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2004
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OI! BLUNKETT! NO! WE ARE UNDER ever-increasing surveillance. Even the TV news has started to be worried the UK might be becoming a police state! And ID cards look set to be introduced within a year… With the amount of surveillance the state carries out on us all the time you’d have thought that ID cards would probably be superfluous. Yet Blunkett, in his wisdom, has determined they are a vital weapon in the fight against whatever he’s thinking of at the time. More and more people are realising that the entire thing’s a vast swindle, that they won’t be safer, that the enemy is more likely to be the state than some nebulous Wahabbite in some cave somewhere. Earlier
this year, the Telegraph reported that a healthy minority –
about 30% - were vehemently opposed to ID cards: enough to throw more
than a small spanner in the works. There have already been a number
of actions against the bloody things: Glasgow Defy-ID gave minister
Des Brown a Blunkett’s confident that people will soon be forced into carrying ID cards, so this fight will be one which extends to every sphere of everyday life, from signing on to getting a job to using a library. Even so, if people get involved – and stay involved – the fight becomes less one of them against me, and one of us against them. We urge our readers to get involved with campaigns against ID cards. For more information on that, go to www.defy-id.org.uk. MORE THAN A DROP IN THE OCEAN EVERYTHING HACKNEY COUNCIL touches seems to turn to shit. Who can forget the fiasco of the Clissold Leisure Centre, built amid huge fanfare – now shut and unusable after the Council chucked £34 million away on it? The latest casualty in Hackney is the Ocean music venue, over the road from the Town Hall. The Ocean was established five years ago with £23 million of public money. Earlier this month it went into administration, despite receiving large amounts of public subsidy since it opened. Another much-heralded amenity for Hackney lost through the incompetence of the Council. It was always obvious to us at London Class War that a venue like the Ocean was going to be a white elephant. Frankly, the way it was touted – and the way it’s turned out – was never for local people but for yuppies and their like. How many people pay £17 to see a gig – in Hackney? Not a lot, as the catchphrase has it. The
Ocean was allegedly established to encourage and provide music training
and education to all sections of the community. This aim, though praiseworthy,
has never been fulfilled, and neither have the community arts and
music projects profits from the gigs were supposed to fund. Yet again
the people of Hackney have been royally fucked over by the Council.
There is certainly a need for music venues and community arts projects
in Hackney. But the Council has shown itself to At the same time as the Council presided over another fuck up, they are hoping to spend SIXTY MILLION on doing up the Town Hall! (See previous London Callings.) So: a reduction in the amenities available to the people of Hackney is not matched by a reduction of the amenities available to the pen-pushers and lickspittles who have got Hackney into the pitiful state it’s in. What a fucking shower. LETTERS TO LC, ACCIDENTLY
SHOT HARRY STANLEY, MY ARSE, LET'S LOOK AT THE FACTS: Tim Owen, the Stanley family barrister, told the inquest jury that for the officers’ account to be right, the fatal head entry wound would have had to be on the right front side of his head - not on the rear, even the CPS, who may prosecute the officers, is now reconsidering the case, claiming that the evidence above “may lead a jury to conclude that the officers Sharman and Fagan deliberately lied all through the trial five years ago”, let’s face another fact here that the officers couldn’t even lie properly, dumb or what! Both should be on manslaughter charges, kicked out of the force and should be facing lengthy prison terms. It showed
how much remorse the two officers felt, for over five years they lied,
which no doubt they’re used to as it is normal procedure in
the Met. Another fact we should look at: Harry Stanley was scarcely
mentioned in all the press reports, all of which focused on the industrial
action taken by the armed filth in support of their trigger-happy
pals, if Harry Stanley wasn’t a working class male I think it
is fair to say the events would have been reported differently. STOP AND SEARCH NEW 'STOP-AND-SEARCH' RULES come into effect for police officers across London from 17 November. Officers must give a written record of the incident to everybody they stop - not just those who are later searched. The change was one of the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report, and we all know what the Lawrence family went through and saw what the Met are really like. The Metropolitan Police Federation has expressed concern about the move, saying the new procedure "wastes valuable police time”. All that time could be spent in kebab shops or framing innocent people for crimes they didn’t commit or taking backhanders from drug dealers, Glen Smyth of the Federation said although the move was designed to improve relations between the police and public, so far the omens "did not look promising". The Metropolitan force was one of seven police services chosen by the Home Office to implement pilot sites for recommendation 61 (of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report). It has been running in two police boroughs, Hackney and Tower Hamlets, since April and December 2003 respectively. 'Perception of unfairness' Hackney
has been piloting a paper-based recording method involving specially
designed 'stop-and-account' forms while a technology-based system
was trialled in Tower Hamlets. The project has been overseen by the
Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), which in May published a report
claiming the practice of 'stop-and-search' was "influenced by
racial bias". John Roberts who led the MPA's 'stop-and-account'
team said police stops were currently one of the most contentious
The Met's Deputy Commissioner Sir Ian Blair (not another one!) said he was proud of the force's efforts to improve its relationship with London's communities. Sir Ian said: "By providing a written record of stop and account interactions we will be able to build an even greater level of trust within the community.” How they worked that one out is anyone’s guess, by searching just black people. CLASS WAR ISSUE 87 IS OUT NOW – GET YOUR’S FROM YOUR USUAL SUPPLIER! MERRY XMAS FROM THE ROYAL MAIL! THE PERFORMANCE OF the post office always becomes a big issue in December, but in many parts of London it is now an issue year round. An east London postie recently put pen to paper on the subject for us: Having worked at Royal Mail for ages, I have noticed an enormous drop in morale in the last few years. I'm told, by the poor blokes who have worked here since the seventies, that they take home less money now then they did then. In the 'bad old days' as the media and government love to call that era, workers not only had more money, but they at least had a shred of dignity. Being a postman or woman now is like a form of torture. Having 'sell out' managers who don't know their elbow from their arsehole bossing you about all day, with a lack of courtesy usually found only from old bill or street rat traffic wardens is not the worst part. Imagine waking up at four o'clock in the morning, six days a week and taking home just £230 - after the tax man’s had his grubby hands on it (to fund an illegal invasion of Iraq). Sounds about as appetising as sticking pins up your arse doesn't it? The fact is most postmen and women get used to the unsociable hours, and they don't get paid enough to have much of a social life anyway, but there is one thing that is killing the job more then everything else... The Rich Cunt Directors I hate
Allan Leighton with a passion. Adam Crozier and the recently departed
Elmer 'Thud' Toime are not far behind in the 'I wish they would get
cancer of the eyeballs' league table of my hate. These parasitical
wankers with a history of failure behind them (Leeds United, the F.A.
