Between 80 and 90 people turned up and many of them were new to indymedia and undercurrents. There was loads of food (thanks for popcorn, soup and loads of cake and chocolates and bread and so on) and the bar was good too.
To start with there were announcements most of which are on the indymedia calendar. This Thursday at Cowley Road Comm Centre Ian and Jamie are showing their film about their visit -or not- to Palestine over Christmas and an ongoing demo is trying to save some more countryside from more roadbuilding just outside Cardiff (the road leads to a weapons dump too!). John introduced Dissent and explained that the org is horizontal and to organise direct action, especially against the looming g8 summit.
The first screening was a brilliantly edited film about the Oxford folk who managed to close the House of Commons for 10 minutes after Hutton came out. It was very empowering.
Then came The Fourth World War. Wow. The film jumped from country to country describing injustice and showing how ordinary people will not put up with it any more. Footage from Argentina showed thousands chanting The other is me and the white hand meaning basta. The footage of Chiapas where the Zapatistas began was moving for me because I know Mexico and because it showed how even the poorest campesinos had finally had enough and were so brave they confronted an army post and closed it! The soldiers just refused to use their guns. Lots of other footage of, for instance, BA, showed police firing tear gas, but protesters demonstrating against the International Misery Fund grabbed tear gas canisters and lobbed them back at the riot police. Memorably one protester used his hollow drum to cover a gas canister. Palestine - well, what can one say. The horror of seeing footage of Jenin again; the little girl with the wrecked arm; wrecked blessed bodies; wailing families; total injustice. The Zapatista Caravan was shown having reached the Zocalo in 2001 where thousands and thousands protested to no avail (except that they have ignited protest throughout the world!). Iraq was shown too, of course with the Apeman's voice mouthing obscenities like "we must protect the people of Iraq and the oilfields". Quebec, London and New York and Korea were featured and Genoa 2001 too with startling footage of Carlo Guiuliani - the film was dedicated to him and Rachel and Tom among others. Finally back BA where the chant was "Ahora eres nosotros".
Can we win the Fourth World War? Having seen the film, you know, I think we're in with a chance. WE ARE EVERYWHERE