Mayday in Bristol – While the local elections farce was in full swing, 25 people stormed the offices of the Labour Party headquarters. There was much “creative re-filing” as two perplexed office workers looked on. One person D-locked to a desk and settled down for a rant whilst the mayday mayhem ensued. Stink bombs were let off and an air horn let rip as the electricity was turned off. The occupiers then left the building as fire alarms sounded . The locked on occupier was removed after large numbers of police, including C.I.D. arrived. Seven arrests were made, for suspicion of burglary and criminal damage. Three were released nine hours later without charge, and four were detained for fourteen hours, and then released on police bail, without charges. One officer commented “There was no burglary. You did your job well.”

Here is the leaflet that was handed out on the day:


MAYDAY “LIBERATION”/ OCCUPATION
OF LABOUR PARTY OFFICES

The Labour party offices in Bristol have been occupied, erm, liberated today, on Mayday 2003. This action has been taken to show our resistance to state terrorism and government violence everywhere. Despite huge anti-war protests throughout the U.K. and the across the world, Blair’s government followed the U.S. warmongers to mount a genocidal attack on Iraq. Thousands of ordinary Iraqi people have been maimed and massacred after weeks of carpet-bombing and a massive show of military force and firepower. These deaths mean nothing to the power –hungry tyrants who call the shots.

WAR CRIMINAL BLAIR, ambassador of the United States government, has declared victory in Iraq, and that the Iraqi people have been “liberated”. The war is over, we are told, and democracy has triumphed…In reality, Iraq is a country under occupation by the U.S. and U.K. military. So far, it doesn’t look much like a shiny new democracy, as the forces of “liberation” prepare to impose their own puppet dictator.

IN THE PROPAGANDA WAR waged by the government, words are weapons of mass deception: For “stabilise”, read control, and “reconstruction” actually means big bucks for big business. The real winners of the war are the multinational corporations currently queuing up to get down to business in the all-new Iraq. War. What is it good for?…It’s great for company profits and “liberating” natural resources! Blair has surely earned his party’s title of the “Friend of big business”.

THE INVASION of Iraq exposes the true nature of our so-called democracy. Politicians clearly do not really listen to anyone who opposes their plans. During the war on Iraq, anti-war protests in the U.K. were subjected to both media blackout and massive over-policing. Many people were arrested for expressing their opposition to the war and new anti-terrorist laws were used against peace protestors. The so-called “war on terror” is really a war on anyone who steps out of line. So this is their democracy?

POLITICIANS encourage us to join in the electoral farce and to get back to the work-shop-work routine as quickly as possible. We’re told this is freedom and democracy, and there is no other better way. But voting is the illusion of inclusion – making us feel like we have a say. Voting changes nothing – if it did they would make it illegal! All governments offer us is more control and violence. Their power comes from our obedience. It is up to normal people to take back control and fight for a better world.

MAYDAY is international worker’s day. It is about showing our collective strength, and celebrating the struggle for a new world where freedom is more than a word for winning votes or selling products. It is a day of defiance against authority and oppression. Blair and others would like to make Mayday a thing of the past, and for us to remain divided and distracted, passive and powerless. The struggle continues…

For more anti-war and direct action info:
www.schnews.co.uk www.ourmayday.org.uk www.disobedience.org.uk