"Special Branch detectives are investigating anarchist plans for the violent disruption of the Thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral attended by the Queen to celebrate her Golden Jubilee next year. Hundreds of activists from the Movement Against the Monarchy (Ma'm) and other radical groups intend to target the service on June 4, which is the focal point of four days of official jubilee celebrations. They plan a big demonstration outside the cathedral, which police fear will turn violent. One Special Branch officer said: 'We have seen that anarchists are capable of mounting mass violent confrontations. Last May, they almost brought the centre of London to a standstill with their anti-capitalist protests on Oxford Street. A demonstration of similar ferocity in a smaller place has the capacity to wreak far greater damage and endanger life.'"

Well there we have it, the ultimate in Stalinist propaganda from the Ministry of Truth itself. For those of you who don't know, the Special Branch are Britain's political police, charged with tracking down major organised crime networks and terrorists. So, in the middle of a major war, Special Branch still has the time to brief journalists on some non-existent threat to the security of the Royal Family. The sub-text of this article is very clear.

Firstly, these "briefings" are designed to wind up the middle classes, and hence legitimise the use of "anti-terrorist" legislation to deal with anti-capitalist protestors.

Second, the briefings anticipate violence by activists in advance. The police played a similar game on Mayday - when the protestors failed to oblige, the police decided to cut out the middleman and kick off the riot themselves by senselessly clubbing dozens of unarmed civilians with gloved fists and batons. The resulting mayhem was then reported in the press the next day as an "anarchist riot". Ditto Brighton, DSEi, and just about every other anti-capitalist protest that I have ever been on.

Third, this underlines the total political control of the media in this country. I really don't know why we bother with the pretence of an "independent media" in the UK - it would be far more cost-effective if the cops just wrote the news themselves. Oops, but then most pigs can't spell, can they?

Incidentally, the apocalyptic event that the Torygraph/Special Branch are referring to is called a "street party" in anarchist terminology. It is rather funny that they are kicking up such a stink, since it is the Queen's Golden Jubilee after all, and we're all supposed to be organising street parties to wish Her Majesty good health and another 50 years on the throne etc etc.

Whether or not you believe that the celebrations represent 1000 years of ruling class oppression is completely irrelevant - the very fact that Her Maj requires the services of the Gestapo to smear the opposition indicates that the Royal Family might just have a legitimacy problem. See you all in June!