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I've just got back from a May Day rally protesting against...well, pretty much everything really. Unfortunately Mayday isn't a holiday like it used to be so I had to leave early. (It might have been a touch ambitious to smash the state during my lunch hour anyway.) But it was a good couple of hours nonetheless. Whatever might kick off in London later on, the rally I went to was peaceful and good-natured; even the police were being friendly, and the route that the marchers took seemed to be decided between two scruffy anarchists (one with a loudspeaker) and two scruffy policemen. It was all very enjoyable - although I WOULD have liked to storm the council chambers, just to see if we could.
Then I came back to watch the news coverage of the protests. Tony Blair had said, "If you have got something to say, say it democratically tomorrow". This is all very well, but I have more to say than a vote every four years allows me - especially when the parties I can vote for frequently ignore the issues I am passionate about. Parliamentary democracy only offers people so much control over their lives, but direct democracy can really make a difference.
The unofficial slogan of the May Day protests was "Liberty Equality Solidarity", the same call-to-arms used in the 1789 French Revolution. But that slogan hides a much more complex politics. While at the rally I picked up flyers about anarchism; the legalisation of drugs; GM food and corporate farming; the Israeli occupation of Palestine; NATO bombing in Afghanistan; the rise of anti-semitism in Europe; poverty in our inner-cities; the nuclear base at Faslane in Scotland; local recycling facilities; fair trade goods; the proposed war against Iraq; international debt; and the neo-nazi resurgence in France. Not everyone at the rally held identical opinions on these matters, but they were being raised and discussed. These are the most important issues facing the world today: the funny thing is, though, that the main political parties tend to skirt around these issues or to hold near-identical opinions on them. So voting tommorrow won't make a huge difference after all.
Like Tony Blair I think that people should vote - if only to keep the BNP out - but, unlike Tony Blair, I don't think that politics ends there. Traditions like May Day are important in keeping our concerns on the agenda, however much the political class might like to ignore them. So in conclusion: hurrah for May Day!
Then I came back to watch the news coverage of the protests. Tony Blair had said, "If you have got something to say, say it democratically tomorrow". This is all very well, but I have more to say than a vote every four years allows me - especially when the parties I can vote for frequently ignore the issues I am passionate about. Parliamentary democracy only offers people so much control over their lives, but direct democracy can really make a difference.
The unofficial slogan of the May Day protests was "Liberty Equality Solidarity", the same call-to-arms used in the 1789 French Revolution. But that slogan hides a much more complex politics. While at the rally I picked up flyers about anarchism; the legalisation of drugs; GM food and corporate farming; the Israeli occupation of Palestine; NATO bombing in Afghanistan; the rise of anti-semitism in Europe; poverty in our inner-cities; the nuclear base at Faslane in Scotland; local recycling facilities; fair trade goods; the proposed war against Iraq; international debt; and the neo-nazi resurgence in France. Not everyone at the rally held identical opinions on these matters, but they were being raised and discussed. These are the most important issues facing the world today: the funny thing is, though, that the main political parties tend to skirt around these issues or to hold near-identical opinions on them. So voting tommorrow won't make a huge difference after all.
Like Tony Blair I think that people should vote - if only to keep the BNP out - but, unlike Tony Blair, I don't think that politics ends there. Traditions like May Day are important in keeping our concerns on the agenda, however much the political class might like to ignore them. So in conclusion: hurrah for May Day!
Mr. Chainsaw wrote:
> But i see where your coming from because my
> mate went to the protests to fight against globalisation but he works
> in McDonalds! How hypocritical.
Your mate has got more reason than most to protest. McDonald treats its staff with contempt and they hate unions: the only unionised franchise in the world got closed down!
A lot of people at the protests do wear Nike and eat at McDonalds but - unless you're super-rich - its pretty much impossible to live without consuming the products of some mega-corporation or other. Multinationals like the Gap and McDonalds are just scapegoats anyway: high-street fast food is no worse than any other intensively-farmed produce (just more obvious and visible), and Gap jeans no worse than other clothes made with cheap third-world labour. It's the whole system that people want to change: until it happens you can't blame them for living inside its confines.
> But i see where your coming from because my
> mate went to the protests to fight against globalisation but he works
> in McDonalds! How hypocritical.
Your mate has got more reason than most to protest. McDonald treats its staff with contempt and they hate unions: the only unionised franchise in the world got closed down!
A lot of people at the protests do wear Nike and eat at McDonalds but - unless you're super-rich - its pretty much impossible to live without consuming the products of some mega-corporation or other. Multinationals like the Gap and McDonalds are just scapegoats anyway: high-street fast food is no worse than any other intensively-farmed produce (just more obvious and visible), and Gap jeans no worse than other clothes made with cheap third-world labour. It's the whole system that people want to change: until it happens you can't blame them for living inside its confines.
SHEEPY wrote:
> I was going to go to the one in Glasgow on Sunday.... I think.
>
> Why did most of the people I see on TV have Nike and Adidas on...
> anti-globalzation and all that.
>
> Aye
You were obviously watching different news to me. Most of the people in london wore "homemade clothes" as it is a sin to agree with globalisation etc. But i see where your coming from because my mate went to the protests to fight against globalisation but he works in McDonalds! How hypocritical.
> I was going to go to the one in Glasgow on Sunday.... I think.
