But no: what's the point in going back to the camp and get blockaded by the police in the morning? The samba band then decides to stop on the way, at some place like Dumblane. But for some unknown reasons, after a police search, they get off the bus in a small unknown village, with their drums, sleeping bags, backpacks, etc... Not really knowing what to do and where they are! :-)
After some conversations with local people (and refilling of water bottles), and an analysis of a rough map of the surroundings, they find a path leading up the hills directly to the A9... why not? Here's where the adventure starts; a long walk (more than 20km i reckon), all night, in the hills, with drums, to reach the A9 in the early hours of Wednesday morning...
The walk isn't easy; it is freezing cold, raining for quite a while, and hiding from the cops and the helicopters isn't always obvious with drums and stuff... although quite funny i must admit! but smiles are back when the group meets some clowns hiding in a van somewhere in the hills near the A9! :-)
Finally, at 7am, after warming up next to an impromptu campfire, the samba group, accompanied by another affinity group met on the way, jump on the A9 about 5km from Gleneagles (i think) and to their surprise there is no police to stop them blocking the highway! They manage to hold the highway for perhaps 15-20 minutes, until pushed out of the way by the police. About at the same time various other blockades occur on the A9 at different places, and the M9 is also blocked by various affinity groups including another samba band. Other roads leading to Gleneagles are also blocked by various affinity groups.
Then, after having escaped from a police cordon, they keep playing on the side of the A9, and at the same time realize that not only the roads are blocked but the railway as well: some other groups are blocking a train on the parallel railway! Samba is there to cheer them up!
After a while, about half of the samba group, completely exhausted, decide to go back to the camp, while the other half plan to join the demonstration in Gleneagles. And what do they see on their way back? Hundreds of people, everywhere in the fields, continuously jumping on the A9!!! Wow!
Blockades were definitely a success; and, at least in this case, they have been surprisingly easy! Thumbs up to everyone involved!!!
Some pictures (or video) are probably coming...
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
Why?
09.07.2005 04:50
A Scot
pish
09.07.2005 08:18
If the G8Alternatives leadership had been on their own there would've been no protests at Gleneagles. The fact that people were going and protesting regardless of official permission gave G8A the confidence to front down P&K police over their ridiculous insurance demands.
weegie
delegates blocked
11.07.2005 09:54
The intention was never to block protesters, but if you are trying to travel to the same place as the delegates by the same means as the delegates, don't be surprised if you get caught up in delays! After all, the call for blockades were announced well in advance..
.
Blockade went on
20.07.2005 09:16
Afterwards, the group split again, some continued to go to the demo at gleneagles and the rest including me returned to the camp, completly exhausted after walking for more than 24 hours, without sleep and much of proper food.
Someone did make some pictures of this. Maybe it would be nice to publish them here and maybe also on the german and dutch indymedia, since many germans and dutch people were with us.
sambista too
Towards Gleneagles
27.07.2005 00:05
Sambatista
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