POLICE AGAINST THE WAR: Northwood Report
rikki | 19.01.2003 16:31
Surprisingly 'fluffy' police co-operation with the blockade at Northwood military base earlier today.
At around midday today, a procession of more than 200 demonstrators set off from Northwood Underground Station up the hill to the Northwood Strategic Command Military Base north west of London. Accompanied by police and followed by a dozen police vans, the march included a pedal/solar powered sound system/PA, and members of the Rhythms of Resistance Samba band.
There was a wide cross-section of people in terms of age and class, showing the widespread resistance to war. The procession passed the secondary entrance to the base and headed on along the main road to the main entrance.
About a hundred yards from the entrance, police had erected barriers to corral people onto the narrow pavement across the road from the base. Because of this, demonstrators staged a sit-down in the road at the point where they could go no further without being shephearded into this corral. After some negotiation, the police agreed to allow the protestors to carry on in the road and block it for a 'certain amount of time'. When the crowd heard this, a friendly chant of "Police Against The War" started up, the sun came out, and the march proceeded to take up the space directly infront of the main base entrance, with a real carnival atmosphere. By now the numbers had swelled to more than 300.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, at around 9am this morning, half a dozen protestors had managed to chain themselves to the main gates, along with a "War Is Pants" slogan, and police were still busy trying to cut through pipes that secured them. Amazingly, at around 1.30, the last of these protestors were freed, and in another display of a very 'softly,softly' approach, they were NOT arrested!
At around 2pm, some activists who had chained themselves at the side gate WERE arrested, and police started pushing the Rhythms band that had marched round there in solidarity, however back at the main gate, the mood was still carnivalish and the sit-down along with live music and dancing looked set to continue into the afternoon. At the time of this report there were no further arrests, and the main road infront of the base had been successfully blocked dor several hours.
There was a wide cross-section of people in terms of age and class, showing the widespread resistance to war. The procession passed the secondary entrance to the base and headed on along the main road to the main entrance.
About a hundred yards from the entrance, police had erected barriers to corral people onto the narrow pavement across the road from the base. Because of this, demonstrators staged a sit-down in the road at the point where they could go no further without being shephearded into this corral. After some negotiation, the police agreed to allow the protestors to carry on in the road and block it for a 'certain amount of time'. When the crowd heard this, a friendly chant of "Police Against The War" started up, the sun came out, and the march proceeded to take up the space directly infront of the main base entrance, with a real carnival atmosphere. By now the numbers had swelled to more than 300.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, at around 9am this morning, half a dozen protestors had managed to chain themselves to the main gates, along with a "War Is Pants" slogan, and police were still busy trying to cut through pipes that secured them. Amazingly, at around 1.30, the last of these protestors were freed, and in another display of a very 'softly,softly' approach, they were NOT arrested!
At around 2pm, some activists who had chained themselves at the side gate WERE arrested, and police started pushing the Rhythms band that had marched round there in solidarity, however back at the main gate, the mood was still carnivalish and the sit-down along with live music and dancing looked set to continue into the afternoon. At the time of this report there were no further arrests, and the main road infront of the base had been successfully blocked dor several hours.
rikki
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