Who's going along to the G20 protests?

[Corax]

The problem is not the number of people marching.

It's the many tens of thousands more of ordinary workers doing ordinary jobs and just going about their business who are going to have their day disrupted because a tiny minority of people are using an event as an excuse to cause trouble.

Yes, people having their day disrupted, that's the important thing here.

Not the collapse of free-market capitalism's world of smoke'n'mirrors. Not the frighteningly fast erosion of our civil liberties. Not the imminently lethal climate problems. Not the unrelenting rise of the politics of fear.

No, the real issue is that you can't get out to grab a starbucks that day.


It's been said before but deserves repeating; You knob.

 

[butchersapron]

Do the English know how to organise a riot?

Scotland Yard has warned protesters involved in the 1990 Poll Tax riots have been called out of retirement for this week's action.

.

 

[N_igma]

.

Was there any petrol bombs and hijacked vehicles in the Poll Tax riots? I don't seem to recall any.

 

[butchersapron]

Was there any petrol bombs and hijacked vehicles in the Poll Tax riots? I don't seem to recall any.

Oh god, here we go - go on put on the bad kids vid and make it a national issue.

 

[STFC]

Serious question: who do you think the people facing disruption due to the demos will blame? Especially if they turn violent?

 

[N_igma]

Oh god, here we go - go on put on the bad kids vid and make it a national issue.

You can organise a protest, can you organise a riot? From the footage I've seen of the Poll Tax riots, it was just a lot of angry people attacking the police. Randomly. Correct me if I'm wrong?

 

[butchersapron]

You can organise a protest, can you organise a riot? From the footage I've seen of the Poll Tax riots, it was just a lot of angry people attacking the police. Randomly. Correct me if I'm wrong?

Lots of people attacking the police sound a bit like a riot to me - and no, youtube only shows you traf sqaure and few adjacent streets - it doesn't show you how widespread and prolonged the trouble actually was.

 

[N_igma]

Lots of people attacking the police sound a bit like a riot to me - and no, youtube only shows you traf sqaure and few adjacent streets - it doesn't show you how widespread and prolonged the trouble actually was.

I know that but was it organised? You need to set up barricades, attack from behind the lines.

 

[butchersapron]

What, to get into stormont?

 

[_float_]

Serious question: who do you think the people facing disruption due to the demos will blame? Especially if they turn violent?

Whoever decided to locate the G20 conference in London instead of the middle of the countryside perhaps?

Ultimately the buck stops with Gordan Brown surely? He is in charge after all, isn't he?

Isn't he?

 

[N_igma]

What, to get into stormont?

It'll be another shambles. English can't riot.

 

[jæd]

Whoever decided to locate the G20 conference in London instead of the middle of the countryside perhaps?

Would that really stop people from protesting in, and around the City...? The G20 is in the docklands after all...

 

[Corax]

I know that but was it organised? You need to set up barricades, attack from behind the lines.

Barricades? Really?

 

[editor]

Tomorrow will be a disaster, people here will blame the police, and not take responsibility for their own actions.

I'll take full responsibility for my actions. I'll be exercising my democratic right to peacefuly protest as will the majority of people on the demo.

However, if the police start shoving batons in the faces of peaceful protesters, then I'll certainly blame them for incitement and disproportionate violence. They are guilty of that sometimes, you know.

 

[_float_]

Would that really stop people from protesting in, and around the City...? The G20 is in the docklands after all...

Can we blame Gordan Brown for hosting the G20 in the UK?

I think we should blame him for something.

 

[Dan U]

Can we blame Gordan Brown for hosting the G20 in the UK?

I think we should blame him for something.

we could blame him for being a useless cunt.

 

[_float_]

I think we should blame him for organising the "haven't-actually-happened-yet-riots". After all, no-G20 = no-"riots". Fairly simple logic.

The gang leader and his mob!

Arrest the pimp-meister Big Mac Daddy Brown and The Gang!

 

[_float_]

Here's the other ring-leader:

Reservoir Cameron and his anarcho-hoodie-thugs

 

[In Bloom]

Can you give an example of how your protests have achieved more?

Sorry, were you under the impression I have to answer to you? Fuck off.

 

[Blagsta]

Can you give an example of how your protests have achieved more?

Thing is, IB is involved in some decent stuff. I just wish he would drop the miserablism!

 

[tangentlama]

Someone gave a breakdown of costs for the G20 conference in the Daily Mail comments.

5.8 million to police G20, the police are paid by wages, so why is this figure so high.

1.7 million for hiring the Excel centre, when they can use the Great Hall in the Houses of Parliament, or are they telling us there are no government buildings large enough to stage this summit? Why is the price so high at EXcel, is this the going rate, or just 1.7 million because the tax payer is paying for it?

7.4 Million to WRG* who are running the event. Why is this company WRG running this event, this is supposed to be government business. Who are WRG, and does any MP have any involvement in this company?
(http://www.wrg.uk.com/further-info/our-resources/logistics/)

5.7 million for transport. All these people attending the summit have embassies which have their own pool of cars, why don't they use their own cars. All their staff can stay at their embassies.

Conclusion - Just another example of how this Labour government love showing off and wasting tax payers money.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...20-march-London---police-arrest-just-one.html

*More on 'With Reflex Group' (WRG) here:

The Manchester-based agency is on the Central Office of Information's list of companies deemed appropriate for government work, and has been subcontracted by Feltech Electronics to arrange and manage media accreditation for the London meeting of the G20.

According to the Daily Mail, WRG is expected to receive up to £500,000 of the £6m Feltech is being paid for management of the event.
Organisers-G20-summit-choreographed-Blair-exit

 

[In Bloom]

Thing is, IB is involved in some decent stuff. I just wish he would drop the miserablism!

And I wish people would stop pretending there's anything in this shite to be cheerful about. Beggars, horses and all that.

 

[Blagsta]

And I wish people would stop pretending there's anything in this shite to be cheerful about. Beggars, horses and all that.

Cheer up love! Might never happen!

 

[_float_]

Sorry, were you under the impression I have to answer to you? Fuck off.

I suppose someone else might make the argument for how smaller, more focussed protests achieve more.

No doubt they do achieve things - I just think that these summit protests achieve something different, maybe not as specific.

 

[In Bloom]

I suppose someone else might make the argument for how smaller, more focussed protests achieve more.

Perhaps they will, I'm unlikely to, since my objections to the G20 protests aren't principally based on their size (actually quite small, in the grand scheme of things) or their lack of focus.

No doubt they do achieve things - I just think that these summit protests achieve something different, maybe not as specific.

What do they achieve then?

 

[_float_]

 

[Blagsta]

You could at least try and answer IB's question!

 

[_float_]

What do they achieve then?

I just wrote a long post about the differences between focussed small scale specific protests and massive general ones, but I realised that it had all been stated already.

Each can achieve things the other can't. I am sure you are intelligent enough to figure out a long list for yourself.

 

[Garcia Lorca]

I just wrote a long post about the differences between focussed small scale specific protests and massive general ones, but I realised that it had all been stated already.

Were you up at the G8 Protests at gleneagles float?

maybes lessons have been learned there from one protest point vs small scale protests at various locations.

 

[_float_]

You could at least try and answer IB's question!

I did try but my post was too long-winded and ultimately you need to write a whole essay about small-scale protests and campaigns versus potentially forming large-scale coalitions and movements. Trying to do this in 'conversation' with someone who answers in evasive one-liners mainly consisting of questions is too much like masocism.