Fracking gets go-ahead in UK for first time since 2011 as North Yorkshire council approves plans #olsx #occupy #fracking #resistance

Fracking gets go-ahead in UK for first time since 2011 as North Yorkshire council approves plans

Protesters outside Northallerton county hall CREDIT: JOHN GILES/PA

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•  Emily Gosden, energy editor 

23 MAY 2016 • 9:10PM

Fracking has got the go-ahead in the UK for the first time since 2011, after councillors in Yorkshire granted planning permission for the controversial process to take place in Ryedale.

North Yorkshire county council's planning committee voted by seven to four to approve Third Energy's plans to frack at a site near Kirby Misperton, following a two-day evidence hearing.

The decision marks a major milestone for the fledgling shale gas industry in the UK, which has been plagued by delays and rejections despite the enthusiastic support of Government.

Fracking could now take place before the end of the year, if opponents do not delay it by bringing a legal challenge against the decision.

Friends of the Earth confirmed it was “considering judicial review” against the approval.  

North Yorkshire fracking vote: Council approves fracking in Ryedale The Independent #olsx #fracking #occupy #resistance #water is #life

North Yorkshire fracking vote: Council approves fracking in Ryedale | Home News | News | The Independent

Demonstrators outside County Hall in Northallerton where North Yorkshire County councillors are gathering to consider whether to give a green light to a controversial fracking operation  PA

Councillors have approved an application to carry out fracking in England for the first time in five years.

The North Yorkshire County Council planning committee voted seven to four in favour of an application by UK firm Third Energy to frack for shale gas near the village of Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire.

Fracking Polluters begin Assault on Yorkshire calling all Resistance #olsx #fracking #occupy #resist #land #freedom #water

News:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/north-yorkshire-fracking-vot…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/23/north-yorkshire-council-approves…

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/north-yorkshire-county-council-approves…

http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/shalegas

Local resistance group:
Frack Free Ryedale @F_F_Ryedale
www.frackfreeryedale.org
https://www.facebook.com/groups/432282970247260

Regional resistance group:
Frack Free North Yorkshire @FFNYorkshire
Facebook.com/Frack-Free-North-Yorkshire-167419956788921

Arabic Traditional Music | الموسيقى العربية التقليدية

Embrace the Change 2014

Solutions, Episode 27 (Positive TV) | Positive TV

Solutions, Episode 27 (Positive TV) | Positive TV

In this episode Positive TV finds out more about Sexual Health.

Also in this episode PTV interviews John D Lui about Rebuilding Eco Systems.

Sunday 15 May was #GlobalDebout, the international day about #NuitDebout. Feedback and #systemchange points #olsx #occupy #globaldebout #london #realdemocracy

Sunday 15 May was #GlobalDebout, the international day about #NuitDebout. We started around 5pm and by 6.30pm, around 80 people gathered on Downing Street. Lot’s of new faces. 

We had some special guest such as #Occupy and #PublicJustice PHL that came along to explain their cause ! 

We did a public round of ideas about #systemchange and created 6 working groups of around 10 people each. After 30 minutes, each group presented their ideas to the public and a list of ideas came through that we assembled into groups :

>>>Raise individual awareness

Solutions come from individual’s responsibility to consume better. Regularly sharing your opinion is way of participating to the community and helping it. Trade your skill to get more skill of everyone. Teach how to Re-use. Solutions come from general action like general strike to negotiate better rights. #generalstrike 

>>>Provide basics needs for everyone

100 pounds a week minimum for everyone. Change the benefit system. Worldwide health care, insurance for everyone. Empty building should be made accessible for homeless people. Free transport for everyone. Ensure the most vulnerable, sick and disabled get the care/financial help they need. Cap rents.

#universalbasicincome #homes4all #freetransport 

>>>Bring back Communes.

Stop thinking that bigger is better. Think independently to make responsible everyone with direct action. Unifying communities. Get closer to the decider by breaking down government into small communities. 

>>>Claim fair trade with Governement 

Making CCTV accessible to the public would protect individuals against government abuse. Abolish the monarchy. Set a cap on how much M'P'S can claim in expenses. #realdemocracy 

>>>More eco-friendly society

Free eco-friendly transport for everyone. #recycleresources #reuse #freetransport 

————

Come tonight at 7pm to continue to working groups !

1 Hour of Russian Music and Slavic Music

Reclaim the Power – “Affinity groups” and “activist speed dating”

Reclaim the Power – “Affinity groups” and “activist speed dating”

If you’ve not taken part in anything like this before, part of the fun is the process of joining an ‘affinity group’. While the name may sound a bit weird and cliquey, it’s actually really straightforward.



