Undercover Roger Pearce — later head of the Special Demonstration Squad — attempted to link anarchist paper to Northern Irish republicans in the 1980s
Spycops Inquiry to hear evidence of Freedom infiltration
Tag: Freedom Press
Radical Reprint: The Voice of Labour
With militarism and the expectation of a war in Europe on the rise, Freedom‘s approach wasn’t getting as much of a bump in readership as hoped, according to reports from the anarchists’ annual gathering in Newcastle in May 1914. Anarchism’s reach in Britain at the time was, as ever, limited compared to the greater movements
Spycops Inquiry: Closing statements roundup
Yesterday saw closing statements in the Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI), a sprawling investigation into the use of spycops covering four decades of operations, focusing in this tranche on the 1968-1982 period.
Book Review: A Normal Life
M Morrison takes a lengthy look at the autobiography of Vassilis Palaiokostas, better known as the Greek Robin Hood. A Normal Lifeby Vassilis PalaiokostasISBN: 978-1-904491-40-8Paperback: 352pp£15 (available here) Illegalism is a practice that has its roots in the French anarcho-individualist movement of the late 19th century. The idea in, its initial form, argued that if
Radical reprint: Wait! Wait! Wait!
In 1932, a Freedom Bulletin was produced which took aim at the state of the economic crisis in Britain, calling on workers to cease listening to the lies of the political class — it almost could have been written yesterday. The article, produced when Freedom consisted of Tom Keell (pictured and most likely the author)
Beer punks and anarchist cafes: politics for profit
Many could be forgiven for thinking it was a belated April Fools prank when, at the beginning of the month, Freedom Press released a statement reading that close to their premises in Whitechapel and out with their knowledge, the colossal Hilton hotel group had opened an upmarket cocktail bar bearing the name ‘Freedom Café’. Marketed
Freedom Press co-opted by … the Hilton?
This story is so utterly ridiculous that when we heard it yesterday we all initially thought it was an April Fools. Freedom Press has, admittedly, got an interesting sort of history and some nice old-timey aesthetics – we’ve been around for a long time after all, selling anarchist books and newspapers. There’s photos of Freedom
The Met spychief who infiltrated Freedom Press: a memory
Freedom, among many other left organisations, was targeted by the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) multiple times over the years, most notably by senior officer Roger “Thorley” Pearce. Back in 2018, we published the results of our investigation, tracking his articles through the paper and talking to old comrades, and revealed at least some of the
Freedom Press and the MI5 vendetta
Today we’ve uploaded a new set of 25 War Commentary newspapers, mostly covering late 1943 through 1944, to our digital archive and to mark the occasion Jack Saundrs looks at a set of MI5 files which show exactly how angry the Freedom Group publication was making the State at the time. The files tie in
Transcript: Freedom and ASS at the Spycops Inquiry
Freedom, among many other left organisations, was targeted by the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) multiple times over the years, most notably by senior officer Roger Pearce. The Advisory Service For Squatters, which has premises with Freedom in Angel Alley, has also been targeted, and speaking on behalf of both for the inquiry’s introductory sessions Rajiv
Recent Articles
Museum of Neoliberalism closes as building knocked down for luxury flats
The anti-capitalist tourist attraction played with the perceived factual authority of a museum ~ Gavin Grindon ~ After five years as Lewisham’s premier anti-capitalist tourist attraction, the Museum of Neoliberalism closed its doors for the final time on 15th Sept, as the building is being sold to a developer.
Billionaires in space
Elite tourism is not ‘paving humanity’s way to the stars’, but elites’ escape from a dying planet ~ Andrew J Boyer ~ Jared Isaacman has become the first billionaire to space-walk, in a successful Space-X mission titled Polaris Dawn.
Disruption and police aggression at Melbourne arms fair
Up to 100 protesters injured by police during Disrupt Land Forces picket on 11 September ~ Gabriel Fonten ~ The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre was surrounded by confrontational anti-militarist protests between 8–13 September; 42 people were arrested in connection with the protests, and human rights groups have condemned the excessive use of force.
Jury refuses to convict Palestine activists
No verdict returned after judge rules out any lawful excuse for April military firm raid ~ Cristina Sykes ~ A jury at Bradford Crown Court today refused to convict four Palestine Action defendants who shut down an Israel-supplying military electronics firm in April.
Seattle is never coming back: Reflections on the Democratic National Convention
Aboveground organizers will need to facilitate practical experimentation by belowground militants, who in turn must cultivate zones of indistinction from the broader, legal movement ~ Lake Effect Collective The Democratic National Convention descended on Chicago during the last week of August, bringing with it swarms of police and politicians who quickly rendered the city uninhabitable.
