UK/Bristol Serverseizure

Starting this as a place to collect info on the seizure of the imc bristol server. See also the BimcServerSeizure page. We have set up a Bristol Solidarity Page on imc uk to transfer these links to, so that we can link to them publicly.

Cached copies of BIMC pages

These pages will probably only be available for a short time until they are removed from the Google cache. Indymedia has no influence on this.

• 24.6.2005 First press release by Bristol IMC:Press Release : Bristol Indymedia Server Threatened.
• 17.6.2005 Article which the seizure was originally based on: stopping them in their tracks?

Media Reports

Please add reports on top of each list, so that the most recent ones are at the beginning of each section - thanks

Reports in UK

• 28.06.2005 The Register - Legal row after police seize Bristol Indymedia server
• 28.06.2005 the INQUIRER - "Second UK Indymedia server downed by iPlod"
• 28.06.2005 bbc bristol online - " Indymedia server seized in raid"
• 28.06.2005 Red Pepper - "Indymedia under attack again"
• 28.06.2005 Freelance - "More Indymedia seizures"

Reports elsewhere

• [en] 29/06/2005Digital Media Europe - "Police raid Indymedia, again"

• [en] 28.06.2005 Free Internet Press - "Second Indymedia Server Seized..."
• [de] 28.06.2005 heise.de - "Indymedia UK beklagt Repressalien"
• [at] 28.06.2005 derStandard.at - "Repression gegen Indymedia UK"
• [en] 28.06.2005 slashdot - "Second Indymedia Server Seized in UK Within a Year"
• [de] 28.06.2005 de.internet.com - "Großbritannien: Erneut Indymedia-Server beschlagnahmt"

Statements of Support

• [en] 30.06.2005

Illuminus Organisation Webmaster: "The Illuminus Organisation condemns this action as a breach of civil rights and the rights of free press, and we can only hope that this action drives more individuals and groups to join the Indymedia in taking a stand against what is nothing short of typical bullyboy tactics in the creation of a police state sponsored by capitalism."

• [en] 28.06.2005 Free Internet Press - Editor: "As a news source, I can simply say how we'd feel. We would be absolutely furious if anyone attempted to tamper with our equipment. We support Indymedia. Attempts to silence any media organization cannot be tolerated! There is quite a bit to this issue, we suggest you read all the links in the story."

• [en] 28.06.2005 Hilary Wainwright, editor of redpepper: "We condemn all attempts to silence the independent media and we join the National Union of Journalists, Liberty, Statewatch, Campaign against Criminalising Communities, International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Sans Frontiers, Privacy International, Liberty and many more groups in expressing complete and unconditional support for Indymedia at the G8."

Indymedia Coverage

• [en] 28.06.2005 IMC Colorado: "indymedia UK servers, data siezed: volunteer arrested"

• [fr] 28.06.2005 IMC Nantes: "Saisie du serveur d'Indymedia Bristol"

• [fr] 28.06.2005 www indymedia org: "Saisie du serveur d'Indymedia Bristol"

• [de] 28.06.2005 www indymedia org: "IMC Bristol's Server beschlagnahmt"

• [en] 28.06.2005 www indymedia org: "IMC Bristol's server seized"

• [en] 28.06.2005 IMC UK: "Indymedia Bristol Server Seized by Police"

• [de] 27.06.2005 IMC Germany: "Bristol/UK: Server vom IMC Kollektiv beschlagnahmt"

• [en] 27.06.2005 IMC Scotland: "Bristol Indymedia Servers Seized"

• [en] 27.06.2005 IMC Ireland: "Police seize indymedia server in Bristol"

Lessons learned

• from breaking the news to wider media coverage, things move very fast (took many web media only one day to report). -> good to have statements from sound people when breaking the news. To get statements, its useful to clarify the situation as much, detailed and early as possible.

---

-- IonNec - 28 Jun 2005
-- AlsteR - 28 Jun 2005

to top