Statement from Bristol Indymedia concerning recent 'Packers Field' article

In relation to a recent article alleging direct action and criminal damage, Bristol Indymedia Collective issue the following statement:

On the 25th March the following article appeared on Bristol Indymedia:

"turf-war
moving along from passive resistance into the grounds of the city academy, russell town ave
It's been said don't wait because you'll wait forever [yeah! for a crack-whore or a cowboy] to do a job a renegade could do standing on their head. Another private gym? The gentrification of packer's field. Displace the poor of society then sit back and wonder why there's wanton vandalism. To show that we are more than words, because we've come to understand too well that they can be conveniently be brushed aside and ignored. This time was a considerate warning, the impact next time may dig deeper, we cannot always be so charitable, this time we thought of the kids. Stay out of our public space, get your from somewhere else. Our numbers are growing along with our confidence. We don't all acknowledge the off-side rule, Packer's field revenge."

Following the posting of the article the following threat to BIMC then appeared:

"This [the article above] is being reported to the police, and Indymedia are being reported for condoning this. I hope this time you lose your computers for good, and I'll be asking the Police to arrest you [BIMC] for abetting criminal damage."


The Bristol Indymedia Collective (BIMC) took the decision to hide this article while we consulted on it. Following discussions we decided the following:
In regard to the threat of arrest:

• on a previous occasion the police have already tried this route, with no charges brought forth, because BIMC had done nothing wrong.

In relation to an article alleging direct action and criminal damage:

• It appears that this article is not incitement to criminal damage as it does not ask others to do the same. In addition, BIMC could not be 'condoning' the article (assuming by this the writer of the comment means 'conspiracy to incite criminal damage') unless we added a comment endorsing what had allegedly happened; to which no such comments have been made by BIMC.
• Furthermore, the original article was so unclear in its statement that it is unreasonable to expect a third party to know what it was actually referring to.

BIMC is committed to media democracy; this means that you may read the words of people who claim to do things you don't agree with as BIMC respects the rights of others in terms of free speech. We will continue to actively defend the BIMC network from those who would use other news items, innuendo, spamming and flaming to attack it. BIMC is committed to maintaining the Bristol Indymedia site as an outlet for open news in the South West.