Your Mayday Experiences
- Thread starter RubyToogood
- Start date
Tromaville
Substandard in every way
Very nice half day milling around.... lots of niceness from everyone.
Only thing I wish was I had a camera for when the A.L.F fella was stood facing MacDonalds on Oxford Street with his flag - it was a kodak moment.
Then headed off down to Traf Square and left about 4:30 ish ... quite a nice chilled day all in all
was a bit of a "thing" when a ball was kicked at a cops head and then "confiscated" ...could have been handled with a bit more humour but ended up well..
Good day all in all..
Just a couple of things why were police in Rental vans?? kenning Sixt or summat like that - what that all about? A|nd were they remaking Apocalypse Now with all those helicopters..
Anyway great day
Getting back to the time when we can bring some sand along and have a proper decent sandpit -I missed that
Trom
Only thing I wish was I had a camera for when the A.L.F fella was stood facing MacDonalds on Oxford Street with his flag - it was a kodak moment.
Then headed off down to Traf Square and left about 4:30 ish ... quite a nice chilled day all in all
was a bit of a "thing" when a ball was kicked at a cops head and then "confiscated" ...could have been handled with a bit more humour but ended up well..Good day all in all..
Just a couple of things why were police in Rental vans?? kenning Sixt or summat like that - what that all about? A|nd were they remaking Apocalypse Now with all those helicopters..
Anyway great day
Getting back to the time when we can bring some sand along and have a proper decent sandpit
-I missed thatTrom
The fluffiest protest I've ever been to.
That twat in the suit...ooh he was one lucky bugger...
Hopefully he'll be feeling full of himself so he may surface again.
A damp squib but that's how it goes sometimes I suppose.
As Well Red said it's only the tip of the ice berg...a nice squishy/fluffy one this year.
That twat in the suit...ooh he was one lucky bugger...
Hopefully he'll be feeling full of himself so he may surface again.
A damp squib but that's how it goes sometimes I suppose.
As Well Red said it's only the tip of the ice berg...a nice squishy/fluffy one this year.
cousin scampi
New Member
Started off on the Revo march, which joined with the main one, which just CRAWLED along to Trafalgar Sq, so I found myself gallabanting up front on my deck.
Had fun dancing in one of the fountains in Traf. Sq. My friend in the pink is on the front page of one of the tabloids of tomorow's papers. Wow! Speeches got tedious though.
The sex worker's party was where the real fun was had, right up to when plastic men moved in
. Saw the line forming and managed to duck in behind it before solidified. Very dramatic.
Wikid day all in all though.
Had fun dancing in one of the fountains in Traf. Sq. My friend in the pink is on the front page of one of the tabloids of tomorow's papers. Wow! Speeches got tedious though.
The sex worker's party was where the real fun was had, right up to when plastic men moved in
. Saw the line forming and managed to duck in behind it before solidified. Very dramatic.Wikid day all in all though.
Phototropic
Active Member
I was watching the BBC and the news only ever said "trouble in Soho blah blah blah" but they did not once mention that there was a SeX Workers Parade going on. Not once.
D
discodamage
Guest
well, had a wierd day, mostly due to not knowing which hat i was supposed to be wearing- student journalist or protestor. eventually the two came together but only after a bit of intellectual wrestling on my part.
i think my basic problem is that im used to single issue protest, and the disparity of mayday just confuses me. this is not maydays problem, its mine, but the lack of coherence bothered me. from the point of view of someone who cares about the issues the groups within mayday are trying to address, but who is also aware of 'audience', im confused as to what the protests achieved. we're saying 'we care a lot', but im not sure if anyone outside the movement is going to get what we care about, even those who might be interested.
example: possibly due to my inability to be everywhere at once, the only moment of real cohesion i felt was around the international union of sex workers march. in terms of crowd, it had momentum just through volume of numbers at the time, and the atmosphere was lovely for the first hour and a half or so, and the sambanistas rocked, and it was great. but more importantly, i witnessed a lot of people who didnt have a clue about the point of the march talking to the sex workers present, and getting to grips with what they were marching for, which was fantastic. did you know that the indian sex workers union had over 35,000 members in calcutta alone? i didnt. its a little issue, maybe, but as a feminist the fact that women and men had come from south africa, cambodia, thailand, aus, india and brazil to march for their rights as workers meant a lot to me.
