STOPPING

Sorry guys, I just can't see how this is a good thing and it makes me very uneasy seeing supposedly intelligent bloggers justifying "a bit of argy bargy". What killed Mayday in this country? Violence. There is nothing worse than being right and totally negating your argument. I can't see how this is bringing about change and I take a very dim view of wasting Police time. I have seen Police after they were out all night looking for a friend of mine who had become mentally ill, and not through drugs. They left without waiting for a thank you. I have seen Police attending road accidents.

I am surprised how many people my age and older are still dreaming of a day when Police are outnumbered and they think utopia will reign. When Police are outnumbered they will call fucking Blackwater guys. Get a fucking grip. Capitalists are laughing at you.

It all seems really simple to me. To try and draw back from the extremes of capitalism we need to interest the majority. As far as I can see only the top 3% will suffer in their pockets and in comparison to the bottom 50% they will still be living in luxury. As culture changes and the majority are on side, the top 3% who I would imagine are suffering quite badly from human greed might try some funny business so it would really help if the Police were on side. The reaction they had to Climate Camp on black heath was very encouraging. Please don't throw it away.

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I PWOTEST

I must admit that as much as I like Chris Knight and some of his real world anthropological theories I was pretty offended by the interview he gave Channel 4 News. He just looked like a sixty year old talking like a fucking teenager. I have serious things to protest about CAPITALISM. I am not getting sidetracked into any twatish focus on idiots who happen to turn up in uniform with truncheons. This isn't fucking Greece Chris. It isn't even France or Germany or Italy. As such I have to totally dissasociate myself from what Chris Knight has said here and say that his protest is nothing to do with me.

The Guardian add a bit more colour to the Chris Knight mindset which resides in a bubble apparently-

...Knight told the Guardian last night that he was doing everything possible to make sure there was no violence next week. He said he had set up the protest group with theatrical rather than violent aims.

"I'm doing everything possible to make sure that all the anger of the middle classes doesn't turn into violence. That's why we do all this play-acting. We're being nice to the bankers - we're burning them as effigies. Of course we don't want violence. If there's a huge ruck, the press will photograph it, and our vision about a different planet will not get reported."

He added: "But it's going to be hard. The message to police is 'if you press your nuclear button, I'll press mine'. It sounds like a threat? Well, yeah - don't do it. If you want violence, you'll get it.

"I know I'm in my own bubble. But in my bubble I'm predicting we'll have a velvet revolution in the next week or so ...The police, backed up by the army, will try to hold the ExCel centre. While they hold that, they will lose London. Then I think Gordon Brown will go...

and then what happens in your bubble Chris? Anarchy breaks out? Seriously, there is a journalist in front of you.

UPDATE: Nice to see the Police have someone equally as stupid talking to journalists

... senior commanders have insisted that they are "up for it, and up to it", should there be any trouble...

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RECLAIM THE BOLLOX

A really good documentary about the history and the success of the road protest movement is on the iPlayer here. I was only ever involved in the fun parts of Reclaim the Streets. Seeing what these people went through is really quite humbling.

Also: Camping in the City of London? Must be April Fools day...

I found a couple fo videos from "The Protest era" on Youtube. I thought it was funny that the BBC only interviewed ex-protesters who had developed into respectable citizens. I only know those who are still crazy. Its not over you know. People are still diving in front of diggers. They have moved to Ireland.





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Brian in Ghandi's room

LEGACY OF IRAQ

The legacy of Iraq

I'm not sure how I feel about the Iraq war. I was talking to Mr Camel and we both agreed that we were pretty much against huge amounts of missiles being fired on a country from a great distance. Calling it "Shock and Awe" was ridiculously stupid.

I was on the big march the other day, but not fully behind it. I don't see Iraq and Afghanistan as black and white issues. I also don't see those who think they lead moves for change in this country as credible. I heard George Galloway saying that the "movement" had "Maybe been a bit too law abiding and a bit too peaceful". OK George where were you when children tried to stop the country? Why did you leave them to be picked up by the throat like kittens? YOU SAID we were going to try and stop the country.



You're full of shit George. Don't worry, I didn't try and stop the country either. As I said, it's not a black and white issue. In 2003, as lots of bombs were being dropped, it was for school kids.

thanks to Flee

see also Where did the anti-war protest go?
and Gungho media

AAAHH!! PREACHERS OF HATE!

OK. Area the size of the UK devastated. Sparkle is off volunteering in the Astrodome. I'm not going to comment too much on the politics of the situation. Newsnight covers it pretty good.

I'm going to take this opportunity where I see Republicans and Democrats arguing about such intense issues, and also working together as individuals to repair such a huge natural disaster to chuck out my new mini movie Preachers of Hate



transcript here

This is sort of "part 2" of A year on the street and focuses on the two guys either side of Abu Hamza as he stood, sat and was at some points literally held up as he took on the media from the street in Finsbury park. Regular readers will know that I am sort of banking on the incredible sounding idea that the Supporters of Shareeah are not what government and media are telling us that they are. This film shows a little of why I hold this opinion.

If I turn out to be wrong I will be very disapointed.

Although I disagree very strongly with these people on a number of issues, and I have seen film of Abu Hamza saying some things which I find shocking, over the time I spent filming they focused massively on the same injustice apparent to me in the world. They also preached against the killing of innocents in this country.

If I turn out to be right, a real opportunity for peace with "Fundamental Islam" has been totally wasted. If I am wrong, the Sun, the Daily Mail and such like are all justified. Those are pretty big odds which I have found very hard to deal with on an emotional level over the years even though I have very much enjoyed filming these people.

