Bristols' Biggest March in Living Memory?

bristol | peace | news report Friday March 21, 2003 10:05 by Anarchist606 anarchist606 at hushmail dot com

Last night, beginning at 6pm, Bristol witness what I suspect was the largest political demonstration in living memory.

Last night, beginning at 6pm, Bristol witness what I suspect was the largest political

demonstration in living memory. An estimated 2 to 5 thousand people were on the streets

marching against the war and showing that the supposed 'national unity' the Labour spin machine

is trying so desperately to manufacture is a sham. The protests began in the centre outside the

hippodrome and moved off towards the M32. The numbers were so large that even when the head of

the column reached the edge of Broadmead, there were still people in the city centre waiting to

move off. The police attempted to hem in the march only to be repeatedly overwhelmed by numbers

as the crowds surged around them and beyond. The crowds completely surrounded the Bear-Pit road

junction and surged forwards. The police in 'keystone-cop mode' were constantly running back to

keep pace with the crowd and it was not long before dogs and the chopper were brought

out.

And what a crowd; everyone from babies in pushchairs to office workers, people dressed up for a

night on the town to eco-hippies. All there to remind the powers-that-be that we have fulfilled

our democratic role by making their voices heard, but the politicians have reneged on theirs by

ignoring us. The manifestation of this sidelining of democracy was the shutting down of Bristol

city centre and the M32. Not that I expected democracy here, let alone in Iraq. We've been

burned too many time for that, we've seen the ugly side of the state too often to be fooled

again. The most dramatic thing about the whole affair was the potential; the crowds could have

taken the city if they had wanted. Next time maybe they will?

News Links:

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