Harry Stopes
@harrystopes.bsky.social
Historian and journalist. Writing a book on the history of prison. Mancunian in Berlin. www.harrystopes.com for work, and www.harrystopes.substack.com for somewhat work-related musings.
Pinned
Harry Stopes
@harrystopes.bsky.social
· Dec 12
Harry Stopes | Police Violence in Berlin
In the last six months human rights officials at both the Council of Europe and the United Nations have written to the...
www.lrb.co.uk
For more than 2 years, police in Berlin - encouraged by city and national politicians - have systematically used excessive violence in an attempt to beat the Palestine solidarity movement into silence.
I wrote about this phenomenon for the @lrb.co.uk
I wrote about this phenomenon for the @lrb.co.uk
Putting international law to one side, it's striking how often western governments also break their own laws to suppress opposition to the genocide in Gaza. (US deportation of student op-ed writers, UK ignoring Home Office policy to proscribe PA, DE attempting to deport EU citizens, etc)
February 13, 2026 at 11:28 AM
Putting international law to one side, it's striking how often western governments also break their own laws to suppress opposition to the genocide in Gaza. (US deportation of student op-ed writers, UK ignoring Home Office policy to proscribe PA, DE attempting to deport EU citizens, etc)
Reposted by Harry Stopes
May Labour's Yvette Cooper, the former Home Secretary, be remembered always as the politician who imposed the ban at the behest of Britain's powerful weapons industry, so it could continue to profit from the deliberate massacre of the people of Gaza
February 13, 2026 at 10:12 AM
May Labour's Yvette Cooper, the former Home Secretary, be remembered always as the politician who imposed the ban at the behest of Britain's powerful weapons industry, so it could continue to profit from the deliberate massacre of the people of Gaza
"Only three [of the 11 Neo-Nazi attackers], who were convicted of manslaughter, were given jail terms - of just two to three years. Two were let off with warnings. The remaining six were given suspended sentences of between one and two years."
OTD in 1999, Farid Guendoul, who had fled Algeria, was hunted to death by 11 men in East Germany. He had hurled himself through the glass door of a block of flats to escape them and severed an artery. He bled to death in 15mins and no one responded to his screams. www.theguardian.com/world/2000/n...
Neo-Nazi tormentors get light sentences
There was uproar in Germany yesterday after a court in the eastern city of Cottbus passed lenient sentences on 11 young neo-Nazis who last year hunted an asylum seeker to his death.
www.theguardian.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:16 AM
"Only three [of the 11 Neo-Nazi attackers], who were convicted of manslaughter, were given jail terms - of just two to three years. Two were let off with warnings. The remaining six were given suspended sentences of between one and two years."
Hard to think of a bigger downgrade than when the 'Time To Say Goodbye' podcast swapped E. Tammy Kim as a host for Harper
February 13, 2026 at 7:38 AM
Hard to think of a bigger downgrade than when the 'Time To Say Goodbye' podcast swapped E. Tammy Kim as a host for Harper
anyone know what this says? (The graffiti, not the station name)
February 12, 2026 at 9:49 AM
anyone know what this says? (The graffiti, not the station name)
Burnham is once again the only high profile senior Labour politician with any decency
February 12, 2026 at 8:36 AM
Burnham is once again the only high profile senior Labour politician with any decency
Reposted by Harry Stopes
Incidentally, I noticed that the Policy Exchange written evidence to the HAC inquiry fully leaned into the racism here.
February 11, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Incidentally, I noticed that the Policy Exchange written evidence to the HAC inquiry fully leaned into the racism here.
"Another man arrived at Busmantsi with both legs amputated. The other detainees carried him around."
On the hellish detention and deportation system built by EU countries. With quotes from the current and the former German chancellors expressing their commitment to the inhumane cruelty of this apparatus, described here in forensic detail.
Inside a Detention Site at the Heart of Europe’s Harsh New Approach to Immigration
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:07 AM
"Another man arrived at Busmantsi with both legs amputated. The other detainees carried him around."
Reposted by Harry Stopes
A big share of future historians will conclude that the difference btw US und EU in the 2020s was not in the scale or violence of their respective deportation enforcement regimes but in the scale and ferocity of public opposition to it. On average, Europeans cared far less.
February 11, 2026 at 8:30 AM
A big share of future historians will conclude that the difference btw US und EU in the 2020s was not in the scale or violence of their respective deportation enforcement regimes but in the scale and ferocity of public opposition to it. On average, Europeans cared far less.
Reposted by Harry Stopes
What these “but why do people hate Starmer SO MUCH” takes come down to is so shallow.
Starmer doesn’t sound or look like a firebrand so what’s the big deal?
Immune to questions of SUBSTANCE - he’s liar, enabled a genocide, pandered to anti-migrant politics & global Fascism.
Starmer doesn’t sound or look like a firebrand so what’s the big deal?
Immune to questions of SUBSTANCE - he’s liar, enabled a genocide, pandered to anti-migrant politics & global Fascism.
February 11, 2026 at 8:22 AM
What these “but why do people hate Starmer SO MUCH” takes come down to is so shallow.
Starmer doesn’t sound or look like a firebrand so what’s the big deal?
Immune to questions of SUBSTANCE - he’s liar, enabled a genocide, pandered to anti-migrant politics & global Fascism.
Starmer doesn’t sound or look like a firebrand so what’s the big deal?
Immune to questions of SUBSTANCE - he’s liar, enabled a genocide, pandered to anti-migrant politics & global Fascism.