at the same time, marching (or, rather, dancing) down shaftesbury avenue, at one point the focus turned quite noticeably towards the maccyd's (which was a flashpoint later, predictably and understandably enough) and i felt quite angry, because it seemed as if the sex workers could go take a flying one as long as macdonalds was there to serve as a totem for peoples anger.
i dunno. im being too utopian. its great that all these hardcore women and men marched, under a pride banner, for their rights and recognition as workers and people. but at the same time, i wonder how many people actually gave a fuck what they were marching for. even on this thread, people have referred to 'soho', but not why people gathered there in the first place. and that is i think the problem- mayday stands for something, but outside of our special interests, no-ones quite sure what.
edit: lol, phototropic got there before me. props to you.
i think my basic problem is that im used to single issue protest, and the disparity of mayday just confuses me. this is not maydays problem, its mine, but the lack of coherence bothered me. from the point of view of someone who cares about the issues the groups within mayday are trying to address, but who is also aware of 'audience', im confused as to what the protests achieved. we're saying 'we care a lot', but im not sure if anyone outside the movement is going to get what we care about, even those who might be interested.
example: possibly due to my inability to be everywhere at once, the only moment of real cohesion i felt was around the international union of sex workers march. in terms of crowd, it had momentum just through volume of numbers at the time, and the atmosphere was lovely for the first hour and a half or so, and the sambanistas rocked, and it was great. but more importantly, i witnessed a lot of people who didnt have a clue about the point of the march talking to the sex workers present, and getting to grips with what they were marching for, which was fantastic. did you know that the indian sex workers union had over 35,000 members in calcutta alone? i didnt. its a little issue, maybe, but as a feminist the fact that women and men had come from south africa, cambodia, thailand, aus, india and brazil to march for their rights as workers meant a lot to me.
at the same time, marching (or, rather, dancing) down shaftesbury avenue, at one point the focus turned quite noticeably towards the maccyd's (which was a flashpoint later, predictably and understandably enough) and i felt quite angry, because it seemed as if the sex workers could go take a flying one as long as macdonalds was there to serve as a totem for peoples anger.
i dunno. im being too utopian. its great that all these hardcore women and men marched, under a pride banner, for their rights and recognition as workers and people. but at the same time, i wonder how many people actually gave a fuck what they were marching for. even on this thread, people have referred to 'soho', but not why people gathered there in the first place. and that is i think the problem- mayday stands for something, but outside of our special interests, no-ones quite sure what.
edit: lol, phototropic got there before me. props to you.
Phototropic
Active Member
One day certain people will have to realise that certain things are not going to go away from our society. Drugs, prostetution (sp?), gays are not going to go away. Why can't the right just include everyone in society? Give prostitutes a union to protect them as they are workers and deserve rights, give equal rights for gays because, well its obvious, legalise drugs and put controls on and remove it from criminal hands, selling it through licensed premises using the profits to fund the NHS and re hab clinics and sell dope completly separetly and openly.
All the problems in ociety seem to originate just from sheer bloody minded blind moral stupitity.
THESE THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO GO AWAY BECASUE YOU REGARD THEM AS IMMORAL YOU SILLY DAILY MAIL PEOPLE.
(nb: this is a half hearted post because I am tired and want to go to sleep but I can't sleep so before you pick holes I ain't thinking strait so I will babble at you and you will regret slagging
)
All the problems in ociety seem to originate just from sheer bloody minded blind moral stupitity.
THESE THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO GO AWAY BECASUE YOU REGARD THEM AS IMMORAL YOU SILLY DAILY MAIL PEOPLE.
(nb: this is a half hearted post because I am tired and want to go to sleep but I can't sleep so before you pick holes I ain't thinking strait so I will babble at you and you will regret slagging
)Oh buggery! I just started this thread in general...
this was where i was! did u get "trapped" in that bottleneck alley too?
Mark Thomas was there? Didnt see him. Wicked.
LOL!