etc.) have been given astronomical wages for the task of turning around
a failing business. A bit like asking Ian Huntley to sort out a school
with a high truancy rate or Dr. Harold Shipman to get the NHS So next time you go to have a pop at your postie for the third class service we now provide, or shout 'where's me giro' (piss off, it's wasn't funny the first time we heard it, mate) think about how shit our job is... right, now I'm going to go off and get pissed with the help of some moody credit cards! P.S. Why not write your intended address on the back of a letter, write any old one on the front, cross it out and write: Not Known – Return To Sender. Or take a gamble and put the word FREEPOST after the name of the intended recipient, because most of us couldn't give a bollocks to go and check it up! POP STARS FEED THEIR FACES BOB GELDOF, THE annoying miserable cunt, has redone that fucking annoying song “Don’t They Know It’s Christmas”. It’s remixed, using up to date crap singers and it looks as though we are going to be force-fed the song all over the festive season again. Surely they only redo the song for supermarkets to play, great trick really whilst you’re shopping and you have that awful muzak forced on you. Feed the world? You think, “Fuck it, people are starving in Africa, aren’t I the lucky one?” and you buy more food. Let’s
take Geldof who owns three houses, one in Faversham, Kent. Within
its grounds is a public wood that he has grabbed and made private.
He hates people on his land so much he built a six foot fucking wall
around the wood and property. Then there’s Robbie Williams,
who would not even miss a million quid, same as all the singers really.
They are all fucking multimillionaires. It’s very patronising
when they are asking us to feel guilty and fork out for over- priced
cds etc, and that cunt out of U2, Bono, not only is his music shit,
he has the cheek to kiss Bush’s arse every five NO MORE PARLIAMENT SQUARE PROTESTS! Permanent protests in Parliament Square are to be banned by the government in a bid to silence an anti-war activist hated by many MPs. Once the measures become law, 55 year-old Brian Haw will finally be evicted from the square after more than three years of continuous occupation Love him or hate him, you can’t but admire Brian Haw, who set up camp there in June 2001, with his banners such as “You lie, kids die, Blair”. They’re seen every time Tony Blair drives in and out of the Commons. But it is Mr Haw’s constant anti-war chants on his megaphone, that can be heard in most MPs’ offices, that have infuriated ministers and triggered the action. It looks as though the centuries-old right to free speech law is finished, so next time you are in the city go see Brian and give him a bit of support. REVIEW “The
Untouchables” with their motto “Integrity is non-negotiable”.
They were created to stop corruption in the Met, based on thousands
of official documents, which the Yard hoped would never see the light
of day ,of how corrupt and the dirty dealings the Untouchables carried
out is unbelievable. The still unsolved murders of Daniel Morgan,
David Norris and Damilola Taylor and an insight to the Stephen Lawrence
case you won’t see in the tabloid press. This book will shock
and scare you, and you will probably never trust the police again.
At 544 pages long it’s a fair read, and at £18.99 it’s
also a bit dear. Don’t wait for the paperback, though, as the
filth will likely try Also
I saw Stoke Newington Police Station plastered with posters advertising
the book half ripped down everywhere. DIARY DATES 5 December:
London Class War meeting. Ask a member for details. UTRECHT…HOLLAND Members of Class War went to Holland for the yearly Anarchist bookfair and done a stall,it was held in Utrecht on Sat 6th November, a good day with some good feedback from the @ist groups there. Our videos went like hot cakes, worth a visit next year, some good bars about selling a good selection of beers and all that hash…………we also done a paper sale at Hackney Central which went well. Hopefully we will do more in the future. If you want to come along get in touch. THIS MONTH’S TIP Ever wondered what your belly button is for…well we have the answer, simply when lying in bed by pouring tomato sauce into the useless belly button you can now dip your chips into the sauce. Don’t try piccalilli as this can be messy. November 2004 WHEN
THE SIRENS ARE GONE WE ARE LEFT TO CARRY ON Operation Trident, what a farce, all the Met seem to do is put bigger and bigger posters up asking the public to grass on each other and playing “the people are scared to say anything” card. The truth is quite the reverse: people don’t trust the Met. Gun crime will get worse and worse until the community takes their own action and do something. Until then the areas we live in will not get better. The Met really don’t give a shit if brother is killing brother just as long it stays in the working class areas, and when the sirens are gone we are left to clean up the mess. We only glimpse at what the Met are up to. If they are not boy-racing they're clogging up the best kebab shops, which is a damn liberty. Recently it has hit the hearts of people in Hackney after Irene Stanley fought the Met for over 5 years, with their lies and cover ups after Met shot her husband, Harry Stanley, in the head and hand after they thought he was carrying a shot gun. It was subsequently revealed he was carrying a table leg. It was a long and hard struggle for Irene to finally get justice and to get an appeal that resulted in an unlawful killing verdict. The two officers finally been suspended. Ms Stanley
told the BBC: "It has been a long hard struggle for Harry's family
