The momentum had been building through the week. Bars, shops, balconies, graffiti and banners across the streets advertised the demo. Why there was even an anti war fashion parade showing peace chic, as it became trendy to go the demo.

With El Presidente, and Blair lacky, Aznar kissing ass this city with such a radical history was going to put on a show of anti war solidarity to the rest of the country and the world. The anti war city hall proclaimed ´not in this city´s name´ in newspaper ads.

As for us we decided we had to go further than simply opposing a war for oil. Following on from our warm up BP action, we decided to organise a critical mass.

Now there were about the same number in London OK. But how many demo participants in the western world went on it, ´because we all know its a war about oil`. Went home, woke up Sunday morning jumped in their motor and went to consume at their out of town shopping emporium?

We went for a anti consumerist day out, after all we could have been better engaged in our veg garden rather than having to protest a war against oil because of western consumerist and industrial demands!

We´d built a bike powered sound system, and a double bike with a dragon on it. Came down from the hills and joined with a gloriously messy assemblage of samba, junk and djembe drummers. The demo was supposed to process down Passeig de Gracia to Placa Catalunya. Those of you who know Barca can say that is a straight walk down a long boulevard to a large square, in this part of town where the streets are completely gridiron. We had decided to assemble elsewhere,then found it impossible to get to the start point. We shimmied down a few side streets until we got stuck in a ´feeder´ demo trying to get onto Pg Gracia. Slow moving at first there were massive roars each time another swathe of citizens joined us in the evening gloom. For a country famous for fiesta, there was precious little but us, but it´s diversity was confirmed when school-age girls ask for spontaneous interviews into tape recorders. As far as we know there were about 10 such feeder marches. Our 5PM start time meant that the city could provide the vision of floodlights that were on, went off, then spectacularly re-illuminated. Our demo came to an end at Placa Tetuan. Six blocks from Catalunya. There a soundsystem in the square entertained techno´eds. The evening then wound down with a spontaneous street party with samba and arabic drumming amongst flash bars.

So it was a fiesta, an anti war fiesta after all.