That's true - it was pretty much peaceful from the very beginning, when I was part of the 8 or so protesters outside the American Embassy, until I left at about 6 o'clock. Well, I say peaceful, I mean peaceful from the protesters side. I personally had my arm twisted rather badly, to the extent that I still can't pick things up with my left arm, and a friend of mine had her jacket ripped, and another was threatened with arrest for assualting a police officer because he was 'not moving his feet out from under [the police officer's feet]'.

How good it was to see people taking spontaneous actions of civil disobedience against the war! (which incidentally is exactly what the most radical amongst the anti-war protesters have called for months ago). I arrived in Oxford Street just after the road blockade had begun. It is beyond words to describe the athmosphere: it was just fantastic. So many people, most young, many fom the Middle East or Asian, all so determined to stand their ground and unafraid, not violent but very angry at the horror and injustice of this awful war. The unity and solidariety amongst the protestors was incredible. I felt so at ease with almost everybody, though most of the people I had never met before. MOst of the people had never done direct action before, yet they were like fish in water, they behaved so well. And there were about 500 of us! We managed to block Oxford Street for over two hours, effectively stopping the traffic and distupting the city center, while the police contented themselves with containing the protestors in two directions. We could have carried on with the blockade for much longer, but most people decided to move and cause disruption elsewhere, and went on an improvised march following the Samba band. There were some minor riots as the police stopped the way - the police were really violent against protesters who were just trying to get away from them and march around peacefully. A police van was attacked in response, but escaped with minor damage.
THe police then obliged us to block Park Lane, Marble Arch, by surronding us. People calmely sat down and began chanting anti-war slogans. With chanting, Samba, African drums, improvised speeches, chatting and socilising we managed to have quite a pleasant time, despite the pigs in riot gear around us. There were about 200 -250 of us.
After an hour or so, impressed by allegations that THEY were actually blocking the road by keeping us there, the police graciously decided to let us go one by one.They even gave us an hour time, after that they were going to
arrest us. As by then we were tired and hungry, we decided to accepted the generous offer and go. The bravest were going to Parliament Square, the rest went home.
I went home happy. It was one of the best, most radical, most funky and spirited protest I have ever seen in my life. Thank you so much to everybody who was there, and let's do it again!

How good it was to see people taking spontaneous actions of civil disobedience against the war! (which incidentally is exactly what the most radical amongst the anti-war protesters have called for months ago). I arrived in Oxford Street just after the road blockade had begun. It is beyond words to describe the athmosphere: it was just fantastic. So many people, most young, many fom the Middle East or Asian, all so determined to stand their ground and unafraid, not violent but very angry at the horror and injustice of this awful war. The unity and solidariety amongst the protestors was incredible. I felt so at ease with almost everybody, though most of the people I had never met before. MOst of the people had never done direct action before, yet they were like fish in water, they behaved so well. And there were about 500 of us! We managed to block Oxford Street for over two hours, effectively stopping the traffic and distupting the city center, while the police contented themselves with containing the protestors in two directions. We could have carried on with the blockade for much longer, but most people decided to move and cause disruption elsewhere, and went on an improvised march following the Samba band. There were some minor riots as the police stopped the way - the police were really violent against protestors who were just trying to get away from them and march around peacefully. A police van was attacked in response, but escaped with minor damage.
THe police then obliged us to block Park Lane, Marble Arch, by surronding us. People calmely sat down and began chanting anti-war slogans. With chanting, Samba, African drums, improvised speeches, chatting and socilising we managed to have quite a pleasant time, despite the pigs in riot gear around us. There were about 200 -250 of us.
After an hour or so, impressed by allegations that THEY were actually blocking the road by keeping us there, the police graciously decided to let us go one by one.They even gave us an hour time, after that they were going to
arrest us. As by then we were tired and hungry, we decided to accepted the generous offer and go. The bravest were going to Parliament Square, the rest went home.
I went home happy. It was one of the best, most radical, most funky and spirited protests I have ever seen in my life. Thank you so much to everybody who was there, and let's do it again!

