In Court on 9th October 9.15am

fw writes: PRSC chairman, Chris Chalkley was arrested by two plain clothes police officers on 24th September, and was charged with the following;

“That between 28/08/09 and 01/01/09 at St. James Barton roundabout in the City of Bristol without lawful excuse damaged 5102 Appartments to the value of between £150 and £200 belonging to Peverel Oak Management Ltd intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged CONTRARY TO SECTIONS 1(1) AND 4 OF THE CRIMINAL DAMAGE ACT 1971.

Mr. Chalkley readily agreed with the arresting officers, Ali Ross and Mark Reynolds, believed to be from the “Anti-Graffiti” team, that he had indeed placed the allegedly offending sign on the building, having taken great care to do so to the best of his ability. On surrendering the stencil, he asked the arresting officers to take good care of it. He was taken to Trinity Road Police Station, where he was photographed , fingerprinted and his DNA was taken for police records.

Whilst accepting that he had painted the sign, Mr Chalkley pleades not guilty to criminal damage. The court date was set for 9.15 am on 9th October.

FULL ARTICLE

How To Contribute Articles - A Brief Guide | Publish an Article/Event | Help Guide | Calendar | Donate | Indycycle |

Police & District Council Pressure

Jo Makepeace of SchNEWSwrites: The Big Green Gathering, a fixture in the alternative calendar, was due to return after two years this week. 15–20,000 people were expected to turn up on Wednesday (29th) to the site near Cheddar, Somerset, for Europe’s largest green event ... It’s clear that the Big Green has been singled out – and any gathering promoting those values or trying to organise in a grass-roots way will probably suffer the same fate once they get to a certain size. As corporate-branded Glasto has become a fixture on the mainstream calendar, like Ascot or Wimbledon, many have turned towards smaller more ‘grass-roots’ festivals. Niche festivals have bloomed across the British landscape. No matter what your bent, be it faerie wings or S&M, there’s probably a muddy weekend in a field for you....

.adelayde writes: The official line from the Big Green Gathering is that the local police and Mendip District Council have made a clear and consistent effort to 'break' the Big Green Gathering, something that they have managed to do today. Word in the field is that the police had prior knowledge of the injunction, some say up to three weeks ago. This would mean that having prior knowledge they allowed many people to run up expenses and costs that will most likely lead to the financial ruin of many individuals and certainly the festival itself. ... Full article.

| The Hippy, Hippy Shakedown | Big Green Gathering canceled due to police & district council pressure | Related News/Links www.schnews.org.uki |

How To Contribute Articles - A Brief Guide | Publish an Article/Event | Help Guide | Calendar | Donate | Indycycle |

A harrowing account of street violence in Bristol today...

@bs5'er writes: [The 17th June] saw another innocent victim battered on the Bristol to Bath bikepath. The 30-plus man, a self-employed carpenter, was returning to his home in Chelsea Park from a friends house off Devon Road, in Easton, a little before midnight. After walking the 100m along the path he was just about to exit via the small cut at top of Chelsea park when he was confronted by 3 youths. Attempting to walk through, he was grabbed by one, and resisted. The other 2 piled in and seconds later he was on the floor taking a beating. After the youths left he stumbled to his feet and to a neighbours house, who drove him to the BRI A&E. ... For sure we have the right, and need, to protect ourselves and our communities, be it from bullyboy youth, killer cops, big business or dumb government. But its a long slow process, and for it to work it needs to include the wider community, not just bevvied up angry white men down some local boozer, treading a fine line between retribution and racism. Unless the youth can be convinced they have a commonality with those they are attacking, then we'll just have a spiral of tit for tat violence, police nickings and brutality, and that often tried and failed state solution of prison.... Full article.

| More blood on the bike paths | Cycle path attacks warning (from June 2008) |

How To Contribute Articles - A Brief Guide | Publish an Article/Event | Help Guide | Calendar | Donate | Indycycle |

Demo & event coming up on this issue:

• Demonstration - 12 noon, Saturday 2nd May, New Bridewell police station, Bridewell Street, Bristol.
• Event - 8pm, Monday 4th May, Cube Cinema, Bristol.

lifetime of rage This is a call for an anti police brutality and state repression demonstration at New Bridewell Police station, Bridewell Street at 12 noon, on Saturday May 2nd. full article.

Indymedia Film Night: Monday 4th May 2009 Door opens 8pm @ Cube Cinema, Stokes Croft, Bristol. Entry £3/£4 (but nobody refused entry for a lack of funds.). In the wake of the G20 and other protests, serious questions need to be asked about the right to protest and its implications for democracy in the UK. Join us for films, speakers and discussion. full article.

Related pages: | What do we do if the police revolt? | G20 police report, info, and another damages payout | EDO Decommissioners | Bristol Indymedia Film Night: G20 - Policing, Protest & Democracy | Cant Pay, Wont Pay! April 23 at The Cube | Protest against police brutality - April 25th |Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists in Raid (UK Indymedia) | G20 policing caused man's death: police coverup and media lies (UK Indymedia) | Critical Mass Bristol - Apr 24th 5.30pm ]

[How To Contribute Articles - A Brief Guide | Publish an Article/Event | Help Guide | Calendar | Donate | Indycycle | Get Involved! ]