Spain: poster for anarchists arrested in “Operation Pandora”

Source: http://rabble.org.uk/spain-poster-for-anarchists-arrested-in-operation-pandora/

“They wanted to bury us, but they forgot we are seeds.”

Freedom for anarchist prisoners.

Solidarity with our comrades arrested by the Spanish state during “Operation Pandora”.

———-

On Tuesday, December 16th, at 5am, hundreds of cops broke into several houses, social centers, and ateneos in Barcelona, and also an apartment in Madrid. It was part of Operation Pandora, an anti-terrorist initiative carried out by the the highest level of the Spanish court system. Several houses were searched and eleven anarchist comrades were arrested. They did not know what charges they were accused of when they were arrested, just given a vague “anarchist terrorism” charge.

On Thursday, December 18th, seven of them went to prison and the other four were released under surveillance. All of them are now accused of the participating in the GAC (Coordinated Anarchist Groups), a group of people who held some meetings and edited some books. Earlier in November, 2013, five people were arrested and two are still in prison. They are also accused of the participating in the GAC and also committing some direct actions against churches.

The coordination between the police force and the media during Operation Pandora was immediately apparent. Together, they created panic and justified the repressive operation in terms of “criminal groups”, “terrorists” and “violent ones”. These police raids happened one day after the enactment of the “Ley Mordaza”, a very restrictive law that criminalizes disobedience and protest .

We are not surprised about the repression against the anarchist movement because our struggle against inequality through the self organization outside of laws and institutions make us undesirable for the state. They talk about “terrorism” when it is they who create terror and misery: the politicians and their laws, the bankers and their blackmails, the employing class and their exploitation, the cops and military with their repression and wars. Who are the “criminals”? Who is “violent”? Who are the “terrorists”?

The arrested people are our comrades. If they are terrorists, we are too. We build affinity, create alternatives, and point out who is robbing and exploiting us.

Because they are our friends,
Because they are our comrades,
Because we fight for Anarchism
We demand their immediate release!
We are in solidarity with them and will keep on fighting!

The struggle is the only way

For more information: solidaridadylucha(at)riseup.net

Action report: Back at ya police harassment!

Around 20 local anarchists, friends & badgers visited the HQ of the Bristol CID & Special Investigations at Sir Kenneth Steele House on Feeder Road in Bristol last Saturday 15th November. Officers operating from there have recently been visiting people’s homes and workplaces, harassing and putting pressure on local activists, musicians and their friends to become informants for the police. As a response, it was decided to turn the tables and start asking some questions of our own.

Armed with police style spotter cards displaying some of the ugly faces of Big Brother, our investigations began in the car park as decidedly nervous looking CID operatives arrived for their dirty work. Our unannounced presence seemed to produce a sort of mild panic for the first officer on the scene. All requests for “A friendly chat” and information on “shadowy figures stalking people and harassing communities” were met with a stony and awkward silence. Interestingly, they didn’t have anything to say on the matter and most stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact and going No Comment all the way. We could only conclude that they were feeling the pressure and had something to hide. The CID photographers were visibly nervous and especially camera shy but found themselves in a few photo opportunities anyway.

Deciding that our investigations could go no further today we left the premises. Soon afterwards armed police, dog units and a lot of agitated cops arrived, playing catch up and blocking the street. After a brief show of the sort of over reaction they’re well known for and what we pay our taxes for there was a stand off around the theme of “Give me your details”, “No!” “Well then we’ll arrest you”, “No you can’t!”. Once they realised we knew the law and were standing our ground the disgruntled police backed down and skulked off. Satisfied that our investigations had rattled a few cages we adjourned for refreshments and to plan further lines of enquiry… and solidarity!

Statement against Police Harassment

Police in Bristol appear to be stepping up their so far fruitless efforts to find individual anarchists and those that they think are responsible for property destruction actions over the last few years in Bristol. One year after their firearms training centre at Portishead was burnt down, they have turned to desperate measures to try and get any scrap of useful information.

They have made a number of arrests, detained people at airports, and raided people’s homes. The majority of people targeted have not even been charged with a crime, and we do not know of anyone who has been successfully prosecuted. Further, officers from CID have recently visited people at their homes under the pretext of having “a friendly chat”. Not surprisingly, they have been met with a resounding wall of silence with no cups of tea involved, as most good people understand the importance of not getting drawn into conversations with the police. Even if any one of the people recently harassed by these visits knew anything about these actions or the people involved, we are confident that common sense and solidarity would prevail and the police would get the sum total of zero information. Anything else would be working for the police.

These home visits, arrests, searches and requests to snitch are not just about information and evidence gathering. They have as much to do with a concerted effort to intimidate and divide us all. A big part of their plan is to scare people into inaction and to create divisions between us. They hope to get us blaming each other for increased surveillance to the point where someone falls for their lies and starts talking to the bad guys. These are tactics that have been used against social movements in countless places and times.

But they won’t work here in Bristol. None of us will ever co-operate with those whose job it is, all in the name of “security” and “safety”, to defend the rich and powerful while keeping us down.

