POLICING WAS HIGHLY POLITICAL, FOCUSING ALMOST ENTIRELY ON CONTAINING OPPOSITION TO THE FAR RIGHT ~ Scott Harris ~ Saturday 15 November saw another humiliation for the far-right “Bristol Patriots” in the face of overwhelming anti-fascist opposition Their demonstration was aimed at the Mercure hotel in the Redcliffe area of the city, which houses asylum seekers and had been the target of attempted attacks during the anti-immigration riots in August 2024. Despite inviting a range of other groups in a bid to swell their numbers, including UKIP’s Nick Tenconi, Bristol Patriots only managed to draw between 40 and 75 supporters and were opposed by approximately 400 lively anti-fascists. The police battled to contain roaming groups of anti-fascists seeking to engage in full and frank debate with the assorted fascists, conspiracists, and allegedly apolitical ‘concerned citizens’, while others stood, chanted and played music at the doors of the hotel in solidarity with the people housed inside. In one particularly touching moment, one of the younger residents held up a sign to the window reading: “Thank you for protecting us, we love you”. Police reported one police officer going to hospital for minor injuries from a scuffle, but did not mentioning a number of significant injuries – including head injuries – to anti-fascist activists from the blows of police batons. Inevitably, policing was highly political, focusing almost all their energies on containing anti-fascists, ending up making several arrests. Meanwhile, Bristol Patriots let off flares and various far-right streamers were allowed to bravely shout abuse at antifas from behind the safety of police lines. Bristol has become a target for far-right activity recently, with repeated efforts to encroach on ‘enemy territory’. This has been aggravated by a recent case in which a number of brown men in Bristol have been arrested on child sexual exploitation charges. Large numbers of Union Flags and St George’s Crosses have been attached to lamp-posts in working class, white-majority neighbourhoods, such as Withywood, Hartcliffe and Lawrence Weston. These areas are being targeted after decades of state neglect and stigma have led residents to feel rightly angered by a status quo that only works for the rich and powerful. According to participants, anti-fascists may have won the battle in Redcliffe and so far all recent demonstrations, but a much bigger war needs to be fought for hearts and minds across the city, to ensure that the far-right don’t become the de facto anti-establishment voices in some neighbourhoods. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top photo: Fields of Light Photography. We apologise for the previous lack of credit. The post Antifascists humiliate “Bristol Patriots” appeared first on Freedom News.

FILTON FACILITY’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE ONGOING GENOCIDE IN GAZA HAS PROMPTED A RANGE OF GROUPS TO TAKE ACTION THERE ~ Scott Harris ~ Around 40 protesters blocked the gates of Elbit Systems weapons factory in Filton, Bristol yesterday morning (10 October), preventing workers and deliveries from entering. The facility, which has been targeted by anti-war activists numerous times in the last two years, manufactures drones being used by the Israeli state in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Protest group Disarm Bristol said the protest was loud and energetic, featuring a sound system, chanting, Palestinian flags and large banners. “Despite the UK government claiming to have suspended arms licenses to Israel and thousands of people demonstrating in the streets, weapons continue to flow from Bristol”, an activist was quoted in a press statement, “Bristolians will not sit idly by as Elbit stains our beloved city by linking us directly to the genocide.” The Filton site was opened in July of last year, with Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotevely n attendance. Products seen inside the factory are the same as those used in the Gaza genocide, including Elbit’s Torch-X command and control systems, Thor quadcopter drones, and nv33 Night Vision technologies. Elbit Systems, more broadly, supplies up to 85% of Israel’s military drones and land-based equipment, while its British exports to Israel mostly concern drone and aircraft components, military electronics, and target and acquisition systems. The post Bristol activists blockade Elbit appeared first on Freedom News.