Tag: direct action

Total Liberation Gathering 2026

We are pleased to announce that we are hosting the second Total Liberation Gathering  on 26th-28th June at the Sumac Centre in Nottingham.

Total Liberation Gathering Shedule

The event is coordinated by the Total Liberation Collective  (info on Instagram).

The aim is for animal liberationists to connect with other struggles and strengthen solidarity between movements. We want to encourage collaboration, sharing resources and creativity.

This will be an opportunity for us to reimagine how the world could be. We will embody anti-hierarchy, active participation and collective care.

Our shared vision is to be as inclusive as possible, with anti racism, anti ableism and anti-speciesism at the heart of the project.

Here’s a form to register interest, needs & offers for this year, to help create a liberating educational space.

https://app.formbricks.com/s/eia4sutkztj8m6365551x812

The catering will be provided by Veggies Catering Campaign, the UK’s longest established 100% vegan campaign caterers.

 

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All Hands on Deck, Climate Activism the Way Ahead

A book launch presenting “All Hands on Deck, Climate Activism the Way Ahead” by Jan Goodey.
For more than 30 years, I’ve been on the front lines of direct-action environmentalism and anti-capitalism in the UK. I’ve helped shut down offensive companies for the day and been part of successful protest camps to save Britain’s ancient woodlands. But it’s not enough. Climate breakdown continues unabated; the gap between haves and have-nots is growing.

We welcome legendary activist Jan Goodey to the shop to help celebrate the launch of his essential new book All Hands On Deck: Climate Activism and the way ahead, out now from PM Press. A member of Just Stop Oil, and among those imprisoned for his climate actions, Jan is a seasoned and courageous activist. For more than 30 years, he has been on the front lines of direct-action environmentalism and anti-capitalism in the UK. Jan has helped shut down offensive companies and been part of successful protest camps to save Britain’s ancient woodlands. But, as he argues in his new pamphlet, it’s not enough. Climate breakdown continues unabated; the gap between haves and have-nots is growing.

This is a free event, but advance booking here on Eventbrite helps prepare the evening and ensure sufficient #SamosasForSocialChange!

“All Hands on Deck, Climate Activism the Way Ahead” is published by PM Press . It is from Veggies online shop, at Sumac Centre and from  Active  Distribution.

Resistance Exhibition

Since the early 1980’s the Rainbow Centre in Nottingham – now the cooperatve behind the Sumac Centre, has provided space, facilities and resources for a huge diversity of radical campaigns for positive social change. Our closely supported the emerging Road Alert network, @EarthFirstUK & later , Camps and more.

Nottingham Rainbow Centre  linked up with the (unrelated) London Rainbow Centre, and numerous other ‘Info Shops’, ‘centres for change’ and similar initiatives all over the UK. This was a powerful network, with its own media, such as SchNews, Squall, Undercurrents, ARC News, Free Information Network newsletters such as Notts FIN AKA Ned Ludd’s News,  and later Nottingham Indymedia.

Nottingham is dubbed the “City of Rebels” due to its long history of protest and defiance against the establishment.

As Left Lion, today’s batton carrier for indy media puts it:

As wider society became more conscious of environmental issues and animal rights, the activist subculture, which had loosely centred around the old Environmental Information Centre, needed a home. It found it in a little building on Mansfield Road, where various groups, including the Nottingham Friends of the Earth and CND, formed a collective space for gathering, learning and reading known as the Rainbow Centre.

Protests in Nottingham . Left Lion August 2018

All this leads us to …

The Resistance Exhibition

Documenting over 40 years of protest and resistance in the UK, through photos, videos, text and objects.
Resistance Exhibition, aims to foster a public archive of a vibrant protest culture in the UK; a documenting of history by the people who made that history.  It is an organically evolving archive that aims to span 25 years of movements for social change, from the 1990s road and animal rights protests to squatting and housing, from domestic violence and disability rights to LGBTQI and feminism, from anti-war and anti-racism to anti-capitalism and climate justice, and much more…

We are pleased to offer an exclusive opportunity to view the Exhibition, and discuss its contents with one of its curating team, at the Sumac Centre on Sunday 8th June. As well as the physical exhibition Sumac Screen Room will stream related activist filmed footage and you can explore our Rainbow Archive.

This event is the 3rd in a series, following and connecting DISCLOSURE: Unravelling the Spycops Files, with Kate Wilson on Sunday 1st June, and the   Battle of the Beanfield – 40th Anniversary Presentation  on Saturday 7th June.

As at many ofthe campaigns documented by the exhibitiion there will be #FoodByVeggies including Sumac Sunday Brunch and  #SamosasForSocialChange.

