Belfast Food Not Bombs Birthday

antrim | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis

Friday December 10, 2004 02:29

by darren (words) jawad (pics) - Belfast Food Not Bombs

directactionagainstapathy at yahoo dot co dot uk

Chai, Cake & Chickpea Curry…

Belfast Food Not Bombs Celebrated the first anniversary of our regular soup kitchen on Botanic Avenue earlier tonight. A large crew turned out to serve up a tasty chickpea & potato curry some warming chai & a celebratory chocolate cake to the (un)suspecting Belfast public.

Food Not Bombs first hit the streets of Belfast in October 2002 to round of the weekend of the Grassroots Gathering in Giros. For a month or 2 in winter 02/03 there were regular kitchens serving food on Royal Avenue (Belfast’s Main Shopping Street). Throughout the attack & occupation of Iraq in 2003 Belfast FNB provided food for many demo’s & actions in Belfast (& we made a few trips to Shannon). In Dec 2003 Keith McHenry (co-founder of FNB from the states http//:www.foodnotbombs.net ) visited us on his speaking tour of Europe. We organised a talk/film screening & gig & a lot of people we’re quite inspired about FNB. Belfast FNB decided to put its focus into regular servings for the hungry & our regular soup kitchen on Botanic Avenue began.

Since Giros (café in the Warzone Centre http//:www.geocities.com/warzonecollective ) closed in Sep 03 we didn’t have a base to cook. From then on we became homeless & moved around cooking in various parts of Belfast wherever someone would donate a kitchen for the night. Over the last year we recycled a lot of food (that would’ve otherwise been wasted), made a lot of friends, & served a lot of meals. We learnt a lot about cooking, about group dynamics & grassroots organising. We also learnt that homeless issues are a pretty complex & require a lot more than a free meal once a fortnight. We’re still learning…

Over the summer the PSNI threatened to close us down on several occasions (sharing food with the hungry & curious doesn’t fit with Belfast’s new image of prosperity), but we persevered. Also in 2004 Belfast FNB catered for 1000’s over the Mayday weekend in Dublin, took part in the Ambush Peace Camp at Shannon, served breakfast outside the Belfast Magistrates Court during anti-war trials, & provided free food for the 8th Grassroots Gathering in Belfast.

In the next year we’re trying to seek out a kitchen (so we can open out our cooking sessions to be more inclusive), & we hope to get better at what we do & learn new things…

Belfast FNB serve free vegetarian/vegan meals every second Thursday outside Botanic Rail Station from 6.30 – 8pm. Our next serving will take place on the 23rd of December if you’d like to get involved drop us a line…

save preference

Comments (6 of 6)

Food Not Bombs Discussion

by FNB

Mon Apr 25, 2005 17:00

Thursday 28 April 8pm

Food Not Bombs and discussion with Street Seen editor Jon Glackin.

Queens University Student Union,
Belfast.

Very tippy top floor next to the roof garden
in the conference room

All Welcome...

Top job

by Andy - Belfast Anti War

Sat Dec 11, 2004 00:49

Fair play to yez folks and a very happy birthday. More power to your ladels. Peace and solidarity. Andy.

by pc

Fri Dec 10, 2004 17:51

for they're jolly good fellows...

by Ray Hanrahan

Fri Dec 10, 2004 16:12

hanrahanone at hotmail dot com

Having received from the bounty of Belfast FNB in the past, I just want to add my heartfelt congratulations to the organisation on their 1st birthday - the most beautiful infant organisation in Belfast! Great to see the pictures, and know that all the heads up there are still doing the business. Although I'm speaking only for myself, I know many Cork people/activists share my sentiments. Keep on doing the good stuff, you beautiful people!

Belfast FNB

by Barbara - Dublin

Fri Dec 10, 2004 12:39

More power to ye all. Keep up the deadly work - it looks a wee bit cold in those outdoor photos but ye had the right idea with the hats and snuggly jackets!

Hope lots of people keep posting info like this cos it gives the rest of a good idea about what is going on.

more pics this weeks FNB Belfast

by jawad

Fri Dec 10, 2004 02:37