[gipfelsoli] Gleneagles

[gipfelsoli-l at lists.nadir.org]

Important information about anti-g8 protests

This email contains important information about anti-G8 Summit activities in
Scotland, including arrival and accommodation. Always check www.dissent.org.uk
for the latest information. Please forward this email as far and wide as
possible.

The following sections are included,

(1) General, (2) Transport to the Summit (3) Arrival in Edinburgh (4)
Accommodation in Edinburgh (5) Arrival in Glasgow (6) Accommodation in Glasgow
(7) Rural Convergence Space (8) Timetable of actions.

Protests and Resistance to the 2005 G8 Summit looks likely to be enormous. Many
people are arriving now, and asking about accommodation and getting further
involved. Others are asking about convergence spaces and accommodation for the
days leading up to and during the Summit. This document should give the basic
information you require, or point to sources of more information.

Note, it appears that as the authorities cannot publicly disagree with the
sentiment to 'Make Poverty History', and hence the protests, they are
attempting to limit numbers coming here by highlighting a supposed lack of
accommodation. The police and media regularly intimidate anyone offering space
to those against the G8, of any political stripe. Do not be intimidated by
this. There is legal accommodation for those who require it, but perhaps not
enough for everybody. Families and those with other legal concerns will be
prioritised with legal places to stay. There are plenty of other accommodation
options. There are already sorted convergence spaces.

Finally, we need more people to get involved now, resources and money. Help out
with all of the below, donate things we need
(http://www.dissent.org.uk/content/view/195/125/), or donation against the G8!
(http://www.tenpounds.org/)

1. GENERAL

If you coming to protest and resist the G8 be as self sufficient as possible.
Bring a tent, sleeping bag, waterproofs, warm clothes, shoes to walk/run in,
plate, cup and cutlery and an imagination! In general head for 'convergence
spaces' - places where people can find information, meet, socialise, organise
actions and get cheap food. Some convergence spaces offer accommodation.

Enquiries can be sent to dissent-enquiries at riseup.net or telephone 07913 263
515. But always check the website and 'google' your enquiry first. You can also
call the following numbers Edinburgh numbers: 0131 477 2954 (London Road
InfoPoint), and 0131 554 2440 (Leith Walk InforPoint).

There will be a free newspaper for the protests, with all the practical
information you need. Look out for this.

2. TRANSPORT TO THE SUMMIT PROTESTS.

Anti-G8 Transport Hubs, offering lifts, and explanations of how to get to
Scotland, from the rest of the UK and from Europe as cheap as possible are
here: [http://www.cambridgeaction.net/taxonomy/page/or/2934]. You can add your
transport offers here too.

Special Dissent! trains from London to Edinburgh can be booked now at
[www.resistg8.org.uk]. Book now to guarantee a place.

Transport is also being organised by other mobilisations. See:
[http://www.resist.org.uk/reports/archive/g82005/g82005-05.php] or
[http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/mph/transport/view.do?code=G8]

3. ARRIVAL IN EDINBURGH

Goto one of the two central Edinburgh Dissent! InfoPoints now open, 24 hours per
day at:
25 London Road, Edinburgh EH7 5D3.
10 Albert Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh. EH7 5HN.

Forest Café, 3 Bristo Place, is a volunteer-run café and arts space, and is also
a useful point of information. It has a big Anti-G8 noticeboard with info about
meetings. This is also the Indymedia space, from 29th July.

University Convergence Space. Edinburgh student union is booked for Dissent! to
hold convergence meetings, and workshops etc., from 29th July to 7th July. The
address is Teviot buildings, Edinburgh Students Union Building, Bristo Square,
Edinburgh.

4. ACCOMMODATION IN EDINBURGH.

Before the Summit:
Goto the Dissent! infoshop, 25 London Road, see above section, and we will find
you somewhere from there. Exact accommodation will depend on numbers, and
specific needs. Prepare to be flexible! It may be necessary to send people to
Glasgow for accommodation before the 1st July. We are still actively looking
for large warehouse space, and all other avenues. However, options in Edinburgh
are almost exhausted.

During the Summit:
Our ideal scenario is to have a legal self-managed space for the week. However,
the attitude of the local council, the volume of people expected and the focus
on the rural convergence site (see below) mean this is not yet finalised, and
my not be.

The following options exist.
The council is providing camping space on the outskirts of Edinburgh, near
Craigmillar, a bus ride from town. The cost is likely to be £10 for the week.
The council has currently put in place restrictions including potential
searches and no meetings, but people involved in Dissent! are in dialogue with
the council to remove these restrictions. The space is for 15,000 people, but
the council also have a long list of back-up accommodation sites.

The local media have repeatedly run stories that people will camp in the parks
of Edinburgh, and action will not be taken by the police to stop or evict
city-centre camping over the week of the main protests.

5. ARRIVAL IN GLASGOW.

Goto the Dissent! InfoPoint, open 24 hours a day:
G42 Collective, Suite 3, 674 Pollockshaws Road, Glasgow. This is on South
Glasgow, get either the 44, 22, 23, 57 in Central Glasgow and ask for Eglington
Toll. It is approx 30 mins walk from the city centre. If you have problems call
07981 954 132.

6. ACCOMMODATION IN GLASGOW.

Before the Summit: goto the G42 Collective space, and you will be directed to
the Dissent! warehouse sleeping space which is open from now until well after
the Summit.

