[Imc-uk-features] feature proposal - Hands of John Bowden

[Genny]

Yeah, I support this proposal.

Done a bit of editing - my suggestions/ typo corrections in [square 
brackets].

Genny

Title: Hands of [off] John Bowden


> <p>On Saturday May 25th, activists held a <a
> href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371639.html">demonstration</a>
> outside the Scottish Parliament, as part of the growing <a
> href="http://www.325collective.com/prisons_handsoffjohn.html">Hands off John
> Bowden</a> Campaign. The demo was called by a group of
[space needed here]
<a
> href="www.myspace.com/friendsofjohnbowden">Friends of John Bowden</a>
[Full stop needed here]
  <a
> href="http://www.brightonabc.org.uk/">Brighton Anarchist Black Cross</a> have
[has?][Put ABC in brackets here maybe because it's used as an 
abbreviation later in the report]
> called for another demo outside the London Parole Board HQ on <a
> href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/05/371688.html">Friday 8th June</a>
> at noon</p>
[Full stop needed here]
> 
> <p>John Bowden spent much of his childhood in the care system, and as a young
> man was one of three men involved in a murder. His co-accused have both been
> released, and in 2006 John was moved to an open prison, and began a series of
> weekend leave  in what appeared to be a programme of preparation for his
> release. He also began working with mentally and physically vunerable 
[vulnerable]
people in the local community.</p>
> 
> <p>According to <a
> href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2007/05//371845.mp3">Joe Black</a> of
> Brighton Anarchist Black Cross, the prison service decided that John had
> "formed an inappropriate attachment" to his  social worker, and  a decision was
> made to allocate an independent social worker to write a report for the parole
> hearing. The social worker chosen was an American called Matt Stillman, a right
> winger who wrote a report alleging that John  was "linked to terrorism"</p>
[Full stop needed here]
> 
> <p>Whilst John's original crime was not politically motivated, he became
> politicised after entering the prison system, and has been a a long-term
> prisoner resister 
[explanation of what a prisoner resister is or link to explanation?]
and an articulate opponent of injustice, who has built links
> with Brighton and Leeds ABC. It was these links that Social Worker 
[social worker]
Matt
> Stillman focussed 
[focused]
on in his <a
> href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/368208.html">official report</a>
> dated 12th March 2007, where he wrote:</p>
> 
> <p>"Bowden has written for a self-proclaimed anarchist website called ABC
> Brighton, and says he supports many of their ideals and actions. A review of
> this website brings into question the nature of this group. The members of this
> group appear to be primarily eco-terrorists or para-military members involved
> in what they see as battles against political systems and principles....."In a
> previous report from HMP Edinburgh it was reported that Bowden had received
> visits from people involved in terrorism."</p>
> 
> <p>As a result of Matt Stillman's report, John has now been <a
> href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/04/368353.html">ghosted</a> to
> closed conditions at HMP Glenochil. </a>
> 
> <p> Brighton and Leeds ABC strongly deny any links to terrorism, and the
> intervention is yet another example of attempts to brand the anarchist movement
> as terrorist so that a clampdown can be orchestrated under cover of the
> so-called 'War on Terror'. Any prisoner who builds links with the ABC which
> provides material and legal support, as well as political literature to
> prisoners, is likely to face similar pressures.</p>
> 
> links 
[Links]
can be found at https://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/UkFeatureJohnBowden
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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