I have in my time been on many demos, but this one was unlike any I'd been on before.

Never before at a demo have I seen people openly praying to Mecca, in Hyde Park, and on the streets of London.

Never before have I seen juxtaposed the visual symbols of Communism and Islam in one place at the same time, along with Quakers, Christians, Anarchists and Pop stars!

And whatever the corporate media may have told you about the violence that happened later in the day, (from what I understand in part provoked by an inappropiate response by amped up riot police to some symbolic shoe throwing), make no mistake, this was a special moment in British history, when many people from many backgrounds came together at the same time and place for a common cause - peace and freedom for Palestinians.

In fact, not since the heady days of the 2003 anti war protests have I seen such a consensus of opinion on one subject openly expressed on the streets in the form of a demonstration.

What I saw actually gives me a lot of hope for the future (despite the Police's worst efforts), and it also said something about the amazing culture we have here in the UK, where people from so many backgrounds can peacefully cohabit on the same small island.

This is something we should be proud of, and an example for less tolerant parts of the world to follow.

It is telling to note that the violence did not start until the riot police showed up, provocatively dressed as they were in their shields and helmets, looking and acting for all the world like latter day Roman Centurians, even in the way they marched into the fray in block formations, daystick in one hand, shield in the other, and aggresively drove both Horses and Vans into the thick of the action, narrowly missing some people along the way. I heard later that some were not so lucky, and felt the brunt of those batons I saw, including of course an honourable pensioner who tried in vain to keep the peace.

I also noted the way the Police used wave after wave of vans, manpower and Horses to slowly herd the crowds, like so much cattle. It would seem that despite us being in a broken economy, there is still enough money in the Treasury to finance these types of operations, seeing as I did Police and vans as far the eye could see parked along one road.

Go figure.

There was also a suspiciously parked large blue 'TV' truck, which seemed to be strategically parked across the middle of the road, in effect blocking off one escape route.

In turn, some protestors attempted to do some of their own counter herding of the police, by using tubular steel barricades to block the retreat and advance of the police shock troops, some people even going so far as to stage spontaneous sit ins right in front the vans.

Centurians, Police - whatever.
It amounts to the same thing. Agents of the state, doing the state's dirty work for them.

It would seem some things don't change, however many aeons may pass.

Much as politics doesn't really change, what with elections being forthcoming in Israel (and the end of the Bush era in the US), the Jetfighters and Tanks pounding their nearest neighbours into vote catching submission, regardless of the human cost, presenting the folks back home with TV eye candy of big explosions on their teatime bulletins (only we get to see the blood and bodies).

Bread and Circuses, Bombs and Bulletins.

For those who criticise the desperate tactics of the Palestinians, well, they live in a desperate situation, pushed into a tight corner by a satellite colonial power (make no mistake about this last definition).

I'm not saying this justifies all of their actions, but it does explain them.
Put someone in a corner and try to surround them, they have just two options;

1) Give up and stay there, and accept their fate.

2) Try and fight their way out to freedom.

Which takes me back to what happened at the end of my day in London.

I was for a few minutes right in the middle of the crush outside the Embassy, and from what I could see over peoples' heads, the Police did a classic pincer movement tactic on us, attempting to box us in on at least three sides, then eventually splitting the crowd into three sections, one of them in a side street.

Now, going back to what I've just said, correct me if I'm wrong, but surely if you try and box several thousand people into one place, it's highly likely that some of them will try to fight back.

A useful parallel to the situation in Palestine there.

As for what happened to Starbucks, well, call it Karma.