UK Indymedia | Sack Parliament!

Sack Parliament!

At 1pm on Monday October 9th, up to one hundred and fifty angry and concerned people converged on the Palace of Westminster, to sack parliament. The plan was to surround parliament and cause parliamentary activities to cease. MPs, Lords and civil servants would be prevented from re-opening Parliament.

As soon as protesters started to arrive, police quickly moved in stop and search everyone that was considered 'suspicious'. Many people were turned away from reaching Parliament Square, others were singled out by police units and prevented from joining the protests. See 2pm update when protesters were surrounded by police. An NUJ photogapher was hospitalised by police [photo + witness appeal] after being violently thrown into a kerb. See also 3pm update and a report.

Eventually the people trapped in the police ring were let out and escorted from Parlianment Square after having been searched, photographed and identified [treatment of press report]. All were told that they would be reported for summons for the offence of taking part in an unlawful demonstration.

There are reports of up to 40 people having been arrested. The court hearings for those arrested and summoned will start on Tuesday 17th Oct at 10am in West London Court [details] Anyone who can get down there to show solidarity and support to those involved will be greatly appreciated. [screening of footage (tuesday 10th)]

Accounts of the day: 1 | 2 | 3
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Mainstream media pics | Videos 1 | 2

Links: Sack Parliament website | Reflections on Sack Parliament

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Various groups and individuals had called out for events to happen on the day. The first of these was a Critical Mass meeting under Waterloo Bridge at midday. Later, an anti-authoritarian and anarchist block meeting in Parliament Square, which would be near to the Rehabilitation block and Party@Parliament both of which were prapared to offer support and advice to sacked parliamentarians. The right-wing media have also helpfully publicised the event, and helped to show just what the police think of protest in this day and age.

A request to have the British government arrested for war crimes was sent to national newspapers.

According to participants, "The rank incompetency of the cabinet, the government and parliament in their handling of both foreign and domestic policy cannot be ignored any longer. Take part! Stop them continuing their wars; we have only one option left: sack parliament."

imcistas

Additions

40 arrested

10.10.2006 11:02

I was in parliament square when this was all happening, it was farcical, the police hugely outnumbered the protestors. As for arrests, around forty people were arrested, and held in police custody, including myself. I was bailed at one am this morning after being charged with offences under the SOCPA act. Monday was another example of the draconian state our government is creating. And I feel that the treatment of the media reflects this.

anon protester

Solidarity for the hearing.

10.10.2006 18:53

This is the imformation I have for at least some of those arrested and/or summoned.

Next tuesday (17th) 10am
City of Westminster Youth Magistrates Court
70 Horseferry Road
London
WC1P 2AX

Anyone who can get down there please show support and solidarity. One of my friends who was arrested, brutally might I add, has also just heard he will be tried as an organiser which is utter bollocks.

anon

The SPG Haven't disbanded

11.10.2006 10:59

I to was one of the people charged under the SOCPA Act. 9 hours in't cell with no food or water. They confiscated by banner. I made that in my commune with some others the night before. My banner is now being used as evidence 'Government is Tyranny' (Big A). The Snatch and grab styles made by the police reminded me of the SPG Tactics in thatchers time. Police arnt allowed to profile apparently but there will gladly label ppl 'punks' hippies' ect. The SOCPA Act s yet another example of the repression of free speech, and an example of this country's and the west's downward spiral. I show no remourse for what happened and stand by my words on that banner!

Sledge

The price of dissent

12.10.2006 13:50

A state of emergency acknowledged. Brian’s muted bell tolls to me heavier and with more urgency than ether the passing traffic, spycopters or Ben. The planet is in crisis. The final solution is ether complicity in their genocide or rebellion and the outright sacking of their Parliament! Seditious thinkers could and would not be allowed to take back the mother of all Parliaments.

The intelligence brief was prepared to cover all eventualities. Overwhelming numbers of semi-armoured robots were programmed for deployment to the streets. Countless others switched to standby mode - batons, sprays, bullets and eezee-wipe jackets ready to obey without question much like how the SS indulged Hitler.

The Flyer said 1 o’clock. We arrived early only to be detained and searched on suspicion of being indigenous in an area vulnerable to tourism. Once we were processed and autoissued with pink slip and due notification stating our being there was unauthorised. unpreturbed we granted ourselves the right to freedom of movement in spite of the solemn warning that harbouring any thoughts of rebellion we would experience in full, the might of the glourious instruments of this democratic state.

The big clock bonged once. A horn was blasted. People and Robots waited for what was to be. Sinister Infobots continued their recording and scanning to prove their worth if not now but at a later date in the fight against humanity.

At about 1:15 a small group of 7-10 gutsy anarcho kids ran across the green towards Westminster, one being if only for a short while defiantly de-arrested from robotic reach.

This odd assortment of protesters and the curious were segregated now as participant and spectator using the cursory criteria of being in the north west corner as the lines of control went in. A smiling curteous android gestered an invitation to join the inner circle, much like a helpfull assistant pointing the way to the showers in Belsen. Rejecting the offer i retired to the deceptive safety of Brian's state erected pen.