D
discodamage
Guest
lol, id love to pretend id made up the phrase 'sambanistas' myself, but i didnt. i got the phrase off one of them, shouting at their fallow drummers to move down wardour street.
damn, i wish id had a camera, though. those dancers were fantastic!
damn, i wish id had a camera, though. those dancers were fantastic!
cyberpixie
A.K.A Mrs C Doodles
<<<sycophant fawning alert>>>
Mr Editor, a hearty round of applause for your appearance on BBC London News last night! Mike Slocombe, the Voice of Reason! Seriously, I liked the point you made about meeting up with likeminded groups of people and learning more about each other's problems/protests. Although I did notice that when you mentioned the Sex Workers' protest the bloke interviewing you went 'Steady on, we're on before the watershed' LOL ! What did he think you were gonna do ?
Zee and I were sooo proud...
Mr Editor, a hearty round of applause for your appearance on BBC London News last night! Mike Slocombe, the Voice of Reason!
Seriously, I liked the point you made about meeting up with likeminded groups of people and learning more about each other's problems/protests. Although I did notice that when you mentioned the Sex Workers' protest the bloke interviewing you went 'Steady on, we're on before the watershed' LOL ! What did he think you were gonna do ? Zee and I were sooo proud...
John Wisehammer
lifestyle trendy vicar
Boarded up windows
I notice that that twat Nicky Clarke had his hairdresser's boarded up for the second time running. Possibly more to do with his overestimations of his importance and symbolism than anything else, as nobody (except me) even looked at it!
The funny thing about McDonalds and stuff was that we'd be marching along 1000 strong and complete ignore all these places - until a line of twenty cops would run down and stand in front of them, at which point everyone would start booing at them (the message of their actions was obvious in terms of their priorities and who they work for).
Vignette: two fatsos from the City police running down Park Lane, trying to get ahead of a Critical Mass column, causing a "wa-hey! run! run! run!". Their colleagues walking behind them were pissing themselves laughing.
Vignette: at Trafalgar Square, a guy lining up a football on the penalty spot, pretending that the line of police 5 metres away was a defensive wall in front of a goal. "Hold on, who's going goalie in that team?", "tell you what guys, we'll go shirts, you go skins, alright?", "that football's a dangerous Anarchist weapon, you know!"
Personally, I think the right to protest without the control or imposition of will by the police and refusing to be corralled or mass arrested for our views are important values/issues in themselves, and even if you missed out on the significance of Critical Mass, of solidarity with the Wombles, of sex workers event and the link-up with trade unionists, you could still pick up on that.
I notice that that twat Nicky Clarke had his hairdresser's boarded up for the second time running. Possibly more to do with his overestimations of his importance and symbolism than anything else, as nobody (except me) even looked at it!
The funny thing about McDonalds and stuff was that we'd be marching along 1000 strong and complete ignore all these places - until a line of twenty cops would run down and stand in front of them, at which point everyone would start booing at them (the message of their actions was obvious in terms of their priorities and who they work for).
Vignette: two fatsos from the City police running down Park Lane, trying to get ahead of a Critical Mass column, causing a "wa-hey! run! run! run!". Their colleagues walking behind them were pissing themselves laughing.
Vignette: at Trafalgar Square, a guy lining up a football on the penalty spot, pretending that the line of police 5 metres away was a defensive wall in front of a goal. "Hold on, who's going goalie in that team?", "tell you what guys, we'll go shirts, you go skins, alright?", "that football's a dangerous Anarchist weapon, you know!"
Personally, I think the right to protest without the control or imposition of will by the police and refusing to be corralled or mass arrested for our views are important values/issues in themselves, and even if you missed out on the significance of Critical Mass, of solidarity with the Wombles, of sex workers event and the link-up with trade unionists, you could still pick up on that.
John Wisehammer
lifestyle trendy vicar
"we were somehow hemmed into a bottleneck of an alley off Oxford Street"
Yeah - this was a fucking nightmare! What happened was that two columns of people met each other walking in opposite directions down the road parallel to Oxford Street, joined up and instead of one lot doubling back, people cut down a narrow alley to Ox Street. Unfortunately, this meant that of the three exits from the t-junction, one was too narrow to get out and the other two were blocked by the police that had been following the marchers. Very nasty! The fuzz spontaneously decided to try and kettle everyone, and held peeps back for a couple of minutes, but due to the weight of numbers, they eventually had to let us go. It was very hairy for a minute. If we had pushed our way through - which we could have - there would have been serious injuries on the police side.
