Observer Mayday article criticism
free press | 29.03.2002 13:55
As one of the first articles about Mayday 2002, the Observer seems set to continue the disturbingly bad journalistic standards seen in 2001 and 2000
Anarchists plan jubilee mayhem
Paul Harris and Burhan Wazir
Sunday March 24, 2002
The Observer
NB full article at:
http://www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,672983,00.html
1) "Anarchist groups are planning a series of disruptive actions across Britain this summer that will..... cause running battles with police on May Day, The Observer can reveal"
WHERE EXACTLY WHERE DOES THE OBSERVER REVEAL THIS IN THE ARTICLE?
IT IS COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED.
IT HAS NO BASIS IN WHAT IS WRITTEN.
SO THE OBSERVER DOES NOT REVEAL IT AT ALL.
MAYBE THE SO CALLED JOURNALISTS MADE IT UP?
2) Special Branch officers are monitoring individuals and gathering information from internet sites and chatrooms used to discuss anarchist and anti-globalisation issues. Intelligence will be passed on to regional forces. 'We will stop anyone from causing trouble,' said one police source.
YES AND THE POLICE ARE THREATENING WEBSITE HOSTS WITH BEING RAIDED AND HAVING THEIR SERVERS SEIZED IF THEY HOST MAYDAY WEBSITES.
THIS IS A DENIAL OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
SURE THE POLICE _COULD_ RAID, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT.
3) "At a safe house for the Wombles in north London"
A "SAFE HOUSE" - OH COME ON!
THIS IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF USING LANGUAGE THAT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH TERRORIST NETWORKS, IN ORDER TO MAKE THE NAME 'WOMBLES' SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SAME.
IT WAS NOT A 'SAFE HOUSE'.
IT WAS A SQUATTED COMMUNITY SOCIAL SPACE, WHERE THE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN TO VISITORS, WHERE WORKSHOPS FOR LOCAL KIDS HAVE BEEN HELD, WHERE LOCAL CAMPAIGNS INFORMATION IS DISPLAYED
THIS IS 'JOURNALISM' AT ITS MOST DIVISIVE.
4)(re 2001) "Police forcibly contained the demonstrators, earning them condemnation from human rights groups, but the tactic was successful in preventing large-scale rioting."
HOLD ON, JUST HOW DO THEY KNOW 'THE TACTICS WAS SUCCESSFUL IN _PREVENTING_ LARGE-SCALE RIOTING'?
WHAT, JUST BECAUSE THERE WASN'T?
COME ON PURLEASE.
5) "This year May Day organisers plan to split their protest into many small groups in a bid to avoid being hemmed in by police. Unlike last year, details of meeting places and times will not be widely circulated"
YEAH TOO RIGHT! I WAS DETAINED FOR 8 HOURS LAST YEAR WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER IN THE COLD AND WET.
HOWEVER IF YOU LOOK ON THE MAYDAY WEBSITE (WWW.OURMAYDAY.ORG.UK) IT HAS THE DETAILS OF THE FOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS FOR THE MAIN MASS ACTION, AND THE AREA AND TIMES THEY WILL MEET, AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE REASONS.
6) "The Observer has learned that the May Day protesters, expected to number at least 5,000, will be targeting the Mayfair area of the capital"
OH OK, YOU DID READ THE WEBSITE THEN, WELL DONE - DID YOU REALLY LEARN SOMETHING?
7) "Police have hacked into several May Day internet discussion groups, forcing one to close down"
INTERESTING.
SO THE POLICE HAVE BEEN 'HACKING' INTO DISCUSSION GROUPS? WOULD YOU CARE TO GIVE MORE INFO ON THIS EH OBSERVER?
WHAT HAS DEFIANTLY HAPPENED IS THE POLICE HAVE BEEN THREATENING WEBSITE HOSTS WITH BEING RAIDED AND HAVING THEIR SERVERS SEIZED IF THEY HOST MAYDAY WEBSITES AND DEMANDING THE DETAILS OF THOSE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WEBSITE.
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO ASK THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER ABOUT WHETHER SUCH 'REQUESTS' UNDER THREAT WAS 'PROPORTIONATE' AND JUSTIFIABLE UNDER THE DATA PROTECTION ACT98 S.29 GIVEN NO CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED.
IN SHORT THIS IS A DENIAL OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND AN ATTACK ON DISSENT.
8) "As last year, all police leave will be cancelled in the run-up to the protest, with around 5,000 officers on the streets of the capital. Police are set to use rapid-reaction mobile units to keep track of protesters' movements and respond quickly to any trouble."
OK SO NOW WE WAIT A FEW WEEKS AND WATCH AS MORE UNDERCOVER JOURNOS, POLICE TIP OFFS AND MI5/GOVERNMENT STORIES START APPEARING NO DOUBT SAYING PROTESTORS WILL USE SAMURAI SWORDS, TRAVEL AROUND LONDON VIA THE VENTILATION SHAFTS OF THE UNDERGROUND TO LAUNCH SURPRISE ATTACKS USING CHILDREN AS SHIELDS, AND THAT THE ARMY WILL BE PUT ON STANDBY, POLICE MARKSMEN ON ROOFTOPS AND THE POLICE PREPARED TO USE PLASTIC BULLETS ON PROTESTORS (ALL THIS CRAP APPEARED IN THE PRESS OVER LAST 2 MAYDAYS).
