A passion for freedom

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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.Read More

Resistance Rhymes – A Fundraiser For Bristol Defendants

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The always up for it Kebele Sound Collective, in association with various itinerants & dissidents, crank up the pressure this Friday with a night of truly international (and local) rabble rousing n ranting hip hop. Profits from the gig will go towards supporting defendants in Bristol facing charges from recent street-level acts of resistance.Read More

Support these 6 UK anti-fascist prisoners

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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

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‘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.”Read More

Anti-repression round up

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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.Read More

Prisoner support resources

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We have added a new page to the Bristol ABC blog, aptly titled ‘Resources‘.

The new page contains a series of downloadable pdf flyers, links to related texts, and some posters – feel free to copy and print out all of them for distro. The purpose of the page is to make these resources easily available on the one page, which will be added to as time goes by, as well as providing a point of reference for people looking for info & help around prisoner solidarity & support.  Taken together with the ‘Prison Texts‘ page, and the links on our home page, we hope some of your questions and queries will be answered, and the info you need more easily found.

California Prisoner Hunger Strike – More on Medical Crisis, Need Support Pressuring Immediate Negotiations

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Legal representatives made visits to the Secure Housing Unit (SHU) at California’s Pelican Bay prison Tuesday, and interviewed a number of hunger strikers. Each prisoner explained how medical conditions of hundreds of hunger strikers in the SHU are worsening. Many prisoners are experiencing irregular heartbeats and palpitations, some are suffering from diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia. Many are also experiencing dizziness and constantly feel light-headed. Many struggle with shortness of breath and other lung and respiratory problems. Dozens of prisoners have fainted and been taken to either the infirmary and/or outside hospitals. Some prisoners also have Chrones disease, which leads to extreme loss of fluids and electrolytes and needs to be treated by adequate nutrition and hydration.

At least 200 prisoners continue the strike in solidarity with the prisoners at Pelican Bay at Calipatria State Prison, where summer heat has reached to 43C, even hotter inside the SHUs. Some people have experienced heat stroke due to severe dehydration.Read More

Political prisoners list July 2011

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Here is the monthly list of political prisoners compiled by Bristol ABC, for July 2011.
As an open office doc: prisoner-list_july2011

It is a worrying fact that the list of political prisoners is growing both here in the UK and around the world. The fact of the matter is that we barely scratch the surface of the list of people doing time for their political beliefs and actions. Indeed, if you look through our list, you will note that details of political prisoners across eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and the middle east are almost entirely absent. These peoples’ plights are virtually unrecorded (in the english language at least) , and they number in the tens of thousands, with many disappearing forever, as often as not murdered by their repressive regimes.Read More

Sounds Of Scumbria CD fundraiser for prisoner support

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‘Sounds of Scumbria’ is a cracking DIY fundraiser CD produced by SPAC (Scumbrian Pariahs Anarchist Collective). They’ve produced it off their own backs as a fundraiser for prisoner support, with proceeds coming from them to Bristol ABC to share out amongst prisoner support and solidarity projects.

CD cover pic

SPAC come from Scumbria, better known as South Cumbria. The CD features music from bands in their area, and from bands with a Scumbrian in their line up. The 25 songs include tracks by the likes of Skuff, UK Assassins, Electra Glide, Runt Hornet, Bag of Spanners, Poor Kids With Guns and much more, including (and better known in these parts) the magnificent Autonomads.Read More

Solidarity fund for six new anti-fascist UK prisoners

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Our comrades at Leeds ABC have helped set up a solidarity fund for the 6 UK anti-fascists recently imprisoned for upto 21 months: “A solidarity fund has been set up to support the antifascist prisoners recently arrested. At a time when the state is applying increasingly draconian measures to thwart all forms of political protest and resistance of all kinds it is important that our prisoners are supported.”

Please send cheques made payable to ‘The Cable Street Society’, c/o Leeds ABC, 145-149 Cardigan Road, Leeds, LS6 1L
Or pay by bank transfer – details here.

Leeds ABC have been in touch with the prisoners: “These comrades have been fitted-up and deserve our fullest possible support. Please write to them or send a solidarity card. Please send a stamped self-addressed envelope if you would like a reply, or if you can afford it they can receive stamps, stationery, and postal orders (made payable to ‘The Governor’). They can also receive books sent via Amazon.Read More