video – Page 2 – Notts Save Our Services

Corporate tax campaigners close Vodafone in Nottingham again and protest at (and in) other shops [plus videos]

protest in boots nottingham about corporate tax avoidance — Protesters inside Boots at Victoria Centre Nottingham on day of action by UK Uncut

A large grouping of anti-cuts and corporate tax campaigners from the Trades Council, Notts SOS and swelled immensely by the support of students and education workers on the other anti-cuts and fees protest in town on 4th December 2010, got Vodafone shutters closed down again (one on 3 seperate occasions on Clumber St.) as Nottingham’s contribution to the continuing UK Uncut days of action took place at Clumber Street and all around the city centre. Two Boots stores and Topshop were also targetted. Click on photo to enlarge the walk through one Boots store.

More media, reports, opinions: See photos on NSAFC website. Watch Video of Nottingham protest at one Vodafone shop, at St. Peter’s Gate, on YouTube. Read Notts Trades Council report. Read article and watch video on Notts Indymedia. Read article written for Coalition of Resistance site [Word] [PDF].

It should be noted that the recent bailout in Ireland included keeping corporation tax at present levels but to cut the minimum wage, showing that we are indeed paying for the banking and general capitalist crisis. Cuts, low corparate taxation and low wages are the state solutions to economic crisis and obviously fully endorsed by HMRC. Shareholders are also responsible as their dividends from the profits of these companies are in relation to the money saved on tax avoidance (and from exploiting workers who make the goods or work in their stores). On the same day of this protest it was on the news that Kraft who recently acquired Cadbury are moving a large part of its business operation to Switzerland to avoid paying UK tax showing that this is part of a ongoing strategy by global corporations to avoid tax with the full collusion of governments.

In London: Press release: Flagship Topshop Closed Amid National Protests Against Tax Avoidance. Many more actions took place around the country and are set to continue.

See also: UK Uncut protesters spied upon by undercover police (reported day before, 3rd Dec, Guardian).

Watch Video of Nottingham protest at one Vodafone shop, at St. Peter’s Gate, on YouTube:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOgLwXbs3tc&feature=player_embedded]

Watch Video of March through Nottingham city centre.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NTWVuGaYSLM]

See also: George Osbourse tax avoidance song: Georgy Boy (1st of May Band)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLK7KCbwUOs]

Nottingham Students Against Cuts and Fees events on Monday 6th and Thursday 9th December 2010 [plus videos of 4th protests and Billy Bragg at occupation on 3rd]

Nottingham Students Against Cuts and Fees are organising big events this week that you should all come and get involved in. These follow the suspending of the occupation on Friday and the marching through nottingham on Saturday 4th December. Watch [video of the march] on the 4th and Billy Bragg’s views about the university’s ‘concessions’ put forward to end the occupation.

1. At 2:30pm on Monday 6th, there will be a rally outside the Great Hall in conjunction the Vice Chancellor meeting that the occupation successfully negotiated. Please come down and show your support and make some noise! Download flyer: nsafc_rally_forum_6_dec_2010.pdf

2. At 3:30pm, also on Monday 6th, all students are invited to join an open forum discussion with the VC over the raise in tuition fees and cuts to the university, which is taking place in the Great Hall. All students are allowed to come, even if you weren’t in the occupation; even if you’re unsure about your position. Come down and hear the debate and get involved! (Same flyer as above)

3. On Thursday 9th, MP’s will vote in the commons to raise tuition fees. NSACF have organised coaches to take students, staff and supporters down to London for the National Day of Action. This is a big event, involving all occupations and the student movement as a whole! Download flyer: nsafc_dayx_9_dec_2010.pdf

The suggested donation for the coach is £5, but whatever you can afford. If you are interested, please email: nsafac@gmail.com with your name – Coach leaves 9am from Portland steps on Thursday 9th.

Also, join the Facebook event. for the 9th December activities.

University occupation continues in Nottingham – invitation to join

UPDATE: Occupation of Great Hall now suspended – meet 6pm instead at Portland Building. 03/11/2010.

UPDATE: Billy Bragg visited the occupation 03/11/2010.. See also: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/757

UPDATE: Press Release Thursday evening 02/11/2010

Students from the University of Nottingham peacefully occupying the Great Hall of the Trent Building in protest against rising fees and cuts in higher education spending have been told to leave the building by 4pm today or they will be in violation of the code of conduct. However, following countless emails of solidarity, numerous donations of money, food and other supplies, and visits from professors, lecturers, teachers, school students and parents to show their support, the students have decided to peacefully continue the occupation. Website: http://nsafc.wordpress.com Email: nsafac [at] gmail.com

The occupation of the Great Hall in the Trent Building at University of Nottingham continues into its second day and more people are invited to get involved in the day, to stay over night or both. People are currently free to come and go. There have been meetings and lecturers speaking on various subjects. There is a quiet study area, huge meeting area and some free food. Amongst the things occupiers are asking for are stationery and art materials, films on DVD, internet (GPRS) dongles, games, more food, microwave cookers, blankets and heaters. If you are going take warm clothes and a sleeping bag plus blankets. See website ‘Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts!’: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/ for the latest news and more about events that have taken place so far, and what is planned for the rest of the week and beyond.