To see a puffing fat autobot over a man with camera on the ground, press card being the only evidence i could see of his crime. The cordon then was reinforced and squeezed nicely for the best possible results, snatch squads operating with the pleasure of impunity. “Fuck the police” the chant went out as they performed their perfected violence on the people for peace. “This is not democracy this is hypocrisy” was the cry as nearby a black clad ‘medic’ administered aid almost as skilfully as he had administered blows to another.

Slowly the remnants of the traped crowd were 'delt with' while a group of about 12 unused rubber clad horse riders passed in a lap of fitting honnor.

-V-

-V-

Hope died in Parliement Square.

12.10.2006 15:53

It’s been three days since I got jumped by the Police and even though I have had worse beatings from the police in the past, this was some ting extra. Most of the trouble in the past has been because I am black and a cheeky mutha phucker. I am the black cat in the picture above, who looks like he is pain. I am still in pain, not just physically but spiritually as well. I want to write so much and share the day with you but there is no space and other people’s voices are as important as mine. I have never felt like this after a protest, been in more than a thinking person would of and not just in Europe. I have seen blood being shed and people dieing, but the survivors still had hope. It sounds over dramatic and if you were not there you would be right to doubt me, but trust me we were in hell. I t was a sunny day, broad daylight, in the middle of London and al we had was each other. I will all ways love the people who I found my self with inside the police "doughnut". We all tried our best, we tried to keep each others spirits up, helped each other when one of us got hurt, feed each other, shared our drinks and kept our humanity. It was US who helped the press man who was hospitilsed by the police. His colleges said nothing and just took pictures when he was flat on the ground shaking from the pain in his back and his heart condition. It was our peaceful but firm resistance to the "hit squads" that forced the police to change tack-tics. Not because we outsmarted them, but after 3 hours of beating old men, kicking young girls and punching defenseless hippies, they reliesed we were not going to fall to there level of brutality and barbarism. THE PRESS took pictures and acted like they were with us, complaining to each other how badly the police were treating even them. THE PRESS betrayed us and showed us the next day that they are in the same team as the POLICE. I knew all this before, but like Hunter S. Thompson once wrote " you would not protest, if you thought the people in power were evil, real undiluted evil", he came to this conclusion after a riot in the 60's shook him up so much that he stayed in a hotel for days, sober, just thinking about what he had seen. I am in the same position, I don’t want to hide in drugs or in sex. I have to except the truth as I see it and feel it.
I left the "doughnut" at about 5.30pm, the police had been nagging me to leave for about half an hour. I knew I was going to get a summons and was not bothered about it. I am not ashamed of making a peaceful protest and the only thing I was worried about was the search. I had taken a souvenir from one of the cuntstables and did not want to get nabbed for it. So I hugged everybody, or nearly everybody left within the police circle and strolled through. They took my details, which I was honest about and got an escort towards St. James Park. This is the only point I argued about, not to much, I didn’t want to get searched and I did not, well not then any way. You see I had told the truth how I was getting home and they had made it clear that if I returned to the square I would be arrested, but they wouldn't let me take the direct road to Victoria station. So I helped a couple of people who had lost their money, friends, minds, etc, etc. Then I like a fool, strolled through the park trying to get a grip of what had happed. I was shaking from the adrenalin and got a little lost. Near Buckingham palace I got jumped by the police and was told that I was getting arrested because " I was planning to return to the demo". They hand cuffed me and took me to Paddington Green police station. I was slapped around and I was questioned while an officer with a machine gun stood in the corner of the room. THEY brought up the fact that I had been involved with an album that had been mentioned in parliament as an " an album that glorifies terrorism". The guy I work with was mention in parliament, TV, the sun, the mirror etc etc personally and my flat was raided. My computer taken away and then returned...
They told me that " a black boy shouldn't get himself involved with politics" and " that this is my final warning". I can’t lie I was too scarred to talk much and I didn't argue except for a few comments from my natural cheeky side. I refused to play the bad guy and made it clear that they were the Nazis. Most police are not very well read or have a grasp of history, so the shit I said annoyed them. I wish I had kept quite, because with out being charged and after maybe 45 minutes I was dragged through the police station and into a van. They stood on me all the way home. I was dropped off like nothing happened. I was crying like a baby when they dropped me off. I didn't cry when I was told I had prostate cancer, I didn't cry when I lost my pent house and had to live in Hyde park, I didn't cry when I was in prison or when my love ones died. I say this not show that I am hard or shit like that, it's just I was born in the ghettos of Ethiopia and have had to survive in ghettos all over the world, and to survive in the jungle you have train your self to be strong, just so you can survive..But on that day I cried and I am still crying. I am not totally sure why, but my first guess is that I have lost all hope of peaceful protest. So what choice does that leave me, give up or use violence. Both are things I have tried before. I gave up on the people before and made my self rich. I have used violence or the fret of violence so that I could get my own way in life. But I turned my back on all that. I accept poverty as the price for freedom. I use my aggressive side in my creative work, as just as source of energy. But what can I do now, give up or blow up?
So for me, all I can say is my hope died in parliament square..

smallmoney
mail e-mail: spiritualkids@hotmail.com

Solidarity

13.10.2006 09:51

More information about the court hearings for those arrested/summoned:

Tuesday the 17th October 10am
West London court house
Magistrates, county and youth courts
181 Talgarth road
Hammersmith
London
W68DN

Anyone who can get down there to show solidarity and support to those involved will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

anon

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