RAMPART 2.2

rampART 1 is still going (of course still under acute threat of eviction) yet our backup space Ramp Part2 which was occupied since new year’s eve was less fortunate and has been .

Undaunted by the loss of our baby Ram Part 2 (they got the IPO on the
third try), we’ve already moved into a new space and have started to fix
it up to have it ready for the April 11/12 days of action (more details
on this in the next newsletter)!

It’s bigger, better location, with a room that has already been sound
proofed! The owners have taken out all the stairs so we need help
rebuilding them, and the upper floors need the boards relaying. If you
are a roofer please get in contact as the roof has a hole in it -
typical, building owners that want to force council planning to accept
demolishion (and build yuppie flats) by allowing the building to
deteriorate. Well now we’re around to put the place to better use!

– We urgently need help with the occupation and work rota! –

Please contact us at rampart@mutualaid.org or come along to the next
Monday meeting at 7pm at old Rampart, but we need help sooner than Monday!

JOBS TO BE DONE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS:
- Fix the first flight of stairs (need 13 planks 104cm long)
- Put curtains up on the first floor
- Replace the floor boards (using screws rather than nails to keep the
noise down at this stage)
- Patch up broken windows to reduce draft and keep cold out
- Fix roof
- Plumbing

ROTA: email us at rampart@mutualaid.org !!

WISHLIST:
- Door bell
- Scaffold planks, any length over 3.5ft and lots of them
- Perspex, glass or windows
- A big piece of lino or water proof advertisinf banners etc for roof
- Hose, taps, sink and somebody up for doing plumbing

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*******

APRIL 11/12 DAYS OF ACTION FOR SQUATS AND AUTONOMOUS SPACES

We will be hosting some workshops and a café for the April 11/12 Days of
Action.

Some of the workshop ideas that were discussed were:
working with electricity, water and plumbing, gaining access and lock
picking, window glazing,
fitting locks, legal issues, basic DIY, repair and fixing consumer
appliances, sound proofing, growing food in squats saving energy -
insulation and draught proofing on zero budget, saving / harvesting
water, permaculture, etc.

If you have any workshop ideas or would like to get involved, come to
our regular Monday meetings at 7pm.

We’re doing a Squatters Estate Agents so if you know of any empties,
take a picture, note down condition and details and email us at
rampart@mutualaid.org

For more info on the April 11/12 Days of Action, visit:
http://april2008.squat.net/

*****************************************
// UPCOMING EVENTS AT RAMPART //
*****************************************

RADICAL THEORY READING GROUP MARCH 28TH, 6:30PM

**PLEASE NOTE LOCATION CHANGE**

The group will be meeting at 170-172 Acre Lane, Brixton

Readings:

‘On Neoliberalism: An interview with David Harvey’
(http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/lilley190606.html)

‘The Art of Rent: Globalization, Monopoly and the Commodification of
Culture’
(http://socialistregister.com/recent/2002/harvey2002). As usual, any
problems ring Debbie at 07904759830

“When they kick out your front door, How you gonna come? With your hands
on your head, Or on the trigger of your gun… etc. etc. etc.”

********************************************

MAGAZINE LAUNCH FOR NAKED PUNCH REVIEW

Saturday, March 29th, probably 8PM start

Naked Punch review will be holding a launch of Issue# 10 on Saturday night.

with:
Short performances and theatre followed by bands and dj.
Video and Cinema showcase
Art exhibition
Poetry room

Entrance £3 donation (funds towards for future publications)

Naked Punch Review is a quarterly interdisciplinary review and magazine
of philosophy, art, politics and poetry run voluntarily by young,
unestablished figures in those fields. Contributors have included
Antonio Negri, Tariq Ali, Wim Wenders, Arthur Danto, Richard Shusterman,
Simon Critchley, Walden Bello, Michael Taussig, Adonis, Mahmoud Darvish
among others.The magazine was founded in 2002 by a group of young
London-based thinkers.

http://www.nakedpunch.com

**********************************************

// OTHER SOCIAL CENTRE EVENTS //

EVENTS AT WOMYNSPACE:

