Brighton - 4th May

[GoneCoastal]

oh erm The Police being run out of town,

Erm! Well - must have been a different demo to the one I was at from half eleven this morning then Although the FIT did back off at the start I after they'd torn up a FITWatch banner

I was going to post and say that it was overall peaceful from what I could see although tbf I was walking alongside the front mostly - the routes followed were

Aquarium Roundabout for a while - then up North Street, up Queens Road to the Station - Down Trafalgar Street (this bit was when I went for food & to get a warm top etc so I evidently missed a bit here... oops!) to St Peters Church where the music was set up (busiest I've seen St Peters in ages ) ...

Then from there down to the Aquarium Roundabout again - via the Pavilion Gardens, a bit of North Street, West Street and a bit of East Street, where the only trouble I saw was two chairs being grabbed from outside one of the restaurants and thrown about - I'm not sure but I think a girl might have got hit by one - she was actually helped away by the police from being on the floor by a shop window

I'm not sure but I think then then procession went back to St Peters before going back to the seafront again

It had all but finished by half six with maybe 50 or so dancing by the ice cream booth at the Pier (the Pier was closed as well) atop which a Pirate flag had been tied (by the 20/30 or so folks who'd climbed up)

Simply by listening to the police talking at the front, the policy today was allow marching and just make sure nothing was seriously damaged - there's a bit of grafitti on the RAF careers office & McDonalds London Road was closed for the afternoon and Barclays has a banner tied on top of the scaffolding too !

The traffic was diverted off the seafront after a while

I suspect that if the weather had been better and the town been busier with day-trippers and shoppers then the response would probably have been different though

 

[GoneCoastal]

A few pics on the Argus's *spits* website http://www.theargus.co.uk/photos/ourphotos/argusphotos2009/smashedo/

http://www.theargus.co.uk/resources/images/899743/?type=gallery
"show me your war face"


I thought the post G20 policing was definately a lttle more passive. I'm sure groups wouldn't of been able the move about the city so freely 6 months ago.
I certainly had a good walk today.

Yep - and like I said - I reckon the weather and the fact that the town wasn't as busy with people spending money made things different too. But definitely a hands-off approach

I just realised I was standing just to the left of the last photo in that first set - I watched it being taken as the photographer asked the guy holding it raise it to cover his face

 

[likesfish]

some Muppet threw a paint at the army surplus shop

 

[GoneCoastal]

some Muppet threw a paint at the army surplus shop

Trying to think where that is ?

 

[sheothebudworths]

The one in North Laine? Or Preston Circus?

Way-heyyy Bish!

 

[DJ Squelch]

there's one on london road too, opposite St Peters church. maybe they got it confuesedwith the army reruitment centre. doh

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Way-heyyy Bish!

 

[GoneCoastal]

The one in North Laine? Or Preston Circus?

Way-heyyy Bish!

I didn't think anyone got as far as Preston Circus.... but maybe they did

there's one on london road too, opposite St Peters church. maybe they got it confuesedwith the army reruitment centre. doh

D'you know I still can't think where that is and and I had dinner in the Mexican place just there tonight too *slaps brain*

 

[DJ Squelch]

I didn't think anyone got as far as Preston Circus.... but maybe they did

I think after first coming down trafalgar street the first time they went over to the Level then up Ditchling Road (towards EDO I presumed) but the police blocked the road so they diverted to preston park (probably to protest outside Thales) . I heard police tried to kettle them there but they broke out and after a few scuffles in back streets headed back into town to st peters church for about an hour, then down to the pier again.

 

[Mr.Bishie]

I didn't think anyone got as far as Preston Circus.... but maybe they did

We went from the Aquarium roundabout, at just after midday, up to the station, and then down Trafalgar St, then up onto Ditchling Rd, before being turned back (a superbly pale pink metallic car and feisty filth) and making our way up to Preston Park, across to the roads around Ditchling, then back down onto Preston Circus, into the North Laines, down onto the seafront, into the Old Lanes, and back up to St. Peter's Church, before returning to the Aquarium roundabout, some time later

and I've no doubt missed out some of the route we took

 

[DJ Squelch]

D'you know I still can't think where that is and and I had dinner in the Mexican place just there tonight too *slaps brain*

I think its more of a second hand shop that sells a bit of army surplus rather than a proper one. It's next to the bike shop if i remember correctly.

 

[GoneCoastal]

We went from the Aquarium roundabout, at just after midday, up to the station, and then down Trafalgar St, then up onto Ditchling Rd, before being turned back (a superbly pale pink metallic car and feisty filth) and making our way up to Preston Park, across to the roads around Ditchling, then back down onto Preston Circus, into the North Laines, down onto the seafront, into the Old Lanes, and back up to St. Peter's Church, before returning to the Aquarium roundabout, some time later

and I've no doubt missed out some of the route we took

Ahhh... That's the bit where I was having nosh in the town centre and I went to get a warm sweatshirt (I was freezing) after going under the station.... my apols I then picked up at St Peters again

 

[Corax]

Just back.

