'Anarchists' sabotage UK Rail Infrastructure

[TonyGosling]

Just like sucessive Tory governments! Unbelievable but true.

Anarchists claim responsibility for railway signalling sabotage in Bristol
Informal Anarchist Federation says it set fire to signalling cables, causing severe delays to commuter train services
guardian.co.uk, Friday 25 May 2012
An anarchist organisation has claimed responsibility for two attacks on railway signalling in Bristol which caused severe delays and the cancellation of services.
British transport police and Network Rail have confirmed that signalling cable was destroyed on Tuesday morning in two separate incidents of arson which caused "extensive damage" and substantial delays to passengers.
The group – calling itself the Informal Anarchist Federation – has warned of further "guerrilla" attacks and sabotage to "hurt the national image and paralyse the economy however we can". On Wednesday the group posted a statement on the Indymedia Bristol website
http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/708755
saying it had "struck two points on the railway routes into Bristol", adding that members had "lifted concrete slabs running alongside the tracks and burned out the signalling cables found in the trench underneath".
The group said the points on the track had been chosen to target employees of the Ministry of Defence, "military industry companies" such as Raytheon, Thales, HP and QinetiQ, and the "corporate hub of Bristol". It promised further attacks, saying: "Finance, judicial, communications, military and transport infrastructure will continue to be targets of the new generation of urban, low-intensity warfare."
It described Tuesday's actions as guerrilla activity and said it had "no inhibition" about using such methods again. Characterising the Olympics as a "spectacle of wealth" in a time of austerity, it ended the statement saying it wanted "civil war" and that anarchy was "unavoidable".
Network Rail said that in the first attack, discovered at 4:15am by a passing train driver near Parson Street station in south Bristol, cabling was dug up and wrapped in material which was then set alight.
The second attack was spotted at 11:37am near Patchway railway station in the far north of the city.
The train operator First Great Western said normal services had not fully resumed until the following morning.
Transport police say that the two incidents "may or may not be connected". They are appealing for further information.
Network Rail and First Great Western described this type of deliberate attack on railway lines as "very rare"; most vandals target trains or infrastructure that they can sell for scrap.
Detective Chief Inspector John Pyke said: "We are aware of a statement posted on the internet in which a group is claiming responsibility for these incidents. At the moment, this is one of a number of lines of inquiry officers are investigating. This was completely irresponsible behaviour and we will do everything possible to trace those responsible and bring them to justice."
Anyone with any information is asked to call British transport police on 0800 40 50 40, or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/may/25/anarchists-claim-railway-sign alling-bristol


Anarchy group targets Bristol railway in bid to 'paralyse economy' Saturday, May 26, 2012 Western Daily Press
An anarchist group claims it has sabotaged signalling on the railway network in Bristol and started a campaign to “paralyse the economy”.
British Transport police said lives were put at risk by the attacks, which involved anarchists digging out signalling cables, wrapping them in flammable material and then setting them on fire.
Police and railway operators say they are investigating after the two attacks happened early on Tuesday morning in two locations – near Parson Street station in the south of Bristol, and near Patchway railway station on the other side of the city.
A statement was put on Bristol’s ‘Indymedia’ website claiming responsibility for the attacks. A group calling itself the Informal Anarchist Federation said the attacks were the opening salvo in a “low-intensity” war, which it was declaring on the “financial, judicial, communications, military and transport infrastructure” and its employees.
The IAF statement warned of further “guerrilla attacks” and sabotage to “hurt the national image and paralyse the economy however we can”.
Police said they were aware of the statement and it was now one of their lines of inquiry. Network Rail said the nature of the attack was rare – normally damage to the railway network is either caused by the specific targeting of metal thieves or by random damage by young vandals.
DCI John Pyke, from British Transport Police, said: “We are aware of a statement posted on the internet in which a group is claiming responsibility for these incidents. At the moment, this is one of a number of lines of inquiry officers are investigating. We will do everything possible to trace those responsible and bring them to justice.”
The anarchist statement said it had specifically chosen the locations to disrupt the employees of Bristol’s many firms involved in defence.
“The purpose of guerrilla attack is to spread the struggle into different territories and facets of life,” it began.
“Finance, judicial, communications, military and transport infrastructure will continue to be targets of the new generation of urban low-intensity warfare.”
“The group said the points on the track had been chosen to target employees of the Ministry of Defence, “military industry companies” such as Raytheon, Thales, HP and QinetiQ in the business park near Filton Abbey Wood station, and the “corporate hub of Bristol” near the Temple Meads station. Normal services were not restored until the evening.
“We have no inhibition to use guerrilla activity to hurt the national image and paralyse the economy however we can. We don’t want rich tourists – we want civil war,” the statement added.
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Anarchy-group-targets-Bristol-railway-b id/story-16193520-detail/story.html