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Public Statement From Bristol Indymedia
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Latest update, October 2005: The arrested volunteer has answered
bail early October and has yet to be charged. The case is
currently with the Crown Prosecution Service, and Bristol Indymedia
are currently fundraising for legal fees. Three months after the
server that hosted Bristol Indymedia, nor any of the other
equipment taken, has been returned by the police. A request has
been made through legal channels for the return of the equipment,
for which we are still waiting for a final outcome. Discussions
continue with legal advisors as to what action to take next.

Bristol Indymedia wishes to thank all those who have both given and
offered support and issued statements of solidarity.

Thank you,

Bristol Indymedia Collective

For more information on the Bristol Indymedia server siezure:
Solidarity page with a timeline of events:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/315177.html
First press release:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/314820.html
Second press release :
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/315147.html

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Legal Update from Bristol Indymedia, and request for financial solidarity
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Released: 21st October 2005

As most in the IMC UK network know, Bristol Indymedia had a server
seized by police and a volunteer from its collective arrested at
the end of June this year.

This case has serious and fundamental implications for the whole
Indymedia network. The reason is that police charged the individual
from the collective with 'Incitement to cause criminal damage'
after an article posted on the open newswire apparently urged
others to damage cars, despite the fact that the article was
removed under Bristol Indymedia guidelines within 24 hours.

It is clear that the police were, through using this charge,
claiming that the Indymedia volunteer was somehow 'responsible' for
the content of the article because it was 'published on Indymedia':
meaning that anyone who volunteers (or has any connection) with an
Indymedia site can be personally held responsible for anything that
anyone posts on the newswire.

The police response of seizing a server is completely out of
proportion to the situation, especially as the Bristol Indymedia
collective had agreed to discuss the matter with police. In fact it
was the police who called off the meeting at the last minute. The
next thing the collective knew was the server being taken and an
individual arrested.

Through this extreme action, which brought the whole Bristol
Indymedia news service offline, the police made a direct attack at
the very principle of open posting and free media. We cannot let
this precedent be set, and we cannot allow this to become a tool
used against Indymedia anywhere, anytime: for the sake of keeping
Bristol Indymedia available to the public, and that of the whole
Indymedia project worldwide.

The arrested volunteer has answered bail early October and has yet
to be charged. The case is currently with the Crown Prosecution
Service, and Bristol Indymedia are currently fundraising for legal
fees. We would like to make a request to the Indymedia network for
any funds or contributions for financial solidarity. We would very
much appreciate support from the network, so we can keep fighting
this legal case and defend what we all stand for: the existence of
web outlets for free media and independent voices.

Cheques can be sent to:
Bristol Indymedia
c/o Green Leaf Bookshop
82 Colston Street
Box 3
Bristol
BS1 5BB
UK

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