We know that we are not the only people who face repression from the police – in no way do we want to compare what is happening to us to the things they are doing to others, for example their systematic use of anti-terrorism powers against people they see as Muslim. We oppose all police brutality and harassment, whoever they do it to. We also understand the need to stick together in the face of state control and repression. Anarchists and others targeted by the police have a wide range of opinions and preferred tactics, but we know who our comrades are and recognise the enemies at our front doors.

Signed:

• Bristol Defendant Solidarity
• Bristol Anarchist Black Cross
• South Wales Anarchists
• Bristol Solidarity Network
• Bristol Legal Observer Network
• Bristol SolFed
• Kebele Social Centre
• Riot Ska Records
• Rising Tide
• Spanner
• Bristol Hunt Saboteurs
• Empty Cages Collective
• Bristol AFed
• Bristol Animal Rights Collective

Here is some useful information on dealing with the police, both on the street and at your front door….

There are no friendly chats with the police! If police try to talk to you, we recommend you refuse to answer anything – answer “no comment” or “I am not obliged to answer that” to all questions. This isn’t just about protecting others – any other response will be taken by them as a sign of weakness, and they may hassle you more as a result. The ONLY time you legally have to tell them anything other than your name and address is if you are stopped at an airport under “Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act”. Even then, you do NOT have to answer questions about others, and they can ONLY ask you questions related to terrorism. If this happens to you, request a solicitor.

If police come to your door, do not let them in unless you have to. The only times they can force entry are when they have a warrant, when someone who lives at your house has been arrested, or in order to prevent a crime from happening. If you live in a shared house and someone is arrested, they can ONLY search communal areas and the room of the person arrested.

Dealing with police can be upsetting and intimidating, so it’s important that we support each other. Counselling For Social Change may be able to help if you need to talk through anything that’s happened www.counsellingforsocialchange.org.uk. Activist Trauma Support has a list of resources to help understand and deal with trauma – www.activist-trauma.net. The most important thing is to give each other space to talk without being given advice, and not to be left to deal with things alone.

Bristol Defendant Solidarity is a group of local people committed to putting principles of solidarity into practice and standing alongside anyone facing trouble from the authorities for involvement in radical politics. Anyone approached and harassed by the police to give information about people involved in struggle, here in Bristol or elsewhere, can contact BDS for support. We are also compiling a list of arrests, home visits and interviews at airports so far to get a clear picture of their lines of questioning, to track their operations and to use in any future court cases that people may want to bring against them.

Contact:
bristoldefendantsolidarity@riseup.net
07746741104

We have compiled a more extensive guide to police powers and your rights if they target you, which you can read here: bristolabc.wordpress.com/defendant-solidarity/police-harassment

SOCPA7 Court Protest – Transport available from Bristol

9am onwards // Friday 10th October 2014

Southwark Crown Court, 1 English Grounds (off Battlebridge Lane), Southwark, London SE1 2HU.

If you’re interested in traveling from Bristol, please email bristol_abc@riseup.net to book a place in our shared vehicles.

After more than 2 years on bail for their part in the campaign to close Europe’s largest animal testing laboratory; Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), the SOCPA7 defendants will attend court to be sentenced on Friday 10th October.

The SOCPA7 are compassionate campaigners who were raided and arrested for holding protests against HLS. They were charged with conspiracy under special laws that were introduced to criminalise anti-vivisection campaigns.

Debbie and Lorna have the most serious charges and face up to 5 years in prison, Emma and Anton face up to 3 months and Emily and Alexis face large fines.

Don’t let them go through this alone!

Join us in a peaceful protest outside the court in solidarity with the activists as their sentencing takes place. Together we have the strength to fight animal testing and resist state repression.

To learn more about the SOCPA7 case, laws and defendants, visit the support website: www.socpa7.org

Please join the Facebook event page to give us an idea of numbers on the day: www.facebook.com/events/147032525467120

Help us to build a good show of support for the defendants by sharing this event info and inviting your friends.

Please note that space in the public gallery is limited, so we ask that this be saved for close friends and family invited by the defendants.

SOCPA7 Support Group
info@socpa7.org
www.socpa7.org
www.facebook.com/socpa7

Thoughts on the Anarchist Witch Hunt Following Attacks in Bristol

The smouldering remains of the Police Firearms Training Centre in Portishead, near Bristol following a visit from the “Angry Foxes Cell”

When the flames were lit that engulfed the Police Firearms Training Centre in Portishead, near Bristol it shocked the country. Never before in living memory had such a blazen act of insurrection taken place on British soil and aimed at such a high-profile target. The mass media went hysterical with talk of a “anarchist terror network” . The communique, originally published on Bristol Indymedia, was quoted around the world and quickly dubious links were made between the arson at Portishead and other attacks across the UK.

Following the arson our local right-wing rag, The Post, published an article claiming that Avon & Somerset Police were preparing to “crackdown on rioters and extremists” and are “monitoring several potentially dangerous groups”. They referred to a report by the Police with the rather Stalinesque title: “Our Five Year Ambition” in which they have said to have launched a series of operations to “gather intelligence about subversive organisations”. This was followed by another article, from the Editor himself, arguing that: “We should all support the police in their campaign against anarchists.”

