Late night phone calls and all I wanted to do was sleep. Riot police had turned up at the Reclaiming The Future party on Holloway Road in North London. So, exhaustion and a crippled mind be damned, Oscar Beard used his electric bill money to get a taxi to the area and cover the latest threat to society, probably greater than terrorism - people partying and having fun.
I got the phone call about midnight. A very calm voice explained the situation: “Hi Oscar. Sorry to disturb you so late but I’m at this party and 14 vans of riot police have just turned up. They’ve surrounded the place. People say there’s more police around the back of the building. Do you think we should worry?”
“What are they doing?” I asked.
“Well, they just got their batons out and started hitting people. But some people did throw bottles at them,” said the voice as calm as Buddha.
Ten minutes later I was bribing the taxi driver to break the speed limit, listening to him rant about the sick society we lived in London and the UK, and arrived in front of the police road blockades fifteen minutes later minus most of my three-month electricity bill.
Holloway Road, one of the main routes north out of London was deserted. Police cars and vans blocked every road in and out of the area. Not even pedestrians were allowed to walk the back streets. One man, who came along the deserted street, said he had to walk nearly a mile to travel 200 metres.
“They’ve commandeered trucks down there,” he said pointing to the southern side of the road block. “They’re using them to stop the traffic. And now there’s no night buses. I can’t get home. I have to walk five miles.”
Once I entered the area the police were on me immediately. No respect for the press card. Welcome back to London I thought. Not two weeks back in the country and it was back to normal. Pushed, shoved, denied the right to access areas where the public roamed free, my camera being shoved out the way. It’s not criminal damage, I didn’t damage it. Same old same in the big smoke.
Within two hours of filming the police finally pulled out. But that was more to do with the sound systems being removed from the squatted building.
Earlier I bumped into another Indymedia journalist, who was merrier than most and verbally abusing police officers in his drunken manner.
“I called him a cunt and he did nothing,” he said, laughing. “That’s never happened to me before.”
“You should come to Ireland,” I said. “You get away with punching them there and they still don’t arrest you.”
But despite the screwed up method of the other journalist he had caught on to something important. A conversation between the high-ranking officers. They were going to use the ruse of seizing the sound systems in order to raid the party. But when the sound systems were removed they had no reason to storm the building.
Around 2.30am on Sunday morning the last remaining of 14 riot vans and the CCTV van, that had spent the entire day monitoring the numbers of people entering the derelict building, finally moved out.
There were no night buses home. I was stuck. No money, no Oyster monitoring card to get me home and record the journey. Another taxi would cost me another three month’s electricity. I was screwed. So, nothing better to do than go into the party and have a beer and hope something was still going on.
And sure enough there was. I got stinking stunk and woke sometime on Sunday afternoon, slumped in an office chair with no idea of how I got there or why. The only thing I remembered was one bearded hardcore hippy puking into a glass bowl in front of me, spouting off in-between bursts of brown vomit: “Oscar, we need you here…Barf…in case they come back…you know they’ll try it, just to try and grab someone with a joint coming out of the place and call it a successful drug raid.”
He filled the bowl then, with amazing skill, pulled tea mugs and coffee jugs just at the right moment to catch the last bursts of stinking half-digested brown ale.
“Well,” I said, slumped in a chair in a glass office, that lost a window when a drunk punk fell backwards and crashed through the plate glass window, “you’ve convinced me. But I need to stay awake. And I’m ready to drop now.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of coffee.”
But they never came back. A few arrests and that was it.
I returned to the squat on Monday afternoon and heard the accounts of several of the organisers.
There were a lot of pissed off people. The bailiffs had just served a nine-day notice. According to the notice they were trespassing. Again a sign of recent times. Every time a squatted social centre appeared, the authorities were on them in a matter of days and they were evicted in a matter of weeks.
But what I heard from several of the organiser’s disturbed me.
“I was here to make a party happen,” said one, as he chain-smoked roll-up cigarettes and opened the last of the organic lager. “I was out there trying to make sure the police didn’t raid the place and batter everyone. And there were these few fucking idiots throwing bottles at the cops from behind the rows of people at the gate.
“Now, I’m up for a riot if need be, if there is no other way, but if these fucking idiots want to throw bottles then have some guts and do it outside, in front of the cops. What they did was cowardly. A bunch of fucking idiots that could have got a lot of innocent people hurt.”
After some discussion the whole police operation came down to one simple issue, the music at the back of the venue was too loud and local residents had complained.
But even when the music was turned down and the largest sound systems were removed, the police still persisted in trying to shut down the party and arrested people who tried to leave.
And I had to agree with that comment. If you want to fight the state do it on the front line, not hiding behind 200 people who don’t want trouble. Get organised and do it properly, with some guts.
