Just one day to go before the J11 Carnival Against Capitalism. Here at the StopG8 Social Centre (40 Beak Street, Soho) we’re busy making banners, training and sharing skills, meeting each other, and getting ready for the big day. Come along and join us!
Events this afternoon in Beak Street:
Making banners and props etc: all day.
Affinity group training: 2.30pm.
Legal info workshop: 6pm.
Final J11 Planning Meeting: 5pm.
See calendar (sidebar) for more details.
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Come on down and join us to reclaim an empty building in the heart of London’s West End, and turn it into a vibrant social centre for talks, films, food, socialising, information and action. The address is:
40 Beak Street, Soho, W1F 9RQ.
Just off Regent street, in between Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus tube stations. (It’s also right in the centre of the #J11 carnival against capitalism map.)
There is room for people to stay, but please bring your own sleeping bags and bedding. Also note this is NOT a party space (gigs during the week will take place in separate venues), and please respect the safer spaces policy which you can read here.
The building is brilliant but, having been neglected and left empty, it needs some work to make it into a great space for the week. We are right now hard at work repairing, cleaning, and making stuff beautiful. Come along and join in. Also here is a list of stuff we need:
Cordless Drill
Furniture (all kinds)
Carpet / tiles
Sawdust
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A couple more shout-outs for mobilisations outside the UK.
In Germany, Fight G8 are supporting our week of action in the UK, and also calling for decentralised actions in Germany — and everywhere! — between the 14 and 18 June. Read all about it here (in German and English).
In Brazil, Autonomia Proletaria have been publicising our events in Portuguese. They are organising resistance to the BRIC summit which will take place in Fortaleza, Brazil, in March 2014. Economic and political power in the world is shifting away from the old powers of US and Europe, and to the rising BRIC powers (Brazil, Russia, India an China) and others. As usual, growth benefits the few not the many, and in Brazil the new wealth and status also means more land grabbing, inequality, and displacing the poor from the cities. Read more about what the BRIC summit, Olympics, World Cup and more mean for most Brazilians here.
Here are some links to videos about the World Cup in Brazil (English subtitles):
Also a portal site with more info about world cup effects and organising in different cities (in Portuguese, and with reformist politics, but mots of news):
http://www.portalpopulardacopa.org.br/
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The StopG8 welcome point is now open at Freedom Books, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX, (near Aldgate East Tube). Come on down to Freedom if you need accommodation for StopG8 week, or if you want to come and help out, or just get information about the week ahead.
Useful phone numbers now active:
Green and Black Cross Legal Support – 07946 541 511
Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors – +44 207 874 8300 (9am-6pm) / or 07659111192 (out of hours)
Stop G8 Convergence space – To contact the Stop G8 Convergence Space call 07586 096 079 or 07586 096 083
Media centre – We need you to call in reports from the streets. There will be an independent media centre reporting on the actions. To find out more or to phone in a report call 07721 595 081 or 07586 096 081
Wellbeing – Have you or your friends suffered from police violence? Call us for a chat or to organise coming to a safe space – 07946 069 401
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The anti-capitalist group StopG8 say that the NGO coalition the ‘If Campaign’ will only worsen the problems of poverty and hunger that it claims to be addressing.
They add that the If campaign was established as a way of engineering public approval for the New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, which includes some of the world’s largest agribusinesses, and that by supporting it the big NGOs such as Oxfam and Save the Children have put their own interests and image above the needs of the world’s poorest people.
The New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition was launched by Barack Obama at the last G8 summit. It includes huge multinationals such as Monsanto and Unilever and aims to ‘mobilise private capital’ for investment in food production in Africa. Critics argue that it is just a way of using public money to allow corporations greater access to land and resources in Africa.
Several anti-poverty groups have refused to join the If campaign and strongly criticised its approach, saying that it fails to address the root causes of global poverty. [1] However, other NGOs see it as an opportunity to show their ‘influence’ on governments and so attract more donations.
Tomorrow, on 8 June, the If campaign has organised an event in Hyde Park called ‘The Big If’ which has been endorsed by celebrities such as David Beckham. At the same time a ‘guerrilla gardening’ counter demonstration will take place in central London. [2]
StopG8 says that if we are to have a chance of making a better world to live in we need bring about an end to capitalism, an economic system in which the wealthy few oppress and exploit the many, and in which our lives, our dreams, our dignity, and our futures can be bought and sold for someone’s profit. [3]
StopG8 formed to mobilise against the UK G8 summit, and have organised a week of action in the run-up to it, including a ‘Carnival against Capitalism’ on 11 June targeting the rich and powerful in London’s West End. The group has published a map of 100 capitalist targets in the West End [4]
ENDS
[1] For example see http://waronwant.org/news/latest-news/17790-war-on-want-and-the-if-campaign and http://www.wdm.org.uk/if
[2] http://www.waronwant.org/news/events/17885–g8-fuelling-hunger-with-false-solutions
[3] https://network23.org/stopg8/ideas/capitalism/
[4] https://network23.org/stopg8/j11-carnival-against-capitalism/j11-map-of-the-capitalist-west-end/ StopG8
Media policy: StopG8 is a network of individuals. Although individual group members might discuss their views and politics with journalists, there are no official spokespersons, and no-one represents the group. For this reason, StopG8 cannot give live interviews. However, we can respond by writing, if you send your questions to stopg8@riseup.net. Please note that we might not be able to get back to you immediately.
