- Bristol Indymedia
Bristol Indymedia, is also known as Bristol Independent Media Collective or BIMC.
Bristol has a flourishing independent media scene. One of the more interesting aspects of this is the Bristol Indymedia web site [http://bristol.indymedia.org/] . Bristol Indymedia (like the wider
Indymedia network), provides a mix of news and articles that often tend towards a left-wing, progressive or anarchistic perspective. Bristol Indymedia volunteers have also produced filmsExample BIMC Video: DSEi solidarity demo in Bristol] and run community media dayshttp://www.maxpc.co.uk/features/default.asp?pagetypeid=2&articleid=18485&subsectionid=736&subsubsectionid=608 alt.news] Opinions vary on their success; for example, [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bristol_Urban_Culture&action=history previous versions] of this Wikipedia entry contained a vitriolic rant which, while ill-suited to Wikipedia's neutral tone, is indicative of the strong feelings that Indymedia can sometimes evoke. A few users of the site believed the project was not living up to its ideas and used the site to say so, "Bristol Indymedia deletes some posts and hides others."http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=21347 Bristol Indymedia accused of censorship] However other indicators point to a successful media project: Local Magazine Venue called the project, "Potentially the most radical local media development in 100 years."http://docs.indymedia.org/pub/Local/ImcBristol/bimchistory.rtf Venue magazine, June 2002] . The site's Google ranking when searching for the term 'Bristol' alone lists Bristol Indymedia frequently in the top 10, often overtaking other more mainstream local media outlets such as BBC Bristol. http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=24583Bristol Indymedia News Update On the arrest of an IMC Volunteer, our archive and Google rankings...] Other commentators regard Bristol Indymedia as having promise but not being quite ready yet, remarking that the site, "...is also used by a lot of people with eccentric and fringe beliefs, but sometimes picks up some really interesting developments." http://www.ideasfestival.co.uk/radical.html Bristol's radical politics]A History of BIMC and Related Events
In August 2001, as an offshoot of the tech2 festival at the Cube Cinema Microplex and other venues around Bristol, a group of DIY media types, community activists and other interested people met upstairs at the Hatchet pub, Bristol, and began to set out a role for a possible Indymedia website for Bristol. By September 2001, the site was up and running.docs.indymedia.org/pub/Local/ImcBristol/bimchistory.rtf BIMC History]
As part of an outreach plan, Bristol Indymedia organised a 'Community Media Day' on June 14th 2003.http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/ImcBristolMakingTheMedia2004 Bristol Indymedia Media Day 2004 - Making the Media]
Server Seizure
On 27th June 2005 the Bristol Indymedia server was taken off line by the police due to a vandal using it to boast of his activities and inciting others to do likewise, but is now back online. (See the
Indymedia entry for more on controversies surrounding Indymedia's open newswire policy, or The Register's [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06/28/indymedia_server_seizure_bristol/ coverage] for more on the police raid.) The seizure of the server was carried out under a search warrant (police and criminal evidence act 1984, ss.8 and 15).http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/315177.html?c=on Solidarity Page: Imc Bristol Server Seizure] The police also arrested a Bristol Indymedia volunteer for the common law offence of "incitement to criminal damage." The raid removed a computer that also hosted a number of other sites including Euskalinfo (a Basque news service) and Wildfire, the blog of a prominent Bristol peace activist Jo Wilding. Following the seizure the Bristol Indymedia collective released a statement saying, "We are outraged at the actions of the police. They have completely disabled the entire Bristol Indymedia news service...This situation has serious implications for anyone providing a news service on the Internet."http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/06/315147.html IMC Bristol Press Release : IMC Bristol Server Seized] On October 26th 2005 the police had returned the seized equipment.http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=24352 Bristol Indymedia Equipment Returned] By January 2006 the police had not charged the arrested volunteer with the offence they were arrested for and had decided that no further action is to be taken.http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=24583Bristol Indymedia News Update On the arrest of an IMC Volunteer, our archive and Google rankings...] During the server seizure many local groups and individuals responded warmly to Bristol Indymedia's plight with solidarity and donations.http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=24123 Bristol Indymedia - Update and Thanks!] On 24th September 2007 representatives of Bristol Indymedia met with British Transport Police to discuss the seizure and arrest further. At the meeting the police confirmed that they have not found anything on the computers seized that would have led to the vandal. [http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=27049 Bristol Indymedia Server Seizure Update] On May 2008, in a news statement on the website, the Bristol Indymedia Collective announced that the police had agreed to pay £190 in compensation for a damage done to a computer during the raid as a 'ex-gracia' payment. [http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/article/688390 Bristol Indymeda Summer Newsletter]Bristol Indymedia Ongoing
Bristol based activists, using the name 'digital antifa', used the site to announce on the 14th April 2006 that the UK based Neo-Nazi group November 9th Society had been taken out.Neo-Nazi Website Shut Down by Bristol Anti-Nazis] Following this, on the 15th May 2006 the then leader of the Neo Nazi group,
Kevin Quinn posted on the site that he had been looking for the BIMC collective to , "Last night I visited Bristol to thank the people from Indimedia for closing my website down...I went in the two pubs you normally hold it [the BIMC meetings] but I did not see anyone that appeared to be holding any meeting of any importance at all. I will most definitely be coming again."http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=24985Array&sc=1 Neo-Nazis in Kingsdown] The BIMC collective took this as a threat an issued a statement in response, "It is a common misconception that Indymedia writes the stories posted onto its newswire...Indymedia is not responsible for shutting down the N9S website...However given the nature of Quinn's 'politics' this 'visit' appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate a news site that carried stories he did not like...We will be meeting as normal.."http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=25010 Statement from Bristol Indymedia on N9S] Reports from the indymedia volunteers to attended the meeting say there was no sign of Quinn or N9S, though sporadic messages attributed to the group in question were still posted on the site for some time after.
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