G8 Summit 2005: Dissent! Overview.

[Castellano]

Important information about anti-G8 Summit activities in Scotland, including arrival and accommodation.

The following sections are included:

(1) General, (2) Transport to the Summit (3) Arrival in Edinburgh (4) Accommodation in Edinburgh (5) Arrival in Glasgow (6) Accommodation in Glasgow (7) Rural Convergence Space (8) Timetable of actions.

update:

Days of Dissent! Edinburgh Convergence 2005, turning ideas into action

1. GENERAL

If you coming to protest and resist the G8 be as self sufficient as possible. Bring a tent, sleeping bag, waterproofs, warm clothes, strong footware, plate, cup and cutlery and an imagination! In general head for ‘convergence spaces' - places where people can find information, meet, socialise, organise actions and get cheap food. Some convergence spaces offer accommodation.

Enquiries can be sent to dissent-enquiries@riseup.net or telephone 07913 263 515. But always check the website and websearch (‘google') your enquiry first. You can also call the following numbers Edinburgh numbers: 0131 477 2954 (London Road Anti-G8 office), and  0131 561 1356 (Leith Walk InfoPoint).

There will be a free newspaper for the protests, with all the practical information you need. Look out for this.

2. TRANSPORT TO THE SUMMIT PROTESTS.

Anti-G8 Transport Hubs, offering lifts, and explanations of how to get to Scotland, from the rest of the UK and from Europe as cheap as possible are here: [http://www.cambridgeaction.net/taxonomy/page/or/2934]. You can add your transport offers here too.

Special trains from London to Edinburgh can be booked now at [www.resistg8.org.uk]. Book now to guarantee a place.

Transport is also being organised by other mobilisations. See: [http://www.resist.org.uk/reports/archive/g82005/g82005-05.php] or [http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/mph/transport/view.do?code=G8]

3. ARRIVAL IN EDINBURGH

Go to Edinburgh Dissent! InfoPoint now open, 24 hours per day at:
10 Albert Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh. EH7 5HN.

Forest Café, 3 Bristo Place, is a volunteer-run café and arts space, and is also a useful point of information. It has a big Anti-G8 noticeboard with info about meetings. The street entrance next to Forest Café will go to the Indymedia space above, setup from 25th June.

University Convergence Space. Part of Edinburgh student union is booked for Dissent! to hold convergence meetings, and workshops etc., from 29th July to 7th July. The address is Teviot buildings, Edinburgh Students Union Building, Bristo Square, Edinburgh.
Other parts of the university are being used by other groups.

Teviot Building Bristo Square                                                Thursday 30th June- 7th July

Running from the 30th of June the Teviot building will become a free, open and autonomous space - a hub of vital interaction during the week of resistance to the G8 summit. Daily assemblies will allow everyone to reflect on days' happenings, and participate in preparing for actions, and events. In addition, there are meetings, seminars, workshops, films and exhibitions throughout the week. Collectively these will explore and expand the diversity and strength of the global ‘movement of movements' converging in Scotland. Not only will thousands of people come together to debate and question the world of the G8, the week will also be a celebration of other worlds that are not only possible - they are already living.

Turning ideas into action debates include:

•  How can we solve the climate crisis?  Friday 1 July, 12-2 pm

• How can we really Make Poverty History? Sunday 3rd July 4-6pm
• Reflections on resistance - what future(s) for the anti-capitalist movement? Thursday 7 July, 4-6 pm

• Every morning welcome and orientation meetings
• From Sunday 3rd July every evening at 6pm, daily assemblies, for reflection and planning

4. ACCOMMODATION IN EDINBURGH.

Before the Summit:
Goto the Dissent! infoshop, 10 Albert Place, Leith Walk, see above section, and we will find you somewhere from there. Exact accommodation will depend on numbers, and specific needs. Prepare to be flexible! It may be necessary to send people to Glasgow for accommodation before the 1st July. We are still actively looking for large warehouse space, and all other avenues. However, options in Edinburgh are almost exhausted.

During the Summit:
Our ideal scenario is to have a legal self-managed space for the week. However, the attitude of the local council, the volume of people expected and the focus on the rural convergence site (see below) mean this is not yet finalised, and may not be.

The following options exist.
The council is providing camping space on the outskirts of Edinburgh, near Craigmillar, a bus ride from town. The cost is likely to be £10 for the week. The council has currently put in
place restrictions including potential searches and no meetings, but people involved in Dissent! are in dialogue with the council to remove these restrictions. The space is for 15,000 people, but the council also have a long list of back-up accommodation sites.

Hunters Hall Park, The Jack Kane Sports Centre (10), Niddrie. 208 Niddrie Mains Road, EH16 4NE

Concern has been expressed that due to poor community consultation there is significant local opposition to site in Craigmiller. Some efforts to ensure community support in this and more so other parts of Edinburgh to hosting protestors are being made.

The local media have repeatedly run stories that people will camp in the parks of Edinburgh such as Holyrood, and action will not be taken by the police to stop or evict city-centre camping over the week of the main protests.

5. ARRIVAL IN GLASGOW.

Goto the Dissent! InfoPoint, open 24 hours a day:

G42 Collective, Suite 3, 674 Pollockshaws Road, Glasgow, G41. This is on South Glasgow, get either the 44, 22, 23, 57 in Central Glasgow and ask for Eglington Toll. It is approx 30 mins walk from the city centre. If you have problems call 07981 954 132.

6. ACCOMMODATION IN GLASGOW.

Glasgow Convergence is now open, for those who want to come and help set up.  At this moment (Tuesday 21st June).  Glasgow is the only space where we can arrange people to sleep.
The building needs a lot of work and is not yet safe for children and so far has no disabled access. 

