Report on the EDO prison picket

by veganarchist Sun Apr 19, 2009 09:05

It was a good demo.A bit tense as Millwall were playing just up the road so their were tons of cops everywere includeing the riot police! It was a bit sad to see that not many of the people who went to the edo benifit gig the nite before made it down to the demo. This always seems to be the way cos its alot easyier danceing and drinking then actually doing something worth wile like a demo! Haveing said that it wasn't hard doing the demo - we just marched round the prison a few times!!

I don't want to come on here and just moan and i realise some of the folks at the gig were probly doing some worthwile things else where but...If we are serious about changeing the world,makeing a world without war,cops etc soome people need to be a lot more comited and actually do something about it.

Anyway i'll get of my soapbox now ive had my moan!

(A) + (E)

by Fourbyfourhater Sun Apr 19, 2009 17:59

Good article and swiftly posted thanks Nickleberry, and interesting points from veganarchist.

I too was wondering what happened to all those people -I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that they had hangovers from the late wild night before and that a noise demo was the last place they would like to be!

Always good to party even simply as a celebration of life and our refusal to be cowed, but if we had a party after the demo instead of the night before then we would also have the satisfaction of rounding off a good day of action together.

by veganarchist Sun Apr 19, 2009 21:33

i had a killer hangover but still made it! I served the breakfast at kebele in the morning as well ,getting their for 9am- not saying im amazing but some ppl just come to gigs and do nowt else and i don't want to know people like that! Especially the people who come to benifit gigs,and have done for years, and dont do any activism at all,in anyway,shape or form! these people know the arguments,issues etc. they know why we need to fight,organise,etc but do fuck all! To be fair it does make me angry but people can change so id urge the 'scencesters' etc to drag em selves to the odd demo etc...to do something,anything rather than nowt!

( How grumpy am i ?! )

"pants down to the ketamine crew"

by UK Citizen 2 Sun Apr 19, 2009 23:59

When our civilised government would not listen to the pleas of its people to call for a halt to the recent disgusting episode of ethnic cleansing in Gaza, when many British people protested day after day outside the Israeli Embassy in London, against the relentless bombardment throughout most of January 2009.

When we called on our government to influence attack dog, Israel, to cease these callous brutal bombardments on a blockaded people and our calls were ignored;
is it not understandable that there will be people who feel such empathy with the victims that they will attempt to destroy Israel's diabolical weaponry at source, so that no more innocent flesh will be cut to shreds?

It is a travesty that these people have been locked up.

Their actions were not for personal gain, they did not kill anyone, their actions were in an attempt to preserve human life, to save civilian people.

Would that I were so brave.

We may well ask, who are the real criminals?

We could well level this accusation at those who refused to criticise Israel in her campaign of ethnic cleansing:-

"They tried to halt the genocide when those who have the capacity to do so, did not."

Chris Hedges condemns Israeli Gaza Massacre.

"The incursion and bombardment of Gaza is not about destroying Hamas......the Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza....... is the final phase in the decades long campaign to ethnically cleanse Palestinians."

"From the Holocaust to Cambodia, to Rwanda, to Bosnia, the lesson of the Holocaust is not that Jews are special, it is not that Jews are unique, it is not that Jews are eternal victims. The lesson of the Holocaust is that when you have the capacity to halt genocide and you do not, no matter who carries out that genocide or who it is directed against, you are culpable."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjBttx6Gd2c

by grumpi Mon Apr 20, 2009 07:52

yeah, it can be annoying that some people only come to benefit gigs and do nothing else...but would you rather them just not come to benefit gigs! in any case, just coz u didn't see them at the noise demo doesn't mean they (whoever 'they" are ) don't do other stuff u don't know about.... your judgementalism is unflattering. also, they are plenty of (older)punks, friends of bands etc who would never go to any kind of demo...there just not interested in politics.full stop. and that has nothing to do with k.

by decommissioner Mon Apr 20, 2009 12:21

Don't worry grumpy
Lots of people are doing different work in different ways.
When I was in the hospital, with my damaged hand, many nurses and doctors congratulated me on my work, and I was very grateful for theirs!

The important thing is that you are doing your bit, don't be discouraged, I thought the picket went really well. The energy was strong. A few informed and determined people can make a big difference.

And a big thank you to all the people who organised, played and came to the gig, it all helps.

Well done for everyone who came, we had a great time.... thanks to the sound system, the poet, the banner holders and makers, the noise makers....I'm sure James loved it as much as we did.

lots of love and strength to everyone

by lame excuses Mon Apr 20, 2009 15:35

Yes, I was at the gig on friday, and was also at the first demo. Personally i work a lot and had an opticians appointment on Saturday afternoon so couldn't make it, I'm sure plenty of other people have valid reasons why they aren't there, it's a bit hasty to judge them.

I totally agree with the previous poster though about having the gig AFTER the demo, rather than before.