1/7/09: Bristol organising meeting

Jaz writes: The BNP lost ground in the south west in the last round of voting. Make sure it stays that way and attend this meeting to get the National picture from UAF National Chair Weymann Bennett and local situation from Paulette North (activist in Defend assylum seekers and Trade Unionist). There will be contributions from the meeting and we want to hear what people have done to fight back and new ideas for taking the Nazi's on. Unite Against Fascism Bristol at Transport House ( Unite the Union) Victoria St Bristol BS1 Starts at 7.15pm on the 1st July 2009 Full article.

| UAF anti BNP Meeting 1/7/09 | www.uaf.org.uk |

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Staff, students and unions protested today at cuts to educational provision at the University of the West of England.

bristol observer writes

The self-styled CEO of UWE has spent the past year marketing the institution as being "Better Together" but has decided that the only way to run the institution is to impose decisions based on secret reports.

Some 440 students have joined the Save UWE Languages Facebook site and more than 880 members of staff have signed a petition protesting the cuts.

Today a large number of staff and students turned up to a lobby, which was covered by BBC television news. Earlier in the day BBC radio interviewed the University and College Union regional officer, who explained the absurdity of cutting language provision at the same time at which the British Academy released a report urging a rethink of language policy in UK higher education and secondary schools. Local MEP Graham Watson also weighed in to protest the cuts. Even the Bristol Evening Post found time and space to cover the protest.

Full Article

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A harrowing account of street violence in Bristol today...

@bs5'er writes: [The 17th June] saw another innocent victim battered on the Bristol to Bath bikepath. The 30-plus man, a self-employed carpenter, was returning to his home in Chelsea Park from a friends house off Devon Road, in Easton, a little before midnight. After walking the 100m along the path he was just about to exit via the small cut at top of Chelsea park when he was confronted by 3 youths. Attempting to walk through, he was grabbed by one, and resisted. The other 2 piled in and seconds later he was on the floor taking a beating. After the youths left he stumbled to his feet and to a neighbours house, who drove him to the BRI A&E. ... For sure we have the right, and need, to protect ourselves and our communities, be it from bullyboy youth, killer cops, big business or dumb government. But its a long slow process, and for it to work it needs to include the wider community, not just bevvied up angry white men down some local boozer, treading a fine line between retribution and racism. Unless the youth can be convinced they have a commonality with those they are attacking, then we'll just have a spiral of tit for tat violence, police nickings and brutality, and that often tried and failed state solution of prison.... Full article.

| More blood on the bike paths | Cycle path attacks warning (from June 2008) |

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University of the West of England criticized for proposed cuts to childcare and language departments.

Bristol Observer writes: As if to celebrate the victories of the BNP and UKIP the University of the West of England has decided to withdraw all its language degrees, leaving applicants, existing students and lecturers in a state of disarray. Sources at the University have suggested that the decision to remove degree-level language provision was taken without consultation. Lecturers and unions say that the decision was taken on the basis of a secret report and that the data on which the decision was based is misleading. The University sent letters to applicants, students and lecturers to inform them of the decision only after course had been withdrawn from the university admissions system, leaving applicants who had accepted places on its languages courses stranded. Students and language staff report that many applicants attended a recent open day only to find that the courses they were preparing to begin have disappeared. A note sent out by a the student campaign group Save UWE Languages says “Students wishing to study languages at UWE have been attending recent open days only to find out that they can no longer chose this route of study and that they must reconsider their options” Full article.

UWE Students write: As part of its programme of cuts, and in contravention of its supposed "commitment" to widening participation, the University of the West of England and its Student Union are seeking to disadvantage some students by withdrawing much needed nursery provision at the St Matthias Campus. If you need help, don't go to UWE!! Full article.

| UWE: Disappearing by Degrees | U+WE = Education…. Unless you have kids! |

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