When Londons' police are overstretched in trying to protect the public from another terrorist attack, you have to stretch police resources even more. The right not to be blown to kingdom come while going about your everyday business should come way before the right to protest in Parliament Square without permission.

By the way it is also illegal to hold a protest in any of the Royal Parks, except speakers corner, without prior permission too. So what is your problem?

"The right not to be blown to kingdom come while going about your everyday business should come way before the right to protest in Parliament Square without permission."

after Jean Charles de Menezes, shouldn't we be telling the met that "member of the public"?

"When Londons' police are overstretched in trying to protect the public from another terrorist attack, you have to stretch police resources even more."

Hey - that's pretty much word-for-word what I wrote to my MP (and the PM) when they passed this new fascist law! How dare they waste police resources busting up protests when they have a city to defend!

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security"
- Benjamin Franklin

"Why did bush knock down the towers?"
- Jadakiss

Dear Friends,

Please don't take sweets from strangers or leaflets from Bliar's henchmen.

I have tried previously to post a comment on this site but it appears 'technical difficulties' prevented the post....hmm.

At the outset I will try and pre-empt some of the button-holing I know my comments may initiate. I do not and would never deny anyone their right to free speech and protest, any fair and right minded constitution should have that particular right set in concrete. Secondly, I am not a proponent of this or any governments policies on home/foreign affairs or otherwise, but here is the rub, they were freely and fairly ( as our electoral system allows) chosen by the majority of the country, and this is where the brunt of my protest (I'm allowed too!) lies.

Someone,far cleverer than me, recently opined that the mark of a true democracy was not just the right of the few to be heard, but was for the minority to accept what the majority requires. It may not be fair to all, but what is the alternative: the most do what the least want?

You dont want to work? Fine, I'll subsidise you from my pay, it's what the government (we the people) have decided. You want me to pay for your health care, but you choose not to contribute-OK I'll do that. I don't particularly like it but , hey, it's a democracy. My question is this: when do you get round to my civil liberties? The ones that says I'm able to conduct my life free from harrasment or prejudice. I live in and love my country of Scotland, when did you get the right to prevent me to walk around my capital city without fear of violence?

You brag about the fact it took the same amount of policemen to monitor your 'Mass Protest' (100/200 people-an oxymoron?) as it would a football match- I don't suppose the lack of cover elsewhere is your concern, after all it's what YOU-the minority- want that matters. I feel it particularly ironic that this protest was when the police where stretched trying to find other exponents of the few wanting to change the many. Your lack of condemnation of the recent attacks, by the way ,speaks volumes for your rationale. Governments have 'atrocities', terrorists have a 'stand for liberation'. I notice that your support/solidarity never seems to extend to visiting some of the more fundamentalist Muslim States, particularly by your female members, but that would detract it from being 'Flavour of the Month' so lets draw a veil over that.


I suppose your arguement will be that we 'proles' dont know what is really good for us- as prscribed in the thinking of Mugabe, Hitler, Pol Pot et al- thing is, the degenerate system has been whirring away efficiently leaving the proles generally well fed, warm and protected. Your solution?- Lets change it for err.....something different, not better, just different.

Let me finish at one further attempt to head off any attempt to put me in the 'Mr Angry from Middle England' brigade. I was brought up in the tenements of Glasgow, dirt poor I gained what I have through the old cliches of education and sheer hard graft. I am and always have been a commited socialist with a community conscience, I dont need to be excluded or contrary to be an individual.

Plain Joe Schmo

P.S. Do you have to be English Illiterate to be an anarchist? Would it hurt to spell check or is good grammar another of 'The Mans' conventions?

What's your point Plain Joe Schmo? That people shouldn't protest because the government was elected? Please clarify - you've come here expressing your intolerance at other people being intolerant? The government has taken away the right to protest in central London and you're calling the few who braved it intolerant?

you said "they were freely and fairly ( as our electoral system allows) chosen by the majority of the country,"

What did you say? The government was elected by a majority? Do you recall what percent of the people voted?

"I am not a proponent of this or any governments policies on home/foreign affairs or otherwise,"

I understand now - you feel guilty. You know the government's policy is incredibly disastrous for the majority of people on the planet and the planet itself. But instead of looking in towards your own guilt, you have your head in the sand... Instead of dealing with your own sense of inadequacy, you become a sympathiser for those who control. Very common psychological problem. We call it self-denial.

