This morning around 60-70 pirates, "suits", and associated hangers-on met up at Edgeware tube before setting off on an epic voyage down Praed Street.

With drums to keep the pace up (traditional galleon slave stlye), Praed Street was closed to traffic for around 30 minutes as the pirates, their ship, treasure chest, and assorted props, made their way towards the Paddington Hilton - where a gang of *real* corporate pirates were busy carving up the spoils of war.

Peace News was on the scene until about 12noon. At 1pm we got a call that police had issued a s14 notice (CPOA 1986) and that - after a great road occupation - everyone was pretty much penned in.

However, a good, visible, noisy action, with lots of leafletting (alerting passers-by to the ongoing economic "war" taking place in Iraq) and good humour. The street was surprisingly easy to take and could easily have been held if people were up for it (another time eh?!).

No doubt more news here later from other participants (and, of course, also in the next Peace News, post G8 issue, out 15 July, see  http://www.peacenews.info).