Monday:
Welding workshop 7pm - 9pm
Music Jam 8pm

Tuesday:
Welding workshop 10am - 12am
Cafe and Kids space 3pm - 9pm
Practical Herbal Skillshare 4pm - 6pm
Womyns Space Collective Meeting 7pm

Wednesday:
Stencil making 4pm - 8pm
(please bring own scalpel and acetate/cardboard if you can)
Womens Direct Action group 7.30pm

Thursday:
Cafe and Kids space 3pm - 9pm
Photoshop and software share workshop 4pm - 6.30pm
(bring own laptop if possible! But come anyways
mail: jayapapaya@gmail.com
Women’s Discussion Group 6.30pm - 8.30 pm
SEE NOTICEBOARD FOR DETAILS

Friday:
Bar from 7pm

Saturday:
Cafe and Kids space 3pm - 9pm

Sunday:
Womens Health Collective

For more info, contact womenorganise@yahoo.co.uk

*****************************************
-*- BEHIND BARS VIII -*-

Queer DIY benefit supporting: International Union of Sexworkers

29th March 08
10pm - 8am

at the Hackney Social Centre
231 Lower Clapton Road, Hackney, E5 8EG
(please note: entrance is at the back door of the building)
Door donation

Live bands & acts: Juha, Spiritwo, Skitzopolis, Prolapse, Villain, Roc
Roc It, Husbands, Rouge Et Noir
VJs: Oskur, Monogaze, Filippo
DJs: Fake Face, Foll@nes, PJ, Sturamsey, Cheeky Half, Lakuti, Amila, Stay B

www.myspace.com/behindbarsbroadcast
www.iusw.org
www.hackneysocialcentre.blogspot.com

*****************************************
// OTHER EVENTS IN LONDON //
*****************************************

TRADE UNION AND COMMUNITY CONFERENCE AGAINST IMMIGRATION CONTROLS

SATURDAY 29th MARCH 2008 10.30am - 5pm

SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES
Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H,
Tube: Russell Square, buses: 7, 68, 169

Speakers include John McDonnell MP, trade union activists, and people
who successfully fought back against the immigration system

Called by Finsbury Park RMT

Supported by Piccadilly & West RMT, Camden RMT, Central London GMB,
UNITE-T&G 1647 Branch (Catering & Domestic Workers), Ilford & Romford
UNITE-AMICUS, Clerkenwell & St. Pancras UNITE-AMICUS, Liverpool
University UCU, Liverpool Trades Council, Brent Trades Council, Brighton
& Hove Trades Council, Bolivian Solidarity Campaign, Ecuadorian Movement
in the UK, No One is Illegal, Papers for All, London No Borders, Global
Afrikan Congress UK, LTRC Black & Ethnic Members, Latin Front, Latin
Community Association, Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP, No Sweat, Leicester
Civil Rights Movement, Leicester Social Forum and more

Info/contacts:
www.29thmarch.org.uk

e-mail: davidlandau9@aol.com
tel: 07956 133450 (English) or 07818 6 7192 (Spanish)

Post: Immigration Conference, Dean O’Hanlon, RMT, Unity House, 39
Chalton Street, Euston, London NW1 1JD.

Every day people are being detained and deported.
Every day people are being denied education, health care, the right to
work and thrown into destitution because of their immigration status.
Every day people are paid peanuts and made to work in life threatening
conditions by unscrupulous employers because of their immigration status.
Every day people die trying to cross borders.
Every day Immigration Officers raid people’s homes at dawn and raid
migrants at work.

And it is getting worse with new legislation requiring employers to
regularly check papers of ‘foreigners’.

BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS! If we get together in our
workplaces and our communities we can stop this.

To make this happen trade unionists and community activists need to get
together to share experiences, develop tactics and networks, find ways
of winning trade unions and other organisations to fight these
pernicious controls and say No One is Illegal!

So come along to the conference and make this happen.

There will be plenary sessions and workshops and with plenty of time for
discussion, including:

- Resisting immigration controls in the workplace
- Access to education, social services, housing & health
- Resisting deportation
- Resisting low pay and poor conditions
- Domestic work
- Transport industry and immigration controls

There will be a creche. Please let us know if you will be bringing children.

