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It won't bring anyone back to life, but...

02:03 / 20.03.03

NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE WAR ON IRAQ

Saturday 22 March 12 Noon

The STOP THE WAR COALITION has called a national demonstration
against the war on Iraq [...].

The assembly points will be the same as those on the 15 February
2003.
Route A - Gower Street, for all those from the North
Route B - Embankment, for everyone else, (including London)

We need the biggest possible turnout. Please spread the word now
and ensure you are there with your family, friends and work
colleagues. We must protest against every bomb dropped and every
missile, shell and bullet fired in the illegal and immoral war.
Tony Blair and his Labour government must be forced to stop the
carnage which he is [...] unleash[ing] on the Iraqi people.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

05:28 / 20.03.03

Also Parliament Square the day the bombing starts (well, that would be today, wouldn't it?)

Our Lady of The Two Towers

05:41 / 20.03.03

And ironically, both days (assuming it's today as well) I can't make it, so throw a rock at a politician for me kids!
(DISCLAIMER: IKnowIBelieveinNothingButItIs My Nothing of the Flowers does not codone the throwing of rocks at politicians unless it's a real tosser like Blair or Short. You must be over 18 to read this message. Your country may be at risk if you do not keep up repayments.)

Regrettable Juvenilia

07:36 / 20.03.03

So who's going down to Parliament Square at 6pm today?

08:22 / 20.03.03

Should be there as I work merely ten minutes down the road. I know they closed Parliament Square last night but apparently there are people protesting down there at the moment. I'll pop down on my lunch break and see what the score is.

08:56 / 20.03.03

Yep, I'll be there too tonight. I can't make it on Saturday, but I can't not take a stand on this. We may not be able to change decisions that have already been made, but we can sure as hell influence the future. Now where can I buy a whistle from????

12:20 / 20.03.03

Mood seems good at the moment, loads of students and school kids out and about, when I left they were running around staging sit downs to stop traffic, looked like they were having great fun

. Police were also starting to stick barriers up. Some of my work chums should be back in a bit wth further updates.

Tryphena Absent

13:07 / 20.03.03

I'll probably go to the demo on Saturday... is anyone else going to be around?

Have fun in Parliament Square! I've taken part in a sit down outside Cardiff Castle and was pleasantly surprised by the number of people I knew (I went all on my lonesome). Will be in Cardiff town centre at 5pm for the second lot of protesting and am going to try and get my housemates along... yeah right.

Regrettable Juvenilia

13:13 / 20.03.03

Ridiculously I have an opticians appointment on the Strand at 2.10pm on Saturday - however if the numbers are anything like the one in Feb there will still be people starting from that area at that time - one way or another I'll be there for some of it. If a general Barbelith meet-up isn't happening, anyone who wants to meet up can PM me for my mobile number... Same goes for tonight, too.

Goodness Gracious Meme

13:18 / 20.03.03

Ditto with Brighton, been pretty busy, lots of noise, lots of kids/students/daytimers out. Seemed pretty chilled*. Lots of roadblocking in town...

Will be going back into town later.

*Though bumped into friends who said that a student had been glassed. By a kid. Gah.

Might make saturday, not sure as yet.

05:27 / 21.03.03

Flowers - thanks for that, once again you have me in stitches!

I am told of a demo at Old Street Tube at 1700 today. I suspect it may be a bit spikey though, so I'll prolly be at Parliament Sq later on at some point today. It seems to be the place to be these days - on another board people are talking about setting up camp there.

09:49 / 21.03.03

I can't make this one I'm afraid. Be sure to kick out some jams on my behalf..

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

15:31 / 21.03.03

I'm gonna be at the NFT at 12. (I have to be... I have to reclaim my pirate banner which I left in a pub last time and which will be being brought back for me then.)

18:36 / 21.03.03

Just got in from the Old Street demo, which was quite good, c.200 of us walked round the roundabout annoying traffic, but there was some spikeyness from the crowd (mainly spikey anarcho types) and the police were pretty full on in return. A sound system was established on the traffic island and pumping for all of 30 seconds before the police decided enough was enough and kettled us. It was 50-50 in terms of aggro, and to be fair, the schoolkids were let go 'cos they got really freaked. This little exchange made my week:

Bill: Can I go now?
Cop: No.
My mate: Why?
Cop: 'Cos we haven't done what we're gonna do to you yet.
My mate: What are you gonna do?
Cop: I'm gonna piss on you.
My mate (gets on his knees and opens his mouth): Cool, normally I pay a fortune for that sort of thing.