This is clearly an attempt by the Police and The Post to threaten anarchists. We should expect to experience heightened levels of repression from the state, but that should not deter us from taking action against the oppressive system that controls our lives. The state, for as long as it has existed, has had a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence which it exercises through the Police. When another group of people use violence to achieve their goals the state begins to panic that it will loose its grip on society as it did in August 2011 when hundreds of people took to the street for several nights of rioting and looting without fear of Police violence.

The state is worried about another such outburst of anger as it could prove a threat to its power. Once people begin to realise that the state and the Police are not the only forces capable of using violence, the state looses all legitimacy. Because of this the state needs to crack down on any expression of violent tendencies before it can take hold and infect the masses. This is exactly what we are experiencing in Bristol and we should keep that in mind when we start to feel the full weight of Police repression.

We live in a violent society. The state inflicts violence on us every day through the Police, the courts, the prisons and army. The idea that a small group of people lighting fires in the dead of night can pose a risk to society shows how pivotal a role violence plays. We must remember that the violence we experience is nothing compared to the violence enacted by the state on a daily basis; in the prisons, in the courtrooms, in the police cells or in far-away countries through wars and occupations.

Heightened surveillance, sadly, has become a fact of life in our modern society. We are being monitored by CCTV cameras; through our phones and even by our social media outlets every day of our lives. The recent exposure of the NSA’s (the United States National Security Agency) PRISM program is just one example of how deep the roots of state control have dug themselves. The fact that the GCHQ (the British equivalent) has also tapped into this service should come as no surprise.

We must be cautious – with this in mind – of how we communicate with each other and what we say. Silence can be a powerful weapon in the face of oppression. While it is obvious that we, like the Police, have no idea who lit the fire at the Police Firearms Training Centre it is important that we don’t begin to speculate or spread rumours, that while untrue, could lead to people being arrested or worse.

The Anarchist Black Cross was founded in the early 1900s by Russian immigrants to support social struggles, mostly by providing support to political prisoners. Bristol ABC was set-up with similar goals in mind and thus we are ready to support anybody who becomes a victim of this witch hunt aimed at anarchists. We will provide material and financial support (where possible) to those who have fallen foul of the state’s oppressive legal system, regardless of whether they are innocent or guilty.

We would advise anybody involved in anarchist or radical activism in Bristol to read up on their rights, follow the links on our website, and be prepared. Prisoner support is a crucial role within our movement and one that must not be overlooked. If you can support Bristol ABC either financially or by writing to prisoners it will put us one step closer to building a strong, resilient community.

Until Every Cell Is Empty,
Bristol Anarchist Black Cross

Bristol Defendant Solidarity benefit

http://www.combatwombat.org/

http://drowningdogandmalatesta.bandcamp.com/album/senza-padroni

http://www.monkeymarc.com/

Bristol Defendant Solidarity Benefit May 10th

Brewhaha with support from babylon crew presents pub link up!

Venue: White Heart and Red Lion

Here’s the line up:

FIRE PIT COLLECTIVE ft Jay Innerterrestrial
PRIMEVAL SOUP
CALICO JACK
BELLADONNA

DJS
Ironside (Dissident)
Dan Breakwhore (neverlution)
Abomination (Tossers)
Frith Element (Rambunctious sounnds)
Ambisinister (Brouhahah/Tossers)
Spacedocker (Jigsore)
Pev (Kebele sounds)
Kingofthebins
Clunge kartle (GSC)
Dan Guydance

£5 ON DOOR

Bookfair After-Party & BDS Fundraiser @ The Croft

Bristol Defendant Solidarity Benefit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FUNDRAISER FOR BRISTOL DEFENDANT SOLIDARITY

We have two rooms on Sunday 17th march at the ARC bar. Its St Patricks night so its not going to be your usual Sunday!

ROOM 1 and bar – Acoustic from 6.30pm Rita Lynch and Clayton Blizzard set the pace with their talents. Rita is an iconic figure in the Bristol music scene with her high energy punk style. Clayton is a radical poet and guitarist. Commander McNeil has some brilliant and amusing songs. Donkey in a clown suit are a small band with folk influence and unspecified alien landings!!!

The evening starts at 5pm with a comedy film ‘Down By law’ directed by the enigmatic Jim Jarmusch. Its a story of three different characters who end up sharing a prison cell.

ROOM 2 From 8pm Electronica/ Beats/Breaks …………….

ONLY £3 before 9pm £4/5 after

Critical Mass Defendants, Trial Monday. Solidarity Protest outside court

Support the Critical Mass 9

Monday 25th February is the first day of the CM9′s court case. The trial will last between 5-7 days. There will likely be a large contingent of cyclists at the court on the morning of the 25th demonstrating our support for the defendants.

Join us on bikes and with placards from 9am at:

Westminster Magistrates Court
181 Marylebone Road
London, England
NW1 5BR

Background:

On Friday 27 July 2012, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games coincided with the monthly Critical Mass ride. 182 cyclists were arrested. They were held in three seperate police kettles for… more here justicecm9.wordpress.com

www.facebook.com/JusticeCm9