Riot going on now in Bristol - Stokes Croft

[ddraig]

New mural on Ashley Road. No camera on me but helpfully tweeted by someone:


Not showing up for me - is that the "policeful protest" one? http://twitpic.com/4qwyki

that is good but think it is this one

by Steve I
http://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_l/
e2a oops!

 

[DaveCinzano]

They don't like it up 'em - police threaten massive retaliation:

Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said: "We are doing everything to identify as many people who were involved in last night's disorder as possible.

"My message to all of you is simple. If you were involved in this disorder in any way – and there were more than 400 people who were there – then when we identify you, we will arrest you.

"It doesn't matter if you are captured on camera at the front throwing rocks, or if you were standing behind somebody else doing this, encouraging and inciting them to commit action.

"As far as we are concerned, if you were encouraging violent behaviour, then you are just as involved in the disorder as those throwing the missiles.

"Co-ordinated violence like we saw last night is not acceptable and will not be tolerated in Bristol."

Road re-opens while police pledge to find offenders

 

[MellySingsDoom]

Graun article on last-nights goings on

 

[Pickman's model]

They don't like it up 'em - police threaten massive retaliation:



Road re-opens while police pledge to find offenders

it's fucking mental. looks to me like it will kick off big time in bristol, with the cops coming out with shit like this

 

[DaveCinzano]

At about 8pm there was a report that 30 vans were parked up at fire station on Temple Back (towards train station) - Hampshire, Dorset, SWP, Hereford, Wiltshire).

Currently there are cops around City Road and other entry points onto Stokes Croft asking people if they're going to Stokes Croft.

Meanwhile, it being a long Bank Holiday weekend, the Inkerman (St. Paul's pub) has a sound system out in its car park (as normal for a long Bank Holiday weekend), with other smaller sound systems scattered elsewhere in the BS2/BS1 area. Could be a long night.

 

[embree]

LOTS of vans cruising round St Pauls right now, saw some from Dorset earlier. Are we being used as a riot police training ground?

The recycling bins on City Road - normally chained to the fence so they can't be moved - have gone

 

[Pickman's model]

LOTS of vans cruising round St Pauls right now, saw some from Dorset earlier. Are we being used as a riot police training ground?

The recycling bins on City Road - normally chained to the fence so they can't be moved - have gone

start stocking up on milk bottles.

 

[embree]

Dunno about any other locals on here but I'm starting to get the arse with Chris Chalkley a fair bit. Every comment he's made on any of this has been a load of toss to be fair.

Yeah I know many have had the hump with him for longer

 

[Geri]

Apparently he got hit with a police baton

 

[embree]

good

A&S Plod have released pics of people they'd like to identify. Many proving that masking up is the only sensible option

 

[embree]

tweet that just made me smile:

New theory of relativity: further away people are f #stokescroft more they seem to think they know what's going on

aint that the truth

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

tweet that just made me smile:



aint that the truth

innit

 

[DaveCinzano]

Just went down to Temple Back to see what's going on down there - didn't see 30 vans all parked up, but signs they may have only recently been stood down - on the way several threes or fours of vans - Dorset, perhaps Gloucestershire and others - driving away, possibly towards the M32 and home. Only saw a couple of vans in Temple Back, and one A&S Support Group van and a command Range Rover in the road parallel to it.

Overall in a wander around that part of town a total of about twenty vans.

However, there's at least three - probably four or more - parked up outside Broadmead McDonald's, and another three or four near Lakota club (close to Stokes Croft) hidden round the corner on Wilder Street.

If we get done over tonight, though, it looks like it's going to be done by local coppers

 

[embree]

Seen a few whispers of videos and pics disappearing off the net today only a few hours after going up

 

[DaveCinzano]

It's a tricky one - is it uploaders genuinely thinking they ought to take stuff down because there are people in them identifiable (as with some still photos last week), or have they been pulled by YouTube?

Certainly some of the ones I've seen disappear have been like the video where it's some chap discovering police all over the shop, whipping out his camera and then getting beaten/horsecharged for his sins (repeatedly!) whilst asking advancing riot police what's going on - he didn't seem to capture any footage of actual rioting, only the mopping up afterwards.

 

[embree]

Yeah, hard to say for sure

Police public meeting on Sunday apparently

 

[DaveCinzano]

Police public meeting on Sunday apparently

!!!!!

 

[embree]

My thoughts exactly!

