THE BATH BOMB
@nti-copyright: copy and distribute!
Issue #17
free/donation
Dec 08 ‘No, he doesn’t exist you whiny little brat’
Bathonians Stand Up As The Economy Falls Down!
Saturday the 22nd of November saw the start of BAN’s latest campaign, aimed at community self-defence against the effects of the recession. The ‘We Won’t Pay For Their Crisis!’ campaign has these key demands: fair heating subsidies, bailiffs out of our communities, no more house repossessions, no job or benefit freezes, control of the banks and no to lay-offs. The demo started off with around 20 activists (although the number later grew to around 35) congregating at Bath Abbey before taking to the roads and making a beeline for Milsom Street. Outside the strip of banks, the crowd started a spontaneous roadblock, snarling up traffic and taking advantage of the huge amount of attention to inform the public what the action was about and shame the banks through BAN’s shiny new megaphone! During the roadblock, several Xmas shoppers decided to join the action, and stayed with the march until the end. From there, the demo moved towards Guildhall, where a brief blockade was staged (this was only lifted to allow a wedding party into Guildhall; the supportive bride-to-be even posed for piccies with protesters!). After this, marching in the opposite direction that the (by now slightly despairing) police pushed the crowd in, the protest moved back up to Nat West, where another blockade took place, and during which the bank was adorned with ‘Where’s our bailout?’ stickers. In many ways, the day was a huge success. Many on the march were first time protesters, who refused to be intimidated by pushy and threatening police. The public were overwhelmingly in support of the march – with hundreds of leaflets being given out, and frequent cheers and applause coming from the pavements. Above all, the march marked the beginning of what promises to be a strong and effective to defend our communities against greedy bosses, politicians and landlords, who would rather see us freezing, jobless and homeless than sacrifice their own mountains of wealth.
How To Survive A Recession
With the recession now deepening, all of us are feeling the pinch. Some already cannot afford to turn on their heating, while others are getting laid-off and having property stolen by bailiffs. We have talked a lot about taking the fight to the greedy system that caused the recession, and we have given a lot of column inches to promoting the idea of fighting against the system to protect and improve our standard of life. While this is definitely vital if we are to roll back the effects of this recession, we at the Bath Bomb have not given much time to talking about what we can do in the here and now to make things a bit easier. All of the ideas we will look at involve the reclaiming of your own life – breaking the umbilical cord of dependency on super markets, banks and politicians, and it is this disassociation from the rich’s system of capitalist greed combined with direct attacks upon it that will allow us to live our lives free of their financial crisis and social oppression. With the rant behind us, let’s have a look at some budget-busting recession survival measures:
1. Grow some veg!: now is the time to be planting garlic and winter peas, and from January to March, everything from runner beans, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes go in the ground. If you have an unused fence, you can grow runners, and even the tiniest bit of garden can be turned into a good source of food. If you don’t have any space, start gardening with friends, or pop down to the Bath Organic Allotments on Upper Bristol Road, who exchange huge bags of veg in return for volunteering.
2. Start a food co-op: this is a really simple idea. It involves you and your mates chipping in, ordering from a wholesaler and getting the goods at cost price, sidestepping the huge profits slapped on by supermarkets. You will each have to stick in a bit of money to get started, then ‘buy’ the food from yourselves to generate money to order in next month’s stock. Trust us – it’s cheap, and more info can be found at http://www.cooperativegrocer.coop/cg_special.html.
3. Five finger discounts: a bit controversial, but hey, supermarkets have been stealing from us for years. They steal land and resources from impoverished farmers here and abroad, then steal our cash by charging tens of times above the cost of transport and production. So go on, rob – don’t feel guilty, you are poor and they are grossly rich, and most of their wealth comes from our pockets.
4. Jacking electricity: there are loads of good ways to jack electricity to help beat those winter bill blues. One involves locating the cog that turns the meter on your electricity box, heating up a pin and pushing it through the casing to stop the ticker turning. Hey presto, free electricity! But make sure to take the pin out for a few hours a day so the electric company doesn’t start asking questions.