During the Summit: the same warehouse space will be available. Additional space
will be obtained if necessary.

The warehouse space is self-managed and is also used as a convergence space for
meetings.

7. RURAL CONVEGENCE SPACE.

The rural convergence space will be a large self-managed outdoor space near
Gleneagles: a space for all who aspire to radical decentralized alternatives to
capital, power and ecological collapse. A place to meet, chat, eat, sleep,
organise, and more.

Over the past 6 months, people from the Dissent! network have been trying to
secure a large piece of land near Gleneagles. Lots of sites have fallen through
which appears to have happened because of police pressure. The police appear
happier to see people in the cities, as they know that the area close to
Gleneagles is where we can really shut the G8 down!

We have now been offered a site, but are still negotiating for yet more rural
space as the land isn't as big as some of the others. It is not on the site of
an old landfill, but nearby one filled in over 20 yrs ago. It is large enough
for thousands to sleep, eat, plan and act from. Families and those with other
legal concerns will be prioritised space to stay on the legal sites. Other
people may want to form autonomous camping sites in the beautiful Scottish
countryside around Gleneagles.

The rural convergence space will operate around a "neighborhood" system, similar
to the "barrio" system used at some previous resistance camps. Neighborhoods
will host camping, eating and meeting together and will be the focal point of
decision making on the site. The neighborhoods will be information and
discussion areas to aid communication across the site and beyond.
Inter-neighborhood meetings will manage the whole site.
Many groups are already hosting neighbourhoods but more are needed. You don't
need to be a huge group or have loads of equipment to host a neighbourhood. The
neighborhoods should be self running, once people start arriving. The aim is for
each neighborhood to be as autonomous as possible, with its own kitchen or food
serving facilities, alternative-technology power sources and meeting space. A
neighborhood could also include anything else you would like to bring, like a
library, cinema, crèche or spaceship. A site plan has been created by the 40+
participants at the recent 'Earth Activist training course'. People are needed
to be on site setting up the space on the 25th June until the site opens.

Lots of stuff is needed for the site, see
http://www.dissent.org.uk/content/view/195/125/ for the full list. Please
provide what you can. Transport is available to get larger objects to the site,
although if you can find a way of getting it here yourself, then all the better.

The site will be open to all from the 1st June. Bring a tent and your dreams of
another world!

8. PUBLIC ACTIONS, DEMOSTRATIONS AND PROTESTS.

Late June
*Rural Convergence Centre, with accommodation, opens near Gleneagles. Open to
everyone. Camping equipment required. Location details at www.dissent.org.uk

Saturday 11 June
*Cre8 Summat. Cre8 a community garden and social space along the proposed and
widely opposed M74 motorway, Glasgow, until 18 June. Link from
www.dissent.org.uk

Friday 17 June
*Anti-G8 Bike Ride, leaves Brighton for Scotland. www.g8bikeride.org.uk

Sunday 29 June
*Cre8 Summat. Community festival, Glasgow, until 3 July.Link from
www.dissent.org.uk.

Saturday 2 July
*Make Poverty History demonstration, Edinburgh

Sunday 3 July
*Make Borders History. Tour in Glasgow www.makebordershistory.org

Monday 4 July
*Day of Action against the armed wing of global capitalism. Blockade of Faslane
nuclear submarine base. www.faslaneg8.com
*Carnival for Full Enjoyment, No wage slavery, No Benefits Slavery, No Debt
Slavery, No Army Slavery. Raucous party visiting the institutions responsible
for the increasingly insecure way we experience our lives.
Meet 12.00 @ West End of Princes St, Edinburgh. www.nodeal.org.uk

Tuesday 5 July
*Open Borders, Close Dungavel Asylum Seeker Detention Centre! "Close Dungavel,
No-one is Illegal!" mass protest near Glasgow. Glasgow Campaign to Welcome
Refugees. glascamref at hotmail.com
*Beacons of Dissent! Lighting beacons on the hills surrounding the G8 Summit.
www.dissent.org.uk

Wednesday 6 July
*Isolate the G8: mass blockades of the G8 Summit. A diversity of tactics will be
used to blockade the various routes to Gleneagles. Come along to the Convergence
Spaces, meet with others and start plotting how to disrupt the Superpower
Summit! www.g8blockades.org.uk
*Global Day of Action. An anti-capitalist day of action against the G8 in
cities, towns and villages worldwide.Peoples' Global Action (PGA): www.agp.org
*Hill-walking actions in the Ochil Hills, southeast of Gleneagles. Continuing
throughout the Summit.
*Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army's 'Operation H.A.H.A.A.' (House
Arresting Half-witted Authoritarian Androids) begins. www.clownarmy.org

Thursday 7 July
*Peoples' Golfing Action (PGA) Golf Tournament at Gleneagles! Dress for golf,
rain or shine. www.dissent.org.uk/pga.html

Friday 8 July
International day of action against the root causes of climate change. Stop
climate chaos - flood the G8! www.dissent.org.uk/g8climateaction

Other actions are also being prepared by G8 Feminist Action
(www.g8feministaction.frockon.org), a queer anti-G8
group(www.queeruption.org.uk/queerg8 ), an autonomous kids group and many, many
others.

[resistg82005]