 

[embree]

Larger images released of people they want to trace. Blurry pics of backs of people's heads are definitely going to work

 

[embree]

Life imitates art - from last Thursday

 

[MellySingsDoom]

Report from a witness on Bristol Indymedia: http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/704310

 

[embree]

Report from a witness on Bristol Indymedia: http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/704310

Started alright but descending into divisive finger wagging crap about 'violent minorities' etc. This response to it was excellent and sums up a lot of my own feelings about what's going on here:

I don't need a 'leader' and i don't need to be 'taught' anything.

Non violence is a tactic. It works in some situations, and not in others. Whether it was right for last night is a discussion to be had. But If you preach it as a blanket answer, based only on your own feelings, to others without empathising with who and what they are, then you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

The upsurge in defiance against the police in the last week has not arrived overnight, and cannot be quelled by people sitting in the road, or from following leaders who preach peace.

The reason the people were on the streets (including many locals, young and old) was that they are tired of the 'leaders' thinking they can do what they want to them. Tesco was a perfect catalyst because it exposed the corruption of the council, and of the police, in ignoring the blatant facts of the matter - the massive majority did not want a tesco store there.

Remember what started this - the police storming into Stokes Croft in what seems like a deliberate attempt to draw the anti-tesco campaign into a confrontation. They thought a show of force would deter people from attacking the Tescos. It spectacularly backfired. Now the local 'disaffected' feel stronger than ever and are up for a fight, The police try and play the media game, to parade the velvet glove, but are ready at the drop of the hat to deploy the iron fist.

Remember, if you talk of casualties, 80% are on the side of the 'violent' protesters who aren't dressed up in invulnerable body armour and driving around in armoured vans. Think on that.

Now the genie is out of the bottle. Old wounds have been reopened.Real anger is being shown, in a very unfocussed way, but that doesn't make it any less heartfelt, or justified.

When the police were confronted, and reacted, only 3 people chose to sit and do nothing. Think on that as well.

The reason things have got this bad is that the majority of Bristolians have been happy to sit back and do nothing, while sections of society are mistreated, and ignore their cries for help. Why should they now listen to your cries now? Think on.

 

[embree]

At about 8pm there was a report that 30 vans were parked up at fire station on Temple Back (towards train station) - Hampshire, Dorset, SWP, Hereford, Wiltshire).

Latest tweet reports we now have visitors to the area from Thames Valley Police parked up by Cabot Circus!

So: Gwent, SWP, West Mercia, Wiltshire, Devon & Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire & Thames Valley now.

 

[stuff_it]

Latest tweet reports we now have visitors to the area from Thames Valley Police parked up by Cabot Circus!

So: Gwent, SWP, West Mercia, Wiltshire, Devon & Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire & Thames Valley now.

Thames Valley TSG are fucking notorious, are they still there?

*note* sometimes they like to bring that lot in hoping that they will recognise well known protesters, perhaps the powers that be hope they will spot some 'known ringleaders' if it kicks off again.

 

[Pickman's model]

Latest tweet reports we now have visitors to the area from Thames Valley Police parked up by Cabot Circus!

So: Gwent, SWP, West Mercia, Wiltshire, Devon & Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire & Thames Valley now.

you should be playing copper bingo

 

[embree]

Thames Valley TSG are fucking notorious, are they still there?

*note* sometimes they like to bring that lot in hoping that they will recognise well known protesters, perhaps the powers that be hope they will spot some 'known ringleaders' if it kicks off again.

Not sure. We seem to have had a selection of vans from different forces, 5 or 6 from each.

you should be playing copper bingo

It has occurred to me we should put together a cop spotting game. Top points for if you see a van actually from A&S!

All quiet last night apparently. Patrols around the area and complaints on twitter that they were taking the dogs for a walk at 3am when everything else was quiet and people were trying to sleep

 

[embree]

Blog post which has a decent handle on the area, though perhaps not an appreciation of the longer term issues affecting St Pauls/low Kingsdown. Doesn't mention the various hostels in the area creating additional pressure on a fragile community but whatever, a good starting point for the recent problems:

http://noellejt.tumblr.com/post/5061700570/stokes-croft-riots-it-started-out-complicated-then

 

[Geri]

It is not the sort of area where girls can walk home safely at 4 in the morning. There is no such area!

 

[embree]

No, I felt that was something of a personal experience which doesn't hold true for everyone. I know girls who report consistently awful experiences here and others who have none - whatever the reasons behind that (perception, behaviour, it's another debate) I think it's fair to say that what she says there doesn't hold true for everyone by a long chalk!

 

[stuff_it]

It is not the sort of area where girls can walk home safely at 4 in the morning. There is no such area!

All cities there aren't many areas where a girl can do this without a mate with them or a big dog.