[ssf] Re: Remember Falluja...

[Dan]

It would also be good if something more came from it: further action. 
The film at 4pm in MATILDA, if anyone watches it, is horrible, 
unbelievable.  I'm compelled to try and do something.

But I don't think either a press-attention-seeking demo or a vigil is 
going to be that 'something'.  Change comes about through consistent 
effort; it takes time.

First thing I'd like to do is find out what our elected leaders think 
about the use of phosphorus and napalm; about the destruction of 36,000 
homes and targeting hospitals which were 'the source of rumours about 
high casualties'.

Again - might not achieve anything straight away, but then neither will 
a press stunt.

Blowing up parliament might just achieve rapid change - but the result 
would be a little unpredictable as regards actually making the world a 
better place! Didn't work out so well with the twin towers, did it, 
after all?

Dan
---

Mr Jase Malgod wrote:
> atw writes:
> 
>>
>> dan> If not, does anyone fancy helping me organise a silent vigil some
>> dan> time in the next week or two?  Which would only involved deciding
>> dan> a date, time, place and then telling people?  Definitely not
>> dan> something SWPy and shouty!
>> I find vigils fundamentally disempowering affairs that seem to achieve
>> little if anything at all. 
> 
> 
> I find demo's can be similar in their effects although more cathartic 
> and so more 'empowering'.
> 
>> As media events they don't work because
>> they are always ignored. 
> 
> 
> Not necessarily, some are covered by the media and most demo's are not 
> covered either.
> 
>> Therefore the only people who see them are
>> passers by at the time of the event, and often its not clear what
>> "that funny group of people over there" are even doing anyway.
> 
> 
> That's a matter of communication through banners or leaflets which is 
> the case with demo's as well, where people are not sure what "that funny 
> group of people over there" are marching about for anyway.
> 
>> I suspect many people feel like this as vigils frequently get low turn
>> outs.
> 
> 
> They generally get far less publicity and are not supported by the usual 
> 'left' groups. And they do appear to achieve less because you don't 'do 
> anything', yet it all revolves around what you are actually doing. A 
> demo is about publicity at the end of the day, it's about saying "this 
> number of people did this for this cause", so there is no difference 
> whether they are marching about or standing still.
> 
>> It seems to me that the prime goal of the vigil is to alleviate the
>> guilt of those responsible (us). We feel we 'must' do something, so we
>> just do anything, however completely ineffective. 
> 
> 
> And the difference with demo's is...?
> 
>> The nice thing about
>> vigils are that they are completely risk free. You don't even the run
>> the risk of criticism since it's hard to have a go at someone for
>> simply remembering the dead.
> 
> 
> Agreed it is not confrontational, yet that is the strength of vigils, 
> they can reach out in a way that confrontation does not and they retain 
> respect. The vigils for Iraq at the start of all this were a strong and 
> popular measure, the long lasting Hunters Bar vigil was a case in point, 
> good reaction and good publicity.
> 
>> Afterwards we can go home feeling slightly better about ourselves.
>> Switch on TV and watch the horrible stuff happening in the world with
>> a slightly clearer concience. "At least I did something," we can tell
>> ourselves. But did we?
> 
> 
> Again, the same could be argued of the more cathartic demo's, have a 
> good shout, sell a few newspapers, run about a bit, get it out of your 
> system and then forget about it.
> 
>>
>> There are surely better things we could do. Even small demo's are
>> better than vigils.
> 
> 
> Different things appeal to different people, it is not what sort of 
> demonstration that is important, it is how that demonstration is carried 
> out. A vigil organised in an effective way, communicating well to the 
> media could involve just a few dedicated people and acheive more 
> publicity and effect more pressure on those in power than a march of a 
> million people (which as we know achieved f*** all). I like the idea 
> that is we had a million people in London, to encircle the houses of 
> parliament and stay there, not necessarily blocking the streets, just 
> staying there, watching vigil. I think such an action has a nobility 
> that marching and shouting cannot acheive. But again, different things 
> appeal to different people so there is no absolute right or wrong way in 
> vigil or demo etc. Just that the action should be planned well to be 
> effective.
> Jason
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