In recent weeks, international headlines have been dominated by conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia. What may not be apparent is the role played by Nottingham-based arms company Heckler & Koch. It has emerged that Georgian elite forces fighting in the province have been illegally armed with Heckler & Koch assault rifles.

The Arms Trade: From Nottingham to Georgia

In recent weeks, international headlines have been dominated by conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia. What may not be apparent is the role played by Nottingham-based arms company Heckler & Koch. Georgian elite forces fighting in the province have been illegally armed with Heckler & Koch assault rifles.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Georgian military "used indiscriminate and disproportionate force resulting in civilian deaths in South Ossetia". However, that hasn't stopped these war criminals from becoming customers of Heckler & Koch!

Upcoming Event: Monthly picket outside Heckler & Koch's Nottingham offices from 4pm Monday 8th September at Easter Park, Lenton Lane.

Previous Features: Protesters Return to Nottingham Weapons Manufacturer | Protesters Target Nottingham Weapons Manufacturers

Links: NottsAntiMilitarism | Campaign Against the Arms Trade | Wikipedia on the South Ossetia war | Notts Indymedia Anti-militarism topic page

When Heckler & Koch applied for permission to supply 230 assault rifles to Georgia, the German government said no, on the grounds that Georgia is involved in a war. But as any successful arms company knows well, there are many ways to get around these obstacles, and sure enough, the German-made weapons showed up in Georgia anyway!

To quote the head of BITS, "It doesn't matter how these weapons landed in Georgia; whether they were illegally exported from Germany, whether a licensed exporter violated German laws or whether a recipient of the weapons who acquired them legally in Germany, further exported them."

The point is, that's just how the arms industry works.

And which department of Heckler & Koch is responsible for sales to Georgia and other non-NATO countries (Georgia expects to become a member of the alliance in 2009)? Check the corporate website: It's Heckler & Koch GB, based at Unit 3, Easter Park, Lenton Lane, Nottingham NG7 2PX (map).

So next time you see pictures of wretched South Ossetian civilians clutching the bodies of their loved ones amid the shredded ruins of their homes, just remember: a company in Nottingham helped to make that happen.

BNP "festival" takes place with police support

Newswire: Anti-RWB Protests, A Very Successful Failure. | Sunday Photos | Demonstration against the BNP Event in Derbyshire : The March | Demonstration against the BNP Event in Derbyshire : Designated Protest Point! | Demo at BNP festival. Pics & report. | Protestors at RWB | R,W,B Festival Denby/codnor | Britain's Racist Police

A rally was held in Codnor, by Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP and Unite Against Fascism (UAF). Despite people attending from as far afield as Brighton and Lancaster, this demonstration was relatively small and never came close to the 700 people limit imposed by Derbyshire Police. Elsewhere, activists associated with Antifa made their way cross country and attempted to barricade the road in order to prevent access to the site, resulting in clashes with police.

Local feeling against the RWB has been strong and many residents of Codnor, Denby and Amber Valley attended the demonstrations against it (some of them members of the recently formed Amber Valley Stop the BNP group).

Newswire: Sunday Photos | Demonstration against the BNP Event in Derbyshire : The March | Demonstration against the BNP Event in Derbyshire : Designated Protest Point! | Demo at BNP festival. Pics & report. | Protestors at RWB | R,W,B Festival Denby/codnor | Britain's Racist Police

Derbyshire Police used the Public Order Act 1986 to impose a five mile zone in which protest was restricted. The "official" rally with police permission took place in the centre of Codnor, with a number of speakers including Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT. At around 12 noon, demonstrators marched from there to the end of the lane where the festival was being held. At this point there was some pushing and shoving, although no arrests were made. Eventually, a delegation of 30 people was allowed to walk down the lane to protest immediately outside the site.

Unfortunately, competition between Notts Stop the BNP and UAF seems to have detracted from the day's stated intention of challenging the BNP. The animosity between the two groups is not new, having already been fought out on the Indymedia UK newswire. Local activists are angry, not unreasonably that after many months of organisation and planning, UAF stepped in late in the day and attempted to hijack the event. Without consulting the local campaign, they called a demo two hours after the time announced by Notts Stop the BNP. The squabbling was so serious that at one point it actually held up the start of the march as the rival factions vied to be at the front.

While all this was going on, masked-up anti-fascists made their way to the lane by going cross-country and attempted to barricade the other end of the lane. Riot police were soon in attendance and, according to locals, it was they who initiated a violent clash. It appears that six people were arrested at this point, with a further 27 arrests being made as demonstrators dispersed through fields, pursued by the police helicopter.

