just briefly... I am usually involved in the direct action side of things, but for various reasons went on the G8 Alternatives march. I was shocked at the total lack of communication, cooperation and solidarity between the road blockaders and the organisers of the demo. I am sure there is a lot of info I don't know, but thought it might be useful to let you know a view from the coaches, so you can have an idea how you are perceived by others.

As far as the coach organisers and passengers were concerned the people blockading the roads were 'arseholes', they had no idea why they were blocking the roads, and lumped them all in with the people attacking the police.

These weren't simply a bunch of SWPers, they were ordinary people, politicised into wanting to come on a demo. I spent many an hour explaining about the role of direct action, and that the people blocking roads were not necessarily the same ones who are masking up and attacking police. I asked them if they ever read Indymedia, and they said that they found it too full of rubbish (which I agree with).

I was stunned to hear that there was no communication between the Dissent blockading people and the G8 Alternatives organisers. Without communication and solidarity, the view from the coaches was that the blockade was almost deliberately designed to stop the demo from happening. I just happened to have the phone number of mate on the A9 blockade, and could establish contact between the coaches and the A9 blockade. I could then reassure the G8 Alternatives lot that of course the blockaders did not want to stop the coaches, but it was of course the police who were stopping the coaches taking any of the other numerous alternative routes to the demo.

Many people will not have heard the amazing story of how the demo nearly didn't come off, and the brilliant way that G8 Alternatives held their ground in their negotiations. At the point where the 50+ coaches had come off the M90 to go onto the blocked A9, we were stopped by the cops. The G8A were so gutsy, and basically told the cops that if the coaches were not allowed on, then all the roads and motorways would be blocked.

The cops were left with no choice but to agree. When the huge convoy of coaches arrived at Auchterarder, it was quite overwhelming after such an epic journey to see the vast majority of the residents out on the streets cheering us in.

Next time, please lets all talk together! There is no point in seeing ourselves as separate, and we need more solidarity.