Tag Archives: film

Bristol Poll Tax Resistance 1988-91: Exhibition and Launch Event

Members of BASE library collective have curated an exhibition of materials from the Poll Tax resistance in Bristol, compiled from archives held at BASE with contributions from other comrades in the area, Bristol Archives and the Bristol Reference Library, as well as images from local photographer Mark Simmons. The exhibition will be on at the Cube Cinema for two months from April 18th, with a Launch Event on the 18th at 6pm, in collaboration with Angry Workers (Bristol), which will include a film screening at 8pm – Get tickets here for ‘From the Poll Tax to the Climate Crisis: What Can We Learn? What Can We Do Now?

The inspiration for the exhibition came from finding some forgotten materials from the Poll Tax years in BASE library while the Don’t Pay campaign was being promoted. However, we realised there are more parallels with today than simply the existence of a non payment campaign. By the end of the 1980s, ten years of Tory government had created widespread poverty, unemployment, and disillusionment with politics, with a weak parliamentary opposition failing to represent the poorest people.

It’s no accident that what most people know about the Poll Tax rebellion is the London riot on 31st March 1990. Blood, flames and horses make for lingering images in a way that public meetings just don’t, but it wasn’t a big demo that the government was afraid of. Police violence in Trafalgar Square was simply a failed attempt to crush unstoppable localised organising, which went on for several years before and after this moment. 17 million people refused to pay the tax – many of whom were breaking the law for the first time in their lives.

The exhibition sheds light on the ongoing and often forgotten work of keeping a campaign going locally: outreach among neighbours, regular public meetings, street stalls, organising rapid-response ‘phone trees’ and practical support for non-payers, as well as regular demonstrations on the street and direct action against bailiffs. It also shows the importance of ongoing solidarity in the face of state repression, both for Poll Tax non-payers and people facing charges as a consequence of protests. Over 100 people were jailed for taking part in protests (primarily in Trafalgar Square and Brixton in 1990), and more for refusing to pay and for resisting bailiffs – many of whom remained in prison even after the tax had been formally abolished.

Highlights of the exhibition include previously unseen ephemera, such as an account by local activist Sue Walker of attending the Trafalgar Square demonstration and witnessing police provocation and violence, local fliers, badges and newsletters, prisoner support zines and classic agitprop by Class War, as well as work by acclaimed photographer Mark Simmons, who has been documenting resistance in Bristol for over 30 years.

Resistance to the Poll Tax led to the tax being scrapped, and ultimately to the resignation of Margaret Thatcher. This resistance was radically decentralised with no official leadership, and a lot of organisation coming from people who did not see themselves as ‘activists’ or whose experience came primarily from community support, such as volunteering in unemployed workers’ centres, rather than politics.

At a time of increasing inequality and increasing criminalisation of dissent, we think it is important to keep the lessons of the Poll Tax campaign in mind. We still have time to build a better world, and the practical solidarity and mass organising of the Poll Tax resistance shows us one of the ways we might get there.

Were you active in resisting the Poll Tax in Bristol? Let us know what’s missing from the exhibition and the story we’re telling. Watch this space for a DIY archiving session, time and venue TBC, so we can record our collective histories together and share more stories of resistance. And if you’re interested in joining BASE library collective and helping with the ongoing work of ordering what is in our collection, get in touch on baselibrary@riseup.net

From Slave Trade to Arms Trade

Bristol Against the Arms Trade (BAAT) presents: From the Slave Trade to the Arms Industry
BAATBristolians played an active part in abolishing the slave trade, despite the economic benefits it had for the city. Now Bristol’s wealth is tied to military aerospace and arms industries which are profiting from the current endless wars. Time to call for conversion?

On Sunday 28 February, doors open at 1.30pm, at Kebele social centre:
2.00pm – Open Planning Meeting + speaker from CAAT
4.00pm – Films “Not in our Name” and others
6.30pm onwards – The Legendary Kebele Sunday Social and vegan cafe.
See FB event
All welcome!

Sun 21st Feb 3pm – Tipping The Velvet screening

It’s LGBT History month!!!