Thanks to everyone who was down at Oxford st yesterday. Having been among the group who started the sitdown, it was fantastic to see so many people joining us. The police response, as anyone who was there knows, was completely over the top. Between four of us, we got threatened with arrest for assault, breach of the peace, blocking the highway, criminal damage on a bus (one of my friends was pushed onto the front of a bus by a police officer, who then threatened to arrest her for criminal damage), amongst other things. Of course, we did breach the peace (well, the police did, anyway), and we did block the 'highway'. But assault? Criminal damage? I don't think so.

I got thrown around, pulled by my hair, chucked over a garbage bin, thrown backwards onto sitting people by officers twice my size (I'm a rather small guy), and other violent acts. With the exception of one guy who was actually pushing into the police lines, and was pulled back by us, we were entirely passive and peaceful. At least one police officer was pulled back by his fellow policemen after raising a fist towards a protester. The police were overly aggressive and achieved very little that wouldn't have happened anyway, as no one there was really going to block the street much after nightfall. Hundereds of officers, pushing back peaceful protestors with rather a lot of force. This was not needed. Overwhelming force is a phrase being tossed around quite a lot in the last few days. May I suggest the police are not that far away?

Please email me ( mavri@csv.warwick.ac.uk) any pictures you may have of the protests at Oxford st, and I'd love to hear from anyone with similar (or dissimilar) experiences from the protest.

Rann

Thanks to everyone who was down at Oxford st yesterday. Having been among the group who started the sitdown, it was fantastic to see so many people joining us. The police response, as anyone who was there knows, was completely over the top. Between four of us, we got threatened with arrest for assault, breach of the peace, blocking the highway, criminal damage on a bus (one of my friends was pushed onto the front of a bus by a police officer, who then threatened to arrest her for criminal damage), amongst other things. Of course, we did breach the peace (well, the police did, anyway), and we did block the 'highway'. But assault? Criminal damage? I don't think so.

I got thrown around, pulled by my hair, chucked over a garbage bin, thrown backwards onto sitting people by officers twice my size (I'm a rather small guy), and other violent acts. With the exception of one guy who was actually pushing into the police lines, and was pulled back by us, we were entirely passive and peaceful. At least one police officer was pulled back by his fellow policemen after raising a fist towards a protester. The police were overly aggressive and achieved very little that wouldn't have happened anyway, as no one there was really going to block the street much after nightfall. Hundereds of officers, pushing back peaceful protestors with rather a lot of force. This was not needed. Overwhelming force is a phrase being tossed around quite a lot in the last few days. May I suggest the police are not that far away?

Please email me ( mavri@csv.warwick.ac.uk) any pictures you may have of the protests at Oxford st, and I'd love to hear from anyone with similar (or dissimilar) experiences from the protest.

Rann

Thanks to everyone who was down at Oxford st yesterday. Having been among the group who started the sitdown, it was fantastic to see so many people joining us. The police response, as anyone who was there knows, was completely over the top. Between four of us, we got threatened with arrest for assault, breach of the peace, blocking the highway, criminal damage on a bus (one of my friends was pushed onto the front of a bus by a police officer, who then threatened to arrest her for criminal damage), amongst other things. Of course, we did breach the peace (well, the police did, anyway), and we did block the 'highway'. But assault? Criminal damage? I don't think so.

I got thrown around, pulled by my hair, chucked over a garbage bin, thrown backwards onto sitting people by officers twice my size (I'm a rather small guy), and other violent acts. With the exception of one guy who was actually pushing into the police lines, and was pulled back by us, we were entirely passive and peaceful. At least one police officer was pulled back by his fellow policemen after raising a fist towards a protester. The police were overly aggressive and achieved very little that wouldn't have happened anyway, as no one there was really going to block the street much after nightfall. Hundereds of officers, pushing back peaceful protestors with rather a lot of force. This was not needed. Overwhelming force is a phrase being tossed around quite a lot in the last few days. May I suggest the police are not that far away?