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The #J11 Carnival Against Capitalism mass action will start at 12 noon on Tuesday June 11th, the meet-up points will be:
North, Oxford Circus (click here for directions)
South, Piccadilly Circus (click here for directions)
the action will finish with a ‘street party’ at 5:30pm, the location will
be announced on the day.
This action will only be as effective as the people participating in them. We have not negotiated with the police and we will not be controlled. If we look after each other, stay mobile, don’t get caught in kettles and are ready to make quick decisions about what to do next we can make the most of the day
see you on the streets
11 June 2013. #J11.
One Common Struggle.
Carnival Against Capitalism.
Read on for the #J11 call-out. Also check out the #J11 action map of the West End, with 100 addresses of power, tyranny, and exploitation. Click on the map to download and zoom in. There is also an online map with further info (still being added to). For more background on the map and capitalist London read this.
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From 8th to 14th June the Stop G8 network will be opening a convergence space and organising anticapitalist actions in London. The convergence centre provide food and accommodation for up to 1000 people. There are four major actions planned including a massive Carnival Against Capitalism on June 11th in the West End of London. What we really need is for people to come and join us in the convergence space and on the streets at the J11 Carnival Against Capitalism. However, we also need funds to make it all happen. Please make a contribution if you can, no amount is too little (or too large). The actions are coming up really soon so your help could really make a difference.
How to donate:
The best way to donate is by bank transfer – Account Number 20302212, Sort Code 086001 (Unity Trust Bank) – send an email to stopg8 [at] riseup.net to let us know you’ve made the transfer
If you can’t do a transfer send us a cheque payable to Stop G8 c/o the Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham, NG7 6HX Continue reading
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Fighting the Racist Police State.
London Sunday 9 June 7pm.
An evening of film and discussion with individuals and groups active against police killings and repression, immigration raids, stop and search, and the prison and detention system. Bringing together communities in struggle.
The evening will include a screening of the 2012 film “Who Polices The Police” about Sean Rigg, who died in Brixton police station, made by Ken Fero / Migrant Media. We will then have a round-table with short introductions from a number of groups, and a discussion open to all.
Groups taking part will include:
United Friends and Families Campaign (UFFC) (friends and families of people killed in police custody) http://uffc-campaigncentral.net/
Latin American Workers Association (LAWAS) (association fighting workplace exploitation and attacks by the immigration system) http://www.lawas.org.uk/joo/
Anti-Raids Network (network standing up against immigration raids) https://network23.org/antiraids/
Newham Monitoring Project (fighting racism, discrimination and injustice in the East London borough of Newham since 1980) http://www.nmp.org.uk/
Defend the Right to Protest (campaign against state repression of protests) http://www.defendtherighttoprotest.org/
More to be confirmed. If you would like to make a presentation during the evening please contact stopg8events@riseup.net, or just come along and join the discussion.
The event is part of the StopG8 week of action, which includes the June 11 Carnival Against Capitalism and a packed programme of other actions and events. See full calendar here: https://network23.org/stopg8/calendar/
The event will be held at the StopG8 Convergence Centre. Venue details will be publicised the day before on Saturday 8 June, see here for more info: https://network23.org/stopg8/week-of-action/accomodation/
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A street action like the Carnival Against Capitalism on June 11 will only ever be as effective as we all make it. The more prepared we come, the more we can achieve on the day. One good way of preparing for action is to create affinity groups which are planning to work together on the streets and have talked about the event together beforehand. We would encourage you to come as an affinity group if you have one, but there will be both public order and affinity group training sessions held within the convergence space for those who don’t. Continue reading
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The convergence centre will open on 8th June and will close on 15th June. There will be space to sleep, as well as workshops, skillshares, food, films and more here.
At 11am on 8th June, we invite people to meet us at Freedom Books, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX, and we will travel together to the convergence space. If you arrive after 11am, the location of the convergence will be announced on our website (https://network23.org/stopg8), on www.indymedia.org.uk and via Twitter (@stopg8uk), by midday. To contact the Stop G8 Convergence Space call 07586 096079 or 07586 096083. This phone number will be active from 8th June.
There will be an info point at Freedom Books from 8th-15th June. This will be open from 11am on 8th June, and people will be there to direct you to the convergence space throughout the week.
We need everybody’s help to make the centre a safe and secure space. Cops and journalists will not be welcome in the space at any time.
There will be an infopoint at
Freedom Books, Angel Alley, 84b Whitechapel High Street, E1 7QX (next to KFC)
where you can find information about the protests during the week of action, legal support and where to find the accommodation. This information point will open at 11am on 8th June and close on the morning of the 15th June.
The following phone numbers will become active on 8th June.
Green and Black Cross Legal Support – 07946 541 511
Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors – +44 207 874 8300 (9am-6pm) / or 07659111192 (out of hours)
Stop G8 Convergence space – To contact the Stop G8 Convergence Space call 07586 096 079 or 07586 096 083
Media centre – We need you to call in reports from the streets. There will be an independent media centre reporting on the actions. To find out more or to phone in a report call 07721 595 081 or 07586 096 081
Wellbeing – Have you or your friends suffered from police violence? Call us for a chat or to organise coming to a safe space – 07946 069 401
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