I didn't write this at 1.56pm, I wrote it at
about 9.

It's done it again! Can IMC sort
it's clock out please.

!Nice one! ;]

first class job from the protestors today that managed to stay calm even though outright violence was dealt to them by the state bully boys ... the real brutallity can always be dealt at whim by those that hide behind the law , the same law that will incriminate any persons who defend/fight back against these brutal onslaughts of truncheons and riot sticks.

I've just got back from the protests, and the police were taking no shit in clearing the streets north of Oxford St. We left work and wandered up to Oxford Circus, which was well and truly hemmed in at that stage. We made a huge circle around it, passing the other group of protesters in Holles St. We made it all the way back round to the east side of Oxford St without seeing any trouble apart from a single thrown bottle, and that didn't go down too well with the crowd.

We were looking down towards Oxford Circus when we saw a line of mounted police move down a side street heading north. Quickly after the police moved us back further and riot police headed down the same street. Being curious we headed round the corner and ended up on Eastcastle St, where there were police vans with riot police in a line behind them and plenty of police guarding something behind in Great Titchfield St.

A fair few of the protesters here were being rowdy and aggressive, and didn't seem to fit the same mould as the people I'd seen so far. One tried to let the tyres of one of the vans down, and a couple were taunting the police and throwing stuff. Suddenly the riot police came running through the vans and at us all, and we all legged it up the street. The police slowed and stopped, but only to allow more riot police through. Seeing that they'd push down to the end of the road, my mates and I went down the end of the road and headed north up Wells Street onto Margret St.

Things seemed quieter here, so we walked down towards the crossroads with Great Titchfield St. There were police there, blocking off the south exit, but the other three exits were thronged with people. Things seemed fairly quiet at first, if a little noisy and we headed down towards Regent St, only to spot a row of mounted police blocking the road further down. By this point the line of riot police was three deep, and I didn't want to get hedged in when they moved foward, so we went back to the east side of the crossroads and stood on the steps to a building watching and talking.

By now things have begun to get a little bit more tense. Missiles are being thrown at the police line - bottles and cans mainly, although one bin big full of rubbish was also thrown. Towards Regent St we suddenly notice the mounted police are moving foward, pushing the crowd down towards the crossroads. As they get to the west edge of the crossroads, the line of riot police surges foward, running at both of the other exits.

The dozen of us standing on the steps nearest the crossroads have no time to do anything other than press back and let the first line of cops go past. But it's then followed by a second line, and rather than move us along a couple of them just lay into us with their shields, pushing and bashing us until we start running eastwards. As we're running, with the police, batons extended, just a couple of yards behind us I see a girl screaming at a cop in the next stairway, trying to keep hold of the baton he's trying to use on her. By the time my mate Andy gets to that point, she's on the floor and he's carried on hitting her, and he stops to take a photo quickly, earning himself several nasty hits to the legs from an overzealous cop.

We finally manage to get out of there, head north and then east onto Mortimer St. By now Andy's leg is starting to really hurt him, and we walk further down and stop off in a pub on Goodge St, where it's quiet, and get some drinks.

Within ten minutes, the police line has moved down to outside the pub, and the landlord locks the doors. We're in the pub and everyone is watching the protesters retreating, and in the process setting several fires in the street. Soon, the protesters have gone into the distance, and there's a fire engine there to deal with the burning bins and rubbish.

Finally we're allowed to leave the pub, and head down to Tottenham Court Rd tube station to go home. And last we could work out, the protesters were still heading east past Totteham Court Rd. They may even still be going for all I know.

I feel really sorry for the people stuck in the cordon at Oxford Circus. A friend of mine was in there, and he must have been there for at least six hours. What about basic human needs like food, water and somewhere to empty your bladder? The police seemed to have a plan for containing people, but no clue about what to do with them afterwards.

As for the violence that flared up north of Oxford St, well it really seemed like a different crowd from the others I'd seen today. A real pity that they provided the media with something to have a frenzy about, and spoiled what was pretty much a peaceful day otherwise.

My own experience of violence today... Well, I got pushed by a (somewhat senior) police officer while I was taking pictures of people moving around (I was wondering what they were fleeing from... then it hit me - from behind !).

Apart from that, I've seen police charging at times, a few people beaten up (I have to assume those two guys were really pissing of the cops), but most of the times, violence came from protestors. Hold on, don't shout, I did not say from *all* the protestors. I should really say from a few protestors.

Ok, I've seen people crashing windows (very few), some lighting a fire (that was not violent but pretty stupid), and most of all people shouting at police officers.

Now, those cops are real people, they are doing their (boring) job, and by 7pm they must have been very tired, and surely scared. We spent our time taking pictures of them, going around, hassling them. They stayed quite calm.

Having said that, I was only around Oxford Circus between 6pm and 7:30pm. Dunno what happened before, after, or at the center of the Circus.

I've also noticed a group of 5 guys, dressed as, I would say, football supporters, without the beer (relief) but with ear plugs. Each one of them. They seemed to follow orders, moving towards agitated areas. I must say I did not see them smashing any windows ;) or, in fact, interact with protesters.

May Day still had some real violence when, making the best of a riot police charge, a thug grabbed my digital camera and fleed while his accomplice pushed me aside. Unfortunately for him, I really like this camera (it's a Digital Ixus and it was loaded with my 96MB card) and I was hyped up by the row with the aforementioned police officer. So I just went after the thief, litteraly threw him on the ground (which startled me since he was quite tall), and took back my possession.

After that, people came and told me not to fight, the real enemy was the police, etc. (as if I wanted to fight - there were two of them and I'm really not Rambo). But I have to say that if May Day protests were a little bit more organised - with an internal security force, leaders, etc. - we could deal with that kind of event.

Of course, we would then lose the spirit of the protest...

BTW, one observation I forgot to mention was that I saw a police officer taking pictures with his own personal camera. I know it was his own personal one because it was a disposable Kodak. That was just such a comic touch, and a real insight - I can just imagine him getting all excited to go to work on this day and reminding himself not to forget his camera so that he can get some really amazing pictures. You see, they're human too.

Just wondering what your mate is going to do with the photo of the policeman batoning that lass, can we expect to see a copy on indymedia?

...sounds like a 'special branch'thug who attempted nicking your camera with the'evidence'in it .

Maybe the protestors wouldn't have had to come out fighting if they hadn't been caged in like animals. All violence comes from the State!

The photo of the cop beating the girl wasn't taken because the camera switched off some point around then, so no joy. He did get plenty of other pics though, and I'll hopefully have them online for my diary.