reclaim st george - report, photos and campacc speech vid
rikki | 24.04.2006 22:27 | SOCPA | Repression | Social Struggles
pics and report from the anti-socpa 'reclaim st george' event this weekend along with a vid of the full speech by deepak gupta from campacc (campaign against criminalising communities)
Every Sunday afternoon, campaigners stage an open picnic on Parliament Square (www.peopleincommon.org), to plan ideas to subvert or test the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (section132). SOCPA requires advance written police permission for demonstrations around parliament thus criminalising spontaneous protest . Dozens of people have been arrested since this law's inception last August, but its operational enforcement appears related to the size of the demonstration and media presence, with small demonstrations providing the easiest target for arrest.
During St. George's weekend, in an action packed with historical symbolism, a group of around a dozen activists camped at Runnymede and then cycled to London on Sunday morning with a copy of the Magna Carta , pausing for breakfast at the site of the Diggers commune at Weybridge St. George's Hill. They were met at the Tibetan Peace Gardens in Lambeth by another twenty campaigners, and ate plenty of wonderful food provided by Hare Krishnas. Deepak Gupta, from Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC), spoke to the crowd about how a swathe of recent laws work together to repress the Human Rights of many of the most vulnerable in our global community, and to intimidate legitimate protest in our streets.
Watched by Forward Intelligence Police, the motley troupe (many dressed in subverted medieval, cross-dressed, St.George-themed clothing and body paint), then walked through the rain carrying blank white banners and placards to Parliament Square. They were kept under surveillance and occasionally pushed around by the Police, but still managed to join the route of the London Marathon for their final symbolic entry to Parliament Square carrying a large white banner between two poles. Another dozen or more campaigners had already set up a refreshments stall at Parliament Square and were playing cricket under the watchful eye of several van loads of police. By now, more than fifty people were involved in the activities in the Square, and bemused Marathon onlookers were asking questions and learning about the SOCPA legislation as well as signing a petition against the prison sentence recently received by conscientious objector Dr. Malcolm Kendall-Smith. The cricketers were playing for the ashes of the Magna Carta, which 'Tony Blair' set on fire under the gaze of media and celebrities such as The Observer's Henry Porter and comedian Alan Davies.
Despite the erection of a huge 'Freedom To Protest' banner, and the clear flaunting of the law, Police withdrew and there were no arrests. The picnics will continue from 1.30pm throughout the Summer, and all are very welcome - bring something to share.
(tech help - if you have difficulty viewing this movie, save the file to your desktop, download the free vlc player from www.videolan.org, and open it from that player)
During St. George's weekend, in an action packed with historical symbolism, a group of around a dozen activists camped at Runnymede and then cycled to London on Sunday morning with a copy of the Magna Carta , pausing for breakfast at the site of the Diggers commune at Weybridge St. George's Hill. They were met at the Tibetan Peace Gardens in Lambeth by another twenty campaigners, and ate plenty of wonderful food provided by Hare Krishnas. Deepak Gupta, from Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC), spoke to the crowd about how a swathe of recent laws work together to repress the Human Rights of many of the most vulnerable in our global community, and to intimidate legitimate protest in our streets.
Watched by Forward Intelligence Police, the motley troupe (many dressed in subverted medieval, cross-dressed, St.George-themed clothing and body paint), then walked through the rain carrying blank white banners and placards to Parliament Square. They were kept under surveillance and occasionally pushed around by the Police, but still managed to join the route of the London Marathon for their final symbolic entry to Parliament Square carrying a large white banner between two poles. Another dozen or more campaigners had already set up a refreshments stall at Parliament Square and were playing cricket under the watchful eye of several van loads of police. By now, more than fifty people were involved in the activities in the Square, and bemused Marathon onlookers were asking questions and learning about the SOCPA legislation as well as signing a petition against the prison sentence recently received by conscientious objector Dr. Malcolm Kendall-Smith. The cricketers were playing for the ashes of the Magna Carta, which 'Tony Blair' set on fire under the gaze of media and celebrities such as The Observer's Henry Porter and comedian Alan Davies.
