permaculture

["Verne L. Chinampas" <moistearth@yahoo.com>]

Hi Ava,
In response to your question, I've copied two articles relating to
London/Mayday/Guerrillas. there are many available on any British media
site.

After this post, I'm choosing to focus on positive, good
design-oriented permaculture topics as I would rather not point out
poor design. There's obviously lots of guerrilla-style energy to be
tapped, I simply prefer to do that through techniques other
than...than...

...hooliganism!

Ok, once in a while some hooliganism fits into good design, and maybe I
just don't yet see how these London events equal good design. I hope
Graham didn't get hurt with all those drunken bolsheviks Vandals
storming the yard of parliament in amongst the peaceful faeries.

Where are the new gardens and who will care for them?

Verne

----------
Monday, 1 May, 2000, 20:31 GMT 21:31 UK 
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_732000/732791.stm
          
May Day Mayhem

          The morning gathering in Hyde Park was peaceful
          The BBC's Adam Brimelow at the May
          Day protests. 

          It all began as a celebration. The idea was
          to gather outside Parliament, take over
          the streets, and reclaim the area for
          nature. 

          They called it "guerrilla gardening" -
          demonstrators brought trowels and
          spades to dig up the grass and plant
          saplings, shrubs and vegetables. 


          They sat in the sun,
          smoked, chatted,
          played music, and
          contemplated a
          better world. 

          One young
          demonstrator,
          dressed as a tree,
          explained to me that
          "just as every grain
          of sand makes up a
          beach, every person
          here makes a difference". 

          I asked him what the difference would be.
          He said it would encourage people to
          think for themselves, rather than being
          told what to do. 

          Spirit of fun

          There was not much focus to the
          protests, but no one seemed to mind.
          Some people were concerned about
          domestic issues, others carried placards
          condemning the world bank. 

          Some were worried about human rights
          abuses, others about the international
          arms trade. 

          The overriding theme was anti-capitalist
          but the emphasis was on peaceful
          protest, in a spirit of fun. 


          But the party
          atmosphere began
          to change. Statues
          of famous figures
          around the square,
          including the former
          prime minister, Sir
          Winston Churchill,
          were daubed with
          graffiti. 

          Some people in the
          crowd became
          restless and headed off towards Trafalgar
          Square. 

          On the way protesters smashed a
          McDonald's burger restaurant. A police
          officer was hit by a brick and several
          people were arrested. 

          Officers who had been waiting nearby
          moved out of their vans, unwrapped their
          riot gear, and formed a tight cordon
          behind their round plastic shields,
          redirecting some people, blocking others. 


          The crowd became
          more militant, the
          police became more
          forceful. 

          This was the biggest
          police operation of
          its kind in London for
          30 years. The overall
          strategy was
          cautious, with
          relatively few
          arrests. 

          But the disorder right at the heart of
          London will raise renewed questions over
          handling of the protest. 
-----------------------------------------

uesday, 2 May, 2000, 06:25 GMT 07:25 UK 
          
Clean-up after May
          Day violence

          Police in riot gear came head to head with
          protesters
          Businesses in central London are among
          those counting the cost after Monday's
          anti-capitalist demonstrations descended
          into violence and vandalism. 

          Scotland Yard said 95 people were
          arrested during a day which saw shops
          looted, car windows smashed and bricks
          and bottles hurled at police. 

          Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned the
          violence as "mindless thuggery". 

          The Cenotaph had anti-war slogans
          daubed on it and the statue of Winston
          Churchill outside the House of Commons
          was defaced.

          Police are to study video footage, which
          they shot during the protests, to glean
          evidence for prosecutions.


          It is thought the bill
          for repairing the
          damage and paying
          for the emergency
          services could come
          to £500,000. 

          One police officer
          received hospital
          treatment after
          being hit in the face
          with a brick, while
          another suffered a
          dislocated shoulder,
          said a Scotland Yard spokesman. 

          London Ambulance said nine civilians,
          seven men and two women, were treated
          at University College Hospital for minor
          injuries. 

          Several people had also been treated for
          minor injuries at the protest scene. 

          A number of arrests were made for a
          series of offences including criminal
          damage, drunkenness and individual
          possession of CS gas, a knife and a
          long-bladed scissors. 

          Peaceful start 

          The day had started peacefully as 2,000
          activists staged a largely good-natured
          protest in Parliament Square. 

          Armed with makeshift chisels and hand
          trowels they levered up paving slabs and
          planted flowers in their place to symbolise
          reclaiming urban spaces. 


          But the carnival spirit
          was soon
          overshadowed by
          anger and violence. 

          At about 14.10 BST
          a group of 20
          protesters stormed
          into the Whitehall
          branch of
          McDonald's and
          destroyed the
          restaurant. 

          Within minutes they had smashed every
          window and torn down the M sign outside
          the restaurant. 

          Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant
          Commissioner Mike Todd said the
          troublemakers "were a minority but they
          were thugs, not demonstrators". 

          Taunting 

          Heavily-armoured riot police and mounted
          officers charged at the demonstrators as
          they began smashing windows of the
          shop next door to McDonald's. 

          Hundreds of officers who had been
          waiting in side streets formed cordons to
          move the crowd and the first arrests
          were made. 

          Some protesters attempted to calm the
          angry atmosphere. 


          As police tried to
          clear rioters later in
          the day, the Rymans
          stationery shop and
          Carphone
          Warehouse on the
          Strand were
          severely damaged. 

          The plinth of
          Nelson's Column
          was covered with
          anarchy symbols in
          red spray paint and
          daubed with the slogan "Reclaim The
          Streets 2000". 

          Five cars and a BT van were smashed in a
          side street and most cars on Waterloo
          Bridge did not escape damage as the
          crowds were moved on. 

          'Absolute disgrace'

          Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned
          demonstrators responsible for the
          violence and vandalism. 

          "The people responsible for the damage
          caused in London are an absolute
          disgrace," he said. 

          Further anti-capitalist demonstrations
          occurred in Manchester during the day. 

          Police said shops were attacked during a
          protest by about 250 people, resulting in
          20 arrests. 





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