Bristol Riots: Us, 1; Them, 0

  PART OF THE END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD SERIES

Bristol Neighborhood Erupts,

Pushes Back and

Scores a Win

Guest Post by

grouchosuave

Unless you're keyed in to radical struggles already, or perhaps live in the UK, it's doubtful that you have gotten wind of the rioting in the streets of Bristol this past week. 

Background: 

from neurobonkers, a blog written by a long time local: 

"I was dismayed by the council and police reaction to a sustained peaceful protest that has existed against Tesco for over two years. Until this week Stokes Croft was the last remaining major high street in the West of England inhabited exclusively by independent establishments. Tesco moved in despite universal local disapproval in an area already surrounded by dozens of Tesco stores. Despite the palpable disquiet protests have been entirely peaceful. This was not a volatile situation until police moved in to the area in full riot dress with no explanation for kettleing stokes croft except health and safety and something to do with Tescos. As police entered Telepathic Heights rumour spread that more raids on houses were intended. As this was not an unlikely story due to recent dawn raids on protesters houses and confiscation of computers and books over the last (xmas) exam period the community barricaded the remaining entrances to stokes croft and the police responded by charging the barricades, apparently for no other reason than for a fight. This action alone provoked violence from the famously diverse, educated, peaceful, loving and pacifist community of Stokes Croft."

Photos: a quality photoset by Jonathan Taphouse (copyright photos reproduced with permission).

GUESS WHAT? THEY BOOTED THE COPS OUT! They won on the street forcing the corporate/cop side in the fight back onto the mediated battlefields of the press.

I was asked "Will Tesco just put another store in,.. just replace the sacked one? Would that be a dumb move?" 

Well, They are now in an even deeper hole. Power found in the street GROWS! Leave it to the cops to provoke a community into full solidarity and militancy. A commercial outlet in a cultural free-zone? IT'S NOW ABOUT COMMUNITY AND SELF DEFENSE! KONICHIWA, BITCHES!

I have been most pleased to have welcomed, and to have introduced to you, Gentle Reader, 

grouchosuave, as guest contributing author.   

Should you run into him elsewhere, best be blunt, forthright, & true, or it may not go as well for you as it could have.

Be seeing you.