MayDay protests?

[lopsidedbunny]

No rain as forcasted so I am sweating, some argie bargie with three facist drunks in the strand, Talks are being held in T Square as I type and Party is in P Square. Tourist are intermingling with the crowd. Churchill statue been deface with an (A) symbol. The Highjackers bus been spotted outside McDonald in Whitehall. Police are reinforcement there but are hidden and currently out of view.

 

[Citizen66]

Not enough people for a revolution in leicester square like.

Trafalgar square even

 

[lopsidedbunny]

T Square now finish P Square continues, people are starting to break off to different gigs/Banksy Tunnel a group headed towards the south of the river followed by four police vans. Police Heli' gone for refuel Police are now being assy, best to leave P Square in groups or rap up your flags. More police reinforcement are arriving. A protester/s may have managed to scale the Parliament House railings hence a very low pass by the police helicopter Police now lining the route of the railings. A maypole has been seen in P Square.

 

[Citizen66]

I left when it started pissing down. Not a great turn out compared to a few years ago.

 

[spliff]

Yeah, but you were in the wrong square(s)

 

[Citizen66]

Yeah, but you were in the wrong square(s)

I went to parliament square after the speakers had finished at Trafalgar square. As I said, a poor turnout.

Will upload a few photos later.

 

[spliff]

Well it must have been better than the Million Marijuana March from Hyde park.

They couldn't even form a coherent group, let alone march anywhere. __~

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=313666499787&ref=nf

 

[Citizen66]

Well it must have been better than the Million Marijuana March from Hyde park.

They couldn't even form a coherent group, let alone march anywhere. __~

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=313666499787&ref=nf

I remember the cannabis march back in the early noughties. Trafalgar square was packed. The anti-war march just before the Iraq invasion must have clocked over a million people. I'd be surprised if there was more than a couple of thousand out today. If that. A week before a general election in a time of economic hardship and that's all that bothered to show? I'm putting it down to the fact it landed on a Saturday on a bank holiday weekend because any other explanation would be depressing.

 

[Voley]

The anti-war march just before the Iraq invasion must have clocked over a million people.

Organisers claimed 2 million at the time. Certainly felt like that many; easily the biggest turnout I've ever seen.

Part of me wonders if that was the day a lot of people gave up. I've not been involved in owt since, I must admit.

 

[Citizen66]

Organisers claimed 2 million at the time. Certainly felt like that many; easily the biggest turnout I've ever seen.

Part of me wonders if that was the day a lot of people gave up. I've not been involved in owt since, I must admit.

There was quite a good turn out for the recent square mile demo. Just didn't seem to be that many bothered about international workers day.

I think years ago other groups would latch onto it in order to protest like globalisation movements etc but they seem to have lost interest or perhaps just got older.

 

[spliff]

I remember the cannabis march back in the early noughties. Trafalgar square was packed.

Yeah, sponsored by the Indy if I remember correctly. Free packets of seeds
J-day was quite big in that era, Brockwell Park n' stuff. Fallen off the radar.
I blame some of it on the dumbing down of Urban75 into a social club.

The anti-war march just before the Iraq invasion must have clocked over a million people. I'd be surprised if there was more than a couple of thousand out today.

I didn't even know there was an anti-war demo today, but there has been a lot of other stuff going on mind.
I blame the dumbing down of Urban75's. direct action origins.(Check out the 404's)

 

[Citizen66]

There wasn't an anti war demo today AFAIK!

I was comparing it to how people turn up to stuff they find important.

 

[Fictionist]

Inviting peeps to a tunnel. Not bright are we?

 

[Citizen66]

Inviting peeps to a tunnel. Not bright are we?

Wtf?

I hope that was meant as humour or gtfo the thread.

 

[Fictionist]

Wtf?

I hope that was meant as humour or gtfo the thread.

It is a tunnel. It has two points for entering and exiting. And you want to throw a party there? Why not just roll over and let the cops tickle your belly whilst you are there?

 

[rioted]

If it becomes a working class day again, I'll get involved.

It IS a working class day - watch the news reports tonight from around the world.

You mean if the bureaucrats of the trades unions endorse it? I doubt it. Have those of us who have marched on May Day every year for over forty years ceased to be working class? Are the trade unionists, unemployed and refugees I danced with today not working class? Are you having a bad day? Why is making a show of solidarity with the working class around the world such a bad thing.

 

[Citizen66]

It is a tunnel. It has two points for entering and exiting. And you want to throw a party there? Why not just roll over and let the cops tickle your belly whilst you are there?

Fair dos country bumpkin

Everyone that was going to have fun in that space was a criminal. They ought to have picked somewhere in the outer hebrides. Or outer space. Those middle class layabouts could afford it too.

Police won't find them there!!(haha)

 

[spliff]

It is a tunnel. It has two points for entering and exiting. And you want to throw a party there? Why not just roll over and let the cops tickle your belly whilst you are there?

You ain't being kettled if you kettle yourself.

Who gives a shit if there's cops on either end* you've got enough booze and drains to piss down and sound systems so what the fuck?

The only problem would be if the cops try to clear it out, But why would they? Show of strength? It's been a busy enough day for them anyway.

*there's also a couple of walkways out iirc.

 

[Citizen66]

I don't think fictionist is even in London, let alone involved in any of these events.

He just wanted an opportunity to sneer and call someone "not bright" from a position of obviously zero knowledge or experience of the London free party scene.

 

[spliff]

My son and his mates are down there, I've been trying to get them on the phone, should I fear the worst, or assume that because they're underground they've got no signal?

I'm gonna call the cops!! I want the river dredged.

 

[Citizen66]

haha

I'd lay my tenner on the fact the signal is non-existant.

 

[kenny g]

the signal is non-existant.

Not a very good place for a party then.

 

[spliff]

Not a very good place for a party then.

Why would you want to spend your time on the phone if you're at a party?

 

[Citizen66]

The mobile phone, not audio signal

 

[kenny g]

Why would you want to spend your time on the phone if you're at a party?

How are people's parents supposed to get hold of them? And how else are you going to access fb?

 

[spliff]

How are people's parents supposed to get hold of them? And how else are you going to access fb?

Oh yeah I see, I tend to forget, it's 'cos I'm grown up an that

 

[shaman75]

Went to the party. It was, in fairness, a bit hap-hazard at first, tunes were playing while a groups of drummers stood not far away and banged their pots out of time. Then the music stopped altogether for a while and it was just drummers, although they did seem to find some rhythm by this point.

There was even a proper toilet, in one of the doorways off the tunnel, but when we went to use it the second time, the cops were escorting people out and shutting the door. At this point, with about 3 policevans at the entrance and another visible on the bridge at the other end, we decided to pop to the pub, grab some food and use their toilets.

Went back out for a smoke about 30 minutes later and there were no coppers to be seen. When we left the pub, we went for another look and the drummers had shut up, the sound system was a bit closer to the main entrance and there was a great atmosphere. When they played 'Killing in the Name Of', all hell let loose with people surfing the 'crowd' by the soundsystem.

Really enjoyed it and hope to see more events in the future. Uploading a video of the Rage Against the Machine moment as I type - if youtube doesn't cancel the upload for some unknown reason again.

 

[kenny g]

Oh yeah I see, I tend to forget, it's 'cos I'm grown up an that

That's all right, can happen to anyone

 

[Citizen66]

Few photos from Parliament square

Are these three really from a working class background?

Anarkids stopping traffic

 

[TopCat]

Fucking drummers made me leave.