TawNews

Posted By fotdmike on September 17, 2009

Whatever happened to our cherished Police State dammit? Carry on like this and we won’t have anything to complain about.

Continuing with observations on this year’s Climate Camp at Blackheath, London, 26th August to 2nd September

Actions

Although Tuesday (1st September) was being generally regarded as the principal day of action it wasn’t really a case of there being a single major action in which everyone could participate (unlike previous Camps), but rather a number of smaller actions all on the same day.

The Climate Camp website has details of what seem to have been the principal ones that occurred on the Tuesday, with photos of the action at RBS on London Indymedia.

I was up bright and early that morning (well, not so sure about the “bright” bit, but earlyish certainly) to accompany a group to the demo outside BP protesting against the mining for oil contained in tar sands at Alberta in Canada.
Three busloads of us left the Camp to reassemble at Trafalgar Square some 40 minutes later, which is where we encountered first indications that the cops may have been slightly interested in us… though still nowhere near the presence that customarily marks such protests.

And of course there were the inevitable FIT (police Forward Intelligence Teams).

Onward then to BP, via a couple of stops en route.

After a few speeches, some rousing music, and a photo-op laid on for the sudden appearance of a tv crew, the protesters slowly organised themselves and moved off once more. Destination… Shell!

A march marked by one of the most bizarre experiences I’ve ever had in this sort of situation. Bizarre not just in what happened, but also in the fact that it happened several times!
At a number of road junctions where it seemed there was some uncertainty about which way the protesters should proceed, I overheard the senior cop asking of one of the protesters in the lead “Which way would you like to go?”
At one point I was sorely tempted to point out to him that he was supposed to be a nasty brutal bully dictating what the marchers couldn’t do, not politely asking them what they’d like to do.
Whatever happened to our cherished Police State dammit? Carry on like this and we won’t have anything to complain about.

Finally arrive at Shell then, for a demo in support of the Shell to Sea and Rossport campaigners.
And with Shell Centre becoming rapidly transformed, courtesy of the efforts of one intrepid protester, into Hell Centre.

There were of course other actions and events occurring throughout the week.

The one that I found the most inspiring was a very minor action in the grand scheme of things but, to my mind, huge in symbolic significance.

Apparently some of the campers had discovered a “litter trove” in nearby heath- and woodland… empty beer cans, bottles, sundry trash and even more unmentionable stuff. Discarded by who knows whom, but almost certainly none of the campers.
So someone had the bright idea of trekking out to clean up this mess (or some of it at least) as a sort of service to the local community. A small party’s hastily assembled then, just before setting off, someone has another bright idea: “Let’s take some Camp photographers along with us.” So a couple of us photographer types are invited to document the expedition.

Recovering our host community’s detritus for recycling has gotta be worth a couple of pics at least. So that’s what we did.

And as for events being worth a couple of pics, let’s not forget the Kids’ Picnic, held in Greenwich Park on Monday afternoon.
It made a refreshing and enjoyable change to have the freedom to photograph kids without being regarded as some sort of perv (such is the sorry state of photography in this country; or, more accurately perhaps, the paranoia cultivated by the mainstream media).

The good spirits of all were buoyed by the brilliant weather, possibly the best day weather-wise of the entire week. And no-one was in the least put out by a sneaky police presence (car pulls up, three photographers instantly start to snap it from three different positions, car pulls away!).

And the event was rounded off nicely when a local resident collars us to explain how impressed she is with the Camp and the vitally important message its trying so hard to communicate.

No talk of this year’s Camp actions would of course be complete without mentioning the march to, and demonstration outside, Barclays Bank at Canary Wharf.
Yet another event rendered surreal by the almost complete absence (well, visibly at least) of police.

Party sets off from Camp and marches down a hill toward Greenwich station. I’m at the front along with a lot of other photographer-types (where we all seem to spend much more time obscuring each others’ shots than achieving anything more constructive).

First indication I get that the police may be mildly interested consists of a sighting of a cop 4×4 (or something along those lines) parked across from the bottom of the hill.

But no sooner had the bulk of the marchers emerged into view than, lo and behold, the police vehicle moves off. Unbelievable!

A quick train ride to Canary Wharf then, where everyone piles out and heads toward the buildings complex.
Access to one of the buildings (don’t ask me which… by this time I was completely clueless as to whereabouts and was just following everyone else) was intially denied by plain-clothes security types then, seemingly for no apparent reason, they backed off and the marchers crowded into, and through, the building to finally emerge at another exit.

I’m not entirely certain of the intention behind this manoeuvre, or what it actually achieved, but for me it was a clear pointer that both police and other security people had received instructions to “lay off” and to maintain a very low profile.

This impression was confirmed once the marchers reached Barclays Bank where a lively demonstration proceeded unhindered… and, it has to be said, not resulting in any broken windows, thrown bottles, bloodied noses, or even frayed tempers.
About the “worst” that happened was a little bit of (easily removed) graffiti.

The marchers finally set off for a tour around Canary Wharf, ending up… well, I’m not entirely sure where precisely.

And the totally unreal absence of massed cops was maintained throughout.

To be continued

Part I | Part II | Part IV

Categories: Campaigns, Cops, Environment
Tags: barclays bank, blackheath, bp, canary wharf, climate camp, london, shell, tar sands