and my family. When the two officers who pulled the trigger got suspended we saw the Met's little tricks again, Officers from the firearms unit laid down their weapons in protest against the decision. We wish they would lay down their weapons for good, the trigger happy freaks. Their only concern is to cover their backs as the two officers suspended could, and should, face manslaughter charges. “Look, we can kill who we damn well like and we should be able to get away with it” is the message a lot of people are reading. As we see time and time again shootings by the Met Police, and one after another most cases are forgotten about and left in the archives. The likes of Irene and the Harry Stanley campaign is just an example to show the Met that they cant get away with murder. What is frightening are the lengths the Met will go to to justify themselves. In the last issue of LC we reported the Met's action when they took it upon themselves to dig up people’s back gardens to find any more clues to who hacked Blacklock to death, even though they put away three innocent people for the crime, nothing was found. Just the memories were dug up. An independent body should investigate allegations of racism and corruption in the Metropolitan Police, according to two MPs. Week in, week out we see the Met’s dodgy behaviour. Corruption, lies, swindling, getting away with murder, so bleeding obvious even two MPs are calling for action - and that’s saying something. Lib Dem Simon Hughes and Labour Andrew Mackinlay have called for proper inquiries to be set up under a high court judge. Mr Hughes,
MP for Southwark North & Bermondsey, added: "You cannot have
accountability unless the inspectors are not police officers or former
colleagues of the people they are investigating.” It seems the Met still have something up there sleeve, recruitment for specials are being advertised, street wardens are being set up on our estates, ASBOs are being thrown everywhere especially at the kids. Has it come to the stage where the police can’t do the job anymore so they are getting local have-a-go heroes to police our streets and to become pretend filth? Has the time come when people are starting to realise that we don’t actually need the likes of the Met enforcing Laws they break on a daily basis? It’s only when our communities start realising that they will and can police themselves will we see a change for the better in and around where we live. When we say A.C.A.B. we are not joking. REVIEW “YOU
AND WHOSE ARMY?” For information contact BOTTLEJOB@HOTMAIL.COM or call (44) 208 442 4143 THE KNACKERED
CHEF Instead of winging on aimlessly in each issue about Jamie we at London Calling are going to e-mail his restaurant the recipes below for people with jobs and tight budgets: Rocket
Pesto Beans On Toast with Goats Cheese & Cherry Tomatoes (serves
1-2) COUNCIL
TAX RIP OFF What was sickening from the leak was the story of two old people who actually paid twice, they got the money back. But how many people out there fall for the con? Reading the Hackney Gazette another case came to light, bungling officials from Hackney hounded a women for four years for council tax arrears she didn’t owe. By keeping
all the receipts and proof of payments the council still didn’t
believe her and couldn’t resolve the problem until January 2004
by which time the arrears for 1998 had been carried forward each year
and she had received countless summonses, liability orders and threatening
bailiffs letters. It is surprising how the council cant seem to find
the time to check the files to see if she did pay but they are always
quick on the ball to send a court summons out left right and centre. It appears she likes to pamper herself at Brighton health spas, she recently stated, after missing this years Labour Party conference, which also was in Brighton, “I thought I would pamper myself a bit, besides I had no duties at the Conference and nothing to say”. Unbelievable, we advise people to always keep proof of payments made and to phone the Citizens Advice Bureau to make an appointment, and don’t give in to their threats. Hackney Council were also rapped around their knuckles by a local government watchdog when they tried to make an old lady pay twice… But they got caught out because of the simple reason the lady was dead. COMMUNITY
FIREWORKS DISPLAY - WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY +ADVERT+ SWP - FRIENDS OF THE FILTH THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL Forum took place in London from 15 to 17 October. The ESF is supposed to be a massive forum where progressive and revolutionary ideas and experiences can be shared, and areas of mutual concern, such as the war in Iraq, can be addressed in an open and non-oppressive fashion. That’s the theory! In practice, though, it was very different. The Socialist Workers Party had teamed up with ‘Red’ Ken Livingstone in a state-sponsored jamboree supposed to show off London and to boost the SWP’s credentials - as well as giving Livingstone some much-needed radical chic. Ken threw at least £400,000 of council-tax payers’ money down the drain on the ESF - paying for the travel of 20,000 lefties, subsidising accommodation, at the Millennium Dome if you please, printing fuck loads of nonsense - and hiring Alexandra Palace. Throughout the event, working class people including many anarchists were excluded from the junket. It was something like £30 for a ticket, and all the decisions relating to the ESF were taken in closed meetings months ago. Trots and their lickspittles do do one thing well! They can stitch up events and conferences with great skill. And this time they had Ken Livingstone and his police force on their side. The
Wombles organised an alternative, Beyond ESF, which was a well-attended
event in Tottenham. They did themselves proud by organising, at short
notice, a full programme of events and discussions, and provided free
accommodation for hundreds of people from across Europe in squats.
Sadly, their event was marred by the constant presence of the filth.
Forward Intelligence Teams sat outside the venue the Wombles had hired,
they dogged the Wombles’ footsteps - and To protest
the ESF stitch-up, to highlight the way the SWP and Livingstone had
gerrymandered the entire social forum process, and to bring the views
of the anarchist alternative to the ESF we stormed Alexandra Palace.
