Mayday samba dawn in Oxford

Every year in Oxford huge crowds gather on Magdalen Bridge on May morning: as the sun comes up the choir sing, and people throw themselves in the river (no, not because the singing is distressing - in fact it's apparently really good - it's a 'tradition' ;)

This year was a little different.

As the choir finished and crowds were streaming away in both directions, free food, samba rhythms and flyers - explaining the origins of Mayday (day of struggle and celebration) and some of the alternatives existing in Oxford - mysteriously materialised!

Almost immediately, some of the funloving drunken hordes started dancing away. But yellow floresence was already worming its way closer, through the distant crowd.

The police were the only people unhappy with the situation; they were quickly seen to moan, groan and generally throw their weight around. They told us (amid jeers from the crowd) that we had to move from the road - so we did - into the middle of the roundabout :)

But, sadly, this didn't please them either. They were hideously eager to get the road open again, and told us we were endangering people by enticing them to cross the road....
unfortunately, we were forced to stop :(

('booooo' went the crowd to the cops .... )

Even cut short as it was, all the food and most of the flyers had gone... into the hands of a crowd which had just had something of a practical lesson in the role of the police in our society.. :P

Thanks to everyone who made it happen - anyone who raided a bin, pushed a trolley, made a sandwich, brought delicious food, made cool flyers, gave it all out, banged a drum...

OCSET
 http://free.hostdepartment.com/o/oxsocial/
OSAN
 http://osanetwork.free.fr/news.php
BoP
 http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/oxford-rhythms-of-resistance/
etc etc etc :)


Mayday should be our day. Let's take it back!