** BENEFIT GIG AFTERWARDS **

No Borders London presents:

LONDON CALLING!

An evening of acoustic political sounds following the Second Trade Union
and Community Conference against Immigration Controls

Sat 29th March, 6pm - midnight

@ The Ivy House pub, 8-10 Southampton Row, WC1B 4AE (next to Holborn tube)

Featuring sets from:
* PJ and Gaby
* Neil Sutherland
* Kelly Kemp
plus more tbc.

Free entry/donations welcome.

http://noborderslondon.blogspot.com

****************************************************
RECLAIM YOUR FOOD, SUNDAYS IN FRONT OF THE RITZY IN BRIXTON, STARTING AT 3PM
Come for free food and a bike maintenance workshop, in front of the
Ritzy in Brixton, every Sunday at 3pm
***************************************************

FOSSIL FUELS DAY OF ACTION

Tuesday April 1st

http://www.fossilfoolsdayofaction.org

*Funeral for coal in Parliament square, London*

Meet at 11 AM in Parliament Square

The People & Planet network invites you to join us at an action and mass
lobby. We will be building a coal power station complete with 12ft
cooling towers in Westminster, while people dressed in Jesters hats and
Gordon Brown masks will ‘burn’ a mock Climate Change Bill.

Contact james.lloyd@peopleandplanet.org for more information.
www.peopleandplanet.org/nonewcoal

*Protest circus for a coal Fossil Fool, London*

Meet 8 AM at 1 Victoria Street (nearest tube: St. James’s Park)

The London World Development Movement groups are co-ordinating a
hilarious protest outside the Department for Enterprise Business and
Regulatory Reform (or BERR) to laugh at the minister for business, John
Hutton. John Hutton is currently set to make a right fool of the
government’s climate policy if he signs off on EON’s new Kingsnorth
power station. Everyone’s welcome to join in the collective hilarity and
to demand Hutton takes the Kingsnorth decision very seriously. There
will be a real circus feel, with jugglers, clowns and acrobats, so don’t
hesitate to bring juggling balls or wear your squeaky nose or silly hat.

Protest starts at 8am and will be over in time for you to be at work.

Contact Rachel on 0207 8204900 for more information.
www.stopkingsnorth.org

***************************************************

WOULD YOU LIKE FREE SMS ALERTS ABOUT LONDON SOCIAL CENTRE ANNOUNCEMENTS
AND EVENTS?
Text ‘follow londonscn’ to 07624801423 then reply with a name as instructed.

–
This is a message to those subscribed to the rampART mailing list.
To sign-off of subscribe see http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/rampart
See http://rampart.co.nr for more info about the project and events.
http://www.myspace.com/rampartlondon
map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=534641&y=181230&z=0&sv=E1+2LA&st=2&pc=E1+2LA&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf
15 Rampart Street, London E1 2LA (near Whitechapel, off Commercial Rd)
07050 618445 rampart@mutualaid.org

WOULD YOU LIKE FREE SMS ALERTS ABOUT LONDON SOCIAL CENTER GIGS AND EVENTS?
Text ‘follow londonscn’ to 07624801423 then reply with a name as instructed.

Rampart newsletter 4th March 2008__

Rampart newsletter 4th March 2008__

HI EVERYBODY,

We’re still around, hopefully we will be saying that for weeks to come.
However, both buildings are neck and neck for eviction! Read on for what
we need, what’s been happening in court and what’s on at rampART.

== Update on Rampart ==

We are still open for you guys, running events until we can’t, but we
are on borrowed time (in this building only of course). It’s a matter of
when, not if the bailiffs turn up. So, make sure you come when events
are on, help us look for empties, come to the monday meeting (7PM),
subscribe to the twitter text message service and think about putting on
an event!

If you see any empties, email us, rampart@mutualaid.org. We might be
squatters, but we’re still picky, so make sure you let us know: precise
location, what the neighbouring area is like, size and rooms, and if you
know of any possible planning permission.

