Check out the banner and dudes on the roof!
The third protest against Gap took place today since Gap first opened its doors on 2nd March. In the morning around 10 people entered the store posing as shoppers. They handed out leaflets and hid “made in sweatshops” inside garments inside the shop. A banner was unfurled at the door before police arrived on the scene and asked those inside to leave.
Crowds for the main protest were smaller than before, thought to be due to less publicity before hand and showery weather. However campaigners plan to carry on leafletting sessions outside the shop - the response from the public has been excellent. Contact nosweatsheff@yahoo.co.uk
Plans for a huge new development with space for hundreds of cars and luxury apartments met widespread resistance from locals at a meeting on Tuesday. Read the full report
People seeking asylum in Sheffield are going hungry because the government's voucher system doesn't work. In response to this the Sheffield Refugee and Asylum Co-operative has been set up. A collection point at Broomspring Community Centre has been organised where people can donate items such asclothes,shoes, babies nappies, sanitary towels and many other necessities. Web site: www.asylum.lowtech.org contact: broomspring@ntlworld.com or b.garvey@sheffield.ac.uk
Lee Himlin has decided to plead guilty to causing damage to digging equipment at a Stanton Moor quarry in the Peak District national park. Plans to quarry a hill inside the national park boundary will go to very close to the ancient Nine Ladies standing stone circle.
Lee said he feels really bad about this but he doesn't see much chance of winning his case. Also, despite having been in prison before, Lee is finding life in Sherwood prison hard and is feeling isolated.
Lee is hoping that with time already spent on remand he might have a chance of walking when sentenced. However, making the decision to go guilty is very hard for Lee and so please write urgent letters of support to Lee in this difficult time for him. Also Lee has said he is feeling isolated, so letters from the outside should help cheer him up.
Please send urgent letters of support to:
Lee Himlin EX7748
HMP Perry Road
Sherwood
Nottingham
N65 3AG
England.
The “Free Mark Barnsley campaign” held another Noise Demo outside Wakefield Prison on March 24th to once again demand that Mark Barnsley be transferred to a more appropriate prison. About 30 people gathered outside Wakefield Prison, where miscarriage of justice prisoner, Mark Barnsley, is currently being held. Read full report or see the campaign's web site: www.freemarkbarnsley.com
Sheffield's second demo against Gap went took place today with banners, a stall, a street video showing of Panorama's documentary on sweatshop labour, street theatre and lots of kids. Police guarded the entrance to Gap stopping these keen young protesters from entering the store.
No arrests this time but plans for an even bigger protest on April 28th to celebrate Mayday - international workers day (download a flyer). contact nosweatsheff@yahoo.co.uk
Check out the banner and dudes on the roof!
Sheffield people took action today against Sainsbury's on The Moor. The protest was to highlight Sainsbury's continued use of animal produce from animals reared on genetically modified cattle feed. Around 15 people dressed in white overalls entered the store and distributed leaflets to customers.
Two more people climbed on to veranda overhanging the store and hung banners saying “No GM” The Sainsbury’s staff seemed somewhat bemused. Not knowing what to do they called the police who asked the protesters to leave the store, which they did. Protesters continued leafletting Sainsbury’s customers until running out of leaflets a short time later.
Meeting about GMO's 5th April at Mount Pleasant Community Centre 7.15pm. Read the flyer (Word file)
News of those arrested at Sheffield CPS protest, Mark Barnsley article from the Tribune, future protest dates - click here for the Mark Barnsley Campaign Newsletter
A new free newsletter for Sheffield has been produced called "Think Again". Planned to come out every 3 weeks the first issue, dated Mar 5th covered the Global Women's Strike, the IMF/WB wanted for Fraud Campaign, Boeing's investment in Sheffield University and Gap. Below is their invitation:
This is an invitation to all people; communities, activists, environmentalists, students, workers, non-workers, painters and poets - Everyone has something to say. Say it here. This is an effort to tackle cynicism, greed and hatred; to share thoughts, ideas and promote action; to provide alternatives in a world that calls on us to listen and learn from each other. The diversity of our world must be celebrated, not attacked. We need to work together, now more than ever, to raise awareness, share our visions and create our own future. Speak out and be heard. (It's not illegal yet!)
Submissions/comments to thinkagain@disinfo.net
Rob Dawber, who was emerging as a writer after his years as a railwayman, has died aged 45. The cause was mesothelioma, a cancer contracted while working with asbestos on the railways. Last year, he won a significant victory in establishing his employers’ culpability for his illness. There will be a Memorial Meeting on 18th March - see calendar. Read Ken Loach's Obituary from The Guardian.
Just reported in the Wall Street Journal: Gap fourth-quarter profits down 32%!!!!!!!!!!
Plans for over £5 million of new road schemes have been released by the DETR (Department of Environment, Transport and Regions. These schemes are being proposed by Local Authorities although those that go ahead will receive central Government funding.
In Sheffield there are plans for stages 2 and 3 of the inner relief road which totals 3 kilometres near the river Don. In Rotherham there are plans to "improve" the A631, which will affect local wildlife and heritage sites.
Around 100 people showed up to protest against Sheffield GAP's second day of trading. Several info stalls were set up outside the shop from midday. A local street band, Ragnarock, performed outside at 1pm while people chanted an waved banners. Thousands of leaflets, (at least 3 different kinds) were distributed to GAP customers.
