BINGO

Labelled as "one of the most bizarre conferences held in Brighton" last weekend saw the doors of the old Top Rank Bingo Hall flung open for a Justice? organised National Direct Action Conference. Nearly 600 people (CCTV provided police estimates!) schemed, swapped ideas and watched Conscious Cinema as bemused Christmas shoppers trundled by outside.
Opening the conference, Colin from Justice? explained that throughout the world millions of people, mainly poor, were involved in direct action against environmental destruction and attacks on people's rights. Those involved in direct action in Britain are part of a worldwide movement for the planet's future - from Whatley Quarry to Ogoniland, from France to Newbury. Given that a third of people in Britain live in poverty and are offered nothing by a corrupt parliamentary system the direct action movement could grow enormously if it builds more links with those most under attack - unemployed youth, people living in run-down estates, refugees - in their struggles against injustice. Then we could really shake things up for the politicians who are quite happy to see poverty grow, our rights diminish and the world destroyed as long as big business keeps making big profits.
The conference organised workshops on dealing with the media, Non Violent Direct Action , prisoner support, road protests and loads more. Most important of all, people got to talk to others from around the country, plot actions for the coming year and learn how to organise more effectively.
Following on from the day and continuing in the great tradition of party and protest the former theatre saw 2,000 people partying until 10 o'clock on Sunday morning. "Everyone involved in Saturday's Conference and party did it for free. There was security, fire extinguishers, clear fire exits and free water. For a small donation everyone had a storming party that went on all night".
After people spent all day Sunday cleaning, leaving the Bingo Hall better than we found it, it was infuriating to find the Argus printing a picture proclaiming "The message and the mess: the aftermath of the Justice? Conference".We replied "The photograph was like going to the Goldstone ground after a big match, taking a snap of empty terraces and saying "Look - people have dropped litter" before anyone could clear up! And graffiti? Well, I'm sure the children who did some rather nice artwork in the cr�che, wouldn't be too happy with that description."
The fact that a squat as well-run and enjoyable for thousands as the Justice? conference was can be attacked by the press doesn't surprise us - the mainstream media usually lines up with the politicians (CJA) and the police (evictions) in attacking people who take over empty buildings and put them to good use. If you want proof of the hypocrisy of it all just keep an eye out over the next week or so for those very same papers crying crocodile tears over the plight of the homeless at Christmas - while quite happily putting the boot into anyone who actually does anything to sort out homelessness by squatting properties let to rot by tax-dodging businesses.

This is a blagging plea: We know people are skint which is why everything we do is free or as cheap as possible. But people with attitudes thinking we owe them something piss us right off. Three banners went walking on Saturday night, banners people have spent a lot of time and money making so the parties look the part. Look, we're all in the same boat - wise up and stop nicking off yer own. What with the huge Bob banner that was nicked from outside the Courthouse and the SchNEWS one gone missing at the Concorde we're offering a banner amnesty - drop �em off at the New Ken, no questions.
And please think a bit more next time.

Because of donations raised on Saturday Justice? can now buy a vehicle. Hooray!