== Update on the new place ==

The owner’s papers were not in order so their case got rejected. And we
won - kind of.. They will apply again for an IPO at the next available
court date likely which will likely be early next week.

Anyway, it means we have gained one more week in the new building, and
we are now taking on bets for which building will go first!

For information on squatting yourself, check the Advisory Service for
Squatters www.squatters.org.uk

To see what rampART 2 was meant to be and how it started off check the
photo essay on Indymedia! http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/392529.html

=== EVENT AT RAMPART ==

<=> THURSDAY 6TH MARCH <=>

BIKE FILM NIGHT & MEETING
‘Eat, Sleep, Bikes’ - All vegan fixed wheel team ride the 500 mile
non-stop bike relay race through Death Valley
PLUS other bike film shorts
Vegan food. @ 7.30pm Thurs 6 March.

<=> FRIDAY 7TH MARCH <=>

With International Women’s Day coming up on March 8th, the Dissident
Island radio show will be highlighting various new and established
London-based feminist groups, activities and actions.

Live in the studio, we will be talking to two members of the Feminist
Library organising committee to hear a bit about the rich and varied
history of this long-standing depository of feminist literature and some
of the operational challenges it is currently facing. We will also have
two participants of the Feminist Activist Forum to chat about its
efforts to bring about feminist collaborations, including a coherent
radical feminist timeline of recent history, amongst other activities…

There’s more! We will be airing an interview with participants from the
new womin’s squat in Hackney, and the plans for workshops and use of the
space, and also an interview with a member of the recently created
Pro-Feminist men’s group. In addition, we are hoping to hear from
Feminist Fightback in regards the past conference and future actions
they have in the works, as well as an organising member from Million
Women Rise, the group behind the demonstration/march happening on
Saturday, March 8th, which demands an end to violence against women.

Numbfink will be providing us with some live breakcore/experimental set,
this will be very good. Miss it at your peril.

So tune in this Friday, March 7th at 9:00pm.
Go here for the link to the live show:
<http://www.dissidentisland.org> www.dissidentisland.org

==*Also relevant events and meetings elsewhere*==

<=> 6 MARCH COLOMBIA DAY OF ACTION <=>

Remember the victims of para-militarism, para-politics and the crimes of
the State

FOR THE DISAPPEARED! FOR THE DISPLACED! FOR THE MASSACRED! FOR THE EXECUTED!

Around 4 million people have been displaced in Colombia , mostly by
extreme right wing paramilitary groups. These groups, working either on
their own or in coordination with the armed forces, have ‘disappeared’
at least 15,000 people. The corpses of 3,000 of these victims have been
found in common graves, others were just thrown into the rivers.

More than 1,700 indigenous people have been assassinated, as have been
2,550 trade unionists, and around 5,000 members of the Unión Patriótica.
Regularly, the paramilitaries torture the victims before killing them.
The paramilitaries have carried out 3,500 massacres (where five or more
victims are murdered) between 1982 and 2005. They have robbed more than
six million hectares of land.

Since 2002 and their supposed ‘demobilisation’, the paramilitaries
continue to assassinate 600 people each year. They have reached the
point of controlling 35% of politicians elected to Parliament.

And since President Uribe’s election in 2002 members of the National
Army have committed more than 950 executions, the majority presented as
positive killings of guerrillas in combat, when really they are
assassinations of civilians, kown as “false positives”.

In January 2008 alone, the paramilitaries committed 2 massacres, 9
forced disappearances and 8 homicides, and the Army has committed 16
extra-judicial executions.

In Colombia , agents of the State and the paramilitaries violate human
rights and humanitarian law. Many of the paramilitary groups have not
been demobilised. They now call themselves the Black Eagles. Many
para-politicians are still in public office and in posts in the
diplomatic corps.
Common Graves - Never Again! Forced Displacement - Never Again!
Para-militaries - Never Again! Para-políticians - Never Again! State
Crimes - Never Again!

