Have a good week!

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CONTENTS:

*REFUGEES
*ANTI-WAR
*SUSTAINABILITY
*TACTICAL FRIVOLITY
*WORKPLACE ORGANISING
*ANARCHIST HISTORY
*INDEPENDENT MEDIA
*FILM SCREENINGS

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REFUGEES

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Daily protests at the Home Office – Monday 17th – Sunday 24th June

Next week is Refugee Week.
Come along to the Home Office, 12-2pm every day to join the protest!

Bring balloons, flowers, photographs and paper hands with messages to hang on the fence of the Home Office to remind the people working there that there are 6,000 people whose lives are in their hands.

Too long we have been waiting for the Home Office to give us Justice.
We want an amnesty now!

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Sleepout against destitution – Thursday 21st June

Positive Action in Housing is organising a sleepout in Glasgow City centre from 8.00 pm onwards.

Many people seeking asylum whose claims are turned down are unable to return home. But they are denied all state support, thrown out of their housing and are not allowed to work. They have no money for food, shelter, and the everyday things we take for granted. This misery is a direct consequence of government policy. Destitution is being used to drive people out of the country – but many thousands simply cannot leave and are now homeless and hungry.

The sleepout will be attended by members of the public, destitute asylum seekers, faith leaders, politicians and celebrities, all of whom are disgusted with the destitution policy towards asylum seekers. We expect a high turnout.

If you wish to take part, or help raise funds, please email robina@paih.org

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Unity World party – Saturday 23rd June

5pm to Midnight
Maryhill Community Central Halls, Maryhill Road.
Creche, food, music and dancing.

Featuring an eclectic music mix from DJ Ab-sense, and reggae/dancehall tunes from Argonaut Sounds.

Near George Cross underground station
FIRST Buses 8, 18, 40, 61, 109 119

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Join the Glasgow Asylum Bail Circle – ongoing

Do you have a spare room? If so you could help get an asylum seeker out of Dungavel detention centre. The people sent there have committed no crime and frequently become depressed and anxious during their detention.

If you can offer temporary accomodation and would like to be involved in this extremely rewarding project, please contact us via the Unity Centre.

The UNITY Centre, 30 Ibrox Street, Glasgow, G51 1AQ. Tel: 0141 427 7992
theunitycentre [at] btconnect.com

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The Unity Centre – ongoing

UNITY is the new, rapidly growing, union of asylum seekers formed by
asylum seekers to fight for greater rights for asylum seekers and
sans papiers.

The UNITY Centre at 30 Ibrox Street is open five days a week near to
the Home Office Immigration centre. Here families who are scared of
being detained when reporting at the Immigration Centre can ’sign
in’ before reporting so we can quickly alert their lawyers, friends and relatives if they are detained.
We offer friendly, practical solidarity and mutual aid to all asylum
seekers, refugees and sans papiers. Phone our 24 hour action line on
0141 427 7992 if you need help.

The Centre is completley run by volunteers and funded by donations -
please get in touch to help this exciting, new project.

The UNITY Centre, 30 Ibrox Street, Glasgow, G51 1AQ. Tel: 0141 427 7992
theunitycentre [at] btconnect.com

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No Borders Glasgow – local group

No Borders is a transnational social movement of people opposed to
borders, immigration controls, detention centres and forced migration.

No Borders Glasgow is a local network committed to practical
solidarity,
mutual aid and direct action in the struggle against the persecution
and exploitation of migrants by states and bosses.

Contact details:
- email: noborders-glasgow [at] riseup.net
- Check the weblog at: www.openborders.org.uk.
- To subscribe to regular email updates on actions, demos, meetings
and other news, go to:
https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/noborders-glasgow or
send an email.

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ANTI-WAR

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Faslane 365, get involved! – ongoing

Faslane 365 is a civil resistance project focussed in Scotland to
apply critical public pressure for the disarmament of Britain’s
nuclear weapons by a continuous peaceful blockade of the Trident
base at Faslane.