Please email me ( mavri@csv.warwick.ac.uk) any pictures you may have of the protests at Oxford st, and I'd love to hear from anyone with similar (or dissimilar) experiences from the protest.

Rann

Thanks to everyone who was down at Oxford st yesterday. Having been among the group who started the sitdown, it was fantastic to see so many people joining us. The police response, as anyone who was there knows, was completely over the top. Between four of us, we got threatened with arrest for assault, breach of the peace, blocking the highway, criminal damage on a bus (one of my friends was pushed onto the front of a bus by a police officer, who then threatened to arrest her for criminal damage), amongst other things. Of course, we did breach the peace (well, the police did, anyway), and we did block the 'highway'. But assault? Criminal damage? I don't think so.

I got thrown around, pulled by my hair, chucked over a garbage bin, thrown backwards onto sitting people by officers twice my size (I'm a rather small guy), and other violent acts. With the exception of one guy who was actually pushing into the police lines, and was pulled back by us, we were entirely passive and peaceful. At least one police officer was pulled back by his fellow policemen after raising a fist towards a protester. The police were overly aggressive and achieved very little that wouldn't have happened anyway, as no one there was really going to block the street much after nightfall. Hundereds of officers, pushing back peaceful protestors with rather a lot of force. This was not needed. Overwhelming force is a phrase being tossed around quite a lot in the last few days. May I suggest the police are not that far away?

Please email me ( mavri@csv.warwick.ac.uk) any pictures you may have of the protests at Oxford st, and I'd love to hear from anyone with similar (or dissimilar) experiences from the protest.

Rann

Thanks to everyone who was down at Oxford st yesterday. Having been among the group who started the sitdown, it was fantastic to see so many people joining us. The police response, as anyone who was there knows, was completely over the top. Between four of us, we got threatened with arrest for assault, breach of the peace, blocking the highway, criminal damage on a bus (one of my friends was pushed onto the front of a bus by a police officer, who then threatened to arrest her for criminal damage), amongst other things. Of course, we did breach the peace (well, the police did, anyway), and we did block the 'highway'. But assault? Criminal damage? I don't think so.

I got thrown around, pulled by my hair, chucked over a garbage bin, thrown backwards onto sitting people by officers twice my size (I'm a rather small guy), and other violent acts. With the exception of one guy who was actually pushing into the police lines, and was pulled back by us, we were entirely passive and peaceful. At least one police officer was pulled back by his fellow policemen after raising a fist towards a protester. The police were overly aggressive and achieved very little that wouldn't have happened anyway, as no one there was really going to block the street much after nightfall. Hundereds of officers, pushing back peaceful protestors with rather a lot of force. This was not needed. Overwhelming force is a phrase being tossed around quite a lot in the last few days. May I suggest the police are not that far away?

Please email me any pictures you may have of the protests at Oxford st, and I'd love to hear from anyone with similar (or dissimilar) experiences from the protest.

Rann

Thanks to everyone who was down at Oxford st yesterday. Having been among the group who started the sitdown, it was fantastic to see so many people joining us. The police response, as anyone who was there knows, was completely over the top. Between four of us, we got threatened with arrest for assault, breach of the peace, blocking the highway, criminal damage on a bus (one of my friends was pushed onto the front of a bus by a police officer, who then threatened to arrest her for criminal damage), amongst other things. Of course, we did breach the peace (well, the police did, anyway), and we did block the 'highway'. But assault? Criminal damage? I don't think so.