It basically involves finding and getting to know some like-minded people to take action together, in whatever way suits your abilities and preferences.



You want to do something artistic and creative? Or would you rather be involved in an office occupation, or some blockading involving a significant arrest risk? We have a tried-and-tested “activist speed-dating” process to help you find people with similar preferences. You will be offered options for actions you might want to take together. Your group can then decide on a plan to suit you.

“Activist speed-dating and affinity groups: that sounds pretty weird…?”

Lindsay, a ‘newbie’ at last year’s camp, describes her experience of “activist speed-dating” and finding an “affinity group” to take action with who she’d only met 2 days previously!

“On arrival at camp on the Friday I was given a piece of paper and asked to identify where I sat on the ‘action spectrum’, i.e. what kinds of actions I’d be up for, what kind of stuff I felt comfortable with, and what skills I might be able to bring.



“Then on the Saturday I was grouped together with others who were on the same page, and given our mission, which we accepted!



“We immediately set to work on the practicalities and logistics of our plan matching our individual skills to key roles and needs. Sunday was spent refining the plan, running through it several times to minimise risks or mishaps. We also had to make or buy other things we needed, like banners and a leaflet to hand out to people working in the office we planned to blockade.



“In the process, we naturally started to form strong affinities and connections, taking some time to acknowledge how we were feeling about what we were about to do, sharing some of our fears and our deeper motivations. There wasn’t an awful lot of time for this though. By early Monday morning we were off doing the action – and by Monday evening we were in the pub, debriefing and celebrating!



“All in all I thought the ‘speed-dating’ method worked really well, with minimum faff and maximum impact. Having only taken part in a few actions previously, it was a truly fantastic experience – really empowering as well as being wicked good fun. It was amazing to know that we were a part of a series of actions taking place across the UK which challenged power, made the headlines, and fed into a long culture of resistance in the UK which has never been more necessary.



“Best of all – the friendships we formed have continued to grow and strengthen, working together to bring fresh ideas and actions into fruition, whilst forming a network of support for whatever the future brings”.

Or there will be ready-made affinity groups of people from the same part of the country (including groups who formed at previous years’ camps), who arrive with their plans already made – but who need a few extra people. You could be linked up with them too.



You’ll be asked to fill in a form with some basic information about your preferences. Our action support team will then help put you in touch with people who are on your wavelength. People have done it in past years consistently say it works amazingly, forming really powerful and long-lasting friendships for the future.



Depending on what you’re doing, the people you’re linked up with might also be from the same part of the country as you. That’s because some of the arrestable actions will take part away from Didcot. If you’re going to need to attend police stations and possible court appearances afterwards, it’s easier if you’re nearer home rather than having to keep traipsing back to Oxfordshire!



However the obvious benefit is that this also helps form bonds of trust and friendship that will last, giving you a group of like-minded people to carry on taking action for climate justice well beyond the period of the camp itself.

Lindsay and others from her affinity group take action outside the Department of the Environment during last summer’s Reclaim the Power camp.

1 Hour of Scottish Music and Celtic Music

Election Expenses exposed - Channel 4 News

Election Expenses exposed - Channel 4 News

• 33constituencies involved
• 29winning Tory MPs implicated
• 10police forces investigating
• 2,408hotel nights
• £182,000spending uncovered

​Election laws exist to protect our democracy and ensure a level playing field. Candidates and parties must declare all their campaign spending, and stick within spending limits, to stop richer parties gaining an unfair advantage.

Yet a Channel 4 investigation has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting large-scale and systematic abuse of election rules by the Conservative Party in last year's General Election and three key by-elections in 2014.

The alleged abuse strikes at the very heart of fairness in Britain and the integrity of our democracy. Now the Electoral Commission has launched an investigation, along with ten police forces across the country.

Election Expenses exposed - Channel 4 News

Election Expenses exposed - Channel 4 News

• 33constituencies involved
• 29winning Tory MPs implicated
• 10police forces investigating
• 2,408hotel nights
• £182,000spending uncovered

​Election laws exist to protect our democracy and ensure a level playing field. Candidates and parties must declare all their campaign spending, and stick within spending limits, to stop richer parties gaining an unfair advantage.

Yet a Channel 4 investigation has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting large-scale and systematic abuse of election rules by the Conservative Party in last year's General Election and three key by-elections in 2014.

The alleged abuse strikes at the very heart of fairness in Britain and the integrity of our democracy. Now the Electoral Commission has launched an investigation, along with ten police forces across the country.

