London Indymedia

Successful Anarchist Bookfair marred by police attack

london imcistas | 23.10.2005 00:53 | Culture | Repression | London

London Anarchist Bookfair was well attended, inspiring and educational as every year. After it ended, police units caused a riot in front of a nearby pub, and arrested at least 4 people, including an indymedia journalist who was taking fotos.

London, 22 October. Thousands of people crammed into the London Voluntary Resource Center in Holloway Road for the 22nd annual Anarchist Bookfair, to buy and trade books, films, t-shirts, stickers, gossip, and new directions for the anarchist movement in Britain and beyond. About three dozen meetings and seminars took place throughout the day, on subjects such as precarious labour conditions, no-borders and migration issues, anarchism in film, housing co-operatives, and the proposed National ID card scheme. Ageing anarchists and their offspring were catered for by an on-site creche.

As the bookfair ended, many people went for a beer at the Coronet pub down the street. At about 6:20, some people began playing music on a small portable sound system inside the pub. The bar management said that there would be no more beer until the music was shut down. After a while, the music went off, then back on, then off again. At this point, the police arrived outside. Management went round the pub, informing people that they were closing on police advice. Prior to 7:00, about 8 police officers confronted people as they left the pub, arresting the person who went forward to try to negotiate with them. Some people in the crowd attempted to de-arrest the person, more police vans arrived, and riot police baton-charged down Holloway Road, beating people as they went. During the fray, an Indymedia photographer taking pictures was knocked to the ground, handcuffed, and arrested. At the time of writing, Oct 23, 1.30 am, he is still held in the police station. There were at least 4 arrests, and about 10 vans full of riot police, plaincothes and regular uniforms, with some additional cycle cops deployed.

This resulted in more scuffles and a smashed window on a police car. Police on the scene were unable to confirm the number of arrests, the nature of the charges, or even who was in charge of the police operation.

london imcistas

Comments

Display the following 56 comments

  1. Cops online — S
  2. pics and video needed — zcat
  3. Successful bookfair marred by morons — anarcho
  4. 7 still in custory — nope
  5. Hmmm — a different brand of anarcho
  6. "Nothing to do with it"... LMAO — Sir Cumspect
  7. Anarchist Morons — When will you learn
  8. When will you learn — bewlidered
  9. Over reaction — rex
  10. Didn't gloss over the moronic content here — yossarian
  11. Silly Mishap mismanaged — Ilyan
  12. bah, bitter taste — Royal Tosser
  13. Whispers of an Anarchist planet — Where can I sign up
  14. question for RT — yossarian
  15. response — not telling
  16. a reply — RT
  17. It wasn't a 'sound system'! — was there largin it up
  18. woman in black/feeler et al — lady in red
  19. Not MY Comrades — Spartacus
  20. yossarian — M
  21. to rt — yossarian
  22. Yossarian — reflect
  23. whoops — yossarian
  24. response to response — not telling
  25. Smash the Cistern... — Anne Archie
  26. Grow up — Tiily
  27. Stop with the stupid stereotypes — george
  28. Da George — Spartacus
  29. we have nothing to loose but your chainpubs — miss cheef
  30. Take the toys from the boys — T
  31. Spartacus strawman — george
  32. "Idiots With Squawkbox Came To Liberate Masses From Misery Of Drink And Alienati — Spartacus
  33. The family area is no smoking — george
  34. women know your place — T
  35. Taking the toys from the boys — Red N Black
  36. The Moral Lowground — Spartacus
  37. George's Anarcho-Volk — Barney
  38. You're welcome to the "moral highground" — george
  39. Barney — george
  40. Hang on a minute.... — Splitter
  41. St George Drags On — Spartacus
  42. Anarchists in chain pub shame — Corporate watch
  43. Sp sp splitt sp sp spart sp sp — george
  44. ? — Barney
  45. Indeed — Spartacus
  46. Corporate Watch and assumptions — george
  47. Corporate Beer — Homer Simpson
  48. I Don't Have To Ask My Mates — Spartacus
  49. D'oh — george
  50. OK It's Settled — Helpful
  51. getting back on track — Royal Tosser
  52. Off topic apologies — Homer Simpson
  53. Pathetic — chris
  54. Boring — bimble
  55. Back to earth — starlight
  56. yawn punch wank — RT

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