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Notts Indymedia and others have launched a new radio show called 'Riseup! Radio'. The community based podcast includes reports covering issues often overlooked by other local media, as well as music from local artists and bands, and chat about stuff that matters. Each month a new podcast will be downloadable through the riseup! Radio website, or by subscribing to our feed. Look out for extra features and new shows in the near future, but for now.. Download, listen, enjoy, distribute and comment on February's show !Listen: #1 The February ShowLinks: Riseup! Radio Website | RSS feed | Notts Indymedia Audio Archive

A new autonomous space in Hackney sustained two violent attacks this week as representatives of both Howen Estates Ltd., and the Hackney Metropolitan Police attempted to forcibly and illegally gain entry to the newly opened social centre.

Monday Love returns with a one month residence at The InSpiral Lounge, Camden Lock. For the valentine month of February,Monday Love will be bringing you the finest in uptown,underground,raise your spiritand blow your mindlive music, filmand real life grassroots media, and all for FREEFeb 11th - Monday Love Valentine SpecialDocumentary film World Naked Bike RideReclaim Love The MovieReclaim Love Finds Love in CamdenLive Music from Sarah Bear & Rob The Rub from Sunday SoundsVenus from O-I-L challenging modern misconceptions about Lovedj Chris from I-Creation Sound, with Guest Attendant

On 23rd January, the police federation marched through London. Class War, Fit Watch and the Space Hijackers were there to tell them where to stick their pay rise.Fit Watch delayed the front of the march and handed out Section 14 notices, while Class War ensured all of the marching cops knew they were not supported.Meanwhile, the cops showed their true allegiances by allowing a BNP leader to walk at the front of the march, whilst arresting a fit watcher, for trying to join the front of the march.Pictures of march and FITLinks: Class War | Fit Watch | Animal Rights Cop Watch | Netcu Watch | Space Hijackers

On Saturday, activists from across the Midlands and Yorkshire met in Nottingham to co-ordinate activities against the British National Party (BNP).Around 100 campaigners met at the Queen's Walk Community Centre in the city for a conference organised by Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP.Participants discussed the ways in which the BNP could be opposed, the formation of a regional anti-fascist network and the possibility of protests against the BNP's Red, White and Blue Festival.Links: Midlands and South Yorks Activists Organise Against Racist BNP | Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP Event : Leaflet PDFNewswire: Stop the BNP in Brinsley gains ground | Broxtowe BNP Councillor Expelled From Party | BNP threaten anti-fascist leafletters in Brinsley | Anti-fascists successfully blockade BNP meeting venue

During the early hours of January 15th, two crew members of the Sea Shepherd vessel, 'Steve Irwin', were taken hostage by the Japanese harpoon vessel 'Yushin Maru No. 2', which is now nominally owned by the Japanese government through the "Institute for Cetecean Research" (ICR). The incident occurred in the area of 60 Degrees South and 78 Degrees East about 2500 miles southwest of Fremantle, Western Australia and 2800 miles southeast of Cape Town, South Africa. Benjamin Potts and Giles Lane boarded the vessel to deliver a letter to the Japanese captain stating that the whalers were in violation of international conservation law by targeting endangered species in an established whale sanctuary and in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling. They also notified the captain that Australia had just passed a court ruling barring Japanese whalers from the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone.The hostages were released from the Yushin Maru No. 2 and transfered to the Australian Customs vessel Oceanic Viking on January 17th. The two men were then transferred to the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin where they resumed chasing the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Oceans. Both men reported that although they were roughed up when they first boarded the whaling ship, that they were treated well during their time onboard. The only injury was a bruised wrist suffered by Giles Lane.Previous feature: Japanese Whaling Ship rams Greenpeace vesselOn the newswire: Sea Shepherd: Greenpeace should Refuel and Continue harassment of Whaling Fleet | DC Protest For Sea Shepherd Hostages Video | Lack of Cooperation May Kill the Whales | Sea Shepherd Hostages Return Back to Steve Irwin | NYC Protest for Sea Shepherd Hostages | Whalers Hands Activists Over To Australia's Ship | Sea Shepherd demo, Barcelona | Australia to intercede in Safe Return of Sea Shepherd activists | Whalers threaten to take activists to Japan | Sea Shepherd Solidarity Protest at Japanese Embassy, Berlin | Sea Shepherd Crew Remain Hostages On The Japanese Whaling Ship | Whalers Make Demands Over Hostages | Video of Sea Shepherd Activists Taken Hostage | Sea Shepherd considering rescue mission | Embassy Demo for kidnapped Sea sheperd Crew | Sea Shepherd volunteers 'detained' by Japanese whalers | URGENT - protestors held hostage by Japanese wailing ship | British Sea Shepherd activist held hostage on Japanese whaler | Japanese whalers take Sea Shepherds hostageLinks: Sea Shepherd Convervation Society | Greenpeace campaign against whaling | Wikipedia on Japanese Whaling