Newswire: Demonstration against the BNP Event in Derbyshire : The March | Demonstration against the BNP Event in Derbyshire : Designated Protest Point! | Demo at BNP festival. Pics & report. | Protestors at RWB | R,W,B Festival Denby/codnor | Britain's Racist Police

A rally was held in Codnor, by Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP and Unite Against Fascism. Despite people attending from as far afield as Brighton and Lancaster, this demonstration was relatively small and never came close to the 700 people limit imposed by Derbyshire Police. Elsewhere, activists associated with Antifa made their way cross country and attempted to barricade the road in order to prevent access to the site, resulting in clashes with police.

The "official" rally with police permission took place in the centre of Codnor, with a number of speakers including Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT. At around 12 noon, demonstrators marched from there to the end of the lane where the festival was being held. At this point there was some pushing and shoving, although no arrests were made. Eventually, a delegation of 30 people was allowed to walk down the lane to protest immediately outside the site.

While all this was going on, masked-up anti-fascists made their way to the lane by going cross-country and attempted to barricade the other end of the lane. Riot police were soon in attendance and, according to locals, initiated a violent clash. It appears that six people were arrested at this point, with a further 27 arrests being made as demonstrators dispersed through fields, pursued by the police helicopter.

BNP "festival" descends into chaos

Between the 15th and 17th August, the BNP held their annual Red, White and Blue (RWB) "festival" in Denby, Derbyshire. This is the second year that the event has been held in this location. Last year there was little organised resistance, with only a single protester in attendance. This year saw more significant and diverse mobilisations against the event.

A rally was held in Codnor, by Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP and Unite Against Fascism. Despite people attending from as far afield as Brighton and Lancaster, this demonstration was relatively small and never came close to the 700 people limit imposed by Derbyshire Police. Elsewhere, activists made their way cross country and attempted to barricade the road in order to prevent access to the site, resulting in clashes with police.

Local feeling against the RWB has been strong and many residents of the village attended the demonstrations against it.

The "official" rally with police permission took place in the centre of Codnor, with a number of speakers including Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT. At around 12 noon, demonstrators marched from there to the end of the lane where the festival was being held. At this point there was some brief pushing and shoving, before a delegation of 30 people was allowed to walk down the lane to protest immediately outside the site.

Unfortunately, Notts Stop the BNP and UAF seem to have been almost as intent on outdoing each other as they were in challenging the BNP. The animosity between the two is not new, having already been fought out on the Indymedia UK newswire. Local activists are angry, not unreasonably that after many months of organisation and planning, UAF stepped in late in the day and attempted to hijack the event. Without consulting the local campaign, they called a demo two hours after the time announced by Notts Stop the BNP. The squabbling was so serious that at one point it actually held up the start of the march as the rival factions vied to be at the front.

While all this was going on, masked-up anti-fascists made their way to the lane by going cross-country and attempted to barricade the other end of the lane. Riot police were soon in attendance and scuffles broke out. It appears that six people were arrested at this point, with a further 27 arrests being made as demonstrators dispersed through fields, pursued by the police helicopter.

The Three Faces of Anti-Fascism

Between the 15th and 17th August, the BNP held their annual Red White and Blue "featival" in Denby, Derbyshire. This is the second year that the event has been held in this location. Last year there was little organised resistance, with only a single protester in attendance. This year, several groups set their sites on the event.

A rally was held in Codnor, by Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP and Unite Against Fascism. Despite people attending from as far afield as Brighton and Lancaster, this demonstration was relatively small and never came close to the 700 people limit imposed by Derbyshire Police. Elsewhere, activists from Antifa made their way cross country and attempted to barricade the road in order to prevent access to the site, resulting in clashes with police.

Newswire: Demo at BNP festival. Pics & report. | Protestors at RWB | R,W,B Festival Denby/codnor | Britain's Racist Police

Previous Features: Anti-fascists Prepare to Stop BNP "Festival" | BNP Withdraw Festival Licence Application in the Face of Protests | East Mids Campaigners Up The Anti as BNP Make Electoral Gains | Midlands and Yorkshire organise against the BNP

Links: Stop the BNP's RWB Festival | Smash The BNP's Scumfest! | Unite Against Fascism | Indymedia UK Stop RWB topic page

The "official" rally with police permission took place in the centre of Codnor, with a number of speakers including Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT. At around 12 noon, demonstrators marched from there to the end of the lane where the festival was being held. At this point there was some brief and half-hearted pushing and shoving, before a delegation of 30 people was allowed to walk down the lane to protest immediately outside the site.

