Month: December 2011

NOTTS SOS meetings in January 2012

Regular Notts SOS meetings resume in 2012 on Mondays 9th and 23rd January. These take place fortnighly at the YMCA International Community Centre on Mansfield Road and start at 7.30 finishing around 9.00pm.

Come along and get involved or if you can’t make it, contact us and tell us about your anti-cuts activities.

What cuts? In our News section we have covered the cuts in City and Council budgets:

Another round of cuts is due in 2012 and we must be ready to take action again.

Other ways to keep informed of Notts SOS activities are as follows.

Keep up to date by subscribing to this blog (scroll down and add your email address on the right of this page to receive a message whenever there is a new blog post. You can also join the Notts SOS facebook page or follow us on Notts SOS twitter.

Look out for our occasional newsletters: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/11/16/notts-sos-newsletter-no-7-november-2011/

Invitation to join Occupy Nottingham on New Year’s Eve in the Market Square

A message from Occupy Nottingham who have been occupying the Market Square with a tent city since October 15th 2011 to highlight the failings of the global financial system and to say enough is enough – a different world is needed.

Come & join us in the Market Place on New Years Eve!

Stand with us around the camp if you are in agreement & support us & our message, lets stand together to begin 2012 as one voice for change & an end to greed!

Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/occupy.nottingham

More coverage of the Occupation in Nottingham: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2287

Message about the Atos Two from Notts Defence Campaign – Trial dates & protests in February 2012

Hello,

You may already be aware of the case against the ‘Atos Two’ (for links to Indymedia coverage please see below).

Following a protest at Atos “Healthcare” in Nottingham on September 30th a retired paediatric nurse and a wheelchair user were arrested and charged with aggravated trespass.

Since the arrest there have been amazing acts of solidarity by many people who e.g. send messages, signed a statement of support, spread the word, came to a solidarity demo outside the court etc.

Massive thanks to everyone!

After pleading not guilty on November 25th, the trial has been set for February 27th and 28th 2012 at Nottingham Magistrates Court.

There will be a solidarity demonstration outside Nottingham Magistrates Court on Monday February 27th from 9am. http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2247

There will be a demonstration in Nottingham against Atos, the attacks on the welfare system and the criminalisation of protests on Friday February 3rd 12.30pm. Meet at the crossroads Carlton Street; Broad Street; Stoney Street (near Ice Nine). The demo route will be fully accessible though slightly hilly (this is Nottingham after all). The route will be less than one kilometre. http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2247

We are also planning a meeting/workshops to be held in Nottingham on the weekend before the trial (Saturday February 25th) to discuss political policing as well as attacks on benefit claimants. Further details to be announced asap.

We are looking for persons who would like to participate in planning this event. If you are interested in planning/attending/participating please contact nottsdefence@riseup.net

People are of course welcome to stay over for the trial!

We are also looking into possibilities for expert witnesses (e.g. campaigners, health workers) giving evidence at the trial itself. If you know persons who might be willing to give evidence regarding Atos in court, please contact nottsdefence@riseup.net If someone would be up for this please get in touch soon as the solicitor needs to know asap (essentially before X-Mas).

Further information/updates to be announced asap. Please circulate this message widely.

Thanks a lot.

Best wishes Notts Defence ———- Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/nottsdefence

Indymedia coverage re ‘Atos Two’

Re original protest and the charges http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2168 Re events at the Magistrates Court http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2207 The statement of support (to sign please email nottsdefence@riseup.net) http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2195

Related articles

Notts Uncut Xmas Special gets ‘pigged’ with 3 arrests

On Saturday 17th December Notts UnCut yet again highlighted tax-dodging companies who are peddling their produce on Nottingham City high streets such as Boots (Swiss HQ), Vodaphone (Luxembourg HQ) and the various Arcadia Gruop outlets like Top Man/Top Shop, Burtons and Dorothy whose ownership was transferred by Philip Green to his wife who for tax purposes is based in Monaco, so avoiding UK tax.

On this occasion the force of the law decided that this message was too rich for Nottingham people and decided to arrest 2 of the protesters, and a third when the protest ended up at the Bridewell police station, demanding release of the first two.

All in this together?

Indymedia coverage: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2276

Background to the demo: https://nottssos.org.uk/2011/12/15/notts-uncut-christmas-special-saturday-17th-december-2011-2/

Notts Uncut: http://www.nottsuncut.co.uk/

Leicestershire Solidarity Group – Whose pensions are ‘GOLD-PLATED’?

Leicestershire Solidarity Group have recently formed and have produced a great leaflet about public sector pensions.