During the early hours of this morning, two crew members of the Sea Shepherd vessel, 'Steve Irwin', have been taken hostage by the Japanese harpoon vessel 'Yushin Maru No. 2'. Benjamin Potts 28, an Australian citizen and Giles Lane, 35, a British citizen, are being held onboard the whaling vessel which is currently on the run. Both men boarded the vessel to deliver a letter to the Japanese captain stating that the whalers were in violation of international conservation law by targeting endangered species in an established whale sanctuary and in violation of a global moratorium on commercial whaling. They also notified the captain that Australia had just passed a court ruling barring Japanese whalers from the Australian Antarctic Economic Exclusion Zone. Once they boarded the vessel they were assaulted and tied to the railings of the whaler. They were then moved and tied to a radar mast. The Japanese vessel has not responded to messages in English or Japanese from the Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson to release the hostages.The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's ship 'Steve Irwin' has been in full pursuit of five vessels of the Japanese whaling fleet including the Japanese supply vessel 'Oriental Bluebird' since this morning. The Japanese factory ship 'Nisshin Maru' has fled over 700 miles to the northwest and is heading towards South Africa accompanied by the Greenpeace ship Esperanza. The entire whaling fleet is on the run. According to the Sea Shepherd no whales have been able to be slaughtered for the last four days and it does not look as if the whaling operations are going to begin again for another week at least, and not at all if the vessels are prevented from regrouping. Crew members from the Sea Shepherd ship 'Steve Irwin' point out they have a "good supply of fuel and can remain in the area for some time and will continue to police the illegal whaling operations by the Japanese fleet".Contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office: msu.publicin@fco.gov.ukContact the Japanese Embassy: info@jpembassy.org.ukPhone: London 020-70081500 / Edinburgh 0131-225-4777 / Dublin 01-202-8300 | Web: List of Japanese Embassies Solidarity Protest Reports: DC Protest For Sea Shepherd Hostages Video | Sea Shepherd Solidarity Protest at Japanese Embassy, Berlin | Sea Shepherd demo, Barcelona | NYC Protest for Sea Shepherd Hostages | Hostage Release Demonstration, LondonRecent Updates: Sea Shepherd Hostages Return Back to Steve Irwin | Whalers Hands Activists Over To Australia's Ship | Whalers threaten to take activists to Japan | Sea Shepherd Crew Remain Hostages On The Japanese Whaling Ship | Whalers Make Demands Over Hostages | Sea Shepherd considering rescue missionPrevious feature: Japanese Whaling Ship rams Greenpeace vesselOn the newswire: Video of Sea Shepherd Activists Taken Hostage | Sea Shepherd volunteers 'detained' by Japanese whalers | URGENT - protestors held hostage by Japanese wailing ship | British Sea Shepherd activist held hostage on Japanese whaler | Japanese whalers take Sea Shepherds hostage | Call out for solidarity demonstrationLinks: Sea Shepherd Convervation Society | Greenpeace campaign against whaling | Wikipedia on Japanese Whaling

One of Gordon Brown's first announcements when he became prime minister, was that the state would 'look again' at the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA) clauses which affect the right to protest within a kilometer of the Houses of Parliament. Since then, a consultation has been launched by the Home Office, and the closing date for responses is 17/01/08.Anti-SOCPA campaigners who have studied the proposal are concerned that, rather than leading to a repeal of the relevant clauses of the act, the consultation could lead to an extension of the powers, meaning that any demonstration anywhere in the country would be required to seek police authorisation in advance.On Saturday, January 12th, in response to a callout from campaigners, demonstrations took place around the UK.Milton Keynes and Cambridge saw demonstrations in support of the right to protest. In Liverpool civil liberties protesters marched through the town centre and held a demonstration outside the town hall. Welsh activists handed out copies of the consultation paper and held a series of mini protests with locals in Aberystwyth. The monthly peace camp at Aldermaston staged a solidarity 'Freedom of Assembly' demo outside the Atomic Weapons Establishment.A demonstration in Oxford against a proposed new shopping centre took place in solidarity with the other anti-SOCPA actions as locals took impromptu direct action to prevent the fencing off of the square. In London, where protest is banned within a kilometre of parliament, a procession demonstrated outside several key sites with the SOCPA zone, including the Home Office, New Scotland Yard and MI5. People were arrested for lying down in the road outside Downing Street and at Parliament Square activists were violently removed from the sit in and Brian Haw was assaulted and arrested.Links:SOCPA topic | Liverpool: Photos | London: Video 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | London Photos 1 | 2 | Cambridge: Montage | JNV model answers for consultationOther SitesRepeal SOCPA | socpa - the movie

