Weds 1st April: G20 protests - discussion, reaction and chat

[nick h.]

In India there were loads of people who were prepared to be beaten, to make the point about British repression.

So there aren't enough people prepared to be beaten here? I am - though I've never been in a fight in my life. I just can't think of any other way to protect our right to protest. We've got to do something - but chanting at the police, putting on masks etc. doesn't work. It's perfectly legal but the result is that our rights get eroded even more.

Here's an inspirational msg from Jon Snow - he says wants more demos and he was once charged with assaulting a policeman - he can be our Gandhi: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2009/jan/23/liberty-central-jon-snow-civil-liberties

 

[onenameshelley]

It's fucking vile
Anyway. I wasn't there so there's no point me moaning about it from here. Actually seeing that has made me feel more inclined to get involved.

I truly hope that footage gets out.

same here, funny i wasnt shocked by the violence to be honest i had expected it, i have to say i am pretty angry with myself for being in work yesterday when i should have been out there instead, and yes i will be more proactive now without a doubt.

 

[Zachor]

We've got to do something - but chanting at the police, putting on masks etc. doesn't work. It's perfectly legal but the result is that our rights get eroded even more.

This sort of protest activity is just providiing ammunition to those who wish to make our society even more authoritarian.

 

[xes]

and yes i will be more proactive now without a doubt.

this is the only decent outcome that can come of this. More people willing to be involved in protesting, from the utter outrage that the police has casued.

I will be on lots of demos this year, I can feel it.

 

[DotCommunist]

I knew they'd bash the green lot. Provocation is not needed with hyped up coppers.

 

[Divisive Cotton]

13:04 Raid a t the Rampart centre ongoing. Legal observers were taken away and searched by FIT officers and threatened with arrest under anti-social behaviour legislation, the Riot police are focibly removing people. The riot police brough an embedded ITN news crew on the raid.

http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles

why the fuck do itv allow themselves to be complicit and used in this way!

 

[onenameshelley]

this is the only decent outcome that can come of this. More people willing to be involved in protesting, from the utter outrage that the police has casued.

I will be on lots of demos this year, I can feel it.

thats funny thing i was so pissed off about Iraq i came out from deepest darkest belvedere to march, met you lot then erm stopped. But yes thats the best thing that can come from this that more and more people take note and do something, its free to walk and shout after all. Yup me too,

 

[xes]

http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles

why the fuck do itv allow themselves to be complicit and used in this way!

hahaha, because they're trying to give the protesters as bad a name as possible.

And because they're spinless, souless cunts, of course.

 

[nick h.]

Where can we go to demonstrate this afternoon? Preferably somewhere we will be allowed through to join a large group? I don't care what the issue is - I just want to exercise my right to freedom of assembly.

 

[xes]

Where can we go to demonstrate this afternoon? Preferably somewhere we will be allowed through to join a large group? I don't care what the issue is - I just want to exercise my right to freedom of assembly.

at the bank of englandthey're holding a protest in solidarity of the young man who dies yesterday. It started at 1, and I imagine it will carry on for a while.

(more details a page or 3 back)

 

[Roadkill]

write to your London Assembly members asking them to raise it with the MPA board.

I shall certainly be doing that, in strong terms.

I'm not generally particularly anti the police, but I'm livid about what happened yesterday, and especially at the climate camp last night.

Were I not stuck at work I'd head up to Bank for the solidarity protest too. Not because it'll do any good, but because there's a right to peaceful protest in this country and it has to be stood up for.

 

[Zachor]

http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles

why the fuck do itv allow themselves to be complicit and used in this way!

I can answer that one for you as I've done it myself. Sometimes its the only way to get the dramatic visuals that grab the publics attention. Also news organisations are pretty cash strapped and sometimes an embed job is cheaper than other options.

 

[laptop]

at the bank of englandthey're holding a protest in solidarity of the young man who dies yesterday. It started at 1, and I imagine it will carry on for a while.

(more details a page or 3 back)

13:12 Police are stopping and searching people at Bank. While a memorial event was in process and flowers were being placed by the Bank of England the police moved in and broke up the service

http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/992
(@ 13:25 - check back 'cos sometimes reports appear then turn out to be exaggerated...)

