Members of the Strawberry Fair group and the wider public turned up in force today (about 200 people) to make it known that they think that the police should not be asking for extra money just to turn up and do their jobs on the day of their festival, possibly charging several thousand pounds on top of the *free festival's* usual overheads.

In effect they are demanding that they be paid for their services TWICE - once in income tax/council tax, and then again during the event with extra 'top up fees'.

This is verging on being a protection racket for any community arts organisations wanting to stage a public event.

This is also in the context of other local carnivals and festivals having to close down in recent times, due to them not being able to afford to cover insurance and policing overheads - one notable casualty being Hoddestone Carnival, which was forced to wind up due to it's committee being unable to cover insurance/liability costs demanded for by its local authority.

Perhaps we should also at this juncture be reminded that while in this country, the breweries can apply for late licences, while Cambridge University can have its May Balls running all night long for a whole week, the council has been bringing pressure to bear on Strawberry Fair over the last few years to close earlier and earlier, last year being the earliest closing time yet, at about 10:30pm.

Also, we have in recent years seen a more draconian crackdown taking place on the local free parrty scene, with the full weight of the state being brought to bear on people just wanting to play some music (usually in the middle of nowhere) and dance all night.

Then of course there are buskers' licenses in some cities, but that's another story again.

So, you see, what we have in this country right now is a gradual tightening of the noose around the necks of both performers, community arts groups and anyone who wants to have a public access party but who may not have a few thousand pounds in the bank to pay for for the 'priviledge' of doing so gradually being squeezed out of business.

Meanwhile, the corporate, walled off free enterprise zones (replete with watchtowers and gaurd dogs) of the likes of Glastonbury who purport to be 'keeping it real' but are actually minting it are thriving and laughing all the way to the bank, as they charge top dollar for their tickets while smaller more grassroots community arts organisations (like Strawberry Fair) will struggle to find the cash to 'persuade' the police to turn up and do what they did for free until this time last year.

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The march ended in front of Parkside Police Station, with one constable having the nerve to issue a Section 14 order for the front of the cop shop, this despite the whole thing being very good natured and jovial, with children and pets wandering about for the whole time, and no one ever exhibiting any kind of threatening or abusive behaviour.

One person present (ironically, dressed as a policeman) was even instructed by an illustrious officer of the law that they were not allowed to talk about the protest on their Megaphone, on threat of arrest!

There was also a police photographer present, who never seemed to pluck up the courage to actually step beyond the entrance of the police station, photographing us from afar.

A shame, because if they had mingled, they would have discovered that those present weren't actually enemies of the state, but just people who like to celebrate art and life in a peaceful, friendly manner once a year on Midsummer Common.

Strange times indeed we live in.