Before today it had been ages since the last earlybird demo in London. Even with only 3 people, arriving at 8:00am at AstraZeneca to greet all the workers as they arrived. We simply picketted the building, handing out leaflets and holding placards. The staff of AZ don't often get a chance to get a leaflet because the security staff shuffle them out the back door at leaving time if there is a demonstration in progress.
Before work, however, they do not get the same chance to deny their own staff the literature. Disgusting companies like AstraZeneca rely on keeping secrets from their own staff about what they do, otherwise it would be far more difficult to get people to work for them. Many of the AZ workers actually took leaflets and were interested in why we were there.
The police turned up and, incredibly, told us that they were going to impose section 14 to get us over the other side of the road. We had no megaphone, we were not shouting, we were not chanting and there was only 3 of us! All we were doing was holding placards and handing out leaflets. Naturally this outragious section 14 was disobeyed by the protesters and, despite shallow threats of arrest, the police did not have sufficient courage in their convictions to follow their threats too, telling us eventually that they would allow us to protest on the AZ side of the road. We finished the demonstration at 9:30am very pleased with how the demonstration went. We will be doing far more early morning demonstrations after the success of this one.
SHAC London - you have to get up very early in the morning to catch us!
The police turned up and, incredibly, told us that they were going to impose section 14 to get us over the other side of the road. We had no megaphone, we were not shouting, we were not chanting and there was only 3 of us! All we were doing was holding placards and handing out leaflets. Naturally this outragious section 14 was disobeyed by the protesters and, despite shallow threats of arrest, the police did not have sufficient courage in their convictions to follow their threats too, telling us eventually that they would allow us to protest on the AZ side of the road. We finished the demonstration at 9:30am very pleased with how the demonstration went. We will be doing far more early morning demonstrations after the success of this one.
SHAC London - you have to get up very early in the morning to catch us!
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