Article taken from Issue 3 of The Ox-Fly - Oxford's radical newsletter:
![](/img/extlink.gif)
Not to be outdone, the Tory county council went one better. Several members of Oxford Save Our Services wanted to hold them to account about massive cuts to our public services - cuts that hit the poorest in our communities the hardest. Whilst not seeming to care about the impact of the cuts, the council did at least care about the safety of the campaigners.
After planning to close the entire public gallery "on health and safety grounds" and trying to persuade people to watch via a screen in a separate room, staff eventually backed down, but told them they could not sit at the front as there were cables on the floor. A lightweight foam placard was also deemed a health & safety hazard. Despite all of these apparent death traps, everyone managed to leave the meeting unscathed.
Anarchists are often asked why they don't use "democratic processes". Whilst having an element of comedy, these examples show how a few people can disempower, alienate, and ignore the rest of us.
This is not a criticism of those that tried to use our democratic processes. It is a warning that our democracy is broken. Power corrupts, and people with power become corrupted. By all means try lobbying if you want, but don't be surprised when they shut you out. Be creative and think about what other action you can take.
See: oxfordsos.org.uk /
savetemplecowleypools.webs.com