While ‘greedy and selfish’ public sector workers are vilified by politicians and the media, remember…

David Cameron’s publically funded pension is £32,978 a year with a pot of £550,725
Francis Maude’s publically funded pension is £43,825 a year with a pot of £731,833
George Osborne’s publically funded pension is £32,978 a year with a pot of £550,725
Nick Clegg’s publically funded pension is £28,404 a year with a pot of £440,000
Eric Pickles’ publically funded pension is £43,825 a year with a pot of £731,833
Vince Cable’s publically funded pension is £39,551 a year with a pot of £660,507
Andrew Lansley’s publically funded pension is £39,551 a year with a pot of £660,507
Danny Alexander’s publically funded pension is £28,404 a year with a pot of £440,000

Average public sector pension is around £4-6,000 a year

Whose pensions are ‘GOLD-PLATED’?

Whatever they tell you WE ARE NOT ALL IN IT TOGETHER!

Public Sector and Private Sector Workers UNITE AND FIGHT THESE ROBBING PARASITES

Download the flyer: leicestershire solidarity group pensions leaflet Dec 2011

http://leicestershiresg.blogspot.com/

NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL BUDGET CAMPAIGN MEETING – Monday 19th December 2011 at 7.30pm

As agreed at the last Notts SOS meeting, people who are interested in carrying forward and actively participating in the campaign against Nottingham City Council passing another cuts budget are planning further action. We will meet at 19.30 on Monday, 19th. December at The Peacock pub on Mansfield Road. Please indicate that you are attending by sending an email to our usual address: nottssos [at] gmail.com

Hope to see you there.

Notts Uncut Christmas Special – Saturday 17th December 2011

Notts Uncut’s next action is this Saturday (17th December) and will be meeting at 1pm outside Parliament St. Boots and moving onto their target, which will be decided by UK Uncut’s facebook poll.

Come along and bring your anti-cuts Christmas carol songsheets and Santa hats.

Notts Uncut website: http://www.nottsuncut.co.uk/

Link to Facebook poll: http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions/782

A Notts SOS article from 2010 to get you in a festive mood: https://nottssos.org.uk/2010/12/20/christmas-carols-subverted-into-anti-cuts-protests-with-12-days-of-cripmas-video/

Nottingham City Council – budget/cuts meeting 12th December 2011 – volunteers wanted for Notts SOS stall

Nottingham City Council Meeting
At 14.00 on Monday 12th. December there is a full Council meeting at which proposals for the 2012/13 Budget will be discussed. Notts SOS will have a campaigning stall outside the Council House from 13.00 onwards. Volunteers are needed to run the stall and attend the meeting.

Please complete the following form to volunteer for various activities and return it to the email address given on form:
NCC Budget Campaign Activities

Here is a petition you can help fill and return to us:
NCC Council Budget Petition 2012-13

Coverage of the N30 strike day in Nottingham

Coverage of the November 30th coordinated strike day in defence of pensions can be found on Nottingham Indymedia with a feature article linking up various submitted articles and photos: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2241

In Nottingham over 10,000 people marched from the Forest into the city centre, many after taking part in pickets of their workplaces, and it was wonderful to be received by applause as we turned the corner of Mansfield Rd. and Parliament St. The march then passed via Speakers’ Corner and through the Old Market Square alongside Occupy Nottingham and ended up in and outside of Albert Hall for a rally.

Earlier in the day those in Notts SOS and Notts UnCut who were not involved in the industrial action, including many students, supported picket lines at workplaces in the city and county with refreshments and good cheer. For a few hours after the march, a Critical Mass group of 25 cyclists cycled (at extremely slow pace) around the city centre, spreading the word about the strike and the fight against government cuts everywhere they went. There was a huge amount of public support for the message. The ride ended at the Sumac Centre in Forest Fields where the Autonomous Nottingham free space had relocated.

View N30 slideshow on Notts TUC: http://www.nottstuc.org/2011/12/images-from-nottingham-strike-march.html

Industrial action continues (including work to contract at Universities and Colleges by members of UCU) while several unions have been in talks with the government since the 30th. More pressure will be needed to prevent the loss of hard won pensions, pay and conditions over the coming months. The NHS and benefits are also under sustained attack. Notts SOS will continue its work in bringing together people who are fighting austerity in its various guises.

After our last meeting of 2011 took place this evening, Notts SOS will resume its meetings in the New Year, on Monday 9th January 2012. All welcome!
There will be various events before then though, so do keep checking our website (you can also subscribe to get notification of new articles – just enter your email on the right).

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