These reports are all very amusing (well not very), but they TOTALLY miss the point. The new law exists to give Blair the power to legally eliminate protest WHEN HE SO WISHES. Since these silly little games are doing Blair NO HARM WHATSOEVER, why on Earth would he give a damn about having people arrested.

Want to REALLY test the water??? Start creating REAL protests like Brain Haw. Then watch as your efforts are eliminated in minutes. Of course, you are FULLY AWARE that we are at the end of the 'silly season', when all the action is at the conferences, and no-one gives a damn about London in any case.

Targetting Blair's goon, Ken Livingstone, would have been interesting, but the organisers of these protests were hardly going to do that. Livingstone stands shoulder to shoulder with his master, Blair, and these days has passed the point where he really has to worry about his dissident charade. Personally, I thought it hilarious when Ken used the most widespread and oppressive collection of state observation devices found anywhere on planet Earth as the backbone of his congestion charge system, tying together nicely a pure 1984-style "big brother is watching you" police state to the naive aspects of the 'save the planet' green movement. Even better, in that it charged normal people for the privilege of making the roads less congested for Blair, and his elite, when they have to traverse them!

Still, Indymedia is the home of carefully orchestrated useless gestures. If Indymedia served a true purpose (but then it would be shut down, of course) it would be honing the art of opposing Blair, seeking out fresh ideas, critically rejecting ALL ineffective acts as a waste of people's time and money. Gradually, the very best ideas would be argued and critiqued to the surface, tested on the ground, refined, and made into the very best protest methods- maximising effectiveness for the manpower used, and the time spent.

Engineering applies as much to protest as it does to all other fields of human design. When humans are clearly discouraged from craft, they are clearly discouraged from becoming skilled in their task- and WHO does this benefit???

Think of the past, when CERTAIN people suggested that a well organised, well trained, invading army could be BEST defeated by people allowing their anger to flow into immediate action. Think how long untrained idiots flailing whatever they could put their hands on survived against soldiers disciplined, armed, and informed in the art of putting civilians down. The BIGGEST reason Blair demonises resistance movements as TERRORIST is because he wants people to shun those community leaders that would teach then the art of counter-propaganda, or effective opposition. The 'war against terrorism' is like the 'war against drugs'- neither care about loonies abusing bombs or chemicals- both care about labelling a rightful opposition as unacceptable.

The 'war against drugs' struck back at the left-leaning culture of the 60's that appeared to diminish the power of the Republicans, and their fascist projects in South America and Asia. Ironically, when the Americans ceased to tolerate the worst excesses of foreign policy in SA, the 'war against drugs' gave the American government a continuing lever to control South American Governments. Even Venezuala, for all its anti-Bush politics, has only recently, and very reluctantly, thrown of the shackles of US involvement in its affairs under the excuse of drug control!!!

As drugs lost their power to 'shock' (in the 60's, all the HERO books had the good guys target drug dealers as the worst criminals on the Earth- seems hopelessly naive now), a new movement was required, and taking the lead from popular culture again (think of how many films in the 80's and 90's made 'terrorists' the bad guys), a 'war on terror' was created. Of course, the US government ALSO seeks to directly interfer in a VERY different set of countries these days, and the drug excuse would not have cut it.

And now, the 'war on terror' can be used as an excuse to fully suppress rightful political movements. You are seeing how Blair is labelling ALL political activity by Muslims NOT within the New Labour (New Reich) fold as terrorist. If they were NOT terrorist, the argument goes, they would be standing behind the high profile 'muslims' working for Blair. Blair's 'muslims' are used to define the extents of legitimate muslim protest and activity. Thus if 'so-called' muslim bookshops have images of the crimes committed against muslims, these images become extremist PRECISELY because Blair's muslims STATE PUBLICALLY that good muslims do not need to think about these kind of things.

Again, it is the oldest use for collaborators (found all throughout human history), and is a clear answer to the very stupid, who say "how dare you attack those members of an oppressed minority that choose to work with an oppressive government". If Blair's muslim collaborators were not pure evil, THEY would be highlighting the wickedness of Blair's and Bush's treatment of muslims. It would be their voices demanding the pictures of child torture and female rape be released from Abu Ghraib. They would be the ones screaming about the obscenity of blanket immunity for all crimes carried out against Iraqis in Iraq. They would be the ones saying "how dare those countries that GAVE the jews of israel nuclear weapons attack muslims for seeking the same technology". Blair's muslims say the very OPPOSITE to each of these points!!!