Anyway eventually after SO3 took their precious pics, we were set free, and now I'm back in the office getting gently drunk.

Hopefully see soem of ya tomorrow. I got no mob, so anyone going pm me theirs, else I'll just play 'spot the pirate banner'.

Tryphena Absent

19:43 / 21.03.03

Alrighty then people will PM Bill and Flyboy my number and hopefully see you at some time during the day!

gozer the destructor

20:40 / 21.03.03

I went to parliament square to day from about 2 and left at about 6.30. It was a bit of a disapointing turnout, less than a hundred by my count although there were a lot fewer police than yesterday. Thought the school children were amazing yesterday and was disgusted to see the police baton charging some 13/14 year olds. Had it out with a copper to day who was getting a little upset at the children behind me shouting rude words at him and scrunching up leaflets and throwing them at him.

PC PLOD: (Genuinely puzzled)Why are you throwing stuff at us?
ME: Well its probably got a lot to do with your colleagues behaviour yesterday, when they started using their uniform as a liscense to beat up kids
PC PLOD: Well i wasn't here yesterday
ME: (incredulous)Doesn't mean it didn't happen
MORE IMPORTANT PC PLOD: We are people you know
ME:Your representing the state and we don't agree with it, what do you expect?!
MORE IMPORTANT PC PLOD: You lot always say that but we work for you!
ME: Well will you sack those 10 yesterday i saw beating up kids?
MORE IMPORTANT PC PLOD: It doesn't work like that.
ME: Hmmmm?

Out of the forty or so coppers i counted, only two of them actually had the descency to talk to me civily. Charming.

Anyway, im hoping the poor show out today (pre-6.30 that is) was due to a good demo at old st..

Are people doing something for may day again???? email me if you are...i seem to be findiong less and less time to do internety stuff.

Aloha!

Ne travzaillez jamais

Goodness Gracious Meme

00:50 / 22.03.03

Been out in Brighton over the last couple of nights, it's been pretty busy, there seems to be pretty much an ongoing vigil/protest outside the town hall, and Brighton being what it is, it's pretty well manned all through the day/night.

But a much heavier police presence than warranted. And lots of unrest outside AMEX's european headquarters, based here.

not going to make tomorrow, i'm afraid. exhausted and messy and need to be selfish and self-caring. feel appropriately guilty tho'

pointless and uncalled for

10:26 / 23.03.03

Good show yesterday, if a little lacking in vigour from the 15/02 event. The Police managed a number of well organized and carefully planned series of fuck ups including redirecting small splinter marches towards the main march and neatly choosing to leave deciding which of the heads of the marches would be allowed to go first at Piccadilly Circus until they both got there. Even then is seems to be a matter of a good 10 - 15 minutes worth of deliberation?

However, wandering ahead of the march with my camera was good fun and between photo ops I encouraged the sideline cops to smile at the Cycle of Peace with a fairly good success rate.

"Ahhh go on, how can you not smile at the Cycle O' Peace"

autopilot disengaged

18:03 / 23.03.03

it was lush.

sorry i didn't manage to make the meet point, hope y'all had as pleasant a time as i did.

turnout was, in end, entirely respectable considering the lack of time to organize, and general bonhomie/good weather made the whole thing seem like a stroll in the sunshine against war.

best slogan: HAVE ANOTHER PRETZEL, ASSHOLE.

Tryphena Absent

18:43 / 23.03.03

Amazing number of children there. I had a really great day that was only made greater by the 'lithers and my dad bought me a whistle and I blew it emphatically whenever the speakers made a point I agreed with. I'm just a slightly older child really.

08:02 / 28.03.03

April 12 is the date STWC have decided to do another big London demo, though its site doesn't have much in the way of details as yet.

Tryphena Absent

00:03 / 29.03.03

Somebody obviously knew.

11:42 / 03.04.03

Kewl, I'll try to do both. Now there's another one this saturday, details here.

08:57 / 04.04.03

Well, I can't make it to the one on the 5th, but I'll be doing my darndest to get the the one on April 12th.

Anyone else?