KAN in DENIAL about climate change (!)

Demand Expanded Newquay International Airport Lobby  (DENIAL) is a new, possibly somewhat short-lived campaign group which loves to fly – we will be out on the streets of Truro on Saturday 5th December from
10.30am in Pydar Street, with various cranky types – delivering our message of Live Today and Die Tomorrow and urging people to fly, fly and fly some more.

Come and meet our upstanding committee: a pilot, an air stewardess or two and CEO of Warm Air plc will be on hand to answer local hacks enquiries…

There’ll be comedy poems, some music and whatever else turns up……………..

EVERYONE WELCOME.  Join in the fun – bring a banner (we have some slogans if you’re in need of inspiration) or help give out our special climate change xmas gifts to shoppers; harangue us if you like or maybe simply gawp…..

Remember TRAINS ARE FOR WIMPS!
Proud to be IN DENIAL!

KAN to support “Target Barclays: Global Investors in Death”

28^th November is a day of action against Barclays to launch the Target Barclays campaign.  KAN! will be holding a picket at Falmouth Barclays – please contact us for further details.

Smash EDO’s five year campaign of direct action against EDO MDM/ITT, aimed at persuading them to stop producing weapons components in Brighton, is an inspiring one, especially to local campaigners. EDO MDM/ITT is  a weapons factory whose components are used by the US and UK in Iraq and Afghanistan and Israel in Palestine.

Smash EDO’s tactics have engaged people on a local and a national level with regular noise demos and acts of sabotage at the factory  - including £300,000 of damage in a decomissioning action during the Gaza invasion – and occasional national demonstrations held either at the factory or in the centre of Brighton.  The campaign has fought large amounts of State/corporate harassment and intimidation, including EDO attempting but failing to get an injunction against  protesters.

Their new campaign asks people to take action to stop Barclays providing market maker services to ITT.  Barclays Banks are the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) market maker for ITT Corporation. ITT Corporation own EDO MBM/ITT in Brighton.

As ITT’s market maker, Barclay’s acts as a ‘middle man’, purchasing shares from a seller and holding them until such a time as a buyer becomes available. This ensures the stability of ITT’s share price by allowing shareholders to sell off their assets at any time, even when a a buyer is not immediately available, and vice versa. Barclay’s also profits from this enterprise by selling ITT’s shares at a small markup, which nevertheless generates a considerable income when spread across large sales.

For more information on ‘market makers’ click here.

Smash EDO are calling for autonomous actions against Barclays Bank to force them to stop providing ‘market maker’ services for ITT Corporation on the NYSE. By performing marker services for ITT Barclays Bank are profiting from EDO’s complicity in civilian deaths in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq. Barclays are the largest UK investor in the global arms trade. Bankers and institutional investors are the glue that finances the state terror wreaked by the arms trade. Companies like EDO do not operate in a vacuum but are propped up by the networks of corporations and investors which constitute the global capitalist system which puts profit before peace, greed before people.

18^th January – Remember Gaza – Smash EDO Mass Demo – contact KAN for details of transport from Cornwall.

The trial for the EDO decommissioners is due to start in May 2010.  Meanwhile one defendant, Elijah Smith has been in prison for ten months on remand following the action.  Send letters and cards of support to: Elijah Smith, c/o PO Box 6, Booty, 82 Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5BB.

Cornish Woodcraft Folk join forces with KAN! for Freeshops

The Woodcraft Folk is a youth organisation dedicated to “building a world based on equality, peace, social justice and co-operation”.  They have recently decided to join KAN! in the fight against consumption and greed by getting involved with our Freeshops!

Hoorah!

KAN! Freeshop To Be Launched on Buy Nothing Day

On Saturday 28 November, a “Freeshop” stall will be held in Falmouth. Items on the stall will be available for free and donations of old books, clothes and bric a brac are welcome.

The Freeshop is being organised by Kernow Action Now!, a grassroots social and ecological direct action group, to celebrate Buy Nothing Day. Buy Nothing Day is an international day of action against consumerism and corporate exploitation.

Michelle Roberts from KAN! said,

“We’re holding the Freeshop to celebrate and encourage community cooperation and sharing, over consumerism and waste culture. We’d love for you to get involved.”

The Freeshop will be held on Saturday 28 November from 1-3pm outside Woolworths. If successful, similar stalls will be held once a month in different towns around Cornwall.

Campaign & Direct Action Workshop

Kernow Action Now! is to participate in the Cornwall Community Climate Forum Campaign Skills Workshop.   The CCCF is running this free workshop from 10am on Saturday 28 November 2009 at the Old Richard Lander School in Truro (Tresawles Road,  TR1 3LD).

The workshop will be an opportunity to discuss the diverse range of skills and tactics that have been used in the fight against climate change and social injustice.

Speakers at this event are Mike Birkin from Friends of the Earth, Howard Balmer, a campaigner with groups including Climate Friendly St Merryn, Greenpeace and Plane Stupid and Emily Apple from Fitwatch and Kernow Action Now.

Anyone interested in attending this event should contact Rob Pickering at rob@cep.org.uk