Just your Christmas edition of the monthly Bathonian rabble rousiness, from deep within gentrify central
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Never mind the Chronicle… here’s the ever-festive
The Bath Bomb
Issue #5
free/donation
Dec ‘07
Bath Activists – 2 BNP – 0
Nazi Nick Griffin must’ve been having flashbacks on the 26th November as yet another BNP meeting got shafted by anti-fascists. This time the venue was Oxford Union, an upper class debating society who booked Griffin and holocaust denying bastard David Irving to speak to try and raise falling ticket sales. Bath Activist Network sent 9 activists to the 1,000 strong demo. After getting bored of speeches and placards, we put ourselves to good use blockading a side entrance to the meeting, our presence being enough to deter the cops from letting the doors open. All other entrances were blockaded and BNP supporters were turfed out of a pub they were hiding in! The demo mostly stayed peaceful, save a brief instance during which the cops tried to stop activists getting into the building. The cops – as they often do – failed, and the building was breached many times throughout the night. The meeting was delayed by nearly two hours, and the meeting ended up lasting just 8 minutes, with Griffin and Irving being held in separate locations for their own safety!
Annoying though the BNP were, they were nearly topped by the spoilt tweed-wearing little Harry and Wills wannabe daddy’s boys that constitute the majority of students at Oxford. Judging by the way they were whinging and crying in favour of the BNP, you could almost get the impression that they were fascists themselves. The rich supporting the nazis? Hmmmm. Added to this, they didn’t even try to conceal their superiority complexes derived from the over-priced crash course in sodomy and brandy quaffling that counts for an education at Oxford.
The same happened to Nazi Nick in Oxford as in Bath when the greasy hunch-backed little bastard came here, with a well-placed protest shutting his meeting down. The night was a huge success – blockades, nazis getting pelted with eggs, occupations, outwitting dozy cops – chaos! When will you get the message, Nick? Society hates you and your nazi views! Listening to sick bastards like Griffin is a good reminder that regardless of colour or nationality, the only significant divide in society is rich and poor, the many and the few. As one chant went on the night, ‘They say race war – we say CLASS WAR!’
Bristle Mag: R.I.P.
We here at the Bath Bomb would like to tip our hats in fond farewell to our literary forefathers at Bristle magazine. For many years, this rag provided Bristol and the south west With inspiring radical news and rants. It was a great read, and well worth the odd £1.20 of dole!
http://www.bristle.org.uk
Kebab Shop Carnage
Station Kebab Shop in Bradford-on-Avon has been forced to close after a vicious race attack left staff members with broken bones. The attack comes shortly after anti-racists were branded fascists for shutting down a BNP meeting in Oxford. This attack is evidence enough to demonstrate what happens when we let these bastards spread their poison. They whine about freedom of speech, but they only use it to spread fear, violence and hatred because of the colour of people’s skin – they’re racist thugs who need a fuckin hard boot to the face. The only debate worth having with a fascist is one where they end up inhaling their own teeth.
In a statement received by Bath Bomb today, local Antifa group have promised retribution against fascists operating locally, and frankly, good luck to them! As Adolph Hitler once said ‘The only way the rise of the German Nazi party could have been prevented was if its enemies had have recognised it for what it was and smashed it in its infancy with the utmost force’. The only true words he ever said, and as true to the BNP and NF today as it was to him back in the 1930s’.
http://www.thisisbath.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=180730&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232315&home=yes&more_nodeId1=163047&contentPK=19121961
Hunting As Usual, Sabbing As Usual
It was a sunny autumn day when a group of us went for a trip to the country. We rendezvoused with a group of peaceful veggie commandoes and went about our task. We were there to monitor and stop a group of sadistic inbreds who prance about on horses to satisfy their bloodlust and inferiority complexes (I am of course talking about fox hunters, of the Tedworth Hunt). Despite the ban, they are still hunting, this was further clarified on a previous week when a group of sabs stopped a dig out (which involves the hunt sending a terrier down a fox hole to fight the trapped animal, before yanking it out). They put on the pretences of drag hunting (following a fake scent) but this is normally only for show or insurance should they “accidentally” kill anything.
On arriving at the hunt there were the usual assortment of big-eared boys and other oddities of the human species. We did our best to follow the hunt; jumping fences, blowing horns and chasing them around the countryside. At one point after losing the hunt and then re-finding them again, something must have flipped in the psychotic mind of the huntsman and his followers and they tried to ride us down (No sabs were seriously injured). Shortly after this incident, their day thoroughly ruined by the sabs, the hunt packed up early. We then went round a mate’s house for vegan cake and tea. If you feel like getting involved give us a call on 07854 062336.