WOULD ANY JEW ON PLANET EARTH ACCEPT BLANKET IMMUNITY FOR THOSE COMMITTING CRIMES AGAINST THEIR PEOPLE, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES??? You know the answer to this question is an ear shattering NO!!! So why would any other group of people??? A politician that says "rape, torture, and murder my voters with impunity", as EVERY 'elected' Iraqi does, is in reality no politician, but the worst kind of traitorous thug doing the bidding of the invaders for gold. They should be hung from a lamppost for their CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY at the first possible opportunity (and will be).

I support you but can you tell me how you get out of work to do this sort of thing? If you can I will join you.

Ok - let us attempt to get beyond the 'useless gesture'. Let's start thinking positive and why not begin where you can really make a difference in your own backyard. My question to you is: what would it take to begin a genuine new politics - something that really challenged Blair's hegemony - in this or any other western/post-industrial country?

For what it's worth I think that now is the time to stop whinging/mindless protest and begin to embody something more positive. And that is what the Sunday event at which the magnificent 5 who were arrested is in part about because it is not just a protest it is also an attempt to begin and embody the ideal of a People's Commons or Direct Democracy. The fact that it was being done in such a symbolic space in the face of an unjust law makes it all the more noble so PLEASE don't knock it [unless that is you're willing to come down there and show /do something better :) please do]

Now is the time for this to begin. Look at what is happening in Mexico right now. Come on all you Zapatista fans - lets make some solidarity happen! If they can aim at a revolution in Mexico in coming months/year surely we can get something off the ground here in Britain where modern democracy was born? It can't be that difficult/ there is a ready and willling constituency out there the world over 'the movement' who, for all its diversity hold an essential and central belief in common: Direct Democracy!

So instead of hiding away and worse still disrespecting those brave souls (age range of arrestess yesterday 17/18 to 60 plus) who are willing (in this cynical, complacent, apathetic age) to risk the curtailment of their liberty for your/other's benefit (in defence of the universal right to demonstrate, self-express, freely associate and attempt to speak truth to power) why th ehell don't more of you help us rally?

What are you/others waiting for?

Democracy is yet to be properly fulfilled and if it isn't we have only ourselves to blame. Blair isn't the problem, he doesn't know any different but WE DO.

If not now, when for God's sake? Europe is awaiting a vision. It's urgent: simple, sustainable and sane ways must become fully supported and developed or else we destroy the planetary ecosystem Democracy is withering on the vine just look at voter turn out. It's OUR RESPONSIBILITY to turn that around, not Blairs.

For that to happen it needs people like you and me to get off their arses and start speaking up for the human-scale, and for a proper decentralization of power. Community has been destroyed by modernity so let's bring it back.

Community Self Governance= Direct Democracy = Government By People = Active Citizenship = Mutual Aid = the true spirit of communism= Communion = Spiritual/Artistic Reanaissance= A Progressive Non Reactionary Answer to the Al Qaedan/Religious Critique of Modernity and the best subversion of capitalist society from within. There IS a spiritual crisis in the west and it will spread evrywhere elseas the atomism of modern capitalism kicks in. Therefore let's tie it all together

This is where our responsibility lies so yes let's get on with it. No more provacateur we need progressive dialogue and self-organisation around progressive democratic objectives.

We must rally around the right to land for those who want to pioneer a new world of small communities

The Peoples Commons idea in the Square relates to this in that it is an attempt by a small but committed group of intelligent people to go beyond mere protest and sowly but surely reclaim the public space in front of the seat of Representative Government through low-key, grassroots, non-hierarchical and direct/participatory governance - it is in short an experiment in Direct Democracy.

