Real direct action against the war!
Harlequin | 15.01.2003 09:36
After the February 15th anti-war demo in London people should then go and form a mass blockade of Oxford Street which is right next to the March's end at Hyde Park.
This was last done in 1986 after a demonstration outside the American embassey against the bombing of Lybia in revenge for the lockerbie bombing. A mass blockade of Oxford Street on a busy Saturday would also have far more impact than just another A to B protest march. If enough people are up for it then it would be easy to shut down the whole street and bring central London to a standstill.
Harlequin
Homepage:
http://www.disobedience.org.uk
Comments
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get yer facts sorted, officer H!
15.01.2003 11:48
Then the CND leaders marched us away down Oxford st, and we all sort of spontaneously decided we didnt want to go to a rally, so thousands of us blocked Oxford st for hours. It was good!
The situation was an angry response to Reagans bombing of Libya. (However, Reagans bombing of Libya was not a response to Lockerbie. The Lockerbie bombing was years after all this. Reagans excuse in 1986 was a bomb in Germany that killed some US military people).
I would like to see more direct action. However, on Feb 15th, if we get 500,000 on the protest, every street in Central London will be blocked whether we sit down, march around with placards, perform exotic dances, make love, knit jumpers, sing, or get stoned, whatever...it'll be the numbers.
unprovoked
well said
15.01.2003 12:22
What those folk do once there is ultimately up to them, whatever the planners say. Though I would urge y'all please not to do violence (even smashing windows), again because of headlines, also because of putting off families with kids etc.
kurious oranj
Homepage:
http://www.stopwar.org.uk
Its not just numbers
15.01.2003 13:30
This is an excellent idea and we should suggest it to all militant group such as Reclaim The Streets, Disobedience and the WOMBLES. We shouldn't expect the Stop The War Coalition to help out with it though.
Harlequin
the numbers don't matter, the actions do
15.01.2003 22:49
I'm not to sure of the purpose of blocking Oxford St. It just comes across as an obstruction not for any reason except trouble-making - not that I'm particularly against trouble-making for a good reason in this sick and moribund society (leadership-wise).
In a previous comment, I suggested MI6 headquarters as a very viable target for a diversion from the main demo, although I've been out of the South for so long, that I've no idea of the geographic feasibility of that. I can provide six good reasons why though.
We need a targeted area which has some meaning beyond abstract situationist consumptionist rhetoric.
Preferably one that could be announced as a surprise from the speaker's stage.
dh
not much of a surprise now!
16.01.2003 16:12
ANyway, i think the MI6 building is risky since they are likely to be laws regarding national securit that they could use against us if the MI6 building is ivolved at all.
I feel the best action like this is spontaneous, that doesn't mean that some of us dont go down there with the idea in our heads, but if we decide exactley what and where on the day than there isn't much the police can do to stop us.
Angus Prune
e-mail:
Angus_Prune_@hotmail.com
Homepage:
www.jhvt-adsl.demon.co.uk
Oxford Street is the perfect target
17.01.2003 11:18
Also it will be as Oxford Street is always full of people it will be very easy to blockade with just a few tousand people and impossible for the police to tell who is a protester and who is a shopper or tourist. It will also be an effictive protest and grip the headlines if thousands of people go there and chant "No attack on Iraq" and No blood for oil" for several hours!
Harlequin