The main body of protesters marched round then headed straight for the doors. GAP's security shut the doors and the crowd started a sit down protest on the road. The police attempted to arrest one woman while some people attempted to de-arrest her. Four people (or some say 8) were arrested in the ensuing clash.
Next protesters marched down to the police station in solidarity with those arrested, before returning to the store for a final burst of chanting and drumming.
On Friday one irate shopper claimed that GAP's new store was just what Sheffield needed. In a way it was true. The new store has united social, environmental, student and radical groups from around the city like nothing else for a long time.
The day's events, coinciding with peak time Saturday shopping, will certainly have tarnished GAP's shiny, friendly image. Meanwhile thousands more leaflets are being prepared.
The US arms and aerospace company Boeing, has linked up with Sheffield University to set up an "Aerospace Manufacturing Research Centre". It is thought this research will be for the US Star Wars program, now called "National Missile Defence" (NMD).
Students at Sheffield University have set up a new group to oppose plans the Boeing's involvement in the University. Contact pmb98ajs@sheffield.ac.uk for details about the campaign. Read Boeing-Sheffield PLC?
On GAP's opening day protest started at 9am today before even the first shoppers had gone in the doors. A group of people performed street theatre to highlight the chopping down of ancient Redwood forests by the founders and owners of GAP, the Fisher family.
Other people stood outside with banners saying 'GAPsucks' and 'sweatshops'. An information stall was set up outside with a big banner that read 'Greed And Poverty' and around a 1000 leaflets were handed out to customers, some of whom turned away without even entering the store. Read Sheffield Star's coverage here. Contact nosweatsheff@yahoo.co.uk or sheffieldmayday@disinfo.net for more info of protests.
The predominantly Liberal Democrat council voted in favour of a huge new development a few miles south of the city today. The Tyzack site first came to prominence 2 years ago when the Morrison supermarket chain applied to build a superstore there. The application was refused by the then Labour Council, not least because of the increased traffic in an already jammed up area. The new development includes another food store, a drive through diner and a health and fitness centre. The majority of space, however, is given over to car parking, between 600 and 840 spaces.
The Tyzack Site Action Group, who have been campaigning against both the Morrison's plan and the current plan must now get the Secretary of State to reject the plan.
The launch meeting on Saturday 24th of a new campaign, World Bank and IMF wanted for Fraud, was packed with around 100 people. Speakers from Africa, Chile, and the USA spoke about reasons for the campaign which seeks to encourage non-payment of fraudulent "third world debt". A follow up meeting is planned for Thursday 1st March at Sheffield Uni Student's Union. Read more.
A campaign has been started aiming to reduce rat running through Nether Edge. Similar problems in Broomhall a few years ago resulted in a neighbourhood street party before the council closed off various streets to traffic. The modest Nether Edge proposals include on/off no entry signs for peak times. For more info contact: lesstraffic@pop3.poptel.org.uk
It was standing room only at a recent meeting about a new Gap store opening in Sheffield. Called for by the No Sweat campaign a mixture of students, socialists, environmentalists, anarchists and concerned citizens packed the room. A video was shown of recent action No Sweat had taken in London followed by a lively discussion about plans for action against the new store on the first Saturday after opening (March 3rd). More info.
17th of January 2001- Mark Barnsley was put in segregation for no justifiable reason. Mark, along with two other prisoners at HMP Frankland in Durham, were suddenly taken off the prison wing and put in segregation, under the 'Good Order And Discipline' rule, accused with 'fomenting unrest on the wing'. The prison has yet to come up with a single incident, which would support this allegation. There had been absolutely no 'trouble' or 'unrest' on the wing.
1st of February 2001 - Mark Barnsley was woken up at 5.30 am and moved to HMP Wakefield in Yorkshire. This is Mark's 20th prison move so far. As Wakefield is primarily a high security prison for sex offenders it is certainly one of the worst places they could send Mark, who has 3 children and is clearly a punishment move.
Since arriving at HMP Wakefield, Mark has been kept in a dungeon-like, unheated Segregation cell with only one blanket. He is being denied access to all his property and is even being denied a hot drink and a shower. The only exercise he gets outside his cell is in a cage. The only mail he is being allowed are letters (and an S.A.E if one is enclosed). The rest of his mail is being withheld. He is also allowed only two short phone calls per week.
A few days after arriving at HMP Wakefield, in what can only be seen as an act of provocation, Mark was told he was being put on one of the wings, in a dormitory with sex offenders! Not surprisingly he refused and was sent back to segregation, this time on a charge. See Free Mark Barnsley web site
In Sheffield people are already taking preemptive action against a new Gap store due to open on March 2nd right in the centre of town. For the past few weeks the No Sweat campaign has been highlighting Gap's appalling treatment and low pay of its workers in the Third World by leafletting outside the new store.
On Thursday another group of people, possibly known as SHAG (Sheffield Against Gap), spent the day in freezing conditions outside the Sheffield Novotel where Gap was having it's recruitment day for the new store. A stall was set up outside with a banner which simply said: "Gap - Information point".
"Almost all of the prospective employees came to us first," one of the Shag team said. "We didn't try to pressurise people in anyway. We simply told them who we were and gave them the facts. Whilst some people obviously couldn't give a shit, most people listened intently to what we to what we had to say. Quite a few were so shocked they didn't even bother to go into the hotel."
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