If A Tree Falls Screening & Discussion @ Kebele

Bristol ABC Presents:

If A Tree Falls: Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Thursday 26th April 2012
w/ talk & discussion on activist security

Food served from 6:30pm, film starts at 7:30pm

In December 2005, Daniel McGowan was arrested by Federal agents in a nationwide sweep of radical environmentalists involved with the Earth Liberation Front– a group the FBI has called America’s “number one domestic terrorism threat.”

For years, the ELF—operating in separate anonymous cells without any central leadership—had launched spectacular arsons against dozens of businesses they accused of destroying the environment: timber companies, SUV dealerships, wild horse slaughterhouses, and a $12 million ski lodge at Vail, Colorado.

With the arrest of Daniel and thirteen others, the government had cracked what was probably the largest ELF cell in America and brought down the group responsible for the very first ELF arsons in this country.

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT (http://ifatreefallsfilm.com/) tells the remarkable story of the rise and fall of this ELF cell, by focusing on the transformation and radicalization of one of its members.

Part coming-of-age tale, part cops-and-robbers thrilller, the film interweaves a verite chronicle of Daniel on house arrest as he faces life in prison, with a dramatic recounting of the events that led to his involvement with the group. And along the way it asks hard questions about environmentalism, activism, and the way we define terrorism.

Drawing from striking archival footage — much of it never before seen — and intimate interviews with ELF members, and with the prosecutor and detective who were chasing them, IF A TREE FALLS explores the tumultuous period from 1995 until early 2001 when environmentalists were clashing with timber companies and law enforcement, and the word “terrorism” had not yet been altered by 9/11.

 

Suggested donation for food: £2.50

 

Kebele Social Centre, 14 Robertson Rd, Easton, Bristol. BS5 6JY
Vegan food served from 6:30pm, films start at 7:30pm

Resistrance. A benefit for defendant solidarity in Bristol

Here’s the full details of the massive political party planned for Saturday 3 December in Bristol, with all proceeds going to maintain the work of Bristol Defendant Solidarity in supporting those arrested and/or imprisoned following the disturbances earlier this year in Stokes Croft and elsewhere. Organised and hosted by Resistrance, Kebele Sound, Next2Nothing and friends…

BDS info

Film Night at Kebele. Sunday 4th Dec from 5.30pm: Prison? “A Film by Charlie Ryder”

Bristol Anarchist Black Cross and Bristol Defendant Solidarity are proud to present Charlie Ryder’s new film Prison? Following the 80 minute film there will be a Q&A with discussion.

Freedom for political prisoners fundraising calendar 2012

The USA remains not just one of the most unequal countries in terms of wealth distribution, but also one of the most oppressive.

Artwork - May 2012

Recent figures (end of 2010) indicate that it locks up some 2.4million people in its various prisons, an adult incarceration rate of about 0.8%, or just under 1 adult in every 100. In addition, over seven million more are under ‘correctional supervision’, and over 13 million pass through U.S. prisons and jails annually. America’s prison population has risen by some 1000% in 30 years. Unsurprisingly, two thirds are either unemployed or were surviving on an income of less than $5000 a year. At least 40% of women prisoners have young children. The USA imprisons more people than any other country in the world, and accounts for over 25% of the worlds prison population. Welcome to the land of the free. Not. With the US clamping down on its growing ‘Occupy’ movement with brutal robocops and chemical weapons (see Oakland – general strike 2 Nov & police repression;  Denver; Wall St), we can be sure the number of prisoners will increase.

Artwork - December 2012

Bristol ABC is pleased once again this year to be distributing the Certain Days ‘Freedom for political prisoners calendar 2012’. This is a long term fundraising, info & campaign project by Canadian activists & 3 long-term US political prisoners, who have collectively spent over 100 years inside prison. The 3 are all being held in maximum-security prisons in New York State, they are Robert Seth Hayes, Herman Bell & David Gilbert.

Letter From Uk Comrade Huw ‘badger’ Norfolk From Clandestinity

Expressions of support for Bristol anarchist Huw ‘Badger’ Norfolk have been growing since he published an open letter online last month. The letter first appeared on an international solidarity website and has since been linked to numerous other sites, before being front paged on the Bristol Indymedia site on 22 October (and also therefore showing on the UK Indymedia newswire).

Here’s the text from his communiqué:
1st communication October 2011. An open letter to whoever wants to be concerned.

Two months have passed since the police execution of Mark Duggan tipped the already-fragile balance of power in the UK, unlocking an orgy of defiance across this island. A well of frustrations finally boiled over and the system was left reeling by a determined insurrection from a wide range of people. Following these days and nights of brazen attacks in Bristol (as in other places) a house is raided in a police and media orchestrated scene as part of their revenge operation for the blows they have both received in the uprising – they leave without the hostage they sought there, but I am made aware by their blunder that I am on their wanted list.