So there we go, just a few hints and tips to get you started. We will try and bring you monthly advice on beating those recession doldrums (by any means necessary) from now on, and we’d love to hear your ideas. All messages to bathbombpress@yahoo.co.uk
The Little Big Screen
Sunday the 30th November saw yet another fine Bubbling Under offering at the Porter Cellar, showing ‘Live Nude Girls Unite’ – a documentary chronicling the formation of the first exotic dancers’ union in the US in the late 90’s. This proved to be both entertaining and inspiring, as it tackled racial discrimination, exploitative bosses, family struggles and common stereotypes of the sex industry. After all that excitement, though, Bubbling Under is taking a well-earned break this month. However, it’s coming back thick and fast on Sunday the 18th of January from 1-4pm, with both a documentary about the British Poll Tax riots, and GI resistance to Vietnam with ‘Sir No Sir’. More fraggings and lobbed bricks than you can shake an iron lady at! Get there early to get a good seat, or bring your own.
Bath Bomb Wordwatch: fragging (v); the act of killing a superior officer with the use of a grenade
Christmas Chrompetition
Here at the Bath Bomb we’re often accused of hating the upper class. So we thought to ourselves, what better time to prove it! So, to win a free exclusive one-year subscription to the Bath Bomb, simply send in your stories about how you’ve managed to get up a toff’s nose this festive season.
EVENTS
2nd and 4th Mondays of the month, Bath Hunt Sabs meeting, 8pm, the Bell, Walcot Street
Wednesdays, London Road Food Co-op, 4-7pm, Riverside Community Centre, London Road
Saturdays, Bath Stop The War vigil, 11.30am-12.30, outside Bath Abbey
Friday 12th December, anti-foie gras demo, 7-9pm, meeting at the Circus
Friday 19th December, anti-foie gras demo, 7-9pm, meeting at the Circus
Wednesday 7th January, Bath Animal Action meeting 7.30-8.30pm, back room of the Bell pub, Walcot Street
Thursday 8th January, Bath Activist Network meeting, 7.30-9pm, downstairs at the Hobgoblin
pub, St James Parade
Saturday the 10th January, Bath FreeShop, 12-3pm, opposite Holland & Barrett, Stall Street
Tuesday 13th January, Transition Bath Forum, 7.15pm, Widcombe Social Club
Wednesday 14th January, Bath Green Drinks, 8.30pm, upstairs at the Rummer pub, Grand Parade
Thursday 15th January, The Power of Community film screening, 7.30pm, the Cork pub, Westgate Street
Sunday 18th January, Bubbling Under film screening, 1-4pm, Porter Cellar, George Street
Monday 5th February, Bath Friends of the Earth AGM, Stillpoint, Broad Street Place, 8pm
My Big Fascist Greek Shooting
Many of us in England have witnessed police brutality, either first hand or on the news. To those of us who have been on the receiving end of the raised truncheon of the law, it will come as no surprise that in Greece, the brutality has reached a peak. On Saturday the 6th of November, a detachment of blue-shirted police (hated in Greece, and usually reserved for situations of political turmoil) provocatively cruised through, and parked in a traditionally left-wing estate in Athens. Exerting their right to be free from unnecessary surveillance, local anarchist youths intervened to remove the police from their community. The police responded with stun grenades and live ammunition, leaving 15-year-old anti-capitalist Alexandros-Andreas Grigoropoulos dead on the street. Greece has since erupted into spontaneous rioting, described by Greek police as the worst in a generation with dozens of banks and police stations getting burned to the ground. Tens of thousands of people have been demonstrating since Saturday night, and are already planning for further unrest. The cities of Thessaloniki, Athens, Patras and others have become battlegrounds in which an angry civilian population is fighting the police and demanding an end to indiscriminate and brutal repression. While the senseless murder of a child by arrogant and violent police is news enough, this story fits into a bigger picture. This is not just the story of a Greek tragedy, but one that resonates across the world. In countries where police are allowed to kill indiscriminately (e.g Burma and Indonesia), they do so. In countries where police are given access to tear gas, pepper spray and stun grenades (Germany, Spain and Italy etc.), they use them with abandon. As anyone who remembers the miners’ strike, the Poll Tax riots in Trafalgar square, the Beanfield, the murder of Jean Charles de Menezes, or any other example of police brutality in the UK knows, the difference between a cop in this country and the murderers in Greece has nothing to do with compassion or decency of the British bobby, but more to do with the fact that the average cop in this country does not have access to lethal weaponry… yet.
