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Report & Pics: Life's too short to be controlled! demo

IMC London | 23.01.2010 23:23 | Migration | Social Struggles

Today's 'Life's Too Short to be controlled' demo that was called by London No Borders attracted over 150 people that gathered at St.Pancras international terminal from 2pm. Whilst people were arriving banners were being unfurled, speeches were given over the mobile sound system, and bandanas specially made for the demo that read 'cctv operating at all times - life's too short to be controlled' and 'Smile you are on cctv - london no borders' were given out to the crowd.

Report and Pics in IMC-London:
 http://london.indymedia.org/articles/4196

Demo marching towards Picadilly Circus
Demo marching towards Picadilly Circus


At around 2.30 the demo took to the middle of the road in Euston Road effectively stopping trafic, and started to march south towards Picadilly Circus. For about 2 hours the demonstration managed to maintain control of the roads marching unhindered all the way. Strangely enough there were no police on sight throughout, so the only problems the crowd faced were a few over excited drivers that attempted to move into the demo. At some point, in Russell Square, part of the crowd had to face a nasty taxi drived that repeatedly tried to drive into the demo. Protesters had to forcefully stop him from running over people.

Troughout the journey the atmosphere was very lively and determined. Chants of 'no borders no nations, stop deportations' we repeatedly heard, the mobile sound system kept playing a mix of conscious hip-hop and hard core, a small samba band kept playing, and leaflets were given out to passers-by.

The demo eventually made it to Picadilly Circus, stopping the traffic heading East on the intersection of Coventry Street and Great Windmill for around 15 minutes, with loud hip-hop being played. For a little while it resembled an impromptu street party. The crowd then moved to the square itself where more speeches were given at the foot of the Eros. A protestor then climbed the Eros statue and hung a Palestinian flag from it. After the speeces finished, music kept playing for a while longer until people started to disperse.

The demo ended at about 5.00pm with a general sense of success. People kept together all along occupying the roads in central London, and being in control of the route of the demo at all times whilst managing to defend the space from cars that tried to break it up several times. In this sense, it is a long time since central London had seen such as succesful autonomously organised demo as this one. The fact that the forces in blue (and yellow) didn't appear, not even for a second, made the day even better! :-)

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