Chaos breaks out in London

[Pharaoh]

Russell Brand joins thousands of masked Guy Fawkes protesters in dramatic Bonfire Night demonstration

Russell Brand joined thousands of masked demonstrators in Westminster
British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood was also spotted among crowd
Riot police lined streets as protesters donned sinister Guy Fawkes masks
Officers drew batons as missiles, road signs and fireworks were launched
Crowd kicked over railings while chanting 'one solution, revolution'
Anti-capitalist group Anonymous wanted to create blockade in the capital
London march is part of a day of global demonstrations against austerity


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2822591/Chaos-breaks-London-Russell-Brand-joins-thousands-masked-Guy-Fawkes-protesters-dramatic-Bonfire-Night-demonstration.html#ixzz3IM0GhmPL


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[PeteSelman]

1. Good for them.

We need this everywhere.

[Matariki]

2. Oh Daily Mail, you are so funny

"Sinister" Guy Fawkes masks. "Anti-capitalist group" Anonymous

[Rex]

3. Wow their press actually still reports protests?

Ours just sits behind their golden desk and sneers at our disobedience.

[tavernier]

62. Excellent comment.

The golden desk fraternity may just be the rancid glue that will finally cause this experiment called America to crumble.

[Dreamer Tatum]

4. Look at all the "protesters" gathered around the rich celebs. nt

[villager]

5. Look at all the right-leaning anonymous internet posters gathered around their keyboards nt

[villager]

7. When was the last time you were in the streets?

Maybe you'd sleep better if you got out more.

[Dreamer Tatum]

10. Or if I was a bajillionaire, like Brand. nt

[villager]

11. When was the last time you were in the streets?

[jtuck004]

22. He didn't inherit it. He worked it. It wasn't handed to him...

"Russell Edward Brand was born in Orsett Hospital in Grays, Essex, England. He is the only child of photographer Ronald Henry Brand and Barbara Elizabeth Nichols.[7] Brand's split up when he was six months old, and he was raised by his mother. He had a difficult childhood.[11] When he was 7, a tutor sexually abused him.[12] When Brand was 8, his mother contracted uterine cancer and then breast cancer one year later. While she underwent treatment, Brand lived with relatives. When he was 14, he suffered from bulimia nervosa. When he was 16, he left home because of disagreements with his step father. Brand then started to use illegal drugs such as cannabis, amphetamines, LSD, and ecstasy.[13]

Brand says he had a "strange relationship" with his father, whom he saw sporadically and who took him to visit prostitutes during a trip to Thailand when Brand was a teenager.[11][14]

He made his theatrical debut at the age of 15 in a school production of Bugsy Malone, and then began work as a film extra. Brand attended Grays School Media Arts College and in 1991, he was accepted to the Italia Conti Academy and had his first year of tuition funded by Essex County Council. After his first year at Italia Conti Academy, Brand was expelled for illegal drug use and poor attendance.[15]"
...

Just a bit from Wiki -

Just so you know - back in the 60's many students were organized by some fairly high profile leaders. Nearly all of them had money and power behind them, but you wouldn't know it from the people you met. They might have 6 mansions in the family, but they would be with you on the food line and taking hits in a protest.

Another weird thing. Except for a story I heard about a carpenter with no money who saved a bunch of money on a big lunch with fish (I'm pretty sure someone just made that one up) a lot of the most successful organizers, the ones that organize thousands have at least what we used to think of as a good middle class education, which provides the history and philosophy for them to learn from, enough money to be economically free to work, and stay a little bit loose of the law, Or have friends that can fund you. Big Bill had money, but Mother Jones had nothing. She learned by living the philosophy and, when her backers saw she was fearless and successful, they funded her so she could go kick some ass, so it can be done. But Brand is probably more representative of the majority. Others do the same work, but often are on a much smaller scale - partially because it takes money to organize, and partially because they may have not been able to free themselves from the schooling that most have.

I think he may be changing from being such an obnoxious ass for just money to someone who will be an obnoxious ass to his 1% buddies.

I hope so.

[LiberalLovinLug]

34. + 1000

Its never as simple as rich vs poor. There are a lot of poor fuckers, mostly in the Red States, that are fully enlisted into the corporate army, whether they know they are or not.

[jtuck004]

36. Don't get me wrong. There is a better than even chance he is playing us for profit - whether

it be cash, or ego, or whatever. He has never done anything to me though, and, frankly, parts of his life are similar to mine, apart from the money. And the women. So I can see how he got to some of the places he did, and they aren't always good ones.

Anyway, I am giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, and we will see if he has a spirit to invest in the people. He is in a hell of a good position to do either.

[rhett o rick]

12. You are on the wrong side of this class war. nm

[Dreamer Tatum]

13. You're right - I need to be on Brand's.

Rich enough to be just fine if it doesn't go so well.

