Report and pics from protest outside arms dealers banquet

A roudy greeting faced the arms dealers as they arrived for their supper at the Park Lane dorchester hotel.

Both carriage ways blocked

menu on display outside

further menu suggestions

Bombe surprise

fair suggestion

NUJ card confiscated again

Hurling bikes over railings

queuing up for supper

Ugliest member of FIT

Band played from other side

There was a good turnout of critical mass cyclists and pedestrian protesters outside the dorchester hotel. The police very kindly closed both carriage-ways of Park Lane - one of the busiest roads in London. After allowing protesters a token half an hour or so to make their point outside the dorchester entrance, police then aggressively moved everyone south and then transferred the crowd over onto the northbound carriageway further away from the hotel. One policeman in particular (U 1602) delighted in picking up people's bikes and trailers and throwing them around and over railings as aggressively as possible, obviously wishing to deliberately inflict damage. He seemed to be acting in a very immature manner. Police then distributed leaflets warning of impending section 14, text follows:

"I am Superintendent Peter Terry, the senior officer present.

I am imposing conditions on this demonstration, under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, as I reasonably believe that it is causing, and will continue to cause, serious disruption to the life of the community.

I also reasonably believe that the purpose of the demonstration is to intimidate others with a view to compelling them not to do an act they have a lawful right to do.

The conditions I am imposing are:-

That you will not interfere with the flow of traffic in Park lane or any of the streets in the surrounding area.

That you will not interfere with the flow of pedestrian traffic on any pavement within a 500 metere radius of the Dorchester Hotel.

If instructed to by an officer of the Metropolitan Police you will move to the barrier pen on the west pavement of Park Lane.

I am imposing these conditions to prevent disruption and intimidation.

If you fail to comply you may be liable to arrest and prosecution."

They had a ready made section 14 sheep pen. Interestingly, the samba band chose to play from inside this pen as despite being on the other side of Park lane from the hotel, it was directly opposite the entrance and it was likely that the diners would be able to hear the continuing protest.

As the DSEI diners arrived at the hotel entrance they were jeered with shouts of "muderers!". Oddly, the police themselves seemed to be checking each diners ticket at the door. Somewhat over qualified doorman role.

The FIT teams were much in evidence of course, blinding everyone with powerful camera flashes. Here's a little snippet of advice to those fed up with being snapped by them in this way. If you've ever tried taking photos of protests at night with police wearing reflective jackets and been frustrated that the reflexite strips bounce the flash back at your camera confusing the exposure system, you can use this effect to your advantage. Either keep close to any police wearing such jackets, or wear your own such jacket, or best of all - dot bits of self adhesive reflexite - available from bike shops - all over your face. This could make it very difficult for the camera to pick out much detail of your face as it'll be completely swamped by the intense reflections. Just a daft suggestion of course as you obviously shouldn't do anything to make the police's job harder.

kriptick

Comments

Hide the following 24 comments

Finished

16.09.2005 10:03

Well thats official then. Protest movement in UK is finished. What a pathetic attempt this week was. No one cares what you lot do. No one listens to you. Do you think any of your actions this week have made the slightest bit of difference to anyones lives.

JOG ON

john stevens

Does not compute

16.09.2005 10:24

" No one cares what you lot do. No one listens to you." said the man who came to the site, read the reports and posted several comments.

Oh yes and named himself after the former Chief Cunstable.

The millions of pounds funnelled into policing this week suggests that somewhere up there people do listen and do care what is done.

gfy

A legitimate and sincere question

16.09.2005 11:06

If protests that have no SWP organisation attract as few as this one did, and protests that have a lot of SWP organisation attract 100's of thousands, how is it possible for the tiny handfull of A-A-Anarchist's in London (as evidenced by the size of this protest) to delude themselves that campaigns would be stronger if the SWP pulled out?

I ask you.

Memory-Hole-Catchers-Mitt

SWP organisation

16.09.2005 12:12

The question should be why the SWP DON'T organise for things like DSEi? Surely they might think it is potentially too confrontational or perhaps they thing it is a failure i.e. that 100's of thousands of people won't turn out and therefore why bother.