 

[Hocus Eye.]

at the bank of englandthey're holding a protest in solidarity of the young man who dies yesterday. It started at 1, and I imagine it will carry on for a while.

(more details a page or 3 back)

From Indymedia:

Timeline of events:

13:12 Police are stopping and searching people at Bank. While a memorial event was in process and flowers were being placed by the Bank of England the police moved in and broke up the service

 

[xes]

more footage

 

[SpookyFrank]

There's no control once they're in there - the edge of shields are being used - they are going for people's SKULLS ffs.

Fucking shameful. Seeing the pigs hit people in the fact with the edges of their shields like that makes my blood boil

They're attacking a group of unarmed people, most of them with their hands in the air. Why the fuck do they even need shields? Supposedly the justification for penning people in and baton charging them was that 'missiles were being thrown' but I didn't see any missiles in that video. I saw a shower of tooled up cunts laying into people at random, and a bunch of protestors refusing to become violent even when subjected to the most extreme provocation.

 

[xes]

From Indymedia:

fucking grade a fucking cunts

 

[DotCommunist]

There really is no justification for smashing into a group with their hands in the air chanting 'this is not a riot'

Welcome to UK PLC. You have the right to do as you are fucking told.

 

[Zachor]

Let's keep israel/palestine out of this one shall we?

OK Point taken.

 

[STFC]

Some photos I took half an hour ago:

 

[Barking_Mad]

I can answer that one for you as I've done it myself. Sometimes its the only way to get the dramatic visuals that grab the publics attention. Also news organisations are pretty cash strapped and sometimes an embed job is cheaper than other options.

You soulless fool.

 

[Pieface]

Can you explain that bottom pic? Is that the memorial service?

 

[Divisive Cotton]

Some photos I took half an hour ago:

what these were taken half-an-hour ago?

 

[bluestreak]

There really is no justification for smashing into a group with their hands in the air chanting 'this is not a riot'

Welcome to UK PLC. You have the right to do as you are fucking told.

Don't open your mouth. Go home. Go back to sleep.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

just back from rampart, locked down completely, evicting and arresting those inside on "suspicion of being involved in trouble yesterday" - i aksed on what evidential grounds this was taking place and was told to move on or face arrest myself. there are probably 60-100 riot cops, along with loads of other plod, enough vans and they even took along 2 armoured cars ffs!!! i repeat 2 armoured vehicles were in attendance.

 

[Zachor]

You soulless fool.

Sometimes a jobs a job innit. Don't say I would totally agree with stuff I did back then now but thats the score.

 

[Groucho]

I was at the bank protest arriving after work. The bulk of protesters were blocked in by rings of police. Outside that ring riot police were behaving in a very savage way and there were battles between groups of protesters and police that mainly consisted of groups of protesters running from extremely aggressive groups of riot police.

We witnessed a man receiving medical attention who I assume was the guy who later died as this was before 8 and after 7.30. There were no missiles of any kind being aimed in the direction of the medical team at that time.

A friend of mine provided the following report:

Report back on last night

Me and Groucho arrived at the scene and soon took control of the situation. We had a vigorous discussion with a couple of wan… sorry.. bankers, who chose to turn up and mock the demonstration.
We carried out a surveillance operation and led the protesters away from the police charge. We were calm and collected at all times and at no point, I repeat AT NO POINT, did I leave Groucho in a cowardly fashion for a place of safety. Neither did we panic and run down an alley with me hopping along like a demented kangaroo because of my blister.
We did see one demonstrator on the floor and initially I thought the police were beating him up until I saw the paramedics helping. I didn’t see any demonstrators throwing missiles at the scene but this may have happened before the demonstrator was taken to a siding, he was the one that died later on.
A

 

[Zachor]

what these were taken half-an-hour ago?

Seems to be more snappers than anyone else there.

 

[STFC]

what these were taken half-an-hour ago?

About that, yes.

 

[Kanda]

What was the tally of protestors yesterday?

BBC saying it was about 5000.