| Bristol Independent Media Centre Feature Newswire. Bristol's independent media network |
| Published as of Thursday, 23 February 2006 10:39:09 PM |
| Community | | Can campaigners save Bristol's railways? | | 23 Feb 2006 | | Bristol threatens suburban rail sell-off Cat Hobbs reports on Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways' attempts to block the councils' sell off of local rail, despite them being presented with a 3,000 signature petition:The Partnership responded last week with a letter describing what they've done for local rail since the 1970's. The campaigners are disappointed because the Partnership's response fails to deal with the specific demands made in the petition. At Friday's meeting they will argue that meeting those demands requires the local authorities to maintain current subsidies.Bristol City Council plan to cut the annual subsidy of £134,000 to the Severn Beach line...First have stated that they could provide a half hourly service if the subsidy were kept. The cuts mean that services will be hourly rather than half hourly. Rail campaigners are asking the councillors concerned to reconsider cutting the subsidies in forthcoming budget meetings. There are also concerns that without these subsidies, First will need to raise the fares on local trains more...Cat notes a victory in the campaign:Councillors voted yesterday to maintain £90,000 rail subsidy needed for Bath-Filton Abbey Wood line. They hope that Bristol City Council will now follow suit and vote against their budget on Tuesday 28th February. The proposed BCC budget includes a cut to the £134,000 subsidy which could provide half-hourly services on the Severn Beach line. Campaigners will be lobbying councillors, both by email before the event and at 1.30pm on Tuesday outside the Council House. Write to your councillor to oppose the cut. Go to http://www.bristol-city.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Elected-Representatives/councillor-finder.en to find out who your councillor is. | Rail campaigners call on councils to maintain subsidies | South Gloucestershire Council keep rail subsidy! | Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways |< a href="http://www.portisheadrailwaygroup.org/">Portishead Rail Action | attachments/feb2006/s_beach_1.jpg |
| Corporations | | SLM Leisure - LibDems Say: YES! LibDems Say: NO! | | 18 Feb 2006 | | Politicians in, "The Great Sports Racket" Politicians in, "The Great Sports Racket" Crash writes; Control of the city's leisure facilities is to pass to, guess what, another private company, Sports and Leisure Management Ltd. Liberal Democrat Lord Mayor Simon Cook [pictured] gushed that it heralded "an exciting new era for the city's sports centres and swimming pools". The deal is certainly likely to excite SLM directors, as Bristol LibDems could have discovered had they asked their colleagues in Fareham. According to the Hampshire LibDems, since Fareham leisure centre was put into private hands by the Tory council, "SLM Leisure, the new managers, have pushed up the price of lessons for children by nearly a third from £3 to £3.95 for a half-hour session". Lib Dem councillor Peter Davies said, "We always said a private company would put up charges but they still went ahead. Public assets owned by the council should be managed by the council so everybody can have a say when prices go up". Quite. Something they would no doubt like to discuss with their colleagues in Bristol. But what could be more natural to a politician than to criticise something that you would like to do yourself if only you could get your hands on the reins of power? Full article| The Great Sports Racket | Related Stories: Sport For All? The privitisation of Bristol's playing fields and Green Spaces gathers pace... | Bristol North Pool is occupied and reopened as a community space!!! | Bristol Dissent PFI Info Paper (Dissent.org.uk) | |
| The Environment | | Bristol Bus Revolt - An Update | | 17 Feb 2006 | | " We demand better services, accessible and affordable to all. " " We demand better services, accessible and affordable to all. " News Update - Reclaim Bristols Buses - Petition Launch: Reclaim the Buses are launching our petition. We demand better services, accessible and affordable to all. We demand better pay and conditions for bus workers. We demand a publicly accountable bus service. Come along, bring yourself, banners, musical instruments, come make some noise! Friday 17th Feb, 5pm (meet 4.30pm), outside the Hippodrome, City Centre.Bristol Commuter writes: Fed up with fare increases, late and dirty buses? We don't have to have a bus service run for profit. Some bus services in Britain are run for pasengers not profit. Other cities are fighting for better services. We can do it here! Full article. | Reclaim Bristols Buses - Petition Launch | Reclaim Bristols Buses | Kick First Out! | Bus Fares to Rise Again | Briefing for Bristol Area SERA members October 2003- what’s MEANT to be happening with Bristol transport | Meeting Poster | |
| Peace | | The Illegal Iraq War: Fairford Five Case Reaches Lords | | 14 Feb 2006 | | House Of Lords To Hear Key Test Case From Iraq War House Of Lords To Hear Key Test Case From Iraq War As former Marine Intelligence officer and UNSCOM weapons inspector predicts that the attack on Iran will come in June, the Fairford Five trial of the Iraq war comes to the House of Lords. forwarded message writes: The 'Fairford Five' seek to know what arguments they are allowed to use in their defence against charges of conspiracy and criminal damage. In March 2003, Paul Milling and Margaret Jones, Phillip Pritchard with Toby Olditch, and Josh Richards, all tried to prevent or delay the take-off of American B-52 bombers from Fairford air force base in Gloucestershire. These bombers were waiting to launch the attack on Iraq that would begin the Iraq war. ...All five say they were justified in their actions, because they aimed at preventing the commission of a far greater crime - that of 'aggression', of starting an unprovoked war against another country. Lower courts have so far denied them this defence argument, saying that the alleged crime of attacking another country is a matter for international law, which cannot be ruled on in a British court. In earlier pre-trial hearings, the Fairford Five have been told they may say in their defence that they feared individual war crimes would be committed in Iraq - but not that the Iraq War itself would be a crime. They will stand trial at Bristol Crown Court later this year. Full article| House Of Lords To Hear Key Test Case From Iraq War | Iran to Switch from Dollars to Euros! ..... Please read the Bristol-Stop-The-War message board! | Bristol Stop The War Coalition News Update - 9/2/2006 | www.fairfordpeacewatch.com | U.S. Bombing Watch | |
