TOTALLY STOKED

Following the Tesco / Telepathic Heights eviction riots in Bristol two weeks ago (see SchNEWS 769), bubbling anti-police sentiment spilled over into violence again last Thursday (28th) at a protest against the “total overkill” policing of the previous week.

The event was arranged on Facebook, despite the “peaceful” online organiser cancelling at the last minute with a bad case of the heebie jeebies. Things started peacefully and by 10pm there dancing in the street to a mobile sound system. However, things kicked off when protesters’ attempts to march down the street were met by a heavy-handed police response. As mounted police and riot cops attempted to hold the lines they were met by rocks, bottles and missiles.

The clashes continued throughout the night and into the morning, with the crowd of protesters growing from an initial 200 to around 400. At one point protesters tried to move into the city centre. Riot police managed to prevent any mass movement but around 50 people made it Cabot Circus where a McDonalds had its windows put in. On Friday (29th) morning, a police raid on Telepathic Heights led to a roof-top stand-off, which saw protesters beating back riot police with whatever came to hand.

There were injuries on both sides and 37 people have been arrested so far. Of those, nine have now been charged with violent disorder, one man has been cautioned and 23 have been released on bail. According to SchNEWS’s source, this was not an anti-Tesco protest but had a more ‘No justice, No peace...’ flavour.

Meanwhile, two more of Bristol’s long established community hubs are facing eviction. After a long court battle, the Classics Freeshop and the Emporium are set to face the bailiffs any time after May 5th. Found in the same autonomous area of Stokes Croft, the Freeshop has overseen the free trading of clothes, books and household items for three years, while the Emporium has hosted exhibitions from those well-known black-listed anarchist organisations like, er The Big Issue and Amnesty International.