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July 06, 2005
The future of protest
This G8 thing has got me thinking about two points.
1) I cannot understand how those with far-right selfish global warming denying attitudes like George Bush can call themselves Christian. Or did I just miss the eleventh commandment that said. ‘Thou must put thy economy before those in need.’
2) I am finding myself irritated by protesters at both ends of the spectrum. Chucking hard objects at the police may make that one copper history but whichever way you look at it, it is not going to end world poverty. Don’t get me wrong, in my time I have seen how corrupt they can be, I’ve had a copper cover his number and thump me in the back for no obvious reason, I’ve seen them drag a protester (who was begging to be allowed to stand and walk to the police van) across some hard concrete until his clothes ripped. But retaliation is just what they are trying to provoke in us. Show them how it’s done by remaining peaceful.
However I’m equally irritated by Sir Bob who stood there amongst those queuing for the next Live 8 instalment in Edinburgh saying that these were ‘real people’ who cared more than those who were out blockading etc. Like I said the other day, I’m not really sure how standing there clapping along to Coldplay (they must be good because Radio 1 said they were good) ever changed anything.
Where do I fall? I’ve been on legal demonstrations where you walk along waving banners chanting something catchy about George Bush and Tony Blair being not very nice but to be honest I’m not really sure how demos work except to make me feel good because here are a load of people who agree with me. Like I’ve said I can’t agree to harming living beings, however nasty that human might be. Damaging property is different, especially if it is properly directed (disabling Jet Fighters springs to mind) Also today I have seen protesters peacefully sitting down and blocking the roads into Gleneagles. This is all great.
I suppose this is why I have an affinity with the Greenham Common women. Somehow they always got it right, they didn’t mind breaking the law just so long as it was done peacefully.
Yet despite all this I think the most effective protest is when we all dip into our pockets and use our consumer choice. I was just wondering what would happen if all those people gathered in Edinburgh refused to buy anything unless it was fair trade. What if every last one of us who wanted to ‘make poverty history’ descended on the supermarket and left El-Cheapo brand coffee on the shelf and bought Café Direct instead. What if we stopped buying our kids Cadburys and Nestle (ugh don’t even go there) and treated them to a nice bar of Green and Blacks chocolate? With global warming the list is even longer but I’m sure you can think of examples yourself. Yes it’s expensive but if you tried it for a week I bet your bank account wouldn’t be quite so empty as you expected. Failing that pick just one (like coffee) and vow to switch to fair trade on that one item. It all helps.
I’m of the opinion that this is where the future of protest should be.
Posted by purple elephant at July 6, 2005 08:49 PM