Acquitted "Stoke Newingon Eight" anarchist life story to be told in film
http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/acquitted_stoke_newingon_eight_anarchist_life_story_to_be_told_in_film_1_727924
Acquitted Stoke Newington Eight member, anarchist Stuart Christie,
who tried to blow up Spanish dictator General Franco aged 17, talks
to Emma Bartholomew about how he found last week's political protests
"reassuring" and a forthcoming autobiographical film.
Emma Bartholomew
21 November, 2010
Acquitted Stoke Newington Eight member, anarchist Stuart Christie,
who tried to blow up Spanish dictator General Franco aged 17, talks
to Emma Bartholomew about how he found last week's political protests
"reassuring" and a forthcoming autobiographical film.
The education riots at Tory HQ Millbank last Wednesday, for which 57
people have been arrested, has brought "direct action" politics to
the forefront.
Christie himself was arrested in 1972, along with the "Stoke
Newington Eight," for having taken part in Britain's first urban
guerilla group The Angry Brigade - blamed for 25 bombings against the
British Establishment.
Christie, who was acquitted of any involvement in the conspiracy,
says he finds it "reassuring that people can still get angry about politics."
"It shows that plus ça change - times change, but the focus points of
protest and anger are still there, and when you push people hard
enough and they are angry enough, they become frustrated and take
direct action."
"It'll be interesting to see how that growing anger develops and
manifests itself," said the 64-year old who now lives in Hastings on
the south coast.
"Every generation finds its own way."
In 1971-1972, The Angry Brigade targeted what the radical left
regarded as symbols of capitalist repression - banks, embassies, the
1970 Miss World event, homes of Conservative MPs, corporations and
government offices.
No one was killed, although one person was slightly injured - but the
security breaches were a serious embarrassment to Edward Heath's government.
After a lengthy investigation, on August 20 1971 a police squad
raided the upstairs flat of 359 Amhurst Road, inhabited by four
university "dropouts" - John Barker, Jim Greenfield, Hilary Creek and
Anna Mendleson and couldn't believe their luck.
They allegedly found a small arsenal of weapons and explosives and a
John Bull children's printing set, which had been used to
authenticate Angry Brigade press releases.
Police hid out in the house and arrested two more suspects the next
day, activist Chris Bott and anarchist Stuart Christie.
In the following months, dozens of arrests were made, but only two
people were linked to the six already arrested, art student Kate
McLean, and telephonist Angela Weir, better known as Angela Mason
OBE, director of the gay equality group Stonewall.
The group became known as the Stoke Newington Eight, and the longest
trial in British history ensued, lasting over six months.
Barker, Mendleson and Creek, all younger than 24, chose to conduct
their own defences, and the group succeeded in casting serious doubt
on most police evidence against them - including the Amhurst Road
arsenal, which they claimed was planted.
During their trial, protests were held asking for the release of the
Stoke Newington Eight thousands of badges were sold saying, 'I'm in
the Angry Brigade.'
None of the defendants were ever convicted of planting explosives -
but the four Amhurst Road's residents received 10 year sentences for
'conspiring to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause
serious injury to property'.
In a review of a book about the Angry Brigade, John Barker since
wrote, "In my case, the police framed a guilty man."
A collective vow of silence was taken by those involved in the trial,
still upheld this week by Christie, who would only describe the
period as "interesting."
The Glaswegian has certainly had a colorful life, and his life story
is set to be told in a film next year.
In 1964 aged 17, he was arrested in Spain carrying explosives, on his
way to assassinate General Franco.
"That's what 17-year olds do, it's when people tend to do radical
things and become immersed in radical politics, when they have fire
in their bellies and in their hearts - and at that time there seemed
a different possibility," he explained.
"The political scene was shaking, and it seemed as though it needed a
final push, and it almost succeeded but you win some and you lose some.
"It was an educational experience, and it stood me in enormous good
stead in terms of learning about people and things, like that life
wasn't black and white," he added.
In his autobiographical book, My Granny Made Me An Anarchist,
Christie talks about his earliest influence, who inspired him with
her "ideas of injustice and doing the right thing."
The follow-up, General Franco Made Me A Terrorist, tells of the three
and a half years he spent inside Spanish gaol, where he was trained
in printing.
"It was a stupid thing for them to do because anarchists were always
involved in printing, ever since the 19th century," he said.
He continues his anarchist struggle through the written word
nowadays, and he has his own publishing house, ChristieBooks.
"My main focus is on writing and publishing and educating, raising
consciousness and awareness of a different perspective," he said.
He was instrumental in getting Gordon Carr's comprehensive account,
The Angry Brigade - first published in 1975 - republished this year
by PM Press.
Christie is sceptical society has seen any improvement since the
Angry Brigade's time: "Things are just the same as they ever were,
there's no change and basically there's no final solution, there's
will always be something to struggle against."
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