In December the claws of the Spanish state came out, dropping all pretence of presiding over a fair & free society they launched an attack on everyone resisting capitalism & fighting for the working class, specifically targeting organised anarchists as the biggest threat to the power of the elites.

On Tuesday the 16th operation pandora  was launched, with 400 police raiding anarchist’s homes and social centres in Barcelona & Madrid, making eleven arrests and seizing books, pamphlets and computer equipment. Days later the government enacted the ‘public security law’, which criminalised protesting outside of government buildings, ‘peaceful dissent’, resisting evictions, photographing police and even burning the nations flag.

Despite waves of protest, seven anarchists remain imprisoned, accused not of committing crimes but of being active anarchists and of spreading ideas and information. ‘Evidence’ against them includes owning literature and communicating using encryption the state can’t snoop on!

The International Workers Association (home of Spanish anarchist syndicalists the CNT and the UK’s SolFed) called for solidarity actions across the globe on January 16th, supporting those still held (including a CNT member). We responded with a local demonstration, lacking a consulate, embassy or other Spanish state interest to target we instead gathered in castle park.  A less random choice than it sounds as it houses an often overlooked memorial to the Bristolians that died as volunteers in the Spanish civil war of 1936-39. They fought against fascism, for the republic and for the revolution. Our demo brought together Anarchists and friends from across Bristol. We also managed to unintentionally give our police escort the slip… as they managed to go to the wrong part of the park, sorry coppers!

We stand in solidarity with all our imprisoned anarchist comrades, those held in Spain and elsewhere across the globe. Their fight is our fight, out struggle has no borders, and our own government continues to act in increasing Orwellian ways not to different from the one in Spain.

If you’d like to donate to support the prisoners email bristol@afed.org.uk or come to the Ska/Punk benefit gig that is being held to raise funds at the Red Lion, Easton on Friday 6th Feb.

Wait, can we fit more anarchists into our opening picture? I think we can…