Now to the truth of the matter. A few things need to be said here, and it looks like it has come down to me, Oscar Beard, to say it, with the backing of a few anonymous people to back me up.
This latest issue of throwing bottles only surmises the bravado of the hardcore activist movement in London and the UK in a greater sphere. There are no guts left, only cowardly acts. I have been covering this shit long enough to know what I’m talking about.
Our movements have become divided and splintered. Stop The War are happy to have the anarchists on their marches, but when the anarchists call them to action, they denounce the action, like the bunch of mediocre lefty bought-out fools they are.
Some may say that is organised and deliberate, and I’d probably tend to agree with them. But who is paying off who here?
But when an independent journalist works his damn ass off to try and keep people informed of what’s really going on, in the process leading himself to physical and mental destruction, taking so many beatings that his own doctor in recent weeks has stated he will be crippled within two years, it makes me wonder what the fuck I’m doing.
All movements have become lame and stale, with too few decent actions that mean anything. It’s demoralising and forms a sense of defeat and total hopelessness.
In the 1980’s Hunter S. Thompson referred to us as “the doomed”, and believe me we are starting to look like it these days. It’s time for a change, something new, and if we intend to ride out this wave of vicious crush of dissent we need to do something now, before it’s too late.
In meeting these good and fine people tonight, one of whom I’ve only met in the last few months, another I have known for several years, it came up that this is a damn serious issue, especially with an opportunity like the 2007 Mayday coming, and the German G8. I would go further afield than that and say look to South and Central America. Out there they are doing it. Here we seem to be playing at opposition. And nothing changes.
I am no problem solver, but I have been around enough to know that standing in the back a throwing a few bottles does nothing but get the innocent beaten by vicious state-backed thugs. If you want to do that, then stand in the front and take beating yourself. Don't let the innocent take the brunt for your actions.
People wrote in and phoned the RTF people yesterday and today: “We need a demonstration outside the police stations where the arrested are. Why aren’t you organising it?”
That is the mentality. A bunch of lazy fence-hugging armchair anarchists, not willing to take the initiative themselves. And I have seen this too many times. People complaining that "someone" did not organise a mailing list when I returned from Mexico. Pal, I'd just been cahsed around by machete-wielding fuckers fro two weeks, you think I have time to send out mailing lists. Do it yourself if no one else is, you dig.
It’s pathetic and sad to see we have devolved to this. And it leaves no hope for the future.
There are a few of us out there that fund ourselves to risk our lives to give you the news that no one else is giving you.
And if anyone wants to directly attack my statements on this, then please do. Truth hurts, fuckers. When I see you next to me, when paramilitaries are threatening to kill me within 24-hours, or when police are punching, kicking and using batons on my legs, or you are in the same interrogation room when Russian or Italian secret service have cornered me, then maybe I’ll listen to you.
If that's not enough, get your leg blown off, beaten into a coma by vicious cops, shot in the chest by paramilitaries, shot in the leg trying to save kids.
Until then, don’t take it personally. Just do something about it. Sure, get angry, but use your anger positively to move forwards and do something.
Don’t let more Indymedia people die in vain or suffer serious injury just so you can sit comfortably in your home and watch yet another hour of riot porn.
Make it worth it. Make the change.
But to say I'm fucked off would be an understatement.
“What are they doing?” I asked.
“Well, they just got their batons out and started hitting people. But some people did throw bottles at them,” said the voice as calm as Buddha.
Ten minutes later I was bribing the taxi driver to break the speed limit, listening to him rant about the sick society we lived in London and the UK, and arrived in front of the police road blockades fifteen minutes later minus most of my three-month electricity bill.
Holloway Road, one of the main routes north out of London was deserted. Police cars and vans blocked every road in and out of the area. Not even pedestrians were allowed to walk the back streets. One man, who came along the deserted street, said he had to walk nearly a mile to travel 200 metres.
“They’ve commandeered trucks down there,” he said pointing to the southern side of the road block. “They’re using them to stop the traffic. And now there’s no night buses. I can’t get home. I have to walk five miles.”
Once I entered the area the police were on me immediately. No respect for the press card. Welcome back to London I thought. Not two weeks back in the country and it was back to normal. Pushed, shoved, denied the right to access areas where the public roamed free, my camera being shoved out the way. It’s not criminal damage, I didn’t damage it. Same old same in the big smoke.
Within two hours of filming the police finally pulled out. But that was more to do with the sound systems being removed from the squatted building.
Earlier I bumped into another Indymedia journalist, who was merrier than most and verbally abusing police officers in his drunken manner.
“I called him a cunt and he did nothing,” he said, laughing. “That’s never happened to me before.”
“You should come to Ireland,” I said. “You get away with punching them there and they still don’t arrest you.”
