(holy shit!) London erupts in frustration at G20

[inna]

a British friend of mine wrote from London today:

got a bit nasty here today, here it is in pictures -

(link)

I didnt go down myself but a friend was there just as they were smashing up a bank, he said just before he saw workers in the building were waving £20 notes in the window to wind up the protesters ! That being said aprantly many joined the protest in there lunch break !

check out pics at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/apr/01/g20-protest?lightbox=1


here's just a couple of selected ones:

The four mass marches converge on the Bank of England:



Protesters carry banners as they march near London Bridge:



A protester throws a computer terminal taken from the Royal Bank of Scotland offices at the smashed windows of its branch near the Bank of England:

[xchrom]

1. we should be so angry. nt

[arcadian]

12. Can't 'Golden Girls' reruns are on.

:rofl:

[progressoid]

21. I was thinking 'American Idol'.

[upi402]

2. when the fuck will we??? n/t

[Deja Q]

3. We still believe we have futures?

:shrug:

[stillcool]

9. That was nothing compared to the..

RNC Convention. But the only video you'll see of that is on youtube. We even make pre-emptive arrests, before the event even starts! There've been loads of protests in various cities but unless it's on tv, it doesn't matter. And God forbid Code Pink, or ANSWER does something and gets noticed. They get ridiculed.

[upi402]

11. agree 110% -ty n/t

[arcadian]

13. There was a massive protest in D.C. for Iraq 6th anniversary.

Nothing on the news. Hell, there was barely a peep here.

[stillcool]

14. If you don't see it, it isn't real...

I live in a small town, but we still do our thing. There is a group of people the next town over that went out at a busy intersection every single week-end protesting the war..regardless of the weather. Every time I passed them I cried. I wish Obama was still on the campaign trail. I have never felt so good about my fellow Americans as I did at his rallies, and at the Democratic Headquarters.

[inna]

23. nothing compared to the RNC convention? you've got to be kidding.

The Met called in support from 30 forces across the country to create a 5,000-strong team of officers for at least six diverse demonstrations in the City of London and Trafalgar Square. Outside the Bank of England police horses and riot officers were pushed back by the sheer force of demonstrators – helmets were torn from officers' heads and cans, fruit and flour rained down. In retaliation the police surged forward, cracking heads with batons, using pepper spray and CS gas, and sirens wailed all around.
...
Violence spread as far as London Bridge, with riot police chasing groups of demonstrators, who responded with bottles and other missiles.
...
They used familiar tactics to trap 4,000 people into streets outside the Bank of England in a practice known as "kettling", tightening the cordon when violence flared in one part of Threadneedle Street and a group of protesters, whose faces were covered, broke into the Royal Bank of Scotland.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/apr/02/g20-protest

(fascinating video, btw.)


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/02/g20-protests-man-dies-london

[stillcool]

25. No..I'm not kidding..

more than 800 people were arrested during the convention...check this out:



http://www.terrorizingdissent.org/

[malaise]

4. Several British media sources have said

it was way more peaceful than expected and the only incident was outside the Bank of England and of course the Bank of Scotland.

Most striking is that no one was burning US flags or Bush effigies.

[santamargarita]

5. Yes, when do we start?

:argh:

[Deja Q]

6. Let us know...

:eyes:

[upi402]

8. (taps foot, looks around)

Whistles mournful country tune...
:think:

[valerief]

7. Wow. And these are people who get govt funded health care.

Imagine how mad we could get if so many of us weren't locked in prison or medicated numb.

[upi402]

10. and unemployment that lets you live indoors

and eat real food.

[hendo]

19. It's just like camping every night

those homeless people have sure got it good!!
:sarcasm:

[inna]

15. just saw this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/01/g20-summit-protests

G20 protests: riot police clash with demonstrators

• RBS branch stormed as bloody skirmishes erupt
• Thousands of protesters held in containment pens

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/01/g20-summit-protests



"bloody skirmishes"?? that sounds pretty intense.

and wtf are "containment pens"??


i wish there was some coverage of all this on the news.

[upi402]

16. "containment pens"? We must be exporting free speech

ala the Republican "free speech zones" which were cages/pens essentially, where you're FREE to protest Bush out of sight and out of mind.

The propaganda media silences descent and is traitorous because it's the only private enterprise protected by our sacred documents. It must use our common air waves to inform too. Instead it abuses its power and propagandizes for corporatism and silences the people it should inform.
:mad:

Okay, off my soap box, until the next opportunity... lol

[HCE SuiGeneris]

24. I share your sentiments,

descending or dissenting, the people of this nation better hurry up and stand up for themselves... 'freedom' is getting more exclusive on a daily basis

[Political Heretic]

17. Again, this is why Europe has health care, and lower poverty rates, strong unions, lower inequality

...and we don't.

In europe, governments are afraid of their people. As it should be.

[anaxarchos]

18. "That being said apparently many joined the protest in their lunch break "

Hah... that is the vital sign of a good protest.

Many stand around and watch - no good.
Many join in on their lunch break - good.

[hendo]

20. either that, or they all got in the wrong line. NT

[tavalon]

22. Good on 'em!

[Froward69]

26. The anti capitalist protesters remind me

of an old joke...
" What do Sex, Oxygen, and Money all have in common?"


"None are important unless you ain't getting any."

[tbyg52]

27. I'm very grateful to them.

Now let' do something ourselves:
http://www.anewwayforward.org/