Skip to content or view screen version

Police are sticking their heads above the trenches of the social war

Francesca | 22.09.2014 23:07 | Globalisation | Policing | Social Struggles | South Coast | World

A curious article appeared in the mainstream BBC news today, stating that police believe that up to 20 actions carried out in and around Bristol may have links to so called 'domestic extremism' .

This could be an attempt by the police to perhaps draw out comrades from down that way out into the open, perhaps by wanting them to go onto websites to claim actions in their groups name so that cops can nail more IP addresses like they already did with the Indymedia server issue in Bristol these past months.

It is this author's belief that those comrades acting in the social war and doing these actions (which I support) are perhaps in more danger now as it could also be an attempt to play a game in which those comrades may wish to go out now and commit some new actions to further attack the system which we despise in all its forms. However, you could be being watched and that is why the police have issued these statements, perhaps in the hope that you will break cover to go out into the night, thus affording them a chance of nabbing you.

You must be careful, brothers and sisters of the social war, as this appearance in the news of this so called 'domestic extremism' is a break from the usual non-reporting that the mainstream BBC/SKY news usually conducts when anything even remotely looking or smelling like the social war carried out by insurrectionary anarchists or others with an anti-system, anti-capitalistic, animal/earth liberation vibe, whether in Bristol or Nottingham (like the Serco attack and attacks on G4S vehicles), or London (countless attacks against banks and cop targets).

So the question is, why have cops come and claimed these and other actions in Bristol as potentially being 'domestic extremism'?

It is my belief that it is an intelligence phishing exercise of sorts, in an attempt to finely focus their resources down to a few people in and around Bristol so that maybe soon they will make busts and then the media hype around those busts will be partly already in place thanks to planted stories like the one appearing in the BBC today.

If you followed the unfolding of the Bombas Caso, or 'the bomb case' in Chile, (excellent free-from-copyright or copyleft documentary about the whole case available here -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j4hXQc-VmI) then you will understand that in Chile this idea of creating a myth around the anarchist movement helped, if only for a short time, the cops and courts to make the population think that the case against the defendants was open and shut when in actual fact there was barely any real evidence and those comrades that were arrested and held for months were eventually set free after it became apparent that the whole case was more or less a fabrication.

But the point is, what helped in that fabrication was the media publishing reports on attacks and linking them directly to anarcho communiques or just simply making them link because they wanted them to link to anarcho ideas, even if there had been no communique. This in turn helped the police case a bit as it provided them with an opportunity to nick people or raid squats and other social centres on the grounds of simply being an anarchist, in the process tarring the whole anarchist scene in Chile with the same insurrectionary brush.

In Bristol in the last few years there has been a steady increase in the number of actions carried out in the name of FAI/ELF style affinities and for me, that is a good thing, I am glad that has happened, but what of course has been happening parallel to that is that the cops have been gathering intel and with the recent indymedia Bristol server raid and now this BBC report, it seems the cops are up to something more than their usual shit.

I knocked this article together- if you can call an article, more like a slight rant - out of a need to get across to those acting in and around Bristol to be careful at this time as it appears that the police are attempting to gather a case together, perhaps hoping they will snare somebody soon enough and then create a media circus around it.

I care for my brothers and sisters in the struggle and I know lots of us have moved down to Bristol in the last few years, especially since the Tesco protests and the august 2011 uprising, as Bristol and Cardiff and those areas are, lets be frank, where it is happening for people who wanna be part of the solution and not the problem.

So it is no surprise then, really, that the cops would choose to target Indymedia servers for Bristol Indymedia, effectively gathering as much info as they could on any one who has issued a communique on their site (think about the police training ground that was torched, that got covered on there a bit, for example).

