About the Bristol riots
John Smith | 06.05.2011 14:02
As the war to the end has already begun, we take a moment of reflection in the ongoing struggle
On Thursday, April 21st, and again a week later, Stokes Croft witnessed hundreds of people fighting against the police and destroying a supermarket. The majority of people on the streets were clearly from the neighbourhood or surrounding area of Bristol due to the spontaneity and speed of the events that unfolded. These were large scale and intensely fought riots.
The spark of the conflict was the highly suspicious strategy of the police when they raided the squat ‘Telepathic Heights’ on Cheltenham road, supposedly based on some intelligence about petrol bombs. Whether this conspiracy by certain individuals against the supermarket was true or whether the cops intentionally provoked a situation is not an applicable discussion as one can only speculate without facts. We will leave such assumptions, generalisations and faux representations (of both the accused and the opinions of the local population) to the loud mouth liberals and ALL media. Evidence suggests, now and historically, that those with the greatest opportunity to voice their opinions really have the least to say. In any case – regardless of these potential facts possibly coming to light – if we challenge concepts of conditioned morality based on our own individual perspectives of reality we no longer need to worry about which party was ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.
Let us be clear. We do not recognise any legitimacy in law or the authorities that try and enforce it. To us we only see a well-organised, inherently violent, mercenary gang enforcing the wishes of an abstract politics that’s sole purpose is to serve and maintain this unsustainable capitalist paradigm for the benefit of a minority. Nothing but our actions and the actions of our comrades serve the desire for our autonomy.
The word ‘community’ has been thrown around on the streets and in the media with wild intensions of intimidation and guilt. We can calmly suggest that whatever one’s definition of community, in this case Welsh riot police and international corporations surely don’t quite fit. It’s clear that Stokes Croft is in the process of gentrification with the eviction of two squats on Cheltenham road, the installation of this supermarket next door, the potential evictions of the ‘classics’ free shop and the existence of the despicable PRSC. As individuals we actually have a great deal of interest in communism. This is not ironic to us, more essential to our uninhibited happiness. It is with this in mind that some of us chose to fight…with integrity.
However, we cannot speak for anybody but ourselves and in this case and in many respects, we seriously were a minority. When asked by a young person “What are we protesting about?” moments before she hurled another rock at the police, we couldn’t help but feel like she had answered her own question. This was clearly NOT a protest. Neither was it ‘mindless violence,’ (another favoured catch phrase up there with other disposables such as ‘dole scroungers,’ ‘thugs,’ ‘violent minority,’ and ‘hijackers’…YAWN!). We cannot answer her question or tell her what to demand. Nor can we truly discover the intricacies of her struggle by answering with, “What ARE you protesting about?” In that intense moment the answer she got was simply, “Nothing!”
Although we cannot understand the influence of the varying structures of repression on other individuals on a personal level, we can certainly state our distaste of specifically controversial moments. We don’t feel any affinity with patriarchal shows of machismo and we feel heartbroken and angry towards the POLICE when we see intentional yet comprehensible attacks against police animals by the people. The influence of drugs, drug culture and the level of avoidable collateral damage such as friendly fire are also frustrating to us. We have no concern for the damage of council property.
We saw those moments of rebellion as moments of freedom. It was the means of our resistance that liberated us if only for a few hours. We hope that when a rock met its target, a burning barricade was defended or the police were chased out, that these moments of unbound joy will be remembered. We hope this experience helps people realise the misery of daily routine and inspires their self-empowerment. We loved to see the smiles on people’s faces, but maybe next time they could be covered with masks…
Regarding our statement and the actions taken overleaf from the past year: the claims and expressions are from Bristol but have taken place as part of a much wider movement. They have taken place alongside all of our comrades and struggling rebels across the globe. As we communicate through our claims we show solidarity, publicise a situation, declare strengths and weaknesses and share tactics. There is an international network of comrades that communicate in this way. It is open to everybody willing to act, individually or collectively, through practical theory and attack.
For a worldwide Informal Anarchist Federation.
Here is a quick run down of some of the attacks that Bristol has seen in the last year. They were taken from the net specifically
http://325.nostate.net/and http://sysiphus-angrynewsfromaroundtheworld.blogspot.com. Check them out for the full communiqué for each action and find out more about how/why/where they happened.
Courts attacked in Bristol: 8 February 2010, “…in solidarity with everyone fucked over by the courts, police, bosses, probation.”
Tesco smashed and sprayed in Fishponds: 9 March 2010, "…If you build up, we smash it down. For a world free of capitalist exploitation and authoritarian rule.”