But despite the screwed up method of the other journalist he had caught on to something important. A conversation between the high-ranking officers. They were going to use the ruse of seizing the sound systems in order to raid the party. But when the sound systems were removed they had no reason to storm the building.
Around 2.30am on Sunday morning the last remaining of 14 riot vans and the CCTV van, that had spent the entire day monitoring the numbers of people entering the derelict building, finally moved out.
There were no night buses home. I was stuck. No money, no Oyster monitoring card to get me home and record the journey. Another taxi would cost me another three month’s electricity. I was screwed. So, nothing better to do than go into the party and have a beer and hope something was still going on.
And sure enough there was. I got stinking stunk and woke sometime on Sunday afternoon, slumped in an office chair with no idea of how I got there or why. The only thing I remembered was one bearded hardcore hippy puking into a glass bowl in front of me, spouting off in-between bursts of brown vomit: “Oscar, we need you here…Barf…in case they come back…you know they’ll try it, just to try and grab someone with a joint coming out of the place and call it a successful drug raid.”
He filled the bowl then, with amazing skill, pulled tea mugs and coffee jugs just at the right moment to catch the last bursts of stinking half-digested brown ale.
“Well,” I said, slumped in a chair in a glass office, that lost a window when a drunk punk fell backwards and crashed through the plate glass window, “you’ve convinced me. But I need to stay awake. And I’m ready to drop now.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of coffee.”
But they never came back. A few arrests and that was it.
I returned to the squat on Monday afternoon and heard the accounts of several of the organisers.
There were a lot of pissed off people. The bailiffs had just served a nine-day notice. According to the notice they were trespassing. Again a sign of recent times. Every time a squatted social centre appeared, the authorities were on them in a matter of days and they were evicted in a matter of weeks.
But what I heard from several of the organiser’s disturbed me.
“I was here to make a party happen,” said one, as he chain-smoked roll-up cigarettes and opened the last of the organic lager. “I was out there trying to make sure the police didn’t raid the place and batter everyone. And there were these few fucking idiots throwing bottles at the cops from behind the rows of people at the gate.
“Now, I’m up for a riot if need be, if there is no other way, but if these fucking idiots want to throw bottles then have some guts and do it outside, in front of the cops. What they did was cowardly. A bunch of fucking idiots that could have got a lot of innocent people hurt.”
After some discussion the whole police operation came down to one simple issue, the music at the back of the venue was too loud and local residents had complained.
But even when the music was turned down and the largest sound systems were removed, the police still persisted in trying to shut down the party and arrested people who tried to leave.
And I had to agree with that comment. If you want to fight the state do it on the front line, not hiding behind 200 people who don’t want trouble. Get organised and do it properly, with some guts.
Now to the truth of the matter. A few things need to be said here, and it looks like it has come down to me, Oscar Beard, to say it, with the backing of a few anonymous people to back me up.
This latest issue of throwing bottles only surmises the bravado of the hardcore activist movement in London and the UK in a greater sphere. There are no guts left, only cowardly acts. I have been covering this shit long enough to know what I’m talking about.
Our movements have become divided and splintered. Stop The War are happy to have the anarchists on their marches, but when the anarchists call them to action, they denounce the action, like the bunch of mediocre lefty bought-out fools they are.
Some may say that is organised and deliberate, and I’d probably tend to agree with them. But who is paying off who here?
But when an independent journalist works his damn ass off to try and keep people informed of what’s really going on, in the process leading himself to physical and mental destruction, taking so many beatings that his own doctor in recent weeks has stated he will be crippled within two years, it makes me wonder what the fuck I’m doing.
All movements have become lame and stale, with too few decent actions that mean anything. It’s demoralising and forms a sense of defeat and total hopelessness.
In the 1980’s Hunter S. Thompson referred to us as “the doomed”, and believe me we are starting to look like it these days. It’s time for a change, something new, and if we intend to ride out this wave of vicious crush of dissent we need to do something now, before it’s too late.
In meeting these good and fine people tonight, one of whom I’ve only met in the last few months, another I have known for several years, it came up that this is a damn serious issue, especially with an opportunity like the 2007 Mayday coming, and the German G8. I would go further afield than that and say look to South and Central America. Out there they are doing it. Here we seem to be playing at opposition. And nothing changes.
I am no problem solver, but I have been around enough to know that standing in the back a throwing a few bottles does nothing but get the innocent beaten by vicious state-backed thugs. If you want to do that, then stand in the front and take beating yourself. Don't let the innocent take the brunt for your actions.
People wrote in and phoned the RTF people yesterday and today: “We need a demonstration outside the police stations where the arrested are. Why aren’t you organising it?”
That is the mentality. A bunch of lazy fence-hugging armchair anarchists, not willing to take the initiative themselves. And I have seen this too many times. People complaining that "someone" did not organise a mailing list when I returned from Mexico. Pal, I'd just been cahsed around by machete-wielding fuckers fro two weeks, you think I have time to send out mailing lists. Do it yourself if no one else is, you dig.
