‘I was in fancy dress on the day. That was it. One minute I was in a Starbucks near Soho Square with four other people who’d come for a zombie flashmob. Four hours later I emerged from a police cell with handcuff marks still visible on my wrists. If it can happen to a boring, middle-class white girl like me, it can happen to anyone.’ ‘In the case of the Ratstar squat they came with a warrant for stolen bike parts yet seized no bikes. They did, however, take all the toothbrushes in an apparent sweep for DNA. In the case of Grow Heathrow the police came with a warrant for paint bombs. They found none, but seemed more interested in ascertaining the identities of everyone on the site.’ ‘The high court’s decision to dismiss all four judicial reviews gives tacit approval for the police to use these oppressive tactics time and time again at the Olympics and beyond. Apparently the smooth running of state pageantry is more important than citizens’ rights to free speech and free assembly.’ Via @catvincent.
‘Some of the people who were arrested had stopped painting graffiti without prior permission over a decade ago, and now paint commissioned artwork for corporate clients, while others haven’t touched a spray can at all in many years. For both types of ex-graffiti enthusiast, a knock on the door from the British Transport Police was the last thing they were expecting.’ ‘These men have told us that they are not currently involved in painting illegal graffiti. These men are living law-abiding lives, but can no longer travel on public transport or enter large areas of London due to harsh bail conditions. In addition, laptops, mobile phones and other devices were taken into evidence by police. How these men are supposed to work and look after their families under these conditions, they are not sure.’ Via Beware of Unreal Things (proving the aptness of their blog name yet again IMO).
‘Space is filled with a billowing sea of quantum particles that jump in and out of existence, and Aisha Mustafa proposes using thin silicon panels, spaced closely together, to trap these particles and then move against them, creating a propelling force. This innovation would make space exploration lighter, safer and cheaper than the traditional “blast off” method.’ ‘Dynamic’ Casimir Force. Casimir Force is real enough. Sorry, can’t remember where this came from: either Reddit, or Cat again, I should think…
Ukraine: Clashes in capital over use of Russian | Houston Chronicle
‘Opposition protesters spray tear gas against riot police in front of the Ukrainian House in central Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 4, 2012.’
Via @catvincent.
Dissidents airdrop hundreds of free-speech teddybears over Belarus | Boing Boing
‘“Belarus is usually referred to as the last dictatorship in Europe. The opposition is jailed and tortured. The freedom of speech is non-present. Yesterday morning a small airplane entered the restricted Belarusian airspace, heading for Minsk. Flying on low altitude to avoid radar, the plane reached Minsk early morning releasing it’s cargo of 800 plush teddybears with protest signs demanding free speech. The plane was able to return to Lithuania without being detected. Later the same day day the Belarusian minister of defense denied anything or anyone entered Belarusian airspace.” And if not for the small detail that we filmed everything our guess is that no one would have believed this ever took place. The only thing a dictator can’t really survive is when the people are laughing at him, and this is what we people will do when a plane was able to circle over Minsk airdropping teddybears and get away with it.” ‘
‘The sale of “kidneys, lungs, bone marrow or corneas” is rampant in former Soviet states, but it’s also booming in Spain, Italy and Greece — countries where mandated austerity has stripped away the social safety net at the very moment in which the economy has collapsed and unemployment has spiked’ So, Larry Niven was right after all.
