What to do instead of calling the police! 💥
Our new resource in collaboration with @copwatchnetwork is available via the link in the Copwatch Network and Global Majority Copwatch bios! This resource contains more information than this post and is available in two versions for accessibility. 🔥
There are also other resources in our bios including leaflets, bustcards + stickers. Share, print, discuss our resources with your friends, family, comrades, neighbours.❤️🔥
Physical copies of this resource and bustcards will be available (for free) at the next Global Majority Copwatch meeting on Wednesday 12th March @ the field (this meeting is Global Majority people only). Abolition in our lifetime! 🫶🏿
CW: SA, Transmisogyny, Police Violence
We know that everything is moving very fast following the Supreme Court ruling, and we are gathering our thoughts on the wider landscape, but for now we share Copwatch's statement on the British Transport Police's change to policy around strip search. We do not yet know the full implications for the ruling but what we do know is that intervening on police, and public, harrassment of trans people is more important than ever. Copwatch is offering resources and intervention trainings to anyone looking to learn how to intervene. You can find this statement in full in our bio.
Solidarity with our trans siblings, now and always.
🔥🚇 THIS MORNING, WE TOOK OVER TUBE AND BUS ADS ALL ACROSS LONDON - calling out the Met Police’s repression of those who oppose Britain’s shameful role in arming Israel’s genocide!
🐷 The Met Police is actively silencing those who oppose Britain’s role in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Just like in the Brixton uprising against police violence in 1981, just like in the Hillsborough families’ campaign for justice for their loves ones in 1989, police are once again attempting to criminalise and smear an entire movement.
‼️ This is not new: we are seeing the transfer of tactics that the police have always used against racialised and working class communities, onto the Palestine movement. Beating protestors, crushing protesters, arresting hundreds, imprisoning actionists, imposing dozens of protest conditions, referring record numbers of racialised youth to PREVENT - all of this is part of a coordinated attempt by police & courts to target those in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle.
🇵🇸 Right now, Israel’s genocide in Gaza has reached a monstrous stage. We are witnessing daily bombings with British-made weapons and enforced mass starvation across the entirety of the Gaza Strip. Despite a groundbreaking new report by PYM Britain, Workers for a Free Palestine and Progressive International revealing that Labour has been LYING to the public and has sent thousands of military goods directly to Israel, the Met Police continue to harass and obstruct protestors at every turn - actively protecting Britain’s profits from its arms sales to Israel.
‼️The systemic use of police violence and repression will not deter us from demanding:
FULL ARMS EMBARGO NOW. POLICE HANDS OFF OUR MOVEMENT. FREE PALESTINE.
📷 Image creds for ad subverts: @tarunisms
🔗 Read the groundbreaking new report exposing UK arms exports to Israel here: https://rb.gy/4r7283 or at @pymbritain ’s bio
The UK is trialling a 'neighbourhood' policing strategy that has historically been used as a counterinsurgency tactic by the US military and other colonising forces.
While it has been re-branded as a successful, community-centric approach, "Clear, hold, build" (CHB) has resulted in police targeting of some of society’s most marginalised groups.
A historical analysis we just published makes it clear: CHB's imperial doctrine represents the introduction of colonial military methods meant to dominate, rather than uplift, local communities.
Read the analysis by Aron Pandian and statement by @lambethcopwatch at link in bio.
Videos sourced from the youtube accounts of:
The Police Foundation (ThePoliceFdnUK)
Nottinghamshire Police (nottinghampolice)
Suffolk Constabulary (SuffolkConstabularyUK)
South Yorkshire Police (SYPCommunications)
Joe Rogan Experience (joerogan)
🔊Every year, people from everywhere on the planet hold noisy demonstrations outside prisons on New Year’s Eve. 🔊
⛓️💥We do this to show all of those who’re locked inside that they’re not forgotten, and to demonstrate our commitment to a world without violence and punishment, to a world without prisons. No Justice No Peace. ⛓️💥
🎆 In honour of this tradition, we invite you all to Join us outside HMP Brixton, on Tuesday 31st December from 6pm. 🎆
🇵🇸This year the escalation against the Zionist entity has continued to erupt - the British Prison Estate now another front line of this struggle. The largest co-ordinated hunger strike in British Prisons in recent history is directly threatening the lives of a number of our comrades. 🇵🇸
❤️🔥We send our love to the strikers, currently being held on remand and facing trail after being linked to actions which cost Elbit Systems millions in damages.❤️🔥
🥁 Bring drums and speakers, your pots and pans to bash with a spoon, your musical instruments and most importantly, your friends! 🥁
Come and make some noise with us before heading on to your NYE plans. Let’s bring in this new year with solidarity and much more justice.
