Fortnightly on Sundays, all start at 7:30 prompt….
27th February Bristol IWW present “Made in Dagenham”
13th March Bristol Kurdistan Solidarity Network present “The End will be Spectacular”
27th March Simon White (film-maker) presents “We need space”.
Hope to see you there!
Martryrdom: culture and politics
Sunday 20th 6.30pm at BASE
Throughout history and the the world there have been individuals and groups who through various differing situations becomes personified and held as Martyrs. This will be a seminar that will explore the culture and political significance of martyrdom in revolutionary sense. and where we can also share our own thoughts, feelings and experiences on how we approach martryrdom.
Bristol Kurdistan Solidarity Network @BristolKSN
#SolidarityWithJasmine – #Bristol Crown Court Day 5: – Court now adjourned until Monday – Jasmine fights on & has another free weekend + hope of #NotGuilty ! Back next Monday – demo when verdict comes out… follow @BristolDefenda1 for updates
#Solidarity with all #defendants – nobody forgotten nor left behind
#KillTheBill: Bristol legal support in the streets and in the courts
Donate to support KTB defendants before 4th Feb
https://www.gofundme.com/f/killthebill-bristol-legal-support-in-the-streets
**UPDATE: There have now been more than 60 arrestees from #KillTheBill protests in Bristol. Just before Christmas, Ryan Roberts was jailed for 14 years for his part in the demonstration. The state is coming down hard on everyone who took to the streets that night – and this January, Bristol Defendant Solidarity will be back in court to help people fight a fresh round of cases.
So far, 13 people have been sentenced to a total of over 49 years in prison. From the end of January to end of August 2022, we already have 26 riot trials set for Bristol Crown Court, with more to come. We urgently need your help to support them. We’ll be closing this crowdfunder on 4 February, and this is our last chance to find the money we need to support people as they face the legal system. If you can, please donate and share today to help us reach our stretch goal of £30,000 so we keep supporting people through the court process.**
People in Bristol standing up to unprecedented new police powers have faced immense police violence since Sunday March 21st. The last week has seen police charging crowds with horses, releasing attack dogs on protesters, pepper-spraying people indiscriminately and physically attacking journalists. Those arrested will face harsh charges as the state seeks to make an example of them.
We believe that no one taking part in protests for social justice should face the system alone. If you do too, please donate.
Defend resistance to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The people arrested following recent demonstrations in Bristol against the much opposed Police Bill need our support.
We know the state will want to make examples of them.
As a grassroots voluntary group that has been supporting arrestees for over a decade, we have seen up close the damage a trial can do, regardless of the outcome. Particularly to people who have less privilege than those judging them.
Aspects of the protest on Sunday 21st March received immediate local, national, and international media coverage and political responses. The Mayor of Bristol has proclaimed everyone was “intent” on confrontation from the start. The police have branded demonstrators “a mob of animals”. Meanwhile some people have rushed to express “complete confidence in the approach taken by Avon & Somerset Police” – while the work of groups such as Bristol Copwatch shows that the approach taken by Avon & Somerset Police is racist and disproportionate year-round.
The heavy bias of reporting, depicting protesters as the initiators of violence, rather than the victims of violence, makes it unlikely that anyone accused of attending the protest on Sunday 21st March will get a fair trial. While even the most blatant sex-offenders are named “allegedly” until proven guilty, those arrested have had no such treatment. It is unrealistic to expect a jury will have missed these very public comments. It will influence the judgement in any trial.
History shows us that fundamental social change requires a diversity of tactics. We believe that no one taking part in moments of resistance should face the system alone. If you do too, please donate.
With cuts to legal aid, those in full time work will need support with lawyers’ fees. For those without that security, the trial risks limiting their capacity to find work.
We are aiming to raise £15,000 for people arrested following Bristol demonstrations against the government’s new legislation.
Depending on need, and in this priority order, we will use this fund to support those arrested in connection with the Kill the Bill protests by:
Supplying money for legal fees not covered by legal aid.
Paying any travel costs to court.
Covering loss of earnings sustained as a result of attending court.
Supporting legal cases made against the police.
Helping pay rent to ensure defendants can return to their homes after any custodial sentences.
Our crowdfunder is now live:
In the unlikely event of there being any money left over from this, it will be held by Bristol Defendant Solidarity to support people in a similar way in the future. Solidarity is our best defence.
In solidarity, BDS
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-base-social-centre
BASE social centre in Bristol has provided an important space for community and organising for a better world for over 25 years. Putting principles of mutual aid, solidarity, self organisation and co-operation into practice it has been an inspiration to many. This autonomous, not for profit space has contributed so much to Bristol’s good reputation as a city of radical and progressive politics. BASE has provided genuinely affordable / free space to a wide range of community, campaign and activist groups and hosted innumerable events of all sorts. It is a place where people can meet others, socialise, eat, work, learn and organise together as equals. We are very proud of all that it stands for and all that it has achieved over the years and long may it continue.
Like many grassroots community projects, BASE has been really badly affected by the pandemic. We took the decision to keep the cafe, our primary source of income, closed to prioritise community safety and to avoid contributing to the spread of covid 19. This has meant that while our principles of collective care, mutual aid and solidarity are in good shape, our finances are not! The project’s reserve funds are now at a critically low level. So, it’s about time for some sponsored stuff! We get that everyone is a bit tired of yet another crowdfunder, so we thought we’d give this one some legs!
A group of BASE volunteers and supporters are running a half marathon along the Devon coast on 5th February to raise some much needed funds. While there may be some nice views along the way, it’s undoubtedly going to be an arduous metaphor for the struggle! It is described by the run organisers, Endurance Life, as “punishing” and “severe terrain”. Because the tougher it is the more money we raise, right? We will get it done, in the spirit of the old revolutionary adage of “Run comrade, the old world is right behind you!”
If you value autonomous, free, not for profit, community spaces please contribute to the crowdfunder and share it as widely as you can. Your support for BASE social centre is really appreciated.
The next #KillTheBill trial is coming up at the end of January at #Bristol Crown Court. On 21st March 2021, Jasmine bravely took to the streets to #protest against the murder of #SarahEverard by a #metpolice officer, and against the new #PCSCBill#SolidarityWithJasmine
Base Info Shop presents Queen and Slim, Sunday 30th January 6pm.
Sunday 23 January – An evening of films and discussion with Bristol Defendant Solidarity (BDS).
Base will be open from 6pm for a 6.30pm start!
– A vol from BDS will run through the role of BDS legal support, from the BLM protest on 7 June 2020 through to the acquittal at Court of the Colston 4 on 5th January 2022.
– 3 short films reflecting on the BLM protest; the Colston Toppling; and the campaigns to tell the truth about Colston’s role in the barbaric slave trade.
– open discussion on the issues raised by these events.
All welcome. Free event. Snacks & hot drinks available.
For more from BDS follow their twitter – @BristolDefenda1
Base website.
Please share as widely as possible to help BASE and Roses continue to sustain this much needed food solidarity project.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/baseandroses2022
“Our project will be heading in a slightly different direction in 2022, in the hope of continuing to address the crisis in inequality made so much worse by the Covid pandemic, but to do that in a less time-intensive way. Check back here in early New Year for more on that, and in the meantime, please contribute now so we can carry out our ‘traditional’ food bag deliveries on January 8th. And please get in touch if you’re interested in helping out with admin, bag packing or driving: 07731 845211; baseandroses@riseup.net.”
