March For The Alternative - London Saturday 26th March

[mozzy]

250,000 marchers... I never appreciated the problem of welfare addicts was so big.

[Guest]

Shame about the violence again. Takes away from the real message of the march cos all the papers are only interested in is the damage done.

[anoldhippie@60]

I thought the same as you, but I spoke to a prominent local Lib-Dem councillor this morning - a pillar of the community etc. He said he thought you sometimes needed some people kicking off to re-enforce the message. I was very surprised to hear him say this as I would have thought he would have taken the opposite view. Thinking about it though, you could maybe argue that despite the massive demos against the Poll tax, it was the riots that caused the Government (albeit with a different Prime Minister) to act.

I ache like hell today. I never thought it would take so long to march three miles

[llcoolphil]

Shame about the violence again. Takes away from the real message of the march cos all the papers are only interested in is the damage done.

[llcoolphil]

They dont want to listen. Being disruptive and destructive makes them listen

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-politics-12874631

[LondonTom]

They dont want to listen. Being disruptive and destructive makes them listen

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-politics-12874631

Edited March 27, 2011 by LondonTom

[anoldhippie@60]

I assume you mean the violence being committed by the state on essential services because it allows big corps to avoid paying their taxes, yes?

[llcoolphil]

I agree that the government are basically tearing things apartg and people are losing there jobs because of it, but I do not agree with the smashing up of private property. Still they have to find the money from somewhere to pay for Afghanistan and now Libya .

[llcoolphil]

So in other words bullying?

[anoldhippie@60]

Private property acquired partly by avoiding tax. If i robbed a house and the police said actually thats ok and made you pay to replace it, would you shrug your shoulders and just divvy up?

[LondonTom]

Is there no depth to your stupidity? How is it bullying?

[Kowalski]

Guardian poll on Friday surprised me a little.

• 35% think the spending plans have gone too far

• 28% think the spending plans are just right

• 29% think the spending plans haven't gone far enough

That's 57% who either support the level of cuts, or want deeper cuts.

I don't think anyone can assume that the TUC or Ed Miliband speaks for the majority of the country.

[august1]

Guardian poll on Friday surprised me a little.

• 35% think the spending plans have gone too far

• 28% think the spending plans are just right

• 29% think the spending plans haven't gone far enough

That's 57% who either support the level of cuts, or want deeper cuts.

I don't think anyone can assume that the TUC or Ed Miliband speaks for the majority of the country.

[hilton]

YOUGOV poll, 52% support the march, 31% are against, the conclusion of my poll is polls are useless.

[Guest]

Guardian poll on Friday surprised me a little.

• 35% think the spending plans have gone too far

• 28% think the spending plans are just right

• 29% think the spending plans haven't gone far enough

That's 57% who either support the level of cuts, or want deeper cuts.

I don't think anyone can assume that the TUC or Ed Miliband speaks for the majority of the country.

[llcoolphil]

Guardian poll on Friday surprised me a little.

• 35% think the spending plans have gone too far

• 28% think the spending plans are just right

• 29% think the spending plans haven't gone far enough

That's 57% who either support the level of cuts, or want deeper cuts.

I don't think anyone can assume that the TUC or Ed Miliband speaks for the majority of the country.

[Icewulf]

Interesting that it's a Guardian poll that yields those results. You can't present a poll from a source like the Guardian as if it's proof.

[llcoolphil]

A minority being violent and screaming until everyone does as they say, its pretty much bullying until they get there own way. (Then don't expect to be arrested for being violent ) Typical, your stupid because you have a differing opinion to me

[Spider43]

Because he has a different opinion to you?

[eFestivals]

Shame about the violence again. Takes away from the real message of the march cos all the papers are only interested in is the damage done.

Except a lot of the "violence" wasn't violence.

50-ish people were kettled then arrested for browsing around a shop, and doing nothing different inside the shop to normal shoppers. Strangely, the TV cameramen who followed them into that shop weren't arrested along with them - but the person who photo'd the old bill kettling and arresting them was.

And 200 people decided to hold permanent peaceful protest in Trafalgar Square, and were then arrested simply for wanting to hold that peaceful protest.

It appears that the double-standards of our government has been exposed. Protests - and even armed insurrection - are only "legal" if they happen in a country with a leader that our own leader dislikes.

Edited March 28, 2011 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

but I do not agree with the smashing up of private property.

the old bill do tho.

The old bill were deployed as a private govt army and not to "uphold the peace" or to "uphold the law".

This was clear to anyone at the march, who will have seen the massive numbers of old bill around Parliament and along Whitehall, but in massively fewer numbers in the other streets that the marchers used.

[anoldhippie@60]

the old bill do tho.

The old bill were deployed as a private govt army and not to "uphold the peace" or to "uphold the law".

This was clear to anyone at the march, who will have seen the massive numbers of old bill around Parliament and along Whitehall, but in massively fewer numbers in the other streets that the marchers used.

[shiveringsky]

I do not agree with smashing up private property either by the people at the march or the ones in uniform.

It seems that because I own my own property that I must have got it thru tax avoidance according to one who comments on this post. If you will excuse me I do not agree with what the farmer next door is doing so I am just going over to smash his buildings up.

[fur_q]

It's worth noting that of the 149 protestors charged on Sunday morning 138 of those where people that sat around in posh tea shop eating packed lunches and wining songs. By all accounts there was no damage done to the inside of F&M.

So the question is why was so much police time and resources put into arresting the 138 packed lunch eaters (who where told by police officers inside that if they where to leave of their own accord they would not be arrested) when their was voilence and vandalism goining on outside, all be it on such a small scale I don't see how the police were not able to prevent it.

[bombfrog]

Guardian poll on Friday surprised me a little.

• 35% think the spending plans have gone too far

• 28% think the spending plans are just right

• 29% think the spending plans haven't gone far enough

That's 57% who either support the level of cuts, or want deeper cuts.

I don't think anyone can assume that the TUC or Ed Miliband speaks for the majority of the country.

Edited March 28, 2011 by bombfrog