Brixton erupted into riots on Wednesday night as a demonstration against another black death in police custody was attacked by police.
As we go to press our correspondent in Brixton describes the atmosphere as "still very tense and very angry". Heavily tooled-up police - some with guns - are continuing to maintain a heavy presence on the streets of Brixton, furious at this outburst of anger at police racism against black people in custody - and on the streets.
The flame that sparked the rioting was a demonstration protesting about the death of Wayne Douglas - found dead in Brixton police station half an hour after being arrested during a burglary. Police used long batons �to protect themselves' against Wayne - not the first time the use of long batons have led to death. In an incident showing "an uncanny coincidence", Bryan Douglas was killed by long batons in May of this year. Operation Eagle-Eye has meant that stop and search is so widespread that one black man commented "It's like cleaning your teeth, it happens every day."
The amount of black people dying in custody has risen dramatically over the last three months. In October Raja Khan was found hanging in Mount Prison, Dennis Stevens was �found dead' in a �special cell' at Dartmoor Prison wearing a restraining body belt and Brain Augustine was found hanging in Pentonville Prison. November saw Kenneth Severin dead on the medical wing at Belmarsh Prison. On 5th December Wayne Douglas was found dead in a Brixton Police station and on the following day Alton Manning was found dead in Redditch (privatised) Prison.
Since 1991 a total of 42 black people have died in custody comparedwith 75 for the previous 21 years. According to Jenny Bourne of the Institute of Race Relations, "Families are repeatedly complaining about unexplained bruising on the body of their deceased relatives and the lack of cooperation when they try to find out how someone died".
Eye-witness accounts from Brixton say the police presence at the demonstration was "Incredibly heavy-handed". Laura, a resident of Brixton for seven years, told SchNEWS, "Local people are not only pissed off with the death of Wayne Douglas but the whole gentrification of Brixton. Council houses and houses occupied by squatters are being sold off and local pubs like the Atlantic, traditionally run by black people, was opened last week by yuppies as �The DogStar'. In anger this was smashed, looted and burnt out. The �33 million development including CCTV is only of benefit to big business not local stallholders."
Joyce, another local resident told us, "People were putting up barricades. There were hundreds of people involved, mostly young black and white people and they were local, they weren't outsiders. This was a combination of black people dying in police custody and the way Brixton is at the moment. The place is being yuppified with City Challenge while unemployed centres, adventure playgrounds and libraries are getting shut."
As usual, Paul Condom, chief of the Met, blamed a "Small minority of thugs and criminals" for the rioting - refusing to acknowledge the reality of widespread disgust at police racism. In fact, the only �outside agitators' and �small minority of thugs and criminals' roaming the streets of Brixton on Wednesday night were Paul Condom's employees, the police. As one eye witness told the SchNEWS, "The people involved were mainly young - black and white - and local. It's hardly surprising. Youth unemployment in Brixton is enormous and the police just hassle you all the time, especially if you're black. This was people saying enough's enough".

* Meanwhile in north London, riot police illegally and violently evicted homeless people occupying the Greenwood Housing Action Zone next to the Rainbow Centre on Wednesday morning. The cops initially broke into the wrong building, a learning difficulties centre next door. More info next week.
Support is wanted - phone 0181 444 2581 or 0378 636254.

or how can we sell the unsellable?
So much for the "fuel of the future" Nuclear Power is up for sale to the highest bidder. In its endless quest to privatise Planet Earth the government is trying to flog the nuclear power stations to anyone who will have 'em. Unfortunately no-body wants to buy. The reason being quite simply that it has dawned upon the world how ineffecient nuclear power is. From being "energy too cheap to meter " to "the solution to threatened supplies of oil " "the greenest fuel there is" the whole thing has been kept going by massive government subsidies. This from a government which has never has money for welfare/education/health etc. In fact if coal were subsidized to the same degree everyone could have a free bag of the black stuff every week. So why all these problems with nuke energy? the story goes back to the late 1940's when Britain was forced to admit that it no longer had an empire. However, without public consultation the government decided that the way of keeping at �the top table' in world affairs was to have nuclear weapons. But in order to have nuclear weapons you have to have a ready supply of plutonium and what better way to produce the stuff than under the cover of making cheap electricity? "In those days producing plutonium came before anything else. We knew if the cold war situation had got worse long before we heard it an the radio because up went the pressure to produce plutonium" a former worker was later to say.
There was of course a sinister downside to all this, it is believed that the incidence of cancer amongst staff and people living nearly a nuclear power plant is over six times what it should be.With the end of the cold war and an increasing public dislike of them the nuclear industry was forced into a corner with few options. The Gulf War offered a brief ray of hope but once the oil supplies were secured that was out of the window.
There was also irridiated food but this never proved much of a money spinner the public weren't to keen on food that like ready brek could make you glow in the dark. A plan to privatise the industry in 1989 was quietly dropped. So there you have it folks a dnagerous industry whose by-produces will stay dangerous for a million years plus which cannot produce a profit and is as popular with the public as beef with BSE. Now what sort of people would try and sell that?
Oh and in case your wondering what were going to do when the oil runs out how about wind and wave power for starters? It's often said that they would never work, not surprising really when you consider that much research for alternative power was funded by you've guessed it the nuclear industry.