Please come and support us/get involved

12 Noon Every Sunday Parliament Square More info at temporary site www1.atwiki.com/picnic
Spark 19/9/05

Hello All,
A few quick things. Firstly nobody was arrested for doing anything to Winston's statue and it was ll under the serious organised crime and police act. Secondly in response to what has been said it must be rembered that if we are found guilty we will appeal and there is little doubt that judges will be on our side on this issue especially the judges higher up the scale. This is why getting arrested and taken to court is a good way of stopping the ban. Hope to see everyone down at the square soon. 12 midday every sunday.

picnicker

I think, twilight, you are obviously very intelligent and learned, but do you have to be so negative about everyone? In your comment, you only had one positive thing to say about anybody. Seems to me we shouldn't have to all have analysed every issue of The Economist and Schnews and Red Pepper and New Internationalist or whatever to start protesting.
The point is only partly about having a cohesive, well-organised movement with all the right theory in place and all the activists having to be full-on hardnoks.
Another part of it is making it big, bigger than it's got already and bigger than all the intellectuals in the world put together (who still number far more than all the power-mongers in the world put together).
To do this, protesting has to become less of a sacrifice and more of a fun activity, like the rebel clowns do, also more of an everyday activity and less of a London-based, or city-based activity.
So instead of harping about "loonies abusing bombs and chemicals" (I'm diagnosed with a mental illness, like many activists) why not join the loonies who will cheerfully shout "Your car's too big!" every time they see someone get out of a 4x4, or take the opportunity to lay out a leaflets stall in McDonald's while chomping away on the McChoice produce, or steal a copper's helmet (daft sneaking walk optional)...
Mass marches are fine and necessary, but they wouldn't exist if all the people on them hadn't seen something a bit different, a bit inspiring, a bit funny, a bit creative, a bit thought-provoking, sometimes even a bit fun!
If sometimes we can only be a brick in THEIR wall, we can make sure we're the wrong shape to fit.
Applause to the Parliament Square protesters, boo-hiss to nay-sayers, at least until they say their nays more constructively in a way that sounds half-human.

EAT NIKE, SLEEP NESCAFE, SHIT AIRBUS!

I can extremely convincingly destroy Brian Haw's credibility in a few lines just using my brain.

I think there is a good 99.99999 % chance he is an establishment chill.

Firstly Matt is right when he states that no-one was arrested from clambering over Winston. Since I was the one on him, I should know. When the police first arrived I was peacefully sitting down to a a People's (or not to be exclusive Peoples') Commons Meeting. When I was given my second warning I was also sitting down chatting, and when they finally grabbed me I was, guess what: sitting down having a chat. Although there were standing banners present, at no time did anyone: wave them; shout slogans; or march in the square.

Their have now been 17 individuals arrested under this law for varying degrees of 'demonstration', and it is clear that the CPS knows not what to do about it. It is the most direct way to challange the law, because it forces the issue, both in media, legal, and political spheres. The more people get arrested the more it clogs up the courts, the more pressure on the government, the bigger the story, etc.

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TWIGHLIGHT:
I am not even gonna argue with your nihilistic, everyone-is-out-to-get-me attitude. Suffice it to say that while you have many good points, and a certain flair for language which effectively accentuates these points, you miss the point! This isn't about some master plan to bring down Tony Blair; there are no organisers; and there is no clandestine army. It is about a collection of INDIVIDUALS who happen to believe that free speech and peaceful protest are pretty damn important (personally: far more important than any single issue). The People's Commons is a space for people from all walks of life (Tory/Labour, Facist/Liberal, Zionist/Islamist, Arsenal/Tottenham) to sit down and explore their differences and common beliefs over a cup of tea. I believe that everyone has the right to come down and protest about anything, and that is why I am there every Sunday.

Please feel free to come down and continue this discussion, or put your money where your mouth is and come to protest on whatever issue(s) get(s) your goat (unless you fear arrest). Or simply come down to tell me to my face that I am wasting my time, add your voice and obvious superior intellect and experience to The People's Commons, and lead us on our way to freedom!
Educate me, please.

Every SUNDAY, 12 NOON, PARLIAMENT SQUARE

Sincerely,
Sebastian

p.s. I think it tragic in a laughable sort of way to compare the Holocaust to recent events. I can only hope that it is ignorance and not racial prejudice that is behind your harsh and irrelevant digression into a rant against the Jewish nation.

Hope to see you next Sunday.

Beautiful post