november 5th #OpVendetta march on parliament - report & pics
rikki | 06.11.2012 00:22 | Policing | Social Struggles | Sheffield
disturbing peace banner
fire play
tax banner
nelson's column
heading down whitehall
at the gates of parliament
loose cordon
anon banner
route from embankment closed
justice banner
debt banners
never mind the cold
police lines push forward
at around 7.30, anons climbed the ledges around the base of nelson's column, and this then became the focus for the crowd, which at its peak might have numbered close to a thousand.
around 8pm, the group set off towards parliament, taking over whitehall to the familiar chants of "whose streets, our streets". along the way, they paused to allow a giant 'anonymous' banner and some disabled people to lead the protest into the square.
police formed a line, forcing people to pass around them. their idea seemed to be to prevent traffic disruption to certain routes, but it looked as though they had accepted that the main road in front of parliament would be closed and traffic was obviously being managed to facilitate this.
there was also a line of police along the fences and gates of parliament, and the crowd surged right up to them, with some people attempting to attach the anon banners to the fences.
there were some scuffles over by the abbey between masked protestors and a FIT team. this led to a sit-down at that corner, which resulted in traffic being turned back along the embankment and then managed again to avoid the square.
as two politicians were accompanied out of parliament, police surged forward to clear the pavement in front of parliament and there were some minor confrontations during that process.
there was also some scuffling and, i think, one arrest, when a small group of people tried to scale the fences.
otherwise, the proceedings remained cheerful, peaceful, and reasonably unhindered. however, my feeling was that the protest was being "facilitated" or tolerated, but the police had huge re-inforcements nearby, two helicopters above, and manifestly visible and audible attack dogs within the grounds of westminster, so were in complete control at all times.
numbers started to dwindle after 9pm, and it's been reported that legal observers left around 11pm as less than a hundred people remained outside parliament.
rikki
e-mail:
rikkiindymedia[At]gmail(d0t)com
Additions
It was alot more than a thousand
06.11.2012 00:51
Well done to everyone who showed up
X
MORE PHOTOS
06.11.2012 10:38
The thieves and collaborators will single mindedly pursue their political and financial objectives for decades, and we need to keep up the resistance for decades
Fax
#OpVendetta Press Release
06.11.2012 11:30
At 8pm on November 5th 2012, Anonymous will march on The Houses of Parliament peacefully and unarmed. This is the centrepiece of a worldwide Anonymous operation of global strength and solidarity, a warning to all governments worldwide that if they keep trying to censor, cut, imprison, or silence the free world or the free internet they will not be our governments for much longer.Change is coming
The Demands of the UK collective:
Stop the education, health and welfare cuts; Cut the causes of the problems, don't cause more. 'Austerity measures' targeting vulnerable areas of the economy and society must be stopped. Bank support and bailouts using the taxpayers money must end.
Recognise the internet as an independent, self-governing, self-managing entity; An entity that is not, and will never be, controlled. The rights of internet users to protect their privacy must be respected. Web monitoring programs including, but not limited to, the Communications Data Bill CM 8359 should be withdrawn and no more should be proposed. 71% of UK Citizens are against the Bill, and its £1.8bn cost could be better spent. Suppression of free speech and censorship of the Internet must never be allowed.
FREE ANONS; Activists held as political prisoners must be released, including Richard O'Dwyer, Julian Assange, PayPal 14, Jeremy Hammond, Topiary and the 4 anons of the UK that will stand trial on November 7th. They must be pardoned and their full civil liberties restored. Whistleblowers should be protected, not punished.
Defend the right to protest. Distributed Denial of Service must be recognised as a legitimate form of protest, as long as an aim and reason has been specified by the protestors. Recently, we have seen the privatisation of every aspect of Government and placing companies that put profit before justice into positions of power is immoral and unethical. All corporations are quickly moving on to private land or government safe zones - this is an attack on freedom of speech and we will not consent to designated protest zones.
Search for us, and you will find us.
Anonymous
Homepage:
http://pastebin.com/nP9XCEDy
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