The day we kettled New Scotland Yard….

We did it.

We kettled New Scotland Yard. It was estimated that we needed between 300 – 600 people to kettle New Scotland Yard (and that was based either holding hands or linking arms). But we did it.

There was around 2,000 people (maybe more…). We marched from Trafalgar Square, passed Downing Street, then onto Parliament Square where we showed solidarity and cheered Tamil protesters who also reciprocated by cheering back.

The demo was loud, lively and angry. We chanted ‘disband the TSG’ and ‘how many skulls have you cracked today’. And ‘no justice, no peace’!! The cops were lurking in the background including the TSG, who incidentally, were wearing their numbers.

Later, it was discovered 2 demonstraters towards the back were arrested, I don’t know why. But do the cops need a reason..?!?!

Part of the kettle

We got to New Scotland Yard where we kettled New Scotland Yard. Protesters encircled the whole of the building, a political symbolic gesture, the cops just stood there and watched. We held a minute’s silence for people who have died in the custody of the police.

Balloons released

Marcia and Samantha Rigg read out names of people who have died in police custody and then we released balloons to remember the dead. Speakers included the Green Party, the families of Roger Sylvester, Ricky Bishop, Sean Rigg and Brother Minkah.

The day was sombre, poignant, powerful and angry….

It was announced that there will be a protest outside the IPCC on the 10th July.

Is the Labour Party a dead duck…?!?!

Just who to vote for on 4th June? I have encountered people who won’t be voting Labour (and they are part of Labour’s core vote) since the MP expenses scandal (‘troughgate’). They want to vote as they are rightly scared of a high BNP vote if turnout is low. But who to vote for? I think most, as they are politically progressive, will be voting Green.

What does seem to be taking place is a process in which ordinary people are losing all trust in the LP. It was identified as the party that at the end of the day as being on their side. This has been eroded over the years by the warmongering and reactionary economic policies of NL. Why vote for someone who will vote to allow your job to be scrapped and who will support an economic system that leaves you with nothing.

Just think how long and hard ordinary people have to work to earn the £3000 or so that Paul Murphy spent on a new boiler because the old one produced water that was too hot. BTW why not just turn the hot tap down and the cold tap up? Mind you if you are not footing the bill…the greedier of the MP’s are seen as one with Fred the Shred and not with working class people (this includes you Hazel!!).

The danger is that this alienation from the LP will lead people to vote BNP. NL are still identified enough with progressive issues such as anti-racism and with being concerned with the rights of oppressed groups that people who have reactionary ideas about such things can decide that progressive ideas are simply a cover for self serving careerists to bambozzle ordinary people with. This is what lies behind the commonplace saying “they are all the same”.

So back to 4th June…. just who do you vote for..? Green….?

I know I damn well won’t be canvassing for my incumbent Labour MPat the next general election (and if you look at his NL clone style voting record…well, you get my drift… I think if you swapped him with a donkey, nobody would be any wiser regarding voting strategy. Though  I am possibly being too hard on the donkey as it may possess something Dowd lacks…. independent political thinking….)

And is the Labour Party finished? Well, it would need a miracle such as reinvigorating the politics of social democracy and socialism with fresh ideas and MPs who aren’t self-serving or worship at the altar of corporate capitalism. And to once and for all ditch the anti-working class ideology that is neo-liberalism. Replaced with a red/green ideology.

But this won’t happen instead Labour will limp on and stagger towards the next elected thoroughly destroyed and discredited. There might be an Alan Johnson coronation, the bridge between the warring Blairites and Brownites, who might save the party from total wipe-out, time will tell.

But come 2010 it will be a party in tatters, worse than the Tories circa 1997. What will emerge from the ashes is anyone’s guess but somehow I don’t anticipate a social democratic phoenix raising from the ashes. More like infighting and witch hunts. But without a miracle the LP is dead…

Fin.