National Movement of the Victims of State Crime
Statement calling for vigils on 6 March 2008

SOLIDARITY EVENTS on Thursday 6 March in London

11am Parliament Square (opposite Houses of Parliament) and No More
Military Aid To Colombia organised by Justice for Colombia, ICTUR, Unite
supported by Latin American Workers Association and the Collective for
the Humanitarian Accord

5.30pm – 7.30pm Vigil opposite Downing Street, Whitehall, organised by
Colombia Solidarity Campaign, the Collective for the Humanitarian
Accord, Latin American Workers Association and Movimiento Ecuador en el
Reino Unido, MERU.

Down with State Terrorism in Colombia ! Defend Grass Roots
Organisations! No More Dirty War! No More Military Aid!

<=> Sunday 9TH MARCH FEMINIST GATHERING <=>

Building on the energy of International Women’s Day 2008, we are
bringing together feminists from all backgrounds and political positions
for one exciting and thought-provoking day of workshops, discussions and
network building.

PROPOSED WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

• An introduction to anarcha-feminism
• Bike repair
• Practical approaches to safer sex/ negotiating consent
• Exploring possibilities for feminist erotic media through DIY porn
• Building solidarity between women’s and trans movements
• Self-defence
• Prison-abolition and dealing with rape and violence against women and
girls
• Feminism and queer in the anarchist
• Movement in Belarus
• Religious Feminists

The day is open to all genders and sexualities
(Although some workshops may be for specific groups only: for example,
women or trans only).

Website: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/9thmarch

Email: 9thmarch@lists.riseup.net

Start time for workshops: 12.30pm – and then workshops running every hour

Location: Hackney Social Centre, 231 Lower Clapton Road.

On public transport: Take the #38 bus from Victoria station to the end
of the line.

CRECHE: Is available

ACCOMMODATION: get in touch if you need places to stay in London as
there are sure to be sleeping spaces available.
If you have any specific accommodation needs (e.g. wheelchair access)
please let us know.

Please get in touch if you want to help organise, distribute zines, show
films, exhibit, run a stall or want to run/suggest a workshop or
facilitate a meeting.

——————————

————————————————–

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TWITTER

If you have a mobile phone and would like to stay informed about any
urgent news about the rampART and the new space eviction threat,
subscribe to the free SMS alerts service on twitter.

This will allow us to alert a large number of people very quickly should
there be an attempt to evict the social centre and hopefully enable us
to mobilise enough people to make such attempts unsucessful.

To join, text ‘follow londonscn’ to 07624801423. You will receive a
message in return and you should reply to that text as instructed with a
name of your choosing.

Subscribing will cost you the normal fee for sending two text messages
(probably 20p in total) and there is no charge to receive the alerts.

We don’t run the service, it is provided by an american company (see
twitter.com). There are privacy implications but we don’t believe they
are significant in this particular context. If you are the paranoid
type, don’t sign up.

In the future, this service will be used to annouce events taking place
at London Social Centres but currently it will only used for emergency
alerts and callouts.

You can unsubscribe at any time following the instructions that are
texted to you when you join up.

–
This is a message to those subscribed to the rampART mailing list.
To sign-off of subscribe see http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/rampart
See http://rampart.co.nr for more info about the project and events.
http://www.myspace.com/rampartlondon
map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=534641&y=181230&z=0&sv=E1+2LA&st=2&pc=E1+2LA&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf
15 Rampart Street, London E1 2LA (near Whitechapel, off Commercial Rd)
07050 618445 rampart@mutualaid.org

WOULD YOU LIKE FREE SMS ALERTS ABOUT LONDON SOCIAL CENTER GIGS AND EVENTS?
Text ‘follow londonscn’ to 07624801423 then reply with a name as instructed.

court victory for ram pART 2

alas, rampART 1 still under eviction threat and tomorrow the owners of rampART 2 seem to be trying to serve papers for their third attempt at an IPO. probably back in court next week.

For more information on what all that means, check the Advisory Service for Squatters www.squatters.org.uk and make sure you are subscribed to our text message twitter for instant information on your mobile!

To see what ram pART 2 was meant to be and how it started off check the photo essay on Indymedia:

http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/392529.html