Autonomous Bloc on Big anti-Trident March.?

O rly | 07.02.2007 10:48 | Anti-militarism | Iraq | Terror War

Let's make it happen.

Are there any plans for a visible autonomous bloc on the upcoming large anti-Trident protest march in London? (24th Febuary).

Having a visible presence on more mainstream actions has seemed quite effective in publicising alternatives (May Day Parade, Anti-Top Up Fees demonstration etc), so why not on this one?

Anyone interesting in establishing a meeting point/spreading the word?

O rly

Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

Do it yourself

07.02.2007 13:47

A good idea, but why don't you just announce it yourself? You do not really need to carry out consensus decision making to decide a time and place for this. You certainly don't need the approval of anyone else.

If you can find a suitable meeting point and mark it on a map (google maps) and post it here with a time to meet up (before the march) I am sure people would come. You could then publicise it through relevant activist email lists, the Indymedia events page, and other website forums where people might be interested.

In my experience if you just go ahead and organise and publicise stuff as much as you can yourself then other people will pick up on it and pass the message on.

Mike

Sound System where it's at.

07.02.2007 16:49

why don't you hang around the sound system, that where the bloc usually concentrated, but really most of the people who attend the demo will automous i.e. not afflilated to trade unions , SWP, anarcists etc.

Don't attack iran, no to trident, troops out of iraq

tailending

07.02.2007 17:21

If the anarchist bloc tail-ends the march again there'll be hell to pay. What's wrong with the middle? We get more exposure that way, and it's easier to scatter/defend in case things come to blows, whereas marching in the back means a load of cop vans at our arses no matter what we do. Being in the middle puts half the march at the cops' backs if they try to surround us.

Pree

Yup

07.02.2007 17:25

Well I was going to set it myself, but was just seeing the kind of response in people like to come etc..
I'll take a look and try and find somewhere appropriate.

As for the sound system, which one are you talking about.?

O rly

one thing that is planned...

07.02.2007 17:41

ok, its a bit barmy, but some random antimilitarists are planning to do a full-on Cold War military parade pastiche during the march. This will involve a large semi-erect Trident missile being wheeled through the streets by the serried ranks of black-clad quasi-paramilitary .. all with appropriate stirring military parade music.

Think red square victory parades circa early 1980s...

Will probably have some literature to dole out, encouraging forthcoming Trident-related direct action.

As I said, it is a bit strange - but a slightly surreal comment on the current state of play with this Trident-replacement wheeze (nuclear weapons are, after all, the ultimate symbol of a militarised society) ... and much more fun than just trudging along wondering why you are bothering.

So, if anyone fancies it, show up at Hyde Park for 12 noon, wear black (obviously), black berets, shades, para boots, combats and so on are all welcome - think "retro-Panther look" (remember kids .. its a pastiche ...) .. and look out for a whacking great missile.

If there's any more details (which I doubt), they'll be posted as a unique story on imcuk nearer the demo date.

Don't forget the 12th!

07.02.2007 19:56

If anyone wants to get together to plan for the 24th, why not meet up at the Aldermaston anti-Trident blockade on 12th Feb? I saw the details on this site and on the Block the Builders site

http://www.blockthebuilders.org.uk/

flo

come and hnag out with the samba band

08.02.2007 17:02

Why not come and march with the samba band? The anarchist/autonomous bloc and the samba band have gotten on pretty well on the last few route marches.

btw, we should definitely aim to be in the middle of the march.

sambista

...

09.02.2007 14:08

Maybe the Samba band could don the black and march with that Cold War style procession with military style drumming???

O rly

OK

23.02.2007 12:13

Further to the discussion in the thread here:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/02/362313.html

As I have not heard anything back from the samba lot, so I'd reccommend anyone interested, hopefully including the Cold War parade style anti militarism group, head to the large "RESIST" banner, which will be next to the speakers in Hyde Park

Let's make it a good one !

O rly

Visible presence?

23.02.2007 12:34

Surely just dispersing throughout the crowd with anti-authoritarian banners, etc, will make a good 'visible presence'? I mean when it comes to the media, any photos or video of the march will HAVE to include these elements if they are spread out throughout the crowd; if they are in a bloc, they can easily be kept out of a shot or whatever. And it would also seem to be the same sort of case with anyone that sees the march - they're bound to see anarchist logos/slogans/etc all over the place rather than just bringing up the tail end, or indeed in a small group in the middle...

What are others' views on this?

rogue

Couldn't find it anyway

25.02.2007 16:03

Did the autonomous bloc march at the back? I certainly couldn't find it on the demo...

@-Com

Yes it did happen, yes it was good

25.02.2007 20:24

sorry you couldn't find us a-com - the block was very visible though, with 10 foot red and black flags flying over it. And of course the FIT team following it like a Jeffery Archer plotline.
Definitely a better meeting point should have been arranged to begin with, but standing for 2 fucking hours before moving off from speakers corner gave most people plenty of time to find whoever they were looking for.

Was it good idea to have a block?

Yes. Dispersing through the crowd is good too, but the real message of having a block is to say we aren't in fact, just random people with a belief in self organisation, but a group of people who work together in loose (vortex social centre) or tight (solidarity federation/ anarchist federation) organisations and we have the dedication and ideas to have an impact.

Also to be fair, the demonstration that there are a fair few of us doesn't got amiss either does it? Numbers are modest (100 people on the block) but its still worth showing people that if they are interested in self organised politcs, they won't be alone.

thats enough anarcho-leninism for now!

See you next time,
tax

tax
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