We Are Bristol Says Thank You
We Are Bristol says Thank You
We Are Bristol would like to thank all trade unions, community groups, anti-racist organisations, political representatives and individual Bristolians who supported our March and Rally against the EDL on Saturday.
Despite enormous pressure from the City Council and the police not to demonstrate more than 800 rallied with us at the Fountains at 11am. We then marched after an hours rally to Castle Park and more local bystanders and a feeder march swelled our ranks to over a thousand. Speeches at Castle Park were given by many trade union representatives, We Are Bristol supporters, Weyman Bennett of Unite Against Fascism, Sikhs Against the EDL, Kerry McCarthy MP, local councillor Mile Woollacott, and Mayoral candidate Marvin Rees among others. Another thousand or more voiced their opposition to the EDL by lining their route. We then marched as one from Castle Park to join Pride, in celebration of diversity. In the event, despite proclaiming a national demonstration, the EDL only managed 250 on their march, and were ferried out of the city with massive police presence shortly after their march had finished. We clearly showed that racism and bigotry are not welcome in Bristol.
However, the cost of this operation to accommodate the EDL reached over £500,000. This is a shameful act of our city council, especially when they have denied a grant of just £30,000 that would have enabled St. Pauls Carnival to go ahead this year. Just what are our local elected representatives' priorities!?"
We Are Bristol are standing by all those anti-racists arrested on the day. A National Officer of Unite Against Fascism, Martin Smith, was one of those arrested while speaking at the Fountains. He was held for 12 hours in a police cell before being charged with with offences that clearly obstruct our right to protest. To support him and all others arrested a meeting has been called by Unite Against Fascism this Thursday July 19th, 730pm which will take place at Co-Exist, Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft. Martin Smith will be speaking at the meeting, together with trade union, Labour Party representatives, and other anti-racist campaigns.
bristol |
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announcement
Tuesday July 17, 2012 19:17
by We Are Bristol
WeAreBristol at yMail dot com
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5Would be good to thank *everyone* that came out to oppose the EDL not just those at the centre/castle park!
800 at the Fountains at 11am, do me a favour! I watched that damp squid of a rally from 11.15 to 11.35 from the nearby coffee stall and i'd be susprised if you'd gathered 200 by the time we left. And by that time you'd been kettled on 3 sides by the cops with no option left other than to go up Baldwin St. Luckily many others like us stayed out of the kettle and went off to protest elsewhere.
When I checked back on you about 12.50 you were still in the Baldwin St end of bristol bridge, with a few in the park, still in the police kettle, and there you pretty much remained - and thats the closest you came to the edl. I'd say there may have been 500 or 600 in that specific area by 1pm but many kept out of your kettle and kept moving around. You listened to a few politicians and that was that.
In reality the majority of protesters, perhaps 1500 in total, remained out of your controlled protest and spread around the whole Queens Sq/Redcliffe area, testing police lines and trying to get close to the edl. Next time do us a favour and keep it fluid, and dont co-operate with the state.
A campaign has already been started by Bristol Defendant Solidarity to support those arrested on the counter demonstration on 14th July. BDS stands in solidarity with all those arrested, this includes:
- Court and bail accompaniment
- Help finding and transferring solicitors
- Writing to prisoners
- Help accessing legal information
- Collating information for defendants
- Creating and distributing "bust cards" on demos
- Running legal workshops
If you were arrested on July 14th and you would like support then please contact Bristol Defendant Solidarity at bristolarresteesupport[at]riseup.net or phone on 07746741104. For more information about BDS visit the website: bristolabc.wordpress.com/defendant-solidarity
hats off to We Are Bristol, a job well done.
Any news on Martin, did he get charged in the end? I think he showed a lot of guts to stand up to the copper's bullying tactics.
How about other arrestees? Any more news?
I chose to stay out of the kettle, i say that, because most of us knew it would be a kettle. but hats off to We Are Bristol for mobilising. Running around and throwing bricks isn't an option for everyone. Not everyone is able to challenge police lines.
Personally I think it was great to see the diversity of tactics on display. I know of anarchists who spent the day in the kettle and UAF-types who chose to stay out and try other tactics.
As someone who always advocated working in small affinity groups, I don't think that was entirely effective on the day. the few hundred of people in small groups, with a bit more co-ordination (i'm not talking about a follow-the-leader-into-the-pen type coordination, but a bit more working together) could have done more. Where were the lock-ons across the bridge? UK anarchists have been involved in so much effective non-confrontational direct action involving things like lock-ons. I'm not bringing this question up as I'm anti-violence, far from it, I would never criticise anti-fascists using violence from an ethical viewpoint. But I wonder if people went in with the attitude that the only way to fight the fascists is with physical force, rather than thinking of what the most effective tactic was? Lock-ons could have brought the city to a stand-still. Yes, physically dangerous, but the cops are far less likely (tho i know they still would) to raise batons to someone locked on than to someone burning bins.
Remember, violence and non-violence are tactics, not ideologies.