Leaves On The track
Cherry-Aid
Leicester City Council backed down over its plans to chop down the city’s most famous trees - the Town Hall Square cherries - after LEAF performed two public tree dressings and threatened direct action. This is the second major climbdown in the face of public opinion after residents defeated the planned East-West link road earlier in 1994.
CIA
As the CIA came in LEAF instigated a week of action:
* a visit to Redland’s managing director’s office to discuss the superquarrying of the Isle of Harris.
* a banner drop from the hospital chimney in protest at dioxin release.
* saying hello to Lloyds and Midland..
* loading a funeral procession, with coffin, for the death of British Justice and tying Union Jack gags on statues.
* a CRISP-O action which was reported in the paper, but didn’t actually happen!
The Leicester CIA Coalition organised two marches with a City Centre rave finale, and filled up the council chamber on an action: We are trying to get the City Council to refuse the police the permission to ban trespassory assemblies on their land. It would make much of the Act impotent locally: is anyone else trying this tactic? We also occupied the local magistrates court, and did a mock trial of Michael Howard. He was, of course, found very guilty indeed, and sentenced to death. In consideration of the season of goodwill, however, this was reduced to three hours of repetitive wet sponging in the stocks, accompanied by acoustic raving and fire jugglers.
Resident’s Roadblocks
The last two years have seen a growing number of roadblocks in Leicester, organised by local residents demanding safer roads and crossings, often after accidents. The latest focus is outside a school and culminated in women blocking the inner ring road at rush hour each day. The demonstrations have empowered a lot of people and started to break down racial prejudices. The police have said that they won’t use the CJA against such demonstrations.
Mining, The Environment And Indigenous Rights
At the end of February we will be hosting the regional PaRTiZans meeting. With talks, workshops and videos on Corporate Watching, indigenous struggles and solidarity work. Ring LEAF on 0116 255 3223 for details.