We are inviting groups and individuals from a wide range of public
interest organisations to join in the blockade and to use the
opportunity to raise awareness of the issues that each group is
working on and to make the links between its core issues and how the
UK’s nuclear weapons system affects them.

www.faslane365.org

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Faslane Peace Camp needs visitors!

Faslane Peace Camp recently celebrated its 23rd year of direct
action to oppose the Trident nuclear submarines stationed 30 miles
north of Glasgow. Visitors are always welcome, for a day, a week,
or longer!

Directions: Train from Glasgow Queen Street or 216 bus from Jamaica
Street to Helensburgh Central. Then catch the 316 bus to the peace
camp.

For more info and to check the current situation: 01436 820 901
faslanepeacecamp@hotmail.com

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SUSTAINABILITY

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Talamh Housing Co-op – ongoing

If you fancy a few days away, and would like to come and help out
for a few days, or just for the day in a busy, sometimes chaotic
community, but fun too, then get in touch. Extra help is welcomed in
the gardenesp over the summer months, and with lots of other stuff too!
Visitor space is in a basic static caravan with wood burner.

Talamh is lucky to be set in 50 acres of land, and is home to 10
adults, 4 children, visitors, 4 dogs, a cat and chickens. It’s a
member of Radical routes, a network of co-ops working for social
change.

For more info contact: talamh@lineone.net or phone 01555 820550 also
see http://www.talamh.org.uk

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Glasgow Critical Mass – Friday 29th June

A happy coincidence of cyclists (i.e. YOU) getting together to ride
through Glasgow, have fun and make our streets more human, less
hostile.
All welcome!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass
http://www.citystrolls.com/z-f-page/critical.htm
http://www.citystrolls.com/z-temp/bike-runs-pics.htm

Last Friday of every month, 5:30pm, George Square

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‘It’s the Oil Stupid!’ Human Rights Tribunal – Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June

The Colombia Solidarity Campaign, in partnership with
SEAD (Scottish Education and Action for Development),
Platform and Spinwatch, present:

“IT’S THE OIL, STUPID!”

June 22 – Open Conference on “Corporate Crime, the
Environment and Communities” 9.30am-6pm

June 23 – Preliminary Public Hearing on BP in Colombia 10am-5.30pm

VENUE – University of Strathclyde, The Graham Hills
Building, 50
George St, Glasgow.

This two-day event in Glasgow is happening now because
the social movement in Colombia has formed a chapter
of the Permanent Peoples Tribunal (PPT) and is holding
a programme of sector tribunals focusing on
multinationals and human rights.

They have asked us to hold a Preliminary Public
Hearing on BP’s activities in Colombia.This will be a
unique opportunity to hear the evidence, reach your
own conclusions and send a statement from the event to
the tribunal in Colombia.

Scottish Education and Action for Development

0131 555 5550

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Scottish Climate Action Camp – Friday 13th – Monday 16th July

For activists across Scotland to organise and
share skills and to act as preparation for forming the
Scottish neighbourhood at the UK Climate Camp in August.

There will be workshops and a party on the Saturday
night and best of all the opportunity to organise!

If interested in attending, please reply to the Scottish Climate Activists list:
scottishclimateactivists@lists.riseup.net

To subscribe to the list:

scottishclimateactivists-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The 2nd UK Climate Camp will take place this summer
from Tuesday 14th to Tuesday 21st August

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TACTICAL FRIVOLITY

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Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army – Thursday 21st June

The Glasgow Brigade of the Clandestine Insurgent Rebel
Clown Army (CIRCA) meets weekly on Thursdays from 6pm
till 8pm in the upstairs gallery of the Lansdowne
Church (across from Kelvinbridge Underground).

Come along to find your inner Clown, have loads of
fun, and plot sinister plans for revolutionary
silliness.
Contact Major Pant-Sweat, mashtram@yahoo.co.uk

www.clownarmy.org
www.glasgowkiss.org.uk

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WORKPLACE ORGANISING

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IWW Meeting – Wednesday 4th July

Clydeside Industrial Workers of the World branch meeting, for workers in Glasgow and surrounding area. Radical union for workers not bosses. Open also to prospective and lapsed members.