I do agree in part that the only problem with the kinds of actions and protests that we organise is ourselves. The people involved in the DSEi protests have done an amazing job considering the circumstances but they have been using the same tactics (& way of organising) that have been used year in and year out since the global days of action. I think we have to look at exactly what we're faced in London, the huge police presence, the role of FIT, the social and political alliances we don't have. Otherwise the police will continue to walk all over us, there aim ultimately is for us to go away and be quiet but whatever we do at this stage is silenced anyway. The newspaper (which I haven't seen yet) is/was an excellent idea in terms of informing (via our own media) what was happening to 1,000 of people. Occupying the building is popular was also very good. All this stuff we can do and it is, on the whole, excellent. But to actually get the amount of people, with a confident attitude and people acting in common with one another is the thing which were bad in doing.

again respects to all despite the police presence showed up and attempted to keep things going

www.wombles.org.uk now back online!

Does make a difference

16.09.2005 12:55

"No one cares what you lot do. No one listens to you. Do you think any of your actions this week have made the slightest bit of difference to anyones lives."

Usual sweeping generalisations made by trolls.
Some people actually do care if they are told what's really going on in the world. All of the death diners could not fail to have heard the chants of "murdering scum!" as they went into the banqueting room. Many of those kind of people are clearly beyond hope so utterly blinded are they by their own greed. But some of them, dare I suggest it maybe the women might have had their less well defended consciences pricked. They might have taken some moments to think that the weapons they sell actually do kill real people including children somewhere else in the world and that those people and children are maybe not so very different from themselves and their own children. If just one such person resigns from that industry and seeks more ethical employment elsewhere then the protest will have been worthwhile.

I was there

A Sincere and Legitmate Answer

16.09.2005 13:04

I don't want to get into a debate about this but couldn't resist an answer
I doubt that every protest organised by the SWP attracts 10, 000 +
I do coordinate stuff with them, and find them very committed and resourceful. But why have they support the idea of "Worker's Militia". How can a group be anti arms trade, and repeat their support for workers to bear arms every week in their Socialist Worker paper (column what the SWP stand for)? "Have a gun toting thug on your street corner"

Personally, I have no problem with SWP help in any campaign. I just don't agree with their Bolshevik Wanna-be politics

Not the Enemy

The replies are far too sane for Indymedia

16.09.2005 13:52

“The question should be why the SWP DON'T organise for things like DSEi?”

You Anarchists can’t have it both ways. Either you want to SWP involved or you don’t.

My suspicion is that you don’t know what you want. And that you will probably leave the hard organizational work of most campaigns to the SWP and concentrate on street theatre with the police. What’s new.

And what is difficult to understand about being against the arms trade and in favor of workers having the right to arms in self defense? What revolution has denied itself the right to arms? I know of none.

Memory-Hole-Catchers-Mitt

Joie de vivre

16.09.2005 14:15

Hey, i woz there last nite, as i couldn't make the other day time events that had been organised throughout the week.
After the stop outside the Dorch, the Police did become very agressive with their actions, including manhandling elderly women, whilst chucking their bikes about. One in particular was a seargent, and i whispered into his ear " You wouldn't behave like that down at Millwall on a Sat would you, as you know you'd get a good fucking hiding "
When dibble announced on their loud speaker that a section 4 might be imposed, i simply just jumped over into Hyde Park, and had a boogie-woogie to the hypnotic sounds of the samba band from the over side of the fence.
Yes, i too was gutted by the 200 odd attendees, but then hey, it was a last minute thing.
Buena suerte to all those who showed, and to the unfortunate few who got their collar felt.

Mr Compo StHeap

Compo StHeap

SWP and DSEi

16.09.2005 14:24

"Either you want to SWP involved or you don’t."

There was a so called "fluffy march" organised by CAAT who put a fair bit of resources into DSEi - the SWP could have chosen to support them - they did manage to print a letter from CAAT in their rag - but bearing in mind the virtual D-notice on the event this year it didn't exactly provide an opportunity for them to promote the Galloway bandwagon, so they didn't bother.

I'm pretty sure that the levels of policing were directed at the anarchist DA block and that the organisers of DSEi and the cops couldn't give a flying fuck about the CAAT/ELAAF 'approved march'.

For those of us who particpated in the anarchist/DA actions, all of the trolling on these threads means nothing - we know the levels of creativity and persistance that were exhibited, and we know that it made an impact - we would have appreciated more support - but regardless of that we were going to do our bit to express our anger at the fucking thing anyway.

