Occupation Camp in Nottingham is part of a global network of occupy camps, to protest at governments cuts. Critical of growing inequalities. Anti-globalisation, anti-capitalist and in favour of helping to bring about fairness in society.

Occupy ‘Collected’ Indymedia Links at: http://wp.me/p8CiF-rE

Flickr photoset at: http://tinyurl.com/8yyq3mn

Original statement on 15th October 2011:

Nottingham’s Market Square was occupied by a gathering of people aiming to show that we will no longer tolerate the corporate greed and Government corruption that threatens our way of life and everything we work for”. They camped overnight and are intending to stay as long as they can. The occupation is part of a worldwide movement of occupations that began on 15th Oct. The occupation showed solidarity with youths from the Jarrow March 2011 who rallied in Nottingham yesterday as part of their journey to London to demand decent employment.

Marchers and supporters assembled on the Forest Rec at 12.30 and marched to the Market Square where a rally was held. It is the 75th anniversary of the original Jarrow Crusade, which an attempt to raise awareness of the intense poverty and unemployment in the North East. The marchers are demanding a number of major policy changes by the government to improve the lives of young people and give them a better future.

They are making the following demands:

A massive government scheme to create jobs which are socially useful and apprenticeships which offer guaranteed jobs at the end – both paying at least the minimum wage, with no youth exemptions.

The immediate reinstatement of EMA payments, expanding them to be available to all 16-19 year olds.

The immediate re-opening of all youth services that have been closed, including reinstating sacked staff.

The scrapping of ‘workfare’ schemes – benefits should be based on need not forced slave labour.

A massive building programme of environmentally sound, cheap social housing.

On arrival in the Market Square, it was occupied by a gathering of people aiming to “to show that we will no longer tolerate the corporate greed and Government corruption that threatens our way of life and everything we work for”.

On arrival, there was an event were many speakers expressing their concerns. Notts Uncut also did a tour of the usual tax-dodging suspects.

They camped overnight and are intending to stay as long as they can. The occupation is part of a worldwide movement of occupations that began on 15th Oct. The occupation showed solidarity with youths from the Jarrow March 2011 who rallied in Nottingham on Saturday as part of their journey to London to demand decent employment.
Occupy Nottingham Statement:

Part of a global movement in solidarity with other occupations across the globe.

We aim to occupy the Market Square Area of Nottingham from Saturday 15th October 2011 as part of an ongoing non-violent/peaceful demonstration.

Broadly speaking, we aim to show that we will no longer tolerate the corporate greed and Government corruption that threatens our way of life and everything we work for.

Currently our government strips away our civil liberties and public services, all in the name of greater profit for banks & corporations who exert far too much influence and control over our supposed leaders.

We want to encourage and inspire people to work together towards a fairer society for all, rather than the current system where the rich few get richer and the rest of us get left behind.

Ways you can help

Join us in our occupation

Tell friends and family about the movement

Donate food, water, clothing, blankets, tents, anything that will make our stay more comfortable – winter is coming! [See wishlist below]

Film us, take photos, question us – share the info with the world (the media certainly won’t)

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @OccupyNotts & OCCUPY Nottingham for Global Change

Nottingham Indymedia Photo-Articles

Nottingham is occupied [Feature]

Nottingham Occupy 1 The March

Nottingham Occupy 2 The Rally

Nottingham Occupy 3 Uncut Tour

Nottingham Occupy 4 Market Square

Nottingham Occupy @ Market Square Day 2 Sunday

Nottingham Occupation Continues [2nd Feature]

Nottingham Occupation continues: Wednesday Day 5

Nottingham Market Square continues occupied, Day 7

Nottingham Occupation continues: Saturday Day 8

Nottingham Occupy: Moved but still in occupation [3rd Feature]

Nottingham Occupation continues: Thursday Day 13

Nottingham Characters I’ve met during Cuts & Occupy Campaigns

Nottingham Occupation: Saturday Day 15 

Nottingham Occupation: Tuesday Day 18

Nottingham Occupy: Still there [4th Feature]

Nottingham Occupy: 4th week & onwards ….

