The blaze, which began on Monday night at the Black Rock centre in Portishead, was spotted in the early hours of Tuesday by a passing police officer. A group called the Angry Foxes Cell posted on the Bristol Indymedia website to say that the fire was planned to coincide with the start of the planned cull of wild badgers in the south-west of England.
“Through attempting to facilitate the cull and stop resistance the police shore up the interests of agricultural industry and the land-owning classes,” the post says, “We hope this will be one of many rebellions against this slaughter. The struggle will continue until all are wild and free.”
The group said in the post that it “used accelerant to burn the major electrical cables.”
Police said it is too early to decide “cause or responsibility.” A spokesperson said the group’s claims were “one of the lines of enquiry and forensic team will be investigating the incident. He stressed the facility was still under construction and did not contain ammunition or anything that posed any danger to the public.
A fire service spokeswoman said the cause of the blaze was not yet known.
"Firefighters are likely to be there for some time checking for any hot spots to make sure the blaze doesn’t reignite," she said.
"Once the building is secure an investigation into the circumstances of the fire will take place."
Firefighters are expected to be on site for several days.
The centre, which is being built at Black Rock Quarry, is to be used by the Avon and Somerset and the Gloucestershire and Wiltshire forces. The facility, which will contain two indoor firing ranges and classrooms, is due to open in January. It is part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deal, worth more than GB pound 100m, which will also see police stations and other operational facilities built in Patchway, Keynsham, and Bridgwater.
The statement from the Angry Foxes Cell claimed the group also slashed tyres and poured paint stripper on two vehicles in Bristol — one belonging to the security company G4S and the other to GEOAmey.
Avon and Somerset Police said no-one had been arrested in connection with the cull.
A G4S spokesman confirmed one of its vehicles had been damaged, while GEOAmey said none of its fleet in Bristol had been vandalised.
Bristol Indymedia is a volunteer-run open-access news website which is part of the global Indymedia movement which covers "grassroots, non-commercial news."
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I’m sure this makes some kind of sense to them but to me it seems like actions such as attacking the local police would only get you more police action or more brutal policing tactics. I know you can’t make everyone happy but why kick a hornet’s nest. It’s not going to make them go away it’s just going to get you stung. Also I’m curious how they propose keeping people civil.
could not agree more, we live in the system based on the law… why brake the law??? I’m curious too – how they propose keeping people civil???
I often wonder how they organize their own actions. If they take issue with authority who decides where they will take action? As far as keeping the peace it makes me wonder if they think no laws will mean everyone leaves everyone else alone or if they believe vigilantes will pop up to handle problems. I’d rather know who was there to help than to guess which of the group coming at me was there to attack and which was there to help.
Fair point, it’s not the best idea, but then anarchy doesn’t have to be reasoned.
I’m thinking of a world like Mad Max or Cormac McCarthy’s The Road here, not a happy place.
Could not agree more… sad world… and they want to live in it… God help us….
Well, not sure they’ve necessarily thought it through. But, I’ll park the generalisations for now.
I would have to say I doubt that is their ultimate goal, but I still have to wonder why setting fires to burn pubic property is punishing the police. In the end the tax payer is the one who pays the bill and it doesn’t mean fewer officers on the streets. If you want a lower police presence then crime rates have to drop.
could not agree more… after they finish playing Mad Max, taxpayer would end up paying for everything one way or other
Well, weirdly it could mean that couldn’t it? Police (financial) resources stretched repairing and protecting their own facilities could mean less officers on the streets. But what does that achieve? Not anarachy, just general lawlessness.
I wonder how many of them would turn firefighters away if their home was on fire or would refuse to ride in a local government funded ambulance.
I think they have brains of kids in adults body… thinking life is video game… like “Anarchy online”… they need therapy and doctors help… what they do it not normal… in any books…