Bristol mutiny march 'to be peaceful'
The Co-Mutiny protesters who are starting a week of action in Bristol this weekend say they are hoping for "peaceful policing" of their demonstrations.
The movement, made up of a collection of people who want "Social Change not Climate Change", have sent an open letter to the Bristol Evening Post in response to two Avon and Somerset Police letters aiming to open up discussions and ensure the events organised run smoothly.
Protests, actions and events are planned in the city as the group aims to get its message on a number of issues heard.
The programme starts with the Bristol Anarchist Bookfair today, at The Island, Bridewell Street.
Other events include radical knitting, song-writing, the Bristol Anarchist Games, which will include musical chairs and sardines, and "repossessing the banks" next Friday.
It is unclear how many people will be involved, but the police have got plans in place. They say they will monitor peaceful protests but will crack down on any criminal activity.
Thanking the police for creating avenues to contact them, the open letter to the police from Co-Mutiny reads: "We sincerely hope that the Co-Mutiny events witness peaceful policing.
"Some of the people planning to attend events during the Co-Mutiny have had negative experiences of recent police actions in this country. Prior to the protests coinciding with the G20 summit in London in April this year, the legal team of the 'Climate Camp in the City' campaign group had discussions with the police on a number of occasions, informing them of when, where and for how long they planned to hold their peaceful protest.
"This did nothing to prevent the use of weapons (batons and chemical sprays) on unarmed, non-violent pensioners, adults and children by the police. The well-documented death of Ian Tomlinson, a man who was unfortunate to walk too near to a well-organised, well- informed and well-armed police unit, would make anyone reluctant to have a private chat with the police.
"This is why we have collectively decided that any communication with you from Co-Mutiny as whole will be in a public way, such as this open letter."
Bristol Co-Mutiny is not an organisation that has someone "in charge" or official organisers.
The letter adds: "This does not mean that the attendees of Co-Mutiny don't share some common aims, they do, namely a belief that the radical change we desperately need in this time of 'crisis' is best achieved through grass-roots organisations which operate in a way that means everyone has an equal say in the decisions."
The police sent two open letters to people they believed were Co-Mutiny organisers, but received no reply.
One of the police letters read: "I hope that we can work with you in facilitating the promotion, by yourselves and the groups you represent, of the themes you have set out for your days of action."
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Marsh, who is leading policing of the protests, said: "We would like to reassure local residents and businesses that we aim to keep disruption to a minimum."
While Bristol Co-Mutiny has published the details of some of the events, the times, locations and nature of others have not been made public.
10 Comments
by Co-Mutineer, Co-Mutiny convergence space
Monday, September 14 2009, 12:15AM
“Well where to start, maybe the first uneducated and misguided comment...
James - Co-Mutiny is not an attack on the police and no one has said that we feel we have been treated badly by them. So far they have been very responsive and cooperative with the event, which we hope they continue to be. Nobody involved in Co-Mutiny wishes anyting except peaceful protest for our planned days of direct action. The event is, however, much more than protesting with many workshops offering people the chance to share and learn new skills.
Jonno - you are just uneducated, might i suggest that you look up the definition of anarchism? it is a political belief that governments, states and heirarchies are unnecessary and does not advocate in anyway 'smashing things up,' as you insinuate, which is the common misconception. All of our decisions regarding the event and any actions that take place are made by concensus decision making (you should probably look this up too) which is actually far more democratic than the de'mock'racy we currently live in.
Mike - have you met any of the people involved? i myself am not a drop out or scrounger, i work full time, pay tax (begrudgingly) and have chosen to devote every last minute of my very little spare time this week to helping out and getting involved in Co-Mutiny.
DCI Gene Hunt - well where to start...the fact that you've chosen your name from a fictional, prime time television series suggests to me that you should probably leave the house more. And incase the point wasn't made clear enough for Mike, I have never entered a benefit office or claimed a benefit in my life.
Em - We are committing no crimes, if we were, then the police which you seem to hold in such high regard would clearly have arrested us by now. As for not being newsworthy, it is a community event, anyone who wishes to get involved in the spirit of Co-Mutiny is welcomed with open arms. I think publicising an event where people can come along and learn new skills for free, socialise and get fed for as much or as little as they can afford to donate, is definitely newsworthy and worth publicising.
Anyone else care to share their narrowminded 2 pence?
For any open minded people not afraid to question the current system we live under, Co-Mutiny is now in full swing at the old Pro-Cathedral, just off the Park Street triangle. So come down, get involved, help out and be inspired!
Also look out for your free copy of The Evening Pest, now on the streets of Bristol!”
by Mutineer, Easton
Sunday, September 13 2009, 11:31PM
“Agreed Paul,
I'm not going to get drawn in to a debate on here, so this will be my last comment please come to the co-mutiny and chat with people there..
I am aware that it is an "Anarchist Bookfair" I am after all one of the people who organised the event. Maybe if you came to the bookfair you could have bought a dictionary and looked up the meaning of the word. It is from the Greek word meaning "without government", not "trouble" as you suggest. Anarchy is organisation, order and freedom without hierarchy, oppression, prejudice, war, greed and environmental degradation.
