1-0 God

Why is it only the team in maroon that’s affected? Does this mean the other team (in celestial white – coincidence?)are some kind of ubermensch collective? Also, look out right at the end, just as a decimated player is being helped off, one little urchin decides that it’s all a bit of fun and gratuitously waves into the camera as if there hadn’t been some near cataclysmic ‘act of God’. Good lad!

The Revolution Will Be Televised

Strong arm of the law

This weekend, in effect, brings to light the importance and the power of protest. By which I am of course referring to the G20 ‘riots’ of some 17 days past.

Of course, the actions of a few thousand (mostly) youthful people have not, will not and would not change the climate of economic recession. But this is not/was not the point (or it shouldn’t have been anyway).

The point, it seems to me, was one of vocalisation: physically showing displeasure in regards to what has been a wholly unnecessary crisis for the majority, prompted by particularly selfish and greedy individuals. In doing so – much like the marches in protest of the UK’s decision to go to war in Iraq – the people have exercised their right to free speech. Even more importantly, the people made the statement: “Look, we don’t agree with what’s going on. We’re angry and we want you (bankers/politicians) to know it!“

Now, I hasten to add that I am talking solely of protest, something very very different to rioting. Even ion a democracy, the majority cannot always have its wish. This too is a good and wholly necessary fact. However, the majority can vocalise their opinion, just as with G20. And this is immeasurably important as it forces politicians et al to notice. Noticing is, of course, different to Listening. But to force a politician to turn their head and to hold their gaze, however fleetingly, when they are usually cloistered in their corridors of power is a powerful thing.

This is a very important role that we, the masses, should involve ourselves more – especially as, in the west (well, the UK) – we are not only increasingly secular but also increasingly apolitical. Apathy rules. We’re not helped by crushingly boring politicians but our politics, as Europeans, is as important as ever. Involvement, ie Protest,  is therefore a way of politicising – something that we, young Britons, could do more of.

Now, the reason why this weekend brings  the importance and the power of protest to light rather than that April Fool’s Day over two weeks ago, is because it highlights the wholly unpredictable nature of ‘the importance of protest’.

The reason behind the G20 Meltdown (as the protests were billed) was the crisis brought about by banks. However, nearly three weeks on, the significance of the protest in the UK has been the exposure of the police, their conduct, their tactics and, maybe even more importantly, their independent watchdog the IPCC.

This weekend the possibility that Ian Tomlinson died as a result of abdominal haemorrhaging and not of a heart-attack, as concluded by the IPCC, has been exposed. Over recent weeks the Police and the IPCC have had to make a thoroughly shameful climb-down over the whole affair.

In addition, it has come to light that numerous baton-wielding officers present on 1 April 2009 actually covered up their ID epaulettes , seemingly so that they could act in ways that, shall we say, are not in the rulebook and then escape culpability should anyone wish to make a complaint (presumably to the IPCC!) – a shameful and rather worrying incident given that a nation’s police force is meant to uphold law and order as a means to protect the citizens. It is a legal requirement for any police officer to remain identifiable by their rank and number at all times.

The natural question that leads on from all this is “if the police have been acting in such underhand ways in this instance, how many other times have they acted like this in the past? How many deaths and/or other unfortunate incidents were actually the result of such wayward conduct and should have been avoided?” With these questions issues of transparency and trust are thrown into disarray.

It now seems clear that the Police and IPCC wanted to sweep this whole thing “under the rug” – a direct quote from the anonymous man whose camera-film footage from the g20 protest has helped uncover the whole Tomlinson scandal. The irony is that this do-good individual is a hedge-fund manager form New York, exactly the type of person that inspired/enraged so many people on that fateful day to march.

Film and fists

Protest then is one of our most important and powerful tools as citizens of democracy. Indeed, it’s power is only multiplied by our increased potency for citizen-journalism and our sheer ability to broadcast any event in a multitude of mediums in this digital age.

Germany. 70s Germany.

Friends, Romans, countrymen… I have not blogged for a long time now. Many things have been and gone – namely the G20 riots, which I attended. A man even died – and some of my previous witterings have borne truth (ie Jo Whiley actually is now telling me via my TV how she’s just discovered Fleet Foxes!) but nothing has really moved me to create a new post. Until now.

Just like manna from Heaven, a dear friend (you know who you are) has just sent me the following video. I have no idea what’s going on or what it means. All I know is it’s German and it’s from the 70′s. My favourite dancer is too close to call, though it’s probably a toss up between the penultimate ‘Borussia Dortmund’ man in Black and yellow and the number 3 in white and orange hoops who follows him.

Please, please, please send in your comments and opinions as to what the fuck is going on here!