Kilburn protest against Total in Burma

From Indymedia:

Six protesters demonstrated at Kilburn Total station, 409 Kilburn High Rd on Wednesday 23rd April. They called on the French oil company to stop funding the military dictatorship in Burma with 500 million dollars a year, fuelling the brutal regime's oppression in Burma. The foreign currency provided by Total enables the regime to buy weapons used to persecute the Burmese people and ethnic minorities.

The protesters distributed hundreds of leaflets to passers-by, many of whom were interested to learn more about events in Burma and discuss human rights in other parts of the world as well as Burma.

Some passing cars also stopped to ask for leaflets, though we were intending to just leaflet the passers-by.

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PROTESTS IN LONDON NEXT WEEK

WEDNESDAY 30TH APRIL

Meet at Burma Embassy for normal daily Burmese protest
12:00-1pm
Myanmar/Burma Embassy 19A, Charles St, London W1J 5DX.
Tube: Green Park | Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2vnnbh

Total London HQ, 33 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PW
1.30pm-2:30pm
Tube: Oxford Circus | Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2tylug

Hammersmith Total Station protest
5.00pm - 7.00pm (Wednesday)
Protest at Raven Total station, 372 Goldhawk Road, Hammersmith W6 0XF
Tube: Stamford Brook. Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/29w9lu

BURMA CAMPAIGN MAY 16TH PROTEST : Tell TOTAL to pull out of Burma on 16TH MAY
European Day of Action against TOTAL on May 16th Event on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=16050426753 (Host Burma Campaign UK)

Chiswick protest to get Total Oil Out of Burma

From Indymedia:

Five protesters demonstrated at the Total West Four petrol station on 137 Chiswick High Road on Wednesday 17th April. The protest was against the French Total Oil's support for the brutal Burma junta dictatorship. Burma's democracy leader, Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has said that “Total is the biggest supporter of the military regime in Burma. Total Oil gives 500 million dollars a year to the brutal Burmese dictatorship. Total's Yadana gas pipeline was built using forced labour.

The protesters displayed "BEEP 4 BURMA. BOYCOTT TOTAL" banners and distributed leaflets. They were very grateful for the local support in Chiswick. One of the shop owners took a leaflet, then came back for more leaflets for her colleagues in her shop only to return for even more leaflets for her friends at the neighbouring restaurant. She vowed to avoid Total petrol stations in future.

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LONDON PROTESTS NEXT WEEK

WEDNESDAY 23RD APRIL

Meet at Burma Embassy for normal daily Burmese protest
12:00-1pm
Myanmar/Burma Embassy 19A, Charles St, London W1J 5DX.
Tube: Green Park | Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2vnnbh

Total London HQ, 33 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PW
1.30pm-2:30pm
Tube: Oxford Circus | Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2tylug

Kilburn Total station, 409 Kilburn High Rd, Kilburn, NW6 7QG
5:00pm - 7:00pm (Wednesday)
Tube: Kilburn | Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2e8bb5

Asking Wallace Art Collection not to accept Total Blood Money

From Indymedia

We visited the Wallace Art Collection at Hertford House, Manchester Square, London on April 9th. They have been considering accepting money from the French oil company, Total that is the largest western sponsor of the brutal military junta in Burma and whose pipeline was built with slave labour. Total seeks to whitewash its dirty image by associating with the Arts.

When last asked Burma Campaign hadn't received a reply to their request to the gallery not to accept sponsorship from Total. At our last visit to the gallery on 19th March a senior member of the gallery had said a final decision had not yet been made. Since then an independent inquiry from an Indymedia reader, appeared to confirm that the gallery was going to accept sponsorship in the form of a "Corporate Membership" scheme for Total.

Several distinguished regular visitors to the gallery were very concerned that the gallery might be accepting Total sponsorship and gave us their full support. One was going to write to the director of the gallery and another who had lived in Burma spoke to the reception staff who denied Total sponsorship but seemed confused about the issue. So this visitor kindly asked the gallery to reply to Burma Campaign if they were not accepting money from Total. This time nobody from the gallery came and spoke to us.

We hope the gallery will help preserve humanity as well as Art !

Full Story and Burma news



Jersey Burma Water Festival Saturday April 12th

The Jersey Burma Group asked us to add news of this event. For anyone in Jersey, come and add to the candle lit vigil at the water feature and at the same time you’ll be supporting Burma Campaign UK and orphanages on the Burmese border. Saturday 12th April is an important date in Burma. It is the start of the Burmese Water Festival, an opportunity for fun and to jokingly criticise problems in the country before their New Year on 17th April.

Date: Saturday, April 12, 2008
Time: 6:00pm - 10:30pm
Location: Liberation Square, St Helier, Jersey
Street: Esplanade / La Route de la Liberation
Email: burmagroup [at] jerseymail (dot) co (dot) uk
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10647158348


Protests in London Next Week


Wednesday 16th April

[Edited 12th April - Burma Embassy closed all week for Burmese New Year so Cavendish Square protest time has been made earlier]

Total London HQ, 33 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PW
12.00-2:00pm
Tube: Oxford Circus | Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2tylug

Chiswick Total petrol station
5.00pm - 7.00pm (Wednesday 16th April)
Protest at West Four Total petrol station, 137 Chiswick High
Road, Chiswick W4 2ED
Tube: Turnham Green
Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/yuqvch

Olympic Torch report

Torch approaches Downing Street with protesters opposite

The totaloutofburma.org group joined with Burma Campaign UK and the Burmese to protest for Burma as the Olympic Torch came to London on April 6th. We were positioned just opposite the gates of Downing Street, next to the Tibetan protesters who must have numbered well over a thousand.