Now this BBC article is interesting as it mentions nothing at all of any other actions around the country, against serco, against prisons, probation offices, banks, estate agents, against g4s,etc, yet these companies and institutions have all been targeted in the last few years by groups or individuals with an affinity to the anarcho-social war that is closely tied to the ethos/ideas of groups and individuals acting in Spain, Italy, Greece, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, USA, Germany and France. In this respect, it is the global social war that has hit these shores in the last few years, especially since the movements in Greece hit all the headlines and inspired thousands to get back out there and do stuff. But the BBC in Bristol keep their story to just the Bristol based stuff, which indicates to me that this was a police led story, not a story coming from a journalist because if it had come from even a half decent journo (if there is such a thing working for the Beeb) then it surely would have mentioned a connection to actions in other areas? Just from the media circus point of view it would have made their story better. But it doesnt go wider at all, which I think is a clue that this is really about the police putting out their feelers in hope of getting some kind of useful response from within the movement in and around Bristol.

the crux of what I'm saying is, 'the pigs in and around Bristol are up to something' so be fucking careful, even more careful than you have already been. Perhaps change your phones, your SIM cards, for example or be wary of any new comers in your scene as the cops will surely have sent undercovers out into the Bristol scene to try and gather info on these 'domestic extremists'...

fire to it all.


original BBC article here -  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-29285280

Francesca

Comments

Hide 8 hidden comments or hide all comments

Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Lies from some

23.09.2014 15:56

Of course the situation is not helped when people one would hope one could trust lie about what they are doing vis the mods here on the uk newswire who still maintain that they don't capture the details of posters when in fact they have been doing it for the last four years.

Although with a known grass among the collective perhaps we should not be that surprised by anything these scumbags do ?

The Bristol fuck up showed how easily it is for the cops to take exactly what they need from so called techies that we are all trusting to do a good job, or at least a half arsed reasonable one !

Bristolian


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

the above comment is disinfo

23.09.2014 17:45

Read these features if you want to understand about the defence mechanisms uk indymedia uses against abuse of the site:

 https://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2011/01/472560.html

 https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/01/472575.html

one of imc


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

@one of imc

23.09.2014 20:31

Your repeated lying over the Gateway 303 affair makes any statements from the collective very difficult to accept at face value. I'm sorry to say it guys but it is very difficult to trust what you say when the evidence points to you probably doing EXACTLY what is suggested above and then lying about it AGAIN.

Trust needs to be built up over time, it can be smashed in one moment and that's what you did. You may claim to have nothing to do with the Bristol site but WE the readers are faced with an Indymedia newswire that rolled over and gave up months of I.P. and log in details to the cops with little more than a whisper of protest. Saying they are some other people so you we can trust doesn't hit the right note. You lied to the readers of this newswire over a very long period and potentialy compromised the security and liberty of individuals and groups by recording I.P details and lying about it while you were doing it. I wonder if you would have even fessed up to this day without the whistle blower forcing your hand ?

Ian


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Difficult questions produce the same result as usual

24.09.2014 13:17

Readers ask questions and make observations that deserve a response from the moderation team and of course as usual the response is the same. Hide the posts and hope that people stop talking about it. As the reader above correctly said the lack of trust that many of us have in the Indy project is precisely because this is Always what you do when you are challenged.

If you ever expect the site to regain the trust of the community and to see posts from more than the usual six or seven regulars I would suggest you start dealing with the concerns that people have.

Ian


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Nobody is forcing you to be here

24.09.2014 14:23

If you don't like the way we run the site don't come here.

one of imc


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Being realistic

25.09.2014 10:43

Despite their repeated denials we all accept that the systems here is most probably collecting our ip details, we also understand that no mod is going to stand up and protect posters who they neither know nor care about very much and as such they will quickly bend over and give the police what they demand (see previous server seizures). Why don't people simply accept that, use anonymous systems like TOR and stop bleating about it. We have bigger issues to fight.

Realist


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

I will tell you why

25.09.2014 11:37

Because the newswire has an obligation to do what it says it is doing. During the Gateway 303 period the site was collecting a vast amount of data which if the police had ever decided to access by taking the server would have caused enourmous problems for many people. The fact that several of the then collective knew about it but were prevented from speaking the truth and then had to watch the lies being repeated compounded the error of judgement.

Like you I always assume that my IP codes are both collected by the server here and are available to the police if they ever get the Icelandic cops to drop by however not everyone is aware of the history in the way we are. What of a new young activist who thinks the stattement that the mods here refer to is the reality ? Who is going to take responsibility for their court case ?

The events in Bristol should be a warning to all of us, we are not safe and to rely on the mods here as somehow protectors of our data is simply stupid. They should tell the truth and we should heed that truth when posting and surfing here.

Probably more realistic


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

Bored of you

25.09.2014 13:51

Yeah you're right we are collecting everybody's IP, their location, the inside leg measurement and their choice of coffee. We then sell it all to Facebook.