Nottingham Cheese for nought! at the Occupation

Nottingham Occupy Notts Camp: selection from 5th week

UK SchNEWS: “You can’t evict an idea” [UK Feature]

Nottingham Defiant in Silence ‘Stand In’ at Speakers Corner

Nottingham Student Photographer’s material taken by police

Nottingham Occupy : No plans for eviction. Yet. [5th Feature]

Nottingham Occupation camp gets fenced in

Nottingham Occupy Camp now surrounded by Winter Wonderland

Nottingham Student photographer interviews on tape still held

Nottingham N30 Occupation – Events in Nottingham

Nottingham N30 Prof. Samir Amin @ Occupy – Events in Nottingham

Nottingham Student photographer hassled by Notts Police [Feature]

Nottingham Media Student gets his seized tape back

Nottingham Notts Occupation: 7th Week and beyond

Nottingham Occupy Notts Camp Sticks it out, starting week 9

Nottingham Occupy: Two months in [6th Feature]

Nottingham Occupy: Still going strong over Xmas

Nottingham Occupy: Xmas and New Year in Market Sq [7th Feature]

Nottingham Indymedia: Review of 2011

Nottingham Occupation Camp now at day 86

Occupy Nottingham: 100 days and counting [8th Feature]

Coverage to 100 days [since 15 October 2011]

‘Collected’ Indymedia Articles page at: http://foto8.eu

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2189

In spite of assorted agreements with the police, officers continue to be obstructive to photogaphy in the street.

Although the trend of photographers getting hassle go’s up and down over time, It has always been thus!

The object of this page is to strengthen your knowledge regarding issues surrounding photography, both in ‘actions’ and subjects in a public place. In situations whether your photographing an action / demonstration, or people and buildings in the High Street …. it has become quite problematic and increasingly so. I think 4 main issues have a bearing here.

Policeman and assorted officers don’t want to be photographed, it might show some wrong-doing.
People involved in direct action, a photograph might be evidence against an individual breaking the law.
The notion that some believe people have a right of privacy in a public place.
The threat of terrorism and a photographer might be conducting ‘hostile reconissence’.
So, I think to start with, and since we are dealing with those interested in the sort of subjects Indymedia visitors might be interested to know about ….. I should say the first consideration is:

IS IT LIKELY THAT A PICTURE I TAKE, WILL PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO PROSECUTE ANYONE?

I struggle with this all the time and it is central in my mind when photographing activities. It might be argued that it is safer just to take pictures on your holiday and leave a camera at home otherwise. I don’t agree.

Those of us who are serious about this media have a more positive motive.

Firstly, we sometimes moan about the lack of coverage, issues that concern us don’t get in the main stream media, or, when they do are monstered and rubbished.

Many of us have been involved in the ‘alternative media’ in a variety of forms to try and fill this gap. It is a prime objective of the Indymedia Network Project. Should people not have photographed, filmed, recorded or written about events themselves in recent years, vast chunks of history would not have been told or known about. For future activities, I think it is important to show what has been possible in the past. Our coverage should be inspiring to others in the future. Not just the near future either, photographers both professional and casual contribute to our ‘social history’. I want my ‘tribes’ included in this knowledge.

Secondly, having said I don’t want to provide evidence to prosecute anyone ….. I do have ‘form’ for providing picture to defend people wrongly accused. In fact, this is where I started during my festival and traveller days. Authorities and policemen in particular are given training in the aspects of how to give authorititive evidence in court. Many times have I seen this ‘blown out of the water’ by a witness giving evidence and showing a series of photographs or video demonstrating the officer lying through his teeth. It’s not only photographs of course, you should make written notes of times, date, places. [who, what, were and when]. Voice recording equipment is much cheaper and available now, dictaphones, mobile phones and the like can be used covertly or obvertly.

Now, bearing all the above in mind, you have to be aware of the pressures there are now, when photographing your interests in a public place. As far as I know, there are only two offences that are committed where you can be properly arrested. It is an offence to take photographs or collect information, likely to be of use in terrorism ‘hostile reconissence’ and you are not permitted to take an indecent photograph of a child.