In terms of the STWC - it would be a healthier movement now if it hadn't been hijacked by the Wespect contingent then. And don't make the mistake of thinking that people going on an A - B stroll (with speeches by the Wespect acolytes afterwards) is more politically threatening that what was achieved by the DSEi Direct Action contingent, because, erm, it isn't.

A society of tooled up thugs would really be a pleasant society to live in, no?

Whatever happened to Globalise Resistance?

Why bother?

16.09.2005 14:38

Why pick DSEi? What is so wrong with buy and selling a few weapons? After all, most of them will be used for a legitimate purpose i.e. defence of someone's realm. And not every government bombs the crap out of its own people, despite what a few crusties might have chanted this morning.

Why dont you lefties protest against the selling of sharp objects - knives, scissors etc. After all, some can and do kill?

Timewasters.

TexasRanger

give it a rest Mr Mitt

16.09.2005 15:24

Okay that's it - my suspicion oh Memory-Hole-Whatever, is that you are not an SWP fan but rather a right-wing troll on a mission to wind up anarchists, perhaps in the hope of sparking off another Life-Of-Brian Black-v-Red fiasco like at the ESF.

If I'm wrong and you're serious, then take a deep breath, think it through and pack it in. Shouting at these lovely IMC folk is never ever going to change their minds, only make them more determined. If you want to win them to different tactics, concentrate on showing they work in practice!

Mr Spoon

in fairness

16.09.2005 15:27

in fairness the SWP did back the DSEI protests, least, they emailed round details and asked their members to go..

anon

Dont GIve Up!

16.09.2005 16:30

What is the alternative to taking direct action?
Not taking it. Which would be futilistic, boring and apathetic. We, as people with a social concience, have a moral responsibility to stand up for what we believe in. And the movement will grow. Trust me!
We are in the final epoch of capitalism, the global epoch. All reigning systems up till now have disintegrated due to internal flaws and global capitalism is by no means an exception. As it continues to alienate more and more people from themselves and each other, so the resistence movement will grow. Did you know that in 1999 over 200 million more people live in abject poverty (less than a dollar a day) than the previous decade? And we can certainly expect the at least the same grown in misery in the next decade. This is the kind of internal flaw and alienation i am talking about.
I only hope that the fall of capitalism occurs in our lifetime, but even if it doent, at least we will know that we have played an actie part in the demise of a cruel and unjust system.
So don't give up!

Cat

interesting

16.09.2005 20:05

"No one cares what you lot do. No one listens to you. Do you think any of your actions this week have made the slightest bit of difference to anyones lives. "

And yet you're here. So obviously someone is paying attention. The fact that you've posted this counter-proves your own argument! Obviously you're a pretty bright guy.

Sean

Texas Ranger seems blissfully unaware of Iraq

16.09.2005 21:21

Clearly he's a tool

gfy

Okay is it worth it?

16.09.2005 21:47

Okay is it worth it?
I went to Dsei this year and in 2003 and I can say yes I was at first disappointed at the number of UK citizens willing to demonstrate (Fluffy or in direct action). However given the disgraceful way I have been treated by the front line police and covert policing operations it is no wonder people feel harassed and intimidated. There has been and I believe will be in future years a concerted effort to discourage peaceful protest and direct action. And if they subject Newham to another exhibition in 2007 I will be back. My experiences have only made me more determined.
The Police descend upon us like a dark cloud and it can be a repressive and depressive experience. But they are only being controlled by higher powers IMO we need to look beyond them and keep focussed on the dealers in death. Having said that the police involvement is not all bad news, who pays the £4 million is an ongoing debate that CAAT and other groups can exploit.
This is not an argument or value I would subscribe to but it is their only way of thinking /200 or so people divided by 4 million = £20,000 each hopefully to be paid by DSEi in 2007 in a similar way to football crowd control!
The movement in opposition has as ever been creative and diverse, values they do not understand or can control.

Organically we have developed positive responses to the glum oppressive lines of police
Firstly the Samba bands
Then we sent in the Clowns
Then got the kids involved with Baby Block
Then OAP block
The good old critical mass
Direct action groups on DLR/ Road blocks / Water action in the Dock
Buddhist block
Cleaning ladies
Hotel hassling
Dracula blood suckers

KEEP DEVELOPING KEEP CREATING!!!!

