Bristol: Rising Up evicted

Today (March 15) marked six weeks of Rising Up protecting, supporting and loving the land, trees, wildlife and community at Stapleton allotments and Avon & Frome Valley Conservation Area.

After 4 days of a complex and drawn out eviction, due to the persistence and ingenuity of the activists, all of the tree protectors have now been brought down. The eviction has been a generally peaceful but at times challenging experience, with some instances of aggression and assault on protectors, which have been logged and will be reported.
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Bristol: Operation Rhone and the Badger hunt

Note: Since this article was published Bristol anarchist Emma Sheppard was sentenced to 2 years in prison in relation to criminal damage of police cars, as part of Operation Rhone. See letter from Em for more info.

When Bristol anarchist Huw ‘Badger’ Norfolk legged it somewhere in late-August 2011, word spread fast across Bristol’s anarchist & radical communities. His decision to absent himself from all and any police investigations was immediately apparent to the many friends he’d had no time to say good-bye to. No doubt many suspected this escape to somewhere would be short-lived. Instead nothing, just the one shout-out from online anonymity(1) two months later, in which he stated his non-compliance bluntly.

Fast-forwards to December 2014 and Badger’s face is staring at us from every national and many local media outlets. Crimestoppers and Avon & Somerset Police’s Operation Rhone announce a £10k reward for information, whilst forcing his parents in north-west Bristol into the media spotlight too(2). Badger is wanted for two specific actions, although no evidence is cited for either. It’s made clear the Badger hunt, and the two actions, are just a part of their investigation into over 100 actions by ‘persons unknown’(3) over the last four years. [Read More]

Bristol: Revenge for Rémi killed by police at the ZAD of Testest, street fires from FAI / ELF

325 receives and transmits:

French police have killed Rémi Fraisse while they try to rout a combative forest occupation that prevents the Sivens dam. We have burned a vehicle in the service of the French multinational GDF (who work towards the new nuclear reactor not far away at Hinkley Point on top of other nuclear projects in many countries, force dams on irreplaceable Amazonian indigenous lands with the support of Brazil’s military, provide facility management for the police force in this region, run utilities on the Shetland Islands for one of the biggest oil and gas terminals in Europe, manage multiple French prisons, and all around design technologies which attempt to disguise industrial capitalism as sustainable development for the same banks and commercial entities as always). [Read More]

Bristol: Kebele social centre is 18 years young

What started as a squatted empty building in the autumn of 1995, has turned into an 18 year (and counting) experimental project putting anarchist ideas and practices into action on a daily basis. Much to the disgust of Kebele’s many detractors over the years, who wont be coming to the 18th birthday bash! (Update – Kebele’s big birthday bash benefit gig on 5th October raised over £2000 for the social centre, thanx to all who came!)
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Bristol, UK: Solidarity benefit for Greek autonomous spaces

In Greece a social and ideological war is  being conducted, with global consequences for the current economic and political governance model. The state has pulled off the mask of neo-liberalism. Now It Nazi salutes and cannibalizes; it attacks basic social and labor rights, represses violently any form of resistance, as only these totalitarian methods that will guarantee its survival. Currently the anti-authoritarian community receives regular brutal attacks from both the State and Fascists. Anarchists are portrayed as terrorists, many of whom face heavy prison penalties. Their spaces are being violently evicted and their infrastructures and means of communication; (printing presses, radio stations) destroyed. Social centres within neighbourhoods with many immigrants, act as bulwarks against the Neo-Nazi’s and their murderous practices, where reactionaries are motivated by a fascist paramilitary organization / political party which holds 18 parliamentary seats; Golden Dawn.

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Bristol (UK): Overnight rooftop protest averts eviction of Braggs Lane squat

The squat at Bragg’s Lane / West Street in Old Market, Bristol, was on the night of Monday 4th besieged by cops as part of an illegal aviction attempt. After an overnight rooftop protest and negoitation, possession was then regained by 6pm the following day.

See below the updates from ‘braggs lane rooftop climbing club’ from Tuesday 5th for more information on their inspiring eviction resistance:

1pm: thank you for the warm food an drinks, tent and blankets, we wouldn’t have made it through the night without them.
we’re still on roof, have had sporadic visits from police but they wont approach as they deem our position too dangerous.

first chance they get the police will arrest us, probably on suspicion of criminal damage. we have the building though and would like people to occupy it. [Read More]

Bristol: Everything Is Not OK Cafe. Rumours of our Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated!

As you may be aware, our plans to host a temporary community cafe run on anarchist principles in Bristol this weekend, have been scarpered after Avon & Somerset Police decided to raid Everything Is Not OK Cafe on Friday morning; evicting the building and arresting the five occupiers.

Plans were afoot to host a temporary community cafe run on anarchist principles in Bristol this weekend. On Wednesday night a crew of people entered the unused Preview Bar on Fairfax Street near Broadmead and secured the premises: Everything Is Not OK Cafe was born! [Read More]

Bristol (UK): Update on the Everything Is Not OK Cafe from the Cut the Crap crew

As you may be aware, our plans to host a temporary community cafe run on anarchist principles in Bristol this weekend, have been scarpered after Avon & Somerset Police decided to raid Everything Is Not OK Cafe on Friday morning; evicting the building and arresting the five occupiers.

Plans were afoot to host a temporary community cafe run on anarchist principles in Bristol this weekend. On Wednesday night a crew of people entered the unused Preview Bar on Fairfax Street near Broadmead and secured the premises: Everything Is Not OK Cafe was born! [Read More]

Bristol: Is it just us or is everything not OK?

In light of ongoing austerity measures, due only to get worse, the Cut the Crap Collective introduces a radical discussion space, unashamedly founded on anarchist principles – interested in collective action that works for all. It welcomes anyone who wants to communicate, learn and teach. Hosting workshops, film screenings, discussions and serving hot, tasty meals with the aim of creating a space where people can get together to openly talk and organise for a better future!

WATCH THIS SPACE!

Cut The Crap Crew
cutthecrap [at] riseup [dot] net
http://cutthecrapcollective.noblogs.org/

Weekend of the 15th/16th December – Central Bristol Location. [Read More]

Bristol: Illegal eviction

There has been an illegal eviction tonight by Avon & Somerset police of 66 Queen Square, a former Building Society, in Bristol City Centre – several people are resisting on the roof overnight – support is needed tonight and tomorrow – including food, water, rope and clothing.
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UK: Demonstrations in support of squatting

As the move towards the criminalisation of squatting continues in the UK with the House of Lords waving through the legislation, there have been demonstrations in support of squatting and autonomous spaces.

See below for reports from Brighton (today) and Bristol (yesterday).
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Bristol: The eviction of The Factory social centre. A perspective

Just a quick update and some thoughts from a friend of the Factory.

I managed to take a bit of time away from working and went down to see what was happening at The Factory. Cops and robbers were standing around “protecting” the building and photographing the public. It has been completely evicted as far as I can tell. Chatted to a few folk who were about so this is a mainly a second hand account. I suspect that the occupiers will comment later after they have got some rest.
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