I got thrown around, pulled by my hair, chucked over a garbage bin, thrown backwards onto sitting people by officers twice my size (I'm a rather small guy), and other violent acts. With the exception of one guy who was actually pushing into the police lines, and was pulled back by us, we were entirely passive and peaceful. At least one police officer was pulled back by his fellow policemen after raising a fist towards a protester. The police were overly aggressive and achieved very little that wouldn't have happened anyway, as no one there was really going to block the street much after nightfall. Hundereds of officers, pushing back peaceful protestors with rather a lot of force. This was not needed. Overwhelming force is a phrase being tossed around quite a lot in the last few days. May I suggest the police are not that far away?

Please email me any pictures you may have of the protests at Oxford st, and I'd love to hear from anyone with similar (or dissimilar) experiences from the protest.

Rann

Thanks to everyone who was down at Oxford st yesterday. Having been among the group who started the sitdown, it was fantastic to see so many people joining us. The police response, as anyone who was there knows, was completely over the top. Between four of us, we got threatened with arrest for assault, breach of the peace, blocking the highway, criminal damage on a bus (one of my friends was pushed onto the front of a bus by a police officer, who then threatened to arrest her for criminal damage), amongst other things. Of course, we did breach the peace (well, the police did, anyway), and we did block the 'highway'. But assault? Criminal damage? I don't think so.

I got thrown around, pulled by my hair, chucked over a garbage bin, thrown backwards onto sitting people by officers twice my size (I'm a rather small guy), and other violent acts. With the exception of one guy who was actually pushing into the police lines, and was pulled back by us, we were entirely passive and peaceful. At least one police officer was pulled back by his fellow policemen after raising a fist towards a protester. The police were overly aggressive and achieved very little that wouldn't have happened anyway, as no one there was really going to block the street much after nightfall. Hundereds of officers, pushing back peaceful protestors with rather a lot of force. This was not needed. Overwhelming force is a phrase being tossed around quite a lot in the last few days. May I suggest the police are not that far away?

Please email me any pictures you may have of the protests at Oxford st, and I'd love to hear from anyone with similar (or dissimilar) experiences from the protest.

Rann

i first heard about the action in oxford street by reading indymedia at 6.20pm on saturday after having been on the earlier march to hyde park.So i went down Oxford street to find it blocked by a sit down protest not far from bond street tube.After arriving i was there about 30 mins before
most people started moving up oxford street towards marble arch.then suddenly the crowd turned left and headed for for
Park lane.once we reached there we blocked the traffic with a sit down protest for about 5 mins before moving down Park lane.At the turning towards Grovenor square some people tried to pass down there and there was a real spirit of resistance.it almost seemed as if we might get to the
Embassy to make our protest at this criminal imperialist war.But we were eventually thwarted by the riot police;still
this was a truly inspiring action.lets have some more.

The Policing at the anti war march (22.03.2003) in London was extremely provocative and intimidating. I observed on a few occasions officers making fun at the protestors, calling them unemployed hopefuls, laughing and trying their best to provoke trouble. I witnessed one woman who was trying to peacefully question an officer on the violent, aggressive arrest of a person who was not even resisting arrest being literally pushed and thrown to the ground.

At the protest on Oxford Street in the evening it was unfortunate that the demonstrators decided to sit down on Park Lane rather than continue marching through the streets. The Police were finding it very difficult controlling the movement of the crowds, however once they sat down it was very easy for them to move in and cordon the area. When the crowds marched onto Park Lane, the Police had not actually expected the protestors to take that route and Park Lane was virtually unpoliced, although re-enforcements were soon drafted in.

When the Police announced the section 14 and gave protestors one hour to leave, it was about 15 minutes after that they actually started letting people out. Protestors were passing messages around to regroup at Parliament Square.I was pleased to see at the blockade in Oxford St, a group of Orthodox Muslim women in their fifties who joined in all the way until the protestors were dispersed. The number of Police including Riot officers was amazing.

The atmosphere was electrifying - Looking forward to future demos!!!! Lets keep the resistance live and kicking! Next time we’ll make it to the US Embassy! PEACE