Unfortunately, Notts Stop the BNP and UAF seems to have been almost as intent on outdoing each other as they were in challenging the BNP. The animosity between the two is not new, having already been fought out on the Indymedia UK newswire. Local activists are angry, not unreasonably that after many months of organisation and planning, UAF stepped in late in the day and attempted to hijack the event. Without consulting the local campaign, they called a demo two hours after the time announced by Notts Stop the BNP. The squabbling was so serious that at one point it actually held up the start of the march as the rival factions vied to be at the front.

While all this was going on, masked-up Antifa activists made their way to the lane by going cross-country and attempted to barricade the other end. Riot police were soon in attendance and scuffles broke out. It appears that six people were arrested at this point, with a further 27 arrests being made as demonstrators dispersed through fields, pursued by the police helicopter.

There was also supposed to have been a concert in Derby that evening, organised by local supporters of Love Music Hate Racism, but the venue decided to cancel the event after being contacted by police. This contrasts sharply with the BNP's event which went ahead in the face of police objections and two failed attempts to obtain permission to sell alcohol.

The BNP hardly did much to improve their image out of the event, most ridiculously, claiming "UAF wimps threw a 'bomb' at the main gates leading to the RWB," a lie quickly retracted. On Sunday, the "festival" hosted an Extraordinary General Meeting which endorsed a number of changes to the party's constitution making it more difficult to launch a leadership challenge and entitling Griffin to an impressive "severance package" in the event that he is removed as party leader.

Previous Features: BNP Withdraw Festival Licence Application in the Face of Protests | East Mids Campaigners Up The Anti as BNP Make Electoral Gains | Midlands and Yorkshire organise against the BNP

Between 15th and 17th of August, the right-wing British National Party (BNP) is holding its annual Red, White and Blue 'festival' on a farm in Denby, Derbyshire. In previous years this so-called 'family festival' has brought together BNP members and white supremacists from across the world to enjoy Nazi marching songs and drunken glassings. The event has past off largely unremarked upon in previous years, with just a token response from the anti-fascist movement. Last year when the event was held in the same place, there was only one single protester. This time, however, local campaigners involved in Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP have been mobilising since late last year. The call has subsequently been taken up by Antifa England, Lancaster Unity, Hope Not Hate and Unite Against Fascism among others.

When the BNP applied for a premises licence the police, who had initially been happy for it to go ahead, decided at the eleventh hour to require a series of onerous conditions be included, citing concerns about the looming counter-mobilisation, at which point the party withdrew its application. The BNP later tried to apply for a more limited Temporary Events Notice, but had their application rejected.

Did some minor edits and moved a para into content -- ShiaR - 30 Jul 2008

Antifascists Prepare to Stop BNP "Festival"

In previous years, this event has past off largely unremarked upon, with only a token response from the anti-fascist movement. Last year when the event was held in the same place, there was only a single protester. This time, however, local campaigners involved in Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP have been mobilising since late last year. Subsequently this call has been taken up by Antifa England, Lancaster Unity, Hope Not Hate and Unite Against Fascism among others.

When the BNP applied for a premises licence the police, who had initially been happy for it to go ahead, decided at the eleventh hour to require a series of onerous conditions be included, citing concerns about the looming counter-mobilisation, at which point the party withdrew its application. The BNP later tried to apply for a more limited temporary events notice, but had their application rejected.

In previous years, this event has past off largely unremarked upon, with only a token response from the anti-fascist movement. Last year when the event was held in the same place, there was only a single protester. This year, however, local campaigners involved in Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP have been mobilising since late last year. Subsequently this call has been taken up by Antifa England, Lancaster Unity, Hope Not Hate and Unite Against Fascism among others. When the BNP applied for a premises licence the police, who had initially been happy for it to go ahead, decided at the eleventh hour to require a series of onerous conditions be included, citing concerns about the looming counter-mobilisation, at which point the party withdrew its application. The BNP later tried to apply for a more limited temporary events notice, but had their application rejected.

Details: Leaflet and maps | Google map of site | Coaches

The event is taking place on land owned by former-Tory Alan Warner. Apparently unpopular amongst local residents even before he began hosting the event, Warner has not endeared himself to his neighbours by inviting hundreds of fascists to the village. Locals submitted a huge number of objections to the licence applications both last year and this. As the campaign against the festival has stepped up, Warner has found himself the target of anti-fascists. The flag which usually seen flying outside his farm was stolen and, in a separate incident, anti-fascist graffiti was painted on his walls. He is now so concerned that police have fitted a panic button in his house and placed covert surveillance around his property.

