News Release : Bristol Indymedia Server Threatened.
by imc bristol
24th June 2005
Bristol Indymedia Server Threatened
by imc bristol
24th June 2005
Bristol Indymedia Server Threatened
On Mon 20th June, Bristol Indymedia (IMC Bristol) received an email from the police asking to contact them with reference to a posting on the IMC Bristol newswire. IMC Bristol volunteers appointed a solicitor and started briefing them to contact the police on their behalf. On Tue 21st June, the police contacted an IMC Bristol volunteer asking for IP logs. The subject of the police enquiry was a posting claiming that damage had been done to either some cars on a train transport, the transport itself, or the railway line.
Bristol Indymedia volunteers hid the post (originally posted late in the evening of 17th June) from their main newswire within 24 hours of it being posted - as it violated IMC Bristol editorial policy - and well before the police made initial contact.
When the solicitor contacted CID on the 21st to inform them that they could not have the server, or access to it, the police said that they could go through data protection and legal moves to get the logs or get a search warrant, and that they may arrest somebody for obstructing the course of justice.
At this point, an IMC Bristol volunteer informed IMC UK about the events. IMC Bristol then contacted Liberty, whose legal advisor contacted the police to press them on the issue that this server was considered an item of journalistic equipment and so subject to special provision under the law. The police have yet to confirm this. NUJ and Privacy International have also been contacted.
As of 24th June 2005, IMC Bristol remain in possession of their server. Communications with the police, and between various legal and civil rights organisations continue while technical and legal issues surrounding the case are clarified. Bristol Indymedia is an independent news service. As part of our policy, we will not make non-public information we hold publicly available. We do not permanently store IP addresses. We do not intend to voluntarily hand over information to the police as they have requested, and have informed them of this.
CONTACT: imc-bristol (at) lists.indymedia.org
http://bristol.indymedia.org
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Link To Original Post
http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/23330/index.php?comment_view=1
This posting apparently triggered the police contacting IMC Bristol.
Bristol Indymedia volunteers hid the post (originally posted late in the evening of 17th June) from their main newswire within 24 hours of it being posted - as it violated IMC Bristol editorial policy - and well before the police made initial contact.
When the solicitor contacted CID on the 21st to inform them that they could not have the server, or access to it, the police said that they could go through data protection and legal moves to get the logs or get a search warrant, and that they may arrest somebody for obstructing the course of justice.
At this point, an IMC Bristol volunteer informed IMC UK about the events. IMC Bristol then contacted Liberty, whose legal advisor contacted the police to press them on the issue that this server was considered an item of journalistic equipment and so subject to special provision under the law. The police have yet to confirm this. NUJ and Privacy International have also been contacted.
As of 24th June 2005, IMC Bristol remain in possession of their server. Communications with the police, and between various legal and civil rights organisations continue while technical and legal issues surrounding the case are clarified. Bristol Indymedia is an independent news service. As part of our policy, we will not make non-public information we hold publicly available. We do not permanently store IP addresses. We do not intend to voluntarily hand over information to the police as they have requested, and have informed them of this.
CONTACT: imc-bristol (at) lists.indymedia.org
http://bristol.indymedia.org ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Link To Original Post
http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/23330/index.php?comment_view=1 This posting apparently triggered the police contacting IMC Bristol.
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
LEGAL FUND
28.06.2005 10:20
Other methods of donating may follow shortly. For the moment it's the old-fangled cheque / postal order way of doing things.
Cheques can be made out to:
Bristol Indymedia. Box 3. 82 Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5BB
Thanks.
Friends Of BIM
Alternative Bristol Information Outlets
30.06.2005 11:49
So...
The Bristol Social Forum & Bristol Stop-The-War message boards have now been opened up so that anyone can currently post to them from any email account (although posts will continue to be moderated and there may be a delay of a few days on the Bristol Social Forum so that emails can be sent out in more user friendly batches direct to people's inboxes.)
As it has a subscription base of 350+, it is a valuable outlet.
Bristol Social Forum. (Bristol / South West focussed posts please)
Anyone can post to:
Visit:
You can also subscribe if you like, instructions at bottom of page.
Bristol Stop The War. (National level posts are also welcome here)
Anyone can post to:
99% of subscribers only receive the monthly newsletter direct to their inbox, but it is widely publicised as a public message board too, so it has it's uses.
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