I'm at Parkfields SW15 in Putney outside Nick Clegg's house with about 150 people having a party. Get the beers in! http://yfrog.com/gy67kbfj Anyone else out and about today?
Nice one BH BBC tweeting this but nothing yet on their website. About 50-100 protesters outside Deputy PM Nick Clegg's London home campaigning against spending cuts. Details soon http://t.co/vYtVdoSp -- BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking)
There was a lot of sniping from some quarters about the 'Great British' and reclaiming Britishness theme of this, on the grounds that it buys into nationalist rhetoric, even if in the fluffiest way possible. I have to say it irritates me (and I can't really identify) but I can't get myself worked up about it. I would have gone on this if I hadn't needed more sleep than Dozy the dwarf. Well done for going BH .
I have to say that the Great Britishness of it is pointless and will no doubt offend lots of people, especially in Scotland, Wales and the north of Ireland. Plus there's a near-Blairist attempt to rebrandBritishness on the UKUncut website from a guest columnist "I’m looking forward to UK Uncut’s Great British Street Party, because – to borrow a cliché from David Cameron – I want to put the Great back into Great Britain." I thought UKUncut were largely organised by anarchists and the like. Are they genuinely really sentimental nationalists, or just pretending to be so since they think it'll have wide appeal? Saying all that I'm still solidly behind these street parties, from my armchair, as it's heartening to see anything happening to the left of Miliband.
It just got a mention on the 2pm news on Radio 4. Six UK Uncut protestors chained in wheelchairs and fifty other people.
They seem to be bandying about the legacy of Reclaim the Streets and I assumed there was at least a little continuity between these two groupings.
It's a mixture of people of varying political ideas - probably one of its strengths. I don't think much of the 'Britishness' angle, and would put my point of view if I bumped into any of the planners of this action, but I think we need to look for reasons to work with people even if we don't agree with everything they say and do. I think one of the reasons collective action is hard in this country is that politics is approached as individual expression. That's not to say we shouldn't have the debates, but we can't always find people who perfectly match our personal list of 'good' politics.
"Art Li @Art_Li Compassionate, want to help others etc by becoming a politician? Watch protest outside Clegg's house. Think again."
interesting that the BBC initially said there were 50 protestors. The Guardian somehow claimed there were 400. When we got there, there was about 100 which soon swelled to 150 and there was probably near to 200 when I left a few hours later. there was an interesting collection of people there, a fair few anarcho types, a few people I've met on previous actions, some older and disabled activists, some pensions & NHS campaigners and quite a few fluffy liberals with their picnic blankets and tesco samosas. I think the "Great British Street Party" theme thing is a bit lame but it's just a bit of UK Uncut spin. Most people were there to make a point, make some noise, give the police the run around and have a laugh/get some beers in and that's what we did. Some of the UK Uncut rhetoric is not really to my taste but I like the fact they get out there and do stuff, and attract like minded people along. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/may/26/nick-clegg-house-uk-uncut http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18219101 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-London-home-accuse-architect-austerity.html
I was there - must say it was about the least intimidating gathering I can imagine. Not a right of lot of politics involved (I respect Uncut for raising the profile of corporate tax evasion) - but this was pretty low on politics. Still, it's got MPs backs up which is no bad thing...
alternatively, watch the leverson enquiry and see how you'll be giving permission for murdoch to poke around in your life and broadcast your business.
Yeah it fcuking pissed off Louise Mensch, which is no bad thing, and engulfed her in a Twitter flaming war for the past few days which must have really did her head in. She accused protesters of "harrasment" and "terrorism" and promises to ask a written parliamentary question asking the Home Office to consider powers to ban protests outside of the houses of private citizens. Fucking nuts mate!
