You could have got a lot more activists if you'd published this more widely in advance, but you would've drawn a far heavier police response too. You achieved more with fewer resources simply by following the mantra 'less is more'.

If Raytheon Derry was 10 out 10, then this must qualify as at least 8 out 10. The best action I ever took part in was a 2 out of 10 but when I grow up I want to be like you. I hope other folk here learn the lesson that you can be more effective in smaller groups than in huge numbers that are uncoordinated and over-policed.

These reports often make very interesting reading into human behaviour. The usual case is to complain that security and policing is too harsh and what about 'protestors rights'. But in this instance, it is the opposite - that security is too lax.

I could understand it if they said something like "security was light and we easily got in to do this, which aided the protest". But time and time again we can see a consistent theme running through these reports. Most often it revolves some kind of one-upmanship against police rather than a direct connection with the content of the protest. As with many of these 'reports', the police are usually mentioned and photographed at least x5 more times than anything to do with the protest. (I can remember reading one report on EDO protests where the police were mentioned 21 times and EDO was mentioned only once and even then it was indirectly)

These reports often give good insight into the motivations and the self-justification required for what are essentially normal people to act this way. This just furthers my theory that many protestors are more interested in the social aspects, the kudos of protesting, and the appeasment of their pack-instinct genes, rather than the content of the protest itself.

In another life they would probably make quite good football hooligans since the crossover almost seems identical. Perhaps we are seeing protesting becoming the new tribal sport of the 21st century?

Has anyone made any similar observations?
It would certainly make an interesting research project.

>These reports often make very interesting reading into human behaviour. The usual case is to complain that security and policing is too harsh and what about 'protestors rights'. But in this instance, it is the opposite - that security is too lax.

They weren't complaining about that, they were utilising that effectively so it is wrong for you to snipe in this case.

>These reports often give good insight into the motivations and the self-justification required for what are essentially normal people to act this way.

Again, a comment that shows your anti-protest bias more than it shows anything about the psychology of these protestors.

>This just furthers my theory that many protestors are more interested in the social aspects, the kudos of protesting, and the appeasment of their pack-instinct genes, rather than the content of the protest itself.

That argument - not yours by any means - is perfectly true in many instances but not applicable in this case, at least not for the reasons you state. Some pseudo-protestors do go out to demos to kick a police car with their steely boots, in the hope that will get them laid later that evening or the other kudos you mention. Real protestors are more interested in the effect that the protest has. These protestors obviously went for effect rather than social kudos by cutting back on advance publicity, they could've have a bigger party with more people there. They wrong-footed the police by not publicising it, a very intelligent tactic. The people I've known who have been successful in good actions surprised their own best friends.

>In another life they would probably make quite good football hooligans since the crossover almost seems identical.

In truth, a lot of the skills I have learned as an activist would make me quite a good burglar or con-man but I'd never cut it as a football 'hooligan'. I can't fight for toffee. I actually have a lot of respect for football 'hooligans' as some of them have helped provide the fighting skills I am lacking to stop a fascist march, but they would be deterred by a single line of razor wire that any activist would bound over without a second thought.

'These reports often give good insight into the motivations and the self-justification required for what are essentially normal people to act this way. This just furthers my theory that many protestors are more interested in the social aspects, the kudos of protesting, and the appeasment of their pack-instinct genes, rather than the content of the protest itself.'

This may be the case for more liberal types but most activists I have bet have a real determination to make a difference. Some times it is really hard to know how to do this but at least they are trying and fighting is better than sitting back as the world burns!

'These reports often give good insight into the motivations and the self-justification required for what are essentially normal people to act this way. This just furthers my theory that many protestors are more interested in the social aspects, the kudos of protesting, and the appeasment of their pack-instinct genes, rather than the content of the protest itself.'

If you were a research fellow ONLY concerned with personality over everything else then that would be useful. But research fellows do not look at a group objecting to something and say to themselves:

"What is it in their personalities that makes them do this?"

Because the answer that comes back is always:

"Nothing, it is WHAT they are objecting to that makes them do this!"

Its a standard tactic, routinely poorly used.

Nice action, but the article misses a vital bit of information - where is the Celtic Manor Resort? It doesn't even say which country it is in.

A good aide memoire for writing articles is: who where what when how why.

Maybe someone can post the details of this place as a comment - people might want to write or call them.

It's good to encourage basic journalist skills but anyone who is motivated enough to write is going to be motivated to google any obvious facts that aren't included.

 http://www.celtic-manor.com/contactus.aspx

The Celtic Manor Resort
Coldra Woods
The Usk Valley
Newport
South Wales
NP18 1HQ
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1633 413 000
Fax: +44 (0)1633 412 910

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Manor_Resort