The Tyrannicide Brief - Geoffrey Robertson Renowned human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC examines the first trial of a head of state - Charles I, and how this groundbreaking moment in history opened the way for the trials of Augusto Pinochet, Slobodan Milosevic, and Saddam Hussein. Robertson became a barrister in 1973 and a QC in 1988. His became well known acting for the defence in the celebrated English criminal trials of Oz, Gay News, the 'ABC Trial', The Romans in Britain (the […]
An English folk legend, Roy Bailey is one of this country’s best-regarded political songwriters and has been described by his friend and collaborator Tony Benn as ‘the greatest socialist folk singer of his generation’. Roy was recently awarded an MBE, which he promptly returned in protest at the British government’s foreign policy. In other words, he’s right up our street. Supported by local singer-songwriter Eirlys Rhiannon.
As a tasty hors d'oeuvre to Bristol Radical History Week 2008 we are extremely pleased to present Lucio Urtubia, anarchist, bank robber, forger, fugitive and above all bricklayer. Lucio’s life is the stuff of legend. As an activist in 1950s Paris he counted André Breton and Albert Camus amongst his friends, worked with anarchist guerrilla Francisco Sabate in attempting to bring down Franco’s fascist regime and carried out numerous bank robberies to fund the struggle to free Spain. In 1977, after […]
Speaker - Juan The Movement for Justice in El Barrio (MJB) was founded in New York by immigrants and low-income people of color fighting back against the effects of neo-liberalism and discrimination in all of its forms. The organisation operates on a commitment to the ideals of self-determination, autonomy and participatory democracy emphasizing their connection to the Zapatista’s ‘Other Campaign’. Driven by multi-national corporations and profit-seeking landlords and facilitated by city […]
Open Source Software: Interactive Workshop Bristol Wireless will be hosting an evening of Creative Commons Fun including talks, demonstration, films and a bar! 5.00-7.00pm Interactive workshop on Open Source Software 7.30pm Film: ‘Revolution OS’ a 2001 documentary film made in the United States, directed by J. T. S. Moore, which traces the twenty-year history of GNU, Linux, open source, and the free software movement. – followed by talk and discussion on Open Source software. Bristol Wireless […]
The Crown And The Commons: Holding Monarchy To Account In 18th Century England - Steve Poole Eighteenth century English men and women understood their allegiance to the Crown in contractual terms. Their allegiance to the King, in other words, was conditional upon the King looking after the interests of the Commons and defending Constitutional liberty. In theory then, their allegiance was dissolved if the King failed to perform. And in these circumstances, radical constitutionalists might make it […]
Economic globalisation, an increasingly intrusive State and the power of consumerism are conspiring to scour the colour, character, independence and eccentricity from all corners of the English landscape and replace them with shopping malls, second homes, clone towns and executive apartments. Join author Paul Kingsnorth for a tour around a nation, which is beginning to fight back against this erasure of its history and character. Listen to this talk: Download Paul Kindsnorth's talk (1hr 20mins, […]
The Kett Rebellion was a sudden explosion of popular feeling against the enclosure policies of the Tudor government that swept through Norfolk in the summer of 1549. 20,000 people led by Robert Kett created a self-governing camp outside Norwich. It required two military expeditions from London to suppress the uprising. Listen to this talk: Download Peter Clark's talk (50mins, 8.8mb mp3 file)
A night dedicated to ongoing struggles in Bristol to control our urban spaces whether playing field, park or pubs and clubs. Packers Field: A Victory? Packer's Field is a seven acre area of green land that nestles between the Whitehall, Easton and Greenbank districts of Bristol. For generations it was used by local people for recreation and leisure. In 2003 the City Council sold the lease to an Academy school without proper community consultation. Kevin Davis recounts the battle by local people […]
**Despite the recent fire Bristol Reference Library will re-open on April 14th and this event will be unaffected** The Commons And Enclosure Your chance to view primary source material related to the commons, enclosure and rebellion in the Bristol Room of the Central Reference Library. Hosted by our friends, the knowledgeable and helpful archivists Dawn Dyer and Jane Bradley Here is a list of the books that were on view: John Parkinson (1567–1650; buried 6 August 1650) was the last Laws and […]