The trial of the eleven climate change activists who disrupted operations at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station on April 10th 2007 has started today at Nottingham Bridewell Magistrates Court. They have pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated trespass and arguing that it was necessary to take such action in order to prevent the imminent threat that climate change poses to the human population. They are arguing that the threat of climate change on human life is so imminent & serious that it is a proportionate and reasonable response to commit aggravated trespass to try to reduce carbon emissions from England's 2nd largest CO2 emmiter, Ratcliffe on Soar power station.This is the first time that the defence of necessity in relation to climate change has been used in a court of law. The defendants will call an expert witness; a climate scientist, and Royal Society Research Fellow, to prove to the court the scale and imminence of the threat that climate change poses.Reports: Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 1] | Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 2] | Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 3] | Climate Change Trial OpensPrevious feature: Climate Activists Bring Powerstation Operations To A HaltFrom the newswire: Climate change on Trial! | E.ON irony & hypocrisy in market square | Climate activists in court - report | Climate Change On Trial: Call for support demo | Evening Post depicts Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station as 'cutting edge technology' | E-on climate greenwash in Market Square | Rattcliffe 11 to face courts | Activists needle shareholders over E.ON nuclear power | Climate change activists target power station - photos from inside | Photo reports from the action: [1] | [2] | [3] | [4] | [5]Audio: Concerned about Climate Change? Spring Into Action Now! - an audio pieceLinks: E.On | Eastside Climate Action | Indymedia Climate Chaos page | Wikipedia on Ratcliffe On Soar | Ratcliffe On Soar (photo portrait by Alan Lodge).

Update (20/01/08): The Bonn Square treesit ended after Gabriel came down from the tree. He was in need of food and water after the police and council had cut off all supplies (even arresting those who attempted to get water to him) and had to be given medical attention. The tree was felled and several activists were arrested trying to prevent the felling. Meanwhile the campaign to save other trees in the area from the Westgate expansion continues. The beginning of 2008 saw more resistance to the ongoing gentrification of Oxford. On the 4th January a sycamore, reportedly 100 years old, was occupied by a sole protester (with plenty of support from below) to prevent it being felled for the 'redevelopment' of Bonn Square. They have since been served with a court summons and could do with support on Monday 14th January from 10am at Oxford County Court. Meanwhile, the Westgate Partnership have been merrily chainsawing trees to make way for the Westgate expansion (which is technically different from the Bonn Square project, but linked to the West End 'regeneration'). This is despite the fact that a public inquiry is still going on over the demolition of Abbey Place sheltered housing - a clear indication of what the developers think of the legal process. On Wednesday 9th January there was an impromptu day of action at the back of the Westgate centre where some trees had already been cut down. This protest led to the arrest of Councillor Glass Woodin and also saw one of the London Plane trees being occupied for over 24 hours. The bad weather on the 10th saw off - no pun intended - any more tree carnage. There was a protest about the Westgate expansion on Saturday 12th January which saw at least 100 people reclaiming Bonn Square. Meanwhile, Oxford County Council are meeting soon to decide whether to grant Radley Lakes Town Green status. If successful, this would prevent NPower using the lakes as a dumping ground for their waste ash. Save Radley Lakes need supporters on Monday 14th from 1:30pm at County Hall, Castle St. [ Early reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | Video ]    [ Later actions: 1 (with video) | 2 | 3 ]    [ Bonn Sq: demo | mass action ]    [ starvation policy: 1 | 2 ]    [ Bonn Sq chainsawed: 1 | 2 | photos ]    [ Westgate trees spiked ]