It’s pathetic and sad to see we have devolved to this. And it leaves no hope for the future.
There are a few of us out there that fund ourselves to risk our lives to give you the news that no one else is giving you.
And if anyone wants to directly attack my statements on this, then please do. Truth hurts, fuckers. When I see you next to me, when paramilitaries are threatening to kill me within 24-hours, or when police are punching, kicking and using batons on my legs, or you are in the same interrogation room when Russian or Italian secret service have cornered me, then maybe I’ll listen to you.
If that's not enough, get your leg blown off, beaten into a coma by vicious cops, shot in the chest by paramilitaries, shot in the leg trying to save kids.
Until then, don’t take it personally. Just do something about it. Sure, get angry, but use your anger positively to move forwards and do something.
Don’t let more Indymedia people die in vain or suffer serious injury just so you can sit comfortably in your home and watch yet another hour of riot porn.
Make it worth it. Make the change.
But to say I'm fucked off would be an understatement.
Comments
Hide the following 23 comments
...
03.04.2007 03:53
keep angry and in love for all the right reasons and the right people... but keep angry.
and keep questioning the lifestyle anarchists.. cos whats the fucking point?
in friendship for the hardtimes and in anger for the unreal times.x
dr h
this article is a factrually wrong emotive rant
03.04.2007 09:23
fem
Misquote of the organiser - (and that's really, really crap of you, OB)
03.04.2007 09:33
“Now, I’m up for a riot if need be, if there is no other way, but if these fucking idiots want to throw bottles then have some guts and do it outside, in front of the cops. What they did was cowardly. A bunch of fucking idiots that could have got a lot of innocent people hurt.”
Oscar, misquoting people is also not helping the activist community, and what you've just done is so completely crap it's untrue. You should have had good night's sleep b4 sending this out (re-reading it b4 and thinking carefully about what you've said in it). You need to put a retraction in here.
You should be asking permission from us for what you've said we said. otherwise, you will efeively be doing MI5's job for them like they want you to do.
mi
crap
03.04.2007 10:24
Myself I am not a lifestyle anarchist ( nor a globe trotter ) and don't like to label myself as an activtist either nor am I surrounded by activists in any ghetto - the label of activist many be applied to things I do. ( gardening?recycling?***********? ).
This piece was unfortunately very much like the Indymedia equivalent of the Standard with a totally negative focus- yeh maybe with a touch of that reactionary HunterST )- oh and i do know what it is like to have a gun in my face, have friends murdered, and have and my bones broken by pigs - you can get all that 'excitement' in this country - incidentally harbouring the global finance capital ) - so fuck you.
Sorry you were called out you are obviously in a bad way - you should have got money off people for electric and travel - I am sure they would have helped you out if you had asked.
peasant
It has to be said...
03.04.2007 12:56
IMCista
big thanks
03.04.2007 13:27
RTF would like to thank all the people who turned up and supported the event whether doing a workshop, performing, running a stall, cafe, doing the gate, security, and anyone being part of the event:- In no particular order including... Rising Tide, Space Hijackers, Haringey Solidarity group, Disarm DSIE, CAAT, Coaliton against Climate Change, ComMutineers, London Fire Brigade, G8 Medics, Indymedia, Ramparts, N and E london Hunt Sabs, Exhibit A, Advisory service For Squatters, Active Distribution, Games Monitor, The Wombles, Bicycolgy, G8 bike Ride, Tranisition Grpup, social Ecolgy group, Dr Bike, assorted squatters, RTS and anarchists, siren, reknaw, Coltek, Crowzone, Iabn Saville magican for spocialism, Johny fluffypunk, Vic lambrisco, Headjam, Spanner, 56a infoshop, Iraq Workers, Schnews, Terra Audio, Casualty Corner, Defcon Zero, Faslane, the samba band, Camp Bling, No Borders, Detainee Suport Group and people who had travled from around the UK and Europe inc Germany and France to be here
Apologies to those who didn't get to play due, who were locked out, and who were injured thanks to the Met scumthugs.
NO TO PFI ( public fraudalent initatives ) projects....
Lots of people enjoyed the event in spite of the state gangsters henchmens arrival.
mr
Corrections, retraction and the rest
03.04.2007 17:29
Firstly, to retract the quote. Yep, I got it in the wrong context and should never have put it out in the first place, especially how I made it sound. That was not my intention and apologise heartily to those involved in that. The point of putting in the comment was to make people realise that the person who said it was not afraid to defend themself from police brutality, but considered the actions a few bottle-throwers pointless and stupid, as did many others I have since spoken too. And to the people at the gate goading the police with words like "piggie".
