An open question to STW stewards

Concerned | 04.04.2008 11:11 | Anti-militarism | London

I was at last nights Wall of Sound demo and would like to know who the Stewards are taking their direction from? Last night people had moved to the back exit of Westminster Cathedral, the only exit for the underground car park, so pretty obvious that Mr Blair would have to exit this way. All of a sudden the STW stewards turn up and direct everyone to the side exit. Most followed but quite a few saw through the charade and stayed put. 10 mins later TSG come wading in and penned us in allowing Tony to leave. It was clear Tony could not leave whilst everyone was at the back. Who told the stewards to move the gathering at the back?

Concerned

Comments

Hide the following 11 comments

Orders?

04.04.2008 12:42

They are just following orders. Lindsay

Lindsay German

It was a question of effectiveness

04.04.2008 13:05

I was stewarding at yesterday's demonstration. The reason I was given for being asked to move people back to the front of the cathedral was that we had been waiting for Blair to emerge for quite a while and it was obvious that he wasn't going to come out, and we felt that we could maintain a more effective presence at the front of the cathedral as people were leaving.
Personally I agree with the decision as I think our presence en masse at the front of the cathedral showed the people who had been in to listen to Blair (including government ministers and the EU trade secretary) that there is a continued, vocal, vibrant opposition to the wars.

STW Steward

Question for STW stewards....

04.04.2008 13:47

how the fuck do you sleep at night? We've got an anti-war movement, we need direct action and yet all you do is shout at people and try and order them about. Fuckin SWP muppets.

(A)

Maybe I'm being too suspicious...

04.04.2008 13:47

But could it be STW's apparent paranoia over the presence of anarchists? I say this following recent comments that anarchists are responsible for the decline of the anti-war movement, among other criticism and hassle of FITwatch/etc, from STWC stewards. I noticed the same person who made this comment was stewarding last night.
Maybe they were worried that the messy-looking punks would cause some grief for Blair?
The attempt to surround the place, covering all the exits, was rather uncoordinated, perhaps a presence at each exit would have been the most effective plan - regardless of what STWC stewards may tell people to do.

Rogue

thanks for the reply

04.04.2008 13:53

I thought people had been taken to the side entrance. I can see the validity of going to the front but the sound system was already there for those exiting and we had loads of time with them as they went through security on the way in. Just a difference of opinion on tactics but I do think it is high time STW encouraged a bit more non violent direct action. People shouldn't really need STW to tell them to do this but if that's what it takes then so be it.

concerned

if

04.04.2008 13:57

if you go on a demo organized by trots what do you expect?

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sharon

do you need stewards for something like that? was it a stop the war event?

04.04.2008 15:47

i was there. as usual stewards were instructed to get people away from the action, so the heavies can move in and intimidate any newbies from ever coming again. the only violence i ever see is from the police.

2 special branch guys were there pushing people about after blair's car sped off because they heard the mob were disobeying orders and coming round the back.

then they disappeared so i assume he left another way.

Charles Clarke left by the back door and was made very aware that he had broken the icc act.
an inspector at the scene was aware of the act and told me to prove he was breaking it.

we can still take part in non-violent direct action and only risk a punch or arrest by a cop. in many other nations it is a much more dangerous occupation and that may soon be the case here too. they certainly use the full force of the law on you already, often stepping over the line and acting illegally themselves.

if you don't use your freedom you loose it.

the wall of sound was excellently loud and should be a regular event and the numbers & volume will grow quickly. seriously, bring earplugs!

Rob

there weren't enough people I'm afraid…

04.04.2008 17:25

the demo last night was excellent I thought and Blair was put off inside, the problem is 'concerned' there weren't enough people for us to be at all exits and if we had stayed round the back they would have taken him out the front or the side, they had plenty of options. Because there wasn't enough people then it becomes an issue of being more likely to be arrested, which many people are not up for, there were people with kids in prams and disabled folk to there last night.

I'm not a steward, but this is just common sense, I'm well up for direct action but it needs to be the right time and place, no one, least of all the Stop the War people would have had a problem with it being a block-in if we had enough people to pull it off.

noel

'and disabled folk to there'

04.04.2008 19:56

what!

come again?

what!

disabled people don't do direct action?

you patronising trot who has to have your 'mass action'

re: and disabled folk too…

04.04.2008 21:23

Anonymous…I was with someone who was disabled and old who did not want to get arrested so shut your arrogant mouth.

But if care to read what I said, my main pont is nothing to do with not thinking that disabled people can't do direct action, but that THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE.

noel

there were enough people if they'd all stuck around until 9pm

05.04.2008 08:46

at first, there were enough people that the police couldn't arrest anyone. they need 2 cops & a van for every arrest. then the bulk seemed to leave to get home in time for tea?

and if we'd all had bikes they'd have had real problems. what people don't seem to realise is they simply don't have the numbers to deal with mass non-violent direct action. that's why they had to bring in socpa to give them advance warning so they can allocate resources. the tsg don't generally arrest 'til the end of their shift as they have to be ready to go to some real trouble.

Rob