Yeah - this was a fucking nightmare! What happened was that two columns of people met each other walking in opposite directions down the road parallel to Oxford Street, joined up and instead of one lot doubling back, people cut down a narrow alley to Ox Street. Unfortunately, this meant that of the three exits from the t-junction, one was too narrow to get out and the other two were blocked by the police that had been following the marchers. Very nasty! The fuzz spontaneously decided to try and kettle everyone, and held peeps back for a couple of minutes, but due to the weight of numbers, they eventually had to let us go. It was very hairy for a minute. If we had pushed our way through - which we could have - there would have been serious injuries on the police side.
TinyCrendon
New Member
I was pleased to see everyone marching together.
There was a good atmosphere.
The trouble was very small and the media didnt get too hysterical about it. Which was good.
Tony Benn was funny.
One minor thing: whilst the BNP were out filling in people's benefit forms and the like in Burnley `anarchists` were walking about with balloons pissing off delivery chaps and taxi drivers. Although there is always a place for the baloon/fancy dress brigade (and everyone seemed like a nice person please dont get me wrong) I think its time everyone took their politics seriously.
Next year everyone should march togther, like we did in France against Le Pen. And in between the whole lifestyler thing has to expand into everyday life. We exist now, they can't get rid of us, but we have to take it on, we have to take the ideas you have about society and use them to help people in a PRACTICAL way.
You are only taken seriously when you take yourselves seriously. Let's do it.
And lets make a big red and black section to the march next year.
"Nous sommes tous les enfants des imigres"
Ciao innit.
There was a good atmosphere.
The trouble was very small and the media didnt get too hysterical about it. Which was good.
Tony Benn was funny.
One minor thing: whilst the BNP were out filling in people's benefit forms and the like in Burnley `anarchists` were walking about with balloons pissing off delivery chaps and taxi drivers. Although there is always a place for the baloon/fancy dress brigade (and everyone seemed like a nice person please dont get me wrong) I think its time everyone took their politics seriously.
Next year everyone should march togther, like we did in France against Le Pen. And in between the whole lifestyler thing has to expand into everyday life. We exist now, they can't get rid of us, but we have to take it on, we have to take the ideas you have about society and use them to help people in a PRACTICAL way.
You are only taken seriously when you take yourselves seriously. Let's do it.
And lets make a big red and black section to the march next year.
"Nous sommes tous les enfants des imigres"
Ciao innit.
H
helen
Guest
SEX WORKERS MARCHING....
SEX WORKER MARCH WAS SOOOO HAPPY!! LOTS OF COOL DRUMMING AND DANCERS ALL ALONG THE STREETS, IT RAINED BUT IT WAS COOL, LOADS OF POLICE, REMAINING CLAM...NOT SMILING , BUT ALSO NOT PROVOCING WHICH WAS GOOD. IT IS SO NICE WHEN EVERYONE DANCES TOGETHER AND LETS GO...CARNIVALS LIKE THAT ARE WELL WORTH TAKING THE DAY OFF WORK FOUR...THIS WAS MY FIRST MAYDAY AND IT WAS GREAT...ROLE ON JAYDAY....2 DAYS TO RECOVER..HARRAHHHH
SEX WORKER MARCH WAS SOOOO HAPPY!! LOTS OF COOL DRUMMING AND DANCERS ALL ALONG THE STREETS, IT RAINED BUT IT WAS COOL, LOADS OF POLICE, REMAINING CLAM...NOT SMILING , BUT ALSO NOT PROVOCING WHICH WAS GOOD. IT IS SO NICE WHEN EVERYONE DANCES TOGETHER AND LETS GO...CARNIVALS LIKE THAT ARE WELL WORTH TAKING THE DAY OFF WORK FOUR...THIS WAS MY FIRST MAYDAY AND IT WAS GREAT...ROLE ON JAYDAY....2 DAYS TO RECOVER..HARRAHHHH
T
TimothyClaypole
Guest
if all i did this year was to take part and give my support for the protests in London 2002, then i would be a happy chappess. i was a Mayday Virgin, and i was broken with ease, comfort and fluffiness. joined the wombles but very aware of police photographers so wore mask with white suit.
although it seemed like we were marching (or wandering) with no purpose, it was an incredible feeling of solidarity that was wafting over us.
how fantastic a feeling to sit in the capitolist centre of London, overshadowed by GAP, Macdonalds, blahblahblah and to sit in the sun in the middle of the road at piccadilly. grand.