I can say with confidence that nobody who attended the bookfair wants trouble for trouble sake, people who attend protests solely to be violent are not welcome.
However our goals are seen as radical and the state does not want us to have our way because it threatens the economy and the corporate controlled status-quo so on occasion protesters and the tools of the state clash.
No group aims to disrupt the lives of normal people just those companies that need to be disrupted.
You seem so sure that the co-mutiny will cause problems for "normal" people. We are normal people too, the only difference is we care. Most of the co-mutiny is based in our convergence space in Clifton and any actions have specific targets and are well planned.
Just in case you are interested the steryotype so often applied to protestors does not work: I work 37.5hrs a week, do not claim benefits, do pay my rent and taxes, I did not drop out of uni I completed it with a 2.1 and I wash regularly.
The anarchist games planned for Wednesday should be great fun and we hope the rest of the public will join in. How can people really be disrupted from consuming anyway? I see it more as liberating. There is more to life than consumer culture, beneath Cabot Circus lies the beach.”
by Paul, Kingsway
Sunday, September 13 2009, 9:42PM
“Mutineer,
It appears that your intellegent reasoning was wasted on Jonno :-(”
by Jonno, Gloucestershire
Sunday, September 13 2009, 4:35PM
“Er Mutineer, its an "Anarchist bookfair" which isn't exactly going to encourage people who don't want to cause trouble. In fact trouble is exactly what "Anarchy" is!
By all means have a peaceful protest but thats not what these things are about anymore. Plane Stupid, F4J etc thrive on disrupting the lives of normal people.
Peaceful protests don't work anymore, they dont get the press attention but that doesn't give idiots like these Co-Mutiny lot the right to disrupt Bristol.
Scum”
by Mutineer, Easton
Sunday, September 13 2009, 11:09AM
“Jonno, you Say:
"The programme starts with the Bristol Anarchist Bookfair"
And they say they don't wish to cause trouble?
Please explain how a bookfair is causing trouble? The bookfair happened yesterday and went brilliantly, between 600 and 700 came though the doors, double last years attendance. I met Anarchists from all over Bristol but also cities across the country such as Edinburgh, London, Plymouth and Newcastle. But for us as organinsers it was great to see non anarchists who were passing by coming in for a look around and engaging in debate. I spoke to one man in a suit laden with shopping bags, on the way in he said to me he felt out of place but after a quick chat about what anarchism really is rather than the myth portrayed by some of the media and narrow minded website comments he came in, wandered around the stalls and left later on thanking me for putting on something different in Bristol and being open minded.
We care passionately about what we do and what we are protesting about, that is why we are protesting. Not all of us can be so apathetic. Protest has won us votes for women, gender and racial equality, and improved living and working standards to name but a few.
The comutiny is not a riot it is a week of events, workshops and demonstrations about issues that imapact all out lives (including global warming) all of which are indeed relevant.
When this article went out the event had not even begun yet we have already received abuse being called scum and fascists.
I invite you to come down to the convergence space and engage in intelligent debate face to face rather than hiding behind your computer.
Unfortunately I cant see any of you attending and instead just writing more nonsense and abuse. But we do hope to see you there, we will be doing lunch and dinner each day so please come and eat with us if you are free.”
by Em, Bristol
Saturday, September 12 2009, 7:44PM
“Why is this even on here? hardly newsworthy.
Agree with DCI Gene Hunt, Hyde, 1973, Jonno and Mike.
The actions of Bristol Co-Mutiny are frankly quite disturbing, maybe they should go and join their friends at guantanamo bay.
Bristol will be better off without them. They arent preaching any kind of relevent message, they commit crime if the results fit in with what they think is right and they don't care about the consequences.”
by DCI Gene Hunt, Hyde, 1973
Saturday, September 12 2009, 4:45PM
“All you soap-dodging, lefty anarchists, when you 'Smash the State', don't forget to leave the benefits office standing.
Utter scum.”
by Mike, Bristol
Saturday, September 12 2009, 3:54PM
“That this crackpot assembly of extreme lefties, socialists, anarchists, drop outs and scroungers and the like still continue to - entirely to suit their own agenda - spread the lie about man-made global warming should tell us all we need to know about this assortment of far left cranks. The true face of fascism.”
by Jonno, Gloucestershire
Saturday, September 12 2009, 1:23PM
“Why don't these people just get a life. They don't care about the issues they are protesting against, oooh big organisations, we don't like them lets protest! They only do it because they think winding up the Police is clever and because they want to cause trouble.
"The programme starts with the Bristol Anarchist Bookfair"
And they say they don't wish to cause trouble?”
by James, South West
Saturday, September 12 2009, 10:26AM
“And of course protestors never offer violence to the police at these events do they?
These people know full well that even if they themselves don't intend to offer violence to the police and to other people's premises there are plenty who do and who will join the 'protests'.
The organisers may not encourage them but I doubt that they will do much to discourage them.
What is certain is that if maverick groups join the protests and violence erupts the organisers will blame the police.
If the UK had a body such as the French CRS, whose main duty is crowd and riot control, these people might realise how gentle and softly-softly they are actually treated by the British Police.”