Lloyds Bank attacked in Bristol: 17 March 2010, “…pipes and cables to cooling fans etc to the building were cut. two windows were smashed.”
Probation Offices attacked in Bristol: 17 March 2010, “…paint-bombs thrown, windows smashed, in memory of comrade Lambros Foundas, killed by cops in Greece.”
Bristol Serco van torched, Bristol: 20 April 2010, “…in solidarity with anarchists in Turin, Italy and members of revolutionary struggle case in Greece.”
Police station & G4 Security attacked in Bristol: 1 May 2010, “…solidarity with Giannis Dimitrakis, Alfredo Maria Bonanno, Christos Stratigopoulos, and all other prisoners in struggle.”
Cell-phone antenna sabotaged with fire, Bristol: 21 May 2010, “…for international social and ecological struggle against state and capital”
Many attacks in Bristol: 9 May 2010,
HSBC Bank. “…liberation for Palestine, and not only. HSBC bank, windows smashed with hammers, red paint thrown inside.”
Morgan Beddoe estate agent. “…every window smashed in reach and damage to door.”
Conservative Party. “…office just off Whiteladies Road, window smashed.”
Territorial Army. “…windscreens smashed on their civilian vehicles in the car park.”
“For a world without money, private property, politics and occupation.”
BT smashed and painted: 30 June 2010, “…multiple windows smashed and paint bombs thrown.”
Mitie Head Office Targeted – Bristol: 13 August 2010.
Biggest security firm not untouchable: 14 August 2010, “…G4s plaque was removed & taken away, the intercom was left from the wall by 5ft of wire at the red front door 10, Portland Sq , St Paul's.”
NatWest Bank attacked in Bristol: 28 September 2010, “…in solidarity with the 35 Mapuche prisoners, the 3 incarcerated in Switzerland and the 14 imprisoned anarchists in Chile.”
Attacks against police targets in Bristol: 8,9 October 2010, “…police vehicles attacked with more than 30 rocks, CID vehicles smashed with rocks, lines strung up for mounted police in Bower Ashton “This is for all those beaten, abused and murdered by police.”
Attacks against Police Station & Probation Office, Bristol: 1 January 2011, “…Anarchist greetings to the enemy’s hostages of ours, known and unknown to us”
Night of Sabotage in Bristol: 10 January 2011, “…bailiff and debt collecting firm Revenue on Bonnville Road, windows all down one side of the building smashed, O2 repeater tower doused with paraffin and ignited, Brislington police station, paint-stripper used to damage the bodywork of three squad cars and one mobile C.C.T.V unit and windows put out, HSBC bank on the main Bath Road, front windows shot out.”
Arson of security vehicle in Bristol: 15 January 2010, “…in solidarity with members of conspiracy cells of fire group (Greece)”
Attack against British Telecom in Bristol.: 17 January 2011, “…two telecommunications utilities vehicles, of British Telecom in solidarity with Conspiracy of Cells of Fire”
Solidarity attack in Bristol outskirts – The fire is spreading: 11 February 2011, “…this action dedicated to Lukas Winkler, Stephanie Träger, and Sven Maurer – squatters who fought their eviction in Munich, now imprisoned. Also to all prisoners in struggle – either side of the walls.”
Bristol targets attacked: 26 February 2011, “…a Swift C.C.T.V van was paint-stripped in broad daylight, later that night internet and telecommunications cables were set on fire. Solidarity in our attack”
Anarchists attack RBS in Bristol: 24 March 2011, “…armed with stones and glass bottles filled with paint, windows broken and vehicles damaged... to those fighting against the Canadian Tar sands mining project, and to the peasants and allies fighting in Kulon Progo, Indonesia, for Simos Seisidis (Greece) also for those prisoners of the Revolutionary struggle – Nikos, Pola, and Kostas; for all the prisoners of the conspiracy cells of fire.”
Anarchists attack with fire around Bristol: 26 March 2011, “…both the T-mobile and Vodaphone repeater towers each burned out in Hambrook and Siston Common and Longwell Green. Solidarity to anyone anywhere truly fighting for the death of the living corpse machine, not its remaking, whatever your choice of tactics.”
Mitie van torched in Bristol: 12 April 2011, “…for Luca Bernasconi, Silvia Guerini, Costa Ragusa, Giannis Dimitrakis, Alexei Gaskarov, Maxim Solopov for those targeted in the police crackdown on the anti-authoritarians in Italy; for the Indonesian insurrectionists.”
24hr+ Roof-Top Prison Protest in Bristol: April 24 2011, “…two prisoners got onto the roof of Horfield Prison.”