As devices to try and prevent you, the police have been know to threaten:

Harrasment, causing alarm and distress.
Obstruction [obstructing and officer in the execution of his duties].
Seizing equipment and media that might assist in the investigation of crime. [PACE 1984].
Stop and Searches under sections 44 and now 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000
Collecting info on police for terrorism purposes [Sect58a Terrorism Act 2000]
The Sect 58a is still one of the most dangerous, since it is in so many peoples mind, that it is an offence to photograph policemen. IT IS NOT. The Metropolitan Police, Photography advice [below] makes it quite clear that this is not true [unless you are a terrorist of course]. They have to have resonable suspicion that you are.

Now, on to some advice. It is simple. You can photograph largely what you like in a public place, with a couple of exceptions that I’ve described. BUT, it is complicated in understanding the speaded of guidelines and advices that are now published. The more serious you are about being confident in your photography, the more of this lot you’d want to read. For the casual snapper, the first few links should help.

Please visit: Photography Advice and Guidance

‘Light Night’ performance, projections, installations and events
At various place around town, St. Peters Gate, Market Square, Castle ,Hockley etc. there was a range of performance, street arts, lights & projections, installations and stuff going on.

Councillor David Trimble Said: “The event was a huge success and attracted thousands of people who created a great carnival atmosphere. It was pleasing to see families and visitors enjoying themselves as they discovered different attractions across the city that they perhaps never knew existed.”

It’s a shame though that things were to stop too early in the evening.  Think it would have been great to have been out to the pub or club, and see some of this going on much later.http://www.mynottingham.gov.uk/lightnight

My personal favorites of the night
The Dukes Box http://www.thedukesbox.com
The Sonic Manipulator http://www.sonicmanipulator.com
……
and … another couple of videos of these actshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaXLRtZcHHohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To1ahfr8VLI

Nottingham students again protested against scrapping the Educational Maintenance Allowance. I understand that the government plan to do this in September this year.

Another rally was held in the square, before a short walk around the Square and nearby streets.

After Tuesdays and Saturdays demo, today, I noticed that police were wandering about next to branches of all the usual destinations: Top Shop, Boots, Vodafone and there was a massed turnout of security at entrances to the Victoria Centre.

This was organised to coincide with a Commons vote on EMA.  Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) were introduced by Labour to encourage young people from deprived backgrounds to stay in education and training after the age of 16.  However the government won by a majority of 59 votes.

Labour loses vote to stop scrapping of EMA grants

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12228466

+++++

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a means-tested allowance of between £10 and £30, paid to 16- to 19-year-olds who stay on in education.

Rolled out nationally in September 2004, EMA is intended to help with the cost of books, travel, equipment or anything useful to the continuation of learning. It’s paid straight into the pupil’s bank account, not their parents or their college, giving them independence and forcing them to take charge of a small weekly budget. The payments are under the condition that they attend classes regularly. If the pupil works hard or achieves good grades, there is the opportunity to earn bonuses.

EMA is available to 16-19 year olds who come from low income families and whose household’s net income is below £30,000 pa. There is an additional grant for those students from families household income is up to and below £20,000 pa. EMA currently exists all across the UK although the administering of it is devolved to the regional parliaments of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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On Saturday January 15, 2011 …. they did it all again

2011 Nottingham Students another Protest Against Scrapping EMA

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/887

Earlier in the week [Tuesday 11th January] student had walked out of college and protested in the Market Square and Conservative HQ

Students Protest Against Scrapping EMA

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/875

Video: Nttm Students visit Conservative Party HQ – Demo

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/tumbles/877

Video: Nttm Students visit Conservative Party HQ – Detained

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/tumbles/878

Save EMA

http://saveema.co.uk

Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts!

http://nsafc.wordpress.com

Notts Save Our Services
Defending jobs, services, welfare & education against cuts in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

http://nottssos.org.uk

Smashed Windows & Graffiti @ Conservative Offices

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/677

2010 Notts Save Our Services Demo 1 The March

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/694

2010 Anti Cuts, Corporate Tax & Student Fees Demo [Video]

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/videos/832

From the first trial the previous 18 of the 20 defendant had already been sentenced on the 10th January.

The remaining 2 had to appear at Court 5, Nottingham Crown Court today.

The story so far ….. At the conclusion of the trial on the 14th December 2010, all 20 defendants were found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Trespass.

