March For The Alternative - London Saturday 26th March

[Nyika]

Oh yes, a note on legal observers. I was trained as one a couple of weeks ago by the green and black cross, and it was pointed out that Liberty deploy legal observers but they won't "observe" anything they deem illegal. Observers in ORANGE jackets are the ones you need to get hold of if you see any unlawful police action. Also, they will be handing out bustcards, make sure to pick one of these up! It will have info on what to do if searched or arrested, and also the numbers for the green and black cross legal support line and also Bindmann's solicitors, who are activist lawyers. This applies even if you're not a hardcore black bloc anarchist (and as much as I'd like to be, I'm just really not cut out for it), I've seen people being arrested on protests for absolutely no reason other than "being in the way".

Oh and if you see police form into 2 lines yell KETTLE at the top of your voice and run like hell in the other direction. If you see a kind of triangle of police, that's a snatch squad. If they point to someone, they want them, so get them the hell out of there!

[Pinhead]

People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people.

[kevd108]

Me and my Trade Union Brothers and sisters will be leaving Stockport at around 4.30am Saturday morning. Great to see so many people from the forums willing to stand up and be counted. Unity Is Strength.

[hilton]

Me and my wife would love to be going however all buses from Nottingham are full if any one hears of any spare seats from Nottingham would be grateful.Willing to pay or make a donation.

Yours without a fire extinguisher.

[llcoolphil]

Me and my Trade Union Brothers and sisters will be leaving Stockport at around 4.30am Saturday morning. Great to see so many people from the forums willing to stand up and be counted. Unity Is Strength.

[LondonTom]

Whose unity and whose strength? Complicity with the police despite the experience of whose side they are on. Unity with your brothers and sisters in the labour party that completely failed to repeal anti union legislation despite 13 years of opportunity. Unity is strength through the tuc my arse

Edited March 22, 2011 by LondonTom

[robith]

Yay lets have everyone rioting through the streets of london where ever the f**k they feel like it, maybe even building up crushes at certain parts with to many people trying get places? and oh btw very few of the government will be in London, so basically your just disrupting the lives of people trying go about there daily business really. (and before you say I do realize you seem to be arguing against this protest Phil but advocating something much worse.)

Its not that I am against protest or freedom of speech, but it just more often than not seems to hurt the majority of people who try their best to get on with their lives no matter what government is in place rather than the government itself. Most of the government will be away in their country retreats and it just creates a huge mess that we end up having to collectively clean up through taxes. Most people are aware of the cuts, and whats happening, so I just don't get the point? Its not awareness on any level as I am sure the government are well aware its going to be unpopular with some of society about them.

[Pinhead]

I know it causes hassle for a number of Londoners, true, but when I lived and worked there I used to be proud that I was living in the capital city of protest. Gave the place an edgy feel and certainly made it more interesting to be there.

[Glastoboy]

Most people are aware of the cuts, and whats happening, so I just don't get the point? Its not awareness on any level as I am sure the government are well aware its going to be unpopular with some of society about them.

[LondonTom]

But if you never speak about things, they'll never change, and we're starting from a low base point to begin with.

Your point that people shouldn't protest something they see as wrong because it interupts people going shopping on a Satutrday afternoon makes me legitamately sad

[amfy]

Most people are aware of the cuts, and whats happening, so I just don't get the point? Its not awareness on any level as I am sure the government are well aware its going to be unpopular with some of society about them.

Edited March 22, 2011 by amfy

[robith]

(2) The cuts to be made more slowly. The severity of the cuts are completely counter-productive to my mind. Me and my husband both work in the public sector. The council he works for are having to save 25%, the NHS dept I work for are being asked to save 15%. Amongst some of our partner agencies it's worse. Job Centre Plus are being asked to make 28% redundancies - at a time when their workload is going up. The Youth Service in Birmingham has been asked to save £5 million of it's £7 million budget. This is a lot of real people (not just numbers)landing on the dole at the same time, they will all be chasing jobs that no longer exist, losing their homes, and often having their families break down under the strain.

Of course, Cameron would have you believe that it will stimulate the private sector - How exactly? Millions of people losing their jobs and homes - no money to spend, no credit to set up a business.

I happen to agree that the public sector has got too big, despite it being my bread and butter, but it needs to be cut at a rste that is sustainable, not out and out slash & burn.

[eFestivals]

the NHS dept I work for are being asked to save 15%.

Remember this?

We're suffering what we're suffering on the basis of HUGE lies made by the tories, so that they could get into power and then implement a very heavy ideologically based political programme without the democratic mandate to do so.

It was always going to be the way - those of us with longer memories have no surprise at this, and saw it all coming long long ago.

Do you know that even after the 'bank levy' that slimy Gideon has so proudly told you is being used to tax the banks, the banks will be paying a lower percentage of their profits in tax than they've been doing for the last ten years?