In previous years, this event has past off largely unremarked upon, with only a token response from the anti-fascist movement. Last year when the event was held in the same place, there was only a single protester. This year, however, local campaigners involved in Nottinghamshire Stop the BNP and other groups have been mobilising since late last year. Subsequently this call has been taken up by Antifa England, Lancaster Unity, Hope Not Hate and Unite Against Fascism among others. When the BNP applied for a premises licence the police, who had initially been happy for it to go ahead, decided at the eleventh hour to require a series of onerous conditions be included, citing concerns about the looming counter-mobilisation, at which point the party withdrew its application.

The event is taking place on land owned by former-Tory Alan Warner. Apparently unpopular amongst local residents even before he began hosting the event, Warner has not endeared himself to his neighbours by inviting hundreds of fascists to the village. Locals submitted a huge number of objections to the licence applications both last year and this. As the campaign against the festival has stepped up, Warner has found himself the target of anti-fascists. The flag which usually seen flying outside his farm was stolen and, in a separate incident, anti-fascist graffiti was painted on his walls. He is now so concerned that police have fitted a panic button in his house and placed surveillance around his property.

From Friday August 15 - Sunday August 17, the British national party (BNP) are holding their annual Red White and Blue "festival" on a farm in Denby, Derbyshire. In past years this "family festival" has brought together BNP members and white supremacists from across the world to enjoy Nazi marching songs and drunken glassings.

The event is taking place on land owned by former-Tory Alan Warner. Apparently unpopular amongst local residents even before he began hosting the event, Warner has not endeared himself to his neighbours by inviting hundreds of fascists to the village. Locals submitted a huge number of objections to the licence applications both last year and this. As the campaign against the festival has stepped up, Warner has found himself the target of anti-fascists. Thee flag which usually seen flying outside his farm was stolen and, in a separate incident, anti-fascist graffiti was painted on his walls. He is now so concerned that police have fitted a panic button in his house and placed surveillance around his property.

Mobilisation Against BNP "Festival"

From Friday August 15 - Sunday August 17, the British national party (BNP) are holding their annual Red White and Blue "festival" on a farm in Denby, Derbyshire. In past years this "family festival" has brought together white supremacists from across the world to enjoy Nazi marching songs and drunken glassings.

In previous years, this event has past off largely unremarked upon, with only a token response from the anti-fascist movement. Last year when the event was held in the same place, there was only a single protester. This year, however, local campaigners have been mobilising since late last year. When the BNP applied for a premises licence the police, who had initially been happy for it to go ahead, decided at the eleventh hour to require a series of onerous conditions be included, citing concerns about the looming counter-mobilisation, at which point the party withdrew its application. They later tried to apply for a more limited temporary events notice, but had their application rejected.

Details: Leaflet and maps | Google map of site | Coaches

Newswire: BNP's Second Licence Application Rejected! | Protest against fascist BNP's Red, White & Blue | Smash The BNP's ScumFest^? | New paint job for the RWB's fascist farmer

Links: Stop the BNP's RWB Festival | Smash The BNP's Scumfest! | Indymedia UK Stop RWB topic page

The event is taking place on land owned by former-Tory Alan Warner. Apparently unpopular locally already, his decision to attract large numbers of fascists to the small village has not endeared him to local residents. He has also had the flag which was flying outside his farm stolen and, in a sperate instance, had anti-fascist graffiti painted on his walls. He is now so concerned that police have fitted a panic button in his house and placed surveillance around his property.

Anti BNP Mobilisation Gaining Strength

Campaigners Mobilise Against BNP "Festival"

On Friday June 27, Zimbabwe went to the polls in the second round of its presidential election. This followed a first round in March. Concerned about the scale of state-directed violence against supporters, the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had withdrawn on Sunday June 22, making a victory by the incumbent Robert Mugabe inevitable.

In Nottingham, the election was marked by the recently formed Nottingham Zimbabwe Community network (NZCN) who held a protest against deportations to Zimbabwe in Old Market Square and organised a public meeting at the Sumac Centre to discuss the situation in the country.

Details: Leaflet and maps | Photos of the area

Newswire: Nottingham's Zimbabwean Community Responds to Rigged Elections

Previous Features: BNP Withdraw Festival Licence Application in the Face of Protests | East Mids Campaigners Up The Anti as BNP Make Electoral Gains | Midlands and Yorkshire organise against the BNP

Links: Antifa England | Stop BNP's RWB Festival campaign | Indymedia UK Stop RWB topic page

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