To Fem, if you knew how much I have worked non-stop for the last seven weeks you would never even bother making a statement like "proceeded to get drunk and woke up with a hang over". I wish i had gotten totally screwed up that night/morning, but exhaustion took more out than anything else and I collapsed in that chair. and the reason he arrived late was because he'd been slogging his guts out on independent movies, to get further out to people like yourselves.
Peasant, I never said any organisers were drunk.
As for the rest, I still stand by what I said. And it's not just me thinking this way anymore. Which is why I wrote it. Needless to say it's me that gets it in the neck, despite quite a few who you all probably know, agreeing and urging me to such criticisms. If there's problems or issues with what I said, then you all know where to find me sooner or later.
And yes, I do feel IMC people work there arses off, and get nothing but purile and pathetic criticism from a lot of people, which is why I don't usually reply to comments, but on this issue I felt I was wrong on the way I wrote down the quote in the very short space of time I had last night to do the video and report and felt the need to accept my mistake and publicly apologise for it. Sorry mi.
Oscar Beard
agree
03.04.2007 20:09
grr
what bollox
03.04.2007 22:20
You totally misquoted me which you may have retracted now but that doesn’t make me feel any better. You don’t even use your right name when you’re writing this article, you wanker. I noticed how tired you were when your lost your camera and tripod, that I made sure was safe and locked up in my room and if you’d have wanted to conduct an interview with me you could at least had the guts to ask for one. The RTF party as far as I’m concerned was a total and utter success – quote some of the people inside it. Oh I forgot – you were asleep at the time being so “tired” (journalist bullshit for being pissed!)
Perhaps you should get a job with the Evening Standard instead. I could go on but I’m knackered and don’t normally reply to bollox articles in Indymedia who as far as I’m concerned are a bunch of would be middle class journalist wankers so just fuck off.
PS: Oh dearie me forgotten where your tripod is.
Max
max
e-mail:
dispossessed@hotmail.co.uk
Home truths
04.04.2007 10:51
Meanwhile, what you've said, Max, is complete and utter crap. Indymedia journalists have put their lives on the line, like Brad Will in Mexico. Why don't you fucking get out of your notional world of class prejudice* and small-minded mindset; it might just be that your isolating behaviour is the reason why so few comrades came to you and the rest of the organising group's assistance meaning severe, overblown workloads for a few people. (* - I say notional, because while class analysis is the ultimate analysis, the way we interpret this can be very subjective, as is your tendency).
Exactly what the powers that be want then. Dissention and division. You're the one being a complete fucking wanker.
That said, back to you Oscar, I don't think you appreciate the seriousness of what you misquoted; if we were all back on the farm, you'dd be in front of the firing squad mate.
mi
a matter of interpretation
04.04.2007 11:09
Here is some comments I posted to another newswire posting on RTF4:
I do share the frustration and anger of Oscar. However, whilst many of us shared his venom with those who chucked bottles at police that night, it has to be said that the lack of communication amongst people on the gate and those in dialogue with the police did not help. The lack of security who disappeared (frustrated with the lack of a command or communication structure from the organisers for which I myself can be partly blamed for) meant that no intervention could be acted upon to stop further bottle throwing. The incident begs a difficult and pertinent question for our scene at this time; to what extent does our scene consider it neccessary to self-police itself? It is a difficult question, but one we have to ask ourselves in such situations. The answer, I might suggest was partly on show that very evening. Self-organisation, which was the point of the Insecurity workshop which didn't happen in the end (because people were too stretched). The idea was to have a workshop which emphasised that all of us self-organise oursleves and take collective responsibility in situations. This happened at the gate whilst bottles were being thrown, as most of the crowd denounced the minority doing it. There was hardly anyone who actively confronted these people, however, and that is the issue we must address (like the police enforcing an order for the wider good of the locality around our event, so intervention was required to stop bottle throwing which could have brought on top a violent response from the police if it had got out of hand - though it has to be said that the police's remit on the night was to purely to stop people entering through the gate and enforce the turning off of the sound systems). The self-organisation also occurred in relation to the last-minute movement of stages, after the fire-inspection crew insisted we had to move and barricade off one part of the building from the other so as to comply with fire regs about maximum distance anyone person should be from a fire-exit at any one time. That people mucked in to make this happen was testament to our scene's ability to self-organise, and that is really positive.