 

One Eye on the Road – Windsor to the Beanfields and Beyond

Now a long time Nottingham resident and social activist, Alan Lodge, ‘Tash’ comes from a free festival and traveller background. Living in old buses, trucks and caravans, he drove around the country on ‘the circuit’ with his family and friends.

Since the late 1970’s he has been photographing events and the people around him, with One Eye on the Road and always another on the response of the police.

Join us at Sumac Centre on the early evening of Saturday 7th June for a display of Tash’s photos, and a discussion with Tash about free festivals and wider issues of Policing and Protest.

This will no doubt include his activism in Nottingham from Critical Mass to Heckler & Koch, from Nottm Indymedia to the Green Festival.

There will be snacks from Veggies and a social at Sumac’s Forest Fields Social Club bar afterwards.

40 years ago, Molesworth peace camp, part of a campaign organised from Nottingham Rainbow Centre, was evicted by thousands of police and army, in one of the most expensive evictions in British history. Many of those evicted formed a ‘Peace Convoy’.

On 1st June 1985 Tash documented the prearranged police ambush of the Peace Convoy, travelling though Wiltshire for the annual Fee Festival at Stonehenge. This has been been dubbed the Battle of the Beanfield.

 

Five Leaves Bookshop will also be  holding an illustrated talk with Alan Lodge Tash at 4.45 on Sunday 1st June.

Whilst the Sumac Centre event will travel with Tash from the 1970’s to today, the Five Leaves event focuses his lens on the 40th Anniviversary of the Battle of the Beanfield.

A short history of the People’s Free Festival – from Windsor to the Beanfield

with stills photography by Alan Lodge ‘Tash’.

Total Liberation Gathering

We are proud to announce that we are hosting first Total Liberation Gathering on 11th-13th July at the Sumac Centre in Nottingham.

The event is coordinated by autonomousanimal.org . Please check out the Linktree to get involved, or contact them. Also follow details from the Total Liberation Collective on Instagram.

The aim is for animal liberationists to connect with other struggles and strengthen solidarity between movements. We want to encourage collaboration, sharing resources and creativity.

This will be an opportunity for us to reimagine how the world could be. We will embody anti-hierarchy, active participation and collective care.

Our shared vision is to be as inclusive as possible, with anti racism, anti ableism and anti-speciesism at the heart of the project.

The catering will be provided by Veggies Catering Campaign, the UK’s longest established 100% vegan campaign caterers.

Some words from the Total Liberation Collective:

“✊🏿 We really want to create a space of collective responsibility and community care.

✊🏾 The upkeep and running of the space will be anti-hierarchal and anyone who wants to contribute will be able to.

✊🏽If you want to run a workshop, or can offer to take up any responsibilities at the gathering (washing up, welfare support, general maintenance of the space, providing reading materials) please message us and we’ll send you a form to fill out.

✊🏼 We’re going to have a wide variety of workshops so if in doubt, put it down and we’ll contact you separately.”

Liberation is, as liberation does.

From https://autonomousanimal.org/our-story/:

Starting something new gave us the freedom to find new ways of relating to the issues close to us.

We are all autonomous animals, this work begins with how we treat the humans that we organise with.

We choose to grow collective power through togetherness and world – making; envisioning a better future for all beings.

Please print, display and share the poster &/or tlc-fliers to promote the event.

Contribute to the fundraiser

Get your hands on these cute stickers by donating to the Crowdfunding page.

(See also Total Liberation Gathering listing on Veggies Calendar)

 

Building XR Nottm Rebel Assembly

Let’s create the most beautiful, powerful and regenerative XR Nottingham that we can!

The process will be built around 2 sessions, with the morning session feeding into the afternoon session. All Nottingham Rebels are invited to attend at least one session, preferably both.

If you are new to XR, please turn up to a fast-track 30min long welcome session at either 10am or 1pm.

 

Non-violent Direct Action Training

We will cover the following:

-The history of NVDA

-What makes NVDA successful?

-What’s your personal definition to guide your actions?

-Practical skills in actions  Everyone welcome

 

Keeping it in the Ground // Anti-fracking // Mobiliser Tour

This Nottingham date is part of a national tour taking place 10th-20th October. The evening will focus on:

– the latest plans from the fracking and coal industries to extract fossil fuels in the UK

– what is direct action, and how can it be a powerful tactic to help communities achieve change

– what we can learn from previous direct action campaigns against environmentally destructive campaigns

– what might direct action against the fossil fuel industry look like here in the UK

– how we can coordinate our actions to stop these industries in their tracks

Food and drink will be available from 6pm ready for a 7pm start time!

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