Here is a summary of how the day's first main news programmes covered the beginning of the day's events;

All three programmes presented their may-day coverage in a very sensastionalist manner, even the BBC who although not perfect, would usually not descend to the GMTV levels of state point of view repoting seen today.

Both BBC1 and Channel 4, (probably ITV too but didn't see it,) featured an "interview" with the dreary-dull-toned and repetative assistant police commisioner from the MET; Apparently all 5000 Pc's on the streets today would be out over London preventing street crime if it wasn't for a "hardcore mob of approx 500 people expected to cause trouble today, bla bla bla." He also states that the police know who these people are.Hmmm...then why haven't they just stopping them and getting back to "preventing street crime" as they usually do so well then, I ask myself?!

Whilst chatting to the Deputy Commisioner, BBC presenters compared forthcoming events in London today to the rioting seen in Berlin overnight. Well that's a good excuse to turn the capital city of completely different country into a police state if ever I heard one! The senior policeman also said "that he encourages peaceful protest," but after last year's events, that remains to be seen.

Notes I took whilst watching coverage for approx 2hrs;

BBC1 (Breakfast):
> More sensastionlist than would usually be expected from the BBC, regular mentions of the good old "hardcore mob," sprinkled with helicopter shots of Critical mass riders and whinging text message comments from middle England about devoting any coverage to May Day at all.
> According to one reporter, even the Critical Mass bike ride could be a target for the...you've guessed it "harcore mob!"
> No interaction (that I saw), with participants of critical mass or other May Day activities.
>Interview with Assistant Police Commisioner
>Interview with editor of ecologist magazine and a spokesman for an industrialist organisation.(Apparently to explain today's events)-These two, completely wasted the one good opportunity to put across an alternative view point, repeating each other frequently and making only one point that government is giving over power to corporations. They spoke in a really weak way and probably alienated alot of un-knowledgeable people.

ITV (GMTV):
>Although I watched little of this regular celebrity worshiping "news" slot on ITV, what I did see contained little reference to May Day. News bulletins contained pictures of riots in Berlin and frequent mentions of the "Hardcore Mob!"

Channel 4 (RI:SE)
> I will struggle with words to discribe the absolute shite that is channel 4's new breakfast show "RI:SE." This was a mish mash of sensastionilist bull-shit, showing few pictures related to May Day other than clips of Riots from various actions around the globe in the past few years.
> Previous programmes earlier on on the week compared May Day to a football match, with two sides (protesters+Police,) and presenters said they "would be keeping a score during the invitable street battles."
> One presenter claimed he would of been on the streets today if it wasn't for "the hardcore mob."
> A map of London highlighted Mayfair as a target for organised violence against shops and police.
> MET assis' commisioer also popped up here to give warning of the "hardcore of violent protesters that will be using gureilla tactics to evade police and cause mass destruction."