All sorts of help needed to make Reading’s first Green Fest a big success! – Reading Voluntary Action

All sorts of help needed to make Reading’s first Green Fest a big success! – Reading Voluntary Action

Add to favourites

All sorts of help needed to make Reading’s first Green Fest a big success!

Support volunteers needed for Transition Town Reading in RG1

Reading Green Fest is a one day festival to celebrate what community groups are doing locally to have a positive environmental impact. There will be children’s activities, films, activity and information stalls and a vegan cafe serving lunches and snacks.

Volunteers are needed to help the event to run smoothly and there will be a variety of tasks. It is likely that you will take on more than one role throughout the day:

Stall supporter: Ensuring stall holders know where they are to set up, checking they have everything they need and looking after their stall if they need a comfort break or bringing them refreshments when needed.

Welcomer / Information point: Welcoming in guests, pointing out what’s going on and what time various things are happening.

Film / sound operator: Someone who’s a little bit tech-savvy to ensure the films are running smoothly and the sound levels are OK.

Cafe Volunteers: Roots Community pop-up cafe are running the cafe and would like a few extra hands behind the counter to take orders, make coffees etc.

We will also need help at the start and end of the day, when it’ll be all hands on deck to make sure we are ready to start at 11am and at the end to make sure we leave the hall and square spic and span!

We expect volunteers may take on more than one of these roles depending where the demand is at any given time, however if you have a preference, please let us know and we will try to accommodate that. Some roles will be more physically demanding and others can be done sitting down.

Squatting Statistics 2015 – Squash Campaign #olsx #housingcrisis #homelessness #squatting #deathsonourstreets #respace #recycle #empties #homes4all

Squatting Statistics 2015 – Squash Campaign

Squatting Statistics 2015

The link between rising homelessness and the criminalisation of squatting – May 2016

Squatters Action for Secure Homes (SQUASH) has been tracking implementation of section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (s144 LASPOA) since it came into effect in September 2012. Section 144 criminalises squatting in empty residential properties, gives the police new powers, and guilt is determined by a lay magistrate, rather than a trained judge. Since 2012, there have been at least 738 arrests, 326 prosecutions and over 60 convictions for the offence. The consequence of the new law, are now starting to be felt.
[Note: Page contains Google Analytics code for us to track hits]

Arrests & Disposals

• Arrests: There were at least 148 arrests under s144 LASPOA in 2015. This brings the total confirmed arrests to date to 736 people since 2012;
• Charged: The percentage of those charged with the offence was 64% of arrested in 2015 (94), and half of those charged were remanded in custody before their court hearing;
• Arrest Targets: Arrests for section 144 have been averaging around 160 arrests per year. This suggests an annual arrest target for this offence.

Prosecutions

• Displaced Residents: When asked, no police force was able to cite a single case of a displaced residential occupier for a squatting arrest, a principle reason for introducing the offence in 2011;
• Backup Offence: Squatters are arrested for a number of alternative offences (eg Criminal Damage, Burglary), and section 144 is often used as a secondary offence when the more serious offences can’t be successfully prosecuted;
• Prosecutions: Prosecutions of section 144 offences has been rising year on year since 2012, and is currently averaging around 13 prosecutions a month, up from 10 in 2014-15. This brings the total number of section 144 prosecutions brought for a first hearing at a Magistrates court since 2012 to 326;
• Convictions: There is too little information to gauge the true number of those convicted for section 144 and their sentences. The number of known convictions stands at around 60 since 2012.

Evictions

• Fast-track evictions, using Interim Possession Orders and High Court Bailiffs, are increasing and becoming more common;
• Illegal evictions by landlords, the police and security firms continue, as it is widely believed that section 144 criminalises all squatting, and that squatters are de facto “criminals”;
• Length of Occupation: Squats now last little more than 3 weeks in general, three months at most. This is in sharp contrast to pre-2012 lengths of occupation, of between 6 months to a year.

Criminalising the Homeless & Market Effects

• Rising Homelessness: more 18-34 year olds are being made homeless through private and social housing evictions, and it is estimated there were 83,000 young homeless in 2015;
• Rising Rough Sleeping: rough sleeping number have risen dramatically since 2010/11, due in part to the implementation of section 144, and at least 194 rough sleepers died in London in 2015;
• Underreporting and Criminalisation: the government’s response to rising homelessness has been to underreport and criminalise those sleeping rough, eg Operation Encompass;
• Rising House Prices: links between aggressive enforcement of homeless criminalisation and rising house prices can be seen in London and other parts of England;
• Legislative Subsidy: section 144, among others, acts as a public subsidy for private landlords and speculators, enabling them are to leave homes empty and fast-track evictions.