They were arrested in April 2009 during the biggest pre-emptive arrest in UK history. The 114 people were detained at Iona School, Sneinton, where they were involved in planning an operation to shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station for a week. The facts were not disputed.  Giving evidence, this was clearly there intention and that they were equipped to do it.  The defence of necessity was employed in that they were acting to prevent a greater harm; death and serious injury to others as a direct consequence of climate changes bought about by the burning of fossil fuels, most notably coal.

His Honour Judge Teare had deferred sentencing until today [18 January 2011] for the remaining 2 defendants.

Miss Gerry for the prosecution said that these defendants did have a number of previous convictions for offences relating to social and environmental matters. She read out the previous for them that involved protests at Heathrow, Kingsnorth, Sizewell, Didcot, RAF Northwood and Downing Street.

She reminded the Judge she had asked for prosecution costs of £5,000 costs against each defendant. Further she applied for a deprivation order under:

Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 [sect 143]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/6/section/143

Judge Teare turns to thoughts of sentencing.  To start with, he said he was quite cross with Mr Edward Rees, the lead defence barrister [not present at this court], in that he had mislead the court to believe that a suspended sentence could not be given for a prison sentence of three months or less. He should have behaved better for a QC.  This is the maximum penalty for this offence.  It is in fact for sentences of less than six months that could be suspended!  He said if he had realised this, a couple of the earlier defendants would have had suspended sentences. He has looked further into this, and if minded, he could revisit sentencing for those within 28 days, but he is not going to.

With regard to these defendants, Judge Teare says that each have had many previous appearances and he says I am now considering suspended sentences. Ms Elliot in mitigation says that if that is so, these two fall below the level of others given lesser sentences at the last date.

Turning to references, Ms Elliot says that both have glowing references from the Director of Greenpeace, both being staff members there. It was not however, a ‘Greenpeace action’.  Both have been very active in raising public awareness on issues around climate change.

Ms Elliot reminds the Judge of his comments on sentencing the other defendants:

“I have read a great deal about all of you since the trial concluded. There is not one of you who cannot provide glowing references from peers or professionals. And, if I may select, some of the adjectives that recur throughout they are these: honest, sincere, conscientious, intelligent, committed, dedicated and caring. You are all decent men and women with a genuine concern for others, and in particular for the survival of planet Earth in something resembling its present form. I have no doubt that each of you acted with the highest possible motives. And that is an extremely important consideration”.

Sarah Elliot, compared the defendants behaviour and high principles unfavourably with police methods. She told the Judge that their honourable and decent motives perhaps might be contrasted with what we now know about the long-term deployment of undercover police officers, one of whom acted on the ‘extreme boundary of legality’, if not decency, if the reports of agitation and so on across Europe are to be believed. The deployment of that officer has been concealed from the defendants by the crown in these proceedings. Such evidence might have had an influence on the trial.

His Honour Judge Jonathan Teare, referring to the undercover police officer said that he is going to disappoint the media by making NO COMMENT on PC Mark Kennedy, other than to say that he played absolutely no part in the trial. He says I have no knowledge of him apart from the fact that he hired a vehicle as part of these events. All matters pertaining to his involvement are alleged and unproved at this stage. I guess a fair few of the journos present were hoping for a few more juicy titbits about him.

On sentencing, the Judge says he’s not going to reiterate all of his comments from the last trial, other than that both are both clearly motivated and come with the highest references. As with a couple of others, I was considering giving you both suspended sentences in the light  of your previous convictions, but as already said, Mr Rees had mislead me.  It is thus unfair to treat you differently now. He gives community service orders to do unpaid work within 12 months one for 90 hours and the other 80 hours. Although they were both employed, because of their low income, there was no order on costs.

Returning to the deprivation order on the kit defence barrister Ms Elliot tried to argue that quite expensive climbing gear, a truck load of sleeping bags etc … were a little outside of the normal articles involved in crime such as knives, guns, drugs, crowbar etc.  Judge said that he was minded to grant a deprivation order, since the articles were bought for this crime. Defence counters asking that rather than confiscation and destruction, perhaps defendant might be allowed to sign a disclaimer and the articles might be given to a charity?  Eventually, after several more exchanges, the judge asked both side to try to come to some agreement themselves on all the property included in both trials and those not charged, and to let him know, for ‘rubber-stamping’, by the 18th March.