>
> Why did most of the people I see on TV have Nike and Adidas on...
> anti-globalzation and all that.
>
> Aye
You were obviously watching different news to me. Most of the people in london wore "homemade clothes" as it is a sin to agree with globalisation etc. But i see where your coming from because my mate went to the protests to fight against globalisation but he works in McDonalds! How hypocritical.
I can just see all of them having their lunch in McDonalds then trashing the place in protest
I was going to go to the one in Glasgow on Sunday.... I think.
Why did most of the people I see on TV have Nike and Adidas on... anti-globalzation and all that.
Aye
Why did most of the people I see on TV have Nike and Adidas on... anti-globalzation and all that.
Aye
I would have loved to have gone to this, but I wasn't allowed due to school and the parades 'bad reputation'.
Bah. Next year, I've promised myself that I will go.
Bah. Next year, I've promised myself that I will go.
Meka Dragon wrote:
> I bet you only went hoping to smash innocent police officers faces in
> with bricks, because all protesters are evil.
I was hoping that we'd go and smash up a McDonalds, but only because I was really hungry and I could have done a bit of hamburgling.
> I bet you only went hoping to smash innocent police officers faces in
> with bricks, because all protesters are evil.
I was hoping that we'd go and smash up a McDonalds, but only because I was really hungry and I could have done a bit of hamburgling.
Oh no, you're one of those dirty protesters making the lives of the oh-so holy police hell!
I bet you only went hoping to smash innocent police officers faces in with bricks, because all protesters are evil.
Or so I believe from reading most newspapers.
Tony Blair is a fool. Have your say once every four years? Gee, thanks, it's not like he'll listen anyway.
I bet you only went hoping to smash innocent police officers faces in with bricks, because all protesters are evil.
Or so I believe from reading most newspapers.
Tony Blair is a fool. Have your say once every four years? Gee, thanks, it's not like he'll listen anyway.
I've just got back from a May Day rally protesting against...well, pretty much everything really. Unfortunately Mayday isn't a holiday like it used to be so I had to leave early. (It might have been a touch ambitious to smash the state during my lunch hour anyway.) But it was a good couple of hours nonetheless. Whatever might kick off in London later on, the rally I went to was peaceful and good-natured; even the police were being friendly, and the route that the marchers took seemed to be decided between two scruffy anarchists (one with a loudspeaker) and two scruffy policemen. It was all very enjoyable - although I WOULD have liked to storm the council chambers, just to see if we could.
Then I came back to watch the news coverage of the protests. Tony Blair had said, "If you have got something to say, say it democratically tomorrow". This is all very well, but I have more to say than a vote every four years allows me - especially when the parties I can vote for frequently ignore the issues I am passionate about. Parliamentary democracy only offers people so much control over their lives, but direct democracy can really make a difference.
The unofficial slogan of the May Day protests was "Liberty Equality Solidarity", the same call-to-arms used in the 1789 French Revolution. But that slogan hides a much more complex politics. While at the rally I picked up flyers about anarchism; the legalisation of drugs; GM food and corporate farming; the Israeli occupation of Palestine; NATO bombing in Afghanistan; the rise of anti-semitism in Europe; poverty in our inner-cities; the nuclear base at Faslane in Scotland; local recycling facilities; fair trade goods; the proposed war against Iraq; international debt; and the neo-nazi resurgence in France. Not everyone at the rally held identical opinions on these matters, but they were being raised and discussed. These are the most important issues facing the world today: the funny thing is, though, that the main political parties tend to skirt around these issues or to hold near-identical opinions on them. So voting tommorrow won't make a huge difference after all.
Like Tony Blair I think that people should vote - if only to keep the BNP out - but, unlike Tony Blair, I don't think that politics ends there. Traditions like May Day are important in keeping our concerns on the agenda, however much the political class might like to ignore them. So in conclusion: hurrah for May Day!
Then I came back to watch the news coverage of the protests. Tony Blair had said, "If you have got something to say, say it democratically tomorrow". This is all very well, but I have more to say than a vote every four years allows me - especially when the parties I can vote for frequently ignore the issues I am passionate about. Parliamentary democracy only offers people so much control over their lives, but direct democracy can really make a difference.
The unofficial slogan of the May Day protests was "Liberty Equality Solidarity", the same call-to-arms used in the 1789 French Revolution. But that slogan hides a much more complex politics. While at the rally I picked up flyers about anarchism; the legalisation of drugs; GM food and corporate farming; the Israeli occupation of Palestine; NATO bombing in Afghanistan; the rise of anti-semitism in Europe; poverty in our inner-cities; the nuclear base at Faslane in Scotland; local recycling facilities; fair trade goods; the proposed war against Iraq; international debt; and the neo-nazi resurgence in France. Not everyone at the rally held identical opinions on these matters, but they were being raised and discussed. These are the most important issues facing the world today: the funny thing is, though, that the main political parties tend to skirt around these issues or to hold near-identical opinions on them. So voting tommorrow won't make a huge difference after all.
Like Tony Blair I think that people should vote - if only to keep the BNP out - but, unlike Tony Blair, I don't think that politics ends there. Traditions like May Day are important in keeping our concerns on the agenda, however much the political class might like to ignore them. So in conclusion: hurrah for May Day!