Civil rights

The Official Glastonbury Left Field Warm Up Party

When - Fri 13. Jun 12:00pm - 6:00am. Where - Coalition/Komedia/Joogleberry Playhouse. Organised by - Glastonbury Left Field Stage and KONG Promotions.
Description - Glastonbury's union-organised Left Field stage is holding an 18 hour marathon warm up show in Brighton. Acts includ The Thirst, Frank Turner with the Krak, and Attila the Stockbroker, Carnival Collective + comedy, open mic, and information and inspiration from local trade unions and campaigns for social justice, public ownership and civil liberties read more...

Open meeting called by Brighton & Hove NO2ID

When - Thu 22. May 7:30pm - 9:30pm. Where - Circus Circus Upstairs room. Organised by - Brighton & Hove NO2ID.
Description - Public meeting to discuss the latest attempts by the Government to force us to have ID cards, what this may mean for you, and WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. Main speakers include Phil Booth, National Co-ordinator of NO2ID, and Jason Kitcat, Chair of Brighton & Hove Green Party. read more...

We've been trying to get a motion before the council for ages, and it's finally happening!

Brighton & Hove Council have accepted a motion for discussion calling on them to oppose the Government's National Identity Register scheme. The motion, submitted by Green Party leader Jason Kitcat with the cooperation of Brighton & Hove NO2ID, asks the council to condemn the scheme, to refuse to use it unless required by law, and to write to the Home Secretary expressing their concerns. The motion will be read at the next council meeting on Thursday 24th. April, and will be voted on by a committee of councillors late in May.

Police have intervened across the country to censor 'On the Verge' an independent documentary about a campaign to shut down a Brighton weapons manufacturer. So far establishments in Southampton, Chichester and Bath and Oxford as well as Brighton have come under police pressure to cancel film showings. In Brighton police intervened to prevent a showing at the Duke of York's Cinema.

Staff at the Arthouse Community Cafe in Bedford Place, Southampton were approached at 11 a.m (Weds 19th March) by police accompanied by licensing officers. Threats were made concerning their licensing if the film, due to be shown on Thursday 20th was screened. Jani Franck director of the Community Cafe said “I grew up in South Africa and this feels awfully familiar. This has nothing to do with protecting the public this is nothing but censorship”

The National Identity Card issue may have dropped out of the news somewhat since the scheme became law in 2006, and reports of the exact state of the project may have become confused and distorted. However, the government’s plans to introduce the scheme are still alive. While Gordon Brown may have recently suggested he does not support compulsory ID cards for all, his government’s own activity shows that Whitehall is still determinedly laying out the foundations of the system.

A leaked government document recently confirmed what ministers have also stated, which is that foreign nationals will be required to hold an ID card this very year, such a transparently repressive measure it’s distressing to think a government thinks it will run. This will be followed next year by people in positions of trust – security guards, teachers and carers, for example – passport applicants by 2010, and young people by 2011. The signs are all that the proposed plan for cards to be issued to everyone else in 2012 is still on track, and whether they’re compulsory or not, the document talks of “various forms of coercion” to encourage people to cooperate, through employers, access to bank accounts, and applying for a first driving licence, to list a few examples.

Celebrating bikes and bodies, protesting against car culture

When - Sat 7. Jun 10:10am - 12:30pm. Where - The Level . Organised by - Nick Sayers, Duncan Blinkhorn and Brighton Naked Bike Ride.
Description - Cycle naked through the heart of Brighton & Hove read more...

When - Fri 1. Feb 8:00pm - 12:00am. Where - The East Slope Bar, Refectory Road, Sussex Uni. Organised by - Brighton & Hove NO2ID and DJ Cutnutlet.
Description - STOP ID CARDS AND THE DATABASE STATE - live music from Rum Boogie - freakbeat to blues and shake yo' shoes (www.rumboogie.co.uk) - and 24Sweed'n - acoustic ukelele genius - with DJ Cutnutlet (Here, There and Everywhere) - www.no2id.net read more...

When - Sat 19. Jan at 12:00pm. Where - Churchill Square . Organised by - SmashEDO.
Description - Demonstration on the 19th of January in central Brighton, protesting about recent police repression at the Brighton bomb factory. There have been 15 arrests since August for singing, shouting and generally expressing opinions about the presecence of an arms factory in thier community. Local people i ... read more.

The Smash EDO Campaign Film

When - Mon 17. Mar at 6:30pm. Where - Duke Of York's Picturehouse . Organised by - SmashEDO and SCHmovies.
Description - http://www.schnews.org.uk/schmovies/index-on-the-verge.htm read more...

NO TO A PERMANENT STATE OF EMERGENCY!

When - Fri 14. Sep 6:30pm - 9:00pm. Where - Community Base . Organised by - CAMPACC, CagePrisoners, Save Omar Campaign and London Guantanamo Campaign.
Description - Public meeting during TUC conference. Speakers include Dough Jewell, CAMPACC, Asim Qureshi. CagePrisoners; Paddy O'Keeffe, Save Omar Campaign; Paul Donovan, NUJ member, freelance writer and columnist read more...