Austerity protests today & demos in general

There is a big austerity demonstration today. Juvenile Unit #1 has organised a scouse contingent that have all gone down on the National Express, probably after advice from me that the officially organised coaches normally have one straggler, normally high up in local socialist circles, that means that you end up getting there 45 minutes late.

I’ve been to a few demos in my time myself. One the one hand, you never quite feel nearer to democratic principles. On the other, apart from showing huge dissatisfaction with government policy, they don’t seem to achieve much. The two million march against Iraq is perhaps the most tangible example of that.

What part do demonstrations play in our democracy today? Are they genuine collective mechanisms for change, or just the chance for the disaffected and downtrodden to scream their kum bye yah yahs out for twelve hours?

Depends if the Met keep on serving court orders to those they consider most likely to take part in direct action.

Been involved in a couple. The most ‘interesting’ one, entirely by accident as we were in London for something else - was the Poll Tax riots.

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A teeny bit before my political awakening. Were the poll tax the last demonstrations that really changed anything? Or was it simply the near-universal underlying unpopularity of the tax?

My political acumen took a backseat to adrenaline that day. Given the pigheadedness of that government though, despite the universal unpopularity, I think they’d have ploughed on regardless if the riots hadn’t happened. So, I’d like to think they did change things.

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Well congrats on that. I’ve felt the adrenaline; actually led chants on the last demo I went to (last year, during the Gaza incursion), although I am not sure that we achieved much collectively. Personally I always get something out of them; even if is just awareness of issues I did not know about before. You always meet interesting people from interesting places, particularly in the Hyde Park denouements in London.

The only protest worth doing is a dirty protest. It gets people’s attention and makes them sit up and take note. I mean, walking about with a placard is one thing but it doesn’t make the audience sick to their stomach like smearing shit everywhere. If I were confronted by two people asking me to change something and one had a placard and one was armed with a pile of steaming human shit, I know which one I’d listen to.

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Originally posted by @pap

There is a big austerity demonstration today. Juvenile Unit #1 has organised a scouse contingent that have all gone down on the National Express, probably after advice from me that the officially organised coaches normally have one straggler, normally high up in local socialist circles, that means that you end up getting there 45 minutes late.

I’ve been to a few demos in my time myself. One the one hand, you never quite feel nearer to democratic principles. On the other, apart from showing huge dissatisfaction with government policy, they don’t seem to achieve much. The two million march against Iraq is perhaps the most tangible example of that.

What part do demonstrations play in our democracy today? Are they genuine collective mechanisms for change, or just the change for the disaffected and downtrodden to scream their kum bye yah yahs out for twelve hours?

Ah yes I remember waiting for you for that demo… all the rest of the demo had walked by me and they were starting the clear up when you arrived. Good times. Do wish I’d been to the one this weekend.

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Raise in tuition fees was my first…

Frequented a few anti-fracking ones. Mainly involved via twitter helping people get lifts nowadays :frowning:

As long as they are non violent then good luck to them.

May seem pathetic but went on one recently against Badger culls. The whole thing stinks to high heaven and is totally against all the scientific evidence.

Went on quite a few as a student. The heady combination of youth, anger, righteous belief and a skin full of pound a pint beer

Lancashire exploitation companies told to “frack off”.

Notch one up for the protestors.