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hackney critical mass against the occupation

rikki | 12.08.2006 23:07 | Anti-militarism | Indymedia | Repression | London

this afternoon hackney corporations were targeted in a small critical mass of a dozen cyclists with a sound system. the local population were very receptive and loads of leaflets were handed out.

the mass set off
the mass set off

banner at marks and spencer
banner at marks and spencer

crowd leafletting outside marks
crowd leafletting outside marks

approaching tesco
approaching tesco

police asking what it's about
police asking what it's about

handing out leaflets
handing out leaflets

anti-capitalists text
anti-capitalists text

engaging with locals
engaging with locals

street theatre
street theatre

police watch the mass leaving tesco
police watch the mass leaving tesco

hackney high street reclaimed
hackney high street reclaimed

safe driving!
safe driving!

texaco demo
texaco demo

police follow the mass home
police follow the mass home


the small group set off from the peace mural with the sound system blasting out war sounds as they made their way to the first target, marks and spencers, leafletting passers-by along the way. outside the chain store, activists unravelled a large banner stating "war happens there but is funded for here by you". ok, not the greatest grammar, but the message was clear, made more so by the anti-capitalist leaflets and much conversation with interested passers-by. generally the public reception seemed very supportive.

after about twenty minutes, the convoy moved on to the next stop point, the huge tesco supermarket in mare street. there, security guards ushered the group off their 'private land', and tried to ban photography and video. they also called the police, who seemed content with the demo taking place on the footpath next to tesco. the activists handed out a lot more leaflets, staged some street theatre and again chatted with people who were very friendly.

they rode off again after a while, and on down hackney high street towards the texaco garage. one car driver played silly buggers trying to scare cyclists by driving at them at speed. when one slapped her car in defiance, she then got on a mobile phone to call the police, who turned up in a van and two cars a little later as the group occupied the forecourt of the texaco. once the police had heard both sides of the story, she was sent off, and the protesters stood in front of the garage with their banner for a while.

one police car then followed the group, but they'd pretty much finished their actions for the day, split into smaller groups to stymie the cops, and returned to base for a quick debrief.

this small action was very visible to a lot of people, received general support, and made quite a few folk stop and think about where they shop and how these simple decisions help shape the world.

rikki
- e-mail: rikkiindymedia@googlemail.com

Comments

Display the following 2 comments

  1. shame you missed the demo — hackney local
  2. few things — tacho