Tag: BRISTOL

WIGGED-UP STITCH-UP

A BRISTOLIAN MAN has been found guilty of multiple accounts of assaulting an officer during last July’s anti-E.D.L. demo in Bristol, simply because the judge disagreed with his politics – allegedly; the demo itself saw hundreds of police protecting 300 racists from thousands of locals and anti-fascists, making multiple arrests. Despite the hearing taking place in a magistrates court, a district judge sat in. His first move was to declare testimony from two people invalid solely, due to their membership in the Anarchist Federation – an above-ground, legal, membership-based organisation. From there, the trial became even more farcical, with the judge ignoring gaping holes in the contradictory statements of two cops. At one point, the ‘assaulted’ officer admitted that he couldn’t be sure the accused was even responsible for the ‘assault’. The same officer then alleged that he ‘punched his hat off’, despite pictures featured in Vice magazine clearly showing the officer wearing his hat throughout the proceedings. But duty solicitors failed to submit the photographs, anyway. Throughout the hearing, the judge was more keen to criticise the lifestyle and political philosophy of the defendant than to consider evidence which pointed towards ‘not guilty’. After finding the anarchist guilty, the judge won’t rule out prison. Even if prison is averted, he’ll still be left with £600 to pay in fees, not including any fines. If you’d like to show (financial) support, drop us an email, and we’ll let you know what you can do to help stick two fingers up at a legal system that has always defended the interests of the powerful, judicial process be damned.

 

THEY DON’T GIVE ATOS, BUT WE DO

 ON THURSDAY 6th September 20 concerned locals from Bath and Bristol met up outside ATOS offices at Flowers Hill in Bristol, to show their disgust at the I.T. company’s sick treatment of those who are sick and disabled. The protest came amid a wave of action which saw disabled and anti-cuts activists taking to the streets in dozens of towns and cities across the U.K., highlighting the hypocrisy of ATOS’ sponsorship of the Paralympics. In London, in an action planned to coincide with the Paralympic closing ceremony, hundreds of disabled people protested outside ATOS H.Q. and occupied the D.W.P., where out-of-control cops broke the arm of a disabled protester. Even the Paralympic Team G.B. joined the protest, hiding their ATOS-sponsored badges throughout the opening ceremony! As mentioned in our previous issue, ATOS are being handed tax payers’ money to kick people off incapacity benefits. Their tests include whether someone can stand for one minute, or lift their hand above their head, and no medical notes from the claimants’ G.P.s are considered. The offices in Bristol, where claimants are forced to have these assessments, is a 20 minute bus ride from the centre, in a commercial estate without disabled access: apparently the company’s idea of testing vulnerable people before they even arrive.

On the day, protesters handed out leaflets to passing drivers and pedestrians, to a good response. One passerby told how their partner was booted off benefits despite her crippling arthritis, meaning that some days she couldn’t even get out of bed! However, she managed to get them reinstated after a harrowing five month battle, suffering loss of money and increased stress from the uncertainty of her case. The protesters made contact with several claimants themselves being forced through this ordeal, who the campaigners will be able to help through a new action group being set up: Community Action Network. The group is designed to help those who are not only being kicked off their benefits, but are also being kicked out of their homes, schools and day centres, or otherwise shafted by the cuts. As well as undertaking legal casework, C.A.N. will employ direct action – intervening to prevent bailiffs, ATOS and other assorted scum making our lives more miserable. The group is made up of current and former Citizens Advice Bureau staff, alongside radical social workers, teachers, debt advisors, solicitors, claimants, carers and others. If you feel that you are being treated unfairly and would like help or advice, or would like to help please e-mail: thecommunityactionnetwork[at]gmail.co.uk

 

NO JUSTICE, NO PIECE

ACTIVISTS ACROSS THE southwest picketed Domino’s stores back in mid-September to show solidarity with striking pizza delivery workers in Australia. Pickets from Bristol to the South Coast were well received by the public, who were shocked to learn that greedy Domino’s bosses are slashing pay for Auzzie delivery drivers by 19%, adding up to a whole lot of lost dough, all with the collaboration of their boss-friendly union. In disgust, the workers set up their own union, affiliated to the anarchist International Workers Association and have since been striking, taking direct action and calling for solidarity actions all over the world. Bristol Domino’s workers, initially concerned about the demo, soon became more supportive when they learned that it was all to support their antipodean mates. Management on the other hand flew off the handle, angrily berating protesters and going to the top(ping) by bringing in a regional manager to the Bristol demo (brilliant news, as now the high-ups know what people think of their thin-crust pay and conditions). Meanwhile, solidarity protests cropped up in other parts of the U.K., as well as France, Germany, (home of the pizza) Italy and (home of the bastardised pizza) America. With every solidarity action reported to be boosting the morale of the Auzzie drivers, it can only be a matter of time before the Domino’s bosses get stuffed (crust) and the workers get a fair slice of the pizza-pie. Messages of solidarity and info about how to get stuck in can be left at: http://www.facebook.com/GeneralTransportWorkersAssociation

 

SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING: WHAT A LOAD OF BS!

