Bristol

Bristol, UK: Toby Shone speaks from the dungeons of Bristol prison, explaining his case. EN/ES/FR/DE/PO/RU/GR/IT

Posted on 2022/01/05 - 2022/01/06 by darknights

My name is Toby Shone, and I’m an imprisoned anarchist held in Bristol prison who was kidnapped at gunpoint by the anti-terrorist unit, as part of Operation Adream in the UK. The repression was aimed to target the anarchist group of critique and practice, 325 collective and the website 325.nostate.net. Operation Adream is an attack by the British State in conjunction with European partners against anarchist direct action groups, counter-information projects, prisoner solidarity initiatives and the new anarchist critique of the technological singularity and the fourth and fifth industrial revolution. Operation Adream is the first time that anti-terrorist legislation has been used against the anarchist movement in the UK.

I was taken hostage by the regime on the 18th of November 2020 by a team of tactical fire arms cops after a car chase through the remote Forest of Dean, which is on the border with South Wales, one hour north of Bristol. At the same time coordinated raids took place at five addresses in the Forest of Dean against collective living projects, hangouts and a storage unit. I was taken under armed guard to a nearby police station where I was held in incommunicado and interrogated many, many times. I refused to speak during the interrogations and I did not cooperate with the murderers in uniform.

I was charged with four counts of terrorism. One charge of Section 2, dissemination of terrorist publications as a suspected administrator 325.nostate.net. Two charges of section 58, possession of information useful for the purposes of terrorism. Those being two videos. One of which showed how to improvise an explosive shaped charge. And the other demonstrated how to burn down a mobile phone transmitter. I was charged with Section 15, funding terrorism, which was related to cryptocurrency wallets hosted on 325.nostate.net which were for the support of anarchist prisoners and publications. I denied all the charges.

I was also accused during the interrogations of membership of FAI/IRF, the Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front. I was accused of writing five documents and carrying out several actions in the Bristol area, which were claimed by cells of the FAI as well as those of the Earth- and Animal Liberation Fronts. These included an incendiary attack against the police station, the burning down of a mobile phone transmitter and liberation of animals.

Bristol is an area of the UK where there has been countless anarchist sabotages and direct actions taking place over the last two decades and which remain unsolved by police, despite multi-million pound investigations and joint media witch hunts against anarchists in the city. Continue reading “Bristol, UK: Toby Shone speaks from the dungeons of Bristol prison, explaining his case. EN/ES/FR/DE/PO/RU/GR/IT” →

Bristol, UK: A letter from prison by Toby Shone

Posted on 2021/12/20 - 2021/12/20 by darknights

Act for free received by email 18.12.21

———————

I didn’t know I was Harry Houdini

26/11/2021

Today I was taken from the cells of G-wing, Bristol prison to the City Hospital under a security escort. This was to detect any reoccurrence of cancer in my abdomen and pelvis. In the reception area of the prison, I had the usual strip search, and I was forced to change out of my own clothes into prison-issue clothes.

This offended my dignity as even when I was being held in Wandsworth prison in London under “antiterrorist” conditions I could at least go to the hospital in my own clothes. Whilst I was waiting for the screws to finish the paperwork, I got a glance of my cover sheet at my file – “escape list” marked in red. I was shackled to a screw with an escort and another two and I was driven by four screws in an unmarked van to the radiology unit. Along the way and back, of course, I was a witness to the pathetic, belittling ,racist, misogynistic “chats” of the screws who consider themselves experts of all aspects of life. At the radiology unit there were discussions between the medical staff and screws with some referral to their superiors, as, without any foresight on the screws part, they hadn’t realised that I couldn’t be shackled inside the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine. Despite the MIR machine being within a sealed room with a single door, I was forced to wear a pair of plastic zip tight cuffs which were tightened so tight they cut into my wrists.

