Bristol Unite Against Fascism Meeting - Friday May 9th

With an openly fascist mayor of Rome and the BNP gaining a seat in the London parliment and another 10 local councillors (despite fielding a candidate who claimed rape was a myth), some fear a march to the right in Europe. ZOB - UAF writes: A Bristol Unite Against Fascism (UAF) public meeting How can we organise to stop the local and national growth of the Nazi BNP? 7pm, Friday May 9th @ Transport House, Victoria Street, Bristol BS1. Full article.

| Stopping the fascist BNP | www.uaf.org.uk | Other Related Links: www.antifa.org.uk | Fascist BNP leader was in Bristol | Fascist BNP leader stopped from speaking at Bath University |

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One of the big stories of the year was the Fairford trials - five people in three trials, all of whom had taken direct action to stop the bombing of Iraq and were now facing the wrath of the state; "Although there has been no definitive verdict one way or another, it is heartening to think that a third, random group of 12 people from Bristol has been unwilling to convict individuals for taking direct action against the USAAF Fairford as it made preparations for, what I assume we must all generally understand by now, was a War against Peace" The whole thing ended in 2 Not Guilty & 1 Guilty verdicts. 2007 saw plenty of 'David vs. Goliath' battles with Tesco's taken on in Shepton Mallet and Sainsburys taken on by BOGOFs, people from all over the South West getting involved in the anti-pipe actons, protesters taking on BAE over its alleged corrupt practices. 2007 saw plenty of notable anniversaries such as the 2nd Bristol Latin American Forum, the 3rd anniversary of Bristol Wood Recycling Project, 4th Anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and 10 years of New Labour. We said goodbye to the Boss of UWE (a 'Conflict of Interest'), Tony Blair with a call to 'Make Blair’s Last Day, An Anti-War Day', Ashton Court Festival, Bristle Magazine and plans for the Bristol Arena. In media news we saw the launch of the Bath Bomb, the rise of local blogging, the unionising of Northcliffe (owners of the Evening Post, Venue, the Western Daily Press and more) as well as big questions being asked about Independent Media. Climate Change was one of the biggest issues of the year with action being taken against airports (see image; an endangered gorilla outside Bristol airport), climate camp, critical masses (with criticism of the policing of both), Shell and the Council, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Royal Bank of Scotland and Staverton Airport in Gloucestershire. 2007 saw a number of significant victories including FOSBR winning a Sunday service on the Severn Beach Line, Anti-Prison campaigner Pauline Cambell being found 'Not Guilty', Stokes Croft becoming 'The World's Largest Outdoor Art Gallery' and victory for the campaign around the Elizabeth Shaw chocolate factory development plus deportations being halted on UN Refugee Day. We also had some local elections, found that DNA pioneer James Watson's talk in Bristol was stopped due to a racism row, read about the Lib Dems coming under fire over hypocrisy, as well as Labour facing questions over a £10,000 donation uncovered by the Bristol Blogger, learned of plans to see Somerset being dumped with all the UK's nuclear waste and followed the exploits of Bristolians helping out in other parts of the world from Colombia to Palestine.

A happy 2008 from all at Bristol Indymedia!.

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A round-up of the Yule-news on Bristol Indymedia - Charlie Powell of Oxfam GB writes about the UN Climate negotiations in Bali. While Winston Smith suggests some fun and games with talking CCTV cameras. The Bristol Blogger updates us in the ongoing saga of the 'Bristol Labour Group' £10,000 donation. No2ID Supporter asks us to make the NO2ID pledge your New Year's resolution. Finally, with Guantanamo Bay once again the the news with the release of three British residents following incarceration without trial of five years, Bristol Indymedia announces a Moazzam Begg Talk/Film Screening 'Gitmo: The New Rules of War' Monday 14th January 2008 8pm

PS; Happy Christmas and New Year from Bristol Indymedia Collective!

| www.oxfam.org.uk/climatechange | Oxfam Reports from Bali | Bristol Labour's funny money | thebristolblogger.wordpress.com | Moazzam Begg Talk/Film Screening 'Gitmo: The New Rules of War' | Mooney and the city council loonies | 2008: Make the NO2ID Pledge your New Year's Resolution | "Talking CCTV" in Bristol - who fancies some fun and games? |

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Anarchist606 writes: I heard about the first plane from a work colleague who was sat on the desk next to me. It seemed pretty unreal. I checked the net to see what was going down. Breaking news was a plane had hit the world trade centre ... In 2001 incidents of terrorism are running at about 1700 per year, globally ... Flashback to then. As the second plane hits, the net goes down. I can not remember a time then or since that this had happened. At first the BBC site went to a text only version, then that too would go ... Soon after this Bu$h would declare that either you are with him or with the terrorists. Rumsfeld would take the Iraq war plans off the backburner and once more put them into motion. In Afghanistan, Bin Laden would argue with Al-Zarqawi about how the US would respond to his attacks. Al-Zarqawi says they will attack Iraq and set off there to prepare for their coming.

Now – there is a vigil in Bristol each day to protest the wars. This has been going on since they started bombing Afghanistan. In Bristol there are also companies who make missiles that they use in the war on terror. Dick Cheney said that this war would not end in our lifetimes. A forever war. As if to prove this, the war in Afghanistan that we have supposedly won, still rumbles on there with no end in sight ... Now – the forever war takes in Iraq to sit alongside Afghanistan, Colombia and Palestine in their crusade for enduring freedom. During this war on terror they would use torture, cluster bombs, detention without trial, phosphorus shells, depleted uranium and bomblets ... In 2005 incidents of terrorism are running at around 5100 per year. Since that day when Bin Laden killed 2,973 people to set his agenda, the west's fury and blundering would add another 62,006 dead to the tally ... Cost of war so far: $313,693,687,636 and counting.

Before – A couple of years after 911, I would hold my nose and vote Lib Dem to oust Neo-Labour in the national election. They won in Bristol West. The media, taking their cue from Neo-Labour ... said people don't care about the war. I did. In the run up to the largest ever demo sends coach after coach from here to London to say No War. Bliar ignored us ... He said history would be his judge. Instead the dead of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine are his judge ... Now; I want us out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I want the billions spent on war to go on making poverty history. I want Neo-Labour to consume itself in an orgy of destruction ... (epitaph; 'Here lies the Labour Party 1900-2006, an opportunity lost. May future generations learn from our failure.') ... I want the court to issue an arrest warrant for Bliar on charges of war crimes. I want Bin Laden caught and put on trial in the Hague. I want the Fairford disarmers to be acquitted and offered the Freedom of the City of Bristol. Full Article

| (Image Left: U.S military uses phosphorous weapons as it flattens the Iraqi city of Fallujah in Nov 2004) | Living in the Shadow of Bin Laden | Bristol Peace Vigil: Mon - Fri @5:30-6:30pm. Sat @3:00-4:00pm. Opposite The Hippodrome, St. Augustines Parade, Bristol City Centre | Fairford Trials: Paul Milling and Margaret Jones : Verdict Expected By Next Wednesday | Also Of Interest: Profiles of Bristol based Arms Companies | Bristol arms manufacturers are targetted | Palestine Zaytoun Olive Harvest Tour | Bristol Stop The War Newsletter : September 2006 |

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