A HEARTWARMING, HUMAN-interest story for Bristol was effectively smashed on 10th July by local govermint – surprise! To echo the fate of previous community-empowerment schemes in the face of red tape (such as the Snow Hill Skills and Enterprise Initiative in Bath two years before: ever heard of them? Thought not), the BS3 Project dreamed a dream of sustainable community, hoping to regenerate the old City of Bristol College and adjoining open land of Bedminster’s Northern Slopes – due for developer sell-off/sell-out. Instead of just another housing estate or sterile harbourside, BS3 envisioned a range of affordable and self-build housing options alongside work, training arts and recreation facilities, allotments, low-impact construction and renewable power… Growing Space, Community Space, Eating Space… Maannn, this is good shit! But, even though they spent a year finding financial partners and ticking the 100-odd compliance boxes on the acquisition form… Whatever they were smoking, the landowners didn’t want it, and instead claimed they were calling off the tender: apparently, there wasn’t enough entries to make the competition fair. And the moral of the story? If you want to play nice, you can fuck off.

http://www.bs3campus.org.uk

https://earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/24008

BRISTOL COUNCIL COULDN’T CARE LESS

ON THURSDAY 26TH July up to 200 people attended a demonstration at the Council House in Bristol, called by Bristol And District Anti-Cuts Alliance, over proposals to close care homes. Bristol City Council intend to close eight of its remaining care homes and seven council-run day centres. This will mean more privatisation, worse service standards, less accountability, and less jobs. The private providers will of course pay lower wages and spend less on training. By getting these services on the cheap, the council will save money at the expense of the elderly, the vulnerable and everyone else. The council calls this ‘modernisation’: everyone else calls them ‘cuts’. And, of course, in the last year, the remaining council-run home ‘care’ service has already been privatised and grants to voluntary groups running services like lunch clubs and day centres have been slashed. The demo was attended by carers, residents, workers at the homes and supporters of B.A.D.A.C.A. and Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance. Members of the council were passionately addressed by members of the demo.

The first two care homes are planned to close before the end of this year, but B.A.D.A.C.A. is working with those affected, both residents and staff, to prevent this. The next full council meeting on Tuesday September 18th will be a key event. B.A.D.A.C.A. and others will be holding a mass lobby of this meeting to tell the council that Bristol doesn’t accept these closures. Please help spread the word:

Lobby of Bristol City Council Meeting: Tuesday 18th September

Venue: Council House, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR

Time: 5.00p.m.

Please come along and tell councillors what the people of Bristol think of their cut-throat plans. For more information, e-mail admin[at]bristolanticutsalliance.org.uk.

Meanwhile in Bath, staff at the Royal United Hospital have warned that they will consider strike action over proposals to damage their working lives. The hospital has joined 18 other health bodies in the southwest to controversially form the P.T.C. cartel, as part of the Con-Dem’s plot to slash funding to the tune of £20 billion – nearly a fifth of the N.H.S.’s entire annual budget. The R.U.H. has even gone so far as to throw £10,000 of public funding at a new directorial post, whose sole aim is destroying nurses’ pay and conditions. The next Bath Anti-Cuts Alliance organising meeting on the 4th September, at 8p.m., in the upstairs of the Ram pub in Widcombe, will be discussing how we can support these workers. This assault in hospital workers, and resistance to it, looks set to go country wide very soon. More to follow.

http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/710603

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Leaked-document-Bath-Royal-United-Hospital/story-16451204-detail/story.html

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Changes-loom-Bath-s-Royal-United-Hospital-staff/story-16524775-detail/story.html

LETTERS BEGIN

Well, it’s our first issue, and we’ve already started receiving fanmail. Or is it hatemail? Either way, that’s progress. This month, Shaun from Bristol takes a strongly worded swipe at the rape apologists clamouring to dismiss serious sexual allegations against sinister-eyed Aussie empire-embarrasser Julian Assange:

DEAR F**KERS,

YOU may well be aware of the ongoing news story of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and allegations of a sexual assault in Sweden. It’s big news right now as the case has been somewhat complicated by concerns that if he faces questioning over the case in Sweden he may then be sent on to the U.S.A. regarding his website leaking a load of really important information that has pissed off America no end. On top of this, Assange has attempted to prove his innocence by trying to run away to Ecuador.

It seems every one who has (but probably shouldn’t be allowed) access to the internet has had their say on what should happen to Assange. This includes everyone’s least favourite Saddam Hussein-stroking, cat impressionist Big Brother evictee, M.P. George Galloway.

When referencing the situation, where allegedly Julian Assange had unprotected sex with a SLEEPING WOMAN, without her permission, saying this was not rape and instead referred to it as “bad sexual etiquette”, saying: “…even taken at its worst, if the allegations made by these two women were true, 100% true, and even if a camera in the room captured them, they don’t constitute rape.”

So I thought I would take this opportunity to speak to you all and say penetrating someone with your penis without express verbal permission IS rape. From the Sexual Offences Act, 2003: “A is guilty of rape when A intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of B (the complainant) with his penis; B does not consent to the penetration; and A does not reasonably believe that B consents.”

It doesn’t matter if you have had sex before, or you were both drunk or they are your wife, girlfriend, partner, fuckbuddy or whatever. It doesn’t matter if they got naked or they “seemed up for it” or “it would ruin the mood”, just fucking ask. “Would you like to have sex with me?” It’s easy, and trust me, there is nothing hotter than when you partner replies “Oh Yes Please!”, so just do it. If you don’t, it’s rape.

And if she or he (yes, it works both ways) say “No”, then it’s no! In fact if they say anything other than “Yes”, then it’s no. Silence means no, “Maybe” means no, “I’m not sure” means no, “You’ve/I’ve been drinking” means no. No persuasion, no complaining, no coercion, no sulking, no forcing. Getting them to say “Yes” through coercion is not consent, it’s rape. So next time you want to have sex, just ask, after all, it’s polite.

Shaun Phillips – Bristol