AND THE FUCKING CORPORATE MEDIA WONDERS WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TALKING TO THEM!"!"
Paul Harris and Burhan Wazir
Sunday March 24, 2002
The Observer
NB full article at:
http://www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,672983,00.html 1) "Anarchist groups are planning a series of disruptive actions across Britain this summer that will..... cause running battles with police on May Day, The Observer can reveal"
WHERE EXACTLY WHERE DOES THE OBSERVER REVEAL THIS IN THE ARTICLE?
IT IS COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED.
IT HAS NO BASIS IN WHAT IS WRITTEN.
SO THE OBSERVER DOES NOT REVEAL IT AT ALL.
MAYBE THE SO CALLED JOURNALISTS MADE IT UP?
2) Special Branch officers are monitoring individuals and gathering information from internet sites and chatrooms used to discuss anarchist and anti-globalisation issues. Intelligence will be passed on to regional forces. 'We will stop anyone from causing trouble,' said one police source.
YES AND THE POLICE ARE THREATENING WEBSITE HOSTS WITH BEING RAIDED AND HAVING THEIR SERVERS SEIZED IF THEY HOST MAYDAY WEBSITES.
THIS IS A DENIAL OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
SURE THE POLICE _COULD_ RAID, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT.
3) "At a safe house for the Wombles in north London"
A "SAFE HOUSE" - OH COME ON!
THIS IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF USING LANGUAGE THAT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH TERRORIST NETWORKS, IN ORDER TO MAKE THE NAME 'WOMBLES' SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SAME.
IT WAS NOT A 'SAFE HOUSE'.
IT WAS A SQUATTED COMMUNITY SOCIAL SPACE, WHERE THE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN TO VISITORS, WHERE WORKSHOPS FOR LOCAL KIDS HAVE BEEN HELD, WHERE LOCAL CAMPAIGNS INFORMATION IS DISPLAYED
THIS IS 'JOURNALISM' AT ITS MOST DIVISIVE.
4)(re 2001) "Police forcibly contained the demonstrators, earning them condemnation from human rights groups, but the tactic was successful in preventing large-scale rioting."
HOLD ON, JUST HOW DO THEY KNOW 'THE TACTICS WAS SUCCESSFUL IN _PREVENTING_ LARGE-SCALE RIOTING'?
WHAT, JUST BECAUSE THERE WASN'T?
COME ON PURLEASE.
5) "This year May Day organisers plan to split their protest into many small groups in a bid to avoid being hemmed in by police. Unlike last year, details of meeting places and times will not be widely circulated"
YEAH TOO RIGHT! I WAS DETAINED FOR 8 HOURS LAST YEAR WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER IN THE COLD AND WET.
HOWEVER IF YOU LOOK ON THE MAYDAY WEBSITE (WWW.OURMAYDAY.ORG.UK) IT HAS THE DETAILS OF THE FOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS FOR THE MAIN MASS ACTION, AND THE AREA AND TIMES THEY WILL MEET, AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE REASONS.
6) "The Observer has learned that the May Day protesters, expected to number at least 5,000, will be targeting the Mayfair area of the capital"
OH OK, YOU DID READ THE WEBSITE THEN, WELL DONE - DID YOU REALLY LEARN SOMETHING?
7) "Police have hacked into several May Day internet discussion groups, forcing one to close down"
INTERESTING.
SO THE POLICE HAVE BEEN 'HACKING' INTO DISCUSSION GROUPS? WOULD YOU CARE TO GIVE MORE INFO ON THIS EH OBSERVER?
WHAT HAS DEFIANTLY HAPPENED IS THE POLICE HAVE BEEN THREATENING WEBSITE HOSTS WITH BEING RAIDED AND HAVING THEIR SERVERS SEIZED IF THEY HOST MAYDAY WEBSITES AND DEMANDING THE DETAILS OF THOSE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WEBSITE.
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO ASK THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONER ABOUT WHETHER SUCH 'REQUESTS' UNDER THREAT WAS 'PROPORTIONATE' AND JUSTIFIABLE UNDER THE DATA PROTECTION ACT98 S.29 GIVEN NO CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED.
IN SHORT THIS IS A DENIAL OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND AN ATTACK ON DISSENT.
8) "As last year, all police leave will be cancelled in the run-up to the protest, with around 5,000 officers on the streets of the capital. Police are set to use rapid-reaction mobile units to keep track of protesters' movements and respond quickly to any trouble."
OK SO NOW WE WAIT A FEW WEEKS AND WATCH AS MORE UNDERCOVER JOURNOS, POLICE TIP OFFS AND MI5/GOVERNMENT STORIES START APPEARING NO DOUBT SAYING PROTESTORS WILL USE SAMURAI SWORDS, TRAVEL AROUND LONDON VIA THE VENTILATION SHAFTS OF THE UNDERGROUND TO LAUNCH SURPRISE ATTACKS USING CHILDREN AS SHIELDS, AND THAT THE ARMY WILL BE PUT ON STANDBY, POLICE MARKSMEN ON ROOFTOPS AND THE POLICE PREPARED TO USE PLASTIC BULLETS ON PROTESTORS (ALL THIS CRAP APPEARED IN THE PRESS OVER LAST 2 MAYDAYS).
AND THE FUCKING CORPORATE MEDIA WONDERS WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TALKING TO THEM!"!"
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