And that's before moving onto the new rules that have been introduced for new off-shore companies that big businesses can create (but not small businesses!), that will reduce the tax burden on big businesses by at least £15Bn a year within a few years.

Either protest, or happily pay up a hugely greater amount of personal tax, if you're earning less than around £30k a year.

They're the same tory scum as they've always been - f**k the poor, and tax cuts for the rich!

[The_Amazing_Oblong]

March for the alternative is a play on words as the government said there was no alternative to the cuts being implemented in order to meet their targets. The fact that they made their own targets up (after the election) I think is what people are marching against. The fact that they could revise the targets and thus lessen the cuts.

It's all on here anyways ;

why-were-marching

Oh, also the fact that they promised one thing (as Neil showed) and did the opposite. Isn't that de rigueur though ?

I was up for this and had the date pencilled in when my wife pointed out it was our youngest sons 13th birthday.

I guess the state of the country will have to wait until after we cut the cake.

[llcoolphil]

Yay lets have everyone rioting through the streets of london where ever the f**k they feel like it, maybe even building up crushes at certain parts with to many people trying get places? and oh btw very few of the government will be in London, so basically your just disrupting the lives of people trying go about there daily business really. (and before you say I do realize you seem to be arguing against this protest Phil but advocating something much worse.)

Its not that I am against protest or freedom of speech, but it just more often than not seems to hurt the majority of people who try their best to get on with their lives no matter what government is in place rather than the government itself. Most of the government will be away in their country retreats and it just creates a huge mess that we end up having to collectively clean up through taxes. Most people are aware of the cuts, and whats happening, so I just don't get the point? Its not awareness on any level as I am sure the government are well aware its going to be unpopular with some of society about them.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Its not they shouldn't protest, or raise concerns but I just don't see what this march is going to achieve really. Other than alienate people, give the papers some great photos when the idiots inevitably start smashing stuff up for the sake of it.

I am not really sure, and theres people far smarter than me to work that out, but as I said above overall these protests just end seemingly weaken the position than bring strength to it really.

[llcoolphil]

Remember this?

We're suffering what we're suffering on the basis of HUGE lies made by the tories, so that they could get into power and then implement a very heavy ideologically based political programme without the democratic mandate to do so.

It was always going to be the way - those of us with longer memories have no surprise at this, and saw it all coming long long ago.

Do you know that even after the 'bank levy' that slimy Gideon has so proudly told you is being used to tax the banks, the banks will be paying a lower percentage of their profits in tax than they've been doing for the last ten years?

And that's before moving onto the new rules that have been introduced for new off-shore companies that big businesses can create (but not small businesses!), that will reduce the tax burden on big businesses by at least £15Bn a year within a few years.

Either protest, or happily pay up a hugely greater amount of personal tax, if you're earning less than around £30k a year.

They're the same tory scum as they've always been - f**k the poor, and tax cuts for the rich!

[eFestivals]

Is there a difference between making money offshore and advertising for people to make money offshore? The adverts that appear on this site eh...

1. I don't source the adverts myself.

2. People know of robbery, but they choose not to rob.

3. I've seen no ads that refer to what you're saying, and no one has contacted me to complain or suggest that an ad about that should be removed.

Sounds like you prefer to moan than act.

[LondonTom]

Had you had a couple over the odds when you posted this? A university education and the best you can come up with is 'protest - gets under the feet a bit really'. Halfwit. Move out of f**kin london if you dont want disrupting, its the f**kin capital.

Im very much not arguing against this, im seeking to make people think more creatively about real alternatives and how they might be achieved.

Edited March 22, 2011 by LondonTom

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Because a degree in Computing sets you up for talking about politics in great detail and saying that this protest is just going to cause disruption to those who in theory should be on the side of the protests mainly while also costing the taxpayer loads in policing and clear up costs? As most do in this country as we have what you call sort of democracy why we vote in /out different liars

[kibble]

I'm going with friends also, very much looking forward to it.

I saw word of a flash mob, info?

[llcoolphil]

1. I don't source the adverts myself.

2. People know of robbery, but they choose not to rob.

3. I've seen no ads that refer to what you're saying, and no one has contacted me to complain or suggest that an ad about that should be removed.

Sounds like you prefer to moan than act.

[llcoolphil]

Because a degree in Computing sets you up for talking about politics in great detail and saying that this protest is just going to cause disruption to those who in theory should be on the side of the protests mainly while also costing the taxpayer loads in policing and clear up costs? As most do in this country as we have what you call sort of democracy why we vote in /out different liars

[llcoolphil]

http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/sf39-BNNTTTrR-DQO91AOkg/view.m?id=15&gid=commentisfree/2011/mar/22/cuts-unemployment-anti-cuts-movement&cat=commentisfree

[LondonTom]

LOL. You think we have a democracy?