[rhett o rick]

41. So you are judging him on his wealth and not his ideology? nm

[LanternWaste]

42. I too, enjoy judging others based on nothing more than income.

I too, enjoy judging others based on nothing more than income. It certainly allows me to feel both clever and faintly validated in my ignorance.

[malokvale77]

48. Good one (nt)

[Pharaoh]

9. Remember, remember the 5th of November

[Aerows]

14. Russell Brand still annoys the shit out of me

He, like his one time flame, Katy Perry, is a gigantic hypocrite.

[Pharaoh]

16. why?

[Aerows]

19. He's an idiot.

If I cared enough about Russell Brand to get into the reasons why I detest him and Katy Perry, I would.

But I don't. They are both buttheads.

[Pharaoh]

20. Thank you for your constructive criticism

[Aerows]

21. You are welcome

Have a nice day!

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

56. BBRRRRAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WinkyDink]

29. What do you know about him? He's extremely literate and erudite. Plus, why mention a woman he's been

divorced from for quite a while now?

[malokvale77]

50. An idiot...really

I guess we should all bow in shame to your superior intellect.

After all, you have proven yourself so many times here on DU.

[DeSwiss]

25. I put the people who annoy me on Ignore. n/t

[840high]

61. Me, too.

[Odin2005]

15. Russel Brand is a narcissistic dickhead.

He channels the discontent of my fellow Millennials to drive his massive ego.

[Aerows]

17. +1000 n/t

[Pharaoh]

18. what about your massive ego?

are you channeling that in a positive way?

[arcane1]

23. Pretty much. Never voted in his life but complains about the system.

The system really does truly suck, but it's hard to take someone seriously, even if I agree with them, if they have never once done the most basic thing to correct it.

[Luminous Animal]

26. As if voting is the all and end all of civic engagement.

[arcane1]

28. Nope, but it's necessary for democracy. That's the beginning. The rest is engagement.

[malokvale77]

49. Well said (nt)

[WinkyDink]

30. That makes him different from most politicians how?

[Marrah_G]

46. I think he is fantastic

[Scootaloo]

51. And there you go

"I dislike the one guy the Daily Mail decided to focus on, so I will dismiss everything going on around him by proxy"

Exactly the point of the Daily Mail making it about Russel Brand. A right-wing tabloid using polarizing celebrities to distract your attention from things it doesn't want you to notice? Nooooo say it isn't so.

[Odin2005]

53. I wasn't dismissing the protest, I SUPPORT the protest.

I don't like assholes like Brand using to fuel their narcissism.

[Scootaloo]

55. Sure couldn't tell from your post

But again, that's the point of the Daily Mail's focus on this one character out of thousands in the street.

[DeSwiss]

24. Brussels too:

[Amonester]

27. Wow. Looks like the billionaire class is about to get it there

their cops are about to get it first though...

[WinkyDink]

31. Since cops serve to protect the billionaires, they pays their money and they takes their chances.

[Amonester]

33. I don't know much about the cops there except that if they're like here, they're in a...

Union or something.

But the billionaire class and their pocket IMF bank and all their other shenanigans for they never have enough were warned repeatedly, over and over, as well as their pocket politicians, that that's where their stupid, arrogant austerity measures would lead them, weren't they already?

[WinkyDink]

32. Please, people are griping that a rich man is on the side of the commons? FDR and the Kennedys?

[stillwaiting]

37. Conservatives love to do that.

They think it makes them a hypocrite for some reason. I guess they think if you are wealthy and you are not a conservative, selfish, fuck-head, then you HAVE to be a hypocrite. It's not possible to be wealthy and at the same time argue for progressive policies that value a society that ensures everyone can earn enough to afford basic dignity in their lives. If someone is wealthy and willing to give up some of the massive amounts of wealth that they've accumulated (and will never be able to spend for as long as they live), then they are stupid and a hypocrite.

Only the poor should advocate for the poor, and no one should listen to the poor. Problem solved if you are a Conservative.

Conservatives desire for obscene wealth is certainly based on the teachings of Jesus I'd say. Jesus Christ is truly at the center of their lives, and He guides their every word and action...

[deutsey]

39. In The Assassination of Julius Caesar,

Last edited Fri Nov 7, 2014, 06:13 PM - Edit history (1)

Michael Parenti said Roman nobles called their peers who advocated for the common people "demagogues", because obviously they were only manipulating the stupid masses for their political gain (where have we heard that before?):

In the 2nd century BC, the senatorial nobles began to divide into two groups, the larger being the self-designated as the optimates ("best men&quot , who were devoted to upholding the prerogatives of the well-born. ... The smaller faction within the nobility, styled the populares or "demagogues" by their opponents, were reformers who sided with the common people on various issues. Julius Caesar is considered the leading popularis and the last in a line extending from 133 BC to 44 BC (p.54-55).

