Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Observer Mayday article criticism

free press | 29.03.2002 13:55

As one of the first articles about Mayday 2002, the Observer seems set to continue the disturbingly bad journalistic standards seen in 2001 and 2000

Anarchists plan jubilee mayhem
Paul Harris and Burhan Wazir
Sunday March 24, 2002
The Observer

NB full article at:
 http://www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,672983,00.html

1) "Anarchist groups are planning a series of disruptive actions across Britain this summer that will..... cause running battles with police on May Day, The Observer can reveal"

WHERE EXACTLY WHERE DOES THE OBSERVER REVEAL THIS IN THE ARTICLE?
IT IS COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED.
IT HAS NO BASIS IN WHAT IS WRITTEN.
SO THE OBSERVER DOES NOT REVEAL IT AT ALL.
MAYBE THE SO CALLED JOURNALISTS MADE IT UP?


2) Special Branch officers are monitoring individuals and gathering information from internet sites and chatrooms used to discuss anarchist and anti-globalisation issues. Intelligence will be passed on to regional forces. 'We will stop anyone from causing trouble,' said one police source.

YES AND THE POLICE ARE THREATENING WEBSITE HOSTS WITH BEING RAIDED AND HAVING THEIR SERVERS SEIZED IF THEY HOST MAYDAY WEBSITES.
THIS IS A DENIAL OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
SURE THE POLICE _COULD_ RAID, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT.


3) "At a safe house for the Wombles in north London"

A "SAFE HOUSE" - OH COME ON!
THIS IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF USING LANGUAGE THAT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH TERRORIST NETWORKS, IN ORDER TO MAKE THE NAME 'WOMBLES' SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SAME.
IT WAS NOT A 'SAFE HOUSE'.
IT WAS A SQUATTED COMMUNITY SOCIAL SPACE, WHERE THE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN TO VISITORS, WHERE WORKSHOPS FOR LOCAL KIDS HAVE BEEN HELD, WHERE LOCAL CAMPAIGNS INFORMATION IS DISPLAYED
THIS IS 'JOURNALISM' AT ITS MOST DIVISIVE.


4)(re 2001) "Police forcibly contained the demonstrators, earning them condemnation from human rights groups, but the tactic was successful in preventing large-scale rioting."

HOLD ON, JUST HOW DO THEY KNOW 'THE TACTICS WAS SUCCESSFUL IN _PREVENTING_ LARGE-SCALE RIOTING'?
WHAT, JUST BECAUSE THERE WASN'T?
COME ON PURLEASE.


5) "This year May Day organisers plan to split their protest into many small groups in a bid to avoid being hemmed in by police. Unlike last year, details of meeting places and times will not be widely circulated"

YEAH TOO RIGHT! I WAS DETAINED FOR 8 HOURS LAST YEAR WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER IN THE COLD AND WET.
HOWEVER IF YOU LOOK ON THE MAYDAY WEBSITE (WWW.OURMAYDAY.ORG.UK) IT HAS THE DETAILS OF THE FOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS FOR THE MAIN MASS ACTION, AND THE AREA AND TIMES THEY WILL MEET, AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE REASONS.


6) "The Observer has learned that the May Day protesters, expected to number at least 5,000, will be targeting the Mayfair area of the capital"

OH OK, YOU DID READ THE WEBSITE THEN, WELL DONE - DID YOU REALLY LEARN SOMETHING?


7) "Police have hacked into several May Day internet discussion groups, forcing one to close down"

INTERESTING.
SO THE POLICE HAVE BEEN 'HACKING' INTO DISCUSSION GROUPS? WOULD YOU CARE TO GIVE MORE INFO ON THIS EH OBSERVER?
WHAT HAS DEFIANTLY HAPPENED IS THE POLICE HAVE BEEN THREATENING WEBSITE HOSTS WITH BEING RAIDED AND HAVING THEIR SERVERS SEIZED IF THEY HOST MAYDAY WEBSITES AND DEMANDING THE DETAILS OF THOSE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WEBSITE.
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO ASK THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER ABOUT WHETHER SUCH 'REQUESTS' UNDER THREAT WAS 'PROPORTIONATE' AND JUSTIFIABLE UNDER THE DATA PROTECTION ACT98 S.29 GIVEN NO CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED.
IN SHORT THIS IS A DENIAL OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND AN ATTACK ON DISSENT.