❌🚔🚨❌ Rethinking Security, Police and Borders at DSEI ❌🚔🚨❌
Join Stop the Arms Fair Peace Camp on Wednesday 3rd September for a day of protest, talks and workshops.
This is a day to remember all the forms of state violence that DSEI fuels, funds and extends, and to question the logics of the ‘security’ industry.
Arrive at the Peace Camp, opposite Leyes Road Allotments (E16 3HS) from 8:30AM to protest as military equipment used to repress our communities passes by and into the Excel Centre. Stay for a ‘dazzle make-up’ workshop which will explore creative ways to evade and challenge facial recognition, and discussions of the proposed Crime and Policing Bill. Plus at 3PM Lambeth Copwatch and Southwark & Lambeth Anti Raids will deliver a talk on “Intervening in State Violence”.
We hope to see you there!
Facial recognition will be at Notting Hill Carnival this year. With the rise of invasive forms of state surveillance and violence, at a historically over-policed event, it’s more important now than ever that we look out for each other and keep each other safe. 🐷
Spend whatever time you can spare this Sunday and Monday handing out leaflets, bustcards and masks to carnival attendees. If you have spare time, maybe even monitor the facial recognition vans! 👁️👁️
As facial recognition roll-out increases across London, this is something we recommend people do more widely! Leaflet with your friends, family, neighbours. 💥
A better world is not only possible - it’s vital. But we have to co-create it together. We have these resources, and other resources linked in our bio. Share this post, and our other resources with your communities. ❤️🔥
🚨 FASCISTS OUT! DEFEND REFUGEES IN ISLINGTON 🚨
We’re mobilising alongside a coalition of anti-fascist groups across London.
‼️ This week, hundreds of racists are planning to gather outside the Thistle Hotel Barbican, where refugees are being housed. Their presence poses a threat to hotel residents and the wider community. They may loiter in the area, drinking and intimidating people. We refuse to let this go unchallenged. ‼️
✊ Stand with us in defence of refugees and against fascism.
📲 Join the group chat for updates on the day.
WE KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE
Ahead of our second workshop next week, join us TOMORROW for leafletting and a meeting. Find out how you can get involved in abolitionist organising in Croydon. 🔥
If you can’t make tomorrow but would like to leaflet locally in Croydon, pls DM 💌
The second session as part of our community workshops across South London takes place on Wednesday 23rd July from 6.30-8.30pm 🗓️
We had a great time at our first workshop, talking through how we can keep each other safe from, and outside of, policing. We were proud to distribute 100s of bustcards, booklets and other resources in the lead up to and at the workshop. These workshops are aimed at people who *aren’t* abolitionists. ❤️🔥
We know that many of us cannot rely on the police to keep us safe- they often harm us psychologically and physically.
If you want to support our work and you live in South London, leaflet and wheatpaste your local area with flyers about these workshops (will be linked in bio this weekend). 🔥
Wherever you are, join - or start - a local Copwatch group and share our resources. If you’re in a position to, donate to us, to other abolitionist collectives, to people’s crowdfunders, to unhoused people you pass in the streets. We keep each other safe! ✊🏾
❗️EMERGENCY CALL OUT❗️
🕣Saturday 28th June, 10am onwards
📍SOAS Liberated Zone for Gaza, Byng Place.
Defend the SOAS Liberated Zone!
Stand up to fascism and zionism!
The @soasliberatedzone has directly called for community support to de-escalate and confront potential harassment. As abolitionists, our priority is keeping our communities safe.
If you're already planning to attend other demonstrations against the fascist mobilisation, any time you can give to support here is welcomed as well. The encampment needs direct solidarity, and every bit of support matters.
Bring friends, stay aware, and be prepared to support those most vulnerable. Our collective safety depends on showing up for each other when called upon.
More details and updates available on the @soasliberatedzone page
We’re delighted to be running this workshop today with @coldislanders as part of the @brxhousetheatre takeover, honouring the legacy of windrush.
We’ll be talking about state violence, past and present, and how we have and can keep each other safe. The second part of the workshop will be a creative session, envisioning the world we want to see through collaging, drawing, painting, writing and more ❤️🔥🎨