Reposted by Harry Stopes
Happy birthday to the big man, Bertolt Brecht! 🥳
February 10, 2026 at 9:23 AM
Happy birthday to the big man, Bertolt Brecht! 🥳
Which language we “force” kids to learn is not the point, until we start providing the resources necessary to actually learn them. french, Spanish, German - whatever. How is a kid gonna learn a language with 4 hours classes a week starting age 11?
Spanish is clearly now the world’s coolest language. So why do we push British children to learn French? | Gary Nunn
Spanish is clearly now the world’s coolest language. So why do we push British children to learn French? | Gary Nunn
As Bad Bunny showed at the Super Bowl, español is the coming thing. No wonder it’s now the top GCSE language choice, says journalist Gary Nunn
www.theguardian.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:41 AM
Which language we “force” kids to learn is not the point, until we start providing the resources necessary to actually learn them. french, Spanish, German - whatever. How is a kid gonna learn a language with 4 hours classes a week starting age 11?
Reposted by Harry Stopes
so many otherwise progressive american people on here need a punching bag and that's just the role the UK serves them but at least be honest about it
January 15, 2026 at 10:19 PM
so many otherwise progressive american people on here need a punching bag and that's just the role the UK serves them but at least be honest about it
Reposted by Harry Stopes
It's incredible how routine it is now to hear a Labour MP talking like the ranting old bastard at the golf club bar
Nothing here to contradict my thesis (they’re just personally repellent, horrible people).
February 9, 2026 at 8:46 AM
It's incredible how routine it is now to hear a Labour MP talking like the ranting old bastard at the golf club bar
Reposted by Harry Stopes
A Labour MP remarks: "Starmer will go down as the worst PM in Labour history ... He’s a coward who refuses to take responsibility for his own actions. He is a moral gravity-well from which neither decency, honesty or integrity can escape. A genuine disaster for this country and the Labour movement.”
February 8, 2026 at 10:13 PM
A Labour MP remarks: "Starmer will go down as the worst PM in Labour history ... He’s a coward who refuses to take responsibility for his own actions. He is a moral gravity-well from which neither decency, honesty or integrity can escape. A genuine disaster for this country and the Labour movement.”
Reposted by Harry Stopes
If a Labour government just didn't spend its time using the bully pulpit to talk about what bastards foreigners are and pandering to anti-trans cranks it'd make a real difference to me. So it's relatively easy for a new leader to significantly shift my opinion. It therefore *cannot* be Wes Streeting
February 8, 2026 at 10:17 AM
If a Labour government just didn't spend its time using the bully pulpit to talk about what bastards foreigners are and pandering to anti-trans cranks it'd make a real difference to me. So it's relatively easy for a new leader to significantly shift my opinion. It therefore *cannot* be Wes Streeting
probably the only way they build that Liverpool - Leeds fast train line, but still a shit idea
Swimming in Windermere, sailors on the Mersey? Mayors want Britain to bid for the 2036 Games and host them in Manchester, Liverpool and other northern cities
Move over, London, the north is coming for UK’s Olympic bid
www.thetimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:40 PM
probably the only way they build that Liverpool - Leeds fast train line, but still a shit idea
@lukeish.bsky.social maybe Ronay could have found some space in the article to more clearly explain his very profound thoughts by doing away with his customary opening 8 paragraphs of irrelevant gibberish
February 7, 2026 at 6:22 PM
@lukeish.bsky.social maybe Ronay could have found some space in the article to more clearly explain his very profound thoughts by doing away with his customary opening 8 paragraphs of irrelevant gibberish
one thing that Pep (and previous target Lineker) has over Ronay, in terms of moral clarity, is that he is actually talking about various atrocities. Instead of talking about talking about them
Guardiola can be both right to speak out and a performative hypocrite | Barney Ronay
Coach should not ‘stick to football’ when football strays into politics and death but his role as fluffer for his club’s autocratic owners cannot be ignored
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:48 PM
one thing that Pep (and previous target Lineker) has over Ronay, in terms of moral clarity, is that he is actually talking about various atrocities. Instead of talking about talking about them
Reposted by Harry Stopes
Sad to hear about the passing of Chris AKA Captain Hotknives.
Quite a character.
youtu.be/B5nmESgd7-8?...
Quite a character.
youtu.be/B5nmESgd7-8?...
Captain Hotknives - 'I'm In An Anarchist Squat Punk Band'
YouTube video by SmugglersRecords
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Sad to hear about the passing of Chris AKA Captain Hotknives.
Quite a character.
youtu.be/B5nmESgd7-8?...
Quite a character.
youtu.be/B5nmESgd7-8?...
Reposted by Harry Stopes
Solange Kai, Franzi, und deren Spender mit ihrem Mercedes von der Villa ins Büro gleiten können, können die kleinen Leute ausrutschen, hinfallen und zu spät kommen (und vom Chef für ihre Verspätung bestraft werden).
February 6, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Solange Kai, Franzi, und deren Spender mit ihrem Mercedes von der Villa ins Büro gleiten können, können die kleinen Leute ausrutschen, hinfallen und zu spät kommen (und vom Chef für ihre Verspätung bestraft werden).
I've just found out that Jo Rose, formerly singer of the Manchester band Fear of Music died two years ago. For some reason they never had the success they deserved. Rose especially was unbelievably talented. They made this EP when they were still at Chorlton High School. (the bassist was like 14!)
The Waltz
YouTube video by Fear Of Music - Topic
www.youtube.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:35 PM
I've just found out that Jo Rose, formerly singer of the Manchester band Fear of Music died two years ago. For some reason they never had the success they deserved. Rose especially was unbelievably talented. They made this EP when they were still at Chorlton High School. (the bassist was like 14!)