At least 10 arrested as thousands wrongfoot cops in Bristol

[Update 1/12 - MP's to vote at Parliament on the fee increases & other relevant changes on Thursday 9 December. Mass protest London & locally 9 December. Day of action against fees and cuts on 8 December. Further Bristol protests 4 and 5 December.]

Several thousand students, schoolkids and supporters marched, ran and charged around Bristol for about 5 or 6 hours today in the latest protests against rises in university fees and cuts to benefits such as EMA.

Police lines and attempts to kettle protesters were breached multiple times as the up-for-it crowd led cops a merry dance around town. At one point in mid-afternoon as the crowd surged once more into Broadmead and Carboot Circus, it seemed as if the cops just gave up for a while. However the crowd was more exhuberant and joyous, than destructive, and did not attack these temples of consumerism. Later as the numbers dwindled up near Bristol Uni, the cops tried it on and made a number of arrests, resulting in a solidarity demo outside Trinity police station. Good reports on Bristol Indymedia, keep checking their newswire. The UWE occupation continues, Bristol UNI students have an AGM coming up, and LibDem MP and pledge-breaker Stephen Williams faces a protest on Friday.

Legal and practical advice for revolting students and supporters

Don’t forget those students and youth arrested so far!

Hot on the heels of the effective mass protests on 24 November across the UK, a further ‘national day of action’ against students fees increases & cuts across public services has been announced – Tuesday 30 November, meet 11am at College Green. Details here, here, and on Yuk-Facebook (for Bristol).

Revolting youth take central Bristol

Here is a fine report on the 24 November Bristol protest, and here a statement from the successful occupation of Bristol Uni student union. Meanwhile the occupation at UWE continues. Here is an interesting comment on the violence on demos debate. Here is a good article on the recent history of the policing of protests.

Arrests mount but Dutch squatters escalate actions against squatting ban

On October 1 in Holland a ban on squatting was controversially introduced, making it technically illegal. For many years Holland has been perceived as a liberal nation in its attitudes to issues such as squatting, dope and sex workers. But like many European nations, recent years have seen the state moved further to the right by its political masters, and the peoples’ gains from previous cultural and class battles slowly eroded.

October 2nd -around 600 people demonstrate in Nijmegen against the squatting ban. Confrontations with the police. 13 people get arrested.

The ban on squatting has provoked serious anger. It has been confronted on a number of levels – on the street, in the courts, and of course by squatting more empty houses. There have been quite a few arrests, and a number of squatters who have refused to give the cops their identities have been remanded in prison awaiting a court date, whilst some others have received sentences such as ‘community service’! A report has been published listing a variety of actions and protests during the period October 1 to November 14. Read the timeline of actions report, which includes a number of links.

Callout for Solidarity with the Thessaloniki 4

Beaten Up, Fitted Up, Don’t Let Them Get Banged Up

Over a hundred people were arrested after a demonstration confronting the European Union summit, held in Thessaloniki in Greece back in 2003. Seven people were imprisoned and held on remand, including UK protester Simon Chapman. The prisoners began a hunger strike that lasted more than 50 days.

A massive worldwide solidarity campaign followed including demonstrations, direct action and occupations leading to all seven being released on bail (archive of solidarity actions). All the charges were eventually dropped.

Years later after appeals from the Prosecutor the charges were reinstated. The first case finally came before the Courts in January 2008 where Simon Chapman and three of the other defendants – Suleiman “Kastro” Dakdouk (Syrian origin), Fernando Perez Gorraiz (Spain) and Michaelis Triakapis (Greece) – were found guilty.

Cops plant black rucksack filled with petrol bombs on Chapman after he'd been beaten up

All of those accused maintain their innocence and video and photographic evidence clearly shows police planting a rucksack filled with petrol bombs next to Simon. This didn’t stop him receiving a prison sentence of more than eight years, with the other defendants all receiving over five years.

They will now face the Appeal Court again in January 2011,

The Tattoo Circus DIY prisoner support benefit FUNdraiser

Saturday 20 November, in London, sees the capital’s second Tattoo Circus of the year, and it looks like being another weird and wonderful cracker of an event!

It all kicks of at 11am in the morning. For venue details ring 07908 037170 or 07908 068724 after 10pm on Friday 19 November.

Calls for solidarity and support with arrested students after London protest

(Urgent update 15/11/10: News coming in that the excellent FITWATCH website quoted below has been taken down by the police and suspended for 12 months, for allegedly ‘attempting to pervert the course of justice’! FITWATCH was set up to resist and monitor the behaviour of the police’s Forwards Intelligence Teams (as in FIT), who harass campaigners and stick their cameras in people’s faces in a threatening way. This means you cannot access FITWATCH’S excellent advice on the link below, but you can now read it here, here and here. Solidarity with FITWATCH, they do great work.)
Update 17/11/10 – FITWATCH website back up!

At least 57 students have now been arrested since the national student demo and storming of the Tory party HQ at Millbank near Westminster last Wednesday 10 November.

So far the media have been disappointed to find all those nicked are bona-fide students, and not clandestine anarchist rioters. At least 10 arrested are under 18 years old, and probably from FE colleges. There is no doubt the numbers arrested will escalate as the cops trawl the vast amount of media and cctv footage, along with the photos people have put up foolishly on social network pages & websites.

Prisoner support letter-writing night and hot prisoners

Bristol ABC prisoner support group returns this month to Kebele social centre for November’s public letters to prisoners night.

Wednesday 10 November, from 7 to 9pm at 14 Robertson Rd, Bristol BS5 6JY. Hot drinks available, bring snacks to share please.

Once again we will have lists of prisoners here and abroad who welcome support.

Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3 moves prison after 40 years

Yes that’s right, according to a mailout by the Angola 3 campaign, Albert has been moved to another prison after more than 40 years, and for nearly the last 38 years he’s been in solitary confinement.

Just think about the complete inhumanity of that for a moment…nearly 38 years in isolation, over 40 years in one prison, and most of that time for a murder he didn’t even commit. The American dream? Land of the free? What a sick joke. Its time to set them all free.

Albert Woodfox’s new address since the start of November is reported to be:
Albert Woodfox
NIA #3-CCR
David Wade Correctional Center
670 Bell Hill Rd.
Homer, LA  71040, USA

No justice for Oscar Grant as hundreds arrested

Oakland (USA) killer cop gets just 2 years

Whilst in the UK it seems cops never get done for killing members of the public like Ian Tomlinson (UK G20 protests), in the USA they kill so many that occassionally one goes to trial. But that doesn’t mean justice is done. Obama’s election has just meant business as usual! News just in from OccupyCalifornia via Denver ABC (links include video footage):

Prisoner support list for November

The updated November 2010 list of UK & international political prisoners welcoming support.

Here is our latest updated monthly prisoner support list to download:
open office doc version: Prisoners list_Nov 2010
pdf version: Prisoners list_Nov 2010