All posts by BASE

TOBY SHONE INFO NIGHT @ BASE SUN 17TH MARCH 6.30PM

Toby Shone, anarchist prisoner.
An infonight at BASE, 17.03.24.

6.30pm Vegan dinner (pay what you can).
7.30pm Talk and Q&A followed by solidarity banner and card writing.

Come and join us for the Sunday cafe and a short talk and Q&A session on Toby’s situation and the implications for all who resist.

Toby has been targeted and punished by the UK state for being an anarchist and showing defiance in the face of heavy state attacks and repression. Last year he was sent to a high security prison 170 miles from his home after attending a discussion event at BASE. The authorities say this was a breach of his licence conditions. They are intent on isolating him from his community and breaking his fighting spirit. They will not succeed. An attack on one is an attack on us all. For revolutionary solidarity until all are free.

There will be cards to write messages of solidarity to send to Toby. We will also do a solidarity banner photo outside BASE so please bring what you need (eg mask if wish to remain anonymous) if you would like to be part of that.

Free Toby Shone!!!

Revolution & Tea – FROM SUN 14TH APRIL

2.30pm the second Sunday of every month at BASE Anarchist Social Centre.


Join us to chat anarchism, drink tea, and eat cake.


We’ll discuss theory & practice, and cook up some brand new schemes.
New people especially welcome! £Free but donations for refreshments and the space welcomed’

BASE Open Day On 10th March From 1pm – All Welcome!

💥🥳 BASE open day on March 10th, 1-6 pm 🥳💥
Everyone very much welcome to our BASE open day!

Find out about BASE’s history and the BASE collectives (Bikes, Infoshop, Café, Library …); the many groups that have used BASE over the years since 1995; and the many campaigns and actions that originated from discussions and meet-ups here!

The other 2 workshops during the day are:
Intro to Anarchy – anarchism is at the core of BASE’s ideas and practice; and it’s really not that complicated a political idea…you may already be an anarchist without appreciating it.
Intro to Consensus Decision-Making – this is our chosen way of making decisions, so come find out why and how!

During the day there’ll be several short tours of the building; some stalls from groups who use the building; and some awesomely lush vegan cakes and hot drinks. Our library and Infoshop will be open.

After, from 6pm, there’ll be our weekly Sunday vegan social meal.
So come along and say hi, have a chat and find out more at this relaxed and friendly open day.

SOLIDARITY WITH TOBY SHONE

Solidarity with Toby Shone!
Against Counter-Terror Southwest Policing of BASE Social Centre

As Toby Shone’s parole pre-hearing meeting approaches on March 15th, BASE would like to restate its solidarity with Toby and all anarchist prisoners.

Anarchist comrade Toby Shone was recalled to prison on 19th September 2023 after attending a letter-writing night and dinner held by Bristol Anti-Repression Campaign (BARC) on 30th August. This meeting was being watched by 2 Counter Terror Officers. Toby’s licence conditions prevented him from contributing to or organising events at places like BASE. They also included a gagging order to prevent him speaking out against his case and his licence conditions. His attendance at the BARC Open House letter-writing night at BASE was used by National Security Division (NSD) and Southwest Counter Terror Police (SWCTP) to justify his renewed incarceration in a long-term high security prison 170 miles away from his home.

It has come to our attention through legal papers recently served to Toby that BASE is subject to ongoing surveillance and monitoring by SWCTP. The legal documents contain a dossier of BASE campaigning materials and an events list, compiled by a Counter-Terror Police (CTP) digital analyst. There is a suggestion that there is some shadowy criminal anarchist group behind BASE so that the cops can expand their fantasy of ‘anarchist terror’ where a social centre is somewhere that people become groomed and radicalised and where glorification and funding of terrorism are rampant (flyers, direct action reports and benefit gigs and fundraisers). Back in the real world, BASE is a much loved and long standing autonomous social centre that hosts community dinners, bike workshops, talks on a diverse range of topics from social justice and prisoner solidarity to environmental and cultural topics. BASE has a library, a bookshop and is a base for grassroots campaigning in the local area.

We stand with Toby Shone against the criminalisation of alternative voices and alternative spaces. We stand against the criminalisaton of solidarity. No one should be recalled to the torture chambers of the UK prison estate for attending a community space, for gathering with friends, for writing letters, for living collectively rather than in isolation or for living an alternative lifestyle inspired by ideas and projects that seek to promote kinder, more positive and more sustainable ways of living and being in this world than the present system allows. As Britain buries more and more of us in filthy, inhumane and overcrowded dungeons at His Majesty’s Pleasure, we at BASE stand proudly and in solidarity with Toby Shone as well as all the KTB prisoners and other anarchist prisoners in the UK and around the world.

The State is the Terrorist!

