[g8-sheffield] Re: Good and bad protesters

[adriana]

Yep, we are getting closer.


>  It wouln't surprise me in the least to find
> out that the reason MPH have condemned others efforts is because the
> police have asked them to do so as a pre condition for the go ahead
> for their demonstration. Or it could be another similar mechanism to
> prompt them into doing so. Whatever the reason its is no indication
> that supporters of MPH believe in the same thing.






atw wrote:

> dh> Steve - sales of white bands currently stand at 3.5 million.
> 
> 
> I don't know what you mean by a 'white band' or whether it is relevent
> it has to what I said?
> 
> However I don't think it is necessary to have a hi degree political
> conciousness to believe in direct action. All you need is a vague
> awareness that the government is not interested in hearing or doing
> what people want, or maybe the fact that demonstrations never change
> anything or that those that are running the government completely mad.
> I think millions of people know these things at some level even though
> they may not have a clue what 'capitalism' means.
> 
> There are many examples of this but recently I would say non payment
> of the Poll tax is perhaps the biggest example of people taking direct
> action to change things. Millions were involved. However things like
> the anti-roads protests have also recieved very wide support from the
> public.
> 
> If MPH have criticised direct action publicly then I think we have to
> ask why. Why did they feel the need to say anything about these
> actions at all? Why not just focus on what they're doing instead? I
> don't see Dissent or other groups publicly decrying their demos.
> 
> Well we don't know for sure but I think we can make a pretty good
> guess. The idea of co-option and divide and rule mentioned in that
> Spinwatch article (http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/05/311469.html)
> is probably at the core. It wouln't surprise me in the least to find
> out that the reason MPH have condemned others efforts is because the
> police have asked them to do so as a pre condition for the go ahead
> for their demonstration. Or it could be another similar mechanism to
> prompt them into doing so. Whatever the reason its is no indication
> that supporters of MPH believe in the same thing.
> 
> The reason such demos are popular is because they're less risky, and
> the reason they less risky is because they are sanctioned by the
> state. Its also the reason they're never going to get very far.
> 
> cheers
> 
> steve
> 
> 
> 
> 
>