Bristol – Stokes Croft erupts into rioting: 29 April 2011, “…for the second time in seven days, stokes croft became the scene of intense rioting. Running battles with police riot units all the way up Cheltenham road, burning barricades in St. Pauls, trouble in Cotham, widespread disorder and violent resistance against the cops in the affected areas. Reports circulating that Horfield prison has also erupted in a prison riot, news of which is being suppressed. Also, a few days earlier police had suppressed a film night about the riots held in a residential area with a massive police presence, leading the film to be shown in a residents back garden.”
Bristol - Fires set in attack at Probation unit: 4 May 2011,” …in revenge and solidarity for all the arrested in the Stoke’s Croft riots and telepathic heights eviction, for the Taunton squatters, for those raided in London, Brighton, Edinburgh, Bologna… but mostly for ourselves.”
On Thursday, April 21st, and again a week later, Stokes Croft witnessed hundreds of people fighting against the police and destroying a supermarket. The majority of people on the streets were clearly from the neighbourhood or surrounding area of Bristol due to the spontaneity and speed of the events that unfolded. These were large scale and intensely fought riots.
The spark of the conflict was the highly suspicious strategy of the police when they raided the squat ‘Telepathic Heights’ on Cheltenham road, supposedly based on some intelligence about petrol bombs. Whether this conspiracy by certain individuals against the supermarket was true or whether the cops intentionally provoked a situation is not an applicable discussion as one can only speculate without facts. We will leave such assumptions, generalisations and faux representations (of both the accused and the opinions of the local population) to the loud mouth liberals and ALL media. Evidence suggests, now and historically, that those with the greatest opportunity to voice their opinions really have the least to say. In any case – regardless of these potential facts possibly coming to light – if we challenge concepts of conditioned morality based on our own individual perspectives of reality we no longer need to worry about which party was ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.
Let us be clear. We do not recognise any legitimacy in law or the authorities that try and enforce it. To us we only see a well-organised, inherently violent, mercenary gang enforcing the wishes of an abstract politics that’s sole purpose is to serve and maintain this unsustainable capitalist paradigm for the benefit of a minority. Nothing but our actions and the actions of our comrades serve the desire for our autonomy.
The word ‘community’ has been thrown around on the streets and in the media with wild intensions of intimidation and guilt. We can calmly suggest that whatever one’s definition of community, in this case Welsh riot police and international corporations surely don’t quite fit. It’s clear that Stokes Croft is in the process of gentrification with the eviction of two squats on Cheltenham road, the installation of this supermarket next door, the potential evictions of the ‘classics’ free shop and the existence of the despicable PRSC. As individuals we actually have a great deal of interest in communism. This is not ironic to us, more essential to our uninhibited happiness. It is with this in mind that some of us chose to fight…with integrity.
However, we cannot speak for anybody but ourselves and in this case and in many respects, we seriously were a minority. When asked by a young person “What are we protesting about?” moments before she hurled another rock at the police, we couldn’t help but feel like she had answered her own question. This was clearly NOT a protest. Neither was it ‘mindless violence,’ (another favoured catch phrase up there with other disposables such as ‘dole scroungers,’ ‘thugs,’ ‘violent minority,’ and ‘hijackers’…YAWN!). We cannot answer her question or tell her what to demand. Nor can we truly discover the intricacies of her struggle by answering with, “What ARE you protesting about?” In that intense moment the answer she got was simply, “Nothing!”
Although we cannot understand the influence of the varying structures of repression on other individuals on a personal level, we can certainly state our distaste of specifically controversial moments. We don’t feel any affinity with patriarchal shows of machismo and we feel heartbroken and angry towards the POLICE when we see intentional yet comprehensible attacks against police animals by the people. The influence of drugs, drug culture and the level of avoidable collateral damage such as friendly fire are also frustrating to us. We have no concern for the damage of council property.
We saw those moments of rebellion as moments of freedom. It was the means of our resistance that liberated us if only for a few hours. We hope that when a rock met its target, a burning barricade was defended or the police were chased out, that these moments of unbound joy will be remembered. We hope this experience helps people realise the misery of daily routine and inspires their self-empowerment. We loved to see the smiles on people’s faces, but maybe next time they could be covered with masks…
Regarding our statement and the actions taken overleaf from the past year: the claims and expressions are from Bristol but have taken place as part of a much wider movement. They have taken place alongside all of our comrades and struggling rebels across the globe. As we communicate through our claims we show solidarity, publicise a situation, declare strengths and weaknesses and share tactics. There is an international network of comrades that communicate in this way. It is open to everybody willing to act, individually or collectively, through practical theory and attack.
For a worldwide Informal Anarchist Federation.
