News In brief
* On October 27th, supporters of Mumia Abu-Jamal occupied the FBI Office in Portland, USA. They demanded that the FBI release all files pertaining to Mumia Abu-Jamal, the MOVE organisation and organisations supporting Mumia, to Mumia’s attorney “in order to provide necessary material for a new, fair trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal.” It is not thought the FBI complied with this demand.
* The Norwich city centre branch of Macdonald's was picketed on 16th Oct, the international day of action against Mcd's. Leaflets and free flapjack were handed out and a banner hung. October 30th also saw an impromptu 'party' held at the same location. Around 25 revellers entered the store with costumes, music and leaflets. The staff forcibly ejected them all then called the police.
* Police investigating June 18th are furious after the Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges against a woman demonstrator allegedly found in possession of a lock-knife. The CPS ruled that prosecuting the 19-year-old student would be against the public interest because of injuries she suffered when she was hit by a police van at the height of the riots. The woman was charged with violent disorder.
* Two Ashton Court protestors who abseiled down into a quarry, just in time to stop a meadow being blasted by dynamite have had the charges of aggravated trespass thrown out of court. The judge ruled that as protestors were still underground fighting the quarry expansion, the protestors actions were excusable under the rather obscure eighteenth century Explosive Substances Act.
* On 3rd October, a wet Saturday lunch time, people from Swansea Earth Action and the Peoples Swansea Campaign took part in a "Strictly Pedestrians Only!" event. The idea was to emphasise the problems that those not wishing to use cars face on a daily basis just in getting from A to B. "It's bad enough that our city centres are full of traffic fumes without having to risk our lives trying to get there"
* Earth First! South-Central is a new Earth First! group formed “somewhere in between Bedford, Northampton and Milton Keynes - and doing it on-line at www.mindstar.org.uk/ef
* To those who heard about how the nasty ALF "branded" an undercover journalist: His work with the RSPCA was terminated after doubts were raised over the integrity of his video evidence. It is thought he helped set up the cock fights he then ‘exposed’, and doubts over his evidence have, led to at least one court case collapsing. On one previous occasion he has claimed he was shot in the leg and on another that he had been tarred and feathered. Things that make you go mmm...
* Julia Butterfly Hill has been living 180' high in an ancient redwood called Luna for almost two years. Luna is located adjacent to a massive mudslide caused by MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber's logging that damaged or destroyed 30 homes. On Sunday 12th December there'll be an anniversary rally in the USA.
* On Saturday 30th October, two people were arrested in North Yorkshire on suspicion of criminal damage (later released without charge). The suspicions of the police may have been alerted when they were handed bags full of GM plants marked “biohazard".