Quoted on Wikipedia, fortunately, because I don't have book handy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Assassination_of_Julius_Caesar:_A_People's_History_of_Ancient_Rome

[WinkyDink]

47. So Caesar died not because the traitors feared a tyrant, but because they feared a "populare." The

more things change,.......

[Scootaloo]

52. Well, to be fair, one can be both

Julius Gaius Caesar did march his army into Rome, and did use that act to demand tribunician powers. he appointed himself as censor, and filled the senate with personally loyal followers. The year before his murder he assumed total dictatorial powers.

Basically Caesar rode the backs of the people to grant himself ever-increasing powers, most of which he used to enhance his personal prestige and buy off the military.

[BlindTiresias]

63. Well, to be fair

The senate had it coming for a long time as they consistently thwarted the common people of the republic and murdered people who wanted to expand the franchise of citizenship in the republic. Gaius Julius and, later, Gaius Octavius are what happens when the people are frustrated for long enough that they demand decisive, dictatorial action to resolve the crisis.

[roamer65]

35. Wealth is becoming too concentrated.

"Those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent revolution inevitable."

- John F Kennedy

[Iggo]

38. Is that a poem?

[muriel_volestrangler]

40. There was no 'chaos' in London; the unrelated protest in Brussels (see #24) was far more significant

London was a Bonfire Night demonstration of a few thousand. They pulled a few barriers that were protecting the monuments. Life went on around the protest as normal - I looked at the Trafalgar Square live feed around midnight, and it was no busier than on a typical Friday night. A few police and protesters were standing around, among and outnumbered by the normal Wednesday night central London crowd going to bars or home. The highest number of arrests claimed was 15 (by the Mail), though most other media say 10.

Brussels, however, was a major protest. That was at least 100,000 - perhaps 50 times the size of London's, in a smaller city and country - with a specific subject - anti-austerity, and organised by the unions. The police used tear gas and water cannon. Cars were overturned and set alight.

http://www.dw.de/clashes-at-anti-austerity-reforms-protest-in-brussels/a-18045928
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/06/belgium-austerity-protests-violence

A proposed rise in the retirement age, a freeze in wages and public service cuts to meet EU targets brought an estimated 120,000 onto the streets of the capital.

In what was one of Belgium’s biggest labour demonstrations since World War Two, cobblestones and smoke flares were hurled at police who responded with water cannon and pepper spray.

A police spokesman refused to say how many were injured or the number of people detained. One media source said at least 14 people were injured.

Police eventually cleared the area with a charge late on Thursday afternoon.

http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/07/clashes-and-arrests-at-end-of-brussels-anti-austerity-protest/

[ProdigalJunkMail]

43. Guy Fawkes

Catholic terrorist. Worst Symbol Appropriation EVER (ok, second to the swastika).

You would think the Brits would know better but I would wager they don't know much more about history than our public school drones...

sP

[hunter]

44. Picking sides in the Protestant vs. Catholic battles is futile.

Nearly all my ancestors ended up in the U.S.A. because of them.

It's the same story with my wife's non-native American ancestors. And quite few of her Native American ancestors fled to Mexico to escape mostly Protestant U.S.A. persecution.

Hell, even in my childhood the intra-family Protestant vs. Catholic warfare could get pretty intense. Not deadly, but there could be significant bruising, bleeding, yelling and crying with people leaving early. I used to prefer the more secular battles of Thanksgiving.

My wife and I both have ancestors who escaped the British Isles a few steps ahead of the Protestant English hangman. Our own kids grew up as left wing Dorothy Day sorts of Catholics.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

45. Yes, the battles were horrific...

but the people who would make the Guy Fawkes mask a symbol of their plight and struggle would be be first to have called for his death based on what he was trying to do.

sP

[Barack_America]

54. Meh. I'm more impressed with those who protest the other 364 days of the year.

[flamingdem]

57. Jonny Lydon doesn't approve of Russell Brand's revolution

see Guardian article and video at link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017225461

[Pharaoh]

59. I'm thinking he's saying that...

Your voting for corporate team A or corporate team B, either way it is all the same and we need to dump the whole system, don't you think? Perhaps he is saying we need to think outside the Paradigm and find a new way?

[flamingdem]

64. Well, I am not really sure

In truth I like both of these firebrands, it's all good, but telling people not to vote = disaster in real terms, at least in the USA.

In England as well as Ukip is a right wing reactionary party that's gaining ground.

[uberlibertarian]

60. Wait a minute?

Isn't Vivienne Westwood a capitalist? Which would mean she's protesting against herself. That's confusing on so many levels.