On the way in to the BP AGM, they searched my bag and dropped my camera.  Then (my favourite part) was the assuredly "random patdown search" which seemed kind of ominous, in a private room which seemed to be the security office.

On our way in we were taken for a "Random pat down search" which we hoped was really random though it clearly wasn't because most of the t-shirt wearers were taken in to a private room that seemed to be the security office, but not told the names of anyone there and told we'd be ejected (with no lunch) if we didn't sign something called a search consent form.

And then we went and sat down and we tried to sit at the front, at the end, ready to get up, but sure enough, numbers of security were sitting right there and all across the front row, like staring at us with their heads craned round like some sort of state bird of Louisiana.

Commenting afterwards, a USA documentary film-maker asked "Is this the first time this has ever happened to you?"  The group's female principle spoke, who had an oily "A" on her white shirt under her cardigan, said, "Well...

Um, I guess some kind of vaguely similar thing happened when I was protesting in Copenhagen around the (UN Framework on Climate Change) COP-15.  I was dragged off by police but that was kind of crazy policing...  I wasn't expecting it here!

Well (UK Tar Sands network) have still got the T-shirts so you can expect something similar...