UK Indymedia | Smash EDO march, Brighton VIDEO

Short 6min video of march against EDO arms factory in Brighton on the 10th of December, 2005.

Below are links to a 6min video of the march against EDO arms factory in Brighton on the 10th of December, 2005.

Windows Media Version:

http://www.kinokast.net/video/EDO_101205.wmv

Quicktime version:

http://www.kinokast.net/video/EDO_101205.mov

Additions

march summary ...

10.12.2005 23:02

After some bizarre attempts by Sussex police to get someone to frame themselves as an 'organiser' of the march - encouraging protesters to have an incident- and arrest-free march "like Gandhi and Martin Luther King"!* - the Smash EDO march went ahead defiantly unauthorised. On International Human rights Day, the theme was 'End the War Crimes - Defend the Freedom to Protest - Smash EDO!'

About 250-300 people joined the biggest Smash EDO event yet, including a rocking samba band and "a couple of people with black flags" (overheard on police radios) - oh god no sarge, anarchists! The last words at the open mic session at Churchill Square (private property in Brighton town centre habitually 'squatted' during demos as a sort of temporary speakers corner) were "the police are out to provoke us and make arrests today - lets not give them what they want".

The march moved off, heavily coralled by police along the police's 'suggested' route - a sort of tense compromise prevailed as marchers sought to keep things peaceful without letting the police have complete control. Continuing a pattern of separating 'protesters' from 'normals' a man giving out leaflets was punched in the chest by a copper, shocking bystanders who flocked to take said leaflets and express their outrage, as a more senior copper ordered the punching plod to move along!

Several people outside the police cordon were literally thrown inside to aid the police's 'protester'/'normal' black and white worldview. However, the massively overkill and high visibility policing 80+ cops 4+ vans and a helicopter, attracted much attention and meant thousands of leaflets were distributed to curious christmas shoppers amidst many bemused comments to the tune of 'you can never get a copper when you need one, but look at all this!'.

As the march reached the Old Steine, police attempted to 'kettle' protesters in on the grass, but marchers insisted they would march on and promptly turned 180 degrees and set off north towards the Level, police quickly conceding and scurring ahead to needlessly block traffic 'for our own safety'. The march arrived at the stated destination of the Level, and after heated debate the police began to withdraw to cheers.

After the march, a group of about 20 protesters en route to a pub were followed by a 2-man police evidence gathering (EG) video team. Outnumbered 10:1 and baffled at suggestions they defy their ridiculous (and probably illegal) orders to stalk a particular individual, one of them managed to laugh at the situation whilst the cameraman lost the plot completely, red-faced, swinging fist and camera at a woman and then a man when they realised their target had slipped away. As his the other copper held him back, a third copper joined the scuffle, pushing and shoving as protesters refused to take the bait and kick off.

A cat and mouse game through the Lanes left the police looking like repressive authoritarian drones, er, themselves, as a megaphone informed staring onlookers what was happening. This tactic may work in commuter-filled atomised London boys, but not down here. Soon afterwards the police withdrew, tails between legs, and the pub was gladly received by all.

No permission, no arrests or needless violence (from the protesters) and thousands of leaflets distributed to a public shocked by the police overkill. Following yesterday's appeal victory of the rooftop 3** and a High Court Judge telling EDO's injunction lawyer to get himself a lawyer to defend him from charges of professional misconduct***, that makes the last weeks score

Smash EDO 3
Coppers 0

*

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/southcoast/2005/12/329002.html?c=on#c136891
**

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/southcoast/2005/12/329581.html
***

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/southcoast/2005/12/328996.html

smashnik

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

nice one

10.12.2005 21:26

Nice movie. A great march. luvlee wever. a good chance again for the Met camera boys to come down to Brighton for a sunny day out. No arrests although I guess Lance Gray would have been gagging for it.LETS DO IT AGAIN AND BIGGER soon.Maybe meet at the aquarium roundabout and do a martin luther king or even a Ghandi.

the met

well done

10.12.2005 22:17

great 1 people a part succes but weve still got to get rid of EDO. next we need to go bigger and longer. i propose meeting at roundabout and marching all the way to the factory. this would mean doing it on week day so theres someone there, but hay why save all the fun for the weekend. nice to be a part of it and see u tuesday at the factory.

p.s thank u to every1 who turned up it made a difference
love and solidarity

masked bandit

Kollektives

London Topics

Major Coverage

Other IMCs

Smash EDO march, Brighton VIDEO

Additions

march summary ...

Comments

nice one

well done

Kollektives

London Topics

London IMC

Major Coverage

London links

London Links

UK IMCs

Other IMCs