That's funny, cause when I just looked 51% were in favour of the may day protests

I've just taken a screen shot of that online poll because it's such a crap example of trying to lead results with that picture of someone kicking in the window of a mobile phone shop right next to where you're supposed to say if you agree with the protests or not. The picture reposes the question more along the lines of do you approve of violence or property damage or riots - ok people aren't that stupid but it's pretty crap standards here!

The lies and provocation of Tabloid (toilet paper) is getting hysterical!

"Scandalous" mayday sites seem to be citing peaceful demonstration as main events........

I wonder if these jurnos can read. Well I couldn't expect much from the DMG group, anyway.

They like the celebrity angle with ken and anita - guardian runs with the media story - and evening standard continues as standard:

Wednesday April 18, 2001
May Day protestors accuse police of using propaganda
Matthew Tempest, political correspondent
 http://politics.guardian.co.uk/insidebritain/story/0,9141,474768,00.html

Organisers of the forthcoming anti-capitalism protests in London today dubbed reports of planned violence in the capital as "Met police propaganda" - "The police know it's a quiet time at Easter for the media, and so are getting their defences in first.

"It was exactly the same last year, when the 'guerilla gardening' May Day protest was planned. The police told everyone the protestors were using the idea of planting trees in the road as a cover, and would come with pitchforks and spades. That didn't happen.

"The police spent millions of pounds and months of planning on the operation - and yet conveniently 'forgot' to close the McDonalds on Whitehall, right in the centre of the demonstration against capitalism, which was inevitably going to be a target. - "They have to justify their budgets and manpower, so it was very helpful for them that after eight peaceful hours somebody went and graffitied the cenotaph - it justified all their work." - "More than 5,000 people turned up for that demonstration, it went on all day, and about 20 people turned nasty and violent - and even that was only after riot police sealed off Parliament Square and refused to let anybody in or out."

Since last year, the police now have the power under the Terrorism Act 2000 to force peaceful protestors to remove scarves or balaclavas hiding their faces.




Wednesday, 18 April, 2001
Stay away on May Day - Livingstone
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1283000/1283130.stm

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has given his backing to plans by the Metropolitan Police to take tough action if planned protests in the capital on May Day turn violent. Anyone whose intention it is to engage in criminal activities should be arrested. "I want to urge everyone who has the slightest sympathy with any of the stated objectives of the protesters not to attend this action on 1 May."




THURSDAY APRIL 19 2001
Roddick backs camps training protesters
BY DANIEL MCGRORY
 http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-116773,00.html

MILITANTS planning the May 1 demonstrations in London have been sent for training at camps in America where they are learning how best to paralyse the city centre.

A leading London hotel yesterday cancelled a conference by some of the world’s foremost drug companies planned for May 1 after threats by animal activists.

The British activists are being shown how to disable surveillance equipment, block roads and railways and take over buildings at the California camp that is supported by one of Britain’s leading businesswoman. Anita Roddick, the founder of the Bodyshop, is a director of the Ruckus Society which runs direct action courses, even though London activists have put her chain of shops on their list of targets. Anita said: The Ruckus Society is an officially recognised and open organisation with its offices and full-time staff. Its emphasis is on training citizens in non-violent protest.

More than £500,000 of damage was caused in ten hours of mayhem at last year’s protests.About 5,000 police officers will be deployed for this year’s action.




Thursday, April 19, 2001
'Anita's May Day riot'
ROSS KANIUK
 http://www.megastar.co.uk/news/20010419n_anita.html

ANARCHISTS planning May Day protests across London have been trained at action camps in the United States. Ms Roddick said: "All the great advances in human rights, fair trade and environmental protests have been made by ordinary citizens taking it personally and through acts of peaceful civil disobedience." And she added: "Wherever the location, regardless of the subject, we condemn and do not train activists in any technique that will destroy property or harm any being.




Thursday 19th April 2001
Anarchists to loot Oxford Street
by Nigel Rosser (Evening Standard)
 http://www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=382719&in_review_text_id=328477

Anarchist leaders plan the mass assault and looting of prominent central London stores as the centrepiece of the May Day protests. The plan, codenamed "the Sale of the Century" by anarchists, is to ransack stores close to Oxford Circus as a protest against capitalism.

Sources say 35 separate actions have been decided so far, from attacking branches of McDonald's to invading British Aerospace's headquarters. In addition, some protesters hope to occupy the garages of MI5, although privately leaders are sceptical about the plan's viability.

As militant cyclists block roads at key points and at key times around the capital, various actions by independent groups of protesters - many non-violent - will take place. But at midday three main protests will begin the countdown to the Oxford Circus "Sale of the Century". Students will converge on Malet Street, anti-capitalists will meet on the Strand, and homeless activists will block Park Lane and build cardboard shelters to stop traffic.

At around 4pm the demonstrators will converge on Oxford Street and head towards Oxford Circus. Organisers believe this will present a serious dilemma for police: do they stop protesters massing in Oxford Circus or do they block them in Oxford Street, and risk potential damage to shops and businesses costing hundreds of thousands of pounds? At Oxford Circus, activists, using colour-coded signals, will direct protesters to the scene of the "Sale of the Century" attack.

After yesterday's article in the standard the poll at the end of the day stood at:

57% supporting mayday protests
43% against

After today's article "Anarchists to loot Oxford Street", at 1700 hours the scores on the doors are....

Do you support the May Day protests?

No 53%
Yes 47%