Tuesday 15 February 2011

SaboTaj!

The old Taj store has been squatted in a recent direct action against Sainsburys to build their 10th store in Brighton and Hove. The plan is to turn it into a community centre, with a cafe on street level. I visited the occupation today and the place is massive with 4 floor of space begging to be used.

Here's a message from the occupation:

"We need your support to help save our community!

As you may be aware, Sainsbury’s have applied to the council for permission to open a new supermarket on the site of the old Taj shop on St James street.

We have seen that there is a widespread opposition to this in the local community.

Another supermarket owned by a big corporation will put even more pressure on local independent businesses in these already harsh economic times. After all Taj itself only closed down because of the recession.

In these times where ordinary peoples lives are being made tougher and tougher as a combination of government cuts to public services, increasing food and oil prices, and the recession, the last thing we want to see in our community is poor people made poorer just so some rich Sainsbury’s shareholders can get richer.

For these reasons we have decided to take direct action to try and stop these plans going ahead by occupying the building. This was a tactic that successfully managed to prevent a Tesco being built on Lewes road last year and it can work again if we get enough community support.

By coming down to the building, signing our petition and showing your support in other ways we can send a strong message to the council that the local community will not stand for this.

Also, by occupying the building we are able to open it up to everyone in the community to get involved, make it their own, and use it to organise all kinds of self-organised community responses to these difficult times: everything from protests against the government’s cuts, to local volunteer run projects to directly help people here and now.

So please feel very welcome to come down to the old Taj shop, talk to the people there and get involved. We have tea and coffee!

In solidarity,
The Taj occupiers."

Tuesday 8 February 2011

We got a Flickr!

The Bare Brighton Flickr is now up with picks from around Brighton. Not art fag ones of the pier at sunset with an SLR, but bad man tings from your cousins 2mega pixel camera phone. You can also upload to the group page.


Brighton Tags speical to be posted inabit

Monday 24 January 2011

Brighton Uncut Meeting


From the Facebook event:

Are you ready to take action against corporate tax dodgers? OR would you like to know a bit more, before you commit yourself?

Either way, we welcome you to this, our first public meeting.

We plan to show some films of previous Brighton Uncut actions and share experiences.
...
Then we want to plot and plan for future actions. That's where you come in. Together we can identify targets and discuss tactics before knuckling down to make it happen.

To make it happen, we need the following skills – and we know you have them: graphic design for posters and flyers, film makers and photographers to document, legal observers, banner painters, prop makers, and lots of people who don’t take no for an answer. A cavalier attitude to getting arrested could be helpful, but it’s by no means essential. There are plenty of other roles to suit those who for all manner of reasons need to keep their slates clean.

We also need some cake for the meeting – which we plan to sell off to cover the costs of the hall. Vegan or otherwise is fine – just let us know what’s in your donation. Tea will be served.


The meeting proper kicks off at 7.00pm. We expect to be finished by 9.00pm withtime spare for some sort of training if those present demand it.

Sharing is caring – spread the word. Invite your friends.
The meeting will be facilitated using consensus decision making. There will be no hierarchy. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Note to journalists – please make yourselves known at the top of the meeting. We can then ensure individuals privacy while helping you get your story.

Undercover coppers you are seriously Unwelcome. So go away.