Samba made wardour street fab for at least 2 hours and HUGE raindrops made it even better.
what really got me was the fact that these divvy's from dartmoor had come up to london. we asked why they wanted to take part. they said "to fight the fucking police and to have a riot". damn them! too much beer too many lightweights...
but anyway, i'm still grinning and even more insensed to protest our right to protest... in a fluffyway!
Tim (miss) xxx
although it seemed like we were marching (or wandering) with no purpose, it was an incredible feeling of solidarity that was wafting over us.
how fantastic a feeling to sit in the capitolist centre of London, overshadowed by GAP, Macdonalds, blahblahblah and to sit in the sun in the middle of the road at piccadilly. grand.
Samba made wardour street fab for at least 2 hours and HUGE raindrops made it even better.
what really got me was the fact that these divvy's from dartmoor had come up to london. we asked why they wanted to take part. they said "to fight the fucking police and to have a riot". damn them! too much beer too many lightweights...
but anyway, i'm still grinning and even more insensed to protest our right to protest... in a fluffyway!
Tim (miss) xxx
it was absolutly wonderfull to be out and about. started at the barf, but 20 min late. eat some breakfast and joined up with cm when they came. whent allong with them to speekers corner and had a picknick there, the wether was exelent. met up with my wife ther and we folowd the prossesion into mayfair.
i got stuck in that alley as well. feelt like "not agin".
took a break in soho square and rejoind with the sex workers parade at 5. realy nice samba band and exelent spirit untill i left.
heard about the riots later but i didn't see it my self.
i think that the hole thing was realy good, it felt like the whole west end was a party zone for the day and that in it self is a good message.
as said before it's up to every individual to make of it what they want. if you and your mates have a specific message to get accross then you'll have to make your own banners and organise your self.
i got stuck in that alley as well. feelt like "not agin".
took a break in soho square and rejoind with the sex workers parade at 5. realy nice samba band and exelent spirit untill i left.
heard about the riots later but i didn't see it my self.
i think that the hole thing was realy good, it felt like the whole west end was a party zone for the day and that in it self is a good message.
as said before it's up to every individual to make of it what they want. if you and your mates have a specific message to get accross then you'll have to make your own banners and organise your self.
Whose Streets? Our Streets!
My day started badly with a nightmare on the trains, I got chucked of the first one I got on because my cheap day return wasn't valid so sat around for an hour waiting for the next one so didn't get to london till 10 and by the time I found the court there was noone else there (it was almost 11 by that time: I spend ages on the tube going the wrong way) so went to Hyde Park (via some other park out west which I thought was the right place
) and joined the critical mass which was happy and fluffly before sitting down and resting for a while in Hyde Park. I got bored after a while so went of to Mayfair with some anarchists to find something or someone and joined the Animal Rights march which somehow joined lots of other little marches to form the march that it sounds like lots of the rest of you were on. We wound round in circles apparantly with the aim of meeting up with another large march (fortunately ignoring the guy suggesting we go and storm the American embassy ) but either we can't navigate or because of the occasional police lines which formed (just went another way at them all so they weren't really a problem although some of us at the front surged through one and got seperated for a while until the police let everyone else through) until we ended up in Trafalgar Square where the police started to get nastyish and tried to block us off. I was in the small group that pushed through but more lines formed around us so we just stood around arguing with the police and trying to urge everyone else through. The police eventually let us through so I went of to Cambridge Circus (I think) where we blocked the road and danced a bit until lots more people arrived and we headed towards Soho. It got a bit messy on the way there at one point with batons out (I'm still not really sure what kicked that off though) but we did meet the Sex Workers with their dancing and samba. I danced there for a while but left when the police lines started to form to make sure I got the train so I left it in a nice fluffly state.
