Trafalgar Square Anti Cuts Occupation goes 48 hours this May Day weekend
occupytraf | 28.04.2011 18:53 | Public sector cuts
Following a month of successful 24-hour peaceful anti cuts occupations of Trafalgar Square across the last four weekends with around 100-200 people taking part each weekend, the Trafalgar Square Anti Cuts Occupation will celebrate its one month anniversary this May Day weekend with a 48-hour occupation starting at 6.30pm Saturday 30th April.
As this weekend’s occupation coincides with the London May Day Rally being held on Sunday 1st May on Trafalgar Square, the camp would like to extend an invite to all those attending the rally to bring their tents and join the occupation which includes anti cuts activists, students, workers, trade unionists and professionals.
The key aims of the occupation are:
• To raise awareness of the ideological cuts that the Government is instigating - without mandate - and how they are affecting the most vulnerable in society
• To create a safe space for all, including parents and children, where alternatives to current policy can be discussed and learned about, with workshops, talks, debates and creative art.
• To defend the right to protest. The group intends to show that without police presence, protesters can organise themselves peacefully and lawfully. This has already been successfully demonstrated on previous occupations, when the police stayed at a distance and there was no conflict. If there are attempts to remove participants, they will resist non-violently through passive resistance. The group refuses to use violence when it is violence done to our society that it is trying to resist.
People are welcome to come for as long as they want, whether that is camping for the entire occupation or just to pop in for a cup of tea or for a workshop. Artists, performers, speakers and workshop leaders are also welcome to come along. People are also asked to bring food to share. To make the square liveable for 24 hours, participants are asked to look after the area and put litter in bins provided.
People can stay in the loop on the occupation:
• On Twitter (
http://www.twitter.com/occupytraf)
• On Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/occupytraf)
• Via the website - http://occupytrafalgarsquare.wordpress.com/
• Plus via the camp phone: 078044 067766.
The key aims of the occupation are:
• To raise awareness of the ideological cuts that the Government is instigating - without mandate - and how they are affecting the most vulnerable in society
• To create a safe space for all, including parents and children, where alternatives to current policy can be discussed and learned about, with workshops, talks, debates and creative art.
• To defend the right to protest. The group intends to show that without police presence, protesters can organise themselves peacefully and lawfully. This has already been successfully demonstrated on previous occupations, when the police stayed at a distance and there was no conflict. If there are attempts to remove participants, they will resist non-violently through passive resistance. The group refuses to use violence when it is violence done to our society that it is trying to resist.
People are welcome to come for as long as they want, whether that is camping for the entire occupation or just to pop in for a cup of tea or for a workshop. Artists, performers, speakers and workshop leaders are also welcome to come along. People are also asked to bring food to share. To make the square liveable for 24 hours, participants are asked to look after the area and put litter in bins provided.
People can stay in the loop on the occupation:
• On Twitter (
http://www.twitter.com/occupytraf) • On Facebook (
http://www.facebook.com/occupytraf) • Via the website -
http://occupytrafalgarsquare.wordpress.com/ • Plus via the camp phone: 078044 067766.
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