Yeah, fair point, we shouldn't wait till September but what can we do ?

Mass protests in London don't seem like a very good idea, small ones get no publicity (even the 3000 protesting about the terrorism act last week), what else is there ?

The small actions on May Day were excellent. Is anyone going to be up for trying them or similar actions again without the countries media eyes everywhere and the cops too busy putting their riot gear on ?

I don't want to encourage people to give up or to despair but what can we do ?

Are the people who don't vote (about half the country isn't it?) just apathetic or is it a quiet protest about the shit state of things ? In other words, would they be up for joining in if they were presented with an opportunity to really change things ?

Trying to be positive, lets assume they'd be up for it. We therefore need to create such an opportunity. Any ideas ?

The 'what can we do' point is a fair one and not neccesarily negative. Politicians always condemned those false elections that they used to hold in places like Russia and stuff. As there was only one party, the whole thing was a sham.

Is Britain any different today? The two parties aren't really that different, there's Facism, and then there's Facism-lite (with added spin).

However, it's not all doom and gloom. Politics may a shit sandwich of greed at the moment, but we should remember one thing: PROTEST MOVEMENTS CAN SUCEED!

Do I detect a some doubt out there? How about The end of arpatite in South Africa, or the eight hour work day, the right to Unionise, Women's votes, equal rights, the right to a trial by jury, etc, etc, etc. All of these advances cam about solely because there was a band of people - protestors - who believed in what they stood for and would not be dissuaded or discouraged by all the bullshit, lies, and sneers.

So, we know protest can work - when does it succeed?

I've read up on this a lot over the last couple of years, and it strikes me that all succesful protests have had a two-pronged approach:

1) Some amount of real or threatened 'violence'
(i.e. damage to property)

2) Popular support - being seen as being on the 'right' side

Those in power have always been able to stand one of the above two components. Riots in Brixton failed to get much done because it was percieved and sold to the people as destructive youths and criminals running amok. The non-violent diarmament movement - CND - never suceeded despite having popluar support from many people, because the authorities felt that they could simply 'ride the storm' - which wasn't really a storm, just people staging sit-ins.

However, to gain popular support, any 'radical' action needs to be seen as seperate from the movement as a whole, otherwise the moral high ground is lost and support simply falls away.

So, if you agree with what I've said above then the only questions are: What action, how & when? and how can we get popular support?

As to the action side - that's to be decided by the people themselves on sites such as this one. As to gaining popularity - we need to sell the movement as a popular groundswell of opinion and pay attention to how the media portrays us and what we can do to improve it. IT SUCKS, I know, but we'll only get the numbers we need if we can get people to realise that it's us that are the ones who care, and the government and corporations who rape, pillage, and oppress.

Peace.

P.S. Nothing in this article should be taken as an incitement to do anything. Tony Blair's dismantling OUR health service and selling our schools to corporate brainwashers - but just stick the kettle on and have a cup of tea, there's a good boy/girl. (really)

Ha ha!

Jack Straw jeered at by his own beloved boys in blue, Tiny Blair bollocked by some poor woman whose husband had been waiting for a hospital bed and best of all, William Hague barracked by protestors.

Superb. It may be fiddling whilst Rome burns, but I loved it! Just to see the wall of shite being broken down once or twice is a real pleasure.

By the way - how do these people know where the party leaders are going to? Is there anyway of finding out?

Any info gratefully received.

Call me psychic, but I predicted that very soon these losers wouldn't be able to show their two-faces in public outside of an armoured van. Now, do unto politicians as they do unto you, and lamp them square on their chinless, arrogant faces.