We only see the total effect if we report every action on the indymedia so get writing

Sometimes I feel isolated doing my little bit and then I notice something simple like there has been no DLR trains for ages, I know my fellow activists are busy and my heart is lifted. Or suddenly there is 20 or 30 delegates who cant get out by train leaving by one of the entrances and I have a chance to challenge them.
RESPECT RESPECT RESPECT I am so so proud of you. We who are committed have a feeling of deep affinity.

If you want massive feel good Demos don’t come to DSEi it is only for hardened dedicated activists who want to shut this disgusting business down. Only for those willing to stick their heads above the parapet and be counted, be hassled, pushed, searched regularly, verbally and physically assaulted.
They have been given £6 million to stage the event we have nothing
They have the police to protect them at a cost of £4 million we have volunteer legal observers.
They have a direct line to control the police we get kicked and hassled.
They get paid (handsomely) as they wine and dine in their corporate boxes while we have to put in leave days and eat packed lunches.
It is massively unequal however I know there is only one side I can be on, I want to be at peace with myself, I want to sleep at night, I want to watch the news on the TV and know I have not been part of the blood shed.

Melt away dejected ! I think Not
See you all 2007 with a friend or 2 who I have convinced to come with me
Sheffjeff

Sheffjeff

Dear Anarchists

16.09.2005 22:39

None of us can bring the trade unions off their knees by force of will. That is the only force that can stop wars. Thatcherism's legacy is yet to be thrown off. Everyone is doing as much as they can but its still like Hamlet without the Prince while the unions are not on the offensive. So we should stop tearing ourselves apart over it. You should stop crying and crying and crying endlessly on Indymedia (every single day) that its the SWP's fault x y z happened or didn't happen. You have a better organisation that has achieved more? Oh thats right, you don't. Then sit down. A march from A to B is not going to stop a war and nobody ever said it would. What we have here is an ideological and political upturn but the economic struggle in the workplace is still rather sad. Deal with it. Things will hopefully break our way on that front at some stage. The question is will you have 100s of thousands on the streets to greet it or will you be rushing off to get a new piercing in time for the next episode of street theatre with the police and a few dozen of your mates.

Memory-Hole-Catchers-Mitt

Clueless Trots

17.09.2005 10:33

Dear oh dear oh me.

Memory-Hole-Catchers-Mitt: "You have a better organisation that has achieved more?" and all that wazz about unions. Don't you understand, we're anarchists, we reject organisation, we don't agree with anything per se. We're all individual critics, choosing which parts of life and philosphy we think are right, oft times we agree and something gets done, other times we disagree and everything stalls, this is the way groups work. You say the only way to defeat Thatcherism is to replace it with some other centralised organisation, but this one will be "of the masses" and thus all good. You haven't learnt the lessons from the East mate, It's not the flavour of centralised authority that is the problem, it's the entire concept.

Please, please think for yourself.

M

don't agree with anything

17.09.2005 13:41

"Don't you understand, we're anarchists, we reject organisation, we don't agree with anything per se."

i don't agree with that!

i don't rejejct organisation - what i reject is centralised authority and "power-over" style of policy making. there's way too much factional-fighting going on on this thread! We need to find ways to build bridges between anarchists and socialists so we can double our power, not halve it. intelligent people would be spending their time figuring out how we can work together. swp know now that they are not welcome to sell papers or recruit at non-swp events. please learn that lesson and move on..

sean (the anarchist)

sean (the anarchist)

To all the negative comments

17.09.2005 21:23

(which by the way seem to be flooding indymedia at the moment)

I don't think hardly anyone involved in the demos against the arms fair thinks of these demos in isolation.

Tons of work has been done over the last year, or two years, which has not been about street protest. Holding events in the local area raising the profile of the campaigns has paid dividends - the local council back at the start of the summer passed a motion opposing the arms fair. This built on the protests two years ago and the prior one four years ago. Such campaigning does take time and ongoing committment.

It's the same with the mayor of newham and the mayor of london speaking out against the arms fair.