Download occupation leaflet with information about daily meetings at 1pm: nottingham_university_occupation_leaflet_1_dec_2010 [PDF]

Directions:

Trent Building is Building 11 on this map:
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sharedresources/documents/mapuniversitypark.pdf

Download PCS union letter of support: [Word format] or [PDF format].

Text of statement by UCU to Vice-Chancellor:

This is a copy of the message sent earlier today to the VC

Dear Professor Greenaway,

We are aware that a group of students has occupied the Great Hall in protest over the planned increase in tuition fees and proposed cuts to HE funding. We share similar concerns about the financial cut-backs in Higher Education and urge you to engage with the students constructively and treat their concerns seriously.

Yours sincerely,
Mike Byrne
Secretary – University of Nottingham UCU
(on behalf of the local UCU committee)

Read more solidarity messages.

Original demands (to be added to, including turn the heating and internet back on!):

Students at Nottingham University have occupied The Great Hall in The Trent Building on University Park.

They say:

1. We demand that the University of Nottingham lobby the Russell Group and the government and issue a statement condemning all cuts to higher education, the EMA and the rise in tuition fees.

2. We demand that the University of Nottingham implement a complete open book policy in regards to existing budget constraints

3. We demand that the University of Nottingham ensure no redundancies for teaching, research or support staff.

4. Ensure that no victimization or repercussions for anyone participating in the occupation.

5. Allow free access in and out of the building.

Contact info:

Website ‘Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts!’: http://nsafc.wordpress.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/nsafc

Email: nsacaf [at] gmail.com

Elsewhere in the UK ….

Occupation in Sheffield: http://sheffieldoccupation.tumblr.com/

Watch University College London ‘dance-off video’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEkk2eUCY1Y&feature=player_embedded

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEkk2eUCY1Y&feature=player_embedded]

Education, Education, Education – university fees and Gedling school protests in Nottingham on Wed/Thurs

NEW: What happened in Nottingham on the 24th? [report with links to photos and midlands TV coverage]

NEW (from London demo): Mounted Police charge protesters at Whitehall 24 November : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgxwTF-qeAo
Commentary on Guardian website: Student protests: video shows mounted police charging London crowdMet police issue denial but witnesses tell of terrifying ordeal.

24 November: National Walkout against Student Fees and Cuts. In our region, so far there are walkouts being advertised in Leicester, Lincoln and Loughborough and Nottingham.
University of Nottingham action confirmed for Wed 24th is as follows: Rally at 2pm on Portland Building steps [view campus map – PDF]. Download Teach-in Leaflet. Then meeting at University of Nottingham, 4PM, ROOM D138 PORTLAND BUILDING, NOTTINGHAM UNI to join students and staff in open discussion. Speakers from University and College Union (UCU), Notts Save Our Services + Many more TBC. Info: 07849392842.

25 November: WE ARE ONE ‘Night of Light’ demonstration in Gedling to protest at the government closure of Gedling School – meet 5:30pm in the Phoenix pub car park [directions here]. Bring Glo sticks, torches … anything bright. Call Dale Vizzard for details: 07833762387. All welcome. Support from NUT: http://www.nottsnut.co.uk/index.html

Save Gedling School campaign on the Notts SOS march in Nottingham, 20th November 2010, with banner — Save Gedling School campaign on the Notts SOS march in Nottingham, 20th November 2010

SAVE GEDLING SCHOOL

The campaign to save Gedling School and Specialist Science College from possible closure is organising a ‘night of lights’ evening demonstration this week. The event will demonstrate the widespread community support for the school.

The campaign began when Nottinghamshire council officers indicated they were minded to recommend the closure of Gedling School, with a decision to be taken by the council’s cabinet members on December 15.

Gedling is a popular and friendly school that excels in many areas – in 2009 it achieved the best science results in the whole of Nottinghamshire. Since the possibility of closure has been publicised there has been an upsurge of support for the school across community and party lines. In a meeting on Monday afternoon both Conservative and Labour Gedling District councillors told Nottinghamshire officials that their plans were based on incorrect statistics and muddled thinking.

The event will begin on Thursday November 25 at 5.30pm. Supporters are asked to assemble at the Phoenix Pub (on Wollaton Avenue. Nottingham NG4 4HU), before marching down Wollaton Avenue to a campaign rally that will take place within the grounds of the school. Bring torches,
glo sticks….anything bright!