Well, not so much stormed as pushed our way in! But from the response
of the SWP and their poxy lickspittles you’d think we’d
lynched St Paul Foot or something! Weyman
Bennett, an SWP bigwig claims that his mobile and wallet were stolen,
and that he was assaulted in the irruption of anarchists. Lee Jasper
claimed, in a letter to the Guardian, that the uninvited guests were
all white males – which we plainly weren’t - hellbent
on smacking black and Jewish people. Which is utter bollocks: the
following day the Guardian had the decency to publish a letter from
a number of people who’d observed the to-do which righted the
previous day’s nonsense. To add injury to insult, at the ESF anti-war get-rid-of-Bush march on the Sunday of the ESF, the SWP had the gall to hand anarchists over to the police. When members of the Wombles tried to make an announcement from the podium in Trafalgar Square, the stewards apparently initially said it was fine, then some SWP “arrested” them and passed them to the filth. Such behaviour marks a new nadir in the SWP’s pisspoor record. A LIGHT SENTENCE IN OCTOBER’S ISSUE of London Calling we reported on the case of a bent copper and a corrupt education worker who swindled £100,000 intended for poor children in Hackney. They both received jail terms after a judge called them “despicable and mean”. In a taped conversation between the two Nwadikwa-Jonathon was heard saying, “We will make a lot of money and all the children will get is orange squash and a biscuit and that’s all we need to pay”. Nwadikwa, the corrupt copper received a dismal 18 months, and Uche Woga got two years. Nwadikwa, we think, received a very light sentence, what most people would get for minor offences. Was this because he was a policeman, we wonder in dismay? Whilst we are on the subject of corrupt filth, a Met officer was arrested by ANTI-CORRUPTION cops (even I’m getting confused here!). the 37 year old Hackney officer was involved in the illegal interception of private phone calls for the clients of a central London detective agency. He was bailed until January 2005, watch this space. DON’T BE A BERK - ROB A MERC A GANG
OF professional criminals has stolen millions of pounds of cars –
simply by lifting them off the streets with a tow-away truck. And
these thieves are not interested in just any old cars. They have been
specifically targeting E-Class Mercedes Benz worth up to £62,000
each. The gang operates in west London and has stolen more than 40
Mercedes since August. It strikes at night, using a low-lifter vehicle
to move the car out of its parking space - often outside the The usual statement from the filth as always not having a clue and stating the bleeding obvious: "We believe they have tools which enable them to break into the cars with minimum disruption. The vehicles are then lifted on to a low-lifter or into the back of a lorry and taken to a destination in London." He added:
"There is no glass left at the scene, suggesting there is little
damage to the car. The "Gone In 60 Seconds" gang, whose trademark was ultra-fast theft, had stolen 144 top-of-the range cars including Mercedes, BMWs, Porsches and a Maserati. Within days of being stolen, the cars would be shipped abroad before being sold on. They later emerged in countries including Pakistan, South Africa and Malaysia. Meanwhile, in west London the Motor Vehicle Crime Squad has been conducting extensive house to-house inquiries because they haven’t a clue and are scared because the gang are thieving there bosses cars, they are trying to establish whether there are any links between where the victims bought their cars, or where they have them serviced. A Metropolitan
Police spokesman said: "We are appealing for witnesses who have
seen something suspicious or someone acting suspiciously in and around
Mercedes vehicles in their area to contact us. Perhaps you have been
woken up by the sound of a tow truck late at night. If so, did you
get a good look at the occupants? Can you remember the registration
or colour of the vehicle? We wish the gang “Gone in 60 Seconds” good luck and let's hope you don’t get silly and last more than 60 seconds. 73 ROUTE CAMPAIGN THE
CAMPAIGN TO keep the old 73 bus is still active even though the changes
have been made. We at London Calling would like to say “Sod
off and find better things to do”. I mean who really gives a
flying fuck about a rackety old bus you cant stand up in, aren't there
real matters out there on our streets than whinging on about something
that has happened anyway. Surprising enough, the 73 route goes through
Church St, Clissold Rd and Angel, notorious haunts of the middle class
home owners whose only concern is to get to work on time and to get
back to their wine bars. DIARY DATES 27 November,
ULU, Malet Street MERCHANDISE This month’s top items are two anti-fascist t-shirts. Design 1: ANTIFASCIST (in Lonsdale style) in red and white, with small Antifa logo underneath, on black t-shirt. Design 2: RED SKIN with Fred Perry wreath, again on black t-shirt. We have them in all sizes, and they’re a snip at just £8.00. On the music front, we recommend our anti-royal compilation, ANTI-ROYAL ANTHEMS, 21 cracking tunes, featuring the Sex Pistols, the Smiths and Catatonia amongst others. Cheques/POs payable to “London Class War” only. LIKE
WHAT YOU READ? WELL, IT'S ALL DONE FREE! OCTOBER 2004 WOT - NO FASCISTS? THE CALL OUT was made on 7 October and we headed to Dagenham, the cockney overspill in east London where there has been a lot of activity by the BNP. After Daniel Kelly stood in Barking another BNP candidate was standing in the town hall, I guess it was time to show the BNP that were here to stop their cocky behaviour. On arrival in Dagenham Heathway luckily we found a Wetherspoons, meeting up with everyone else and getting organised, people turned up from Sussex, Kent, London boroughs and from Barking. There must have been thirty of us, strength in numbers, a local said to me "Fuck me, is there a rave on". "Nah, we're here to fight the BNP" was my reply. Leaving the pub in dribs and drabs we headed towards the Town Hall where we found - you guessed it - another pub, no sign of the BNP at all, few meat wagons passing, strange stares from the locals, all was normal. A BNP spotter was seen, he had MADE IN ENGLAND tattooed on his forehead, a give away sign I suppose. We lingered waiting, word went around that the BNP were leaving, we all legged to the Town Hall as we arrived so did the dog handlers, someone had a go at four Tory boys, confrontation with the police truncheons raised, three arrests. We headed back towards the tube, me and two other comrades was walking along when a car pulled up, four men started mumbling something, I clocked a pin badge with the pound sign, I spat at them, they produced a cam recorder, one tried getting out more like pretended, they sped off, got their number plate. I legged it back on the last tube, looking back on it know there was a good turnout of anti fascists, everyone was up for a ruck and ready to kick some nazi arse, didn't really see the point in lingering fighting the old bill, I was there to show solidarity and to fight fascists...great to hear the BNP candidate lost the vote anyway. THE MAYOR ISN'T PLAYING FARE! BUS AND TUBE passengers in London are facing a rise in fares after the mayor announced a