"What you can't see won't hurt you" is what they told you Joe Schmo, but it ain't true.

> Someone,far cleverer than me,

so that could be just about anyone then... oh come on, i'm only having a go.

> recently opined that the mark of a true democracy was not just the right of the few to
> be heard, but was for the minority to accept what the majority requires.

Did the majority want war with Iraq? No. The minority here is the lying, cheating, scheming, corporate-cock-sucking government. This minority doesn't seem to give a toss as to what the majority requires. In fact, they are doing all they can to impose mass fear on the majority in order to consolidate their political, economic and military power. Where's the democracy in bullying people into following? The government has very little respect for people in this country.

While I'm ranting, er, I mean writing, One of the other marks of true democracy is an informed voting public. But there is a complete disinformation blanket smothering us. Buy two different papers and they tell a different story. Look at any alternative paper and that tells a completely different version. Look at all these cover-ups going on all the time in every field of government... What about the Downing Street Memo? The rabbit hole is very deep. The point here is that we are not an informed empowered population so we do not live in a fair democracy.

> It may not be fair to all, but what is the alternative: the most do what the least want?

There are many many alternatives! For a start:
* truth in government,
* a divorce betwen state and corporation much like the historic international divorce between "church and state"; We shouldn't have to wonder if our MP is representing us or big business. It's very uncool.
* more representative consultation with the people they are supposedly representing;
* more effort put into conflict resolution, building consensus and participatory democracy
* engagement with local communities on local issues.

no time to carry on so that'll do for now.

Your complaint seems to be "They were elected in so no-one should protest their policy. I am not interested in their policy. The only thing I care about is that you are protesting. Stop protesting."

Is that the brunt of what you are saying?

London Activist and Sean, thank you both for your input into my comments. Before I make a reply to your points, may I make an aside; Isnt it strange that people who allege to stand up for the voice and the rights of the downtrodden must resort to good old fashioned name calling when someone offers a point contrary to their own, allow me to recap on some your ‘balanced’ opinions about me:

‘your own sense of inadequacy’

‘’Someone,far cleverer than me’, ‘so that could be just about anyone then’’

‘Very common psychological problem’

Let me see if I got this right-If I differ from your viewpoint, its because Im inadequate, a dullard or have phychlogical problems? Well, that seeems fair.

As to the topic in discussion. Yes I am well aware that less than half the electorate voted Labour- So whats your answer? Don’t give them a mandate? It is so easy to find fault with a system, providing an acceptable alternative is a different matter.

You both seem to dissasociate the government from any answerability, yet we have the ultimate choice if they lie , cheat bully or lead us astray we simply don’t vote for them, its called democracy. Believe me, I am more than aware that the present government and (shudder) the opposition are standing on the shoulders of giants, but the MAJORITY of People in this country chose them to represent this country, whether you, I or anyone else disagree. So the big, war mongering anonyous corporation that controls the state is actually- US. And we should all take out share of the responsibility, You for marginalising valid protests by targeting and disrupting the very people who can actualy cause the downfall of a government- The Public. And me, for not becoming politically involved soon enough to fight through the democratic process.

In parting , gentlemen please remember I would never bar myself from hearing and considering a view contrary to my own, I thrive on debate, but if ‘yaboo-sucks’ is the level of any further debate, please desist. I will gladly refrain from further input if my views appal you so much.

>P.S. Do you have to be English Illiterate to be an anarchist? Would it hurt to spell check >or is good grammar another of 'The Mans' conventions?

Schmo, your speling iz just as bad as wot mine iz. May as well get down from your pedestal and join us Anarcho-English-Illiterates for the next protest in parlymemnt skware.

Thank you for your comment DataMonkey and I apologise if my spelling was a little wayward, I sometimes let the feeling overtake the meaning.

I do think it speaks volumes for your commitment to the 'cause' that in all the, presumably contentious, issues I raised in both my entries your sole input was on an 'off the cuff' remark about grammar.

Or maybe my arguement was so logical that you felt you couldn't put forward a rational counter-argument and went for a rather feeble attempt at coy/cute?

Joe