Author: Nottingham Indymedia
Tags: stopg8 history culture
Pic: nottingham.indymedia.org/system/photo/2...

Eight years ago, in the run up to the Gleneagles anti-G8 mobilisation, a massive party was held in a squatted warehouse in Nottingham. Shakedown ’05 attracted over 2000 revellers from across the country for the all night event that funded the Horizone camp and direct action against the G8. This weekend Shakedown II will be held to raise money for autonomous projects including the Stop G8 campaign against the return of the G8 to the UK.

Newswire: Riseup! Radio returns | A Call To Arms - Smash the G8 and the IF Campaign | Shakedown ‘05 - Nottingham G8 :: The Pictures

Upcoming Events: Shakedown | Stop G8 National Gathering in Nottingham

Shakedown will be a fundraiser for the UK Stop G8 mobilisation, NNRF Destitution Fund and Nottingham based Autonomous Community Projects.

Shakedown 2013 will be a two-part party:

- a big gig at the Polish Eagle Club, Sherwood Rise, Nottingham
- an after-party until sunrise at a secret location, to be announced on the night.

We are a loose collection of people coming out of the underground music and activist scenes in Nottingham to resurrect the spirit of the original Shakedown Party in 2005, a mega DIY, underground party that served as a fundraiser for the anti-G8 mobilisation in Scotland and other grassroots projects.

From Nottingham and around the country Shakedown will bring together the best soundsystems, party collectives, performers, visual artists and community groups for a big DIY all night party.

Shakedown is raising funds and awareness for:

- A week of action and information against the G8
- Nottingham Refugee Forum Destitution Fund
- Autonomous community projects in Nottingham

All the organisers, crew & artists are doing it for free!

One Common Struggle

This June the leaders of the G8 (the world’s richest countries) are meeting in Northern Ireland. As economic crisis bites, and the planet burns, the bosses and their politicians are celebrating business as usual. Capitalism: a system that kills, exploits, and degrades the many for the profit of a few.

On June 10-18 we are organising a week of action and events in London. London is at the heart of global capitalism. The corporations, banks, hedge funds, and billionaires looting our world have names and addresses. They are in the glass towers of the City, and behind unmarked doors in Mayfair and Knightsbridge. London is the money-laundering den of dictators, the playground of the super-rich. But London is our city too. A city of hope, resistance, and struggle.

Capitalism is killing us. Unemployment, cuts, and the rise of fascism in the “West”. Poverty, colonialism, brutal exploitation in the “Third World”. War and famine for profit. Private prisons, police checks, CCTV to keep us scared and controlled. Life robbed of meaning and beauty, our dreams and our dignity for sale.

Don’t ignore. Don’t wait. For our friends and loved ones, for our communities, for our planet, for everything they’re trying to take from us. The time is now. Let’s come together, and fight. One common struggle.

Join us on the streets.

June 11: Big day of action in Central London.

June 17-18: G8 Summit, Enniskillen, North of Ireland.

June 10-18: Week of actions, talks, meet-ups, films, games, concerts,
and more, all over London and beyond.

Some Grassroots Autonomous Projects in Nottingham

Here are some of the autonomous projects that are going on:

• Street Play – The Autonomous Kids Project has been going out onto the streets of Forest Fields, mostly Cedar Road, and engaging with young people in their spaces (i.e. the street.) Its partly a response to the fact that there is very little provision for young people in the area (there is no street play other than ours for example), and partly its down to a deep seated desire to build community. We have some play equipment such as tennis rackets, cricket sets and hula hoops that make up our regular kit. Sometimes we plan activities such as crafting things and games such as capture the flag. Any money raised for us we would spend on upgrading our slightly old and tired equipment, and getting cool new kit. One thing that we have talked about getting is a parachute for parachute games. Basically we want better toys!

• Anti-Workfare – Workfare is when people in need of welfare are forced into unpaid work, often for multi-million pound companies. Our efforts on this issue so far have mainly involved handing out fliers with information about the rights that claimants have but aren’t necessarily informed of by insititutions such as the Jobcentre, A4e and Ingeus. Any money raised will be used on printing costs as this is our only expense.
  As well, the aim of these activities are to create dialogues in which we can talk about resistance to these “Welfare Reforms”
  that government are pushing through. These “Welfare Reforms” amount to nothing less than one of the final phases of dismantling the welfare state. This programme has been pushed by all the mainstream political parties since Margaret Thatcher’s days.
  If you want to get involved the Unemployed Workers Club meets every Thursday between 11am and 1pm.

• Forest Fields Fire – This is a local topic based monthly newsletter. It was created as a result of the recognition that local issues are often ignored in mainstream media. We feel there is great value in getting autonomous information about the issues and struggles that our communities are experiencing. Again, any money is spent on printing costs.

Upcoming projects:

• Nottingham Solidarity Network- NSN are a network of people who work to defend ourselves through direct action and mutual support. Nottingham Solidarity Network will help get back stolen wages and deposits, get repairs made, and stop evictions. The network currently has a new case involving two people who have not been paid wages they are owed. NSN are going to stand with them and help them get what they are owed.

• Take Back Control -TBC is a series of workshops that has been going out into different communities in Nottingham to talk about the systems that trap us, bully us, steal from us and above all take our freedom. We want to talk about how we can resist these structures that constrain, oppress, curb and economise us. Most of all we wnat to get people in a room together to talk about why we need to take back control. Three workshops have happened already in Sneinton, St. Ann’s and Meadows. Three more are planned at:
  – Lenton Centre, Willoughby Road – Fri 5th April 6.30pm
  – New Basford Community Centre, Zulu Road – Wed 24th April 6.30pm
  – Hyson Green Youth Club, Terrace Centre – Thur 30th May 6.30pm

How to find out about these projects and get involved!
network23.org/autonomousnottingham
nottinghamsolidarity.noblogs.org
nottingham.indymedia.org.uk