She said the extensive list of personal items also including Kennedy’s BlackBerry phone, complete with a secret police tracking device. She say this was mentioned in the reports in the Daily Mail. The Judge remarked that: “That is a newspaper which does not cross my table.” Chuckle went round the courtroom

Defendants and their solicitor had all voiced concerns on how little the Judge had been told about PC Kennedy’s undercover work and his likely contribution to the evidence before the court.

One of the defendants, who is head of media for Greenpeace, said on the steps of Nottingham crown court that the only people who now faced jail over the Ratcliffe protest were police officers. He accused them of withholding a tape made by Kennedy which is now the subject of a disclosure application to the CPS.

He said: “Kennedy played no part in our trial because he did not come up in evidence. Those who knew that he was a police officer, and knew the significance of that explosive tape, did not tell us, and, now we know, significantly,  did not tell the judge.”

“Very serious allegations have been raised which throw into doubt the safety of our conviction, and there is possibly a miscarriage of justice. I don’t think any of us, when we were arrested, would have thought that a possible scenario at the end of this would be that the only people who face jail sentences are police officers for suppressing evidence.”

Speaking on the court steps after the trial:

Last 2x defendants from 1st Ratcliffe Trial Statements- Nottm Crown Court [Video]

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/tumbles/898

Mike Schwarz Solicitor Statements on Trial & Kennedy – Nottm Crown Court [Video]

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/tumbles/899

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Tash Report PDF on the Trial Progress: Ratcliffe Crown Court Case Nov 2010 – Jan 2011

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/system/file_upload/2011/01/08/72/ratcliffe_crown_court_case__nov_2010__no_names.pdf

Earlier Indymedia daily coverage of the progress of this trial
with the daily links:
Ratcliffe Trial Day 16 – Return for Sentencing

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/847

http://ratcliffeontrial.org

Meeting in the Market Square Nottingham at 12.00pm on Saturday 15th January, School and College Student gathered to protest at the Scrapping of the Educational Maintenance Allowance.  “nd demo this week, last being on Tuesday 11th January.

Nottingham students again protested against scrapping the Educational Maintenance Allowance. I understand that the government plan to do this in September this year.

A rally was held in the square, before a short walk to Vodafone, with much shouting of “pay your Taxes etc”.

After Tuesdays demo, today, I noticed that police were wandering about next to branches of all the usual destinations: Top Shop, Boots, Vodafone …. Oh and Tory HQ

The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a means-tested allowance of between £10 and £30, paid to 16- to 19-year-olds who stay on in education.

Rolled out nationally in September 2004, EMA is intended to help with the cost of books, travel, equipment or anything useful to the continuation of learning. It’s paid straight into the pupil’s bank account, not their parents or their college, giving them independence and forcing them to take charge of a small weekly budget. The payments are under the condition that they attend classes regularly. If the pupil works hard or achieves good grades, there is the opportunity to earn bonuses.

EMA is available to 16-19 year olds who come from low income families and whose household’s net income is below £30,000 pa. There is an additional grant for those students from families household income is up to and below £20,000 pa. EMA currently exists all across the UK although the administering of it is devolved to the regional parliaments of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

+++

Earlier in the week [Tuesday 11th January] student had walked out of college and protested in the Market Square and Conservative HQ

Students Protest Against Scrapping EMA

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/875

Video: Nttm Students visit Conservative Party HQ – Demo

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/tumbles/877

Video: Nttm Students visit Conservative Party HQ – Detained

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/tumbles/878

Save EMA

http://saveema.co.uk

Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts!

http://nsafc.wordpress.com

Notts Save Our Services
Defending jobs, services, welfare & education against cuts in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

http://nottssos.org.uk

Smashed Windows & Graffiti @ Conservative Offices

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/677

2010 Notts Save Our Services Demo 1 The March

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/articles/694

2010 Anti Cuts, Corporate Tax & Student Fees Demo [Video]

http://notts.indymedia.org.uk/videos/832