This is the latest update from Notts Save Our Services with information on our upcoming meetings, a report back from the city council budget meeting, news about the Market Square occupation and invites to an online security skillshare and a ramble in Sherwood Forest.
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NOTTS SOS MEETINGS
We meet every two weeks. Last week’s city council protest fell on what would have been our meeting dates, so we’ve slipped a week. This means that the next meeting is tomorrow (Monday 12th March). The next meeting will then be Monday 26th March.
Meetings start at 7.30pm and are held at the International Community Centre, Mansfield Road. Meetings are usually finished before 9pm and there’s often an opportunity to carry on any discussion informally in the pub afterwards. Please do come along and get involved.
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CITY COUNCIL CUTS
On Monday 5th March Nottingham City Council met to agree its 2012-13 budget, with £20m cuts, 195 job cuts and a 3.49% council tax hike. Notts SOS protested outside.
We’re disappointed – but not surprised – by the vote, but this is not the end of the campaign. This is the fourth year in a row the city council has cut its budget and they already expect to slash a further £24m by spring 2015
Press release: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2456
Nottingham Indymedia coverage: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2457
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OCCUPY NOTTINGHAM COURT DATE
After serving notice on Occupy Nottingham, a week earlier, Nottingham City Council served court paper on the camp on Tuesday 3rd March. The case is to be heard from 10am on Tuesday 13th March at Notttingham County Court, 60 Canal Street, Nottingham.
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ONLINE SECURITY SKILLSHARE
An increasing amount of activism takes place online, this can be very effective, but it also carries a number of risks and potentially leaves you vulnerable to surveillance.
On Saturday 17th March, Nottingham Indymedia are running a session at the Sumac Centre exploring how you can communicate securely online, defend your anonymity and evade state repression on the internet.
Communicating securely is everyone’s business. Even if your activism is super-fluffy, you can help make the internet safer for everyone by adopting good security practices. If only the people doing spiky things used these practices, they would attract attention just by doing so. Get into the habit of doing things securely before you really need to and you will be a thorn in the side of the surveillance state. There will also be a chance to look at how to use the Nottingham Indymedia site to publish your own stories from the streets.
The skillshare is at the Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Nottingham NG7 6HX and begins at 2pm.
Details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2413
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RAMBLE IN THE WOODS
The Save Sherwood Forest campaign are organising a ramble on Sunday 18th March to celebrate World Forest Day and mark a year of campaigning to keep the Public Forest Estate in public ownership. They’re hoping for a good turn out to show that people are still passionate about keeping Sherwood Forest & Sherwood Pines in public ownership and that this is the best way to protect our forest heritage for the community and future generations.
They will be meeting by the big notice board mid-way between the car park and the Visitor Centre/Café at 10am for a 10.30am start. Sherwood Pines is off the B6030 near Old Clipstone, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire – the post code is NG21 9JL.
The walk will be accessible to all and will feature interludes by Dave Wood – the Nottinghamshire poet – and members of the Clarion Choir. It should be over by 12pm-12.30pm, just in time for Mother’s Day Lunch.
Details: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2442
Save Sherwood Forest website: http://www.savesherwoodforest.org.uk
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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Monday 12th March, 7.30pm
Notts SOS planning meeting. International Community Centre, Mansfield Road.
Tuesday 13th March, 10am
Occupy Nottingham court hearing. Nottingham County Court, 60 Canal Street, Nottingham.
Wednesday 14th March
National student walkout over “reforms” to higher education: http://gu.com/p/35dqz
Thursday 15th March
Nottingham Solidarity Network meeting: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2446
Saturday 17th March, 2pm
Nottingham Indymedia are organising an online security skillshare at
the Sumac Centre.This will include an introductory session on using Indymedia to post your own news about campaigns: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2413
Sunday 18th March, 10am-12pm
Save Sherwood Forest ramble to celebrate World Forest Day and mark a year of campaigning to keep the Public Forest Estate in public ownership: http://nottingham.indymedia.org/events/2442
Wednesday 21st March
Budget Day
Monday 26th March, 7.30pm
Notts SOS planning meeting. International Community Centre, Mansfield Road.
Wednesday 28th March
Possible national strike action over pensions by PCS and NUT (and maybe other unions)
Saturday 12th April, 2pm
Legal observer training organised by Nottingham Defence Campaign and run by Green and Black Cross. Held at the Sumac Centre: https://imc.li/2sgsx
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Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS)
Website: https://nottssos.org.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nottssos
OStatus: https://indy.im/nottssos
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nottssosfb
Email list: http://goo.gl/uT89q