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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!"!"

free press

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

Several hundred intent on mayhem?

29.03.2002 15:03

"While thousands of protesters will be intent on peaceful demonstrations, a hard core, thought to number several hundred, will target banks, fast-food chains and other multi-national firms with branches in the area."

I would be very interested to know where this little gem came from. It is slipped in as fact, but where did it come from?

Did the journos meet a protestor who claimed this, was it one the "special branch" morons, or did they suck it out of their thumbs?

Are these journos interested in "reporting the story", or is their role to spread police disinformation? We should be told!!!

Bemused reader


DONT always blame the so-called "Journos"

29.03.2002 16:59

In any conventional capitalist newspaper, all the staff are ultimately under the thumb of the editor and the proprietor. For example, during the miners strike of 1984 some journos from the Sun brought out their own publication, demonstrating, as it were, their opinions were not those for which the paper is so well known

Hoo Nose hoo


DONT always blame the so-called "Journos"

29.03.2002 17:00

In any conventional capitalist newspaper, all the staff are ultimately under the thumb of the editor and the proprietor. For example, during the miners strike of 1984 some journos from the Sun brought out their own publication, demonstrating, as it were, their opinions were not those for which the paper is so well known

Hoo Nose hoo


yeah right

29.03.2002 17:55

Dont always blame the riot cops, dont always blame the expellers of asylumn-seekers, dont always blame the newspaper bosses (those stressy shareholders are bullying them), dont always blame BNP Rsoles, they had difficult childhoods....
What happened to personal responsibility?
If you create or collaborate in creating suffering YOU ARE TO BLAME.....

fati


Get In Touch With The Author

30.03.2002 00:45

I have already exchanged emails with the co-author of this article, Burhan Wazir, after reading a biased article of his in the Observer about the previous Stop The War Coalition march and rally in early March.

He claimed he had a lot of sympathy for the Stop The War/Anti-Globalisation movements. After seeing this recent article about 'anarchist Jubilee mayhem' I wrote to him again "With Friends Like You....." suggesting he apply for a job writing for the Telegraph.

His address should anyone else care to follow this up, is:

 Burhan.Wazir@guardian.co.uk

rikki


excuse me fati

30.03.2002 16:50

i dont think he was excusing the propreitors; he said the journalists arent able to get their views across.
incidentally, the average BNP / NF type will have had an abominable childhood, or do you think people grow up naturally like that ?

summ buddy


More of the same

13.04.2002 11:47

The MI5hite behind this corrosive rubbish must laugh themselves to death at the stupidity of the so called liberal media in repeating the sunday breakfast penny dreadfull trash once ayear. I can imagine whole training manuals being passed onto new soulless recruits who are set to task every spring with the limitless possibilities in shite production that m1 offers. The journalists will be high up in my list for explanations required when the day comes.

who nose