series of price increases for the New Year. From January bus fares are to rise by 20% taking the cost of a single journey to £1.20 and a one day bus pass to £3. An adult all-day travel card for zone 1 and 2 will go up from £5.30 to £6. Mayor Ken Livingstone said the increase will help fund a series of transport projects and provide free travel for under-18s in full-time education, which we doubt very much. Mayor Livingstone has also warned there may be a further two years of price increases. He claimed the rises were part of the "tough decisions" he had to make now to ensure the capital's transport system does not fall into decay, with daily delays and weekend maintenance work it looks as though the underground is decaying already, to date London has one of the highest fares in Europe, Paris it cost 90p for a single fair...a lot of difference, with higher fares to come London will be the most expensive. Ken has taking it upon himself to increase penalty fares also in January and is recruiting 60 more ticket inspectors, by blaming fare dodgers he also stated that London transport is losing £83 million a year how he can work this out we can only guess. Shockingly, Lib Dem London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, Lynne Featherstone, said, "Fare dodgers are no better than shoplifters and it is time that the Mayor and Transport for London to come down hard on people who try to avoid paying for a ticket." It's no wonder that people are increasingly wary of paying for tubes and buses as fares grow ever higher. The £83 million saved each year by fare dodgers - about half each on bus and tube, apparently - ought to give some vague hint to Livingstone and his filthy cabal that fares are extortionate! But with fares expected to rise above inflation for several years at least, we firmly believe that the level of fare dodging will rise as well. It's curious how Livingstone, who made his name cutting fares now seems smugly satisfied raising the bloody things. He doesn't care - his tube journeys are free for him, paid for by us. Hopefully, though, Ken well bump into some irate fare dodgers - or even fare payers - and be given a piece of their minds! BEANS ON TOAST FOLLOWING LAST MONTH'S issue "BANGERS & MASH" about TV chef Jamie Oliver's rip off restaurant Fifteen in Hoxton, Jamie has been making more head line news recently, more complaints have been made after it was found that the rip off restaurant charged a staggering £6.95 for beans on toast, and a food critic stated that for the same price you can buy 12 tins of Heinz baked beans and five loafs of bread cheaper than one portion of "baked bean brushetta" which consists of a tin of Heinz beans, tomatoes, chillies & balsamic vinegar on ciabatta bread. Not that we have got it in for Jamie Oliver who doesn't even make he's own baked beans and we don't think that he is an annoying over grown middle class twit who cant cook and appears constantly on TV, its just that he takes good old working class food puts a French name on it and rips everyone off. Are people really this gullible? We wonder... PARKING SCANDAL DEEPENS IN ISLINGTON POLITICIANS CAN ALWAYS find new methods of taxing us. In recent years one of the most blatant has been charging exorbitant rates for people to park their cars outside their houses, or even to visit friends and relatives. Heaven help you if you overrun your stay on a parking meter. If they could charge you for standing at the bus stop they would! To ensure maximum exploitation Islington Council employs NCP to run parking in the borough. . If you are a few minutes late and the meter runs out, being towed away will cost you £200. The more cars that are towed away, the more money NCP - and Islington Council make. If NCP choose to tow you car through the congestion charging zone, that will cost you a £50 fine as well. Just to make sure no leniency is ever shown, if NCP fail to hit its targets, they have to pay the Council an additional fee of £100,000. Each week the local papers in Islington contain horror stories of angry scenes between residents and NCP, and criticism of council leaders. Given the money they are taking from the people of Islington, perhaps the big question is not why so many of NCP's employees are being thumped, but so few? TRIBUTE FOR HARRY LONDON CALLING WISH the friends and supporters of Irene Stanley who is still fighting for justice when her husband, Harry Stanley was shot dead on September 22 five years ago by police who thought he was carry a shot gun but was in fact carrying a table leg in a carrier bag. A commemoration was held for Harry and our thoughts are with the family. The Harry Stanley Campaign are hoping a new verdict will be held soon and the campaign can make a major stride towards establishing the truth and providing Irene with the justice she has fought for against police cover ups and government corruption. Show your support - contact the Harry Stanley campaign: JUSTICE
FOR HARRY STANLEY CAMPAIGN. PO Box29644 London E2 8TS WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN A CORRUPT POLICEMAN MEETS A HACKNEY EDUCATION OFFICIAL? CORRUPTION! AN OFFICIAL FROM Hackney's Education Authority and a corrupt policeman got caught red-handed after trying to swindle a needy children's fund out of almost £100,000. Heartless Uche Woga and Kurtis Nwadikwa claimed they were setting up after-school clubs in Hackney and made false applications for a grant to fund the sham projects. Nwadikwa was arrested on November last year and was due to appear before a fast track disciplinary board in June but resigned from the Met police a week before the hearing, Bizarrely enough his wife, Edrith was also charged with fraud after filling false applications out. It just goes to show how much corruption goes on in local councils and in the police force, a crime on working class people after they tried to take well needed money from one of the poorest boroughs in London. THIS MONTH'S TIP THE NEW OYSTER Cards are worth getting hold off, as nearly all the new machines on the buses are not working properly if not at all, so free trips. Master the little bleep noise like Eddie Murphy when placing your Oyster Card near the machine. We need tips for fare dodging in London so we can spread the good word. WILL THE MET EVER GROW UP? WINSTON SILCOTT, MARK Braithwaite and Engin Raghip were wrongly convicted and framed by the met police for the death of Pc Keith Blakelock in 1985 in the Broadwater farm riots in Tottenham and all three were cleared on an appeal. Blakelock was hacked to death in the riots and it looks as though the met police are looking for another suspect to frame. Recently the cops have been investigating and searching the area. Whilst digging up a back garden the Met say they have found (or put there) new evidence. They cant let it go can they, the residents and the people in Tottenham have moved on, why cant the filth even embarrassing themselves by putting innocent people in prison and what is so surprising the length they will go to just to satisfy themselves. BOOK REVIEW THE ENEMY
