Brighton: We're Wet, We're Tired, But We Will Be Heard!
Sandra Johnson | 01.10.2001 14:21
Despite drenching rain, a police officer for every protester and media indifference, 12,000 people made their voices heard at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton.
We knew it wasn't going to be easy as we drove the minibus through the leafy suburbs of Brighton; BBC Radio had reported that Sussex police officers had been issued with pepper spray 'in anticipation of violent protest'.The rain worsened as we approached the city, and as we arrived it became a downpour.
Vans packed with police were parked discreetly on side streets and not so discreetly they lined the main access roads to the seafront -it took half an hour to park ,every parking space was taken by a police van. Standing at the marshalling area in the pouring rain were 5,000 or so protestors, with banners and placards, ankledeep in mud: anticapitalists, unions such as Unison and FBU, the firefighters union; the Socialist Alliance, Globalise Resistance, peace protestors and large contingent of SWP; all hemmed in by several hundred police in helmets, body armour, and riot shields , wielding long batons. Some had covered their faces and removed their identifying numbers - they were obviously looking for trouble.
As the crowd of protestors grew, it was prevented from moving off by police at the front, as snatch squads picked off protestors from the back of the crowd, for no apparent reason other than they were wearing white overalls. People shouted at the police - "Scum"... one protestor followed, pointing out the arrestees had done nothing illegal and had a right to protest; he was promptly batoned viciously by a very young police officer who had to be pulled off by his colleagues. It was all caught on camera.
Eventually the march was allowed to move off, by this time awound 10,000 strong. The streets were lined with riot police and the crowd kept to a very narrow stretch of road: every few yards police filmed the crowd. Nevertheless, and despite the rain, the march was good humoured; much drumming and blowing of whistles, and chanting of "No more warfare, we want welfare". Pedestrians joined the march as we went along, and local people waved from their windows and videoed the event themselves.
It was very slow going. Surrounded by riot police on all sides, herded front and back by police vans, we eventually reached the seafront, only to be confronted by even more riot police, some with dogs. It was obvious from their demeanour that the police were just dying for trouble so that they could wade in. They didn't get what they wanted. The march was disciplined,well organised and had learnt the lessons of Nice, Prague and Genoa. The police were taunted with chants of "What a waste of money". They looked grim. We laughed.
We were unable to get near the conference centre - steel barriers had been erected, ostensibly to stop carbombers, but actually to stop people exercising their legitimate right to protest. We had to stop a couple of hundred yards short, but made up for lack of proximity with the maximum amount of noise. The most moving moment of the day for me was Dave Nellist leading a section of the march in 'The Internationale' - people were visibly moved to tears. The sheer irony of singing this song, surrounded by armed police, kept at a distance from a venue where a supposedly socialist government was meeting wasn't lost on anyone present. If I learnt one thing from yesterday, it's that the 'war' has allowed Blair to impose a police state. He will do anything, spend any money, to ensure dissent is crushed.
The national media had filmed the whole event, and Carlton TV estimated 12,000 people had been present. We turned on the radio excitedly in the minibus on the way home; this was a major triumph for the left, after all; only to hear the BBC report as its sixth item, that a dissapointing turnout of only around 1,000 had been at the protest. I always knew that the BBC was the government's mouthpiece, but that proved it beyond a doubt. And if any further proof were needed, there was nothing on TV, nothing in the Guardian today - it's as though the march never happened.
Well, I was there, I know it did. The government can try and silence us, the mainstream media can try and ignore us, but we will make our voices heard. 12,000 people in brighton is just the tip of the iceberg.
Vans packed with police were parked discreetly on side streets and not so discreetly they lined the main access roads to the seafront -it took half an hour to park ,every parking space was taken by a police van. Standing at the marshalling area in the pouring rain were 5,000 or so protestors, with banners and placards, ankledeep in mud: anticapitalists, unions such as Unison and FBU, the firefighters union; the Socialist Alliance, Globalise Resistance, peace protestors and large contingent of SWP; all hemmed in by several hundred police in helmets, body armour, and riot shields , wielding long batons. Some had covered their faces and removed their identifying numbers - they were obviously looking for trouble.
As the crowd of protestors grew, it was prevented from moving off by police at the front, as snatch squads picked off protestors from the back of the crowd, for no apparent reason other than they were wearing white overalls. People shouted at the police - "Scum"... one protestor followed, pointing out the arrestees had done nothing illegal and had a right to protest; he was promptly batoned viciously by a very young police officer who had to be pulled off by his colleagues. It was all caught on camera.
Eventually the march was allowed to move off, by this time awound 10,000 strong. The streets were lined with riot police and the crowd kept to a very narrow stretch of road: every few yards police filmed the crowd. Nevertheless, and despite the rain, the march was good humoured; much drumming and blowing of whistles, and chanting of "No more warfare, we want welfare". Pedestrians joined the march as we went along, and local people waved from their windows and videoed the event themselves.
It was very slow going. Surrounded by riot police on all sides, herded front and back by police vans, we eventually reached the seafront, only to be confronted by even more riot police, some with dogs. It was obvious from their demeanour that the police were just dying for trouble so that they could wade in. They didn't get what they wanted. The march was disciplined,well organised and had learnt the lessons of Nice, Prague and Genoa. The police were taunted with chants of "What a waste of money". They looked grim. We laughed.
We were unable to get near the conference centre - steel barriers had been erected, ostensibly to stop carbombers, but actually to stop people exercising their legitimate right to protest. We had to stop a couple of hundred yards short, but made up for lack of proximity with the maximum amount of noise. The most moving moment of the day for me was Dave Nellist leading a section of the march in 'The Internationale' - people were visibly moved to tears. The sheer irony of singing this song, surrounded by armed police, kept at a distance from a venue where a supposedly socialist government was meeting wasn't lost on anyone present. If I learnt one thing from yesterday, it's that the 'war' has allowed Blair to impose a police state. He will do anything, spend any money, to ensure dissent is crushed.
The national media had filmed the whole event, and Carlton TV estimated 12,000 people had been present. We turned on the radio excitedly in the minibus on the way home; this was a major triumph for the left, after all; only to hear the BBC report as its sixth item, that a dissapointing turnout of only around 1,000 had been at the protest. I always knew that the BBC was the government's mouthpiece, but that proved it beyond a doubt. And if any further proof were needed, there was nothing on TV, nothing in the Guardian today - it's as though the march never happened.
Well, I was there, I know it did. The government can try and silence us, the mainstream media can try and ignore us, but we will make our voices heard. 12,000 people in brighton is just the tip of the iceberg.
Sandra Johnson
e-mail:
Sandriana@eurobell.co.uk
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