London’s oldest anarchist bookshop and publisher Freedom Press was damaged in an arson attack in the early hours of Friday morning. Nobody was hurt in the fire which partially gutted the ground floor, damaged the building’s electrics, and has caused tens of thousands of pounds of damage. As of writing it’s still unknown who the assailant was, but the police are treating it as suspicious.
Nobody has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack although many believe that the far-right may be responsible as the building was last seriously attacked in 1993 by now defunct neo-nazi terror group Combat 18.
Freedom Press is Britain’s longest running anarchist publisher and traces its history back to the original Freedom paper started by Charlotte Wilson and Peter Kropotkin in 1886.
As well as selling books, Freedom Press publish a number themselves, produce a monthly paper and provide office space for several radical and anarchist groups such as the Solidarity Federation, Anarchist Federation, Advisory Service for Squatters, Corporate Watch and London Coalition Against Poverty.
Due to financial problems the press has suffered recently, the insurance on the building had not been renewed and group are requesting financial support so they can continue their work. Freedom also notes that their stock is somewhat reduced, but now features some “interesting fire-damaged memorabilia.”
How can you help?
Since so much of their stock was damaged, Freedom would appreciate any book donations you can make. These can be made during normal opening hours: Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 6pm, Sunday 12 noon to 4pm.
They are also setting up a donation page. In the meanwhile, anyone who wants to donate monetarily can do so by ordering a book/s through the www.freedompress.org.uk website, and emailing us at shop@freedompress.org.uk to let us know that your purchase was a donation.
Alternatively, cheques or postal orders made payable to Freedom Press can be sent to Freedom Press, 84b Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX.
There are reports in the Guardian, Evening Standard, Washington Post, International Times, Huffington Post, Left Unity and Libcom.
See also Verso Books and Facebook.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KJOVteDMnE]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7juTVY_ikJI]