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  • From: "Verne L. Chinampas" <moistearth@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Examples: Guerillas=bad press
  • Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 12:18:26 -0700 (PDT)


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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