WHAT NEXT?

To continue to target the decision-makers at 16 Summer Lane to help them to understand that only by cutting spending on luxuries like HS2, Metro and Sprint can greenhouse gases be cut. For every pound we spend, fossil fuels are implicated, such is our addiction.

So only spend to expel more GHG, by going for projects like insulating and putting PV panels on every EWS facing roof; bribing motorists out of their cars by Fare-Free Public Transport; and by a Universal Basic Income scheme so that we don't have to find ecologically ruinous jobs just to keep everyone in food, shelter and clothing.

Abandon the 8 tax havens for the super-rich to help them cut their addiction to greed, selfishness and accelerating climate catastrophe.

Treading more lightly on the planet

Some of the most wealthy, on the biggest salaries decide on grossly extravagant infrastructure projects that accelerate climate disaster because almost every pound spent means yet more greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel over dependency.

The more we spend, the more we burn up fossil fuels, the more we spew out deadly greenhouse gases, the more we screw things up - even for ourselves let alone our descendants.

Some of these same people minimise, avoid and evade paying taxes by using lawyers and accountants to help them use eight UK tax havens and through other legal and sort-of legal schemes.  As a result, writes the Tax Justice Network,

"The UK ... is by far the world's greatest enabler of corporate tax avoidance, and has single-handedly done the most to break down the global corporate tax system." (quoted by Porritt in 'Hope in Hell' p 220)

Steve, We all need to reduce our addiction to oil and gas by refusing what we can. We CAN put PV solar panels on the full area of E W S facing roofs and the electricity stored in batteries. We CAN lag ourselves by wearing more and, lagging our homes, so that we reduce our dependancy on gas and oil. We CAN walk and cycle, if we are able bodied. Much CAN be done

UK Collusion in Gazan killings

from: thewallmustfall@riseup.net

*On trial: Anti-Nato protesters who demanded Barclays divest from the arms trade*

Barclays Bank will be back in the spotlight today at Newport Magistrates Court, when 4 activists stand trial on charges of aggravated trespass. The activists were arrested when they occupied the Newport branch of Barclays as part of the anti-NATO week of action organised by Stop NATO Cymru at the beginning of September. The trial is set to last for a day and a half. All defendants have plead not guilty to all charges

On Friday 5th September this year, scores of people occupied the bank on Newport high street. They held banners calling on Barclays to divest from the arms trade and to stop investing in Israel's war crimes.

The protest was part of a campaign, called for by Palestinians in Gaza,[1] aimed at persuading Barclays to pull its money out of Elbit Systems, Israel's largest military company which manufactures the unpiloted drones used to bomb Palestinians in Gaza.

During July and August 2014, 2,150 Palestinians were killed as Israel carried out another massacre of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza strip. Entire neighbourhoods were destroyed and mosques, market places, UN relief compounds and schools were deliberately targeted. There was no safe place for the 1.7 million people in Gaza to take shelter from the Israeli bombardment. Israeli drones, carried out over 800 major strikes.

Barclays has been condemned in recent years for its excessive use of tax havens, for creating a special 'tax avoidance division', for paying well below the nominal UK rate of corporation tax and manipulating the Libor rate. But this protest was more reminiscent of those which plagued Barclays through the 1970s and 1980s when the bank was heavily invested in apartheid South Africa.

The activists claim that Israel's drone programme is dependent on the investments of companies like Barclays. They called on customers and staff to boycott Barclays, just as anti apartheid campaigners did over
30 years ago.

The occupation of Barclays had been timed to coincide with the NATO summit. Elbit's drones are also used by NATO members. The company is part of a partnership manufacturing the Watchkeeper drone for use by the UK military.

*Campaigners will hold a demonstration outside Newport Magistrates Court on Monday morning in support of the defendant. The four defendants are due in court at 10am. *

For more details or to interview the defendants please email thewallmustfall@riseup.net or call07907385974.