We brought banners asking for a UN Arms embargo against Burma. The British government has stated that it would support a UN Arms embargo, but we need other security council members, particularly China and Russia to support or at least not veto such a resolution. Sadly China gives a lot of support for the corrupt Burma junta supplying weapons and finance and has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called on the regime to begin transition to democracy.

Indymedia has a summary of the London Olympic Torch protests here: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/04/395922.html

The Olympic Torch procession originally began in the 1936 Berlin Olympics when it was used for propaganda by the Nazis and taken through countries they conquered a few years later. The BBC has a long history of Olympic protests here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7334362.stm.

We are not anti-China or anti-Chinese and hope that China will achieve humanitarian success in future as well as economic success.

Wrexham crew return to Chester Total garage

From Indymedia:

Members and supporters of Wrexham Women for Peace and Wrexham Peace and Justice Forum visited the TOTAL petrol station in Hoole, Chester again last night as part of the continuing calls for TOTAL to get out of Burma.


There was a very positive response again to our demo for the people of Burma at Hoole TOTAL petrol station. Only a handful of drivers and passers-by refused to take leaflets, the garage forecourt was empty for most of the time we were there, some drivers decided not to fill up after taking the leaflets, and others drove straight in and out.

The air was filled with supportive 'beeps' and we got chatting with several people, including three young guys who have a friend working in one of the refugee camps on the Thai/Burma border, and a German from Rostock who was in Chester for a conference and said he was surprised to see people demonstrating in Britain!

Surprisingly, there was no resistance from the petrol station to our leafleting drivers on the forecourt this time, although when we invaded en masse, the manager did get onto his tannoy.

For more information about the situation in Burma, see http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/

For more photos from this action, see the original report on Indymedia.

Any Chester-based people like to make this event happen more often? Please get in touch. wrexham woman
e-mail: wrexhamwomen[at]yahoo.co.uk

Olympic Torch protest and next weeks protests

Sunday 6th April

Olympic Torch Protest against China's support for the Burmese regime

On Sunday the Burma Campaign UK and the Burmese community will be highlighting China's continued support for Burma's brutal regime by holding a peaceful protest as the Olympic Torch comes to London.

Why China?
China arms the regime, supplying weapons, bullets and military vehicles to the brutal army. China finances the regime , by signing deals in the oil, gas, hydro-electric and mining sectors china provides the regime with an economic lifeline. China protects the regime by blocking UN Security Council action on Burma

By providing economic, political and logistical support China is helping to keep the brutal generals in power in Burma.

Time: 12:30-1:30
Location: Opposite Downing Street, at junction of Whitehall and Richmond Terrace.
Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/yv54pt
Nearest Tube: Westminster
See the location here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/yv54pt

Invite your friends to the Facebook event:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10091604641

The torch is scheduled to pass at 1pm.
Map of torch route

Wednesday 9th April

Meet at Burma Embassy for normal daily Burmese protest
12:00-1pm
Myanmar/Burma Embassy 19A, Charles St, London W1J 5DX.
Tube: Green Park | Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2vnnbh

The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square London W1U 3BN
Sadly despite appeals this art gallery seems to be accepting Total's blood money sponsorship and whitewashing Total's dirty image.
Event Time: 1:30pm - up to 5pm (gallery opens to public 10:00am - 5pm)
Tube: The nearest tubes are Bond Street (Central & Jubilee Lines) and Baker Street (Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee and Metropolitan Lines). Oxford Circus (Bakerloo, Central, Victoria Lines) is a 10-15 minute walk.
Map: http://www.wallacecollection.org/visiting/howtoreachus/map
Google Map: http://preview.tinyurl.com/29ny5f

Totalitarian Fossil Fools Day

From Indymedia:

Totalitarian Fossil Fools Day took place at the Dorest House Total Petrol Station 170-172 Marylebone Rd on April 1st. Joining in with the events of www.fossilfoolsday.org the 5 protesters demonstrated against the French oil company's fossil foolishness causing climate change and pollution as well as the usual protest against Total's support of the brutal Burma junta. Total funds the evil junta with 500 million dollars a year and its gas pipeline in Burma was built with slave labour (see www.totaldenialfilm.com).

The heavy Marylebone Road traffic beeped in support of the "BEEP 4 BURMA BOYCOTT TOTAL" banners and many taxi drivers visiting the station requested leaflets about the protest. One passer-by made a point of vowing to the protesters never to get petrol from Total ever again.

In January 2008 Total's fossil foolishness was recognised by the French courts as they convicted Total of France's worst oil disaster over the sinking of the tanker Erika off the coast of Brittany in December 1999. The disaster leaked 20,000 tonnes of oil into the sea, contaminating 400km of coastline. Having tried to deny responsibility Total was fined 375,000 euros (£280,000) and ordered to pay a share of nearly 200m euros in damages. The fine was the maximum penalty allowed. See BBC news article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7192085.stm

In the UK over 34 actions took place in 18 cities on Fossil Fools Day. For a round-up of protests see:
http://risingtide.org.uk/node/273 and http://www.fossilfoolsdayofaction.org

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