Anarchists hijack police protest
undercurrents | 13.03.2002 20:03
Undercurrents recorded the most sureal protest of the year today. Police officers from across Britain gathered around parliament to protest at reforms to the police service proposed by the home secretary, David Blunkett.
Banned from actually demonstrating in uniform or with placards, hundreds of men with skintight haircuts loitered around Westminster seeking more money. One figure dressed as John Bull and covered in Union Jacks displayed a sign
"New Labour, the boys in Blues are sick of you."
The police brass band complete with plastic 'bobbie' helmets drafted in for the day were drowned out when an assortment of Globalisation, enviromental and social justice campaigners turned up with a Samba band. As the media descended upon the activists, d signs were displayed with "Remember the Miners" slogans and others highlighing oppressive policing of protests.
Shouts of " You've had your protest, now go home" were shouted at the throngs of officers as a humourous reminder of what is heard from police at each demonstration. One seething officer from East London told undercurrents that he wasn't "allowed to bring a banner but the anarhcists could, and that it wasn't fair."
The Home secretary attempts at creating a new type of civilian police force has angered many in the force. Some activists called for officers to strike on Mayday and others displayed a banner saying 'Anarchism is Attractive'. A reference to a Lambeth Police Commander who stated the anarchist way of life attracted him.
Meanwhile Mr Blair PM,is still insisting that the majority of police officers agreed with his government. Someone has to we guess.
Photos will be put on www.undercurrents.org
Banned from actually demonstrating in uniform or with placards, hundreds of men with skintight haircuts loitered around Westminster seeking more money. One figure dressed as John Bull and covered in Union Jacks displayed a sign
"New Labour, the boys in Blues are sick of you."
The police brass band complete with plastic 'bobbie' helmets drafted in for the day were drowned out when an assortment of Globalisation, enviromental and social justice campaigners turned up with a Samba band. As the media descended upon the activists, d signs were displayed with "Remember the Miners" slogans and others highlighing oppressive policing of protests.
Shouts of " You've had your protest, now go home" were shouted at the throngs of officers as a humourous reminder of what is heard from police at each demonstration. One seething officer from East London told undercurrents that he wasn't "allowed to bring a banner but the anarhcists could, and that it wasn't fair."
The Home secretary attempts at creating a new type of civilian police force has angered many in the force. Some activists called for officers to strike on Mayday and others displayed a banner saying 'Anarchism is Attractive'. A reference to a Lambeth Police Commander who stated the anarchist way of life attracted him.
Meanwhile Mr Blair PM,is still insisting that the majority of police officers agreed with his government. Someone has to we guess.
Photos will be put on www.undercurrents.org
undercurrents
Homepage:
http://www.undercurrents.org
Comments
Hide the following 20 comments
Do one bizzy!
13.03.2002 21:00
Ronnie.
Hopeless Revolt
13.03.2002 21:03
The state and it's system are tough structures to destroy...It'll take more than a samba band,you might as well of stayed at home.
Fight Back!
ThunderAndFire
Like, WHATEVER!!!
13.03.2002 23:53
Spike Militant
wrong thinking
14.03.2002 00:07
And what would be a better way of facing a police demo than a bit of a pisstake and a samba band? A baton charge by a control and restraint trained army of paramilitary anarchists?
Dr X
Shoplifters of the world unite!
14.03.2002 08:41
Actually, if the cops did go on strike, what I´d really like is to take over a police station (say, West End Central), and turn it into an autonomous squat-cum-collective for the day. We could paint the riot vans pink, do Situationist graffiti on the walls and spray "Anarchy is Attractive" in the superintendent´s office. Such a pity they´ll only turn out the army and have me shot at dawn.
Remember that the revolution will only come when *some people* stop taking themselves so seriously!
Anarchist Rioter
Sulking for the revolution
14.03.2002 17:28
In fact I think sulking for the revolution could catch on, its cheap, dosent require any effort or imagination at all and anyone can do it. Who knows, there could be millions of people out there doing it RIGHT NOW! Doubtless far more effective than actually mobilising in any way.
Actually fireandthunder, you would have been sooo much more credible if you had turned out all on your own to chuck a brick or something, but I never saw you there, you cowardy custard! Put your money where your mouth is!