Despite the erection of a huge 'Freedom To Protest' banner, and the clear flaunting of the law, Police withdrew and there were no arrests. The picnics will continue from 1.30pm throughout the Summer, and all are very welcome - bring something to share.
(tech help - if you have difficulty viewing this movie, save the file to your desktop, download the free vlc player from www.videolan.org, and open it from that player)
rikki
Comments
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In praise of St.George
30.04.2006 09:59
The 'dragon-killing' myth is simply the church using his myth to over-write and replace a previous pagan hero, much as Islam links St.George to the Islamic saint called al-Khadr.
The town of Lydda in Palestine where he was raised has an interesting history. A fascist in a previous thread suggested -. "He was a Christian raised in a Christian country before the turkish or shall I say Mongolian invaders mascrecared the Christian population so get your facts right you PC pompous idiots."
Actually, in when George was supposed to have lived, Palestine was a predominantly Jewish country still under the yoke of the militaristic Roman empire and the towns history reflected that. It had been Jeish town. The Romans sold it's citizens into slavery, burnt it to the ground and then rebuilt it as a garrison town. More peaceably, the moslem arabs never occupied it after they captured it they just built a more important town nearby when they took over Palestine.
The arabs respected St.George and allowed all his churches to stand so that centuries later, on the crusades, the crusaders began to see St.George everywhere in the holyland, and identified with him. It was these crusaders though who were commiting the massacres though, against both muslims and jews in the name of christ. Lyddas Jewish population in Lydda only recovered when Saladin overran the town and expelled the crusaders, burning the cathedral but not harming the locals. Muslim Saladin was respected by the crusaders as one of the paragons of chivalry, sending his own doctor to Richard (Lionheart) when he was injured, and horses when he lost his. Another common myth in England is Richard I was held captive for ransom by Saladin in the holyland - he was kept to ransom by the Holy Roman Emperor in Austria.
Centuries later, when the mongols were in Palestine, it was the muslim mamluks who drove them back.
"Lydda
Arabic, al-Lidd; Hebrew, Lod
Lydda's historical importance has stemmed from its position along communications and trade routes. It lies sixteen kilometers southeast of JAFFA and constitutes the western gateway between the coast and JERUSALEM.
Lydda's origins are ancient. It was the object of strategic campaigns of numerous empires. The Romans called it Diospolis. Its importance was eclipsed after 716 C.E. by that of the neighboring town of RAMLA, which was established by the Arabs. Captured by the Crusaders, Lydda later became a stop on the Mamluk dynasty's mail route between Gaza and Damascus.
Lydda's importance to the communications network grew tremendously during the PALESTINE MANDATE. In 1919, it was made a stop on the Qantara-Haifa railroad line and became the country's main railroad junction. North of Lydda, Mandate authorities later constructed Palestine's largest and only international airport. Lydda's population growth reflected the town's mounting importance: an urban area of some 7,000 in 1912, it grew to 11,250 in 1931 and 18,250 in 1946.
Lydda's land in the coastal plain was fertile, producing a variety of agricultural products, including citrus fruits. Given its strategic location, trade was also a key dimension of Lydda's economy. In addition to its shops, Lydda was home to a weekly market that drew thousands of people from neighboring villages. The town was also a center for traditional manufacturing.
Along with that of neighboring Ramla, the fate of Lydda and its inhabitants during the ARAB-ISRAELI WAR OF 1948 was a microcosm of the wider Palestinian experience. It was defended by Palestinian forces, irregular volunteers from Jordan, and units of the Jordanian Arab Legion. Lieutenant General John Glubb, the Briton commanding the legion, refused to divert legion units from the important position of Latrun to reinforce Arab forces in the town. Lydda subsequently fell to the Palmach on July 11,1948, whereupon all but some 1,000 of its inhabitants were expelled."
athiestScotsman
ur gr8
03.05.2006 15:26
i know Mark and if he reads dis HI
i am trying 2 come 2 da picnic soon
c yaz there
phoebe coombs
e-mail:
weird_an_proud@hotmail.co.uk