Overall a nice happy fluffly day, although one which highlighted the role of the police: they claim they are their to facilitate peacful protest but we were entirely peaceful and didn't damage any buildings (I think the worst I saw was an attempt to steal an alcopop from the a terrified van driver trying to unload and he was told he was out of order) and they still constantly tried to restrict our movement and stop us going where we wanted.
Whose Streets? Our Streets!
My day started badly with a nightmare on the trains, I got chucked of the first one I got on because my cheap day return wasn't valid so sat around for an hour waiting for the next one so didn't get to london till 10 and by the time I found the court there was noone else there (it was almost 11 by that time: I spend ages on the tube going the wrong way) so went to Hyde Park (via some other park out west which I thought was the right place
) and joined the critical mass which was happy and fluffly before sitting down and resting for a while in Hyde Park. I got bored after a while so went of to Mayfair with some anarchists to find something or someone and joined the Animal Rights march which somehow joined lots of other little marches to form the march that it sounds like lots of the rest of you were on. We wound round in circles apparantly with the aim of meeting up with another large march (fortunately ignoring the guy suggesting we go and storm the American embassy ) but either we can't navigate or because of the occasional police lines which formed (just went another way at them all so they weren't really a problem although some of us at the front surged through one and got seperated for a while until the police let everyone else through) until we ended up in Trafalgar Square where the police started to get nastyish and tried to block us off. I was in the small group that pushed through but more lines formed around us so we just stood around arguing with the police and trying to urge everyone else through. The police eventually let us through so I went of to Cambridge Circus (I think) where we blocked the road and danced a bit until lots more people arrived and we headed towards Soho. It got a bit messy on the way there at one point with batons out (I'm still not really sure what kicked that off though) but we did meet the Sex Workers with their dancing and samba. I danced there for a while but left when the police lines started to form to make sure I got the train so I left it in a nice fluffly state. Overall a nice happy fluffly day, although one which highlighted the role of the police: they claim they are their to facilitate peacful protest but we were entirely peaceful and didn't damage any buildings (I think the worst I saw was an attempt to steal an alcopop from the a terrified van driver trying to unload and he was told he was out of order) and they still constantly tried to restrict our movement and stop us going where we wanted.
Whose Streets? Our Streets!
We walked around Mayfair, meeting various marchers at various points, it was funny to see them march in various directions while the cops were trying to keep up and pretend to be “in control”. The Yank embassy looked under siege.
Didn’t bother with the other march at all, it was probably full of Adam Porter types.
The samba band in Compton St. was brilliant. We disappeared into a pub in China town for a few drinks when we came out again the riot cops had sealed off the whole area.
Initially they were letting people out but not in, then they brought in the mounted cops and started clearing the area “for our own safety”. It was not over when we left around 9:00 PM.
I don’t know what set the cops off, but when they choose to get nasty it is not fun, at least one cop had his face partially covered under his riot helmet, I wondered if he was Paddick.
In the main it was a good day, but ended on a scary note of cops asserting their “authority”.
Regarding Adam Porter’s comment about the BNP and taking one’s politics “seriously”, what a load of bollocks. The BNP and the rise of the right phenomenon have nothing to do with apathy or the “disintegration” of the left, and everything to do with living in a crap dog eat dog capitalist culture. If you feel like tackling the symptoms be my guest, but don’t tell me how take my politics “seriously” because the BNP were filling out DSS forms in Burnley. Ask yourself why there is poverty in the first place, not why the BNP capitalise on it with their scummy agenda.
Lots of love
Abu Arak.
. Didn’t bother with the other march at all, it was probably full of Adam Porter types.
The samba band in Compton St. was brilliant. We disappeared into a pub in China town for a few drinks when we came out again the riot cops had sealed off the whole area.
Initially they were letting people out but not in, then they brought in the mounted cops and started clearing the area “for our own safety”. It was not over when we left around 9:00 PM.
I don’t know what set the cops off, but when they choose to get nasty it is not fun, at least one cop had his face partially covered under his riot helmet, I wondered if he was Paddick.
