‘The Recent Politicisation of The Riot Charge’

BRHG is pleased to support the latest Bristol Radical Bookfair on Saturday 10th December, co-ordinated by Active Distro, and hosted at the Exchange, on Old Market, BS2 0EJ. All are welcome at this free event.

As Active Distro state in the FB event and Headfirst Bristol listings:

We’re under attack from all sides, and we need radical ideas and community more than ever. At the bookfair, you’ll find new and second hand titles, kids books, novels, calendars and more from radical publishers, zine makers and activists. Plus stalls from local campaigns groups and free talks in the basement room. Plus vegan hot dogs, cakes, snacks, hot drinks, mulled cider, and beers available from the Exchange cafe.

Alongside the extensive & well stocked BRHG book stall, will be another dozen or so stalls from local distros, campaigns, projects and publishers. If you want to grab some alternative stocking fillers or larger gifts for your friends & family, and subvert xmas for a radical new year – make sure you bring cash along with your cards! Stalls are just great for chats, networking and finding out about what others are upto in these times of crisis

Whilst the Bookfair and Exchange cafe/bar are on the ground floor, down in the Basement there’ll be talks and workshops from 12noon to 3.30pm (see image below).
The BRHG talk & discussion will start at 2pm, using a PPT presentation to detail some historical research and statistical analysis, and there’ll be plenty of time for questions & discussion:

The Recent Politicisation Of The Riot Charge
Two incidents in 2021 saw a sudden and very unusual use of the charge of Riot against a very large number of defendants. The first in March related to a protest against the then new PCSC (Policing) Bill outside a city centre police station in Bristol; the second in May followed an evening of disturbances in Mayhill, Swansea. Based on a research paper written for the Justice for Bristol Protesters (JBP) campaign group, this talk will cover the history and contemporary use of the Riot charge, and consider why Bristol suddenly faced a huge number of Riot charges – why Bristol and why now?

The repression of Bristolians who dared to stand up to the draconian PCSC Bill, now Act, has turned into the thin end of a nasty authoritarian wedge. That Act has been followed by the Tory Government with the proposed National Security Bill and the Public Order Bill – see the NetPol news feed for more info and analysis of them. 2023 is going to be a year when we all need to know our contemporary history, know our rights, and get out to defend them!