WITHIN: MI5, MAXWELL AND THE SCARGILL AFFAIR THE MINERS' STRIKE of 1984/85 saw the state marshal all its forces against the strikers. MI5 and Special Branch were heavily involved in efforts to subvert the NUM, and to scupper the leadership of the union. The more overt efforts against the miners, things like the sequestration of the NUM's assets and the massive police operations against the miners, have all received a reasonable amount of coverage in print, but Seamus Milne's book (in this third edition) describes a series of events which wouldn't look out of place in a spy story. The black propaganda put out against Arthur Scargill and the NUM in the early '90s had its origins in the great strike of '84/'85. Milne deftly shows how these stories were organised, why, and what basis they had in fact. It's a confusing story, but Milne makes the complex series of events he's narrating fairly simple, though you may have to read through some parts a couple of times. An excellent and fascinating read, and essential for anyone interested in the secret state or the miners' strike. 5 SKULLS GLASGOW ANARCHIST DAYSCHOOL - 6 NOVEMBER COMRADES IN GLASGOW have drawn up an excellent programme for a dayschool on Saturday November 6th. Anarchist Dayschool: A day of discussion and workshops which focus on the ideas behind anarchism and the organisational issues facing the anarchist and grassroots anti-authoritarian movement. Where? 12PM onwards, Saturday the 6th of November @ the Kinning Park Centre in Kinning Park (Just outside Kinning Park Underground). Glasgow has a tradition of anarchist dayschools, many of which have inspired, educated and spawned new ideas for the direction of the anarchist movement. This time round the Glasgow Autonomous Project is hosting a dayschool with the following workshops:- CLASS: Useful perspectives and ways of modelling and thinking about this all- consuming issue which is the basis behind why we organize.(TBC) FEMINISM: Why are so few women involved in the anarchist movement? what's the difference between your sex and your gender?addressing the myth that all anarchists already have a feminist critique and the practical issues involved in achieving gender equality. (TBC) FISHING - COMMUNITIES IN CRISIS: With fish quotas being cut, fishermen are out of work and communities across the North are facing poverty. An account of the situation in the North-East and discussion on how anarchists can organise to defend our all-too-frequently marginalized sisters and brothers there; particularly important and topical for those looking for issues to organize around in the general response the G8 conference in 2005. (George from The Moray Against Poverty Network) HOW WE ORGANIZE AS LIBERTARIANS: A discussion comparing and discussing different anarchist ways of making group decisions and organising on a wider scale (Alistair D. - Glasgow Autonomous Project) ANARCHISM AND MARXISM: Exploding the mythology behind the apparent polar oppositions in the left and some suggestions for how we can avoid the childish "yah-booh" sloganeering which has coloured our relations with our comrades in the socialist parties, without compromising on our politics. (Thomas - Glasgow based Libertarian Socialist) NATIONALISM AND COLONIZATION: A critique of the classic anarchist stance on nationalism and an exploration of what it means to be colonized, to have one's language, culture and expressions of self smothered, oppressed and obliterated and what this means in the Scottish context for our politics and our organisation. (Nick - Glasgow Autonomous Project) WHAT'S WRONG WITH MEETINGS: An analysis of why it's difficult to get people to attend meetings, why they fail to be democratic and inclusive, why they are a bad way to organize and what we can do instead to face up to this challenge.(Alice - Glasgow Autonomous Project) THE SITUATION IN AUSTRALIA: A look at Australia's recent past and a description of the state of the Australian left and the challenges faced by our comrades there. (Roz and Kate - Australian comrades involved in a variety of left groups in Glasgow) GET INVOLVED!! If you would like to give a presentation/seminar/workshop or host a discussion at the dayschool please contact scottishanarchists@nocog.org We'd be very interested to hear what you have to say! CLASS WAR BACK ISSUES FOR SALE Raising money for The Bristolian to expand and clearing out cupboard of duplicates of early Class Wars - including the fantastic first issue and other collectors items. So here's first choice to any Class Warriors who want to fill up their CW ring binders - but will also plug the sale elsewhere and take top offers by end of next week: Xtra! NO.10 April 1982 - top article on Mesrine and riots Logo: 1982 the paper that followed Xtra and rocked the anarchist movement: Article on CW-'The alcoholic Road to anarchism'. A laugh!Heavy Stuff Number One The Wolverine: CW's gay sister paper subtitled 'Gay voices of hostility' first issue same format as CW - good article on Ravachol 1983 Class War Issues: WORKING CLASS STRIKES BACK full on 1985 riots reprting/MURDOCH YOU ARE SCUM- from the Wapping Front Line/ROCK AGAINST THE RICH/HAS TEBBITT LOST HIS BALLS/RE-TYRE THE RULING CLASS and later issues 33/26/38/30 - Offers starting at £2 each please.- will include postage And finally CLASS WAR NUMBER ONE : May 1983 We must devastate the avenues where the wealthy live. Only 1,000 printed and this is fucking one of them! tOP READ.iN GOOD NICK. Start at £20. OFFERS TO: localnews4us@yahoo.co.uk - will let you know top bid. MERCHANDISE This month's top item are our new "BURN THE RICH" lighters. A snip at £1 a time, we advise you to order them now as they'll likely sell out rapidly. We also stock a wide range of t-shirts, hoodies, cd's,. videos books and so forth. Among the t-shirt designs, we have the ever-popular "Carlsberg" Class War design in stock, and in all sizes. For a full list of merchandise, please write to the London address or look on the website, www.londonclasswar.org. DIARY DATES Apologies about the bookfair in Holland as we in our rush to get the best London Calling ever seen on this earth put the wrong date which is held at Utrecht on the 06.11.2004 (Sat) Thankfully its not to late, it is there Fifth bookfair and apparently it is quite a biggy, wonder if there is a train spotter out there who follows every anarchist bookfair that's on, if there is drop us a line or maybe better still we can do a contest to see who holds the biggest and best.... 6 November: Glasgow Anarchist Day School 7 November: London Class War meeting. See your local member for details. 27 November: Anarchist Bookfair, University of London Union, Malet Street, London. 10am till late! Come and see our stall, get your copy of the new paper, and meet lots of people you haven't seen since the last Bookfair! Tubes: Lots of them nearby. Same with buses. LIKE WHAT YOU READ? WELL, IT'S ALL DONE FREE! GOT ANY LEAKS, SLEAZE, GOSSIP, SLANDER, NEWS, VIEWS OR STUFF WE SHOULD KNOW? DONATIONS, STAMPS AND COMMENTS URGENTLY NEEDED TO MAKE LONDON CALLING THE CITY'S BEST NEWSLETTER! September 2004 BNP