About RTF4:
Speaking personally, in essence, the political consideration regarding this event in being as important as the consideration given to raising money meant this choice of location actually reduced our ability to pull off the complete entirity of the event, on account of completely over-the-top policing - a similarly deeply political act. Unfortunately, the police did not respond to the organisers' immediate reduction of the volume of all 4 sound systems with a verified noise-reading, nor indicate what would be an acceptible level. Instead, upon further discussion with a spokesperson of the organisers at the time, the police subsequently issued an ultimatum that a Court Order for Noise abatement would be served within the hour, and that having already received warning that the rigs would be seized if the Order was served, all sound systems still playing would be seized. With the considerable build-up of police and riot police (Islington's notorious divisional intelligence unit), the fear was that the situation would escalate and that people would get seriously hurt (rather, larger numbers of people would get hurt - many more than the number that got physically assaulted by the cops outside as more than 400 people accumulated in the street as the police prevented anyone from entering the building). At the same time, they had no choice but to allow the party to continue, as the entrance to the building through a narrow gate meant that any mass encroachment of police into the building through such a narrow funnel would be very messy and too hard to enforce. Upon notification that the Court Order was on its way, the decision was made by the 2 remaining sound-systems with live music to finish the live music. Music recommenced at a low volume on one sound system, whilst Peace not war had their 12 volt system planning some groovy tunes from a small room into the bar area.
Quite why the police felt it neccessary to close the Holloway Rd (A1), with 4 articulated trucks stopping traffic from Highbury roundabout onto the road, shows the immense police operation that was put in place to respond to this event, by accounts a response (an overblown response) to the level of complaints from local residents rather than it being purely and simply - straight authoritarism which is sometimes lamely banied about by some in the activist/anarchist community as the reason for any police intervention, though it is the state's raison detre (it wholly depends on how far you accept that the police have any independence from the arm of the state - that the institution and it's setup are hand-glove with the state is not disputed by me - just, is there not some element within that finds the idea of anarchy appealing?...anyway, I digress). The fact that riot police turned up an hour after the first arrival of local coppers shows not so much that they were intent on enforcing noise abatement, but that they were infact scared of us. The dignity which most people exerted on proceedings despite this setback was really special, and the wonderful vibrant and revolutionary sounds of liberatory samba nicely filled the abrupt absence of live music inside one of the rooms, whilst outside, it lifted the spirits amongst the mellee of sporadic outbursts of anger from sections of the crowd. On the side of the gate inside the site, members of the crowd who threw bottles were denounced by the majority assembled for giving the excuse for the police to clamp down, which it was clear they were reluctant to do in terms of a forced entry into the site, which would have severely escalated the situation and put their own number's lives in danger even more than those of people inside the site.
The irony of the street gathering was that Reclaim the Streets was inadvertantly reborn for a couple of hours - the crowd outside, albeit with a wall of police in front of them, indirectly closed down one of the busiest streets in London ( at the cost of raising money). The building used to be a taxi repair centre, and was officially opened by Stephen Norris Transport Secretary in Nov 1994 - the exact same time when the M11 protest was at it's height - in particular, Claremont Road, where RTS was born and the original RTS acted as revolutionary vanguard, seizing control of a local campaign and stating in their own internal literature that "campaigners involved were akin to cannon fodder". I do hope that the punx picnic is not being exploited this time; it certainly was not the intention by any of the organisers - but history has a funny way of repeating itself...... vanguards and masses; the steering group of RTF4 are to be commended for going out of their way to make this event happen but were not inclusive in reaching out to get others involved in the organisation for various reasons, the foremost being economic and the second one being security considerations (ie being covert). The latter has been brought about by increased state survelliance As Socialist magician Ian Saville demonstrated in his ripping up of the front/back newssheet pages of the Guardian newspaper into shreds, analogous of the fragmentation of leftist groups, perhaps it is time to turn the world upside down by unifying under a simple effective goal which he further demonstrated in his brilliant and funny act through "magically" rolling the shreds up in the cusp of his hands only to reveal the outside pages of the newspaper once again!
The organisers worked their bollox off and deserve nothing but praise, but my comments about the lack of inclusivity were not meant to be a reflection on them at-all, and I do hope they do not take offence. Everyone should be aware that we always have lessons to learn in whatever endevour we get involved in - that's life.
Mi
OOPS!!
04.04.2007 12:52
Also Oscar whats your point?
max
e-mail:
dispossessed@hotmail.co.uk
Not to your usual standard...
04.04.2007 15:24
I warned you time ago about the risks of working too hard...and not doing much else! of course you were too busy and wont' listen. I thought you were doing great as a journalist and could do even better, but I think you're spinning off somehow, get a grip mate. Work is not meant to replace having a life, and revolution implies much more than fighting the cops and the state. Sorry for lecturing.
Max, the man is not a wanker and is really working his arse off - and he's silly enough to put his life on the line for what he believes.
Everybody can please quit insulting people on indymedia, that's not indy's function. Take your crap and ego trips elsewhere. Save your rage for the enemy.
Ros
though mi is perfectly entited to express his personal veiws
04.04.2007 16:48
fem
Thank you Oscar, I enjoyed your report
04.04.2007 21:24
Reading your report I did not see it as an attack on anyone but those few who where throwing bottles, a very personal view, and I applaud you for it, it makes for an enjoyable read, we are all human.