In the main it was a good day, but ended on a scary note of cops asserting their “authority”.
Regarding Adam Porter’s comment about the BNP and taking one’s politics “seriously”, what a load of bollocks. The BNP and the rise of the right phenomenon have nothing to do with apathy or the “disintegration” of the left, and everything to do with living in a crap dog eat dog capitalist culture. If you feel like tackling the symptoms be my guest, but don’t tell me how take my politics “seriously” because the BNP were filling out DSS forms in Burnley. Ask yourself why there is poverty in the first place, not why the BNP capitalise on it with their scummy agenda.
Lots of love
Abu Arak.
TinyCrendon
New Member
where did you read into what i said that poverty etc arent the root cause. where did you read into what i said that apathy and the disintergration of the left have anything to do with what i said ? where did you read about my reasons for the `rise` - such as it is - of the BNP ?
if you think `anrachy` and `anarchist` thought are about body piercing, balloons and a few stand offs with police then fine.
and i said everyone was nice, you dont have to be so aggresive.
if you think `anrachy` and `anarchist` thought are about body piercing, balloons and a few stand offs with police then fine.
and i said everyone was nice, you dont have to be so aggresive.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
As an onlooker
I know what you mean. I was watching from outside the Coach and Horses on Bruton Street as a large group came down Bond Street led by three or four guys carrying a banner between two poles. For some reason these guys did a right towards Berkeley Square whilst everyone behind them went left down Conduit St. The chaps with the banner made a full 15 yards until a couple of coppers pointed them in the right direction to roars of laughter from everyone.
Wished I had a camera on Piccadilly too. A brand new, shiny black Mercedes 500, stuck in the yellow hatched box between St James's and Albemarle St, with two diplomat types inside staring helplessly ......... as the dreadlocked hippie looking geezer sitting cross legged on the bonnet smiled at them !
I know what you mean. I was watching from outside the Coach and Horses on Bruton Street as a large group came down Bond Street led by three or four guys carrying a banner between two poles. For some reason these guys did a right towards Berkeley Square whilst everyone behind them went left down Conduit St. The chaps with the banner made a full 15 yards until a couple of coppers pointed them in the right direction to roars of laughter from everyone.
Wished I had a camera on Piccadilly too. A brand new, shiny black Mercedes 500, stuck in the yellow hatched box between St James's and Albemarle St, with two diplomat types inside staring helplessly ......... as the dreadlocked hippie looking geezer sitting cross legged on the bonnet smiled at them !
After the Mayfair shenannigans I don't think I'll ever go on a "serious" protest again. Spontaneous, decentralised and lots of fun with no placards, no stupid slogans and best of all NO PAPER SELLERS! Who was there for the huge inflatable football kick-a-round down Oxford street, best fun I've had in ages.
The police didn't have a clue what do about are make-it-up- as we go along marching. Silly twats, huffing and puffing while they tried to work out what we'd do next. More of the same next year I hope, but with bigger numbers. The mass majority of the Mayfair crowd was in the 17-22 age range IMO, which added to the overall aceness of the day.
The police didn't have a clue what do about are make-it-up- as we go along marching. Silly twats, huffing and puffing while they tried to work out what we'd do next. More of the same next year I hope, but with bigger numbers. The mass majority of the Mayfair crowd was in the 17-22 age range IMO, which added to the overall aceness of the day.
John Wisehammer
lifestyle trendy vicar
I really don't understand why peoiple have got this bizarre fetish for the American embassy, you know. It's a monolith of a square building that's protected by 8 foot ramps, concrete barriers, crowd barriers, armed cops and shitloads of CCTV. It's set back from the road, you never see anyone go in or out of it and it's got zero publicity value because no-one ever passes there. You're neither going to be able to storm it (if you wanted to), nor attract people's attention to your cause by picketing it. There might have been one exciting afternoon in 1968 (or whatever), but since then, it's been a complete waste of time. I understand that there are people that go there every Saturday to protest about Kyoto. Why?
danny la rouge
More like *fanny* la rouge!
