I imagine more than a few folks here will be attending one of the protests taking place between Saturday 28th March and Thursday April 2nd (when the summit takes place, of course) in London.

This is from today's Observer, and I assume is correct:

<quote>
Billy Bragg, the singer, who will perform at the rally outside the Bank of England, said: "The City of London has been playing fast and loose with people's pensions and the time for a light touch has passed.

"There will be a lot of people out there for whom this is the first opportunity to express their anger and look for another way of doing things. The anti-globalisation movement last time was doing it in the teeth of a boom. Now capitalism has floundered and people want an alternative to what we've had."
</quote>

The march to, and rally at, the Bank of England, is on Wednesday 1st, starting from four points in the City (Moorgate, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Cannon Street) at 11 AM.

I'll be down in London for this demo on saturday.

http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/

right now I'm not fit enough to go to fuckin' tescos but fingers crossed .....

i was feeling a bit of a wimp for not going up to town to take part in this demo. I am not too well and alberr may look as if he could take on a dozen policemen but he is getting on a bit.

Reading pete's report on another thread and seeing the video of how the police treated someone just walking home from work it seems my worst fears would quite possibly have been realised!

Ironically, the video was shot by a NY Fund Manager!
Anyone expecting anything other than a cover-up from the investigation, and according the Beeb (see previous link) it wasn't the first time that day that Ian Tomlinson had been assaulted

That video footage is incredible. I have to agree with you regarding the investigation. I can hear the outcome...'incident not related to heart attack... reasonable force used...'

Poor guy. And his 4 daughters have to spend a couple of years listening to the claptrap which the govt will come up with to defend the action taken.

Didn't Jean Charles de Menezes get 'restrained' using 'reasonible force'?

hmmmmmmmmmm, and I recall a number of instances in Northern Ireland where unreasonable force was considered 'reasonable'. Oh God, that video is going to replay in my head for days now.

The pushy copper has been suspended prior to the cover-up.
My kids (9 and 11) were appalled when they saw the coverage...You try not to indoctrinate your kids...but then the state does it for you. ACAB! (All Coppers Are Bastards.)

a mate of mine still has ACAC tattooed on his knuckles. reminders of a misspent youth.

Without scrolling up to Dickie's post, I'd thought he was an ACDC fan who got a shit tattoo

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/11/g...-police-actions

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/09/g...-tomlinson-g201

There has been a shift in recent years.

In the UK, the police have always been in place to uphold the law but, even by the politicians, they are now often described as "law enforcement", a terrible American term (and we all know how easy going THEY are...).

The difference between "uphold" and "enforce" is immense. The first indicates a responsibility to support existing law should it need to be implemented, the second indicates pro-activeness to prevent a crime potentially being committed. Of course, too large a number of Police Officers prefer being enforcers to upholders.

Guilty, 'til proven innocent, would be a good way to sum it up. For anybody in any doubt, just google "section 27"

I don't pay all that much attention to what passes for news these days, but I get this impression this story was getting a lot of very ordinary people rather worked up, before it exited the news cycle on schedule.

Not being one to keep up, I only just got around to contributing my own little bit to the fuss -- http://www.cotch.net/blog/20090429

It was mentioned on tv the other night, that it was strange that the coppers seemed more intent on stopping the peaceful protests than they did stopping the blokes smashing the bank windows.

there are a lot of strange -- absurd -- things about that police operation.

Well, I was there, and I know what I saw. Police provocation against a non-violent demonstation.

http://www.amazingsuperpowers.com/2009/09/menace/