INFILTRATE SWP The SWP’s response to this has been silence. Where individual members have said something, they have been very defensive about the issue, and claiming that the infiltrators can’t have got their hands on any of the numerous lists of names and addresses for which the SWP is famed. Though the BNP claim a number of successes for their infiltrators, they haven’t publicly claimed that they are now in possession of internal SWP documents. This may be because they could leave themselves open to criminal charges, although those members of the SWP who have said anything about this insist that the pair were not entrusted with such papers. We find this hard to believe, considering that Stokes was given positions of financial responsibility and the experiences of ex-members of the SWP. What is clear and alarming is that the BNP have used this tactic for what seems to be the first time. Although we at London Class War have long been security-conscious, it’s plainly a good idea to keep security on the agenda. It’s unlikely they’ll try the same stunt soon, but it’s best to remain wary of newcomers overly demanding in their desire for information. We are quite happy with our security – which is more than can be said for the SWP! THE
MAYOR IS BARMY The Hackney
Mayor, Jules Pipe, has defended spending £64 million on the
Town Hall in Hackney, mainly on air conditioning – less speaking
in Council meetings would have been much cheaper. Pipe, who’s
siphoning money away from Hackney residents, has a terrible reputation,
selling off half of the borough to private developers in shady deals
to build --Advert-- OLYMPICS
SPECIAL REPORT With
no opportunity in our neighbourhoods to take up sports, apart from
school again we see the upper classes taking all the glory, football
pitches being closed and covered in houses, leisure centres being
shutdown and the case again in Hackney where they built one and a
few months later closed it again, youth clubs becoming non existent,
these could be a few answers why "Team GB" are not winning
much apart from show jumping, the TV companies were the biggest winners. BANGERS
AND MASH A spokesman for Oliver defended the prices, saying they were "not very expensive for London" and that "a lot of our ingredients are organic and it is a good brunch". BRUNCH my left buttock! The price of bangers and mash with treacle pie from a local greasy spoon was last checked at £4.95 – with tea! Just shows how gullible some people are, and that they will pay anything, especially in Hoxton that’s supposed to be hip and so this century. London Calling editors did a price check, as we couldn’t afford to visit Oliver’s restaurant. Let’s compare menus. OLIVER’S FIFTEEN: Organic sausages from Cumberland with glazed red onions (onions with sugar) with a light fluffy mash made from potatoes fresh from a farm (I always wondered where potatoes came from!) with organic earthy-tasting carrots generously topped with fresh gravy made from red wine, followed by home-made treacle pudding flazed with golden custard and a choice of crap over-priced Australian wine. The bill? £59.00 excl. tip. LOCAL CAFÉ: Two Cumberland sausages, mash, one veg, with tea and treacle pie with custard. A snip at £4.95. Also – provided free – a choice not to be annoyed and surrounded by yuppies nattering about house prices and gabbling on mobiles, you also get to read a paper free.
BEYOND
THE ESF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL Forum is coming to London between the 14 and 17 October 2004. It claims to be "a festival of resistance … a chance for people from around the world to come together to engage in debate, organise action and build networks to strengthen our movement …" In reality, as most people are already aware, it is in fact a talking shop for academics and lefty intellectuals, political parties and ngo’s who have little or no interest, and less experience of, the lives of ordinary people struggling on a day-to-day basis. The ESF in London is controlled by the Socialist Workers Party and the Greater London Authority, controlled by Ken Livingstone. The GLA have taken £400,000 out of their budgets (council taxpayers’ money which should have gone to various initiatives for local communities in London) to fund this circus – ESF delegates get free travel during this little junket. The ESF has scant significance to the lives of ordinary people. To show our opposition to this, we are organising BEYOND ESF, an anarchist, anti-authoritarian intiative, to highlight the political bankruptcy of the ESF and encourage a political step forward. It is an opportunity for us to actively create an environment where we can confront the hypocrisy of the left and decide how best to move forwards together. Themes are: surveillance and control; autonomous spaces; precarious work; no borders; zapatismo; the G8 Summit in Scotland 2005. There is also space available for anti-fascist, gender and environmental issues. To get
in involved in BEYOND ESF in any capacity, please email wombles@hushmail.com
or look at the website for background and other information: www.wombles.org.uk/auto POLICE
PLAN PURGE ON "ANTI-SOCIAL" BEHAVIOUR TWO OR
MORE? This is more than a tad draconian – even the filth often
patrol Hackney in groups We at London Class War oppose anti-social behaviour – real anti-social behaviour, that is. We oppose muggers and burglars and other scum who prey on their own. It’s typical that this new police initiative comes in areas like the gentrified Stoke Newington, and not in places like Hackney Wick or Haggerston, where working class people predominate. Draw your own conclusions about the filth’s priorities! CRACKDOWN
ON PRIRATE RADIO What are they so afraid of? People enjoying themselves? Many pirate radio stations aren’t our cup of tea, playing music we aren’t so keen on. But that’s no reason to stop them. On the contrary, we support pirate radio stations, which are outside the law and allow people to say what they want. If only there were more political ones! It seems
Hackney has more pirate radio stations than many London boroughs due
to the number of
AN OLD ONE, but a handy one! Get two cds for the price of one by taping or burning a cd of an album you buy, then returning the album to the shop (we recommend HMV)and getting a second one. MERCHANDISE Book of the Month We have some copies of Dave Douglass’ All Power to the Imagination available, available for £5.00, post-free. This short book reflects on the anarchist attitude to trade unions, with some examinations of the position of the Leninist left towards workers in struggle. Written by a former miner and participant in the great Miners’ Strike of 1984/85, Dave Douglass speaks from the heart. His provocative and challenging polemic is a valuable addition to any anarchist’s library. We also have a wide variety of other merchandise available, including lighters, badges and a wide range of t-shirts. T-shirts come in a broad range of designs, and in sizes to fit all. We have the Carlsberg Class War and a couple of designs of anti-fascist t-shirts in stock, all of which are selling fast – get your order in now! For a
full list of merchandise, and to order a copy of All Power to the
Imagination, please DIARY DATES OCTOBER MONDAY
4 October 7pm TUESDAY
12 October – Saturday 16 October NOVEMBER MONDAY
8 2004 from 11.00am till 18.00pm at Cultural Centre Parnassos, Kruisstraat
DUTCH BOOKFAIR ,the 5th annual Dutch bookfair will be held once again, with many anarchist stalls and hopefully we will being doing a Class War stall ,the bonus of holding a bookfair in Holland is that we can get stoned out of our boxes. 15 minutes walk from Utrecht Central Station. Bus 4,10,11 (stop Wittevrouwen, Biltstraat). Walk back, turn left (at Moluks Historical Museum), after 100 meters on the left you will find the place to be. Entrance free. SATURDAY
