2011 Streak 85/365: Non Placet

2011 Streak 85/365: Walk - 11.79 miles, Time - 6hrs, Weather - ok, cooler than last couple of days and more cloudy, a few spots of rain.

I think this was quite a big deal - a gathering of 300-400,000 people to march against the economic policy of the government and their cuts to public services. The cynical and worldweary will say that marches change nothing and are therefore a waste of time; and they are not totally wrong.  One march will not cause a change in government policy. But that is not really the point. Having so many people, from all walks of life and all parts of the country, come to London to protest shows a depth of feeling and is an important statement. If it encourages other demonstrations it become even more interesting and show how much real discontent there is.

On its own, however, a march will just be a gathering but if people realise there are a lot of people with the same opinion, and that there is a chance that that opinion could be heard, then it can play a part in building a mood. 

 So I was there and it was a good day out. There was a complete cross section of people  and it was totally good natured. 

As I walked along I talked to a university lecturer who felt increasingly compromised by organisational pressures, who was worried for those just starting their careers. There were also some social workers worried about the vulnerable, and firemen (I don't know whether it was an accident of timing but I saw a lot of firemen).

I also had conversation totally off topic. Someone, in his twenties,  was pushing a rather lovely, very new, Surly fixie, which had an extremely mottled San Marco Rolls saddle that was probably older than him. We thus fell into conversation about classic bike design.

However the most interesting chat I had was was with a member of the Wobblies (Industrial Workers of the World), which I thought had died out. "Oh no" he said "there were a few hundred members". Although this is small, he said it was growing and he was very proud of the formation of a new group of Latin American workers.. It is fascinating  how many groups and movements, that you think are part of industrial history,  don't completely die: they become smaller but there are still people who are committed.

Today's picture shows: a traditional trades union banner (which I love because it shows a continuity with the past 150 years); the general relaxed mood with someone eating a sandwich (well it was lunch time); and the "non placet" badges (which was a neat encapsulation of everybody's attitude).

The second photo is interesting because it is from Trafalgar Square, which was adjacent to the route and full both of demonstrators and normal visitors. The two girls in the hi viz jackets were part of something called the Kindness Offensives, operating from a bus by the National Gallery, which also had people dressed as gorillas offering free hugs.  However what should also be noticed are the two red and black flags: the flag of the Black Block.

I saw small groups of the Black Block wandering around the fringes of the march, especially between Oxford Street and Trafalgar Square. These were the people who later became involved in the disorder, which featured heavily on the news.

The day really had a couple of events. The first and most important was a very large, peaceful, good-natured demonstration; the second was a ruck by some people who used the cover of that march.

I saw non of the aggression.