Chair of the campaign committee, and parent governor, Caroline Diss, said:

“Any possible withdrawal of our local school, with its specialism and outstanding results in science, and which is at the heart of the local community, would represent a blow to any notion of parental choice.
There are no places in neighbouring schools that perform well in the area leaving the only alternative option for Gedling parents a school that is in special measures.

“We know that no member of the cabinet would want that for their children. They have the power to stop this nightmare scenario happening to ours We implore them to reject the local authority’s recommendation to consult on closure of Gedling School”

Terry Chambers, Head of Year 9, said: “We feel it was important to show the strength of feeling, not only from the pupils but also the parents, the staff, ex-pupils and the whole community against the closure of our school. Any closure would have a devastating effect on the whole community. It seems crucial decisions of this kind are based on spurious data and statistics when the reality is that they will be
destroying the future of so many people.”

LINKS:
Save Gedling School: http://savegedlingschool.wordpress.com/
Save Gedling School (campaign supporters network): http://savegedlingschool.ning.com/
Save Gedling School Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Our-School-The-Gedling-School/146243182088229

1100 march in Nottingham against austerity [with videos and photos]

On Saturday 20th November 2010 the lively demonstration and march called by Notts Save Our Services assembled on the Forest Recreation Ground. Well over one thousand residents, workers, service users, pension and welfare recipients, parents, teachers, university and school students from all over Nottingham and Notts brought themselves along on a misty morning, and carried placards and banners against cuts. We marched to Nottingham city centre down Mansfield Road and many more people clapped from the pavement or hooted horns as we passed. At Speakers’ Corner a rally was held with many speakers explaining the effect of the cuts and encouraging more people to get involved with Notts SOS. Queens Street had to be closed to accommodate everyone.

Watch a video of the march as it left the Forest (links to photos are further below) and an edited video of some of the speeches on the podium and singing before and on the march.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-CktNNTb44&feature=player_embedded#!]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzGj-xvhZbA]

Read press release advertising the march and rally: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/679.

Read collected media including photos following march and rally on Notts Indymedia: http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/articles/697

Look at pictures of the march and rally from the Trades Council website: http://www.nottstuc.org/2010/11/pictures-from-todays-demo.html
Lots more photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gideonmack/sets/72157625306734629/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshcunninghamphotography/sets/72157625492249146
BBC Nottingham news article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-11803578 (only 500 though! Journalist must have counted or estimated numbers at the beginning when the march was assembling whereas we did a proper roadside count on Mansfield Road). Anyway ITV News said it was 3000! See also Evening Post website coverage.

More reports and media to follow.

Well done to all that marched. We hope this will inspire more people to get involved with Notts SOS. In January we will hold a conference in Nottingham to work out a wider strategy as we know there are many and diverse ways the government cuts will affect our lives. In the meantime we hope that more anti-cuts groups will form whether around a specific campaign like Save Gedling School or with a general ‘save our services’ aim. Notts SOS planning meetings are held on Mondays in the International Community Centre. Details of these meetings and other planned events can be found on our website.

To find out just some of what’s happening in Nottingham and Notts, read our Newsletter –
Notts SOS Newsletter No. 1: [Word version] [PDF version]

National walkout against student fees – Wednesday 24th November 2010 – with East Midlands links [plus video of Millbank demo]

Following the huge and lively students’ and education workers’ demonstration on 10th November a National walkout against student fees has been called for Wednesday 24th November 2010.

Details of the walkouts are being compiled on anticuts.org.uk, the NCACF site anticuts.com and on Facebook

In our region, so far there are walkouts being advertised in Leicester, Lincoln and Loughborough and Nottingham.

In addition occupations have been taking place over the last few days at Sussex University in Brighton and also in Sheffield, plus websites have been set up to support those on last weeks demo: http://nov10.wordpress.com/ and
http://teneleventen.wordpress.com/.

LATEST NEWS 22/11/2010: http://soasoccupation2010.wordpress.com/The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, has just occupied the Brunei Gallery in protest at rising education fees and swingeing cuts. The occupation was proposed and decided on at an emergency general meeting of the Student’s Union last week. Please send messages of solidarity to: soasoccupation2010 [at] gmail.com
UPDATE: First message of solidarity was from Kathmandu! Thanks Aksel Lydersen – typical SOAS

Watch edited video of protest and direct action ourside Millbank Conservative HQ on 10th November 2010.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUlqfA712vU&feature=player_embedded#!]