Thank you Oscar, thank you RTF, thank you indymedia
together we stand, divided we fall.
much love,
u.n.
u.n.
oscar the actor innit
05.04.2007 12:32
that said he also ferrets hard after facts and fair play for that.
problem is, things sometimes get a bit bitterly mixed up. you can't take the position as a factual messenger of truth type reporter and then split it and cut it with your own dose of personal bile and individual provoke-a-lot comments and not expect to get called a wanker.
i like some of his reports cos sometimes they're funny, but they often leave a nasty taste in my mouth and it ain't because he's hitting nails on the head.
extrapolating from a few drunken idiots chucking bottles to the end of any hope for political movement is a pretty stupid link in my book. oscar, chill the fuck out. stop trying to make super sweeping statements and your stories will be all the better and more accurate for it.
anyway also thanks to 'mi' for your comments, was interested to read them.
foxtrot
Apology to Max
06.04.2007 18:02
While I'm at it, I would also like to retract the crap analysis which appeared alongside the rebuke. I said that "Class analysis is the only analysis", and should have left it there. The subjectivity point is bollox.
Finally, I need to also make it absolutely crystal-clear that the views I expressed about the RTF4 event, it's organisation, and issues around incidents which occurred on the night were all my personal views. I was not speaking on behalf of the group*, though was plunged into working on the gate just when police turned up which is why i could speak with authority on that particular subject; it would appear that communication was made worse as mobile systems were disabled in the area at that very time.
(* - even in that, a further inaccuracy was my reading of the police situation; their justification for having the rigs turned off which in turn justified their excessive numbers was just that, their own justification for what was effecively a political clampdown).
Markibrown
Why are people not talking about what happened?
10.04.2007 11:58
Now understandably, it is almost unheard of for London Squat parties to get busted. However there were numerous causes for concern prior to the night. The police have always had an interest in political parties let alone the Holloway police's ropey romance with Anarchists. It was only in 2005 on the same road that police overreacted at the Anarchist bookfair creating quite an incident. The centrality of the venue seems only the icing on the cake and now the proof is in the pudding. But why did the organisation seem so unprepared for an inevitability?
Party scenes of certain areas of England see police every weekend who regularly carry out busts with dogs, CS gas and batons to seize sound systems. Only this Easter weekend police turned up to numerous parties including Manic's where they ripped out the fuses from the building. However, at Manic the police were pushed out and some nifty rewiring restarted the party. Admittedly, police did get their way in the end but the point is such rigs just want to have a good party and they fight for that right in full knowledge that they have to; the rigs back the people in resisting the police. At RTF not even small acts of defiance were shown except by the people who lost support of the music. Even Rhythms of Resistance were ordered not to resist, which seems beyond irony!
Now, no offence to other underground parties, but at RTF the cause was far greater than simply to party. There were political objectives. However, we are not going to be able to reclaim our souls from consumerism let alone Reclaim The Future if when the Revolution comes we are worried about losing money!
Without pessimism, it is quite clear the free party movement is capable of a lot more. Admittedly organising a party is difficult and not enough people know this and often seem ungrateful for all the hard work put in. On the other hand, why put in all that work into an antiauthoritarian party and as soon as the authorities turn up you begin packing up? Why put on an anticapitalist party and then worry about losing money?
There is great respect for the live band (King Blues?) that improvised a great set just after a commotion at the gate. But even after the police had left and the rigs had time to sneak their bags of money rigs out the back door, music seeped pitifully from one small speaker. It was quite clear that the decision to close down the party was final and financial.
Please feel free to omit your reading of this paragraph. The guy claiming to be an organiser and proclaiming to a woman in Rhythms of Resistance "I'll smash your face in if you play another beat," please sort out your head and violent nature. God knows what inspired you to get dreads. Do you understand your actions here and also in trying to intimidate another sambista by pushing him and shaking him by the shoulders while shouting: "You're making things more aggressive!"? This was not helping the mood. People had already begun throwing bottles so Rhythms had begun to play a slow and steady Samba Reggae beat to calm the mood. This brought people away from the fence to dance as opposed to fight as this was why people had come to this party. So please think twice before using aggression to start ordering Anarchists about who were playing in solidarity with their fellow sambistas who were being baton charged.
Thank you Oscar for the rare and invaluable footage of the police handling of the situation. More people should be talking about your article amongst themselves instead of trying to inflate their egos online at your expense. Why more people did not have cameras at that event I do not know. Your article was insightful and spoke for a lot of people at the party.
