Anarchists gathered at HMP Bristol on Friday 21 September at 8pm. As darkness fell, fireworks were launched over the prison to protest the rearrest of anarchist Toby Shone and to let him know he is never alone.
Toby was arrested by an armed police unit while he was driving to Gloucester at 9am on Tuesday 19 September. The arrest was apparently ordered by Ashley Fussell from the National Security Division Wales and South West. The armed police unit is based at Bamfurlong, Gloucestershire, and was involved in Toby’s original arrest in November 2020.
Toby was arrested and recalled to prison for alleged breach of license conditions. He is accused of having an unauthorised phone and of attending an “anti-state” dinner and letter-writing night for anarchist prisoners held by Bristol Anti-Repression Campaign at BASE Social Centre in August. These alleged breaches apparently warranted an arrest by an armed counter-terrorist unit. The cops want him to serve the remainder of his sentence which means he will not be released until November 11, 2024.
Toby had just been released from the Approved Premises in Gloucester where he had been forced to live since getting out of prison at the end of December last year. Probation could no longer make a case for keeping Toby there under extreme curfew as the hostel needed the room and also didn’t understand why he was still there. He had been in his new flat in the Forest of Dean for just 9 days.
Donations to his support fund can be made to The Bottled Wasp which can be found at brightonabc.org.uk/bottledwasp.html
Fire to the prisons!
Some Anarchists
Imprisoned Anarchist Toby Shone moved to HMP Garth
Imprisoned anarchist Toby Shone has been moved 265 kilometres from his home in Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire and nearly 300 kilometres from support in Bristol to HMP Garth in Leyland, a high security prison near Manchester. Despite being in the resettlement part of his sentence, a vengeful probation and counter-terror team are attempting to isolate Toby from his perceived support base and loved ones in the south of the country and deliberately place him at risk of harm in a notoriously violent Category B prison for those serving sentences of 10 years or more. Probation has demanded Toby serve the rest of his sentence which is just short of 13 months, due for release on 11 November 2024.
Toby was imprisoned in Wandsworth, Bristol and G4S Prison Parc for nearly two years accused of being the administrator of counter-information project 325.nostate.net. After the political prosecution failed and the cops had to drop the case 5 days before trial in October 2021, Toby received a sentence of 3 years 9 months for possession of psychedelic medicines. He was released on 28 December 2022 under heavy restrictions (license conditions) overseen by a multi-agency team (MAPPA) including the National Security Division (counter-terror) and was forced to live in a filthy bail hostel in Gloucester for 9 months. He had just moved back into a flat in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire when, on the morning of 19 September 2023, he was pulled over and arrested by an armed police unit a few miles from the city of Gloucester. He was accused of being in possession of an [unauthorised] phone and attending a dinner and prisoner letter writing night at BASE anarchist social centre in Bristol in August.
Toby continues to be held as a TACT (Terrorist) prisoner despite being proclaimed Not Guilty of any terrorist offence by a High Court Judge in a court of law in October 2021.
Toby is in great spirits as ever and requests letters and emails. Emails are getting through very quickly on emailaprisoner.com (please get him a reply sheet). You can also write to him at:
Toby Shone A7645EP
HMP Garth
Ulnes Walton
Leyland
Preston
PR26 8NE
UK
If anyone in the north of the country would like to visit Toby, please contact his soli group at forestcase@riseup.net
Books must be ordered and sent direct from Waterstones, Blackwells, Wordery, WH Smiths, Foyles and Mr B’s Emporium Bookshop.