Oxford Newswire Archive

Here's another set of old (murky) photos from the first Newbury bypass reunion, held on 11th January 1997, which saw a mass site invasion.

Between one and two thousand people turned up for the 'reunion rampage' which was billed as a commemoration and fence decorating rally. It was a very cold and misty day as people gathered at Newbury train station before marching towards the construction route at Middle Oak.

I remember so many people being shocked at the destruction - for many this was their first visit since the work had started and the months of evictions.

My memory is a little hazy, but at the compound near the Middle Oak people were lining up along the fence. Then suddenly to our right there was a hole - the fence had been cut. About twenty people stormed through followed by a few more, running into the mists, into the murk. I remember looking back expecting to see hundreds, but there was no one. There was a lot of shouting however. Some police had steamed in to try and block the hole. Security were now advancing from out of the mists in front of us, and then there were mounted police coming at the gallop bearing down onto the crowd by the hole in the fence - this was just well over the top, dangerous and provocative.

Those inside the compound were shouting to the others - "come on!". Then another part of the fence started to go - people were literally pulling it apart. More scuffles as police tried to push people back - but soon the tide of people was unstoppable and they streamed into the construction site.

At first security and police tried to push people away from the machinery, there were scuffles and arrests, but in the end all of the machinery were occupied with people sitting and standing ontop of them.

The site was fully occupied for what seemed like ages. A huge tall crane was scaled by several people as the entire site was taken over. The tree at middle oak became an impromptu social centre. People were drumming and sharing food, talking over old times, remembering the beautiful countryside that had been destoryed.

Some went further than others. As time wore on the machinery was getting a pounding. Hydraulic cables were cut and instrument panels smashed. Later as darkness approached the portacabin offices which had been occupied were set alight, as was some of the plant machinery. I remember many a heated discussion taking place, many people disagreed with burning the machinery, but understood the anger that drove people to do it. The Newbury bypass battle had seen endless property damage, with machinery put out of action, sand in fuel tanks, things smashed and so on, but some thought the burning was in a different class. Many were pleased to see it happen, others worried it would look bad in the press. It was a real mix of emotions, many of them raw.

Either way with darkness now replacing the eerie fog light, and bright orange flames licking the night, people soon began to stream away from the site. Job done, in one way or another.

See end for more reports and links.
Read more >>

After the reunion reports published on Indymedia about it being 10 years since work started on the Newbury Bypass, and the recent reports revealing the larger than expected traffic growth, I thought I'd dig out a few pictures of today, seven years ago at Newbury and the "End of the Road Reunion Rally"...

Sunday 10th January 1999 was the first reunion event since the bypass had opened (it opened nov '98), and marking three years since destruction work had starting on the road. Previous re-unions had seen large scale direct action but this time most people expected a quiet day - but really the opportunity was too good to miss, a chance to say again that this was an outdated destructive and crass road scheme, that opposition was still there.

And so people took to the new road... (see links at end for reports)
Read more >>

Research by David Ismail, a farmer sponsored by Oxford based Nuffield Foundation, presented at the Oxford Farming Conference has exposed how slave labour is being used in Brazil to clear rainforest for cattle farms. Read more >>

Below is a list of upcoming events in Oxford (and Reading) during January 2006, re Palestine. Read more >>

On Saturday 7th January around 60 people gathered at Middle Oak to remember the resistance against the Newbury Bypass (A34), and reveal the huge traffic growth that's come since.

It's ten years on Monday since the destruction of around 10,000 trees began in ernest, or rather should have done - back then protestors scored an early victory by blockading the entrance to the security compound with scaffolding tripods, thus ensuring no vehicles could leave. The start of work heralded the most full-on phase of the '3rd Battle of Newbury', Britain's biggest ever road protest, which saw over thirty different tree camps set up to oppose the road and around one thousand arrests. Read more >>

graff writers, street artists and whateva!!
you are invited to the first u.k.
"SPECIAL GRAFFITI SANDWICH JAM"
a paint splash fun fest in oxford on
sat 14th. & sun 15th. Jan 06 Read more >>

We need the space so Free videos for all Read more >>

There will be a reunion this weekend to commemorate ten years since the start of construction work on the Newbury bypass. Read more >>

Two major civil wars and decades of neglect have taken its toll on South Sudan: it is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped places in the world. Nine of out ten people live in poverty, and only one in every five children attends primary school. Read more >>

"But of course, the kinds of folks who push an ideology that required the expulsion of three-quarters-of-a-million Palestinians from their lands, and then lied about it, claiming there had been no such persons to begin with (as with Golda Meir’s infamous quip), can’t be expected to place a very high premium on truth." -- Tim Wise, anti-racist, anti-Zionist, Jewish-American activist, essayist & public speaker Read more >>

Balaclava-clad figures move about in sinister silence as they work towards their goal of completing Oxford University’s new ‘research’ facility. If completed, will see thousands of animals blinded, drugged, brain damaged, mutilated and ultimately killed. Read more >>

A group of local artist were told “you can have a free reign” to paint murals on a wall on Cowley Road owned by a local estate agent in Marston Street

After deciding to illustrate a poem written by local Poet Nyarai Humba and spending many hours researching photographs they then spent two days in the freezing cold painting the mural.

Over the weekend they had so much public support for the mural, the artists were constantly fed mince pies, cups of tea and mulled whine by passers by as they painted. So you can imagine the shock and horror they experienced to find the poem had been painted out by censors the day after it had been finished. Read more >>

In Reading last night, around 20-30 anti-capitalists, environmentalists, students and others marched from the Reading International Solidarity Centre, to make a free cafe and anti-World Trade Organisation demonstration outside Starbucks in the town centre. Protesters moved quickly into the Oracle Riverside - busy private land on both sides of the canal which is lined with posh restaurants, bars and the cinema between the huge Oracle shopping center and it's multi-story carpark.
Read more >>

RECLAIM OUR LIVES - NO WTO!

SAT 17TH DECEMBER, 8PM, THE ORACLE RIVERSIDE, READING TOWN CENTRE.

EAT, DRINK, DEMONSTRATE...

...AN EVENT TO COINCIDE WITH THE WTO SUMMIT IN HONG KONG, 14TH - 18TH DECEMBER. Read more >>

The Earth First! Summer Gathering 2006 will take place from Wed 16th to Sun 20th August 2006. The location will be at a new site in Wales.
Read more >>

please come to sing
ALTERNATIVE CAROLS
with Sea Green Singers and others
in support of Palestinians
on TUESDAY, 20 DEC.
at 5.15pm (for5.30-6.30pm)
in Cornmarket St.
(outside St. Michael in the Northgate Church),
Words provided - see you there! Read more >>

PROTECT DARFUR DEMO Friday 16/12/05
12 Noon Opposite Downing Street
Aegis Trust, Darfur Union - 200 Darfuri refused asylum seekers + Thousands of Brits (hopefully)
Read more >>

Participatory performance methodology getting people to 'go to the clinic!' Kenyan community health workers facilitate health workshops with youth theatre practitioners. An M&E facility enables rural clinics to practice preventative care policy. Great potential for tackling diseases, HIV/AIDS formost. Read more >>

Upcoming Oxford Palestine Solidarity Events for December Read more >>

This Saturday saw animal rights protesters once again take their campaign against the new animal lab into the centre of Oxford. Read more >>