Although this year's Mayday was still a success of sorts: most of the West End boarded up or closed, every company in London in a state of paranoid uncertainty, all police leave cancelled-4,000 cops deployed; we are going to have to start reflecting on our strategy for future events, unless we want to keep doing their job for them. This is not in any way meant against those protestors who braved it on the day, but this year (and last) have hardly been up to much.
This is a personal account of my experience on the day-it probably sounds familiar to alot of people.

We arrived at the main meeting point at about half 2 in a group of 4, only to be almost immediately surrounded by cops-there was a bit of pushing and shoving but nothing serious. At this stage all we kept saying to each other was "where is everyone", unfortunately we were still saying that at 8pm. By about 20 to 4 we began moving off toward Trafalgar Square (!) even though everyone was aiming for Shell UK HQ. Considering the decsision was made by a big burly bloke in Womble mask who stayed at the front of the crowd, asked us "Where do you want to go? and answered himself, with "Trafalgar Square", it seems this was a police strategy and said bloke was obviously a copper.

After a stop start march to the Square with cops up ass, doing their best to seem scary (..) we got to the Square. We milled about in a tight police cordon for about 3 hours, then came the first of many Section 12 announcements- which I'm happy to say, were all met with taunts and abuse, before the sound system was turned up! Again, considering we were told we had to leave by or at 7.05 it seems odd that NO-ONE was allowed to leave before then.

By about half 6 or quarter to 7, we began getting pushed into the bottom of the Strand. At this point the cops got very violent, and started pushing and hitting people indisrciminately, despite the fact that they overwhelmingly outnumbered the crowd-lucky for them that their job is also their hobby. We got split up at this point, (happy to say we all made it home without id checks) as cops told us to 'get back' while others said 'move' (forward). About 500 of us spent the next 2 hours-longer for some I know- penned in, in that now familiar way. I asked a cop why they were keeping us there, at 8 o' clock, when they'd said we'd be arrested if we were not out by 7-you can guess the reply.
Although at first glance this may look like that famous plod intellect surfacing, it was obviously a plan to get us into the Square, fenced in, then finally let us leave in two's and threes-preferably having been i.d'd. The cops tooled up in riot gear, and replaced the 'regulars'on both sides of the cordon-pretty fucking intimidating when there are less than a thousand of you. Periodically, they would steam in to arrest someone, but would close ranks again, as soon as they were dragged out in handcuffs-cops suck ass.
Finally were allowed to leave-me and my mate, walikng down a tunnel of riot pigs, before being sheparded away to the tube with two 'regular' cops as escort.

All in all a worthwhile, but frustrating day

Viva la Revolution

I whole heartedley agree with you about a change in strategy for next year. Although i missed mayday this year due to personal reasons, my friends who went said it was pretty much a non event.. more so than last year, same story outnumbered corraled etc..
It great seeing the centre of the city all boarded up like that and hardly any cars but how about nxt year we invade somewhere else first.... say the kings road ;)id love to put the shits up those sloany wankers, and their 50million corporate coffee houses ok theres not that many... but... hey..