Tu BiShvat for Palestine – SAT 3RD FEB 4-7PM

Na’amod Bristol invites you to join us to gather around Palestine
solidarity. We will reflect on all the ways we’ve engaged with the
Palestinian cause over the past months and years, and nourish us all for
our next steps. We acknowledge that each person will have had a
different journey to their current understanding, perspectives and the
modes of solidarity they participate in.

Na’amod is a national movement of British Jews against the occupation.
This event falls shortly after the Jewish festival of Tu BiShvat, known
as ‘the New Year for the Trees’. Through the traditions of the festival
we will hold discussions to reflect on Palestine solidarity, build
alliances between the different groups working on these issues, and give
us energy and ideas for moving forward together in these difficult
times. We reclaim this festival from the anti-Palestinian acts of the
JNF and others*, and instead celebrate the festival as a container for
solidarity and hope.

This event is aimed at anyone who is involved in, or interested in
getting involved in Palestine solidarity work in and around Bristol.

Please get a ticket so we can manage capacity

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tu-bishvat-for-palestine-tickets-797893710567

‘WHEN PUNISHING IS NOT ENOUGH’ FILM SCREENING – SUN 12ST JAN 6.30PM

Conflict Club hosts…


🎬Film showing and discussion Sunday 21st Jan @ BASE🎬
We’re delighted to show a 50min documentary on Relational Restorative Justice in Quebec, ‘When Punishing is not enough’, in its Bristol Premiere! This film follows participants who are going through the state criminal justice system – and the mediators are working in co operation with this system. However, the principles of how they are working are not tied to punitive approaches to justice, and our discussion will invite you to engage in learning from the film in the framework of anarchist and abolitionist values.
How can the victim centred approach of relational restorative justice do better than ‘traditional’ punitive justice?
❤️‍🔥Want more of this sorta peer learning? BARC Transformative Justice reading group meets 2nd Weds of the month see @bristolantirepression ig for text. Conflict Club hosts TJ open space on another Weds of the month
– see base website or join our whatsapp announce
https://chat.whatsapp.com/KgdzYhxs917AXxLI6Iw1Xo
🍽️BASE Sunday vegan café: 6:30 – pay what you can, bring cash! All
welcome to attend either café, film or both
➡️Discussion and film : 7:20 – 9pm

Stand With The #Bristol7 – Stop Arming Israel

Solidarity with the #Bristol7 defendants – on trial for smashing into the Bristol HQ of Israel’s largest weapons firm, Elbit.
#ShutElbitDown now!

Turn out in solidarity with Palestine and the #Bristol7 from the 8th January to 9th February (with a week’s break from the 22nd January) – bring flags, keffiyahs, and friends to Bristol Crown Court (9 Small St, Bristol BS1 1DB) from 9am each day outside, and help pack out the court public area inside each day.
Join the Whatsapp Broadcast list for regular updates on the trial.
Sign up to the Court Support mailing list for more information.
Read here about Palestine Action’s Smash Bristol Elbit Action back on 15 May 2022.

As Palestinians in Gaza are facing genocide and the complete devastation of their homes and communities, the British state is prosecuting seven activists who took action to disrupt Israel’s weapons trade. May 15th annually marks the day of the Palestinian ‘Nakba’ – the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948, which saw 800,000 Palestinians displaced and over 500 towns destroyed – on this day in 2022, the seven entered and occupied the Bristol HQ of ‘Elbit Systems’, Israel’s largest weapons company.

Right now, Elbit weapons are being used to destroy Gaza and slaughter its population. By hosting Elbit in this country, we are complicit in Israel’s crimes, and the seven acted on their duty to #ShutElbitDown.
They’ll be entering Court to show that Elbit is guilty, not the Palestine Action activists standing against them.

Stop Arming Israel Now – find out about UK businesses & subsidaries that are arming Israel in this Corporate Watch report.

FYI: Legal Info and Protest Advice

The last two years have seen an increasing assualt on our rights to protest as the Tory Government clamps down on dissent of just about any kind, and is trying to ciminalise almost every action.

They’ve introduced four new Laws which sit alongside or on top of Laws from previous Governments. The new Laws are:
Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Act 2022 (PCSC)
Public Order Act 2023 (POA)
National Security Act 2023 (NSA – Law in July, many Sections in force from end October)
Strikes (Minimum Service Level) Act 2023 (Law in July, service levels being negotiated)

Even the most hardened Legal Support activists will only know the key, or worst, Sections of these Laws – but it’s worthwhile everybody getting as clued up as they can. So a few local legal activists have sat down and compiled a list of links to the best legal guides, explainers, rights info, bustcards and legal activist websites; plus some basic ‘protest advice’ for you to consider when going on a protest/action.

They’re all gathered together in this pdf below: Legal info Protest advice_Dec23
Just click on the links in the guide, and read away!

And remember – Our Best Defence Is Our Collective Power!