Was a grand day out, and got into constructive discussions with groups outside 2 pubs on route, where the punters started off shouting "get a job" and ended up agreeing "fair enough".

Chatted to a Bath group that had turned out. Apparantly the Brizzle bus broke down. Top notch de-arrest/prevention of the Barclays banner peeps. Probably the only bit of effective organisation I saw, but was well done.

Glad to know there were a few Urbanites there. Would have been nice to have met you. Fuck it though, I posted this thread and if that's not invitation enough, bollocks to it.

ETA: Ha, had a 'chat' with discombe n'all. Was entertaining

 

[Mr.Bishie]

Ahhh... That's the bit where I was having nosh in the town centre.

Long lunch was it

 

[GoneCoastal]

I think its more of a second hand shop that sells a bit of army surplus rather than a proper one. It's next to the bike shop if i remember correctly.

That's the DEBRA Charity shop then ! http://www.debra.org.uk/

 

[GoneCoastal]

Long lunch was it

I was also off buying a sweatshirt and warm hat 'cause I was buggered if I was going home to get a coat etc

 

[GoneCoastal]

Few pics http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/110204553

 

[Corax]

May I be the first to say:

WTF?

Must have been a different Brighton.

 

[shaman75]

Few pics http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/110204553

some nice images there

 

[GoneCoastal]

May I be the first to say:

WTF?

Must have been a different Brighton.

I suspect the person hit by a missile was the girl in East Street - I mentioned in my post .. I think it was a chair

But other than that .... I didn't see anything to warrant that description at all! (And the only time I did see a bottle thrown was on the seafront and one of the protesters gave the thrower a bollocking)

 

[GoneCoastal]

some nice images there

Ta!

 

[Corax]

I didn't see anything to warrant that description at all!

Nothing whatsoever.

There were lines forming up around M*cdonalds where the van was getting rocked. So a few cut up a side street and headed up the street aiming to cut round the other side if they kettled. We then headed towards EDO, I got caught up justifying the protest to a bunch of local pub regulars who were sitting outside, got slightly lost, (SmashEDO radio was a fucking godsend then), and rejoined the party at St Peters.

When the party moved back down to the pier I got held up for a while helping someone out. Apart from those two times, I saw rest of it, and there was really no trouble at all. There were a few nob'eads in the crowd, but they were dealt with by the rest. I saw one old boy, who had accidentally got swept up with crowd, escorted gently and kindly to a safer spot by a couple of black bloc. People had dogs and kids with them. It wasn't violent in the slightest.

 

[GoneCoastal]

I got caught up justifying the protest to a bunch of local pub regulars who were sitting outside

It was quite amusing, repeatedly hearing onlookers saying "what's this about then?"

At the end - there was a girl walking 'round the Aquarium Roundabout, carefully collecting and stamping on empty cans then bagging them up for disposal as well....

 

[Corax]

It was quite amusing, repeatedly hearing onlookers saying "what's this about then?"

At the end - there was a girl walking 'round the Aquarium Roundabout, carefully collecting and stamping on empty cans too - then bagging them up for disposal

One group of 5 or so teenagers joined in, after someone replied by telling them it was "do anything you want day"

 

[GoneCoastal]

One group of 5 or so teenagers joined in, after someone replied by telling them it was "do anything you want day"

LOL... So that's why there were so many young 'uns there!

 

[lostexpectation]

so did ya go to the factory or was that not the point today?

 

[Corax]

I would have thought it a good idea, but either that wasn't the collective will, or the filth prevented it, not sure which. If the crowd has split and reformed, not been so predictable, EDO would have been a more realistic target.

 

[Boycey]

i think it was the filth that prevented it- they were *very* protective of RBS, i imagine more so of EDO. had a fucking great day, big ups all who were there. i've got some pics here

 

[TopCat]

It was a great example in not getting kettled and leading the often fat police people a merry dance up and down hill in all their heavy riot gear. Well done to all that came.

 

[winjer]

Aquarium Roundabout for a while - then up North Street, up Queens Road to the Station - Down Trafalgar Street (this bit was when I went for food & to get a warm top etc so I evidently missed a bit here... oops!) to St Peters Church where the music was set up (busiest I've seen St Peters in ages ) ...

When you went for food most of us went up London Road, Ditchling Road->Rise, then up Preston Park, down Blaker's Park and Stanford Avenue, then back along London Road.