the mass set off
banner at marks and spencer
crowd leafletting outside marks
approaching tesco
police asking what it's about
handing out leaflets
anti-capitalists text
engaging with locals
street theatre
police watch the mass leaving tesco
hackney high street reclaimed
safe driving!
texaco demo
police follow the mass home
after about twenty minutes, the convoy moved on to the next stop point, the huge tesco supermarket in mare street. there, security guards ushered the group off their 'private land', and tried to ban photography and video. they also called the police, who seemed content with the demo taking place on the footpath next to tesco. the activists handed out a lot more leaflets, staged some street theatre and again chatted with people who were very friendly.
they rode off again after a while, and on down hackney high street towards the texaco garage. one car driver played silly buggers trying to scare cyclists by driving at them at speed. when one slapped her car in defiance, she then got on a mobile phone to call the police, who turned up in a van and two cars a little later as the group occupied the forecourt of the texaco. once the police had heard both sides of the story, she was sent off, and the protesters stood in front of the garage with their banner for a while.
one police car then followed the group, but they'd pretty much finished their actions for the day, split into smaller groups to stymie the cops, and returned to base for a quick debrief.
this small action was very visible to a lot of people, received general support, and made quite a few folk stop and think about where they shop and how these simple decisions help shape the world.
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