Friday, July 01, 2005
End the Occupation!
Occupation is bad, says Indymedia.
Except, when it's Edinburgh park which is occupied.
Meanwhile:
Click for larger version and notice the brutal police reaction!
This is something other protest groups could learn from, like those referring to:
1) No one had been hassled by the police. No one. One interviewee, after indicating having no "hassles" said "we're doing our job, they're doing theirs I suppose". That didn't stop the interviewer asking nearly everyone "have you had any hassles with police?" and subsequently trying to video (read: provoke) as many officers as possible who were otherwise minding their own business and struck me as quite polite.
Quite hypocritically, subsequent (audio only) recording bemoans having their photographs taken by police. Apparently what's fine for some...
This is then followed by complaining about how "Make Poverty History" (associated with Sir Bob Geldof) isn't "Radical enough" and how
As for selling out? Bob Geldof did more for awareness of poverty on one day in the eighties than you will in your entire life. He's about to do it all again. I'm sure he would appreciate being called a sellout by someone who invoked Godwin's Law in a discussion on African poverty.
Except, when it's Edinburgh park which is occupied.
200 people have occupied Pilrig Park in Edinburgh, and are setting up tents to make an autonomous camp site there.The calm before the storm?
23:15: There are around 20 police present, but they have not taken any action so far. Council officials in the park are trying to persuade everyone to move to the official, council run, camp site.
UPDATE 23:55: More police have arrived (there are now 50 in total), along with busses intended to take people to the official site. A small group of people are talking to the council officials. Everything is still calm.
Meanwhile:
The Clown army, had a press conference today morning, displaying some ridicilus tacticsNot to mention ridiculous spelling! However, looking at some of the photographs of the "Clown Army" I am quite comfortable with their method of protest. Witness their tactics for dealing with police:
Click for larger version and notice the brutal police reaction!
This is something other protest groups could learn from, like those referring to:
a small amount of hassle from the police at King's Cross.Watching the video on the above page allowed me to make a few observations:
1) No one had been hassled by the police. No one. One interviewee, after indicating having no "hassles" said "we're doing our job, they're doing theirs I suppose". That didn't stop the interviewer asking nearly everyone "have you had any hassles with police?" and subsequently trying to video (read: provoke) as many officers as possible who were otherwise minding their own business and struck me as quite polite.
Officer: "Is there a reason you are filming police officers on the station?"Is that what's considered quality 'independent journalism'?
Videographer: "I'm on the pavement"
Officer: "Well the area still belongs to the station. It's a simple question"
Videographer: "I'm doing it for journalistic purposes...Police interaction with G8 protestors"
Quite hypocritically, subsequent (audio only) recording bemoans having their photographs taken by police. Apparently what's fine for some...
This is then followed by complaining about how "Make Poverty History" (associated with Sir Bob Geldof) isn't "Radical enough" and how
"Asking the G8 to help Africa is a little like asking Hitler to help the Jews. If we can raise that point and try and get that through, then we'll keep the movement a bit radical. If there aren't any radicals involved in this Make Poverty History movement, then it will be dominated by celebrities and governments and people who are basically going to sell out the aims of the movements, so it needs a radical edge to it and that's hopefully what we will provide".Of course it's completely unclear what the "aims" of these "radicals" actually are other than getting in the way, but I have no doubt there will be plenty arrested in supporting their aims anyway.
As for selling out? Bob Geldof did more for awareness of poverty on one day in the eighties than you will in your entire life. He's about to do it all again. I'm sure he would appreciate being called a sellout by someone who invoked Godwin's Law in a discussion on African poverty.
