STOP PRESS: 12.04.02 Police Raid Radical Dairy Social Centre + Seize Computers: Reports pictures : text : Mayday Press Release (12/04/02)

A recent press release details how police have been intimidating several web hosts from hosting a Mayday website. The police threatened them with raids and having their servers seized if they hosted the website ourmayday.org.uk The website contains details of the "Mayday Festival of Alternatives" running from 26th April to May 6th which includes film screenings, workshops and benefits. Police have also been photographing and filming people attending public meetings and social events at places like the Radical Dairy.

Also recently the Legal Defence and Monitoring Group (LDMG) revealed secret documents telling judges to come down hard on people arrested in connection with Mayday protests. The document titled "Mayhem" first came to the attention of LDMG in June 2001 when a defence barrister was refused access to it on the grounds that it was secret! Sentencing in England is supposedly based on individual circumstances and the seriousness of the offence, but clearly this doesn't apply to Mayday protesters.

The first corporate media articles about Mayday have appeared recently, with the Observer claiming that anarchist groups were planning "running battles with police" and the Independent predicting this year's Mayday "could be the most violent for a decade". By this time last year the corporate media was in a Mayday frenzy egged on by Police and Government statements with almost 50 articles printed claiming protestors were set to use samuri swords against police, tube ventilation shafts to travel, and children as human sheilds. This year the police have changed tactic and have yet to make any public announcements about the protests, after many media commentators last year criticised them and the mainstream media for a propaganda campaign hyping the issue of violence.

On Mayday itself (wed 1st May) protests in London include a critical mass bicycle protest starting at 7.30am from north and south London and meeting at the US embassy in Grosvenor Square; a breakfast solidarity protest outside Horseferry Magistrates Court to show support for the 7 'Wombles' who were arrested on Halloween last year; a mass action in the area of Mayfair in the afternoon at around 1pm with different themes; and a Soho Carnival Parade called by Sexworkers Pride which starts at 5pm. The normal TUC trade union event will start at Clerkenwell Green and march to Trafalger Square for a rally at 3pm and this year will be joined by the groups Globalise Resistance and the Stop The War Coalition. While most events are based in london, other cities are planning mayday events as well.

As usual Indymedia will be providing coverage of the events from participants themselves, and an Internet radio webstream is planned - details coming soon.
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