“Squatting Statistics 2015” Report can be found here:

Squatting Statistics 2015 – Policy Brief (2 Pages) – PDF, 516KB

Squatting Statistics 2015 – Full Report (28 Pages) – PDF, 1,208KB

Squatting Statistics 2015 – Press Release (19 May 2016)

Rethink, recycle, respace #respace #recycle buildings and #resources #olsx

Fundraising gig for Médicins Sans Frontiers – Hive #olsx #occupy #refugee #aid

Fundraising gig for Médicins Sans Frontiers – Hive

Fundraising gig for Médicins Sans Frontiers

Saturday 21st May, 7-11

Join three of London’s hottest new bands for a boogie in aid of Médecins Sans Frontieres’ work in the refugee crisis. 

Cl!ve, Heman Sheman and Louise Ellaway will present a night of digi-soul, Mancunian glamrock and poetic folk. All proceeds will go towards of Médecins Sans Frontiers’ efforts in combatting the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.

Compère and Special Guest Band TBC

Featuring:

Formed over a packet of sweet chilli Kettle Chips in one of east London’s dankest basements in 2013, thanks to a clutch of sell-out shows 7-piece digi-soul outfit Cl!ve are now celebrated for their punchy live set. Fronted by the frighteningly synergetic Graham sisters on vocals, and featuring the mysteriously besuited Ajay Ratan and his Whammy Pedal on sax, expect Cl!ve to bewitch you into an unmitigated kinetic trance.

Heman Sheman are a gritty glam funk rock outfit from Manchester as featured in NME, The Guardian and on BBC 6music.

Making her Dalston debut, Louise Ellaway will render Hive an intimate space with her uniquely individual folk-punk-infused warbling

BYOB
£6 entry

Médecins Sans Frontieres

Photo by Juan Carlos Tomasi

MSF is responding to the refugee and migrant crisis throughout Greece and Italy, where we are running medical clinics, giving psychological support and providing access to shelter, clean water and hygiene facilities. In addition we are operating rescue activities in the north of Lesbos, offering assistance to those making the treacherous journey from Turkey and ensuring they arrive safely.

Plenty in 28 pgs of 9/11 report for lawsuits against Saudi Arabia ‒ cong...

This Sat 21 May, Crux audio-visual is at New River Studios (199 Eade Road, N4 1DN). Daytime event: 4pm-11pm. £5 entry after 6pm. AV livesets plus jam session and workshops. Full details: www.crux-events.org See you there!

This Sat 21 May, Crux audio-visual is at New River Studios (199 Eade Road, N4 1DN).

Daytime event: 4pm-11pm. £5 entry after 6pm. 

AV livesets plus jam session and workshops. Full details: www.crux-events.org

See you there!

Join the GlobalDebout Telegram channel & groups if not yet Worldwide network (informative channel only) telegram.me/GlobalDebout GlobalDebout Action for 15May telegram.me/joinchat/AB1TJ… GlobalDebout Policies telegram.me/joinchat/AB1TJ… GlobalDebout Long Term telegram.me/joinchat/AB1TJ… GlobalDebout Communication telegram.me/joinchat/AB1TJ… GlobalDebout Live telegram.me/joinchat/CK02y… Global Debout France telegram.me/joinchat/CNTce…

Join the GlobalDebout Telegram channel & groups if not yet

Worldwide network (informative channel only)  telegram.me/GlobalDebout

GlobalDebout Action for 15May telegram.me/joinchat/AB1TJ…

GlobalDebout Policies telegram.me/joinchat/AB1TJ…

GlobalDebout Long Term telegram.me/joinchat/AB1TJ…

GlobalDebout Communication telegram.me/joinchat/AB1TJ…

GlobalDebout Live telegram.me/joinchat/CK02y…

Global Debout France telegram.me/joinchat/CNTce…

Nuit Debout London: CHALK WARS | Ann Narked Media #nuitdeboutldn #globaldebout #olsx #occupy #chalking about a better #future outside No10 bring your chalk weds and sundays 7pm chalk on the wild side LOL

Nuit Debout London: CHALK WARS | Ann Narked Media

Nuit Debout London: CHALK WARS

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Ann Narkeh

The Occupied Sun

Two people arrested opposite Downing St…FOR CHALKING!

NB – this is not satire. See the shocking footage livestreamed by Occupy News Network  at Nuit Debout London last night, here: bambuser.com/v/6262144

If you haven’t heard about Nuit Debout and the Global Debout yet, you might want to check out the Alternative Media List, for better sources of information than the malign 1% media monopoly.

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