Over 100 people gathered opposite Downing Street today to protest at the sacking of scientist Professor Nutt.

After several speeches given by members of the crowd, noisy and enthusiastic chants broke out including “I’d rather be a Nutt than a Johnson” and “If you don’t like the message, don’t shoot the messenger”.

A comedy horse was also in attendance.

Support from passers by was strong and several people joined the protest after seeing the placards.

The protest had been called at very short notice by the Students For a Sensible Drugs Policy who have their first conference at Leeds University on 27 November – 29 November 2009.

With the ACMD due to meet in a few days to discuss their response to Nutt’s sacking this is a story that is not likely to go away soon.

Sign the petition at: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Back-Prof-Nutt/

Here’s some pics (decidedly average ones due to a borrowed camera, normal service will be resumed one day).

Poor old Oliver Woodbridge William Bell.  It seems his career as a drugs counsellor hasn’t quite worked out as planned.  Until a few days ago the Talking About Cannabis website’s front page boasted:

Well that service appears to be no longer available, although Debra Woodbridge-Bell is still offering consultations in her own coy way, whether the hundred quid price tag applies is unclear.

Poor old Debra, sometimes it must feel like she can’t get anything right.

Talking About Cannabis: The Racket Continues

We will be there to show our support for Professor Nutt and to call on the government to back evidence based drugs policy by respecting and upholding the independence of the ACMD.

THIS PROTEST IS NOT ABOUT THE LEGALISATION OF DRUGS: IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT ALL PROTESTORS ATTENDING STICK TO THE MESSAGE. THIS IS ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT LISTENING TO THEIR OWN ADVISERS.

Called by:   Students for Sensible Drug Policy UK
http://www.ssdp.org.uk

Sign the petition to Re-instate Professor Nutt at:  http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Back-Prof-Nutt/

Some bright sparks have suggested sending Alan Johnson a smoke.  After having a hissy fit because the bad scientist didn’t say what he wanted him to it seems he could do with something to chill him out.

We reckon post him a roach and let him know what he’s missing.

Here’s the full call out from the facebook page

Re-instate Professor David Nutt

It looks like this story will not being going away quickly with resignations from the ACMD expected this week. This has thrown the Government’s drug policy into chaos and could well be an important turning point.

And whilst Brown’s Government is to blame for this shambles, it is important to remember that the Tories stand shoulder to shoulder with Labour on drugs policy and the shadow Home Secretary has said he supports the decision to sack Professor Nutt.

Which leaves it down to us: the mob, the true opposition.

How to help

Firstly invite your friends to join this group and share the group on your wall. This gets us in one place where we can discuss strategies on effective actions to take. It also keeps people interested and talking about the subject.

You can write to the Home Office at: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk or to the Home Secretary direct at: johnsona@parliament.uk

All MPs addresses use the same formula, ie, surname, first initial
@parliament.uk, although it’s woth remembering that not all Honourable Members are competent enough to use computers so may not respond to email.

You can also contact your MP via the website theyworkforyou.com

Your constituency MP is duty bound to address any issue you take up with them and at a time when many are rightly fearing for their political lives they may be more interested than usual in the concerns of their constituents.

Several people have registered petitions on Number 10’s website, when they go live we’ll post a link up to all of them on the group info page.

Someone has suggested contacted the beeb to suggest Nutt as a panellist on Question Time which you can do by going to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/7827200.stm#1

Any other ideas please post them up on the group’s wall or in the discussion forums, let’s be creative, why not post a smoke to Alan Johnson to help him calm down a little bit.

Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Goodwin Resource Centre
Icehouse Road
HULL
HU3 2HQ

The venerable Alan Johnson has a website at: http://www.alanjohnson.org/ – whilst you can post comments to his page they are moderated, so whilst unlikely to appear, they will be seen.

Finally blog, tweet and let’s keep people talking.

Yes, it’s reformist twaddle, but reformist twaddle can be sorta fun if it narks off the state enough, and this might:

“Scientists should not be sacked for telling the truth.

This group demands the re-instatement of Professor Nutt and the beginning of a new debate about radical reform of the drug laws based on science, not on pandering to right wing tabloids.”

Join the inevitable facebook group

We’d rather scientists influence drugs policy rather than fruitloops like Debra Bell and co.

johnny void – never knowingly missed a bandwagon

Some people just won’t stay dead.

We were happy to leave Debra Bell of the one woman organisation Talking About Cannabis to drift into well deserved obscurity.

After a well publicised split with school teacher Mary Brett we’d hoped that her incessant ego and dishonest diatribe might have quietened down.  Alas it was not to be.

Debra finally got a book published, which is due for release next year.  Desperate to wring every last penny from her son’s personal problems she’s been signed up by Hammersmith Press, a flaky operation who claim to be medical publishers but run a sideline in unscientific drivel.  Which we suppose should suit Debra rather well.

