rampART

creative centre and social space

Rampart newsletter 4th March 2008__

Posted by therampart on March 6, 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.

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RampARt Newsletter. 20/11/07

Posted by therampart on November 21, 2007

>>>>>>>>>>RampARt Newsletter. 20/11/07<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>LAST CHANCE - DO IT NOW<<<<<<<<<<

Tomorrow is the deadline for objections to the planning application for the demolition of the houses in the rampART block. You can lodge your objection right now.

Pick one or two of the following points of objection and elaborate on them in your own words.

a) Traffic congestion, narrow street, parking, heavy vehicles
b) Environmental - noise, nuisance, dust, vibration during
demolition/construction
c) Loss of social/affordable housing. Loss of large family homes.
Needs of community.
d) Heritage / conservation value - east end history, cobble,
traditional character
e) Right to light - loss of morning light to existing Rampart Street
houses in block

That’s it, simple. Just a couple of sentences are fine.

Send it by email now to… planning@towerhamlets.gov.uk
with subject: 7 to 11a Rampart Street - PA/07/02707
you must also include your physical address and name.

>>>>>>>>>New WEBSITE for the Rampart<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>Sort of….<<<<<<<<<<

In the long run we are planning to help to set up a website for the Social centre’s network rather than just for rampart, including online collective decision making, shared calendars and other radical gimmicks.

Meanwhile we are setting up another quick fix, an interim solution, a ack job which will -as always- going to last much longer then it should do. But it’s better then forwarding our domain to wikipedia. it goes live later this week, SO WATCH THAT SPACE! www.rampart.co.nr

If you have any pictures, videos, recordings from events, workshops etc…of the Rampart things you may have participated in, organised, invited to in the past and if you happen to have it online, please tell us and we can add your link to the Rampart website!!! Any Facebook, Flickr, and anything else other there….

@@@@@@ Happenings at the Rampart this week @@@@@@@@@@@

>>>>>>>>>WANC together this Wednesday at the Rampart <<<<<<<<<>>>>>>> WEDNESDAY 21st November. 7PM - 11.30PM <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The Women’s Anarchist Nuisance Cafe is held every penultimate Wednesday of the month at the RampART creative centre and social space in Rampart
St, E1 2LA. We are open from: 7.00pm-11.30pm.

The next cafe is Wednesday 21st November ‘Goodness Gracious Ghee Cafe’.
More than just Bollywood, Shilpa and vindaloo… A celebration of South Asian culture. Qweer/feminist activism, Diwali and Eid, sari wearing instruction, dance workshop, fantastic food and guest speakers.
(http://www.myspace.com/wanccafe)

FREE Admission!!

>>>>>>Alternative Homeopathic Drop-In. Reclaim Your Health<<<<<<<>>>>>Fridays 2PM - 6PM<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

If you ever wanted to go to a homeopathy, but were too scared/poor/nervous, then come to this one!! Maddie is a qualified homeopath and will give you help if you are ill or not. First time consultations can take up to 45-60 minutes, so if there are a few of you…it might be a while, so email first and come early!!! Or you could just risk it and come along. It really works, and Maddie is GREAT!

An Alternative Homeopathic Clinic focussed on empowering & enabling you to health. One-to-one consultations on a monthly basis. Remedies, Essences, Herbs & advice to take during the month.

How Much? £0. It’s an exchange or barter clinic. Bring whatever you want. Eg. Skipped food, poetry, art, socks, a good book or an IOU!
reclaim@homeopathy4health.co.uk

>>>>>>> Beginners Hatha Yoga with Jupiter in the Yellow Room<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>Saturday’s at 4pm – 5.30pm<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>> Radical Theory Reading Group <<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>FRIDAY 30th November From 6.30PM <<<<<<<<<

Radical Theory Reading Group - A forum for informal discussion of radical ideas and utopian visions, which might lead to strategies for social change. We read philosophers, social theorists and mad visionaries with no particular agenda other than to fire our imaginations, unleash our desires and provide a space where knowledge can be free. Some come to express themselves, others just to listen.
Everyone is welcome. Readings are chosen on an ad hoc basis so everyone gets a chance to propose a topic for discussion. Just turn up and join in.

