[Saturday 18th May] Demonstration: Defend London's NHS

[brogdale]

Just off....

I've remembered me camera as well....so there may be some Urban exclusive snaps later!

 

[nino_savatte]

I wanted to go to this but I'm stuck indoors doing marking.

 

[editor]

Leaving in 5 mins too....

 

[brogdale]

I wanted to go to this but I'm stuck indoors doing marking.

My sympathy. That was, until recently, my life.

 

[Lo Siento.]

on my way shortly. They spend a while musterin folk anyways...

 

[FridgeMagnet]

More people here than I expected!

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Actually, I think it's more that they are stuffed into a small space. Still.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I just saw editor - he was jumping about on the side of the bridge though, and I didn't want to distract him in case he fell off.

 

[Brixton Hatter]

I'm here. Pretty good turnout. Outside Downing St now. Urbs post here if u go to the pub!

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Me too, though I've kind of wandered off towards Westminster during the speeches now. I could murder a coffee actually.

 

[editor]

I've just headed off for a coffee as I'm still battling off last night's hangover. I'm glad I went today.

There aren't many more things more important than the NHS.

Oh, and if you're walking back through Trafalgar Square, check out the Morris dancers!

 

[Tom A]

A to B marches are all very well for "rallying the troops", and if I was in London I would have gone myself, but it's going to take a hell of a lot more than that, there needs to be mass, effective and sustained resistance. Politicians don't listen to peaceful protest, the million and a half marching against the Iraq War a decade previously proved that.

 

[editor]

A to B marches aren't going to save the NHS, but they play an important part in the process and are certainly better than bed to pub marches.

 

[Tom A]

A to B marches aren't going to save the NHS, but they play an important part in the process and are certainly better than bed to pub marches.

True, but IME of activism during the past 10 years people in this country have difficulty with carrying out that "thing beyond A to B marching" which will make the politicians think twice about carrying [insert nasty thing that's being protested against here]. As someone heavily involved with the anti-war movement during the build up to, and start of the Iraq War, I am all too aware that the movement needs to seriously rethink its tactics, and go beyond the same old strategies.

 

[sptme]

 

[sptme]

 

[sptme]

 

[sptme]

 

[sptme]

Police estimate 5,000. I'd guess double that but still not enough to make a scratch.

 

[brogdale]

A few pics ( as promised)..

 

[editor]

Nice pics! I'll post some of mine up later.

 

[Pickman's model]

Ta for not kicking off when I couldn't make it down

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/redspotted/sets/72157633511611571/ - some pics from that...


P1020290 by redspotted, on Flickr


SOAS Ceilidh band by redspotted, on Flickr


Grow your own ideas? by redspotted, on Flickr


"what do we do about this, sarge?" by redspotted, on Flickr


P1020377 by redspotted, on Flickr


P1020388 by redspotted, on Flickr


P1020389 by redspotted, on Flickr


P1020442 by redspotted, on Flickr

 

[editor]

Much better pics than mine! Good work FridgeMagnet

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Much better pics than mine! Good work FridgeMagnet

Oh, I bet you had some better ones than those. I didn't put any up of the dog though

 

[brogdale]

...and a couple more...

 

[teqniq]

I see this went completely unreported by the BBC and the Graun. Essentially if it wasn't for here I wouldn't have seen any pix. Thanks to all, I have shared FridgeMagnet's Flikr set elsewhere.

 

[editor]

The lack of mainstream press coverage is outrageous.

I've posted up a big photo report here:
http://www.urban75.org/blog/defend-londons-nhs-demo-sat-18th-may-photo-report/

Here's a small selection:

 

[editor]

And a little video: