It's fair to say that the protests against G20 have been rather muted. Given the chaos in the financial markets, this may seem rather strange. Even my most militant friends are struggling to get worked into a frenzy. I was discussing this yesterday and I've come to the conclusion that with Bush and Blair gone, it is just so much harder to get worked up. People are so relieved to see the back of the undynamic duo, that they just haven't got the energy for a good riot. The consensus is that Obama is a breath of fresh air and he might make things a bit better. As such it's a bit pointless going out to complain. I'm not saying that the many groups out making their point were wrong, far from it, but it does seem to me that at the moment people don't have the energy to protest at these leaders.Perhaps the most interesting contrast was with the recent community meetings to discuss Barnet Council's warden cuts. There is certainly energy here for a fight. At the recent meeting, I bumped into a friends dad. Bill now lives in one of the sheltered homes. He explained the work of wardens. Bill is angry, the other residents are angry. Whatever conclusions you may draw from the muted G20 protests, don't be fooled into thinking that people won't come out when they are enraged. I think it's something to do with the British Psyche. We only get cross when there is something to get cross about. Whilst we are prepared to give Obama a chance, we will fight the injustice of warden cuts like tigers !
2 comments:
Whilst I agree with you about the warden cuts - I wonder what those four horsemen of the apocalypse are up to in the next few weeks. It would be a shame to let those costumes go to waste. Anyway...
I read the G20 protests differently. There was a lot of focus on 'creating a positive alternative' rather than protesting against what you don't like (although more of that would be good!).
Some friends of mine were involved in the climate camp protest. I tried to see them last night but they were hemmed in behind police lines by the time I got there (6.30pm). I haven't even seen the pictures on the television yet, but I believe about 2,000 people were there at the height.
They were very well organised, they were camped opposite the Climate Exchange (can you believe there is such a thing, where carbon credits - how much do you trust those? - are 'traded') to make the point that we need to move to a low-carbon, sustainable economy (their words, not mine - I don't know much about these things). Their enormomous banner 'Because nature doesn't do bail-outs' was superb.
They held workshops all afternoon, discussing things like how can you save jobs at the same time as converting to a greener economy, involving trade unions in a so-called 'just transition'. A friend of mine went from the RMT to discuss the importance of public transport to achieving their goals, and environmental campaigners working together with transport unions.
One of the events staged yesterday was an 'alternative G20' due to be held at the Docklands campus of the University of East London, drawing many activists and many interesting and even famous speakers. In the event, the management of UEL bottled it, forgot everything they ever knew about academic independence and cancelled the event. It was held outside on the grass, I understand. (The weather was kind yesterday.)
Again, this was a 'building an alternative' event rather than a pure protest. I think you can see what I'm on about.
Anyway, I missed all the big events, even on TV, yesterday, because I spent the afternoon in Ponders End visiting the occupied (!) Visteon factory. 600 workers of the UK arm of US car parts company Visteon have lost their jobs; workers in Belfast and Enfield have occupied their workplaces, demanding better redundancy terms - they are going to receive the bare minimum because the company has gone into receivership.
The workers want Ford, which used to own the company before it hived it off, to give them the redundancy terms that Ford workers would get - it's not much to ask after years of loyal service, some people having worked for the company for 30 or 40 years! The workers had no notice of their sacking, but were summarily dismissed on Tuesday afternoon.
If anyone wants to visit, it's astonishingly hard to get to from Barnet by public transport! But the address is Morson Road, EN3 4TN. It's roughly opposite Ponders End railway station. I think they will be there for today (2 April) at least.
This is a different and a fairly new way (for a while in this country anyway) way to protest. It's pretty serious and determined though, and it's new groups who are doing it, not just the 'usual suspects'.
Sorry to go on, Roger. Anyway, there is another day of protests to go today which will perhaps see more argy-bargy. I hope not too many heads are broken.
Rog
The British are renowned for being somewhat reserved. When we get angry, we rarely riot. Instead we write a strongly worded letter to The Times. Politicians know that, which is how they get away with so much.
I suspect that many people sympathetic to the objectives of the G20 objectors stayed away from the demonstrations because of the fear of violence. The TV pictures yesterday of a branch of RBS having its windows smashed in only confirms that they were right to do so. Not for the first time, a group of militants have hijacked a cause and peaceful objectors get tarred with the same brush.
The reason John Major ditched the Poll Tax was not because of the riots but because he knew that the Conservatives would loose seats over the issue. Barnet Council knows that residents are angry over changes to the warden service and they might loose some support. If they think that enough people will vote against them and that they might loose a seat or two, you can be sure that this policy will be dropped quicker than a hot potato. But if they think they will loose some votes but not enough to lose a seat, it will go ahead. Cynical? Perhaps, but that is the way of the world.
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