I'd like to thank all the journalists, Muslims, Republicans and pot heads for their words of encouragement along the way.

Particularly:

Journalists like Colin Baker (ITN) Christopher Peacock (ITN I think) Christine Phillips (BBC London) Vivian White (Panorama) Tom and the other guy (can't remember the name) who are in some of the pictures from Finsbury park on Socialistwanker. The Canadian news cameraman who is in this film, whoever he is...

bloggers like Mike H, the Scrutinator ,The Deekster, Angie, Rightwingsparkle, Bill X Nilsson, Oxen and Tequilita

Every Muslim who bothered to talk to me in Finsbury park, especially Hajj, Jamal, Abu Abdullah, Mr. Abdullah the bookseller guy and friend, Abu Hamza and sons Mustapha and Mohssain Ghalian, also Samir, his brother, "the Algerians" and the bright young guys who appear in A Year on the Street wherever they now worship.

Muslim's outside of Finsbury park, notably Adnan Saddiqui from cagedprisoners.com and Aki Nawaz from Fun-da-Mental.

others, notably Anna and Charlie, Steve and Dom from the Synergy project, Jo from United Diversity and Precious from Revolution Gogo Broadcasting.

Not forgetting some of the guys from the UBA who have been in touch.

I really hope that the civilized majority will one day unite across political and religious divides and sieze real power in a peaceful manner. I do not doubt that it is possible.

THE NEW SCUM

I read a cartoon series recently called Transmetropolitan, on the recommendation of a friend of mine who is building an earthship in Greece. (see NEW SOLUTIONS, NEW PROBLEMS) I found it very inspiring. The story is set in a city of the future and revolves around a crazy journalist called Spider Jerusalem. I didn’t agree with his readiness for violence but wondered what he would do in my situation. The difference between his situation and mine was that his dissenting view had a pivotal effect on the political climate as the average person in the street, or The New Scum as he called them believed in what he said and voted accordingly. In my situation, if you don’t like it there is no one to vote for, and I mean no one. I don’t mind though, the time when you can put an x in a box and expect anything to change has been over for a long while. Maybe the New Scum will realize and do something about it.

Under the watchful eye of a security camera I’ve openly been filming, with idea’s of my own for social change in mind for a year and a half. My friend Mike has set up our own take on things called Socialistwanker. We’ve met a number of people who have been disillusioned with “ The Left “ and hope to provide a forum for some lively discussion. It would be pointless for me to just have a leftist bone-picking conference without a section for “Have you got a better idea?” I personally wonder whether we could interest the majority in a peaceful dismantlement of the extremist forms of capitalism from the top. We’ve also registered www.globaldomination.org.uk

No ones lives need to be revolutionized too quickly, we just have to all decide that things like Oil wealth and water are far too volatile to be in the hands of a few people, and all the revenues from such things should go towards the social welfare of the world population. If the majority of the worlds wealth is in the hands of the top 3% I wonder if the remaining 97% could be interested in legislating against this? When the media scream Anti-Capitalism nothing gets reported unless it is violent.

One Mayday I was interviewed for Channel 4 news by Mark Eastern he's switched sides recently, I think he is now the home affairs editor for the BBC.

“ The Police say you can march if you stick to their route. What are you saying?” he asked.

“ Sounds fine to me.”

He asked me something about the relationship between Police and protestors.

“ The relationship between Police and protestors in London has always been O.K. this isn’t Seattle or Prague or Genoa, this is London. “ I said proudly.

“ I don’t think a lot of your friends would agree with you..” he answered looking about.

“The fact is, if this isn’t violent you won’t report it, isn’t it?

He moved away from me. It never made the news. Boring conversation anyway.

As the Police line moved slowly back I was joined at the front , as usual by loads of people making friendly conversation with the Police who were communally called 4:3. They were nervous and everyone was talking about anything to take their mind off the situation and be friendly.

I asked the guy in front of me whether he was having a better time today than he had yesterday.

“ Well yesterday I was in court all day, waiting to be called..”

“ What was that like? “.

“ Boring..”

“ So are you having a better time today? “

“ Well I’m outside in the warm…”

“ So its better?”

“ Yes its nice out here with you lot..”

A Policeman asked where I had got my t-shirt, which had a psychedelic picture of Jesus on the front. A group of Italian anti capitalists masked up and dressed in black had a go at pushing the Police line. All the Police and anti-capitalist/pro-conversationalists nervously looked towards the disturbance and back towards each other.

“ We’re alright with you lot aren’t we?” asked the guy next to me. He had come all the way down from Yorkshire to peacefuly express his anti-capitalist views.

“Yeah, sure” said the Policeman in front of him.

The protest was really small, limited to a corner of Trafalgar Square. The media had no violence to film. I missed the final push and got pissed in a pub instead. I came back later wearing my usual devil mask. In these conditions wearing a mask makes you liable to arrest but I was able to walk right up to a line of riot Police.

“ It’s been peaceful today hasn’t it? “ I asked, mask on.

“ Yes, but if you get out of line I’ll stick you.”

“ You haven’t had anyone to stick today?”

“No..but if you piss about I’m telling you, I’ll stick you..” he was disappointed but jovial.

Later there was a screening of a film about deaths in Police custody on the wall outside
Channel 4 H.Q. The Officer in charge, who I had seen wandering about all day with a blue clipboard was there.

“ It’s been peaceful today hasn’t it. “ I asked him, mask still on.

“ Yes, its been a pleasure working with you all. Thanks very much. “