Though I only met Thomas once, his death has hit me really hard.
Firstly, he only lived about ten minutes walk from my house.
Secondly, I was also a victim of heavy bullying when I was about
eleven, and seemingly for most of the same reasons. But the third
reason only struck me when I saw his photo on the front page of last
night's Echo. It was he who I had spoken to on the day the war broke-
out, during the direct action. I told him then that I was so pleased
to see so many people his age taking action against the war, and
that I wished I had been as rebellious when I was at school. As the
police blocked The Strand to protect the Ministry of 'Defence', it
was he who shouted "Whose streets? Our streets!" into the megaphone.
The best thing we can do in his memory is to remember that message,
and work to put an end to all bullying - in the school playground
and the political playground.