The biggest 'political' event taking place in Brum this weekend was the 'Drop Beats not Bombs' music event on the Saturday which, despite it's anti-war name, showed little in the way of aware, conscious politics from its top level organisation. During the day, however, as a run up to the event, a number of political stalls were set up in the open-air part of the venue; these included Make Poverty History, Dissent!, Social Centres, Cuban Solidarity, PSC, peace not war, and the campaign against the arms trade.

There were also a number of talks/workshops during the day. Participants discussed diesel-veg oil conversions, housing co-ops, and there was a talk on the Dissent! network, which led on to a discussion of how the G8 is attempting to co-opt protest and divide us into good/bad protesters, and how the Brown/Short IFF proposals for global poverty aid are unsustainable.

As well as a presence from Peace Not War and the Blair Ditch Project, Birmingham Indymedia were in the venue's theatre for the night showing a range of films and publicising the launch of the Birmingham IMC.

The following day, Sunday May 1st, quite a few people turned up at the advertised meet-up point at 2pm for the May Day gathering. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign were there, as were the lovely people from Socialist Resistance selling papers. Activists staged a march through the city centre comprised of both pro and anti-capitalist factions, which confused security and the police no end. As soon as the march reached the Bull Ring, security arrived pointing out that the once public space was now private property; this was immediately met with cries from the pro-capitalists of 'We Support Private Property' and 'Demand an end to all public space!'. Suitably confused, security allowed the march to continue up New Street where it was accosted by police. Unbeaten, the march met up with vendors distributing Manchester noborders' 'Hate Mail' near the civic building, where the pro and anti-capitalists faced off in an ugly confrontational scene. 'No need for greed' opined the anti-capitalists, while the pro-capitalists pointed out that 'People have a monetary value'. 'How much is it?' demanded the anti-capitalists. 'Depends!' was the pro-capitalist reply. Later, chain store shoppers were congratulated by the pro-capitalists for their support for child slave labour, and people were exhorted to 'support the rich'. The anti-capitalist faction was not put out however, and in support of the anti-precarity campaign and in solidarity with the workers of Rover, adorned temp agencies with signs helpfully advertising low wages, job insecurity and the unproductive, uncompetitive nature of holidays and sickness.

The following evening saw the launch of Brum Indymedia which, in collaboration with the Birmingham Guantanamo campaign, held a screening of 'This Is Camp X-Ray',a film documenting the UHC Collective's life size, functional replica of the US internment camp in Cuba. This was followed by a Q&A session with the films director. One person asked the very pertinent question 'what next'? This was met by a talk from the Guantanamo Campaign, which people were urged to join in solidarity not only with the known British detainees, but with those detainees the US government still refused to even declare. The event was followed by a free music event by the INQLAB Collective rounding off the long weekend.