This is Glasgow calling. Glad you had a great time down there. Looking forward to those pics. Glasgow was terrific. It pissed down in the morning, but when the drums started up, the sun came out, and we had a glorious, sunny day. Contrary to reports, there were around 1,500 to begin with, but that dwindled around 1pm, when folks left to join the Palestine Solidarity march in Edinburgh. Those of us who stayed paraded round the city centre, confusing the cops (and sometimes, it has to be admitted, ourselves) about which way we were going next.
I ended up carrying a big black and red banner reading “People Not Profits” at the back of the procession for a while. Folk kept congratulating me on it, even though I hadn’t had anything to do with making it. I was happy to take all the credit, though.
One of the funniest moments (although maybe not for him) was when we were outside the Army Recruitment shop, and a guy who’d been firing a water pistol all afternoon was suddenly seen as a threat!
There was colour, big big noise - with 3 trucks loaded with sound systems - water container drumming, and bemused bystanders, most of whom seemed to enjoy our efforts, and were on the whole supportive. Great fun. I was even asked by the BBC if I was a Green Party spokesperson!
I ended up carrying a big black and red banner reading “People Not Profits” at the back of the procession for a while. Folk kept congratulating me on it, even though I hadn’t had anything to do with making it. I was happy to take all the credit, though.
One of the funniest moments (although maybe not for him) was when we were outside the Army Recruitment shop, and a guy who’d been firing a water pistol all afternoon was suddenly seen as a threat!
There was colour, big big noise - with 3 trucks loaded with sound systems - water container drumming, and bemused bystanders, most of whom seemed to enjoy our efforts, and were on the whole supportive. Great fun. I was even asked by the BBC if I was a Green Party spokesperson!
Calico i think the age span were a bit wider then that. i for one am 30 and i didn't feel old, or even close to old in that crowd. apart from that i totlay agree with you post. hopfully next year will be even better, more people joining the party.
i can't see the attracion in the us embassy either. much more fun to party in soho imho
i can't see the attracion in the us embassy either. much more fun to party in soho imho
There weren’t many people around the US embassy, it was barricaded with huge concrete blocks and sealed off by cops and fencing. It was a funny scene. The cops looked bored and there were officials standing outside the temporary metal fence checking people’s paperwork before letting them in to the compound.
I don’t think anyone targeted the US embassy, it was something the cops did themselves, which made it even funnier.
There is also a statue of some pompous historical Yank figure that was boarded up and covered with green mesh of some sort.
A lot of places in Mayfair were closed for the day and boarded up, one pub was refusing to let people in unless the landlord knew them personally. He lost a lot of business.
The day was very peaceful, well humoured and fun.
The Carnival in Soho was great until the cops decided to take “charge”, and I still don’t know what set them off.
I don’t think anyone targeted the US embassy, it was something the cops did themselves, which made it even funnier.
There is also a statue of some pompous historical Yank figure that was boarded up and covered with green mesh of some sort.
A lot of places in Mayfair were closed for the day and boarded up, one pub was refusing to let people in unless the landlord knew them personally. He lost a lot of business.
The day was very peaceful, well humoured and fun.
The Carnival in Soho was great until the cops decided to take “charge”, and I still don’t know what set them off.
TinyCrendon
New Member
Who is being patronising ? I'd re-read what I wrote if I were you. Fuck me you're sensitive. Arent we allowed to talk about these things ?
All I was saying - and i wasnt comparing it to the Union march - is that one day a year with balloons is all very well but what about the rest of it.
Its about encouraging people to take those ideas to a wider audience. Whether you like it or not thats the way the BNP get to people. The other 364 days a year.
Because when potential BNP voters in Burnley see people with balloons in central london they might think its not directly relevent to their problems.
That was all. How do you think we should spread ideas to a wider audience Mr Arak ?
All I was saying - and i wasnt comparing it to the Union march - is that one day a year with balloons is all very well but what about the rest of it.
Its about encouraging people to take those ideas to a wider audience. Whether you like it or not thats the way the BNP get to people. The other 364 days a year.
Because when potential BNP voters in Burnley see people with balloons in central london they might think its not directly relevent to their problems.
That was all. How do you think we should spread ideas to a wider audience Mr Arak ?
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