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Monsieur, With Zees Protests You’re Really Spoiling Us
Friday the 28th of November saw a follow-up demo in the third rendition of the campaign against foie gras seller The Pinch of Margaret’s Buildings. Long-time readers should be well versed in the ins and outs of this exciting saga, or maybe sick to death of hearing about it – well, so are we! Come on, Christophe, haven’t you had enough yet? After two hours of megaphones, noisy chanting, leafleting, spontaneous song and dance routines, heated debates and even the odd fisticuffs (some well-to-do jolly old bean’s birthday meal got ruined), the demo and attendant PCSOs moved off. Local opinion seems mixed, with some residents in great support of the campaign, whilst other big spenders couldn’t yank the wads of cash out of their wallets quick enough as they spluttered their red-faced way inside the restaurant – that’ll teach them bloody protesters!
So now the campaign is upping the ante: the demos will now be every Friday night, from 7pm. So, if you like your fine dining to be sans ear-splitting disruption, it’s best to eat elsewhere. And if you live local, and you want a bit of peace and quiet, tell owner Christophe LeCroix to do the right thing: stop selling foie gras!
The Pinch
11 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath, BA1 2LP
tel: 01225 421251
e-mail: info@thepinch.biz
All The Food Of The Fayre
Saturday the 22nd was also the date of the first Bath Vegan Fayre, showing nearly 200 punters just how simple eating vegan can be. Info on nutrition and animal rights issues was available, as well as recipe books, but the food proved more appetising: pizza, soft drinks, pies, cheesecake, biscuits, burgers, veggie bacon and sausage, soups… This journalist is getting hungry just thinking about it! Though the scheduled talk on genetic engineering was replaced short notice with one on food security, the event was very much a success, and happy bellies were made full. Look out for their next bigger, better (don’t quote us on that) instalment in early summer, when the next is planned.
Bath Activist Network are a local umbrella group campaigning on issues as diverse as development, environmentalism, anti-war, animal rights, workers’ rights and more. Helping to produce The Bath Bomb, we are open to anyone, and our members range from trade unionists to anarchists, liberals to greens, and people who just want to change Bath for the better. For details on meetings, demos, or just to get in touch, ring us on 07949 611912, email bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk, or see our website: http://www.myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork
Steal Something Day
Saturday the 29th of November has been celebrated as Buy Nothing Day for some years now – a day aimed at highlighting the human rights and environmental concerns generated by excessive consumerism in the run up to Xmas (the season of shoddily made sweatshop goods, and overflowing rubbish bins). But this year, anonymous Bathonians decided to make a slightly different point. While we can make responsible decisions when buying – it is not our fault that the products we buy are made using slave labour in far off sweatshops, not our fault that most large companies show scant regard for the environment and certainly not our fault that the company puts a mark-up of several hundred % on the product before passing it on to us. While the sweatshop workers who produce the products are the biggest victims, we are also victims of corporate greed emptying our pockets at every opportunity. With this in mind, activists set off on a marathon ‘steal something’ spree. While declining to comment whether they themselves indulged in an orgy of shoplifting, the activists did reveal that, over the course of several hours, they visited some of the biggest, baddest chain stores and human rights abusers in town and improved hundreds of products with invitations encouraging consumers to liberate the product rather than part with hard-earned cash. The letter outlined the ethical argument for shoplifting, and the unethical argument for rampant free-market capitalism. The message was well and truly spread that ‘buy nothing’ can also mean ‘take something back’. If you want to join the campaign against sweatshop conditions, why not contact either No Sweat or Labour Behind The Label? After what these companies have done to our environment, our high street and our fellow human beings, the question begs to be asked – who are the real thieves?
http://www.nosweat.org.uk/
http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/
Making A Song And Dance About It
Welcome to Tesco Town: the hotly contested Tesco Express on Bathwick Hill finally opened on Monday the 24th of November, though not without incident. They’d been dragging their heels ever since their projected opening in February, after being vocally opposed by residents every step of the way for two years; the tale of toadying, bribery and trickery that finally got them their desired store is a legend unto itself. They also got away with not installing the traffic-calming measures they promised… but what’s a broken promise among neighbours? For their so-called ‘grand’ opening, singers from local charity Golden Oldies provided the music, and manager Brendan Tucker wore his fixed grin. However, proceedings were disrupted by two modest-sized protests that day, with four cheeky pirates waving a jolly roger during the opening credits, and then another five later on, from 6pm, freezing their bits off long into the night.
