Direct Action Training

Pissed off with politicians, banks, and other assorted power elites plundering the world? Fed up with politicians’ empty promises? Do you want to actually DO something about it? You need some direct action training! There workshops are to be held in October, November and December and will cover legal matters, the media, organisation etc. Please see the Direct Action Cardiff blog for details and book yourself a place. Come and find out how to stay safe AND make things happen!

Here comes the summer of rage!

As the economy drops deeper into recession, and the banking elite book their luxury holidays with taxpayers money, the G20 are coming to London to rub our noses in it. Time to take to the streets.

The Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20) acts as a forum for cooperation and consultation on international finance. Its members are drawn from 19 of the world’s 25 largest national economies, plus the European Union (EU). These economies comprise 90% of global gross national product, 80% of world trade (including EU intra-trade) and two-thirds of the world population.

The G20 are hoping to meet in London to discuss how they can keep the bankers and their rich friends in luxury whilst the recession bites into everyone else’s lives. There will be numerous protests, demonstrations and actions to disrupt the summit and show the bankers and their political masters that we aren’t going to allow them to get away with the crimes they’ve committed. South Wales anarchists will be there. Join us!

Wrecsam activists target Israeli goods

Peace activists from Wrecsam decided to show their anger at the Israeli attack on the people of Gaza by organising a “supermarket sweep” of Israeli goods in the town’s supermarkets last month. The first one at Tesco was a spur of the moment thing organised via e-mail after the 1st protest – 18 people turned up. This is unheard of in a small town like Wrecsam!

Does your shopping fuel the Israeli war machine?

The numbers made life a bit difficult so the group split up and agreed to meet by the veg aisles. Not everyone was happy to fill their trolleys (one guy worked for Asda!) so some people put leaflets on car windscreens outside. Others went inside in ones and twos and eventually met up at the fruit and veg counter.

 

Some people decided they didn’t want to do the trolley to the till thing and it all descended into a bit of a shambles – most abandoned their trolleys in the clothes dept upstairs, some hid stuff there or in the freezers and (because Tesco is so big) got lost. No-one had any stickers.

  

Then it all got a bit DIY – secret shoppers started going to Sainsbury and the following Saturday a group went back to Tesco. They were clocked by security and some got 12-month bans from the store. This included a guy who went there to take photos.

By the end, most Israeli herbs had vanished and the ones left had “Boycott Israeli goods” stickers on the barcodes – apparently if you try to tear them off it knackers the barcodes.

The supermarket sweeps have been chaotic, unorganised and hugely disruptive to the supermarkets. They’ve also brought people together, developed their direct action confidence and have hopefully given Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury food for thought.