Here is a quick run down of some of the attacks that Bristol has seen in the last year. They were taken from the net specifically
http://325.nostate.net/and http://sysiphus-angrynewsfromaroundtheworld.blogspot.com. Check them out for the full communiqué for each action and find out more about how/why/where they happened. Courts attacked in Bristol: 8 February 2010, “…in solidarity with everyone fucked over by the courts, police, bosses, probation.”
Tesco smashed and sprayed in Fishponds: 9 March 2010, "…If you build up, we smash it down. For a world free of capitalist exploitation and authoritarian rule.”
Lloyds Bank attacked in Bristol: 17 March 2010, “…pipes and cables to cooling fans etc to the building were cut. two windows were smashed.”
Probation Offices attacked in Bristol: 17 March 2010, “…paint-bombs thrown, windows smashed, in memory of comrade Lambros Foundas, killed by cops in Greece.”
Bristol Serco van torched, Bristol: 20 April 2010, “…in solidarity with anarchists in Turin, Italy and members of revolutionary struggle case in Greece.”
Police station & G4 Security attacked in Bristol: 1 May 2010, “…solidarity with Giannis Dimitrakis, Alfredo Maria Bonanno, Christos Stratigopoulos, and all other prisoners in struggle.”
Cell-phone antenna sabotaged with fire, Bristol: 21 May 2010, “…for international social and ecological struggle against state and capital”
Many attacks in Bristol: 9 May 2010,
HSBC Bank. “…liberation for Palestine, and not only. HSBC bank, windows smashed with hammers, red paint thrown inside.”
Morgan Beddoe estate agent. “…every window smashed in reach and damage to door.”
Conservative Party. “…office just off Whiteladies Road, window smashed.”
Territorial Army. “…windscreens smashed on their civilian vehicles in the car park.”
“For a world without money, private property, politics and occupation.”
BT smashed and painted: 30 June 2010, “…multiple windows smashed and paint bombs thrown.”
Mitie Head Office Targeted – Bristol: 13 August 2010.
Biggest security firm not untouchable: 14 August 2010, “…G4s plaque was removed & taken away, the intercom was left from the wall by 5ft of wire at the red front door 10, Portland Sq , St Paul's.”
NatWest Bank attacked in Bristol: 28 September 2010, “…in solidarity with the 35 Mapuche prisoners, the 3 incarcerated in Switzerland and the 14 imprisoned anarchists in Chile.”
Attacks against police targets in Bristol: 8,9 October 2010, “…police vehicles attacked with more than 30 rocks, CID vehicles smashed with rocks, lines strung up for mounted police in Bower Ashton “This is for all those beaten, abused and murdered by police.”
Attacks against Police Station & Probation Office, Bristol: 1 January 2011, “…Anarchist greetings to the enemy’s hostages of ours, known and unknown to us”
Night of Sabotage in Bristol: 10 January 2011, “…bailiff and debt collecting firm Revenue on Bonnville Road, windows all down one side of the building smashed, O2 repeater tower doused with paraffin and ignited, Brislington police station, paint-stripper used to damage the bodywork of three squad cars and one mobile C.C.T.V unit and windows put out, HSBC bank on the main Bath Road, front windows shot out.”
Arson of security vehicle in Bristol: 15 January 2010, “…in solidarity with members of conspiracy cells of fire group (Greece)”
Attack against British Telecom in Bristol.: 17 January 2011, “…two telecommunications utilities vehicles, of British Telecom in solidarity with Conspiracy of Cells of Fire”
Solidarity attack in Bristol outskirts – The fire is spreading: 11 February 2011, “…this action dedicated to Lukas Winkler, Stephanie Träger, and Sven Maurer – squatters who fought their eviction in Munich, now imprisoned. Also to all prisoners in struggle – either side of the walls.”
Bristol targets attacked: 26 February 2011, “…a Swift C.C.T.V van was paint-stripped in broad daylight, later that night internet and telecommunications cables were set on fire. Solidarity in our attack”
Anarchists attack RBS in Bristol: 24 March 2011, “…armed with stones and glass bottles filled with paint, windows broken and vehicles damaged... to those fighting against the Canadian Tar sands mining project, and to the peasants and allies fighting in Kulon Progo, Indonesia, for Simos Seisidis (Greece) also for those prisoners of the Revolutionary struggle – Nikos, Pola, and Kostas; for all the prisoners of the conspiracy cells of fire.”
Anarchists attack with fire around Bristol: 26 March 2011, “…both the T-mobile and Vodaphone repeater towers each burned out in Hambrook and Siston Common and Longwell Green. Solidarity to anyone anywhere truly fighting for the death of the living corpse machine, not its remaking, whatever your choice of tactics.”