Not content with that, but Debra is now offering consultations to families of problem drug users. For a mere hundred quid (you heard that right) you can have a “coaching, support and information session” from an untrained, unqualified nutjob.

What’s more, her son William is now looking to cash in as well.  William Bell is offering telephone consultations, once again for a cool hundred quid.

Now we’d always felt a bit sorry for poor old William.  Having his personal life splashed over the newspapers in furtherance of his mother’s desperate attempt to carve out a career for herself cannot have been pleasant.

But our sympathy has faded.  Basically a kid who smoked a few spliffs (and the rest) charging vulnerable families a hundred quid for a fucking phone call is pure shysterism.

Which is why we’ve decided to reveal that William Bell is in fact Oliver Woodbridge. He’s got a facebook page and everything, where he lists his interests as “sleeping, smoking, singing, playin football, bein tall (an effort btw), sexing, hexing, vexing,”.

Here’s a picture of him, he’s the one on the left next to the bloke with a spliff in his hand.

Just a quick plug for tomorrow’s (Sat 24th Oct) Anarchist Bookfair, held at the Queen Mary and Westfield College on the Mile End Road.

And since the void is undergoing an all too common lean period we thought we’d post of round up of free events this weekend from the excellent freelondonlistings.co.uk

“Lot’s going on next weekend and it’s all getting a bit political.  This year’s Anarchist Bookfair takes place on Saturday at the Queen Mary and Westfield College on Mile End Road.  The reformist traitors in the Stop The War Coalition are also holding a march on Saturday, a red and black delegation will be assembling at Speaker’s Corner at noon.  There’s also an Anarcha-feminist Call Out to attend a meeting and lunch at LARC on Sunday.

Sad news on the politics front comes from long running art and social centre RampART which was evicted last week after five years.  This means any events which you’ve seen listed on this site will either be held elsewhere, postponed or cancelled, we’ll try to get up to date information as soon as we can.

On a more cheerful note, there’s a Black History Month Festival on the South Bank over both days of the weekend where you can catch Felix Dennis on Saturday, whilst the Oxo Tower hold a Festival of Interdepence.

Hillingdon’s got a street party on Sunday, Brick Lanes is holding a This Is Not A Gateway Festival from Fri-Sat and there’s apply goings on at Borough Market on Sunday.  And here’s a quick plug for East London’s annual photography festival: photomonth 09.

Astute readers will notice we’ve opened up this year’s Bonfire Night category, for events holding free firework displays.  Not many yet, so send us details of any happening near you.

Finally, if your bored, why not join our facebook group where event organisers can spam free (we’re watching) events to our wall to their hearts content.”

The oh so pious English Defence League is rebranded courtesy of google ads.

Yes folks A4e can cure impotence by showing you just how it should be done.  After all they’ve been fucking the poor for years so they should have picked up a few tips.

Poverty pimps A4e’s community pages are a wealth of vital information.  Learn such inspirational snippets such as “Try to drink water during the day, as this is unbelievably healthy.”

A4e appear to be planning to save the proles from themselves with lots of handy tips available. Unplanned pregancy?

“Firstly, you need to think long and hard about whether or not continuing with the pregnancy is the right thing for you or not. Try not to be swayed by the opinions of those around you, it is your body and your decision whether or not to have a baby.” – here

Subtext, have an abortion then get a job you slut.

A4e seem to be extending their remit into handling personal issues as the recent diagnosis of alcoholism in the first episode of Channel 4’s Benefit Busters reveals.  On their website A4e have advice on mental health problems:

“For those people who do not want to go to their doctor you can also get help with mental health issues from A4e. By contacting A4e you can speak to someone who will be able to let you know the places you can go for help and advice on dealing with mental health issues. You will not be judged in any way and you will be able to benefit from knowing that there are organisations that can help you overcome your mental health issues. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health you can contact the doctor or speak to someone at A4e and start to see things more clearly.”

dealing with cancer:

“Whilst ultimately it is up to the individual to decide whether or not they would like to use alternative therapies to fight cancer, you should always speak to your doctor before doing so. So for more information on alternative therapies you can speak to Cancer Research UK, your GP, your hospital or A4e.”

and how to be happy:

“For more help and information on ways to be happy you can also speak to one of the advisers at A4e who can get you in touch with groups or services in your area that could be of use to you. Before you know it you’ll be back on the road to being happy once again.”

Perhaps after moving in on the community legal advice sector, A4e now have plans to inflict themselves on public health and social work.

Chief harridan Emma Harrison has bigs plans for the A4e community website:

“Eventually all staff, all customers will be on there - and anyone else around the world who wants to share information that relates to ‘improving people’s lives.’ My vision? – The biggest community in the world committed to improving people’s lives – theirs and others.”

She writes on her pitiful blog.

At present only A4e staff and detainees seem to be allowed to register, but you can post comments, which may or  may not be published.