Sunday, March 21, 2004
I knew from the start there would be less people at the march yesterday than a year ago, if I hadn't been looking out for it I wouldn't have known it was going on. And most people wouldn't turn out for a march on an issue that they perceive as being over and done with. Our Government ignored us and took part in an action that cost many thousands of lives and has done nothing but heighten the probability of us being the target of a terrorist attack. Thank you Mister Blair. Still we marched anyway. The crowds were good natured and calm, whether there were 25,000 of us (police estimates) or 100,000 (organisers). The weather varied between overcast and sunny, a few spots of rain here and there but the first serious shower wasn't until late afternoon.
We met at Marble Arch by the famous Arch, currently under wraps for renovation. The police presence at these events is never subtle, but this was the first time I've been standing around with friends and having my photo taken by the police photographer (who turned up after I took this photo). Presumably this is the heightened state of alert caused by the events in Madrid but when we crossed over to join the main crowd of protesters in Hyde Park I couldn't see any police taking such a close interest. Maybe they were monitoring groups that were gathering away from the main group due to the well known tendency of Al Qaeda members to have 'does not play well with others' on their school reports. Anyway, none of us turned out to suddenly become a terrorist and we eventually went over to the park when the march was heading off.
This is Stoatie carrying his pirate flag which we try to use at these types of events as a visible rallying point. Before we headed over to the park Stoatie was rather unnerved when one of the police approached him and said "Hello [Stoatie's real name]" when he didn't recognise the policeman. Anyway, if I suddenly disappear you know that Stoatie is a low down dirty grass.
It was very windy yesterday, some of the people carrying other banners seemed in danger of flying off and some people carrying less sturdy banners and flags did lose them as we marched. At the point of the proceedings we are walking through the park away from Marble Arch, looking to join the march which you can see on the right of this picture, on The Ring.
We followed the traditional march route, round on to Park Lane, down to Hyde Park Corner, then along Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus, where these two fine specimens of policehood were separating hoards of teenagers and bemused tourists from our great tradition of demonstrating. The one on the right seems annoyed that he didn't have the same bright idea as the one on the left to wear a snood under his police jacket. Either that or he was just about to say "Did you just fart?"
After the Circus we were onto Haymarket which is always where things start to slow down as in this direction the police tend not to close Pall Mall so we have to squeeze to about half the width of the road in order to continue. There was lots of singing and dancing of various levels of proficiency, thankfully I was near one of the more tuneful groups, rather than the ubiquitous whistles they had drums and cowbells and gave us the ditty 'Blair Out! Blair Out!' to which the verse went "Blair Out! Blair Out!" and the chorus "Blair Out! Blair Out!" It was very infectious and we were all soon joining in.
At the bottom we saw this truck showing solidarity to the cause. It looked familiar though I couldn't think why, then as I passed and looked at the driver I realised that it was Chris Eubank, who had last year done something very similar outside the gates of Downing Street itself. No time (or to be honest inclination) to take a photo of the fop himself as we approached Trafalgar Square.
We'd started somewhere fairly far back in the march and though we'd all got split up had ended up arriving at Trafalgar Square at different times. I ended up on what I'm guessing is the west side of Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery to my left. Literally seconds after I got there the police formed a barrier to stop people from stopping there and to force them around the top of the Square and down the other side. The black blobs on the far side of the fountain which you can see in the top of those two photos were actually a load of black balloons which were released, a very stunning effect in the high winds.
I must admit I didn't stay very long in the Square. I was tired, rain was threatening and the kinds of speeches you get at these things are pretty much always the same, especially when the Government's position hasn't changed since the last march, even though their evidence has been discredited or disproven.
And, as I walked away from Trafalgar Square I saw this statue, which I mentioned yesterday, as if for the first time. And I think it's message, in these days when anyone who objects to the murdering of any group of people by any other group of people is labeled as 'unpatriotic' or a traitor to their country, this is a lesson from someone who died doing what their conscience told them was the right thing to do.
We met at Marble Arch by the famous Arch, currently under wraps for renovation. The police presence at these events is never subtle, but this was the first time I've been standing around with friends and having my photo taken by the police photographer (who turned up after I took this photo). Presumably this is the heightened state of alert caused by the events in Madrid but when we crossed over to join the main crowd of protesters in Hyde Park I couldn't see any police taking such a close interest. Maybe they were monitoring groups that were gathering away from the main group due to the well known tendency of Al Qaeda members to have 'does not play well with others' on their school reports. Anyway, none of us turned out to suddenly become a terrorist and we eventually went over to the park when the march was heading off.
This is Stoatie carrying his pirate flag which we try to use at these types of events as a visible rallying point. Before we headed over to the park Stoatie was rather unnerved when one of the police approached him and said "Hello [Stoatie's real name]" when he didn't recognise the policeman. Anyway, if I suddenly disappear you know that Stoatie is a low down dirty grass.
It was very windy yesterday, some of the people carrying other banners seemed in danger of flying off and some people carrying less sturdy banners and flags did lose them as we marched. At the point of the proceedings we are walking through the park away from Marble Arch, looking to join the march which you can see on the right of this picture, on The Ring.
We followed the traditional march route, round on to Park Lane, down to Hyde Park Corner, then along Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus, where these two fine specimens of policehood were separating hoards of teenagers and bemused tourists from our great tradition of demonstrating. The one on the right seems annoyed that he didn't have the same bright idea as the one on the left to wear a snood under his police jacket. Either that or he was just about to say "Did you just fart?"
After the Circus we were onto Haymarket which is always where things start to slow down as in this direction the police tend not to close Pall Mall so we have to squeeze to about half the width of the road in order to continue. There was lots of singing and dancing of various levels of proficiency, thankfully I was near one of the more tuneful groups, rather than the ubiquitous whistles they had drums and cowbells and gave us the ditty 'Blair Out! Blair Out!' to which the verse went "Blair Out! Blair Out!" and the chorus "Blair Out! Blair Out!" It was very infectious and we were all soon joining in.
At the bottom we saw this truck showing solidarity to the cause. It looked familiar though I couldn't think why, then as I passed and looked at the driver I realised that it was Chris Eubank, who had last year done something very similar outside the gates of Downing Street itself. No time (or to be honest inclination) to take a photo of the fop himself as we approached Trafalgar Square.
We'd started somewhere fairly far back in the march and though we'd all got split up had ended up arriving at Trafalgar Square at different times. I ended up on what I'm guessing is the west side of Trafalgar Square, with the National Gallery to my left. Literally seconds after I got there the police formed a barrier to stop people from stopping there and to force them around the top of the Square and down the other side. The black blobs on the far side of the fountain which you can see in the top of those two photos were actually a load of black balloons which were released, a very stunning effect in the high winds.
I must admit I didn't stay very long in the Square. I was tired, rain was threatening and the kinds of speeches you get at these things are pretty much always the same, especially when the Government's position hasn't changed since the last march, even though their evidence has been discredited or disproven.
And, as I walked away from Trafalgar Square I saw this statue, which I mentioned yesterday, as if for the first time. And I think it's message, in these days when anyone who objects to the murdering of any group of people by any other group of people is labeled as 'unpatriotic' or a traitor to their country, this is a lesson from someone who died doing what their conscience told them was the right thing to do.