So lets enjoy some lesbian screen play at its very best!!
tipping-the-velvet-4fc659b045141 Its free to attend, but if you want to make a small donation to the upkeep of Kebele, this would be much appreciated. Come along to the Kebele Social Centre to watch this mini series. Its an anarchist co-op and vegan cafe with reasonably priced hot drinks and cake available during the transmission.

Afterwards, why not stay on at the Sunday Social for a vegan meal for £2.50??

We will start showing the mini series at 3.15pm sharp, with 5 minute breaks between each episode for toilet breaks (purchase more cake/drinks) and to be finished by 6.30pm in time for the evening meal.

Rooms and Facilities Available at Kebele social centre

Keb_welcome_newOur Social Centre includes various rooms/spaces that are available to be used by individuals & groups/campaigns. Typical uses include meetings & workshops & talks; benefit cafes; film nights; gatherings; small parties (birthdays, handfastings); banner making; and so on. Facilities available at Kebele include the kitchen & cooking equipment, cafe/event space for upto 50 people seated/more if standing, individual rooms holding from 6 to 45 people, film projector & screen, internet access.

Whilst each request for room use is considered separately, there are some basic criteria to bear in mind, for example – your event should be not-for-profit (or at least a benefit!); it shouldn’t contravene any of Kebele’s Principles; it shouldn’t cause a nuisance to our neighbours.

We do not formally charge for the use of spaces & facilities, but we do ask for ‘suggested donations’ to cover wear & tear, utility bills, maintenance etc. Room Users have 2 options in covering costs – firstly ‘pay as you go’ room use for each single event; secondly taking on ‘User group’ status which means in return for space/facility use you provide a labour contribution of running at least one Sunday night cafe and carrying out one clean of Kebele every 3 months.

For full details of facilities available, the suggested donations for use, some basic rules, and our safer spaces agreement, please read/complete/print off the Room Users Agreement:
Kebele-room_user_agreement (open office format)
Kebele-room_user_agreement (pdf)

For any & all queries please speak to a Co-op member or email kebelesocialcentre[at]riseup.net

Kebele – this is Ourstory

We’ve been banging on for a while now about our NovemberFest, celebrating our 20th anniversary, so here is OurStory

Kebele is based at 14 Robertson Rd, Easton, Bristol BS5 6JY, and since 1995 has provided space for the development of anarchist & radical ideas and activities, community campaigns, and international solidarity.

Kebele means “community place” or “neighbourhood” in Amharic, an Ethiopian language. The term refers to localised community institutions, which dealt with their own needs & concerns, such as justice, health and community democracy.  During the revolution in Grenada in 1979, Rastafarians involved in the struggle used the term “kebele” to refer to the community centres in each neighbourhood from which, in theory at least, the revolution was based. In 1983, the USA invaded the tiny island of Grenada to crush the rebellion.

The founders of Kebele were inspired by these meanings of the word, and current members are too.

The Squat and Kebele Kulture Projekt (KKP)
Kebele_frontKebele started as an empty building that was squatted in autumn 1995 to provide housing for four homeless activists. It quickly mutated into something bigger out of a need to defy the owners (a bank) and authorities seeking to evict them, and inspired by European social spaces there was a desire to create a self-managed space for local individuals, campaigns & projects. Continue reading Kebele – this is Ourstory

Nov/Fest – 5th weekend – talks, workshops, permaculture, food and films

Our NovemberFest kicks on with another eclectic mix of events this weekend mixing the serious with the fun, both indoors & out (see list below!).

NovemberFest celebrates 20 years of Kebele social centre as a living anarchist experiment, since it was first squatted in autumn 1995, until now when it has evolved into a Community Co-Op. See ‘OurStory‘.

This Weekend: Continue reading Nov/Fest – 5th weekend – talks, workshops, permaculture, food and films

Nov/Fest – 4th weekend – workshops, music, food and film!

There’s a packed lineup at Kebele social centre as our NovemberFest hits it’s 4th weekend, with plenty more to come!

As well as the ‘Libres’ performance on Friday 13th at 7pm, and the participatory workshop ‘Songs & stories of resistance’ on Sunday 15th from 1-5pm (details of both here), here’s what else is on, plus at the end we have a few date changes: Continue reading Nov/Fest – 4th weekend – workshops, music, food and film!