The Koumbit Network (koumbit.org) and the Centre for Media Alternatives - Quebec (cmaq.net - quebec.indymedia.org) would like to denounce the recent seizure of Indymedia Bristol (UK) equipment, and express the collective feeling of anxiety among their members with regards to repeated attempts at censoring alternative media.

On Monday June 27th, the Indymedia Bristol server was seized by police following the independent media outlet's refusal to turn in its server connection logs. Many other sites hosted on the same machine were also disabled due to this seizure.

It's the second time in a year that authorities responsible for applying the law try to take down Indymedia servers on the eve of important events. Last october, Indymedia servers in London were seized just before the European Social Forum, under the aegis of an international police operation that triggered a wave of protests and declarations of solidarity from a range of organizations. This time around, the police action was timed a week before the start of a G8 summit in Scotland, usually a major international news event.

We believe that alternative media become especially important during summits such as those of the G8 and the ESF. Crippling a media outlet in this way demonstrates a lack of understanding for the dynamic of alternative media on the part of the governments involved. A volunteer with the Bristol collective -- one member of which was arrested during the police raid -- pointed out that British police used disproportionate means to complete their mission, especially given that the server is unlikely to yield the information being sought.

The Centre for Media Alternatives - Quebec (cmaq.net) is as much a platform for the free exchange and discussion of ideas within the activist community as it is a means for citizens to reach their contemporaries; a way of making one's voice heard for those who, otherwise, are allowed only limited access to media. The CMAQ is part of the world-wide Indymedia network via quebec.indymedia.org.

Formed out of the tech team of the CMAQ, Koumbit is a collaborative space for socially active IT workers in the Montréal area. Koumbit provides web hosting and tech support to around 30 collectives in the area, including CMAQ. Koumbit has a policy of keeping only 5 days of logs.