This isn't exactly an article about the events happening over the last couple of days but an opinion.
I've been reading the press coverage of the direct actions in edinburgh yesterday and feel totally alienated from the anti-capitalist movement right now, something I have felt strongly in favour of for several years. I have always verbally defended our cause in discussions with friends, work mates etc. Now I feel like I'm running out of steam and enthusiasm to to argue issues til I'm blue in the face cos we're just going the wrong way in terms of the image we're putting across.
According to the bbc/a public witness a taxi driver and even a police horse was attacked yesterday.

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4652027.stm

I mean, what the hell are you doing? How is anyone going to even listen to our cause let alone find out about it, understand and even support it, when this happens. I understand the nature and bias of the mainstream media but this information is from a bystander. For God's sake we're getting ahead of ourselves. The average person doesn't have a clue what anarchism is or what it stands for, they think we're a bunch of extremist yobs! They happily (now, thanks to actions like yesterday) lump us in with football hooligans and religious extremists. They do not know we're doing these things in support of THEM and that we want THEM to join us in the struggle. We're totally alienating the people we need to help us. And if this movement is to get anywhere we should educate first and act later. My girlfriend of nearly two years doesn't even understand anarchism, and I can't explain it without being patronising of shoving it down her throat. I defended the 'idiots' on TV but now I don't think I should anymore. I'm fed up with people being so irresponsible. May Day is now a farce, all I see is crusties in dreadlocks drinking carlsberg special brew grunting "f*ck the police" (I'm in a library so I had to censor the swearing). What the hell is it with dreadlocks and sandals? Anarchism is a highly sophisticated political ideology, this fails to get through... we need office workers, builders, mechanics etc. These are real working class people. The general public accume all anti-capitalists are hippies on the dole or students and so get us every time with their "get a job" quips.

We need to make them realise this is for their benefit, their destiny, their world. I say 'their', I mean 'our' of course. But right now joe public is alienated, confused, amused and angry at the idea of anarchism or libertarian socialism and it's the most frustrating thing. We need to change and take it one step at a time. Educate then act, not act like a tw*t and expect others to sympathise... attacking taxi drivers, digging up flower beds, having a go at a horse... what the hell?! We should act in self defence only and only use physical action when we need to push though a police line, which we can if we all act at once together if there is many of us. They can't arrest us all if we keep sharp and moving.

Maybe a good tactic is to dress up as big teddy bears and fluffy animals for some direct action. How would that look on TV, police beating up a big furry bear.

Sorry this is more of a rant but I wanted to get these thoughts out, I hope I wasn't patronising and sorry about the grammar and spelling.

Thanks.