The counter revolution will not be televised.
Nic Conner is a good friend of the bear and TB still owes him one for the excellent couple of nights of partying he hosted at his house during the Henley by-election last summer. Just spotted this rather good account of his day at the counter swampy protests yesterday on the shamefully nicked reproduced in full:
You have to give it to the Anarchists and Communists, this protesting lark is hard work. When I got up this morning I had no idea what was install as this would be my first protest. After my morning shower I popped on my suit, picked up my copy of Hayek’s Road to Serfdom and headed to Reading train station to get the train into London.
When I finally arrived at the Bank of England; after getting lost in the city, I found my fellow Pro-Free Market Capitalists. At the start it was just us, the media and some happy dancing hippies, so we reserved a lot of press attention. We had numerous photos taken and interviews with the worlds press, which was a good chance for us to use our YBF media training. I am not holding my breath though to see any of it broadcast as it looks like the UK press has taken a different editorial slant on todays G20 demonstration, but do look out in the papers to see our message getting out there.
Whilst we where chatting to Tim Montgomerie of Conservative Home, who came out in a suit, a sudden barrage of noise filled the air and like if to appear from thin air the protest was upon us. At this time we where standing on a island in the middle of the roads which was joined to the entrance of the Bank of England (museum, but don’t tell the protesters as they seemed to think it was the Bank itself) in the center of the island was the statue of the great conservative PM Wellington.
We headed to the edge of the island to the great crowd control barriers they put up. I stood with banner and Hayek in hand ready to stand up for Freedom, Liberty and the Great British way but only the media walking with the march seemed to notice. After that side filled up the other side of the island became full so we ran over there. There we met our first form of conflict. People where shouting to us “Capitalism is not working” but they soon were on their way after telling them that their Sony camera, the clothes they are wearing and the march they are on are all because of capitalism and the freedom which comes with capitalism.
We started getting people coming over and asking what we were doing or why we were supporting capitalism, we got into some excellent debates! The hard liners we never win over but after explaining our stance to people we began to win over the crowd; so much so we had a chap in Che Guevara tee shirt come over and hold up our banner.
It’s been said one of the biggest problem with right wing politics is that it is not explained to people so people don’t understand what we stand for. We told them we would like to get the Government’s nose out of economics and bring in an independent Bank of England with the power of regulation it had century’s before New Labour. It seems that the majority of the people we spoke to agreed with us and like us they do not understand why they did not fix the roof during the sunny days.
After listening to music from Billy Bragg; including Red Flag, (I found out from a radio interview on the way home he was bring out a new album and in true communist style was out to promote his album to make more millions) we decide to leave. Walking through the crowds we did not experience any agro. We found ourselves at the police barricades where ‘no one may leave’. We waited for 3 hours amongst the protesters, journalists and innocent bystanders. One poor lady thought to make use of the area being pedestrianized to cut through to an interview but when she got to the other side she was not aloud to leave. For the next 3 hours we chatted to the protesters, converting Communists to our way of thinking. People tried to make a run for it by running through the police line but they just ended up get arrested. A communist chap started chanting ‘Sorry I care about my children, Sorry I care about my country, Sorry I did not take a wee before coming here’ after the police would not let him through to go to the WC.
We finally got out and went home past anti-capitalists in Starbucks. It was a great day and we did not have any bother. I must say the violent protesting the BBC are reporting was non existent from what I saw and looking at the footage of the RBS trashing (which is ironic as it is now state owned) you see 6 trouble makers surrounded by a press pack egging them on. We mange to convert some lefties to sound thinking and got our message out. We saw some real extremists like a group who had banners saying “MI5 was behind 7/7′ and people calling for the abolition of money.
Today we were a non party political group, just some individuals who joined up under the common idea of freedom and pro free market capitalism. We had a fun and productive day. If you are keen to join us on a counter protest one day I know the Freedom Association is looking to do more so keep your eyes open for future events.
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4 comments:
Where do I start....there is nothing big and clever about a bunch of Tory Boys putting on their dads' suits and going on a trip to London to look at the oiks.
1.) Hayek - ooh look at me I'm a wannabe intellectual
2.) "When I got up this morning I had no idea what was install"....do you mean "in store"? Less Hayek, more "Beginners guide to English" I think.
3.) At this time we where standing on a island in the middle of the roads which was joined to the entrance of the Bank of England (museum, but don’t tell the protesters as they seemed to think it was the Bank itself) in the center of the island was the statue of the great conservative PM Wellington.
The fact that the protestors were beside the entrance to the Bank of England Museum (in fact that was just around the corner by RBS) doesn't mean they had the wrong building...the museum and the bank are in the same grand "Bank of England" complex. You'd know this if you had any vague understanding of, or connection to the City.
You weren't stood on an island. You were stood at the front of the Royal Exchange at the joining of Cornhill and Threadneedle Street.
Yeah, yeah whateva Andy. To me that reads as follows:
'Where do I start....there is nothing big and clever about a bunch of Jew Boys putting on their dads' (sic) suits and going on a trip to London to look at the volk.'
Do you see why I find you deeply disturbing?
@Nic Conner, I'm glad you got your point across. I salute your courage, your strength, and yes your undeniable indefatigability.
Well Andy dont you get around I just replayed to the same comment on the CF page any way.
I would not say I am a "wannabe intellectual", I not a academic at all I left school after my A levels with no intent of university. The reasons I had Road to Serfdom is becose Hayek best discribes Free Market Capitalism and tell us of the dangers of Socialism. If that not the book to bring to a anti-anti-capitalist protests what is?
I am happy there is only one spelling mistake as I am serially dyslexic and after a long day I would of thought more might slip through my spelling net.
I do understand that the Royal Exchange is not a island normerly but when the march came in the protesters surround us making the Royal Exchange an island. With us and the press in the middle.
"putting on their dads’ suits" Well I did this becose the advice was not to wear a suit as there was a risk you might get attacked. I have never been fan of bullys so I put my suit on to make a stand but it was not needed as the protesters where well mannered and respected us even the masked anarchists.
I hope this clears up a few things, Thanks agein.
Conand, top man thanks for the kind words.
Yeah, yeah whateva Andy. To me that reads as follows:
'Where do I start....there is nothing big and clever about a bunch of Jew Boys putting on their dads' (sic) suits and going on a trip to London to look at the volk.'
Do you see why I find you deeply disturbing?
WTF?
First of all, what have jews got to do with it? Seriously, where does the jewish stuff come from?
Secondly, there is no need to put a 'sic' after the word dads' since Tory Boys (plural) are going to have more than one father between them hence to put "Tory boys putting on their dad's suit" would assume that they are all of the same family.