Now why don't you just fuck off and use somebody else's newswire. Try Urban 75 they love people like you.

IMC'ister


The article appears measured

25.09.2014 16:28

The article appears measured to me. It deals with only Bristol issues because it's on the Bristol news section of the BBC website. The BBC website has sections for regional news - try looking at BBC London, Manchester, Cardiff, etc. The police spokesman appears measured saying that the actions are considered domestic extremism instead of terrorism & the reporter has contrasted the police perspective with that of a former ELF spokesman. The reporter has clearly gone to the trouble to secure that contrast.

I have repeatedly seen very intense police activity close to my home in West Bristol where the police are obviously keenly after someone. I am not surprised at that.

Bristol resident


Blah baa

25.09.2014 16:45

That beeb reporter is a snivelling conformist twat. Its just an extended appeal for info from the pigs with a bit of 'quiz the yankee' thrown in for good 'measure'. obvo couldnt get anybody local to rinse out and make a scapegoat. no mention of imc bristol gettin shut down neither. crap. Fuck them.

BBC is for gimps


Trolls ahoy

25.09.2014 18:47

This thread is being trolled.

'Bristol Resident' claims:

"I have repeatedly seen very intense police activity close to my home in West Bristol where the police are obviously keenly after someone. I am not surprised at that. "

Should we presume that they have a sign on their van saying 'Operation Domestic Extremist'?

That was a rhetorical question btw

Reeda


Our local cider plod

28.09.2014 21:47

Our local cider plod have been bolstered by fancy suit-wearing lager swigging lads just out of college sent down from London's Scotland Yard to patronise them, hence the upswing in activity.

Bristol cops have, somewhat sulkily, given their old files over to the kids from Special Branch who are now following around the usual suspects in a search for teh troot. Once again they're focusing on squatting, although as none of the attacks feature a noisy group sitting around a burning mobile phone mast swigging country choice, spliffing up and rowing squatters probably aren't involved.

Oh - and don't believe the PR spin about the cops seeing this as 'criminality' with possibly a pinch of "domestic extremsm". This is a full-on anti-terrorist investigation, given extra spice by the need to find enough stuff to lay scary charges against the two people they're currently holding on remand.




asdfghj


two people on remand?

29.09.2014 09:52

Bullshit.

i call bullshit


Details of two people on remand

29.09.2014 16:37

Unless anyone knows better both the people referred to in these news articles remain in police custody:

 http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Arrest-suspected-arson-attack-Keynsham-police/story-22871420-detail/story.html

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2658107/Bristol-Bomber-police-arrest-man-arson-attacks-four-mobile-phone-radio-transmission-masts.html

Previous people arrested have all been released, but not these two it seems

asdfghgfds


In custody?

29.09.2014 21:54

"Unless anyone knows better both the people referred to in these news articles remain in police custody: "

According to the Mail (2nd link): "He was released on police bail while inquiries continue."

Reeda


Pretty sure it's two people currently on remand

30.09.2014 16:16

I can't find the correct article for the second arrest but I'm pretty sure there's two people currently on remand.

asdfghjkhgfd


nope

01.10.2014 13:25

pretty damn sure if 2 people were on remand the press n the cops would be makin a song n dance about it, + the ABCs would make a statement. so stop spreading rumours, uncertainty n fear.

anhgsdjfd is a ... ?


It is indeed a puzzle

08.10.2014 14:01

"pretty damn sure if 2 people were on remand the press n the cops would be makin a song n dance about it"

All the arrests have been reported in the press with information provided by the police. Cops tend to make more of a 'song and dance' when people are convicted, not when they're nicked.

The lack of coverage by the media is indeed interesting but I'm not going to speculate.

"the ABCs would make a statement"

Would they? Why? They haven't made statements in the past when people have been arrested and held for a couple of weeks for Bristol FAI stuff. Perhaps just like the rest of us they aren't being passed details.

"so stop spreading rumours, uncertainty n fear."

I'm not, thanks.

asdfgh


Steady on old chap

08.10.2014 17:17


NOBODY has been "arrested and held for a couple of weeks for Bristol FAI stuff".

ZERO = NO-ONE

Puzzle solved.

ABC'er


Hide 8 hidden comments or hide all comments