[g8-sheffield] Penned in? Lets make something of it

[atw]

HaN> If dev green is the only option then lets try to use the space
HaN> proactively rather than being caught out by it and depressed by
HaN> it and make it a more positive experience for people for whom
HaN> this might their first steps towards action. We long suspected
HaN> that we would be derby mark II

HaN> Having a masked carnival party/ball might worth it -
HaN> soundsystem, samba. Carnival masks on mass to hide our
HaN> ID and defy ID, noise so we are not silent If all else
HaN> fails...party!!!!????? 
HaN> Hx


Well I don't think Devonshire Green is the only option. In fact if we
want to protest against the G8 then it's not an option at all since
there is absolutely no way they will see or hear us if we stay there.

If we want to have a party surrounded by police then I think it would
be much better to have on in the street somewhere where at least it
might disrupt the transport a bit of those attending the G8 meetings.
But I doubt we'll have enough numbers for that.

The decision to disallow protest is almost certainly illegal. If the
justification is the same as Derby then it is based on Section 14 of
the Public Order Act. To initiate that the police there claimed that
they felt the protest would lead to serious public disorder, serious
damage to property, and serious disruption to the life in the
community*. That was blatently untrue in Derby and it is blatently
untrue in Sheffield. Both we and the police know that none of the
above will occur in Sheffield.

The reason this is being done is as an attack on the rights we have
and an attack on us. In Derby they confiscated people's bicycles. Why?
What was the reason? There wasn't one. It was just a straightforward
attack. The G8 has been under a sustained attack for years and is now
on the defence. Perhaps they're acting out the motto: the best form of
defence is to attack.

I don't think we should underestimate what is happening here. This is
an attempt to end basic and fundamental democratic rights we've taken
for granted our entire lives. To collude with the police in this will
set a precedent for our society in the future. The banning of
demonstrations is something that usually only occurs in totalitarian
regimes or dictatorships. Whilst I'm not great fan of our current
democratic model of society I think it is still better than the above
and the few rights we do have are still worth fighting for.

I don't think going to Devonshire Green is a good idea.

Maybe a traditional march type demo is the best we can hope for. We
can choose our own route and it will probably end in a clash with the
cops somewhere. But that's what they kept doing in Apartheid South
Africa and eventually they won. The right to demonstrate is
fundamental to a democracy and the best way to keep it is to exercise
that right.

cheers

steve

* http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2005/03/306796.html




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