The charity above was set up to combat alienation, community breakdown and loneliness amongst the elderly. The great irony is, though, that when local independents like Bathwick Stores are worn away, then that is itself yet another example of community erosion: what sort of familiarity or communal bonds can you construct with a revolving door policy of bored checkout staff? The cash that Tesco injects into these groups is a drop in the ocean compared to the PR payback they reap through such associations. Not that you should be taken in by their friendly face, anyway – not when they’re sponsoring sweatshop conditions in ‘fair-trade’ banana packing houses in Luton, responsible for the deaths of cockle-pickers in Morecambe Bay, or engaging in such other humanitarian ventures as helping kill off local food varieties, industrial farming health scares, pollution and animal abuse, or building up retail monopolies. And they’ll probably lock up their skips, too. In terms of positive solutions, ironic leaflets and subvertising notwithstanding, local food co-operatives are a much better way to go – such as the London Road Food Co-op, the Southside Food Co-op or, if you can afford it, Harvest on Walcot Street. But the question still stands with these food giants (and Tesco aren’t the only culprit) – what to do about them?
http://www.impacttlimited.com/2007/05/23/abuse-of-workers-packing-fair-trade-bananas-in-the-uk-on-today-programme-this-morning-2/
http://www.tescopoly.org/
http://www.golden-oldies.org.uk
Southside Food Co-op: http://www.twerton.con/twerton-articles/southside-food-co-op-a22.html
London Road Food Co-op, Riverside Community Centre, York Place, London Road, Bath, BA1 6AE, tel: 07837 784715
Your Name’s Down, You’re Not Coming In
Antifascists across the land last month were celebrating Christmas early, as the entire BNP membership list was leaked on November 18th. Whilst threats of legal action, arrests and the hypocritical invocation of the Human Rights Act (which the BNP actively oppose) has been bandied about the net, it’s all a bit futile as the list has beamed far and wide. In Bath we allegedly have a measly nine proud bulldogs to disown, and Frome has four, whilst Bristol seems to have a 100-strong infestation to clean up. For a party that is all about apparently rescuing the endangered great white working class, it’s curious that the majority in Bath are from middle class areas; how disappointing. If anyone has any more information on the fascist scene to impart, such as shoe size, IQ, favourite chat-up lines or places of work, send in to the usual address.
I Think We’re Alone Now…
You know you’re in trouble when the band you book for the end of your protest stand around making snide remarks at your expense. “Of course, we could all go and occupy parliament,” suggested that nice chap from Seize the Day, to sheepish laughter and nervous foot-shuffling from the crowd of hippies in Parliament Square. We were in London for the annual Climate March, expecting to join 15,000 marchers and a healthy anti-capitalist bloc, using our sheer force of numbers to make the government listen.
Sadly, on the day only around 5,000 turned up, and our anticipated bloc didn’t quite break double figures. We marched a winding route from the empty-looking US embassy to the definitely empty Parliament, demanding CO2 cuts, no to airport expansions, and green jobs. Feeling increasingly marginalized, surrounded by a sea of ‘Carbon Cap, Not Hippy Crap’ placards, and in constant danger of being run down by an encroaching samba band, our merry group clung together behind our ‘Capitalism Isn’t Working’ banner for half the march, then promptly disintegrated.
Two of us, red and black flags in hands, ended up at the very head of the march for almost a minute before being quickly removed by the stewards. Walk behind the greenhouse, they told us. It’s the symbol of the campaign. Go on; get back in your box. Everyone else is doing it.
And that’s the issue. The campaigners turn up once a year to demand somebody else fix their problems, then they go home. The only way this march will help at this point is if it becomes an annual get-together to unite the movement and give us a chance to brag about all the successful direct actions of the past year. Otherwise, the reduction in marchers from 30,000 to 5,000 in a handful of years will be reflected in the movement as a whole. Without solid actions and solid accomplishments, we’re all fucked.
Now hand over those boltcroppers – I’ve got stuff to do tonight.
Special Yuletide Disclaimer: Like you, we probably disagree with everything every contributor has written. We’re just in it for the scene points. We especially wouldn’t encourage anyone to do anything that might get themselves in trouble with the law… Play safe kids!