The declarations against Reed Elsevier, from the Lancet medical journal, which Reed own, did not just come out of nowhere, but was part of an ongoing engagement by anti-arms fair campaigners. During the protests over the last week or so, people have been out leafletting employees of Reed informing them about the companies involvement, after they bought Sprearhead, the company that was organising the arms fair. It's hard unglamorous campaign work, but it can pay dividends.

The list could go on. The campaigning certainly does, with a view to trying to stop 2007.

Re the swp - well let's face it the swp do put on demos that attract 20 people, as well as support demos that attracts tens or hundreds of thousands (though thet's be clear we're talking about the Stop the War Coalition here).

Pete

Semi-organised Confusion

18.09.2005 12:10

"though thet's be clear we're talking about the Stop the War Coalition here)."

One week the STWC = the SWP. Next week the SWP are only a small part of it.

One week Anarchists reject all organisation. Next week we need organisation and the question is what sort.

The confusion and refusal of responsibility are just some of the characteristics of Anarchism. Along with ritualistic denunciations of "The Trots" (ie anyone that disagrees).

Our rulers must be shaking.

Memory-Hole-Catchers-Mitt

Someone, please clarify

19.09.2005 09:17

Right....I'm an observer here. I was told about this event by a friend. Now, I totally recognise that the meeting/trading/whatever can be considered disgraceful. I think we can argue all day about whether that meeting is okay or not alone however I'm only interesting in how pathetic the protest attempts are. Bombs? Shouting murderers? Generally making clowns of yourselves? Do any of you actually contemplate running for a place in parliament? Or bringing capital together and going to a company that specialises in political lobbying? Or do you prefer alienating yourself from the public i.e. the people that you NEED on your side? Do you think when the people got into the Dorchester they had a second thought about the piss poor attempt at protesting outside? Did it lessen any trading? Did it lesson the networking? No, not at all.

The more pathetic the protests, the further you distance yourselves from the public. Sure, I know there are restrictions involved with protesting and I can see that you have to work your way round it. But WHY does no one actually just stick on a suit and talk to someone instead of being mental and annoying them? Political lobbying, actually getting into the industry, these are things you need to do. In the meantime stop attempting to come up with new innovative ideas for next years circus and bother to do things right.

An example I used recently to my friend who told me of this event. Right, I want to go and see a film. Do I run in, see some of the film, get caught having not paid and get chucked out or do I pay for the film, watch it and have everybody involved happy? These protests are becoming a joke. If you want to be taken seriously do things the RIGHT way. We don't live by mob rule (not saying that you are a mob), you need to influence companies/industries/government the right way. Simple as that. Stop being clowns. And bombs. Etc.

Raoul

Oi Raoul

19.09.2005 10:37

Hey re read my comment above "to all the negative comments" - ahuh - does exactly what you say people are not doing :) Get a grip.

Pete

Guys Are we not forgetting why we were their

23.09.2005 17:22

Greetings!!!! :)

I'm not from this country but have been living here for around 5 months. This means that I'm new to your activist "scene" I hate calling it that.

I am proud to call myself an anarchist and love my self proclaimed freedom!!!

This is my view from the events I saw in Edinburgh and now outside the dorchester (the two protests I have been to since being here) that us Anarchists could improve on the oranizational front. I think that its important two remember that Organisation != (is not equal to) Heirarchy and neither is co-operation with groups that have common goals to us. I feel that it is important to focus on the short term problems (like getting mass support for a protest and avoiding police brutality) rather than thinking of our anxieties of how other organizations want to construct the new world once we've killed the machine!!!!
We still need to tear apart its coggs, a monumental task that is gonna take all the co-operation and support that the free minded peoples of the world can muster for each other.
What I'm trying to say is lets not get ahead of ourselves but rather focus on the problems at hand

I attended Marxism 2005 the swp's little convention and I was not entirely happy with the arrogance and brovado that I saw. I am also not entirely sure of where they get their funding. I saw alot of chinese media running around!!!

Despite this I feel we should put our differences aside for the time being and co operate with them on a on an issue to issue basis.

I hope to see you all at tommorrows March

I also hope that some one out their took the time to read this.

Thank you for your time

Zack Black and Bakunin's two little toes

Bakunin's little toe
mail e-mail: thepigsreadthis@wannabeanonymous.org
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