Mayday Update - transcript live from the demo
Ket - Marcus Sky | 01.05.2001 18:42
I traqnscribed this over a phone call from another member of IMC . . . this is as up to date as it comes
With the wombles in Charring X , ther are approx. 1500 activists, police behind and a helicopter in the air.
Near John Lewis, the demo has split into 2 parts they managed to lock together and proceeded down New Bond St. With the
Wombles at one end, Riot Cops at the other end of Manette St W1, there are Missiles being thrown.
At the time of transcribing this the Wombles were being attacked, with the other group at Greek Street. The Crowd is trying to find its way through towns, at loggerheads with one another, each group trying to make their way through.
The anticipation of Battle of Soho Sq. Now making a way through Shaftesbury Ave, no one quite suire what is going at the moment, Starbucks was hit with grafitti, with Smash USA written on the glass....
It appears the Police were the Sale of the Century today, Activists were surrounded by police as they arrived . . .
A Line of Riot police in Old Compton Street, they are channelling people through Shaftesbury Avenue.
At Cambridge Circus now, there is a Number 38 and 24 bus plus traffic trapped here. Riot police are moving in now...
Demo heading north on Shaeftsbury Avenue, North Side of Charring X road, what seems like 100's riot cop.s
Now on Thoebald Rd, Running past pitch battles, with activists all around. What seems like 1500 riot cops , the protest group down to around 700.
Cops pitting bridging lines to allow 9 full police vans driving past.
It seems that the Cops are as disorganised as the activists.
Earlier today a Belgian guy was aresssted outside convergence 57, as soon as IMC went to film they were aressted.
A Breakaway group of 2000 is now heading down Emerald st. Cops are not pursuing them. A Bridge across Thobalds , seems like no access..
fighting broke out between charring x road and soho sq, as police truied to bottleneck the crowd into 2 tiny streets. This seems to be the cause of the inital conflict.
1,000 still blocked in at john lewis. THe demo is split in 2 halfs. Police are trying to redirect traffic to get traffic out of the west end.
The police are using Vans and National car and rental and tv license vans full of riot cops to transfer their bodies around (image uploaded later) ...
Now, a Stand off at Oxford Circus, there has been property damage, Wallis got hit, activists got hit ... held in a circle, the crowd are waiting for darkness to come down. the groups are split in 2 around Cavendish Square and Oxford Street.
City workers managed to reach the tubes.
Loud whistles and noise from Riots appeared in Great Portland St trying to encircle the demonstrators ....
Near John Lewis, the demo has split into 2 parts they managed to lock together and proceeded down New Bond St. With the
Wombles at one end, Riot Cops at the other end of Manette St W1, there are Missiles being thrown.
At the time of transcribing this the Wombles were being attacked, with the other group at Greek Street. The Crowd is trying to find its way through towns, at loggerheads with one another, each group trying to make their way through.
The anticipation of Battle of Soho Sq. Now making a way through Shaftesbury Ave, no one quite suire what is going at the moment, Starbucks was hit with grafitti, with Smash USA written on the glass....
It appears the Police were the Sale of the Century today, Activists were surrounded by police as they arrived . . .
A Line of Riot police in Old Compton Street, they are channelling people through Shaftesbury Avenue.
At Cambridge Circus now, there is a Number 38 and 24 bus plus traffic trapped here. Riot police are moving in now...
Demo heading north on Shaeftsbury Avenue, North Side of Charring X road, what seems like 100's riot cop.s
Now on Thoebald Rd, Running past pitch battles, with activists all around. What seems like 1500 riot cops , the protest group down to around 700.
Cops pitting bridging lines to allow 9 full police vans driving past.
It seems that the Cops are as disorganised as the activists.
Earlier today a Belgian guy was aresssted outside convergence 57, as soon as IMC went to film they were aressted.
A Breakaway group of 2000 is now heading down Emerald st. Cops are not pursuing them. A Bridge across Thobalds , seems like no access..
fighting broke out between charring x road and soho sq, as police truied to bottleneck the crowd into 2 tiny streets. This seems to be the cause of the inital conflict.
1,000 still blocked in at john lewis. THe demo is split in 2 halfs. Police are trying to redirect traffic to get traffic out of the west end.
The police are using Vans and National car and rental and tv license vans full of riot cops to transfer their bodies around (image uploaded later) ...
Now, a Stand off at Oxford Circus, there has been property damage, Wallis got hit, activists got hit ... held in a circle, the crowd are waiting for darkness to come down. the groups are split in 2 around Cavendish Square and Oxford Street.
City workers managed to reach the tubes.
Loud whistles and noise from Riots appeared in Great Portland St trying to encircle the demonstrators ....
Ket - Marcus Sky
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Perhaps we are far too nice?
01.05.2001 18:50
Danny
THREATS TO PHOTOGRAPHERS
01.05.2001 19:07
paulrobeson
e-mail:
darrellestroud@hotmail.com
response to IMC arrested
02.05.2001 00:23
I have not heard of any other IMC arrests.
ket
k
Marcus Sky Arrested
02.05.2001 23:13
looking out the window, i realised what zero tolerance meant to convergence57. we were locked in. about 8.10, eight activists who had stayed the night, got ready to leave. i asked them if they were covered up and they knew their route out of here by memory. i heard a shout. "they've got somebody!" i opened up and moved out to film the arrest. this was my job at convergence as well as reporting by phone to indymedia. they were surrounded by thirty cops. the first arrest that occured on may 1st, occured here. i was the second. whilst filming, five riot cops came from behind, i was grabbed. "section 60! search for offensive weapons!" i froze. thrown against the wall, a police video photographer started to film from two feet away. i raised mine and pressed record. we faced off, surprising each other. he was pissed that i had a better camera, he told me later. inside my inner jacket, my personal hash. i was nicked on the spot! i later learned that the guy i was filming was a belgian. when i was released, i checked my tape and it had been partially erased. i was released at 3.30 and from a slow crawl to a fast run, i headed for the west end. eager to see my comrades do their stuff, i tried to find them. i missed all of the morning demos.
i appeared at bow street magistrate court in london and was given a caution. i am currently somewhere in hackney resting my battered body. of the 120 hours the convergence57, the old bacon factory? i saw the creation of one of the most radical groups of direct action activists slowly pull themslves together and take on the british state and teach everybody that action speak louder than words.
we all saw the press.
we all saw the tv.
judge for yourselves about what this demo was all about and think positive about tomorrow.
create the world you want to live in!
Marcus Sky signing off mayday2001
imc-ista!-UK
Marcus Sky
e-mail:
fuckthecorporatemedia@lies.com