27 November 10am – 7pm LIKE WHAT YOU READ? WELL, IT’S ALL DONE FREE! GOT ANY LEAKS, SLEAZE, GOSSIP, SLANDER, NEWS, VIEWS OR STUFF WE SHOULD KNOW? DONATIONS, STAMPS AND COMMENTS URGENTLY NEEDED TO MAKE LONDON CALLING THE CITY’S BEST NEWSLETTER! SEND STUFF TO THE LONDON ADDRESS! ALSO, CONTACT THE LONDON ADDRESS FOR MEMBERSHIP QUERIES: PO BOX 467, LONDON E8 3QX – OR EMAIL US AT classwaruk@hotmail.com ISSUE 86 - April 2004 MAYDAY! Although the Miners' Gala is likely to prove a more relaxing day out than the exercise people will get in Dublin, it's the 20th anniversary of the Miners' Strike this year. If you can't go to Dublin and fancy a weekend in Yorkshire - or even a day-trip - why not spend your Mayday with us in Locke Park, Barnsley? Of course, for people staying in London,
there's always the chance of an unlawful arrest at the most heavily
policed picnic London's ever seen! NEW ANTIFASCIST GROUP LAUNCHED Some of the groups supporting the Antifa initiative are the Anarchist Federation, the Class War Federation, No Platform and the Solidarity Federation. Although we come from the anarchist
tradition, we are open to work with any group or individual serious
about militant anti-fascism. We will NOT, though, work with any state
affiliated groups. LUCY PARSONS HARRASSED BY POLICE
- FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE! That's the site of a proposed small park the Chicago Park District wants to name after Parsons, a Chicago labor organizer who for a time called herself an anarchist. But Mark Donahue, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, strongly opposes that idea. No doubt the execution of Parsons' husband, Albert, in the Haymarket Riot that left eight police officers dead caught his attention. But historians say Albert Parsons wasn't guilty and neither he nor his wife were at the riot. Mayor Richard Daley backs naming the park after Parsons, an African-American with Native American and Mexican blood who continued to be a force in the labor movement until her death in 1942. Nevertheless, Charles Paidock, a local
labor representative, is miffed at the tiff. **REVIEWS** "Violent London: 2,000
Years of Riots, Rebels and Revolts", Clive Bloom. This book has been out in hardback for quite a while. The reason we've not reviewed it before is that we were unable to find a member prepared to part with a score for a crock. Looking at the quotes on the back, one can see that Violent London is the product of some manner of liberal lefty: "Bloom's viewpoint is nicely balanced, critical of government and especially of the police but not unreasonably so, and not too passionately keen that the rebels should win every time" (Times Literary Supplement). That on its own is not enough to condemn this book as a great disappointment: the contents do that well enough without assistance. What first struck me as peculiar about Violent London is that its author is Professor of English and American Studies at Middlesex University. His previous works include titles such as Gothic Horror: A Reader's Guide from Poe to King and Beyond and Bestsellers: Popular Fiction Since 1900. Why has he strayed so far from his subject? I always feel wary of people who are well-known for writing one sort of book, but then venture into a field they know little of. Sometimes the results are wonderful: but more often they turn out like Violent London, an interesting enough book about a fascinating subject, but a book which leaves one with the impression that the author has greatly struggled. There are significant omissions too. Although there are a few pages on Cable Street, there is little about anti-fascism since the war. Though the ANL (Mk I) gets a few mentions, there is nothing about AFA, the 43 Group, Welling or Waterloo - or the ANL Mk II. It's perhaps one thing to be unaware of the 42 Group (though unlikely: it's not many years since the 43 Group book came out) - but to have missed events like Waterloo in '92 or Welling the following year beggars belief. Equally, there is nothing about Irish protests, like the Bloody Sunday march when hundreds of fascists were arrested. More strangely, in the preface Bloom refers to "the story unfolding" in "Smithfield, Clerkenwell Green, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square and the streets and alleys of Whitechapel, Brixton, Dalston or Broadwater Farm". Dalston, despite the fighting there when Mosley came to speak in the early '60s, receives no further mention in the book. In his acknowledgements, Bloom nicely thanks Class War for permission to quote from our website. MA'M extended the same generosity. However, Bloom's mentions of Class War are both complimentary - "The three main groups that have emerged as the coordinating backbone of the anarchist movement are the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), Class War and Reclaim the Streets (RTS)." (which on rereading it sounds very much like a backhanded compliment) - to rather savage and insulting attacks: "[Class War's] general credo was little more than a poorly restated (and unacknowledged) nineteenth-century Bakuninist socialism lacking the sophistication of mainstream Marxism but retaining the excitement of anarchist spontaneous revolution". Eh? He also puts the boot into us (and the ALF) by highlighting former members' previous association with fascism. The 'Keep It Spikey' leaflet gets a quick mention: but Bloom really doesn't have a clue what he's talking about when it comes to Class War or MA'M. Violent London should be a really good bookand it is an interesting read. However, when he gets on to talking about events I know well I am left disappointed. It's worth borrowing from a library or shoplifting - or maybe getting secondhand. But it isn't worth a tenner. 2/5
Stakeknife is a very interesting,
readable book by a former member of the Army's Force Research Unit
and a journalist for the People. I'm not sure precisely why I feel
uneasy about the book - it makes a damning case against Alfredo Scappaticci
and provides interesting evidence about the activities of touts in
the Six Counties which seem to hold together. Perhaps the cause of
my unease is a distrust of anything emanating from members (former
or otherwise) of intelligence services, and my antipathy to journalists.
Be that as it may, it's surprising that (in England, at least) the
Stakeknife story has essentially vanished from sight. The crown forces'
use of touts - and their criminal activities - make fascinating reading,
and I feel that Stakeknife is a valuable addition to a library about
Ireland, sitting perhaps beside Fred Hoyle's War Without Honour.
This short pamphlet (29 pages) is a valuable examination of John Zerzan's method in Zerzan's book Future Primitive. From the looks of it, Zerzan's method was more than a little flawed, being nothing more than fitting flesh on the bones of his assumed conclusion. Zerzan, it's asserted, ignores evidence he's well aware of, when it does not fit the conclusions he determined before writing Future Primitive. Recent primitivist articles in Freedom make this reprint of John Zerzan and the Primitivist Confusion one of those rare publications which can genuinely be described as timely. 4/5
1: 1549 -- Diggers occupy St. George's
Hill, near Cobham, Surrey, seizing land to hold in common & to
plant. |