Mitie van torched in Bristol: 12 April 2011, “…for Luca Bernasconi, Silvia Guerini, Costa Ragusa, Giannis Dimitrakis, Alexei Gaskarov, Maxim Solopov for those targeted in the police crackdown on the anti-authoritarians in Italy; for the Indonesian insurrectionists.”
24hr+ Roof-Top Prison Protest in Bristol: April 24 2011, “…two prisoners got onto the roof of Horfield Prison.”
Bristol – Stokes Croft erupts into rioting: 29 April 2011, “…for the second time in seven days, stokes croft became the scene of intense rioting. Running battles with police riot units all the way up Cheltenham road, burning barricades in St. Pauls, trouble in Cotham, widespread disorder and violent resistance against the cops in the affected areas. Reports circulating that Horfield prison has also erupted in a prison riot, news of which is being suppressed. Also, a few days earlier police had suppressed a film night about the riots held in a residential area with a massive police presence, leading the film to be shown in a residents back garden.”
Bristol - Fires set in attack at Probation unit: 4 May 2011,” …in revenge and solidarity for all the arrested in the Stoke’s Croft riots and telepathic heights eviction, for the Taunton squatters, for those raided in London, Brighton, Edinburgh, Bologna… but mostly for ourselves.”
John Smith
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
how to lose friends & alienate people
06.05.2011 16:11
How much of violent insurrectionary anarchism plays directly into the hands of the state? Infact, this raison-detre seems to be the hallmark politiks of the undoubted agent provocateurs who turned up at what was a peacful protest outside Tescos last Thursday (a week after the original riot started by an orchestrated police operation on suprious grounds).
Don't get me wrong, when the cops tried it on 2 weeks ago, they got a no-nonsense response from the community. What happened last week was questionable, as was, as I say, the original excuse the police used for raiding the squat (there were no petrol bombs). And, as is this flaming nonsense:
Luther Blissett
nonsense
06.05.2011 19:52
Time to work out what side you're on mate. Will you cower in the corner begging the pigs for some nonexistant liberal "rights" or will you take what's yours (or at least make way for those who've got more guts than both of us to do so)
anon
response to previous comment
07.05.2011 07:15
Picking fights with cops a week after the event is understandable with emotions high, but doing so lives up to their agenda. That way, they've got us exactly where they want us, which is probably why the police like to employ agent provocateurs on a regular basis (why, that's why the Ratcliffe trial collapsed wasn't it thanks to exposure of Kennedy's modus operandi)
Luther Blissett
pure nonsense
07.05.2011 12:24
The police are an armed gang of thugs; increasingly beyond even State control they are fast becoming a law unto themselves. They don't have to justify themselves to you because they are armed and they have that badge that says they can do what they like.
I hear what you say about provocateurs on the March 26th, er, march, but that isn't the case here. The cops invaded an area in order to harrass homeless people, probably as practice for when squatting is criminalised, and the young people gave them hell. This sends a message that beating up the homeless is not acceptable and will be punished immediately.
What do you think would be happening right now if they hadn't had the shit kicked out of them?
anon
Re: holding the police to account - I grant u is usually nigh on impossible
07.05.2011 20:30
Re: holding the police to account because, as you say, they are a gangsters (I paraphrase), I think that is only half true. Let me be really controversial. Not all cops are bastards. Ok, I take yr point that holding the police to account is a pipedream - because usually it is as they are a law unto themselves unless they are taken to book legally which itself I grant u is usually nigh on impossible (such as the countless families challenging deaths in police custody whose public prosecutions have been a whitewash and whose financial resources are insufficient to take on private prosecutions), which in this instance is a real possibility. To do so means building alliances across the whole community; most of the community are not into fighting cops just for the hell of it.
For others reading this thread (anon probably kws this already), just for the record, for a guide to the distinction between a policeman (upholders of common law) and a police-officer (upholders of civil law as a representative of a corporate entity that enforces statute) by taking a look at the following link (13 mins in):
Not all statute is bad of course, but increased policing powers over the last 11 years is a serious problem. Apart from proposed anti-squatting law, there are also forthcoming changes in policing tactics to respond to ‘real-time protests’ which would encompass splinter-group protests emanating from larger demonstrations such as happened at the G20 protests in London on 1st April 2009 and during the recent student demonstrations in London at the end of 2010 and also land occupations of relevance to climate camps and other eco-protest. Not sure if this is going to need legisaltion. Police already have a whol array of laws they can pluck out of their law book which apply to a wide varietty of circumstances.
Luther Blissett