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Reclaim The Streets in London, Sat 23rd June?

It had everything to do with it. Decisions got made by the core group of a max 10 people. Several millionaires in the group and the wider organising meetings had no influence on strategy. The poshos did not trust them. Hilarious given the police had already infiltrated the core/secret group.

Not sure about the poshness but there was definitely a tendency for plans to become more elaborate , requiring a greater degree of secrecy and therefore actively working against the aim of empowering people.
 
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not surprised that arse treelover liked your post, but would be interest to know on what metrics you base your comment
I don't doubt that it was fun for those involved. After all, everybody likes a party, and some see the odd riot or two as a step towards nirvana. But surely the success or failure of a movement hangs on whether or not it was able to have a fundamental impact on society.

Is the society that people who were involved imagined they wanted now closer, or has it receded further into the distance? I suspect that among those involved, opinions may be split along class lines. After all, there are plenty of 'alternative' middle class types who appear perfectly at ease in the gentrified/'hipsterised' zones of the major towns and cities.
 
Got a text about this but I'm more minded to goto the Anti Brexit march today. 12pm on Pall Mall.

There's been alot done to make our streets safer in London but essentially the traffic is just as bad as 20yrs ago.
Wasn't quite sure what the agenda was for this street party?
 
I don't doubt that it was fun for those involved. After all, everybody likes a party, and some see the odd riot or two as a step towards nirvana. But surely the success or failure of a movement hangs on whether or not it was able to have a fundamental impact on society.

Is the society that people who were involved imagined they wanted now closer, or has it receded further into the distance? I suspect that among those involved, opinions may be split along class lines. After all, there are plenty of 'alternative' middle class types who appear perfectly at ease in the gentrified/'hipsterised' zones of the major towns and cities.
A lot of words but not a lot of substance. You said it was an inevitable failure but not why. You've said a fundamental impact on society but not how you measure that. You say gentrification, ignoring that that has been a trend for more than 50 years in which both local and national government are actively involved. Surprised you don't look at success on rts terms, and look forward to seeing your reasons for your claim. What next, afa and the 43 group failed?
 
A lot of words but not a lot of substance. You said it was an inevitable failure but not why. You've said a fundamental impact on society but not how you measure that. You say gentrification, ignoring that that has been a trend for more than 50 years in which both local and national government are actively involved. Surprised you don't look at success on rts terms, and look forward to seeing your reasons for your claim. What next, afa and the 43 group failed?

I don't think AFA or the 43 Group as organisations were trying to fundamentally change society, even if many of their components may have had aspirations in that direction. RTS, or at least the wider 'anti-capitalist' movement of which, according to some of the above posts it seemed to see itself as part, appears to have had a wider ambition (although I don't know for sure, as the neo-hippy thing has always left me cold.) But 20 years on, the streets haven't been 'reclaimed' and capitalism is still intact. So people were anti-capitalism. Fine-and then what? Still no kind of answer that would satisfy any but the activists themselves (possibly) is forthcoming.

I don't mean that the likes of RTS were somehow responsible for gentrification, but merely that some of those elements seem, as far as I can see, fairly comfortable within it.

Anyway, it's probably not a conversation worth pursuing, as the outcome is guaranteed to be similar this time around.
 
I'm working today and tomorrow so can't go but have a professional interest in London traffic and would appreciate a tip on what area its likely to happen in if anyone knows.
 
My prediction for the RTS: a badly organized event, poorly promoted and only on social media, very low numbers turning out, nothing of note happens.

Overall a pointless waste of time but will be probably claimed as a massive victory by the clueless organizers.

Anyone more optimistic?
 
I don't think AFA or the 43 Group as organisations were trying to fundamentally change society, even if many of their components may have had aspirations in that direction. RTS, or at least the wider 'anti-capitalist' movement of which, according to some of the above posts it seemed to see itself as part, appears to have had a wider ambition (although I don't know for sure, as the neo-hippy thing has always left me cold.) But 20 years on, the streets haven't been 'reclaimed' and capitalism is still intact. So people were anti-capitalism. Fine-and then what? Still no kind of answer that would satisfy any but the activists themselves (possibly) is forthcoming.

