[IMC-bristol] Attempted Summary of The IMC Soap Opera

[arclightfire at hushmail.com]

I'm going to try to represent the charges here in reply to the last email:

>"Refused to go through the group in dealing with issues pertaining to

>Bristol Indymedia" Like what? Wheres the evidence? Wheres the defence?
>Wheres the rules against this? Huh? 
>- "Has misrepresented the group" How? When? Where? To Who? Evidence?
>Defence? Guidelines? 

Tony was in dispute with Ian F over the way an article of his was treated.
 Tony was unhappy with how the dispute was being resolved and took his
complaints to a guy writing an article for the University Newspaper (http://bristol.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/11439):

>"According to Gosling, this is the result of the editorial process 
>being taken over by an “Easton anarchist clique”, particularly 
>indymedia administrator and Socialist Workers Party member Ian 
>Ferguson. Surrounded by the likes of ‘Class War’ founder Ian Bone, he

>has refused to acknowledge that he personally dominates the editorial

>process; a state of affairs that Gosling believes has led to indymedia

>becoming the “anarchist ghetto rantspace” it is today."

This angered many as apart from being factually incorrect, it was public
attack on the group without a chance for the group to respond or deal
with internaly.

>as for harassing BIMC members over email, ive not seen any evidence
of 
>this, just an accusation. I have seen evidence of Ians harassment and
>abuse of Tony over email, but apparently this isnt an offence. 

Accusations of email abuse come from UK IMC where a volunteer there was
recieving the following emails (see http://imcscotland.org/TonyGoslingandIndymedia.htm):

>From: Tony Gosling <tony at gaia.org> 
>To: anarchobabe at fempages.org 
>Subject: Fwd: still waiting 
>Date: 20.05.2003 20:06:11 
>
>Dear 'anarchobabe' 
>
>You removed my Bilderberg article from the UK IMC site. 
>
>I am still waiting for an apology or an explanation. 
>
>Tony Gosling 
>One of Bristol Indymedia Collective 
>bristol.indymedia.org 
>my number 0117 944 6219 

and:

>From: Tony Gosling <bristol at nuj.org.uk> 
>To: AnarchoBabe <anarchobabe at fempages.org> 
>Subject: Fwd: Re: [IMC-Nationalist] imc-uk-action email list 
>Date: 27.05.2003 17:12:50 
>
>Dear 'babe', 
>
>Have you found anything to back up your censorship of the Bilderberg

>article oh staunch defender of globalisation? 
>We're all waiting to hear. 
>
>Have you found any evidence of American Free Press's neo-nazi
>allegiance? 
>
>Luckily your pro-Zionist (right wing) censorship appears to have 
>mattered 
>not a jot in the big scheme of things. 
>Looking forward to quizzing you in person sometime soon on your 
>knowledge 
>of the lack of links between the UK, US and Isreali intelligence 
>services. 
>
>Tony Gosling 
>http://bristol.indymedia.org 
>http://www.bilderberg.org 

-------

Anarchobabe had asked Tony not to email har and to deal with his issues
though the group process.  You will also note how Tony is using the name
of Bristol IMC 'One of Bristol Indymedia Collective' in an email trying
to alter thier editorial decisions.  

Finally a Bristol IMC volunteer, Kyra, who was organising the meeting
to mediate this dispute was also subject to harrarment over email (http://lists.indymedia.org/pipermail/imc-
bristol/2004-March/001436.html) which many felt was the final act of
bridge burning:

>dear all
>sorry bout this
>i have now received several emails from tony, insisting that i am not

>being truthful and am being silly in addressing this, and that i am

>motivated by listening to others lies
>i have asked him to stop emailing me, but it seems he cannot, so i am

>noting here on the public list that this is going on and i am sick of
>it
>i dont want to be pestered privately anymore whatsoever - if tony has

>criticisms of me he can keep them in the open, or even better wait for

>the meeting as i keep suggesting
>what a nuisance this has all become
>kx

---


I understand that people may feel the group has not dealt with this as
fairly as possible, but this issue was causing a huge amount of warring
in the group, especially almost the core who do the bulk of the day-to-
day work that keeps the site running. It was not a decision taken lightly
and was a painful debate to have for an open group, but, as the votes
shows, a majority of people at the meeting felt that it was time to act,
 is was voted on and acted.

We hope to learn from this and get better at dealing with disputes, and
for the record, as a public group, Tony can come along and still be part
of this evolving process, as can any of you.