7.30-9.30 Pearce Institute, Govan Rd (Opposite Govan Underground).
enquiries 07910 627 970

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Support Crichton Campus workers and students – ongoing

The IWW is continuing in our support for the Crichton workers’ and students’ fight to save their jobs and courses. We’re stepping up our fight by picketing or leafleting every major event Glasgow University is hosting on its main campus, in an effort to raise the visibility of our campaign, and we are pursuing other initiatives to force a climbdown on the decision to close the campus. However to make our presence really felt we urge you and your friends to take a few minutes out of your day to demonstrate the strength of feeling we have on this issue.

Contact the Principal, Sir Muir Russell and complain at the decision.
Email: principal@gla.ac.uk; Tel: 0141 330 5995

Contact the Scottish Funding Council and urge them to help Glasgow
University find a resolution to this problem
Email: rmcclure@sfc.ac.uk

Contact Fiona Hyslop, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning,
and urge her to act quickly to help resolve the situation.
Email: Fiona.Hyslop.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

For background to the Crichton struggle and information to include in your emails, please see:

http://wordpress.com/tag/crichton-campus/

iwwscotland.wordpress.com

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ANARCHIST HISTORY

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Anarchist History Channel – ongoing

Hi: would you be so kind as to let people know of the following anarchist
film (feature/documentary) channel:

At http://tinyurl.com/t8sta

or

http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=219646953&firstVideo

You might like to note that two new documentaries ‹ The Angry Brigade and
‘Persons Unknown’‹ have now been added to the Anarchist History channel on
the Anarchist History channel

Please note that you can have these films shown freely on your own website
by applying to join the affiliate/syndication programme at
www.brightecove.com

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid234454000

All we ask you to do is send us the url and a brief description about the
website where the Player will be located. It’s dead simple, really!

See also http://www.londonfreetv.com

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New Radical Films Online

Four new films posted on the ChristieBooks Brightcove film channel

Viva Zapata! (1952) on
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=463868344

Burn! (Quemada!) (1969) on
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=464024939

Tupamaros on
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=459255775

Cuba – Memoria Sindical on
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=452316541

http://www.tvhastingschristiebooks.com

ChristieBooks, PO Box 35, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2UX, UK

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INDEPENDENT MEDIA

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Glasgow “Indymedia” – new project

Currently working on setting up some sort of Glasgow “indymedia” just now,
If you are interested or want to help out then please email cinemaparadiso@riseup.net,
Our efforts so far have created the following website here – www.gatv.tk

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FILM SCREENINGS

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“It’s the Oil Stupid!” Film Program – Friday 22nd June

The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. To register go to www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk

The film programme will run on a loop from 10am – 6pm followed by The Source feature length documentary at 6.30pm. Presented in conjunction with Document – International Human Rights Film Festival

*Who Owes Who

The film starts with the question What is the impact of oil in your life? And from there, looking at our own lifestyle, tries to build solidarity with our neighbours around the world and highlights the need for justice locally and globally.

*Black Gold

This film is about the struggle of Cofan people against oil extraction in their territories.

*Time Bomb

On 26th February 1998 in Esmeraldas on Equador’s Pacific Coast a rupture in the pipeline bringing crude oil from the Amazon Jungle to the refinery results in a massive fire within the city. Described by local people as a night of terror with oil flowing through the streets and the river on fire, Time Bomb shows footage from the night and interviews neighbourhood leaders, health officials and the mayor who all have very different opinions from the Refinery’s Superintendent and Head of Public Relations. The people of Esmeraldas are living next to a Time Bomb.

*The Rescue Of PDVSA’s Brain

In December 2002,PDVSA,Venezuela’s oil company, was the new target of a vicious campaign organised by the oil company’s executives and the right wing opposition to withdraw from power the popular and democratically elected Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez Frias.

*The Source

90 minute documentary exploring Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan and the site of a major new oil pipeline.

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Taking Liberties – Friday 6th – Sunday 8th July

Glasgow debut of this new film, which explores the erosion of civil liberties in Britain.

http://www.noliberties.com

http://www.gft.org.uk