How did G20 protest look to the public?

[panpete]

I think that photo looks like a planted one.
Correct my error if wrong, but isn't it an oft used and old authoritarian, deceitful strategy used all over the world at protests ?

 

[pinkmonkey]

Only if you're foolish enough to blindly swallow the version of events served up by the mainstream media.

Yes but sadly, alot of people are - how do you get their attention? Educate them? They switch off as soon as they see what they would term as 'the great unwashed' taking direct action. They don't identify with the protestors at all, I think that's the problem.

I personally think that you only get their attention when things get really really shit and *they* get angry as well.

I wonder how far off we are from that?

 

[OneStrike]

In my opinion the idea of holding protests like this achieves nothing. People can meet up at the anarchist bookfair or some other event in the 1 in 12 Club or places like this, and exchange their ideas. The protesters can probably have a lot of fun trying to outrun and outwit the police, developing alternative tactics, forming new groups like the Wombles and the clowns etc. And so it goes on and so it goes round with peoples' heads getting smashed by the police and those newspaper reports and the three minutes of coverage on the TV.


From my own perspective the protest gave me a chance to meet and talk to people that i would never meet normally. I live in a small village in the midlands so it was useful to me to have my attention drawn to a big event such as this. I wouldn't have felt comfortable attending for example, a small anarchists meeting, due to my own ignorance and to be far, the media portrayal of such groups. In the future i will feel confident approaching smaller groups and after Wednesday i imagine many others feel the same.

 

[brasicritique]

The non political memembers of the public i know summed the G20 protest up thus: ' fucking idiots'

 

[editor]

The non political memembers of the public i know summed the G20 protest up thus: ' fucking idiots'

All three of them, eh?

 

[brasicritique]

All three of them, eh?

just the one actually. And they were drunk obviously

 

[grogwilton]

^^^ Good post. Yes it was obvious the cops were allowing the window smashing to happen. It looked daft, bonkers, even more bonkers was the commentry trying to sensationalise it.

There has to be a tipping point, somewhere, when it dawns on the general public that the protesters are fighting for them. I agree with ymu about bombarding the media - although I've noticed some newspaper website have deliberately disabled comments for these articles. Wonder why that would be? Hmmm

Very true, it was so obvious that the media focus was on the violent minority that even the tory times published letters and articles criticising the police and media actions.

 

[soulman]

I doubt it even registered for most people. Just another news item if they can be arsed to watch the news any more.

For what it's worth if you want to protest:

Big marches and rallies in the capital and other cities are a waste of time - the police learnt how to manage them years ago.

Society is moving faster than any other time in our history. That should be recognised and used to advantage. Individuals or small groups appearing, protesting or whatever, then disappearing again before the law have a chance to get there. Photos and live coverage uploaded to the internet, dispersed to all the relevant websites and sent to the news agencies. Then on to another protest site.

This could happen anywhere in the country at the same time or on the same day or however you want to make it work.

 

[soulman]

Meanwhile the real life solutions will be decided by people going about their everyday lives...

 

[editor]

Big marches and rallies in the capital and other cities are a waste of time - the police learnt how to manage them years ago.

Not for me. That last demo has given me a lot to think about and I learnt a fair bit too.

 

[butchersapron]

Not for me. That last demo has given me a lot to think about and I learnt a fair bit too.

To do what, waste you time beating them?

 

[Mrs Magpie]

My mother-in-law said there was coverage in Devon that said how the vast majority of the protests were trouble-free because I was worried that the media would focus on the trouble. She (an RBS customer) is not impressed that the RBS didn't board up their windows and wonders if it was a pathetic attempt to gain sympathy as it was obvious those big plate glass windows were likely to be targetted.

 

[isitme]

i don't think anyone at all fell for that line about anarchists causing trouble etc etc

noone i've spoken to at all has said anything like that

i mean, the real elephant in the room is that although there is nothing like the misrepresentation there was around the anticap movement in the 90s, the people who turned up to the protests this week didn't really represent any cogent ideas

 

[editor]

To do what, waste you time beating them?

I go there to talk, to observe, to photograph and to learn from others.

If you'd prefer to sit at home, that's your choice, but it certainly wasn't a "waste of time" for me.

 

[butchersapron]

I go there to talk, to observe, to photograph and to learn from others.

If you'd prefer to sit at home, that's your choice, but it certainly wasn't a "waste of time" for me.

Now we get the moralist face?

 

[butchersapron]

That last demo has given me a lot to think about and I learnt a fair bit too.

What?

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

Now we get the moralist face?

what's your face?

 

[editor]

Now we get the moralist face?

I've no idea what you're on about. Are you pissed or something?

 

[cesare]

i don't think anyone at all fell for that line about anarchists causing trouble etc etc

noone i've spoken to at all has said anything like that

i mean, the real elephant in the room is that although there is nothing like the misrepresentation there was around the anticap movement in the 90s, the people who turned up to the protests this week didn't really represent any cogent ideas

Just an outbreak of growing unrest.

There's no viable economic alternative to capitalism at the moment, so whatever happens just acts as reins on its excesses.

 

[butchersapron]

I've no idea what you're on about. Are you pissed or something?

Question stands.

 

[butchersapron]

what's your face?

non-moralist

 

[editor]

Question stands.

You're so pissed you've managed to reply to the same post twice and you're still not making any sense, so I really can't be bothered with it.

Good night!

(Oh, and my face is a blocked-up-with-a-stinking-cold one, seeing as you're so interested)

 

[isitme]

Just an outbreak of growing unrest.

There's no viable economic alternative to capitalism at the moment, so whatever happens just acts as reins on its excesses.

I disagree with this, i think the alternatives are always kind of staring us in the face

a lot of people do work not just for the money. the majority of people aren't in the situation where they are trapped by their income so that they just have to work to stay alive. most people have spare time and more and more people seem to be using their spare time to try to make the world a bit better...

 

[butchersapron]

Just an outbreak of growing unrest.

There's no viable economic alternative to capitalism at the moment, so whatever happens just acts as reins on its excesses.

This is capitalism. Were you under some illusion?

 

[butchersapron]

You're so pissed you've managed to reply to the same post twice and you're still not making any sense, so I really can't be bothered with it.

Good night!

(Oh, and my face is a blocked-up-with-a-stinking-cold one, seeing as you're so interested)

Off ye wander then.

 

[isitme]

You're so pissed you've managed to reply to the same post twice and you're still not making any sense, so I really can't be bothered with it.

Good night!

(Oh, and my face is a blocked-up-with-a-stinking-cold one, seeing as you're so interested)

i understood the question

he wants you to explain why you going and photographing a protest is better than him not photographing a protest

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

non-moralist

you have no morals!?

 

[butchersapron]

I have many morals.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

you just don't face up to them?

 

[butchersapron]

Nope, i follow them where they may. RIP PJP