Two months have now passed of successful evasion, and meanwhile the winds of insurgency still blow in many towns and moments – indeed, for many they started long before this summer. There have also been at least two more deaths at the hands of the Law in August alone…

Some guides to help if you face going to prison

Being sent to prison is shit, even worse you are now a captive of one of your worst enemies, the state, so avoid it if you possibly can. But every day more people are being sent to prison, increasingly as a result of the ongoing social conflict between the bosses & politicians, and the rest of us.

Unsurprisingly therefore, the last year has seen a large growth in the number of ‘political activists’ imprisoned, as the state tries to intimidate our social movements. But don’t let the bastards grind you down. Be prepared.

Read these guides, but remember they are only guides, not the ‘law’, and the rules for courts and prisons do change all the time, often on the whim of those in authority. Read on:

A passion for freedom

Readers with an interest in the struggle against the prison society will be interested in several newly released publications with an international flavour. With an increasing number of people facing court cases and prison sentences at a time of intensifying repression, and resistance, our movements need to stand firm and not be intimidated.

First up are 2 recently published pamphlets from Leeds ABC:
A passion for freedom – an interview with Jean Weir
One of UK anarchism’s most colourful characters, Jean Weir has been an international fighter for many decades now. As anyone who has met her will know, Jean is quite capable of talking for hours about her ideas, however she generally avoids giving interviews about herself, in rejection of the cult of the personality. This pamphlet gives an insight into her ideas, beliefs and experiences abroad, including time spent in prison for her actions.

Support these 6 UK anti-fascist prisoners

Our friends at Leeds ABC continue to rally and facilitate support for the 6 UK anti-fascists recently imprisoned. Here’s a recent poster…

Leeds have also produced an excellent leaflet (pdf) Antifascism on trial in support of the prisoners, which looks at the original incident back in March 2009 that eventually led to the politically motivated arrest of 23 anti-fascists, and the subsequent shady activities of the police and prosecutors. Of the original 23 anti-fascists, 7 were found guilty and 6 sent to prison for 15 to 21 months. They welcome support, here’s their latest details:
Andy Baker – A5768CE, HMP Highpoint, Stradishall, Newmarket, Suffolk CR8 9YG
Thomas Blak – A5728CE
New Address (17/10/11): HMP Onley, Willoughby, Rugby, Warwickshire CV23 8AP
Thomas is Danish and would appreciate European/International stamps to keep in touch with his family and with comrades abroad.
Sean Cregan – A5769CE, HMP Coldingley, Shaftesbury Road, Bisley, Surrey GU24 9EX
Sean can receive books (they must be new or in very good condition).
Phil De Souza – A5766CE, HMP Elmley, Eastchurch, Sheerness, Kent ME12 4AY
Ravinder Gill – A5770CE, HMP Wayland, Griston, Thetford, Norfolk IP25 6RL
Ravi can receive posters, so if you hold a support event consider sending him one in.
Austen Jackson – A5729CE, HMP Stocken, Stocken Hall Road, Stretton, Nr Oakham, Rutland LE15 7RD

Info on writing to prisoners here.

INQUEST slams 3 deaths in 8 days during contact with police

‘Police must be reminded they cannot act with impunity following alarming rise in deaths after the use of force’

The campaigning charity INQUEST issued a press release (pdf) 24th August following the 3 deaths of men during contact with the police in the period 16 to 23 August. All the deaths involved the use of a taser and/or pepper spray and/or restraint. The dead men were Philip Hulmes, Jacob Michael, and Dale Burns. Helen Shaw, INQUEST Co-Director, said:
“The shocking reports about three tragic deaths in eight days following the use of force by police highlights INQUEST’s growing concern about deaths following contact with the police. For too long there has been a pattern of cases where inquest juries have found overwhelming evidence of unlawful and excessive use of force or gross neglect yet the police do not seem to have learnt the lessons from these previous deaths. Whilst we await the outcome of the inquests and investigations into these recent deaths it is imperative that the police are reminded that they cannot act with impunity.”

Anti-repression round up

So two weeks after the wave of disturbances swept across England, and the state’s blinkered response is clear to one and all – revenge against all those that stepped outside the accepted norms of of our disfunctional society. Unless of course you are a politician, media tycoon, corporation, or cop, in which case the normal rules dont apply and you are free to get away with just about anything – like stealing £’s thousands and millions, and of course shooting people dead.

What we are seeing is naked class justice from the ruling class directed at the working class, as they break all the rules they expect us to abide by and make up new ones to suit themselves along the way. Or to look at it another way, on the 10th August they were scared, very scared, and they didn’t like it one bit. So thousands arrested, over 1600 so far railroaded through emergency courts, hundreds of images of people published by the media before any sort of trial, unusually long prison sentences and irregular bail conditions handed down, and so on. With the prisons & police cells full to bursting with both remanded and sentenced prisoners, it only needs one spark for the whole prison system to break down, whilst the conditions inside the prisons will cause many prisoners to break down. The suicide of a remand prisoner at Bristol prison last weekend will not be the last (remember that whatever charges the person may face, they aint even been to trial yet). Meanwhile back on the streets its business as usual for the ruling class with rising unemployment and inflation, more cuts to services, devalued wages and pensions and savings, and of course more bank bailouts from public money.