I don't mean that the likes of RTS were somehow responsible for gentrification, but merely that some of those elements seem, as far as I can see, fairly comfortable within it.

Anyway, it's probably not a conversation worth pursuing, as the outcome is guaranteed to be similar this time around.

There was loads of debate around this stuff going on at the time. Did you ever come across this article RD2003?

Give up Activism - Do Or Die

There was also a good letter in response here Lettuce to the Cabbage - Do Or Die - and plenty more kicking about if you can arsed to look for them.
 
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My prediction for the RTS: a badly organized event, poorly promoted and only on social media, very low numbers turning out, nothing of note happens.

Overall a pointless waste of time but will be probably claimed as a massive victory by the clueless organizers.

Anyone more optimistic?
Might be as you say yet the start of something rather than a solitary event
 
I don't think AFA or the 43 Group as organisations were trying to fundamentally change society, even if many of their components may have had aspirations in that direction. RTS, or at least the wider 'anti-capitalist' movement of which, according to some of the above posts it seemed to see itself as part, appears to have had a wider ambition (although I don't know for sure, as the neo-hippy thing has always left me cold.) But 20 years on, the streets haven't been 'reclaimed' and capitalism is still intact. So people were anti-capitalism. Fine-and then what? Still no kind of answer that would satisfy any but the activists themselves (possibly) is forthcoming.

I don't mean that the likes of RTS were somehow responsible for gentrification, but merely that some of those elements seem, as far as I can see, fairly comfortable within it.

Anyway, it's probably not a conversation worth pursuing, as the outcome is guaranteed to be similar this time around.

As one of the people who were pushing for the movement (EF! in my case rather than RTS) to become more explicitly anti-capitalist I (for a brief time) have a bit of first hand experience...

There was loads of debate around this stuff going on at the time. Did you ever come across this article RD2003?

Give up Activism - Do Or Die

There was also a good letter in response here Lettuce to the Cabbage - Do Or Die - and plenty more kicking about if you can arsed to look for them.

... so I've may have lots more to say on this. If people are actually interested. But it'll have to wait till I'm on work hours!
 
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As one of the people who were pushing for the movement (EF! in my case rather tma


I've got lots more to say on this. If people are actually interested. But it'll have to wait till I'm on work hours!

I'll look forward to it.
 
Just swung by this for a gander. I was a participant of the RTS's back in the day. Epic days out.

Couple of hundred people, mix of old school squat party techno heads, some younger ravers and a sprinkling of Shoreditch twats in ironed shirts and shiny shoes. Not hipsters, Shoreditch doesn't really attract hipsters anymore on Fri/Sat. They're all out in Walthamstow or Hackney Wick drinking craft beer.

Seemed good natured enough, banging hardcore techno from a relatively decent rig and they had taken the sensible precaution of setting up just off the street in a yard facing out. I'm guessing that may make confiscation less likely (?).

It is on a side street which is a dead end for motor vehicles so they have not disrupted any traffic, apart from some cyclists who would use it as a cut through. No biggy, there's loads of ways around, I went through on my bike no worries. Didn't see any cops at all.

I would say in modern parlance it is more of a pop-up rave than an RTS that we knew and loved.

But good luck to them, they are doing precisely 100% more than me. I hope they do more. I did take a swift video but it didn't work because I am an idiot. :facepalm:
 
Could this have been a security service honeypot to re-identify old RTS heads prior to Trumps visit in July?
 
trumps not stopping in london anyway, copter to the ambassadors gaffe (ferrero roche all round) and some palaces.
 
Interesting response...:hmm:

Are you suggesting it could not have been a honey trap? And if so, on what evidence?

Are you suggesting MI5 might have allocated some resources to secretly organize a small street party in Shoreditch with the hope that it might flush some ex-RTS people in their 40s and 50s down from their allotments in Hebden Bridge, with the hope that this might somehow give the State a critical insight into anything that might be being organized against Trump's visit?
 
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