Anarchist Bookfair 2005
Keith Parkins | 25.10.2005 15:35 | Analysis | Repression | Social Struggles | London
To the relief of many, the Anarchist Bookfair had moved from the disastrous University of London Student Union. This year it was held at the Resource Cente on Holloway Road, just up the road from Holloway Road Tube Station.
You knew when you had arrived from the number of people hanging about outside and the large number of cycles chained to the railings.
At the Anarchist Bookfair, one is spoiled for choice.
Two recently published books well worth reading:
Ian Henshall and Rowland Morgan, 911 Revealed, Robinson, 2005
Annie Machon, Spies, Lies and Whistleblowers: MI5, MI6 and the Shayler Affair, Book Guild, 2005
http://www.heureka.clara.net/books
Annie Machon and David Shaylor (both ex MI5 spooks) gave a talk, but this did not go down too well. One prat asked them to hand over the names of all the agents at MI5. Get real!
Worse though was to come.
The following day, the Resource Centre Centre hosted a conference entitled The Freedom to Protest. Dave and Annie were barred from speaking and it was made clear to them that they were not wanted. Obviously the freedom to protest only goes so far. Whoever chose to bar them ended up discrediting the conference. A massive own goal.
http://www.freedomtoprotest.org.uk/
A minor criticism of the Anarchist Bookfair was that there were too many bookstalls. We need a better mix, with more stalls like SchNews, Corporate Watch and Indymedia UK.
Indymedia had a very good selection of DVDs and VCDs, which they were busily copying off for everyone.
The end of the day was marred by a riot!
A prat or prats, decided to meddle with a sound system in a neighbouring pub. The bar staff got annoyed, as did many of those who wanted to have a quiet drink and chat and mull over the day's proceedings.
The police were called, and what until then had been a minor incident escalated and got completely out of hand.
A handful of anarchists decided to take on the police. The police called for back up.
The police then over-reacted. As far as the eye could see down Holloway Road, flashing blue lights. Along came the riot squad and started to seal off the area.
Not wishing to be detained for several hours in the wind and rain, or be clubbed on the head by over-zealous cops, a few of us had the sense to go back into the building and out the back way.
There is now the very real risk that the incident will be used as an excuse to ban future Anarchist Bookfairs.
http://www.anarchistbookfair.org/
Unlike last year, when the Anarchist Bookfair was followed by the Indymedia Party, there was no party, or if there was, news of it was kept very quiet.
More comments and pictures:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/326337.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/326252.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2005/10/326291.html
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2005/10/326267.html
Anarchist Bookfair 2004
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/12/302216.html
Keith Parkins
Homepage:
http://www.anarchistbookfair.org/
Comments
Hide the following 11 comments
Yeah right...
25.10.2005 16:03
Very bad indeed.
What tosh.
And balls to Shayler...once a spook always a spook.
Francis Berny
Dave and Annie who?
25.10.2005 16:51
Anne Archie
Yawn
25.10.2005 17:11
.
OOPs
25.10.2005 17:58
Oh yeah- sorry wasn't paying attention...
Anne Archie
Freedom To Protest conference
25.10.2005 18:36
Basically, the FTP conference was not appropriate for their agenda, so bringing the conference into you moan is equally inappropriate.
M
M
Homepage: http://www.freedomtoprotest.org.uk
Large
25.10.2005 18:48
Big Potatoes
There werer after parties
26.10.2005 01:51
brewery rules
Not so..
26.10.2005 21:07
Or do you know different due to your crystal ball?
Justin
Were they definitely anarchists though?
27.10.2005 11:22
Just a thought, especially as there is the threat that future fairs may be cancelled as a result of this incident, but maybe they are well known and I'm talking bollox..
MC
After Parties
27.10.2005 13:28
People went to the pub in the early evening _before_ the parties. Some people were not going to the parties and so the pub was a good place to sit down and chat with people. Duh.
pubs r us
what happened at the bookfair
08.11.2005 14:39
Firstly, Shayler did turn up late at the Bookfair about 5pm - using room 6 which wasn't booked and with a pre-arranged goon squad of up to ten 9/11 conspiraloons, one of whom tried to get heavy with a NFB comrade. A very vocal 'American' (possibly the mysterious Keith?) - this was effectively an assault o the bookfair. None of these people were anarchists and had no right to be there - a posting on the 9/11 site by frazzell warned that Shayler might be unpopular or disliked by 'anarcho' types and called for people to turn up to defend Shayler, giving the clear impression that this would be an intimidating event. Fortunately, members of the anarchist community and Notes from the Borderland turned up at Shayler's whacky seminar to question him and put his 'visit' into context - he after all had spied on anarchists whilst paid by MI5. Shayler didn't like being asked questions and stupidly lost his temper. Little boy.
Secondly, when NFB personnel were leaving the Bookfair, a group of 9/11 loonies were outside the building with Shayler/Animation - including the American thug and Mr Conspiracy himself Tony Gosling - this is when and where the altercation took place - then Animation, obviously fired up a little, came across to question and threaten the NFB team - using old MI5 tricks in fact but achieving nothing. Animation tells us she knows nothing about the spying that occurred against the SWP - we think she knows more and should name names. If Shayler can give us (admittedly bare and inconsistent) info on anarchist infiltrators, mthen she should give us chapter and verse on spies in the left/SWP, some of whom might still be operational. She was head of the department surveilling SWP for two whole years - even intelligent conjecture as to who the SWP spies were/are and what they did would be a start. But, as usual, all we get is a smokescreen. Readers can make their own minds up as to why Animation wants to remain so quiet and unhelpful.
Our DVD of the debate where Shayler was taken on by Larry is an excellent starting point for those interested in these matters - visit the NFB website at www.borderland.co.uk
heidi svenson
e-mail: heidisvensonfem
Homepage: http://www.borderland.co.uk