Direct action against the war: London, Thursday lunchtime

Tonight's direct action planning meeting at the LSE attracted a wide cross-section of people, and was not without difficulties (as posted by someone at

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/346654.html), but a plan for immediate action did emerge, and the machinery to facilitate further direct action was initiated. Details of an action called for this Thursday follow:

Thursday 3rd August - meet at Gilbert Street by Bond Street tube at 1pm.

Bring banners, stuff for a noise demo (post, pans, drums?), fake blood(?), anything else you feel might be apt.

A group of people will be targetting an Israeli arms company in the vicinity, highlighting its role in the current situation.

Come and participate - bring ideas, creativity, enthusiasm, anger, whatever.

Follow up meeting, provisionally planned at Rampart social centre, Rampart Street, London E1, on Sunday at 3pm. Please check Indymedia nearer the time to confirm this. This meeting is to discuss and plan future direct actions including one at Brize Norton military base on the 12th.

Also come on the Stop The War Coalition march this Saturday. Its route is from Hyde Park, passing the U.S. embassy, through Trafalgar Square, to Downing Street and to Parliament Square. come prepared for more than just marching.

anon too

Additions

The police will harrass and arrest loads of people!

02.08.2006 10:19

Unless vast numbers of people turn up for this action which is highly unlikely then the police will strongly harrass and arrest loads of people taking part! Remember what happened at the last three Mayday days of action before they were ambandoned. Right from the start large numbers of police will be there taking pictures of everyone attending the action and will then encircle the group of activists like they did at the Mayday anti-capitalist actions. Asking people to turn up for small actions like thisand risk arrest and possible injury from thuggish police is stupid!

Remember what happened at the Mayday actions!

Who said this would be small?

02.08.2006 11:06

Thanks for your constructive criticism, but at the planning meeting there were up to a hundred people, most of whom were up for this action. Since then, it has been widely dissemminated.

So what happens tomorrow?

Lots of people turn up. Noise demo goes ahead. Some press are invited - public see mass 'unauthorised' demo - inspires others to do more than just march A to B.

OR, Police over-react. Invited press get newsworthy pictures. Story of police repression of demo against Israeli arms company. Public gets even angrier.

Seems like Win-Win to me.

Maybe you can do more by staying at home, I don't know.

anon too

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

Well, i think i can see where this is headed, and so will the police.

02.08.2006 10:55

A quick look on Google earth for all you out-of-londoners will show you where this demo is headed, might just pop along all the same though.

hmm

Get involved!

02.08.2006 13:00

As one of the individuals there I have to agree with one of the previous posts - there is a desire to actually do something rather than engaging in the usual walk from point A to point B, listening to a few speeches and then going to the pub...

If you can be there, please do. At some point people have to realise that staying at home isn't going to change anything. By staying at home you allow others to say that what they are doing is okay, that no one cares, that they can continue to act in a repressive manner unchallenged.

It doesn't have to be that way.

R
x

Rob

I've never understood the lefts obssesion with marching

02.08.2006 16:55

They're going to march all the way down to Downing street, which will be shut because Tony's in America and then past Parliment square which they've got permission to march into because it Saturday so Parliment will shut.

Seems to me the only thing they're going to achieve is media attention which can as easily achieved by just sitting in the park but I think you'll find no news media in the country will actually show any demonstration for fear of extreme sanction.

Something's better then nothing I suppose.

Great idea!

03.08.2006 12:47

But a little unfair for those of us who want to join in but can't due to work etc...

leon
Homepage: http://www.leongreen.wordpress.com

Its great that you guys are marching

03.08.2006 12:57

People should go out and show their opposition to the lebanon invasion. Maybe some people should do the same thing outside the iranian and syrian embassy as they are the ones who caused this....

no Hezbollah terrorists=Happy and safe Lebanon..(and middle east) Hezbollah, is just a small group of iranian backed thugs looking for a cause. Since Israel pulled out of Lebanon, they have had nothing to do except fire an occasional missile into Israel and beg for money.

anon 3
mail e-mail: none

Unfortunately the numbers were very low

03.08.2006 15:01

I saw five people standing together on Gilbert street at the appointed time, all of whom were searched and photographed by the police. There were at least two others ( nd me) milling around, waiting to see how many people would turn up. Unfortunately no-one did. It wasn't a case of everyone being too scared to stand in a group- it was quite obvious that there weren't enough people for any worthwhile action, especially given the fact that the police were everywhere.

In my opinion, to organise a direct action of this sort you need to start out with a sizeable group of people who know and trust each other. The best way to form such a group, if none exists, is to meet likeminded people through the various peaceful demos, not to call an open meeting based on a premise of direct action. How is anybody supposed to trust each other? The location of the action should not be spread through the internet ( unless- maybe this was diversionary tactic and a successful action was pulled off elsewhere..?)

We are living more and more in a police state. Under what law were they searching the people who'd gathered on Gilbert St? I don't even know, but I bet there is onem (?)

anon

Affinity Groups more effective

03.08.2006 17:54

Affinity group actions that aren't publicised are far more effective than these public call-out actions. The element of surprise of 5 - 10 people works better than people hanging around looking for the group but avoiding the police teams.

B C

Organising?

05.08.2006 18:50

Hmmm. I attended this march and while it was a nice spirit and good to find people who believed in the cause, the cliche chants and lack of any activity was rather disheartening. So, in theory (as people are afraid to discuss it on the net, which is sensible) - how does one go about finding others interested in direct action when one is new to the city and not so great at finding people?

To_Feel_Alive
mail e-mail: Decapitatedhope@aol.com

theyre winning

02.09.2006 04:08

its sickening to see that the illegal and immoral actions of the police on mayday are successful in silencing the masses

i have never once experienced a riot where the people struck first. they ALWAYS strike first. ALWAYS.

those who don't turn up out of fear should be ashamed of themselves. if anything it should make you more eagar to get out and take action

ian