The next reading group meeting will be on Friday, November 30th 2007
We’ll be reading selections from Emma Goldman’s writings
http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_archives/goldman/GoldmanCW.html .
Suggest ‘The Tragedy of Woman’s Emancipation’ and ‘Marriage and Love’ and anything else that you have time for.

>>>>>>>>> Come to this gig! An Occupied London Benefit <<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>Sat 1st Dec 2007 from 7pm <<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>Other stuff happening……<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>Woman! Reclaim the Night<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>Saturday, November 24, 2007 at 6:00pm Trafalgar Square<<<<<<<<<<

Reclaim The Night 2007 is a women-only march against rape and male violence. It will be followed by a mixed rally and party for men and women at the University of London Union, with speakers, bands, DJs and dancing until 1am. Reclaim your right to party!

According to the British Crime Survey (2001) there are an estimated 47,000 rapes every year, in the UK, around 40,000 attempted rapes and over 300,000 sexual assaults. Yet our conviction rate is the lowest it has ever been, one of the lowest in Europe, at only 5.3%. This means that more rapists were convicted in the 1970s when Reclaim The Night marches first started than they are now. Did you know that the maximum sentence possible for rape is life imprisonment? Probably not, because rarely are rapists even reported or convicted, let alone with a realistic sentence. This situation has to change. We march to demand justice for rape survivors.

Tell everyone you know and also….• Do pass the flyers to your friends and contacts and put them up in your place of work, library, etc.• Do publicise the march at your trade union and get support for it to be discussed as an agenda item.• Give out flyers at your Uni, women’s group, book group, school, college, place of worship, party political group, etc., etc.

Let’s try and make this march bigger than last year’s, which had 1,200 women!

For more info and to download flyers….
http://www.reclaimthenight.org/why.html

>>>>>Buy Nothing Day. Friday 23rd November 2007<<<<<<<<<<<<<

This is easy if you are broke….like us, but try this….on Friday, its Buy Nothing Day!!!!
Even if you have 2 pence…try not to spend it today.

On Friday November 23rd 2007, environmentalists, social activists and concerned citizens in as many as 65 countries will hit the streets for a 24-hour
consumer fast in celebration of the 15th annual Buy Nothing Day, a global cultural phenomenon that originated in Vancouver, Canada.
http://www.adbusters.org/home/

>>>>>>>>>>> Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine. International Rolling Fast & Vigil<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>For the safe return by Christmas of Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine human rights activist who disappeared in Haiti on 12 August 2007<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Urgent help is needed to ensure the safe return of this man. He is an internationally respected Haitian human rights activist who is an extraordinary grassroots leader. Lovinsky is generally known for being a co-founder of Fondayson Trant Septanm, an organisation founded by families and others concerned about the victims of the 1991 coup, similar to the work of the Mothers of the Disappeared in Central and South America, they held weekly vigils demanding justice for victims of human rights violations and the release of political prisoners.

Why hold the fast outside the Brazilian Embassy? The Brazilian government heads the UN forces which have had the responsibility for law and order in Haiti since President Aristide was forced to leave Haiti in 2004. The US and Canada are also key figures. We are urging them to do all in their power, including making resources available, to ensure Lovinsky’s immediate and safe release

This event has moved to Tuesdays, please show solidarity and met here:
Every Tuesday 5-6 pm
Outside the Brazilian Embassy
32 Green Street
London W1K 7AT

For more info….
http://globalwomenstrike.net/

Lastly….

Please remember that the Rampart is a NON RESIDENTIAL building. This means we do not have people living in the building for long periods of time. People are welcome to crash from all parts of the UK and all over the world if they are in London for a political event or reason for short periods of agreed time. You need to talk to someone in the collective BEFORE you come and dates need to be agreed. We unfortunately cannot house people who are temporarily homeless or between squats, otherwise the RampArt will not be able to run as a social centre. You are not welcome to just sleep on the sofas for weeks on end without even asking someone….sorry! And we will kick your butt….

Also lastly, just to clarify, the Rampart had nothing to do with the squatters next door who were evicted some weeks ago. There has been some evil rumours that the collective that help run the social centre here at 15-17 Rampart Street, chucked out people from numbers 11 and 11a Rampart Street, which we didn’t. Durrrrrr….who told you that, the big fat white man with the white beard and red jacket and his army of reindeer? Yes?…Exactly…
Don’t believe the crap

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