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1) TSN national meeting and Dale Farm debrief feb 25th & 26th, Cambridge
2) London TSN Meeting 19th Feb
3) 27th Feb, 7pm – Tony Ball: Community Wrecker of the Year Award
4) 8th April – Roma Nation Day Action planning
5) 1st-29th March – TSN national info-tour
6) Pennies from heaven: Dale Farm needs donations for ongoing support
1) TSN NATIONAL MEETING AND DALE FARM DEBRIEF FEB 25TH & 26TH, CAMBRIDGE, UK
Details:
Saturday February 25th: Traveller Solidarity National Meeting 10am to 5pm,
followed by after party. All welcome.
Sunday February 26th: Dale Farm Activist’s debrief 11am to 4 pm. For those who participated in the resistance at Dale Farm.
Sleeping space, travel pool to offset those coming from afar, and children’s creche all available.
We will discuss ongoing support for Dale Farm residents, and Smithy Fen and Meriden communities under threat, planning for Roma Nation Day (see below) and more. The internal/process group is putting together an agenda, if you have any proposals please email them at tsn-internal@noflag.org.uk . There is to be a social/party on Saturday evening with food. Please donate on the night if you can. Email sam@ash.coop if you need space to sleep or childcare as early as possible.
Saturday’s meeting will be at
Bharat Bhavan, [Bharat Way,] Mill Road (/bridge), Cambridge, CB1 2AZ. Map
at http://goo.gl/aL7yt
Sunday’s meeting will be at The Humanitarian Centre, Fenner’s, Gresham Rd,
Cambridge CB1 2ES http://goo.gl/00nYW
For more information, email sam [at] ash.coop
2) LONDON TSN MEETING, SUNDAY 19TH FEB
1PM-3PM, Freedom bookshop, Whitechapel.
We will be planning work to support Roma communities in east London facing
discrimination, as well as the Tony Ball protest (below) and more.
3) 27TH FEB, 7PM – TONY BALL: COMMUNITY WRECKER OF THE YEAR AWARD.
Westminster City Council
Tony Ball, leader of Basildon Council, has been nominated for the award of Council Leader of the Year by the Local Government Information Unit “in recognition of his role spearheading the eviction of Travellers from Dale Farm”. The award ceremony takes place on Monday 27 February at Westminster City Council.
You are cordially invited to join us outside Westminster City Hall for the presentation of the award, Tony Ball’s acceptance speech and a rowdy reception. Join us to let Tony Ball know what we think of his ‘achievements’ at Dale Farm.
For more info, see:
https://member.lgiu.org.uk/whatwedo/cllrawards/Pages/default.aspx.
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/9509681.Tony_Ball_is_up_for_council_boss_of_year/
4) 8TH APRIL ROMA NATION DAY ACTION PLANNING
TSN is involved in planning an international day of co-ordinated local actions to counter the tide of discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Travellers.
Start planning local actions and spread the word to friends around the world. The info tour (see below) will be an opportunity to get together and start planning! More details of protest in London to be announced soon. For more info contact travellersolidarity [at] riseup.net
Planning meeting in London 12 noon on Wednesday 22 Feb
OSI Roma Early Childhood Programme
4th Flr, Cambridge House
100 Cambridge Avenue, London W6 OLE
5) TSN INFO TOUR, 1ST – 29TH MARCH
The Traveller Solidarity Network is touring the country throughout the month of March to build links between local activists and Traveller sites. A short film of interviews which discusses current Gypsy and Traveller struggles will be shown. The talks aim to develop an understanding of different forms of oppression that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities experience, in areas such as day to day discrimination, housing law, land rights and evictions.
Subjects to discuss will include ways forward after Dale Farm for the new network resisting the oppression of Travellers, and strategies for local support for GRT communities facing eviction and prejudice in the area. We hope to include voices from a range of established GRT organisations, and groups currently engaged in a wide range of related struggles, and we are keen to collaborate with local groups in organising these meetings.
For more information or to find out about nearby meetings contact
tsn-info [at] noflag.org.uk . Look on the Traveller Solidarity facebook to find the details of all the meetings and invite your friends.
Tour dates:
LONDON / 1ST MARCH / TBC
KENT / 2ND MARCH / Friends Meeting House, 6 The Friars (next to the Marlowe Theatre) Canterbury
OXFORD / 3RD MARCH / OXFORD RADICAL FORUM, Wadham College, Okinaga Room, 12 noon
BRIGHTON / 4TH MARCH / THE COWLEY CLUB 5-7 PM
SOUTHAMPTON / 5TH MARCH / 38 Onslow Rd, SO14 0JG, 6.30pm, with food halfway and then music til 11.
CORNWALL / 6TH MARCH / TBC
BRISTOL / 7TH MARCH / St Nicholas of Tolentino Church Lawford’s Gate BS5 0RE
CARDIFF / 8TH MARCH / CATHAYS COMMUNITY AND YOUTH CENTRE 6PM
BIRMINGHAM / 11TH MARCH / TBC
LIVERPOOL / 12TH MARCH / TBC
MANCHESTER / 13TH MARCH / STUDENT UNION COUNCIL CHAMBER 6PM
EDINBURGH / 14TH MARCH / St Augustine’s Church, George IV Bridge
GLASGOW / 15TH MARCH / KINNING PARK COMPLEX, 43 CORNWALL STREET 6.30 PM
NEWCASTLE / 16TH MARCH / TBC
YORK / 17TH MARCH / DE GREY ROOMS 3-5 PM
SHEFFIELD / 19TH MARCH / THE BLACK ROSE CENTRE, 7PM
BRADFORD / 20TH MARCH / 1 In 12 Club. 21-23 Albion Street BD1 2LY, 7pm
NOTTINGHAM / 21ST MARCH / TBC
COLCHESTER / 22ND MARCH / FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, 6 CHURCH STREET CO1 1NF, 7.30PM
NORWICH / 23RD MARCH / FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE, UPPER GOAT LANE, 6.30PM
CAMBRIDGE / 25TH MARCH / TBC
BEDFORD / 26TH MARCH / TBC
LUTON / 27TH MARCH / TBC
ST ALBANS / 28TH MARCH / TBC
HARLOW / 29TH MARCH / St Paul’s church, College Sq Harlow CM20 1LP. 7.30pm
6) DALE FARM: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN?
Appeal for funds to cover new planning appeals and dig away bunding barriers
Basildon Borough Council has £20m to draw in pursuing its policy of ethnic-cleansing aimed at driving Travellers out of the district. Much of it was spent on the violent eviction last October, backed at Westminster by the pro-bankers coalition.
In response supporters raised £3,600 last year, which was divided between Camp Constant and the Dale Farm Housing Association. Now fresh funds are needed to help pay for the work of restoring Dale Farm. Immediate needs include fresh planning appeal fees and the hiring of diggers to remove bunding that is preventing re-occupation of legal plots.
Can you help? Donate now via paypal or see dalefarm.wordpress.com/donate
Dale Farm Solidarity 