From the 28th January, as part of an extended pilot scheme, residents of Nottingham will be subject to Voice Risk Analysis when telephoning to make a claim for Job Seekers' Allowance.Voice Risk Analysis (VRA) software analyses a person's 'normal' voice and flags up changes in frequency and tone characteristics which may mean the person is lying. The DWP has helped to fund a series of local pilot schemes to study the effectiveness of the technology in reducing so-called "benefit fraud" (which pales into insignificance when compared with tax evasion by the rich). Even amongst those who worry about such things, there is scepticism about this usefulness of this technology as an anti-fraud tool. Mainstream critics say that savings do not necessarily mean the software is accurately pinpointing fraudsters, arguing that genuine claimants may also be deterred from claiming when entitled to benefits.Links: Nottinghamshire Unemployed Workers Centre | Welfare Reform UK | Sheffield protest against changes to welfare | Nottingham Claimants ActionBackground Links: Nottingham Proforma for Expressions of Interest for DWP City Strategy | Strategy: Nottingham Local Area Agreement | DWP Fraud and error - Voice Risk Analysis (VRA) | DWP Press Release: Hutton announces new technology to strengthen fight against benefit fraud | TUC lies, damned lies and lie detectors: introducing lie detector tests for benefit claimants | Handard - Social Security Benefits: Lie Detectors 23 Apr 2007 : Column 928W | Government to use voice 'lie detector' technology to catch benefit thieves | Advanced Validation Services (AVS)

As the sun rises on Liverpool's European Capital of Culture reign, it's time to look at the positives and negatives that have come the way of people in the city since the award was made in June 2003.

A RIGHT to Protest demonstration is being held in central Brighton on Saturday January 19, meeting at 12 noon in Churchill Square.The focus will particularly be on recent police repression at the EDO Brighton bomb factory. There have been 15 arrests since August for singing, shouting and generally expressing opinions about the presence of an arms factory in the community.Local people in Brighton have been campaigning for the last three and a half years against a bomb factory in their back yard. EDO MBM make componants that are used in weapons deployed against the people of Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.Recently at the weekly noise demos at the factory police have been using archaic local by-laws to suppress people expressing their thoughts and feelings at the local weapons manufacturers.In October five people were arrested for singing karaoke badly outside EDO MBM, they were hauled off into a police van after a particularly bad rendition of "We are the Champions". Three were arrested under Section 235 of the Local Government Act (brought in for bad buskers and street drunks) while two were arrested for breach of Section 14.Other people have faced arrest for blowing an air horn and plugging in a PA. The town demo is aimed to show support for these people and also to safeguard the hard won rights to freedom of opinion and freedom of assembly that are being taken away at an alarming rate in this country. Bring banners, drums, air horns and voices.

The rampART social centre in London is finally facing eviction after almost 4 years of providing a non-commercial venue for a wide range of activities. On the 12th of December, the social centre and the squatted houses in the street were all served with notice of court proceedings. On the 20th, the case was heard and a possession order granted from the 3rd of January 2008. However, the occupation has continued and the social centre is open as normal. An appeal has been lodged and evcition held off until a decision about the appeal has been made. Meanwhile, there have been various meetings to organise opposition to the threat and open a new space. There was also an assembly on the 6th Jan to look at setting up a group to support London social centres and maintain continuity.RampART legal battle: appeal lodged | court case notes | possesion order granted | court papers servedBackground : Audio: Eviction is a comin' | developers make move on Rampart Street | Developments at rampART | The rampART and its evolution

Animal rights activists in Nottingham campaigning against the sale of Foie Gras in the city have found themselves the targets of police repression. On the evening of Friday December 14, campaigners were told that they could not use a megaphone, with the police citing Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 as their basis for this prohibition.The heavy-handed police response is indicative of a national trend towards increasingly repressive policing of animal rights protests and a a more general limitation on the right to protest.Newswire: Foie Gras protests continue in spite of increased pressure from police | Foie gras day of action | Foie Gras Not Fair to the Goose | Kick foie gras out of NottinghamLinks: Nottingham Animal Rights | Wikipedia on Foie Gras | Banfoiegras.org | Freedom to ProtestAudio: Fois Gras feature in audio - mp3

