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WHAT'S THIS? This section of the J18 website is an online version of the booklet and map produced for the London Day of Action on June 18th 1999. The booklet is designed as a guide to how business districts such as the so-called Square Mile in London work. Simply, it provides an insight into how they work and what they do. The map, whilst no doubt out-of-date as quickly as it was produced, provides an invaluable resource as to the type of companies found in the city but more importantly provides the specific locations of the best known 100 or so companies in this area. Designed as a guide to the City of London no self-respecting activist (whether they be banner-dropper, placard waver, leafletter or sound-system boomer) should be without one.
Introduction Capital (and the profit it demands), lies at the root of the world's social and ecological crises. Whether it's casualisation in the Merseyside docks or rising sea levels in Bangladesh, a path can be traced back to the City. Campaigners rarely target finance, intimidated perhaps by its steel and glass towers, its digital trading systems, its upmarket watering holes and its blanket CCTV. But beneath the facade, its institutions and individuals are simply members of an undignified yet highly overpaid herd - sometimes a herd of bulls*, sometimes of bears*, but most commonly of lemmings. This guide hopes to be a first step towards unlocking the City's mystique. With the right information and a little imagination, it could be rocked. So read on, and good luck in your endeavours ... (*see phrasebook) What happens in the City?There are 3 categories of things that are bought and sold in the City:
In this guide we look at these three areas, how they work and what they do. The game is gambling, and the adrenaline levels are high. But in this casino, it's other people's lives on the table. A bad bet on the London Commodities Exchange, and thousands of sugar cane farmers will be starving. But the greater the risks, the greater the potential rewards. Different players go for different levels of risk: some will prefer a steady, reliable, small income; others go for broke. Where is the City?The Square Mile (actually more than a square mile in area) is defined by London's old medieval walls. It is north of the River Thames, stretching from Blackfriars Bridge to Tower Bridge, and as far north as Smithfield Market and Liverpool Street Station. (Check out the Map that comes with this booklet!) However London's financial centre is no longer a sharply defined region. About 40% of London's financial sector operates outside the Square Mile, especially at Canary Wharf in Docklands (which is now booming, and recently valued at £2.2 bn), London Bridge City in Southwark or Victoria Plaza in Victoria. CONTENTS: Introduction Who works in the City?
This booklet was written and researched by Corporate Watch and London Reclaim the Streets, published by J18 publications (UK) c/o PO Box 9656, London, N4 4JY (April 1999) and designed by Gaffers. It was designed for online publication by London Greenpeace c/o 5 Caledonian Rd, Kings X, N1 9DX, UK.
Corporate Watch is an Oxford-based research group, providing information on companies for activists who are challenging them; it publishes a quarterly magazine, 'Corporate Watch'.
London Reclaim the Streets is a popular movement seeking the liberation of city streets and public spaces using direct action. It is now the Western European Conveners of Peoples' Global Action Against 'Free' Trade and the World Trade Organisation.
Gaffers, the Green Arts Federation of Oxford, provides creative support to grassroots activists.
Thank you to the many people who gave us their help and advice in this project.
Printed in Great Britain. |
Always handy (maybe): WHAT'S THIS? INTRODUCTION CONTENTS |
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[ pdf's: booklet - map ][ j18 homepage ] |
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