http://hsa.enviroweb.org/hsa.shtml
Events
every Monday Bath Hunt Saboteurs meeting — back room of the Bell, 8pm
every Wednesday London Road Food Co-op; 4pm—7pm, Riverside Community Centre, London Road
8th Dec Bath FreeShop — Stall Street 12-3pm
10th-24th Dec Anti-fur fortnight http://www.caft.org.uk
15th Dec Day of action against foie gras; contact bathanimalaction@yahoo.co.uk
16th Dec ‘Bubbling Under’ — Porter Cellar Bar, 1-4pm; showing The Yes Men
21stDec ‘Leftism’ at the Crown on Bathwick Street — 9-1am; funds towards RAINBOW
2nd Jan Bath Animal Action meeting — back room of the Bell, 7.30-8.30pm
3rd Jan Bath Activist Network meeting — downstairs Hobgoblin, 7.30-9pm
7th Jan Public meeting against Tesco’s; St Mary’s Church, Bathwick Hill; contact bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk for mnore details
Reclaim The High Street
Members of Bath Activist Network descended on town last Saturday for the mammoth day of demoing that was ‘Reclaim the Planet’. Moving away from the original ‘eco’ theme, activists adopted a more generously anti-capitalist approach to question the consumer nightmare that is Xmas shopping. Now, we’re not anti Xmas, but we did want to highlight why this time of year sees the sweatshop, animal abuse and climate change industries profits soar, in this, the season of good will. We started off helping out Bath Stop the War Coalition on their anti-war vigil which has been taking place every Saturday, between 11.30 and 12.30 outside the Abbey for the past several years. An unjust war for oil, so we can keep driving our 4x4s, importing our apples and buying our plastic crap.
From there, we moved on to Bistro No.5, an isolated bastion of animal abuse that continues to sell the bloated liver of force-fed geese, otherwise known as foie gras. Having already promised to take this sick ‘delicacy’ off the menu, but put it back on, they weren’t best pleased to see us again. The manageress called the cops, who threatened some arrests, exchanged some stern words, then left after the day’s first police-protester round of banter. This left a very unhappy manageress and during a short and sharp phone call, the owner promised to take it back off the menu!
We then moved on to Disney, who use their ‘cute and cuddly’ image to hide the fact that they employ third world children in sweatshops to produce their toys for slave labour wages. A banner was unfurled, leaflets distributed, and many customers left to shop in a more cruelty-free environment. The demo was effective and well received – we even received a visit from our fluoro-jacketed friends from the Bath Constabulary, who were happy to let us continue our peaceful protest, and moved off after a another spot of jovial banter!
From there we moved to the ever unpopular McDonalds, who were pleased as ever to see us. More banners, free cake and hundreds of leaflets were deployed as dozens of potential customers pledged to boycott the place on the grounds of their disregard for animal welfare, employee rights, the environment and the serious health implications of eating there! All in all a long but successful day despite the terrible weather. A follow-up event is being planned for next summer, and loads is gonna be going on in-between, so keep yer eyes peeled!
http://www.mcspotlight.org/
http://www.nosweat.org.uk/node/183
http://www.banfoiegras.org.uk/
http://www.stopwar.org.uk/
Puppy Punchers Pay The Price
On Saturday the 10th November, activists descended on Huntingdon Life Sciences in Cambridgeshire, furious at the company’s continued animal abuse. A research contractor for the pharmaceutical industry, HLS kill 500 animals daily in the name of profit, without ever producing a single paper. But not just the cute and fluffy animals suffer: 10,000 humans die every year in the UK alone as a result of dodgy drug side effects. But then what can you expect, when the government refuses to examine whether animal testing works or not? TGN 1412 horribly injured 6 volunteers in March of last year; like Vioxx, Contergan, and Thalidomide did before, to name a few. But the pharmaceuticals have lobbied hard for their privileges, and who cares about lives when there’s a quick buck to be made? Far easier to just lock up anyone who complains and call them ‘terrorists’ – just like the three SHAC activists in prison right now.
From 1 till 2, campaigners marched through Huntingdon centre, leafleting and chanting, before moving on to the labs itself. And what a place – ringed by razorwire, fences and grim-looking cops, HLS is nothing short of a modern day Auschwitz. For two hours we vented our rage, with megaphone, voice and siren, and heard how these bankrupt monsters have been bailed out again and again by taxpayers’ money, and also of the caught-on-camera HLS workers, laughing as they hit captive beagles in the face.
Recently, another shareholder, Axa, pulled out; but when will science finally learn to move to non-animal testing, so then we can all just get on with our lives, rather than waving placards, or bed-bound in cash-strapped hospitals?
http://www.shac.net/HLS/exposed.html
Who Are Bath Activist Network?
We are a local umbrella group campaigning on issues as diverse as development, environmentalism, anti-war, animal rights, workers’ rights and more. Helping to produce The Bath Bomb, we are open to anyone, and our members range from trade unionists to anarchists, liberals to greens, and people who just want to change Bath for the better. For details on meetings, demos, or just to get in touch, ring us on 07949 611912, email bathactivistnet@yahoo.co.uk, or see our website: www.myspace.com/bathactivistnetwork
The Wheels Of Green Bull Go Round And Round
Ever straining to prove its green credentials, B&NES have recently invested in a pilot scheme of schoolbuses being run on rapeseed oil/biodiesel , as a measure to cut CO2 emissions– with one at Three Ways in Bath and another at Norton Hill, in Midsomer Norton. While my treehugger side welcomes this, my inner cynic gets sceptical: nitrous oxide emission from fertilisers are around 3oo times worse than fossil fuel emissions, so, unless organic, biofuels are no friend to the planet. Secondly, there is barely enough farmland around for food crops never mind fuel, which will jump food prices, when the world’s already got more than enough starvation problems. In the South, biofuel plantations will also ruin indigenous culture by forcing people from their land into the cities, and will also eat into nature reserves. Small scale production and recycling cooking oils may not be a bad thing, but means little profit for the agrofuels industry: yet again, the smell of ‘greenwash’ is in the air, and it’s starting to stink.