| The Environment | | Sustainable City & Rail Petition | | 14 Feb 2006 | | Question raised to commitment of Bristol City Council to the Joint Local Transport Plan The cutting of the subsidy calls into question the commitment of Bristol City Council to the Joint Local Transport Plan Update: Catt Hobbs informs us; "The West of England Partnership have just informed us that they will be responding to the petition at a forthcoming meeting".Cat Hobbs writes: A 3000 signature petition presented on Monday 6th February in support of local rail services has been ignored by the West of England Partnership (comprising Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council and North Somerset)....Also on Monday Bristol City Council cut the £134,000 subsidy to the local Severn Beach line, arguing in their defence that First (who will take over the contract in April) have promised to maintain the hourly service previously supported by the subsidy....The cutting of the subsidy calls into question the commitment of Bristol City Council to the Joint Local Transport Plan agreed by the West of England Partnership, which refers to the local rail network as being important in making Bristol's transport more sustainable....On Monday 13th, rail campaigners will be attending the Public Transport Consultation organised by South Gloucestershire Council, to express their support for local rail services in the greater Bristol area. This meeting will be held at Patchway Community College at 7pm. Full article| 3000 signature rail petition ignored | Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways | Other Transport Stories: Report back of buses me | Top Professor Demolishes Bristol Airport's Claims About Being Good For Economy | The Campaign against Climate Change in Bristol | |
| Globalisation | | ¡Ya Basta! Bristol! Update | | 08 Feb 2006 | | Next Meeting - Thursday 9th of February, 7.30-9.30 PM Next Meeting - Thursday 9th of February, 7.30-9.30 PM Latin American Forum Public Meeting Update: Bristol's Latin American Forum will now definitely be held on SATURDAY THE 11th OF MARCH....Everyone is invited to take part in building this amazing event...Any who are interested are welcome. [to meeting on the 9/2/06] We look forward to seeing you there.Kevin writes: Latin American Forum Public Meeting, [about] organising an event of workshops, speakers, food, music and film to celebrate the revolutionary social, economic and cultural changes being pursued by popular movements across Latin America.| Latin American Forum Public Meeting II | Latin American Forum Public Meeting I | Latin American Newswire: | universities ban Coca-Cola due to alleged links with paramilitaries (bristol.indymedia.org) | Bolivia - With 51 Percent, Evo is President-Elect (narconews.com) | Zapatistas Reloaded (narconews.com) | Colombia - Corrupt DEA Agents Help Paramilitaries (narconews.com) | Argentina - Economic rehab ignores IMF (guardian.co.uk) | |
| The Media | | Outcast. Outlaw. Legend - Bandit Queen | | 02 Feb 2006 | | Bristol Indymedia Film Night - Monday 6th Febuary Bristol Indymedia Film Night - Monday 6th Febuary Update!Fundraising will be happening with with yummy vegan snacks at the Indymedia Film Night - so bring an appetite! Outcast. Outlaw. Legend. Bandit Queen is based upon the true-life figure of Phoolan Devi, who had the misfortune to be born in India both as a woman and of low-caste; a position which automatically condemned her to a life of servitude. The events which follow are truly merciless, with rape followed by public humiliation and then even more rape. From such an onslaught of physical abuse it's remarkable that Phoolan survived, instead, her fight back against repression, fuelled by the white-hot rage of human suffering, into a struggle to rise above a culture determined to bring her down, in a bloody coup that electrified a nation - and transformed one woman's world forever. The film won the 1995 Filmfare Award for best film and best director as well as the Silver Lotus Award for best actress. Supported by a cast of short films & more! One not to miss! Full article.Bristol Indymedia Film Night - Monday 6th Febuary | Directions to Cube Cinema | info and links about poolan devi/bandit queen | fundraising with yummy vegan snax at indymedia film to nite | |
| Community | | A Busy Newswire: Time for a News Update! | | 02 Feb 2006 | | News Update...News Update...News Update...News Update News Update...News Update...News Update...News Update In transport - rail campaigners prepare to present a present a petition of 2000 signatures to the West of England Partnership on Monday 6th February, while the bus fares campaign meeting was standing room only! They have also set up an email list - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bristol_Bus_User/. The Bristol North Pool campaign continues with a meeting on the 7th February at Cafe Neo. The anti-G8 campaign group, Bristol Dissent!, has decided to conclude, but a new group (or groups) seem to be forming out of the campaign - come to the meeting on the 15th Feb at Kebele to find out more! Finally St.Werburghs has had one of its illegal billboard removed by campaigners while over in Bath, action against the fur trade has been stepped up.Rail campaigners presenting 2000 signature petition | Report back of buses meeting | Bus Fare Email List | The Work Begins | The Conclusion of Bristol Dissent! - The Evolution of Dissent | this what Anarchy looks like? | St.Werburghs billboards | Bath anti-fur day of action | |
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