(incedentally, the band are well known for stopping conferences, closing stuff down, sparking off spontaneous resistance and doing office occupations, pretty hardcore when playing music at the same time. Beats sulking any day.)
gnasher
hopefilled revolution
14.03.2002 23:18
tylermb
Do what you can
15.03.2002 17:30
Well one thing we seem to have acheived is we've made the plods look like a foolish bunch of hypocrites in the press, its rare our lot get the media doing our work for us and mabe people wil think a bit harder about who are these armed thugs in the pay of the government.
Not got too much against the black block meself, 'cept they do often think they are the whole thing. You can fight using sneakiness, humour, self righteous anger, charm, bricks or infiltration. Theres plenty of choices, and room for us all. Do whatever you can!
Sparkle
police
19.03.2002 02:30
aot
pork pie fight
19.03.2002 03:40
wildflower
Yeeha!
19.03.2002 18:18
BTW, this is a little off topic, but are there any solidarity protests being planned in the UK, or elsewhere in Eur. in response to the Kananaskis G8 in June (26-27)?
I heard talk that there were going to be solidarity protests in the Capital of each of the G8 countries...somehow I doubt that'll happen, but wouldn't that be splendid? yeah....yeah it would.
Canuck Kid
Bloody coppers again.
19.03.2002 19:55
Ronnie.
Sick of the anti police comments
21.03.2002 10:26
dnm
Oink!
21.03.2002 15:42
The Birmingham Six, Guildford Four, Maguire Seven, Judith Ward, Mark Barnsley, Satpal Ram, M25 Three, Johnny Kamara, Eddie Gilfoyle, John Taft, the Bridgewater Four and Stefan Kiscko would not have spent years in prison for crimes they did not commit.
You're a dickhead if you think we should support them in any way. They're not just another section of the public sector workforce. They're not binmen, postal workers, railway workers, NHS workers. They're nasty bastards who are out to do the state's dirty work. How many park keepers do you know who have handcuffed a black woman and killed her? How many hospital porters have gunned down a mentally disturbed man carrying an ornamental sword? How many school caretakers have shot dead a man carrying a chair leg? How many coppers do you know? They're in their own world and only associate with their own kind. They are cut off from us because of their inflated salaries and conditions. Nuts to them and nuts to anyone who has any sympathy for them.
Ronnie.
anti police comments
21.03.2002 19:25
dnm
Now's the time.
26.03.2002 05:22
Firewoman
Now's the time.
26.03.2002 05:22
Firewoman
Why not
28.03.2002 19:56
block head
Mindless thugs.
23.04.2002 08:57
I'm a police officer and am dismayed with the attitude of many people here. I police a busy town and regularly deal with fights and public order offences. And in two years of operational policing I have never stuck anyone with a baton, or sprayed them with CS irritant/incapacitant. Thou it is on occasion neccessary for police to use this.
I don't know what your local forces do, but we operate a policy of trying to talk people down who are agressively hostile and only using force as a last resort. Then if we can we tend to swamp them with as many officers as possible and use weight of numbers to contain them. Striking someone with a baton isnt something anyone whose thinking properly wants to do but unfortunately is sometimes neccessary. I could just be lucky that I've always managed to talk people into not attacking me or have been in a situation where other tactics have resorted in a non injury arrest. But if I was threatened with a knife or someother weapon i wouldnt hesitate to strike the person with my baton.
It boils down to common sense. Yes there have been miscarriages of justice and yes sometimes officers do behave in an inappropiate manner and use more force then is reasonable to the level of resistance. But this is rare. The majority of police officers do their job with tact and discretion and aim to make the streets safer for you all.
The police like nothing more than a peacefull protest in the capital. Its the hard core anarchists that go along to smash up private property and commit criminal damage that causes the police to restrict your movement at such events.
Further to that, if we get intelligence saying people are going to be carrying weapons or tools with them aimed at assaulting us or to be used to damage property then a S60 order will be put in place to enable us to stop search anyone in a defined area for a defined time. This is state fascism and control. its common sense aimed at protecting the majority of people... both peacefull protestors and police alike, from a few militant ultra left wing anarchists there to disrupt protest for their own agenda.
Once you make it quite clear to the few hardcore disruptors of peacefull protests that they wont be tolerated, then you'll find your relationship with the police at such events is much more amicable.
Mike
Above post
23.04.2002 09:13
I meant to say 'this isnt state fascism' as opposed to 'this is state fascism'.
:-) before some cheeky person misqoutes me somewhere.
Mike
e-mail:
mjpanne@hotmail.com