UN-ARSED CLIMATE CAMP

Day Two Guardian
Climate Camp and The Police Guardian
Whitechapel Anarchist group
Police adopt low profile as 1,000 Climate Camp activists set up base- Guardian


Just before 7pm the Met's chief superintendent Julia Pendry, silver commander in charge of tactics for the operation, walked on to the site to talk to organisers, sparking a hostile response from a crowd of around a dozen anarchists. Apparently against the wishes of the rest of the camp, they shouted "scum", "kill the pigs" and "you murdered Ian Tomlinson" at Pendry as she left the site with a colleague.

But she struck a conciliatory note, apparently undeterred by the taunts. "The meeting was extremely useful. I have been extremely impressed by the number of people who are calm, welcoming. I got offered a cup of tea and that is how it should be," she said.

Asked if the insults had bothered her, she said: "It's the sort of thing any experienced police officer has seen before. I hope the camp is successful."


Well I thought day two was great from what I could see. I was up there for the afternoon. It is massive. Seriously I was really surprised how big it was and wandering around I could only feel a positive atmosphere except for some silly masks who were obviously so disappointed that there wasn't a ruck with the cops. What is the excitement? I don't get it.

Being a bit of a yesteryear protester myself I was really pleased to see so many fresh young faces I didn't recognise, and none of the moany old moss covered fuckers going on about their personal squabbles and what went wrong with "The Movement". The only old faces I saw up there were the people who were positive then and I am glad to see they are still positive now.

There were some photographers wandering round and I saw a couple of heated debates about them taking photos which was a bit annoying. I just demanded that they take pictures of us. Fuck it. How are you going to get society to change? Interest people? Maybe? Like real people outisde of your little group? Maybe? People who don't look like you maybe?

Ridiculous.

People can arse-ache on about corporate media blah all they like I don't give a fuck. If the Guardian are employing Hannah Kuchler, as far as I am concerned they have "the movement" right there. I will always remember her and her friends on Day-X when the Iraq war started.

It is nothing to do with me, but personally I am quite happy that SOME of the Climate Camp invited the Chief of Police Operations on site. They should be proud to justify and demonstrate what they are up to to all who will listen. Last time there was a big protest in Kingsnorth the Police action was heavy handed and over the top. This time, so far it isn't. That is only going to disappoint people in black wearing masks and probably a few on the other side also wearing black and holding truncheons who will have to go and kill the atmosphere at Notting Hill carnival instead. Fuck all of them. They aren't interested in Climate camp anyway.

Trouble is, if there isn't trouble the mainstream news will blank it as usual. There has to be the right balance between teaching, learning and pushing for things to change eh. I like the newsround (for kids)coverage here.

If you are thinking of heading up, go. I couldn't believe the effort people have gone to, errecting massive marquees, building toilets and stages all for free and for the sharing of positive knowledge.

Which is a good thing.

Strange Adventures in Copland:
...So it was with all this in mind that I stood up in front of a crowd of seventy police officers on Thursday afternoon, and explained to them why the Climate Camp was happening, how non-hierarchical decision-making works, and what this year's Camp will probably look like. I then described what it was like to be charged by a line of riot cops for no discernible reason, to watch your friends being beaten over the head and arrested on meaningless charges, to see people in front of you being pepper-sprayed in the face, and to know you have to stand your ground anyway with your hands in the air because the alternative is to let a beautiful Camp be trampled under their steel-toecapped boots. They listened, in silence. It was one of the weirdest things I've ever done in my life. Whether or not it will make any difference, I really couldn't say; but it felt oddly liberating all the same...

Climate campers get a lesson in citizen journalism- Guardian

from Hamish Campell and Richard Hering who was the voice of the pre-camp video posted below and who was briefly going to be involved in my project with the mad Muslims at one point some years ago.

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