Notts SOS Newsletter No.1 plus meetings, stalls & events in the week starting 8th November 2010 [with video of stall]

You may have picked up a copy of our first newsletter at the Market Square stall in Nottingham City Centre on Saturday. If not, you can download it here. Send us your contributions and we’ll aim to put them in the next one. alternatively email us copies of your own anti-cuts newsletters and leaflets. As well as articles and opinion, the Newsletter
contains details of the march and demonstration in Nottingham on 20th November, mentioned elsewhere on our site. We really want to make it a big one and hope you’ll join it. See leaflet advertising demo.

Download Notts SOS Newsletter No. 1 – Word version: nottssos_newsletter_1_nov_2010_final.doc

Download Notts SOS Newsletter No. 1 – PDF version: nottssos_newsletter_1_nov_2010_final.pdf

Dates for week starting 8th November 2010

Monday 8th November. Regular Notts SOS planning meeting. The International Community Centre, YMCA, 61b Mansfield Road, Nottingham, NG1 3FN. 7.30pm until 9.30pm. All welcome.

Tuesday 9th November. Anarchists against the Cuts, The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham, NG7 6HX. 7.30pm. This is the second meeting. Details.

Wednesday 10th November. UCU and NUS demonstration in London. Nottingham coach details are here as mentioned previously on Nott SOS website. Some coaches are going from Castle College and we will have leaflets to give out to those going on the demo, about Notts SOS campaign and the forthcoming Nottingham demo on the 20th. Please phone Stewart on 07599 735853 if you’d like to join him to do the leafleting.

Thursday 11th November. Sumac Debates: Is Capitalism the Crisis?
The Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street, Forest Fields, Nottingham, NG7 6HX. 7.30pm. This is one of a new series of open debates at the Sumac Centre.

Saturday 13th November. Notts SOS street stalls. There will be at least the following. Come and talk to us! Even better come along and help us give out leaflets.

Nottingham Market Square (near the Lions): 12 noon – 2pm.
Beeston: 11 am on the High Road outside Boots the Chemist.

Watch video from one of our stalls in the Market Square.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5gZUTR-4so&NR=1]

Vodafone pay your taxes! [with videos]

On Clumber Street in Nottingham city centre today a demonstration was held outside the Vodafone shop about their non-payment of tax in Britain and in other countries. Why are services and jobs being cut when this could be covered by getting corporations and the rich to pay up? Noone was available to answer this question as the shop had been closed before the demonstration got there, and a small police cordon was there too (to protect business, as usual?). The Nott SOS demonstration clearly stated it was not directed at Vodafone shopworkers or shoppers but at the directors, owners. This message was not lost on passers-by. As well from those on holding placards in front of the shop, down the whole of Clumber Street the cry of “Vodafone pay your taxes” could clearly be heard.

View [Photos] on Notts Indymedia.

Watch videos: [Video 1] [Video 2] [Video 3]. More information can be found on Indymedia UK and http://ukuncut.wordpress.com/

NEW: leaflet – http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/668

Join Notts SOS for a major anti-cuts march and demonstration in Nottingham – Saturday 20th November 2010 [plus ‘Liar Liar’ video]

This is an advance call out for the next Nottingham Save Our Services demonstration! Following protests in town and at County Hall during the week of the Spending Review, we will assemble at the Forest Recreation Ground at 11.30am and then march to the Market Square in Nottingham at 12.30pm on Saturday 20th November where we will hold a rally.. The event is ‘Demonstration Against the Cuts’ and we say “There is an alternative. Make the rich pay for the crisis.” Hopefully this will give you time to make your own banners and placards. Lets make it as big & noisy as possible! Download leaflet advertising the demo.

We call on all workers, benefits and pension recipients, community groups, charities, school and college students, to unite and show opposition to the cuts in our region. Campaigners from nearby areas are welcome to join.
Download Flyer for Notts SOS 20th November 2010 Demonstration (A4 also suitable as poster). Alternative download Flyer for Notts SOS Nov 20th Demo – two A5 leaflets per page.

Download Notts SOS Newsletter No. 1: [Word version] [PDF version]

Feel free to visit the Notts SOS stall in the Market Square this Saturday at 12 noon this weekend (6th Nov) and join the Clumber Street Vodaphone protest at 2pm if you can. From now until the demonstration we will be having stalls around the city and surburbs. We will also be meeting each Monday at the International Community Centre (YMCA Mansfield Road) from 7.30pm until 9.30pm. All welcome.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQFwxw57NBI&hl=en_GB&feature=player_embedded&version=3]

Notts Cuts Watch bulletins nos. 1, 2 & 3 [plus ‘Can’t Cut This’ video]

Notts Cuts Watch highlights local press coverage about cuts in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire …

Bulletin no.3: http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/633

Bulletin no.2: http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/613

Bulletin no.1: http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/593

See also: Can’t Cut This campaign song – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7eQ73w4EvY against cuts to a London Arts College.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/T7eQ73w4EvY?version=3]