re: Hello Demo

[Guest guest]

As a regular Critical Masser, [ that always gets the best write ups as

being well behaved, non-violent and clearly defined ] I went down to the

demo, although I was late and did not get locked into the inner circle.

 

We had a lot of fun making one of the young riot cops smile. " Venus " a

pink haired fairy on stilts carrying a love heart emblazzened with " Love

All, Respect All " was giving the cops dressed up in full nice new shiney

riot helmets, shields, CS gas and expanding solid metal rod truncheons

lessons in expanding their hearts and breathing in and out love to the

planet. some folks had an accordion and were singing and dancing right in

front of them.

 

as a friend said, it achieved its aim without having to even happen. it

made a nation talk about the issues involved, all or any, even if just

clouded by personal conscience, ignorance or prejudices. 600 people

peacefully handing out veggie burgers for free outside of McDonalds was

funny. a lot of the best of this street protest is excellent Situationist

Art/humour. i dont even consider the ugly handful of violent protesters

part of it. they are basically just drunks, nice boy cowards using a

group to hide behind and screw eerything up. you get the same percentage

anywhere.

 

the police held several hundred very mixed people against their will and

without being charged for 5 to 8 hours in bucketing rain, cold, without

food, shelter, toilets and then hammered into them with their metal

truncheons mostly unnecessarly. there will be a legal challenge to this

and it will be interesting to see what happens. no wonders a few people

got really angry. with the loudspeakers on the building it was so 1984.

 

if you did the same to Hooray Henries, they would hace reacted just as

badly

 

what does it achieve?

 

i look back to the Charter Movement that wanted the vote etc. Their demos

were a waste of time, a wash out, unfocused. they faced 500 police with

cutlasses and the cavalry. the movement " failed " but all of the aims were

achieved a few years later. Aims written by a chippy and his mate not

lord or politician. i think these things are tips of icebergs and a

continuum of social action that has benefit ordinary people. if only more

ordinary people cared enough about the environment, the developing

nations, their children's future to be there it might have dampened the

extremist.

 

but the birth of something is never beautiful, it is bloody, messy,

dangerous.

 

i think also that these events are basically right up until the last half

an hour really fun, enjoyable social events pretty much unmatch. a sort

of Henley Regatta for the green and alternative unmonied underclasses.

and if you have never been to one, you are missing out on some of the

most significant social events of our generation. experience it for real

and make you own minds up, dont sit on the sofa and have your made up my

the media. the good side, the nice, sides, the compete boring bits do not

make news.

 

When you feel the spirit of what most of those people are doing, and see

some of the sacrifices, it can choke you with tears. When you feel the

spirit of the opposition, it is very hard not to be outraged. there is a

lot more going on that individual's self seeking and escape from empty

lives.

 

the media, mostly, acted like arseholes and carrion as usual. undiluted,

conscienceless propaganda for the status quo. desperate for anything that

would " sell " , make money ... how many actually reported the issues in

anything else but ridicule or contempt?

 

200 million kids die each year? not a story. icecaps melt? food for a

cartoon... and so on. sure, ultimately demos are impotent but what else

can one do? one side was mostly laughing. the other side laid into them

with metal bars.

 

Nice to hear your intro Hilary. Walk the talk, I am sure that you get

stick from other so called Christians. You should visit Country Life

vegan restaurant in Soho run by the SeventhDay Adventists, if you accept

them as Christians. I think that Jesus had been alive today he would have

been pretty heavy on the environment and I would not have been surprised

to see him at the front of the picket.

 

It emptied Oxford Street and Regent Street, Mammon's favourite handbag.

If nothing else, it gave those traders and staff something else to think

about other than their empty existences.

 

Dropped by Vegan London in Greek Street, the oriental in case anyone

came, the food is getting even better. It is almost too flavoursome for

me. Nice little note in the window about how Chinese vegan cooking began

in the Tang Dynasy when one of the Emperor's converted to Buddhism. How

long ago was that?

 

john