http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/
Suits, Gold Lamé And Videotapes
Carrying on from last month’s ‘Fourth World War’, the Porter Cellar’s keeping it up with another ‘Bubbling Under’ screening: Sunday 16th December, from 1pm till 4pm, free entry, showing ‘The Yes Men’. A darkly comical documentary, it follows the story of how two anti-corporate activists who set themselves up as bogus big business reps, making ever-more ridiculous presentations at swanky industry conferences. Following commercial logic to its nasty extreme, they hoped to shake the audience from their stupor by straight-facedly offering up business plans so brutal and downright disgusting, that even the most greedy and self-serving of fat cats would be incensed. But, whether proposing electro-shocking sweatshop workers into line with inflated golden dildos, or recycled human faeces into a new range of burgers, the only reaction they ever get is enthusiastic applause… Proving that once again, fact is stranger than fiction! Must be seen to be believed.
http://www.moles.co.uk/porter/view_porter_listing.ihtml?per=future
http://www.theyesmen.org/
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bristle magazine (Bristol) – statement from the collective
Whilst the comrades at Bath Bomb are jumping the gun a bit by declaring ‘Bristle R.I.P’, the bristle Collective, publishers of bristle magazine, would like to advise activists, readers and Indymedia users of the following:
A statement from the bristle Collective
Before the Bristolian news-sheet came and went, before Bristol Indymedia was conceived, before the internet was a daily (hourly) part of your lives, and before anybody & nobody had their personal blog, there was bristle magazine.
What started as a cut’n’paste A4 photocopied & folded freesheet (see image), in times of hope and high activity when the Tories were beaten and we were reclaiming those streets, developed into a 2 or more colour magazine of between 24 and 40 pages. From a copied run of 50 to a professional print-run and sales of 1200, although normally half that, bristle evolved through the years. But its aim always remained the same: to give a space and a voice in Bristol & the south west to those shut out from the corporate media-mainstream of ads and bullshit. To be a publication written by activists that would try to reach out beyond the activist scenes to combat the misinformation of governments and capital.
Some 10 years and 24 issues (plus a book, various free-sheets, t-shirts, stickers etc) later that task remains as valid and vital as ever, in fact more so! But for now bristle magazine is dormant. The continued departure over the last 2 years of long-term collective members, and contributors, has not been countered by sufficient new people. We have had some interested new people, but their involvement, and usually their stay in Bristol, has not been permanent.
Sadly therefore, the remaining few collective members, who are all deeply involved in other projects too, have decided to take a long term break and suspend publication of the magazine. We would like to thank all those who have contributed in any way to the magazine over the years, and send our love and solidarity to all those continuing to struggle for a free and better world. We look forwards to seeing you behind the barricade of your choosing, be it wielding a pen, a spray can, or something a little heavier.
For now we are looking into other possible initiatives involving print media and the machinery needed. We would be interested to hear from anybody considering publishing alternative print media. Indeed if you have the time, energy, skills (research, writing, dtp, distro, art & cartoons, editing etc) and longish-term commitment we could be persuaded to relaunch bristle! Whilst we have closed the old bristle website & email, we can still be contacted c/o 14 Robertson Rd, Bristol BS5 6JY, or email bristle@riseup.net
Salud!
This morning, Tuesday December 11th, at 10am, two members of “Arctic Associates” (aka Bristol Rising Tide), and one grumpy refugee polar bear paid a visit to the national offices of the BBC Wildlife Magazine at the top of Tower House in Broadmead, Bristol. More than a hundred employees looked on aghast (some winking in support) as “J. Smith” from Arctic Associates, flanked by Mr. Pole R. Bear, made a long and passionate speech about the sad and dangerous irony of allowing the world’s second largest oil company- responsible for endangering thousands of species through oil spills, toxic pollution, and climate change- to sponsor their Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award Contest, which is coming to Bristol Museum this Saturday December 15th.
Rising Tide International is calling for a day of action against the fossil fuel industry on April 1st 2008…
On Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th of April 2008, we call for two days of demonstration, direct action, public information, street-party, squatting… in defence of free spaces and for an anti-capitalist popular culture. Through these two days, we want to help create more visibility of autonomous spaces and squats as a european/global political movement. We want to develop interconnections and solidarity between squats and autonomous spaces. We want to keep linking our spaces with new people and new struggles, and support the creation of autonomous spaces in places where there has not been a history of this kind of action. We want to build, step by step, our ability to overcome the wave of repression falling on us.