‘March for the Alternative’ - 26th March - London

[ViolentPanda]

I think s/he's the voice of the silent majority or something.

Silent my arse, they're the biggest bunch of whining fucks you're ever likely to meet, the cunts!

 

[frogwoman]

That's you on MI5's shit-list, then!

I probably already am to be fair. I'd be very surprised if they didn't have a file on me.

 

[Corax]

Trev voted for them, and I've heard rumours that some wrong'un called Corax did, too.

Shutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutup!

 

[ViolentPanda]

Your last point is what it is about really - calling for a general strike now is superficial really, TUC isn't going to go for it - but co-ordinated p/s strikes are already on the cards so a 24 hour gen p/s strike is feasible and can be used to build for a gen strike and to push the mass movement on.

I think people also tend to forget, when we're discussing the public sector, that a strike, especially one with minimal union-member scabbing, doesn't just involve teachers, doctors and nurses etc, it also directly inconveniences those self-regarding dog-bummers in parliament, when the cabinet's drivers aren't there, when the multitude of office staff and ancillary staff in the ministries, in parliament and in Downing St are absent. IMO a 24 hr public sector strike, or a series of them, can be made to hit home.

But it's got to be one strand among many, so that even if the inconveniences can be circumvented in some way, other pressures can be brought to bear.

I hear that the WRVS and the WI have already told the Whitehall monkeys where to go (approaches have been made to "3rd sector" orgs to chip in with cover, a la "the great strike"), so lets hope more of 'em tell them to stick it!

 

[frogwoman]

My dad says he'd vote lib dem again He still went on the march yesterday though. And I managed to flog his mate a paper - I should have charged him double for it though seeing as this guy kept wondering off to take photos and reappearing 20 mins later as if nothing had happened

 

[shaman75]

What really happened in Trafalgar Square

Posted by Laurie Penny - 27 March 2011 16:22

Neither mindless nor violent, young protesters were forced into a stand-off with police.

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2011/03/trafalgar-square-police-young

Baton charged by police: on the frontline with the Black Bloc

Ryan Gallagher, 27 March 2011

As a crowd of between 250,000 to 400,000 moved slowly from the Victoria Embankment towards Hyde Park, a large splinter demonstration broke off in another direction. It was a group made up of those usually cast in the media as ‘anarchists’ or the 'Black Bloc' – rule breakers with little interest in establishment approved methods of protest. Carrying red and black flags, they walked through the streets with no predefined destination or plan. Some armed with smoke bombs and paint balls, their main intention seemed to be to outsmart the police at any and every opportunity.

http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkin...harged-by-police-on-frontline-with-black-bloc

 

[8ball]

Honest open question - do you think this march has done any good at all?

It all seems a bit pessimistic at the moment..

 

[TopCat]

Coming out of chokey is quite uplifting!

 

[RaverDrew]

http://www.fitwatch.org.uk/2011/03/18/top-ten-nasty-fit-cops/

 

[lopsidedbunny]

Honest open question - do you think this march has done any good at all?

It all seems a bit pessimistic at the moment..

The TUC march none at all what did you expect, it's state run thing and the Labour Party don't listen to them for years now anyhow.

The feeder marches well shut down business for the day and brought attention to those who are not paying their taxes despite the Daily Hate Sky Corp spin.

So in all a good thing.

 

[girasol]

Sad start to the day Just reading this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12874631

Business Secretary Vince Cable said the government will not change its economic strategy as a result of the TUC protest.

But it doesn't surprise me.
Need to vote them off as soon as possible.

 

[Blagsta]

Who is Christopher Phelps?
http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op...7/anticuts-march-black-bloc&cat=commentisfree

Talks about IWW and criticises direct action without mentioning the direct action of the IWW.

 

[Balbi]

 

[magneze]

Honest open question - do you think this march has done any good at all?

It all seems a bit pessimistic at the moment..

Too early to tell. Got to think of this as the beginning, not the end though. The government will be "ok, you've had a march, lets see if we can ignore it". Need to keep the pressure on.

 

[magneze]

 

[Balbi]

The duality of Class War and Smash the State are especially good.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Genius. Good to see somebody saying it after the wailing and gnashing of teeth across the media this weekend.

