HMP Bristol – Dark Nights

Spoken contribution by Toby Shone for the Tattoo Circus, Bristol, 2025

Posted on 2025/12/01 - 2025/12/01 by darknights

This is from a talk by Toby at the Bristol Tattoo Circus, which took place a few weeks ago at a squatted venue in the city. After the talks and workshops there was bands, DJs and a benefit party. Free the prisoners!

Hello everyone,

Ok, we’re at Tattoo circus, my name is Toby Shone, I’m an ex-prisoner and anarchist. Tattoo Circus was started around 20 years ago in Italy as a way to fund anarchist prisoner solidarity campaigns.

I want to thank the organisers for inviting me here to speak, it’s very important as a released political prisoner to be able to come back into the community. Especially after living for a considerable amount of time distanced from the social movement. So overall, I want to communicate any lessons that can be told. Some of you already know me, so I’ll try not to bore you with what you know already, but for others I’ll just re-cap the case that I was involved in, then I’m going to simply give some anecdotes about my time in prison, and then speak about solidarity briefly.

I was arrested in the November 2020 Operation Adream case, and I was imprisoned for three years in conditions of solitary confinement and monitored for a year in line with UK-wide anti-terrorist restrictions by the National Security Division and Counter-Terror Police. From the evidence I’ve seen, it indicates that there is an ongoing investigation by the anti-terrorist units into the social movement in the South West region, and we can conclude that it’s also taking place across the country. I think it is certainly not for us to have to justify our harmlessness, but to really think about what it is going to take, long-term, for the type of social changes we’re aiming for. Continue reading “Spoken contribution by Toby Shone for the Tattoo Circus, Bristol, 2025” →

The Final Straw Radio Podcast Interview With Imprisoned Anarchist Toby Shone + A Request By Solidarity Group For Toby Shone

Posted on 2024/03/05 by darknights

The Final Straw Radio Podcast Interview With Imprisoned Anarchist Toby Shone

US web-based The Final Straw Radio Podcast has a new interview with imprisoned anarchist Toby Shone in which he gives a background to Operation Adream, his arrest and trial and his recent recall to prisons plus the involvement of the security services in his case and the ongoing harrassment that he has suffered in HMP Garth.

https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2024/03/03/…

A Request By Solidarity Group For Toby Shone

The solidarity group for Toby Shone would like to ask that anyone writing to him could also take a moment to let us know that you have sent him a letter by dropping an email to forestcase@riseup.net

HMP Garth are telling him – as have other prisons he has been in – that he has no mail. The State and the pigs are desperate to isolate Toby and to make him believe that he has no support. This is stated in his probation paperwork as a goal of his probation team and the National Security Division.

Let’s not let them win! We have no control over whether the prison gives Toby his mail and books. We do however have control over writing to him and letting his support group know that you have so that even if he doesn’t receive it, he knows it was sent to him. A letter sent by recorded delivery so that we can tell Toby that yes, this letter arrived on such and such a date is even better.

Toby is very resilient and is always in good spirits. However, he has been very unwell, has lost a considerable amount of weight as a result of the lack of food and calorie count typical of Britain’s jails and now faces a month of no visits due to confusion over bookings. So now would be a really really good time to send Toby a postcard, a letter or an email (and then let us know that you have).

Thanks a million.
The State is the Terrorist.
No one is Alone!

Forest Case Folks
forestcase@riseup.net

Toby Shone A7645EP
HMP Garth
Ulnes Walton Lane
Leyland
Preston
PR26 8NE

Source: Brighton Anarchist Black Cross

UK: Fireworks at HMP Bristol for Imprisoned Anarchist Toby Shone + Moved to HMP Garth

Posted on 2023/11/19 by darknights

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.

UK: Anarchist comrade Toby Shone abducted by armed cops & sent back to prison!

Posted on 2023/09/22 by darknights

Toby Shone is an anarchist who 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), oversight by a multi-agency team (MAPPA) including the National Security Division (counter-terror) and 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 9 days ago.

On the morning of 19 September 2023, he was driving to an appointment with his probation officer when he was pulled over and arrested by an armed police unit in-between the Forest of Dean and Gloucester. He was taken to HMP Bristol. He is awaiting more detailed information, but his legal team say that the allegations are that he breached two of his license conditions: being in possession of an [unauthorised] phone and attending a meeting in Bristol in August.

Toby is in great spirits as ever and requests letters and books. ■

Please write to him at:
Toby Shone A7645EP
HMP Bristol
19 Cambridge Road
Bishopston
Bristol
BS7 8PS

Update:
Let him know he is not alone and we stand with him.

WHEN: 8pm this Friday 22nd Sept.
WHERE: The Golden Lion, 244 Gloucester Road, BS7 8NZ

Bring banners, noisy things, and friends

Bristol, UK: Prison Noise Demo!

Posted on 2023/01/08 - 2023/01/08 by darknights

“The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual crime.”

Merry crisis from prison island!

On a wet boxing day, 26th Dec, we held a noise demo outside HMP Bristol in solidarity with all prisoners and to show recently kidnapped Gopal some love & rage! Gopal was sentenced to 18 months for violent disorder following the Bristol kill the bill riot in March 2021. You can find Gopal’s details along with other prisoners who welcome letters and solidarity here: https://bristolabc.org/prisoners/

We made noise, left our greetings on the walls and a banner at the entrance.
Fuck christmas but fuck christmas in a cage even more.

ALL SCREWS ARE BASTARDS!
KILL THE BILL!
FOR GOPAN, RYAN, KTB PRISONERS, TOBY, ALFREDO!
FIRE TO THE PRISONS!

Some anarchists

UK: About the total surveillance order facing anarchist comrade Toby Shone EN/DE/ES/FR/IT/PL UPDATED

Posted on 2022/01/27 - 2022/05/02 by darknights

* UPDATE * SCPO HEARING FOR ANARCHIST PRISONER TOBY SHONE HAS BEEN ADJOURNED UNTIL 6 MAY.

Even though the cops couldn’t prove their terrorism case against him after a four year investigation, anarchist prisoner Toby Shone is facing a Serious Crime Prevention Order that will legally sanction the criminalisation and total surveillance of him and everyone around him for years to come after his release.

In November 2020, a series of co-ordinated raids against one of the alleged administrators of the website 325.nostate.net was executed by counter-terrorism cops in the UK as part of “Operation Adream”. Several properties in the southwest of England were searched and one person, Toby Shone, was arrested at gunpoint in the Forest of Dean and charged under the Terrorism Act. This was the first time the British State attempted to prosecute an anarchist under modern terrorism legislation and the first time that somebody was prosecuted for being suspected of running an anarchist website.

Toby was originally charged with providing a service enabling others to access terrorist publications, with fundraising for terrorist purposes, and with two counts of possession of information likely to be useful to a terrorist. He pleaded not guilty, the cops weren’t able to produce any evidence, and the prosecution was forced to drop these charges on October 1^st 2021.

In the end, Toby Shone was sentenced to 3 years 9 months in prison for 8 drug offenses on October 13, 2021. The ‘drugs’ were psychedelics and medicinal plants found at two of the four properties raided in November 2020, all collective spaces. He served 8 months of this sentence on remand at HMP Wandsworth and is currently held in HMP Bristol. He is due for release sometime between August and December 2022. Continue reading “UK: About the total surveillance order facing anarchist comrade Toby Shone EN/DE/ES/FR/IT/PL *UPDATED*” →

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