Cops protecting corporate capitalism
Here we go…..Orwellian legislation on its way
The government will consider giving the police new powers, including the banning of face coverings, following the weekend’s anti-cuts march, the home secretary, Theresa May, has said.
May said police could be given the power to ban known troublemakers from attending political demonstrations – similar to how known hooligans can be banned from travelling to football matches.
And the opposition are defending this right-wing authoritarian laws, well no surprise there, they are former ministers in the New Labour government!
It also seems the 149 arrested have been charged. And the UK Uncut protesters were arrested (after being conned into leaving by the cops) and charged for having a peaceful sit-in in a posh shop. Funny how May and also the opposition are indulging in using language such as “violent parasitic hooligans” (that charming comment came from Jim Murphy who knows who about hooliganism as it was Murphy, Hutton and Purnell who trashed the benefits system). May describes protesters as, “gangs of thugs”… That’s apt really in considering that’s precisely what the ConDems are doing to the public sector and the welfare state.
On these proposals, how will the cops instigate the ban regarding “known troublemakers” attending demos? And face coverings? Does this include clown masks, Cameron masks, Clegg masks….??
The media are whipping this up, sensationalising things…(my favourite headline so far is “Battle of Piccadilly”). I mean, we haven’t had a good wholesome moral panic for sometime and this is a fine example. Let’s criminalise and vilify protesters, let’s start chucking around the word “anarchism” as an insult.. There are debates on the left regarding whether Fortnum and Mason was a useful target, whether non-violent direct action is a correct tactic, anarchism and whether this behaviour has set the movement back.
There have been Labour MPs distancing themselves from the actions of UK Uncut with the exception of John McDonnell. But…. was the tactics wrong? No, as I said before you won’t change the world through demonstrations only. There has to be non-violent direct action along with occupations and strike action. I am sure the bland bureaucrats of the trade union movement will think they have done so much by seeing thousands on the streets on Saturday but these actions need to be ongoing and direct. In order to put pressure on this government without a mandate you have to organise a fightback.
It’s ok for people to bleat that this is the wrong tactic but many of these young people see their present and futures trashed by this government; education becoming the privilege of the few, few job prospects, lack of a pension when retired, public services and welfare state being destroyed with the full throttle of privatisation and the benefits system being eroded. What’s left? Yes, let’s have a concerted and organised resistance but can you hardly blame people who demonstrating on the streets? Many feel they have nothing to lose. Yes, you will always have the jokers who piss you off but that aint new whether it’s acting silly or showing off your dick.
So let’s not forget who are the real thugs, the real violent parasitic hooligans….and that’s this government who are indulging in smash and grab. They’re the real criminals. Protesters damage property the agents of the state damage people (also remember today was the first day of the inquest into the death of Ian Tomlinson).
What is of prime importance is to defend these protesters who have been arrested and let’s see a defence campaign because this government will continue to criminalise and vilify protest.
See Adam Ramsay’s post on being arrested.
Great blog mate, as ever.
Sean
The events of Saturday were entirely predictable, over-rated and a big diversion from the real violence to people’s lives by the state. It was largely pantomime and there are bigger fish to fry.
I am surprised that so many of the left have been sucked into a dimension of smoke and mirrors.
‘Aggravated trespass’ was brought in by Michael Howard for the express purpose of protecting the rich and powerful. Now they are trying to criminalise trespass altogether using a ‘bait and switch’ :
http://nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/2011/03/on-the-naughty-step-bait-and-switch/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Nearlylegal+%28nearlylegal%29&utm_content=Twitter&utm_term=feed
Well what would they do if we all dressed in the Burqa and looked like we were religious. But all carried paint guns, be interesting to see what the police would do.
I agree Madam Miaow
and I don’t want the EDL and others suddenly getting the idea of occupying buildings and turning shops into creative spaces and then the police not being able to do much about it. There’s better ways to protest than a few rich kids sitting in a shop, taking the publicity from the biggest trades union march in a decade.
That there are still those who feel the need to please and appeal to an overtly hostile media and political establishment is perpetually puzzling.
If only no one had broken any windows or caused a bit of a commotion in a shop, maybe Messrs. Murdoch and Lebedev, and the fine people at Associated Newspapers would have given us a glowing write-up…
By buying into the narrative of a peaceful event that was ‘hijacked’ or ‘ruined’ by a nasty minority, the left is doing the ruling classes’ work for them.