So Saturday was the first (and I do hope not last Rally against debt) turn out was predictably low, despite all the people on Facebook saying they’d attend. Proving that armchair activism is alive and well – which isn’t really news at all. I can’t agree with the people that said it was fantastic, I think claiming that is as deluded as the LibDems saying they’ll make real progress next time or the Yes2Av crowd claiming they didn’t get hammered. The turn out wasn’t good by any stretch of the imagination, and I’ll return to that but first as the title suggests lets look at the good.
For what was a very small gathering it got an awful lot of media attention, almost all of which was wrong on almost every count. But for a while a quite group of a few hudnred people not causing trouble was on the front of the BBC news website, with video coverage later. Even tha Daily Mail covered it in their own special fashion (Hat tip LegIron). That’s an awful lot of coverage for an event where not a lot happened (I do suspect a larger turn out might actually have got less coverage). It’s interesting to notice how every report managed to decide it was a right wing rally (apparently according to that great political pundit Alexei Sayle the “right” can’t protest) but that’s probably to be expected and fair as the student demo’s where obviously all just self seeking vandals and anarchists (and more on anarchists later). Beyond that it was a good afternoon, mixing with a load of people from all over the political and every other spectrum – especially when we then headed for the pub.
So what was the bad, well obviously better turn out would have been good, and stood as I was at the back of the crowd I could hardly hear most of the speakers. So I think it’s safe to say that experts at publicizing and organizing rallies, we’re probably not (I wasn’t involved in organizing but I didn’t do much to publicise so..). That said not having pre existing channels for advertising protests such as maybe the TUC and students have it wasn’t too bad and I think probably best described as a learning experience. Thankfully those that thought it was irrelevant have been doing a splendid job spreading the message after we’d all gone to the pub. The other bad, and probably inevitable, thing is that despite what was actually talked about at the rally, which didn’t involve sacrificing kittens or driving poor people into the Thames with bricks around their necks that seems to have been how it was described. That the debt may actually be a serious problem is still being ignored with claims that we don’t need to cut anything. I guess that “what do want? A reasoned and informed debate on how to achieve fiscal responsibility!” just isn’t a catchy enough chant, need to work on that. After all there is so much that could be cut without affecting “front line” services (first off when councils make cuts why is it always front line services rather than managers or even councilors pay?), as a quick round up:
We could stop giving development aid to countries with nuclear and space programs?
We could perhaps stop subsiding the bars and restaurants in the palace of Westminster?
Save a few bob on police diversity groups?
Stop spending quite so much on pok barreling defence contracts?
Not bail out other bankrupt countries?
And as discussed that stupid?
Now just in case you thought I might have forgotten, onto the ugly and to be honest the rather dim of brain. A little group of anarchists turned up to have a counter demo. Which to be honest was rather confusing as there they were a group of people who believe in no government protesting against a group of people that want less government (or at least less government spending). When asked they were very adamant in their support for the continuation of government spending and everything that entails. But then again they also insisted that Guy Fawkes was an anarchist and simply wouldn’t listen when told that he was in fact the supporter of a papist regime over the incumbent protestant regime and so was really trying to get even further from anarchy. It was though terribly nice of them to provide the amusement along with their really rather sharply dressed cameraman (I guess all those government trade agreements are ok at times.)
Sharp dressed anarchist
More photo’s on Flickr
Other Rally reports:
Guido We Rallied against the debt
Simon Clarke So, was the Rally Against Debt a success?
Platform 10 Rally Against the Debt: What impact will it have?
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