The Address is 30 Dora St, Dalmarnock, Glasgow, Scotland
Phone number: 0141 551 0401

By Bus

Bus 203 from Buchanan Bus Station.  Get off at Dalmarnac Train Station

By Train

Trains from Central Train Station to Dalmarnac Train Station.  Get Train from lower platform at Central Station.  Platform 14-15 4 trains an hour, last train 23.10 Mon to Fri.

Walking or Driving from Dalmarnock Station

Turn rightout of the station onto Swanston St.  Take first left onto Poplin St.
Take 1st left onto Dora Street and  the  Warehouse is on right hand side of road and used to belong to "Gefler".

Driving from M8

Come off on Junction 12

Take A80 Southbound

Continue untill T junction with A8

Turn right onto A8

Take 5th left (not far) onto Cumbernauld Rd

This very quickly joins B863 turn left onto this.

Continue straight over A89 (Gallowgate), A74 (London Road) and A749 (Dalmarnock Road)

After A749 take 2nd left onto Poplin St (Its on the bend) and then first left onto Dura Street

The Warehouse is on trhe righthand side of the, number 30 and used to belong to "Gefler".

The warehouse space is self-managed and is also used as a convergence space for meetings.

7. RURAL CONVEGENCE SPACE.

The rural convergence space will be a large self-managed outdoor space near Gleneagles: a space for all who aspire to radical decentralized alternatives to capital, power and ecological collapse. A place to meet, chat, eat, sleep, organise, and more.

Over the past 6 months, people from the Dissent! network have been trying to secure a large piece of land near Gleneagles. Lots of sites have fallen through which appears to have happened because of police pressure. The police appear happier to see people in the cities, as they know that the area close to Gleneagles is where we can really shut the G8 down!

We have now been offered a site, but are still negotiating for yet more rural space as the land isn't as big as some of the others. To put an end to rumour we make clear that it is not on the site of an old landfill, but nearby one filled in over 20 yrs ago. It is large enough for thousands to sleep, eat, plan and act from. Families and those with other legal concerns will be prioritised space to stay on the legal sites. Other people may want to form autonomous camping sites in the beautiful Scottish countryside around Gleneagles.

The rural convergence space will operate around a "neighborhood" system, similar to the "barrio" system used at some previous resistance camps. Neighborhoods will host camping, eating and meeting together and will be the focal point of decision making on the site. The neighborhoods will be information and discussion areas to aid communication across the site and beyond. Inter-neighborhood meetings will manage the whole site.
Many groups are already hosting neighbourhoods but more are needed. You don't need to be a huge group or have loads of equipment to host a neighbourhood. The neighborhoods should be self running, once people start arriving. The aim is for each neighborhood to be as autonomous as possible, with its own kitchen or food serving facilities, alternative-technology power sources and meeting space. A neighborhood could also include anything else you would like to bring, like a library, cinema, crèche or spaceship.
A site plan has been created by the 40+ participants at the recent ‘Earth Activist training course'. People are needed to be on site setting up the space on the 25th June until the site opens.

Lots of stuff is needed for the site, see http://www.dissent.org.uk/content/view/195/125/ for the full list. Please provide what you can. Transport is available to get larger objects to the site, although if you can find a way of getting it here yourself, then all the better.

The site will be open to all from the 1st June. Bring a tent and your dreams of another world!

8. PUBLIC ACTIONS, DEMOSTRATIONS AND PROTESTS.

Late June
Rural Convergence Centre, with accommodation, opens near Gleneagles. Open to everyone. Camping equipment required.  www.g8convergence2005.org

From Saturday 11th June
Cre8 Summat. Cre8 a community garden and social space along the proposed and widely opposed M74 motorway, Glasgow, until 18 June.
See Cre8 section.

Friday 17 June
Anti-G8 Bike Ride, leaves Brighton for Scotland.
www.g8bikeride.org.uk

Sunday 29 June
Cre8 Summat. Community festival, Glasgow, until 3 July.

Saturday 2 July
Make Poverty History demonstration, Edinburgh

Sunday 3 July
Make Borders History. Tour in Glasgow
www.makebordershistory.org

Monday 4 July
Day of Action against the armed wing of global capitalism. Blockade of Faslane nuclear submarine base. www.faslaneg8.com

Carnival for Full Enjoyment, No wage slavery, No Benefits Slavery, No Debt Slavery, No Army Slavery. Raucous party visiting the institutions responsible for the increasingly insecure way we experience our lives. Meet 12.00 @ West End of Princes St, Edinburgh. www.nodeal.org.uk

Tuesday 5 July
Open Borders, Close Dungavel Asylum Seeker Detention Centre! "Close Dungavel, No-one is Illegal!" mass protest near Glasgow. Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees. glascamref@hotmail.com

Beacons of Dissent! Lighting beacons on the hills to south of the G8 Summit.
Hill-walking actions in the Ochil Hills, southeast of Gleneagles. Continuing throughout the Summit.

Wednesday 6 July
Mass blockades of the G8 Summit. A diversity of tactics will be used to blockade the various routes to Gleneagles. Come along to the Convergence Spaces, meet with others and start organising how to disrupt the Superpower Summit! www.g8blockades.org.uk

Global Day of Action. An anti-capitalist day of action against the G8 in cities, towns and villages worldwide.Peoples' Global Action (PGA): www.agp.org

Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army's ‘Operation H.A.H.A.A.' (House Arresting Half-witted Authoritarian Androids) begins. www.clownarmy.org

Thursday 7 July
Peoples' Golfing Association (PGA) Golf Tournament at Gleneagles! Dress for golf, rain or shine. www.dissent.org.uk/pga.html