8) "As last year, all police leave will be cancelled in the run-up to the protest, with around 5,000 officers on the streets of the capital. Police are set to use rapid-reaction mobile units to keep track of protesters' movements and respond quickly to any trouble."

OK SO NOW WE WAIT A FEW WEEKS AND WATCH AS MORE UNDERCOVER JOURNOS, POLICE TIP OFFS AND MI5/GOVERNMENT STORIES START APPEARING NO DOUBT SAYING PROTESTORS WILL USE SAMURAI SWORDS, TRAVEL AROUND LONDON VIA THE VENTILATION SHAFTS OF THE UNDERGROUND TO LAUNCH SURPRISE ATTACKS USING CHILDREN AS SHIELDS, AND THAT THE ARMY WILL BE PUT ON STANDBY, POLICE MARKSMEN ON ROOFTOPS AND THE POLICE PREPARED TO USE PLASTIC BULLETS ON PROTESTORS (ALL THIS CRAP APPEARED IN THE PRESS OVER LAST 2 MAYDAYS).

AND THE FUCKING CORPORATE MEDIA WONDERS WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TALKING TO THEM!"!"

free press

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

Several hundred intent on mayhem?

29.03.2002 15:03

"While thousands of protesters will be intent on peaceful demonstrations, a hard core, thought to number several hundred, will target banks, fast-food chains and other multi-national firms with branches in the area."

I would be very interested to know where this little gem came from. It is slipped in as fact, but where did it come from?

Did the journos meet a protestor who claimed this, was it one the "special branch" morons, or did they suck it out of their thumbs?

Are these journos interested in "reporting the story", or is their role to spread police disinformation? We should be told!!!

Bemused reader


DONT always blame the so-called "Journos"

29.03.2002 16:59

In any conventional capitalist newspaper, all the staff are ultimately under the thumb of the editor and the proprietor. For example, during the miners strike of 1984 some journos from the Sun brought out their own publication, demonstrating, as it were, their opinions were not those for which the paper is so well known

Hoo Nose hoo


DONT always blame the so-called "Journos"

29.03.2002 17:00

In any conventional capitalist newspaper, all the staff are ultimately under the thumb of the editor and the proprietor. For example, during the miners strike of 1984 some journos from the Sun brought out their own publication, demonstrating, as it were, their opinions were not those for which the paper is so well known

Hoo Nose hoo


yeah right

29.03.2002 17:55

Dont always blame the riot cops, dont always blame the expellers of asylumn-seekers, dont always blame the newspaper bosses (those stressy shareholders are bullying them), dont always blame BNP Rsoles, they had difficult childhoods....
What happened to personal responsibility?
If you create or collaborate in creating suffering YOU ARE TO BLAME.....

fati


Get In Touch With The Author

30.03.2002 00:45

I have already exchanged emails with the co-author of this article, Burhan Wazir, after reading a biased article of his in the Observer about the previous Stop The War Coalition march and rally in early March.

He claimed he had a lot of sympathy for the Stop The War/Anti-Globalisation movements. After seeing this recent article about 'anarchist Jubilee mayhem' I wrote to him again "With Friends Like You....." suggesting he apply for a job writing for the Telegraph.

His address should anyone else care to follow this up, is:

 Burhan.Wazir@guardian.co.uk

rikki


excuse me fati

30.03.2002 16:50

i dont think he was excusing the propreitors; he said the journalists arent able to get their views across.
incidentally, the average BNP / NF type will have had an abominable childhood, or do you think people grow up naturally like that ?

summ buddy


More of the same

13.04.2002 11:47

The MI5hite behind this corrosive rubbish must laugh themselves to death at the stupidity of the so called liberal media in repeating the sunday breakfast penny dreadfull trash once ayear. I can imagine whole training manuals being passed onto new soulless recruits who are set to task every spring with the limitless possibilities in shite production that m1 offers. The journalists will be high up in my list for explanations required when the day comes.

who nose


Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech