Tag Archives: bristol BLM

Bristol police are the thugs, solidarity with protesters who fought back

The police went on the rampage in Bristol yesterday in a display of wanton violence that has been covered up by the media and politicians.

The thuggery on display last night was from the police who attacked peaceful protesters.

Now they are launching a hunt for as many as 500 people as they look to intimidate the youth of an entire city to stop future protests against the Tories’ proposed law to give police even more powers to curtail democratic rights.

Peaceful protesters were injured in their hundreds by police swinging batons indiscriminately, using dogs, pepper spray and cavalry.

People who marched to the police station sat down in the road – and then the police attacked.

Bristol police attack peaceful protesters

Chants rang out “Shame on you” as the police hit out.

One student who does not want to be named says she was punched in the face by a police officer.

The same student said she saw people being cornered and beaten by riot police and women abused with sexist language.

Yet all the media can think to do is parrot the lies of the police press releases.

Disgracefully, Bristol’s Labour mayor Marvin Rees joined in the lies and witch hunt, claiming that the protesters were showing their “privilege” and that the demo had nothing to do with political protest. He even tried to claim that it was all white people protesting and that they were making things worse for Black people!

But the protest was in fact called by Bristol BLM and Extinction Rebellion and other groups.

A warning for the Tories and their Orwellian media

Far from being unpolitical, it was a release of the pent up anger over the alleged murder of a Sarah Everard at the hands of a police officer, the attacked on a vigil of mourning women, the outrageous provisions of the police bill that puts more value on a statue than it does on a woman, the prosecution of movement heroes the Colston Four, who played a part in the righteous toppling of the statue to a slaveholder in the city, and of course it was ultimately a protest against a government whose deliberate and callous negligence has led to the death of 125,000 people, while at the same time enriching its friends in business with £37 billion wasted on an ineffective test and trace system.

Meanwhile young people have no jobs, pay exorbitant rents, hand over money for fees for a university education that is second rate and live on a planet that is dying.

The truth is we live in a corrupt country where the police are out of control.

We also live in a country of hypocrites that is quick to attack undemocratic practices abroad but has a blind spot when it comes to their own actions here at home.

It will take many more protests to reclaim our streets from the thugs in blue and the government that encourages them in their wanton violence.

The tories received a warning last night but they show no sign of heeding it – this is how states lose legitimacy. All power to the people!

Car attack in Bristol by violent racist minority trying to foment backlash

A health worker is lucky to be alive after racists deliberately drove their car into him.

The man has been left traumatised and is too scared to give his real name – but performs music under the name Kdogg.

Those who witnessed the attack said a dark blue Honda was involved and was driven directly at the NHS worker, who works at Southmead Hospital, Bristol.

The assailants jumped out of the car and hurled racist abuse at the victim.

He is now unable to climb stairs, and said he is traumatised by the attack.

Witnesses told police that a dark blue Honda Accord was deliberately driven at K before two men shouted racial abuse at him and then ran from the car.

The attack is being seen by many as part of a violent racist backlash against the black lives matter movement by frustrated racists and fascists.

Bristol was the site of the now famous incident in which an overwhelmingly white crowd estimated at 15,000 protesters, tore down the statute of slaver Edward Colston.

Kdogg is being supported by the charity Stand Against Racism & Inequality (Sari).

He told the media: “People came to help me off the wall I was on and I just remember bleeding.

“As I was helped off, I got laid on the floor and bandaged up.

“I want to thank the people who helped me because of how quickly they responded and how they rang the emergency services because, obviously, if it wasn’t for them I’m not sure if I would be here.”

There has been a spate of serious violent racist attacks over the past few days, for example in Bishop Stortford where there is a protest by anti-racists today (Saturday 1 August).

Jen Reid statue replaces Edward Colson in daring dawn Bristol BLM action

Update: Thursday 16 July 2020Bristol City Council has removed the Jen Reid statue from the plinth and placed it in a museum to await collection by artist Marc Quinn

Catching the Bristol authorities totally unaware, a dawn action by BLM supporters has erected a stunning statue of Jen Reid, a BLM protester.

Jen was the protester who was photographed with raised fist on the empty plinth upon which once sat slave trader Edward Colston.

Two lorries and 10 people were involvement in the carefully planned erection of the Jen Reid statue.

The scuplture is by artist Marc Quinn.

Jen Reid told the Guardian, just before the statues were readied to depart the scene: “That’s pretty fucking ballsy, that it is.”

Pictured Jen Reid. Courtesy: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

Bristol has a vibrant radical artist scene and the action at 5am in the morning has combined with the radical roots of the city, from the Bus boycott in 1963 to the St Pauls riot of 1981.

An estimated 20,000 mostly white Bristolians took part in the protest that toppled Colston on 7 June 2020.

Bristol is the home town of elusive radical street artist Banksy.

The Jen Reid statue will no doubt rile the right-wing and racists everywhere who claim that removing the Colston statue was an affront to history.

In reality the throwing of Colston into the dock was the perfect location for the monstrous human rights abuser, kidnapper and murderer.

Commuters were gathering around the statue this morning to discuss its import.

“It is incredible seeing it,” said the daughter of Reid, Leila Reid.

Artist Quinn said: “Jen created the sculpture when she stood on the plinth and rasied her arm in the air. Now we’ve crystalised it.”

He continued: “It look like it has always been here.”

Jen Reid video: she told friends “you’re going to see a lot more of me”

“I’m elated excited, I’m full of pride. I feel really really proud. I shed a tear. It’s all about keeping the conversation going… keeping black lives matter at the forefront and making history” – Jen Reid