"going on an anti-capitalist march is like going on an anti-terrorism march or an anti Eviolence march; its a nice idea but it wont achieve anything"

It acheives solidarity at the very least, and if it does nothing else, it is worth it, for it shows that we will not be divided, or lead astray, and that we are the real great britain, just and proud.

what do the supporters of war have to be proud of? what do the capitalists have to be proud of? what do you have to be proud of?

On Mayday specific targets were announced. Lockheed Martin an arms company whose shares have gone through the roof before, during and since the Iraq war.

The Foriegn Office - whose policies in the world are felt at least by the protesters and by many of the public as being immoral. This is not just in the case of the attack on Iraq, but also their invovelment in the U.S's Plan Colombia, our arms selling, our companies who deal in oil most notably BP, who are implicit in human rights abuses. These are to name a few.

Then Shell was announced as a target - An oil company that has wrecked havoc on the environment, who are also implicit in human rights abuses and who to this day continue to profit from the plundering and polluting of the earth from countries who have horrific human rights which benefits the company for the protection of the oil lines. The Ogoni people in Nigeria are one that immediately spring to mind, Papua, Colombia, Turkey etc. (Please research yourself for more info).

So the link was being made between Foreign policy, Oil, Arms and it's role in this system Capitalism. - As is usual the mass media were only interested in whether there would be a ruck ans failed as ususal to even glance at the issues the organisers had made clear.

“oh god no there are people protesting against capitalism! Lets give all our money to the poor and install a socialist government.” - Well no to be frank I don't. By protesting we are attempting to highlight these wrongdoings. However protesting is just a tiny tip of changes that are happening throughout the world as an alternative to this system. Different countries have networks forning, international alliance being created and Socail forums discussing the possible ways a future system could be.

Unfortunately at present in this country - people are not prepared to go beyond the moaning stage and physically try and create an alternative. There is much work to do and it is down to all of us who have the chance and ability to try and improve this world. Let's not forget we are destroying the environment, time is running out for our future generations. We must be able to look them in the face and say we tried.

In terms of your statistics 20%this 20%that...Well that can be ignored as that is just coming from your own perspective witout any sense of research.

It's good you asked the question wha'ts it all about. Above gives a tiny bit about Mayday but a dissatation on a new system is not possible in this short space. What do you want? The best thing to do is to read up on various topics look at alternative news, get involved in something you are passionate about and die trying to leve this place in a better state than we found it. That's my perspective.

should really be called the "global justice" movement. Movements that are just "anti" this or "anti" that are not really very helpful in the long run. You are right in saying that the public's perception of the anti-capitalists makes them out to be nothing but "destructive anarchists" with no better solution to the current status quo. This is probably due to the media coverage that the movement gets, rather than the actual reality.

Many people in the movement are "pro" lots of things - sustainability, grassroots corporate control, local enterprise, self sufficiency....

Many also realise that these things they want will not come about by protest alone, but by individuals changing their lifestyles and purchaising practices in an informed and enlightened manner.

Of course it is useless to say "greedy corporations are destroying the world" and then to take six flights a year, drive 2 minutes to the local shop (in your non-biodiesel car), buy your electricity from a non-100% green supplier (ie: not unit[e]), buy coke etc...

Many activists have already made that connection and are refining and changing their lifestyles accordingly, but the biggest task is to get the word out. The alternatives are out there. People are just unaware they exist.

This anti capitalism thing is just a raw sign of things to come.
There is nothing to analyse here. No one overthrew the unbroken regime that has been going on for centuries. Not even came close to it. I do not think there is any improovement (possibly only decline) in the blissfully ignorant state of the people of this cursed land.

This regime will fall more by its own making than due to protests. But then again the time of the protests will be more telling at one point in time when such a fall come by.
So is there anything to protest about now?
Yes, the police state that you have to protest in aleady!
Does anyone not notice the pigscum around the pppprotestors.

The original article is the most popular britsh reptilian view on protestors highlighting the fact that the whole British soceity is fucked. The protestors did not mean to do it...maybe maybe not ...I will never know that but is it not sad ... I mean really really really sad that an 'educated', 'literate' type of ignorance is displayed by the author.
People still think that the media should tell them that the protestors are saying something.... and the protestors are being herded like sheep for the media to manipulate their views.

The time has come to carry out clearly aimed physical protests against the immediate threats... The pigscum state and its brainwashing media. Put more practically though possible example....people should tape their mouths and carry posters like 'Help!' to be effective.

i've replied in this twice now and my responses keep vanishing

i am an educated litterate person yes, my original post was a little bit devil's advocate. because i'm on the outside looking in i can see how the media and the general public view you; they can't tell what you're trying to do or why, and the media do little to enlighten them, so people like me who may be interested in getting involved are put off

i think you need to do a press thing beforehand to make it really clear to the public what it is you're trying to say, otherwise you just seperate yourselves from them and make them more apathetic

Educate literate RT. honourable Mmm,

I am uneducated and illeterate so I am going to be very clear here.

It is good that you do not participate if you are not sure or if you are brainwashed to not know who the 'media' that you refer to , is.

If you are to participate in any protests I beg of you to go through a metamorphism into a human being to grips with the reality.
What you could do is to achieve this informed state .......'stick a glowing red hot iron up the western pigmedia's sick arse'.

Clear?

Otherwise these protests do send the wrong singnals globally. A bit like the big anti war demo before the war!

a few points:

the 'anti-capitalist movement' was initially a media creation, following the June 18th 1999 "Carnival against Capital" (note not capitalism - it was focussed on the City of London, and other centres of capital around the world).

People are protesting about many things. It is this diversity, this unwillingness to submit to one line or ideology, which make it all so important. There is no one press release, and no one blueprint for a future society - these are good things. If I should push and push for a specific future society, I'd be falling into the trap of how things work nowadays. I do not want power over anyone - I want everyone to have power to...

And I think there's more to it all than people just having to become more aware, change their choices, and we'll end up in a socially just world. There's major structural stuff to be confronted, both in our heads, and in the existance of corporations etc.

And yes, there are problems with protests on Mayday and at other times, and we do end up sometimes falling into the role of the spectacle (rather than encouraging involvement etc). People do think about these things - I hope you all use your critical radical and passionate faculties to change things through your involvement (so one day we can all have lives free from posting on Indymedia...!).