The police had fourteen meat wagons and brought all their “troops”, so to speak. This only shows their fear of us. The fact that there was a riot in central London and scanty if no media coverage is quite significant. This scale of media blackout can only suggest that they do not want people to hear about such potentially punk gatherings. They even cowardly hid their vans around the corner. We rattled the ruling class’ cradle but our greatest enemy still seems to be egotism, argument, petty derision and division.
The promising turnout of young people spoke of a genuine concern for the future which does actually belong to them. Unfortunately there is an acute danger of sending out a hollow message to these people that once the police turn up, the Revolutions over! Surely there should be far more RTF parties. There should be an RTRTF to show that RTF stand against authority and for the people. Are London parties so alien to the idea of a “suicide rig” where everyone chucks in their unwanted speakers and a Frankenstein rig rises from the ashes to rumble lower bowels and police ranks? This way you don’t let down the people or your wallet. But also more people should be involved in the helping and organising of such potentially resurrective events.
Sue D'Anim
The ego has landed - part deux
11.04.2007 19:48
Today’s me, me, me report highlights include:
1.) the police were on me immediately
2.) it looks like it has come down to me, Oscar Beard, to say it
3.) I have been covering this shit long enough to know what I’m talking about.
4.) But when an independent journalist works his damn ass off to try and keep people informed of what’s really going on, in the process leading himself to physical and mental destruction, taking so many beatings that his own doctor in recent weeks has stated he will be crippled within two years, it makes me wonder what the fuck I’m doing.
5.) risk our lives to give you the news that no one else is giving you.
6.) When I see you next to me, when paramilitaries are threatening to kill me within 24-hours, or when police are punching, kicking and using batons on my legs, or you are in the same interrogation room when Russian or Italian secret service have cornered me, then maybe I’ll listen to you.
7.) If that's not enough, get your leg blown off, beaten into a coma by vicious cops, shot in the chest by paramilitaries, shot in the leg trying to save kids.
And my personal favourite from our hero intrepid reporter
8.) But when an independent journalist works his damn ass off to try and keep people informed of what’s really going on, in the process leading himself to physical and mental destruction, taking so many beatings that his own doctor in recent weeks has stated he will be crippled within two years, it makes me wonder what the fuck I’m doing.
You’re a cock mate. And boring with it. Plain and simple. You don’t even write particularly well.
Bored of the Beard
e-mail:
bored-of-the-beard.com
dullard
11.04.2007 20:01
"If you touch it it's attempted criminal damage..."
And you found a can of Albanian CS gas. Thanks for emphasising the fact that people attending the event were in possession of what are classified as firearms. It's not police issue.
And the slow mos of "brutality" are laughable? Is that it? Handbags.
You bore me.
Bored of the Beard
e-mail:
no
And another thing...
12.04.2007 13:59
There were certain individuals who had a central role in the event who took only a peripheral role in the preparation. Those people need to question their contribution quite hard and ask, "could I have done more to help out?" (the same certainly goes many of us, including myself). It begs the question, where is the solidarity amongst people who consider themselves part of a movement for change in this country? Do their concerns extend only to talking a good talk or music set? While there is a legitimate concern that these individuals should "put the consideration of their sound equipment above everything else", this excuse is not a hiding place from the need for collective responsibility during preparation of the event; whilst the issue of ownership of the means of production which usually justifies other's labour surplus did not occur this time, I'm afraid it it was still a latent possibility. What's the fucking point if we are replicating the same disfunctionality of capitalism within our movement (expenses only). It is akin to the punters who left the party as soon as the soundsystems closed down; if half the attendees had done the same, then those remaining inside would have been completely vulnerable to the extent of police numbers outside (there are reports of people running through the building saying the place was about to be invaded by cops, which did freak a minority out enough for them to rush to leave). Thankfully, the 14 vans of riot cops soon disbursed as soon as the rigs were shut down.
I am slightly bewildered about the party scene in general, which is why the fusion of the political and party is so welcome, neccessary and refreshing. But it will only succeed if people/punters respect the hard work that goes into organising such events and don't just treat these events like just some other party - especially when cops are breathing down our necks. Respect to the organisers. Nuff said
MiB
yes and....
12.04.2007 15:58
HA HA SPLAT!
serial protestor
bottled (out)
12.04.2007 20:15
As an ex-road protester and ex- SCHNEWSER who has been 'out there' i.e. in the world for the last eight years, I wholeheartedly endorse your comments, they seem to recall something we wrote about the bottle throwers at the back of the Birmingham RTS oh, and the Tottenham one,oh and at Cambridge oh,and at...The point is,these sad fucks have there own definition of D.I.Y .Maybe people should set up there own F.I.T team ,surely you know who these fuckers, are we used to.Do some self-policing-we used to- it works.Speak to some Ex Newbury/Claremonters.
Thank you for your perserverence
Kit
23kitkats
e-mail:
23kitkats@graffiti.net