Due to my loud protests and demands for them to be removed, the screws cut them off with difficulty and pain and placed a second pair almost no less tight on my hands. I was then bound like so inside the MRI in considerable pain and discomfort and in no point in time did the medical staff ask if I was ok or raise any issue of me being treated like this while being told to “be calm” by the screw who had put these cuffs on me and who had remained inside the procedure room. If you have ever been inside an MRI you will know that you are already confined inside an impossibly narrow tiny tube wrapped up in sensitive equipment whilst a torus of magnets whirls around you at deafening volume.

Hardly an easy place to escape from at the best of times. To add an insult to this injury the MRI technician gave the “panic button” which is a kind of pad the patient squeezes to indicate that there is an emergency, not to me who was undergoing the test, but to the disgusting screw who had remained into the room to observe me. One of the screws waited outside the room and one other, for unknown reasons, was asked by the technician to attend INSIDE the adjacent imaging room where the scans were being processed and the technician acted. This final fact is the most angering since these screws are not even medical staff nor technicians but merely
lock and unlock doors, shout and abuse the imprisoned every day. I am not writing this as a “victim of oppression” nor to “establish my
rights”. I write this to denounce the situation and to explain to others what to expect and especially for all the other prisoners who confront cancer.

It is this civilization that makes us all sick. Strength to all those
prisoners who have dreams of freedom in their hearts!

Toby Shone
HMP Bristol

Source: Act For Freedom Now!

Bristol, UK: Anarchist Prisoner Toby Shone Sentenced

Posted on 2021/10/29 by darknights

Anarchist prisoner Toby Shone was sentenced to 3 years 9 months in prison for 8 drug offences at Bristol Crown Court on October 13, 2021 after Terrorism charges were dropped. He has already served 8 months of this sentence on remand.

The ‘drugs’ were psychedelics and medicinal plants (LSD, DMT, cannabis, THC oil, MDMA and magic mushrooms) found at two of the four properties raided by counter-terror cops in the UK South-West on November 18, 2020 in their hunt for the administrator of anarchist website 325.nostate.net.

Toby was originally charged with providing a service enabling others to access terrorist publications contrary to section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006, fundraising for terrorist purposes contrary to section 15 of the Terrorism Act 2000, and two counts of possession of information likely to be useful to a terrorist contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000. He had pleaded not guilty to these charges earlier this year and was due to stand trial at Bristol Crown Court on October 6, 2021. However, with no evidence to put before the court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was forced to drop these charges on October 1st. This was a landmark attempt by the British State and the deranged Home Secretary Priti Patel to prosecute an anarchist under modern terrorism legislation.

The investigation into 325 continues and cops continue to harass and attempt to intimidate one of Toby’s comrades at her home.

Toby is in good spirits and remains strong. He hopes to delay being transferred to another prison until he has had his annual MRI scan for cancer which is scheduled for this month with his medical team in Bristol, so please continue to send letters of support and birthday cards (it is his birthday on October 20th) to:

Toby Shone A7645EP
HMP Bristol
19 Cambridge Road
Bishopston
Bristol
BS7 8PS
UK

Or email him via emailaprisoner.com

Solidarity with Toby!
Some Anarchists

Source: Bristol ABC

Bristol: Write to the Kill the Bill prisoners

Posted on 2021/09/06 by darknights

Source: Bristol ABC

Bristol, UK: Action against Bristol Post photographer

Posted on 2021/07/20 by darknights

WARNING! To state-agents..we collect intelligence too!

Message to Simon Chapman

As a free-lance photographer in a careless rush to make a fast buck, you snap images that expose people’s identity, when it’s totally possible to shoot from a different angle which doesn’t show the face. This inconsiderate funding of your lifestyle has earned you a reminder to take this as a warning!

There have been many demonstrations recently, and Simon Chapman has been out making a name for himself (and some money) at most of them. Because of this, we paid him a visit…

40 Stafford Road, St. Werburghs, Bristol

We sprayed ‘Simon Chapman Photo-Cop’ on his house and ‘is Big Brov’ on his door. We hoped to attack his car too (Grey Ford Focus registration DE53 XZS) but it wasn’t there when we visited him.

Chapman is the Bristol Branch Secretary of the National Union of
Journalists. He has sold images of people to both the Daily Telegraph and the Mirror; and regularly sells his photographs to the Bristol Post (who have a long history of publishing police photographs; encouraging people to snitch, and report on the whereabouts of ‘persons of interest’). Chapman’s images often show people in incriminating situations. In his thirst for fame and money, he is effectively an evidence gatherer for the state, and is profiting from putting people at risk.

The history of direct action in Bristol has always been of interest to
the mainstream press (especially the Bristol Post). Now, more than
ever, self-styled experts, activists and freelancers create careers for themselves out of interpreting the actions of others. Acts of rebellion are passively packaged as click-bait, used as cultural capital in some edgy form of gentrification, and utilised by the state as evidence and leverage in the tired (but sadly enduring) discourse around “good” and “bad” forms of action/anarchism.

Like many others, Simon Chapman has made a career out of gaining credentials within activist circles; before using this as a way to launch a career with the main stream press.

We don’t have a photo of Chapman; but he is medium height, no facial hair, always wearing neutral clothes. Always has a ridiculous telephoto lens on his camera and often a large rucksack with a waterproof cover.

He nearly always wears a bucket style sun hat, and walking boots, and behaves very confidently while strutting around taking photos. Maybe now he will look around him a bit more; rather than always pointing the attention on to others.

Times have changed since the Bristol riots of 2011 and the surveillance state is more pervasive…. Though not omniscient. This action is to remind anyone who assists the police in their investigations by documenting moments of rebellion, that we have eyes too… and we are watching you.

Chapman is one individual in a city filled with self-styled media
experts, “alternative” journalists and media outlets… but remember, surveillance works both ways, and we are on to you.

We refuse to be mediated or mis-represented. We speak only for
ourselves.

See you on the streets!

From: Act For Freedom Now!

Bristol: Support Ryan Roberts

Posted on 2021/07/13 - 2021/07/13 by darknights

Ryan Roberts is currently on remand in Bristol Prison. He was arrested after the confrontation with the police at Bristol’s Bridewell police station. He has been charged with riot and arson.

He has asked for letters of support. Please write to him at:

Ryan Roberts
HMP Horfield
19 Cambridge Road
Bristol
BS7 8PS
Prison Number A5155EM

International Zine of Social War Continuing the Conflict Against the Rising Techno-Prison World, Dark Nights #50

Posted on 2021/06/11 - 2021/06/11 by darknights

Dark Nights #50

International zine of social war continuing the conflict against the rising techno-prison world. Now expanded to 24 pages after the recent repression against our project by the Counter-Terrorist cops. One more blow in the face of their blatant attempt to silence us.

Articles expanding on the critique against technology and Covid-19 repression, as well as Alfredo Cospito’s recent contribution about the “Proposal For a New Anarchist Manifesto” and an Introduction from Gustavo Rodriquez’s ‘Covid-19: Anarchy in the times of the pandemic.”
Print it out, for your local squat, social centre, mate’s house or give it out at a demo, even leave it in a random place. Lets ignite the next wave of the Black International!

1. Bristol: Burn Baby Burn!

2. Communique from 325 Collective on the Repressive Attack upon International Counter-Information

3. Greece: Attacks in Response to Dimitris Koufontinas’ Hunger Strike & Covid Repression

4. Neurocapitalism: ‘Ghost In The Shell’ Comes One Step Closer

5. Chile: Second Public Communiqué on the 32nd day of the Hunger Strike

6. COVID-19: Anarchy in Times of Pandemic – Gustavo Rodriguez

7. A Contribution About the “Proposal For a New Anarchist Manifesto” -Alfredo Cospito

8. A letter from Danilo, accused of setting fire to a police van in Barcelona

9. An Incomplete Chronology of Direct Actions from around Planet Earth

10. After Lockdown, Let’s Look At The Situation We’re Finding Around Us

11. Earth’s Lament – Everyday Revolution

Download, copy and distribute! DIY!

NOTHING IS OVER! THE CONFLICT CONTINUES!

Anti-Copyright Network