On Tuesday 18/12/07, activists from the No Borders Network, marked UN International Migrant's Day, by blockading immigration reporting centres in Glasgow, Bristol, Newcastle and Portsmouth. Arriving at the centres in the early hours of the morning, the activists aimed to prevent Immigration Enforcement Officers from staging dawn raids, in which families are often rounded up in preparation for removal to countries from which they have been forced to flee.In Bristol, activists arrived in time to lock onto vehicles, and a police officer wasoverheard confirming that a dawn raid had been planned. In Portsmouth, activists were locked onto the swing barrier and gates by 4.30am and believe that another dawn raid from that site was thwarted. Glasgow activists were in place by 5.30am when Immigration Enforcement Officers arrived and were unable to leave the car park with their vehicles due to a tripod, and people d-locked to the gates. Newcastle activists dressed in Santa outfits locked onto the gates and used arm tubes to prevent vehicles from leaving the car parks. 2 of the Glasgow activists were cut free from their D-locks and arrested, whilst a tripod continued to ensure that vehicles could not leave the car park. Activists at the other sites were able to leave without any arrests taking place.In Manchester, the local Immigration Reporting Centre Dallas Court had its gates locked with a motorcycle chain, and a banner reading "Caution snatch squads – we are watching you” was hung. Later, at 10 am, the Home Office in Marsham Street SW1, London was disrupted after activists blocked the entrance and unfurled a large banner declaring "No Child is Illegal: Child Detention is a Crime".

About thirty committed activists protested against the NATO meeting at the Craigiehall Army Barracks near South Queensferry in Edinburgh. The demonstrators blocked the main road to the meeting, which is attended by defence ministers from eight NATO countries, and other senior political and military officials who discuss the current situation in Afghanistan.Protest:[ report of early morning actions | report and pics | leaflets in NATO hotel | Indymedia Scotland feature | details of protest | announcing article ]Background links: [ The Senlis Council | RAWA on US worsening human rights situation | Taliban control more than half of Afghanistan: IMC Germany | Womankind: Taking Stock | Canadian Peace Alliance | Imc Germany: There is no end to Afghanistan | Le Monde Diplomatique french/german/english | icasualties | Why are we in Afghanistan? | Just Foreign Policy]

Broxtowe BNP councillor Sadie Graham appears to have been expelled from the party for setting up a "treasonous" blog, along with the party's Head of Administration, Kenny Smith. The blog, containing materials from anti-fascist organisations, called for the removal of Mark Collett, the party's Head of Publicity.After a Stasi-like operation in which the BNPs 'Intelligence Department' (fronted by an ex-South African police official) recorded and spied on telephone calls of party members, stories are circulating on Nazi webforums that five BNP security entered Graham's house and ransacked it looking for further evidence. This is further bad news for the beleaguered fascist party who are already facing serious internal divisions and a revived militant anti-fascist movement.Update: Sadie Grahams house raided by police | BNP threaten anti-fascist leafletters in BrinsleyFeatures: Anti-fascists successfully blockade BNP meeting venue | BNP wins seat in BroxtoweNewswire: Sadie Graham Expelled from BNP! | 2nd Anniversarry of mums brutal murder by Kirkby Notts"freeSpeech"BNPcandidate | Nott's group go to BNP Conferance | Sadie Graham Shoots Straight| BNP threaten anti-fascist leafletters in BrinsleyLinks: Lancaster UAF | Antifa (UK)

A RADICAL new form of map has been launched in Brighton.OpenStreetMap is a wikipedia-like project to create a free map of the entire world, open to contributions from anyone.Most commonly used maps have legal or technical restrictions on their use, holding people back from using them in creative, productive or unexpected ways.

While in London and Glasgow over 10,000 climate campaigners took to the streets to take part in marches over the weekend, in Nottingham, many people took to the delight of the East Midlands Vegan Festival and Sumac Crafts Fair. While these events have a strong social aspect, especially during these dark winter days, there are strong links with those who braved the bad weather to call for climate justice.Campaigners organising the annual Vegan Festival pointed out that a massive proportion of climate change is caused by livestock farming and the production of meat/dairy products. They urged world leaders in Bali, attending the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Conference, "to take the urgent action needed to prevent the catastrophic destabilisation of global climate". Protests calling upon the world leaders for action on climate change have taken place across the world. The last week has seen many actions across the UK on various aspects of the climate change agenda.Audio: Collected Interviews about the Vegan Festival. [Ronny] - mp3 16MPhotos: 4th East Midland Vegan Festival, Council House, Nottingham | Sumac Craft FairLinks: East Midlands Vegan Festival | The Sumac Centre | Notts Indymedia Climate Chaos page | Climate Action Network Nottinghamshire | Eastside Climate Action