 

[revlon]

Who is Christopher Phelps?
http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op...7/anticuts-march-black-bloc&cat=commentisfree

Talks about IWW and criticises direct action without mentioning the direct action of the IWW.

wow! an article so up its own arse makes the mail/telegraph seething resentment seem readable.

 

[DJWrongspeed]

Great spiel from Schnews http://www.schnews.org.uk/archive/anti-cuts-march-2011.php

 

[stethoscope]

Who is Christopher Phelps?
http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op...7/anticuts-march-black-bloc&cat=commentisfree

Talks about IWW and criticises direct action without mentioning the direct action of the IWW.

Fucking hell, what a load of tosh.


Full version here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/27/anticuts-march-black-bloc

Phelps appears to be "Associate Professor of American Intellectual and Cultural History" at the Uni of Nottingham.

 

[Steel Icarus]

More utter arse, from Labour List. Another "o noez! UKUncut/anarkids etc deflecting media attention from proper march" piece. Irony much?

http://www.labourlist.org/uk-uncut-owes-a-lot-of-apologies

 

[butchersapron]

Fucking hell, what a load of tosh.


Full version here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/27/anticuts-march-black-bloc

Phelps appears to be "Associate Professor of American Intellectual and Cultural History" at the Uni of Nottingham.

He's been trying for a decade to make himself known as the academic voice of the IWW (he's still at it in that article). I wonder if he knew where the IWW phone was on saturday - because it sure as hell wasn't with him.

 

[Steel Icarus]

He's been trying for a decade to make himself known as the academic voice of the IWW (he's still at it in that article). I wonder if he knew where the IWW phone was on saturday - because it sure as hell wasn't with him.

'ello butchers. How did it go Saturday?

 

[fractionMan]

The most frequent question I've been asked by people in bath before and after is "what march?". The only reason anyone non-union, non-political knows it happened is because of those kids imo.

 

[butchersapron]

'ello butchers. How did it go Saturday?

Good day out all round really, what happens next is key though. Agree with Bone's suggestion that there's a disconnect between some sections that's going to take some serious movement/work to overcome. Haven't really come up with anything more thought through than that for now. (Also good to see TC and Ds, chico etc)

 

[shaman75]

On being arrested for occupying Fortnum & Mason

I was arrested and charged with aggravated trespass and I have been banned from the City of Westminster between 27th April and 2nd May.

http://hellotenzin.posterous.com/on-being-arrested-for-occupying-fortnum-mason

 

[sim667]

Im hoping to get my photos of this sorted out today, ill get the links up when they're done.

 

[Random]

Fucking hell, what a load of tosh.


Full version here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/27/anticuts-march-black-bloc

Phelps appears to be "Associate Professor of American Intellectual and Cultural History" at the Uni of Nottingham.

What a shithead. Does he know who the real enemy is?

 

[Louis MacNeice]

Good day out all round really, what happens next is key though. Agree with Bone's suggestion that there's a disconnect between some sections that's going to take some serious movement/work to overcome. Haven't really come up with anything more thought through than that for now. (Also good to see TC and Ds, chico etc)

You Ok...I was beginning to get worried.

Very encouraged by the numbers of people supportive of the F&M action; I was outside and the road was packed up and down and very positive.

The bits and pieces I've heard subsequently have been more good than bad; i.e. they've mostly seen the direct action as part and parcel of the range of protest.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

p.s. was going to post this as a PM but your box is full.

 

[butchersapron]

You Ok...I was beginning to get worried.

Very encouraged by the numbers of people supportive of the F&M action; I was outside and the road was packed up and down and very positive.

The bits and pieces I've heard subsequently have been more good than bad; i.e. they've mostly seen the direct action as part and parcel of the range of protest.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

p.s. was going to post this as a PM but your box is full.

Box emptied - apols. Yeah i'm fine ta, apart from aching all over - fucked my phone in the late afternnon though and hadn't realised till much later.. On F&M etc i think it was encouraging that people not actually actively taking part could see that the actions weren't going to put them and anyone with them in any danger. That's something i think we need to bear in mind if we want mass events to continue.