Get Involved - Stop The G8 Nottingham Meeting

Published: April 22, 2013 15:12 by Amazed you are bothering

The police and security operation will be enormous,you will not get anywhere near the G8 people and policing in NI is to say the least much more robust than here on the mainland. The chances of injury are very high.

Considering that your demo will have a zero effect on the meeting and their decision making I must ask why you think it is worth doing this ?

Published: April 22, 2013 17:52 by amazed you couldn't be bothered to read the article you're trolling

"The Stop G8 network is organising a mobilisation to be held in London"

I really must ask why you bothered to comment?

Published: April 22, 2013 23:50 by neilant

Im also wondering why Amazed you are bothering "bothered to comment", apart from arrogance & apathy.. An explanation could be interesting, although it may not be of course..

Perhaps best if he/she just continues to be "amazed" & NOT bothered.. Instead of attempting to undermine those who care enough to take action..

Published: April 23, 2013 08:15 by Innocent bystander

So you are organising a demo about an event that is 500 miles away ? That's just silly.

Published: April 23, 2013 08:17 by Richard Hammond

So just so I understand this properly you are driving from Nottingham down to London to protest an event being held in Belfast ?

Whose organising this, Jeremy Clarkson ?

Published: April 23, 2013 09:07 by bored

I'm too lazy/scared/apathetic to defend myself or anyone else against capitalism. Therefore, because I am an arch individualist, I resent all those with enough heart, soul and courage to fight back against oppression. I will take every opportunity to attempt to belittle any resistance because it's a threat to my own self esteem. Any protest or action is too radical/not radical enough/stupid/unlikely to succeed. The only valid response to the ongoing rape and murder of the planet by the world's elites is passive grumbling.

Published: April 23, 2013 09:54 by Not in any way bored

I think the issue is people are getting pissed off with these symbolic protests that we all know are ignored by the State, suck energy out of the people organising them and allow anger that has been built up to safely dissipate without the status quo being threatened. I fully understand why some think that certain groups are set up by the State to ensure protest is controlled and a 'blow off valve' created with actions like these. The G8 events is so stage managed anyway and the press release pre-arranged that it would not matter if the event never took place.

In my view there are more important issues right now

Published: April 23, 2013 09:59 by bored with you

"....those with enough heart, soul and courage to fight back against oppression."

Get over yourself, a party in London by another name is not a

"fight back against oppression."

Published: April 23, 2013 12:04 by not bored either

If you're annoyed with symbolic protests it seems to me you have two options.

1. Put your time into organising events or campaigns which have a direct effect, however you interpret that. Otherwise known as putting your money where your mouth is. Not saying you're not doing this already.

2. Attend protests you consider to be symbolic and make sure they are anything but.

Attacking groups from your armchair should never be an option. Horizontal hostility sucks far more energy and enthusiasm from our movements than the state ever could. Casually throwing around allegations of state involvement is idiotic and dangerous.

Anyway, from the text on their website, stop g8 seem to be focussing on london precisely because they want to be effective. Rather than tramping through the bog to shout at leaders ringed by cops and steel fences 3 miles away they are heading to an area of the capital which houses lots of evil bastards. "A party in london" is an excellent opportunity for motivated individuals like yourselves to pay them a visit.

Published: April 23, 2013 12:51 by Not in any way bored

"Put your time into organising events or campaigns which have a direct effect,"

-----------------------------------------------

That's exactly what I have been doing for the past three years. A youthful foolish infatuation with the SDP taught me all I needed to know about marching, listening to speeches, rallies in London etc. If your event is really that weak that it can't take some comment I would suggest you examine what you are doing.

Published: April 23, 2013 12:55 by Likes a party

"a party in London by another name is not a "fight back against oppression."

With the level of apathy in this country right now a party is just about the only way we are going to get some people on the streets. Look at the Thatcher funeral protests, the only events that got even half decent numbers were those that promised a party. Real political protest and action is the lowest in this country I have ever seen.

Published: April 23, 2013 15:20 by sigh

A pompous fool who posts two comments at once to make it appear that someone agrees with them. Look at the comment times!

I say good luck to Stop the G8. Why not give the hornet's nest a good hard kick whilst you dance past? Politics and revolution shouldn't always have to be a grey lifeless drudge - take Emma's motto "If I can't dance, its not my revolution". Dour puritans who frown on anything fun or enjoyable just end up alienating anyone with enthusiasm and energy.

Published: April 23, 2013 15:34 by Someone else

"A pompous fool who posts two comments at once to make it appear that someone agrees with them. Look at the comment times!"

So because two people happen to post at a time close to each other they are the same person ? One of the current problems with Notts indymedia is the slagging off of people with alternative viewpoints.

Grow up

Published: April 23, 2013 16:11 by sigh

"One of the current problems with Notts indymedia is the slagging off of people with alternative viewpoints."

Agreed, here is some evidence from this very thread.

Pointless
Published: April 23, 2013 08:15 by Innocent bystander

Top Gear ?
Published: April 23, 2013 08:17 by Richard Hammond

and then:

Re: 'here we go again'
Published: April 23, 2013 09:54 by Not in any way bored

Realism
Published: April 23, 2013 09:59 by bored with you

and then:

Hit the nail on the head
Published: April 23, 2013 12:51 by Not in any way bored

Party
Published: April 23, 2013 12:55 by Likes a party

Each and every one of these posts was slagging off people with alternative viewpoints. The t-word is used far too often and its important that criticism and debate are openly aired, but that doesn't mean someone should be allowed to hijack a thread unopposed.

Published: April 23, 2013 17:05 by Probably part of the great deception in some eyes

I think you are probably reading more into the posts above than is there. I know a lot of people who no longer attend events of the type proposed here because they share the views of some of the commentators who have posted.

I think it's important not to start seeing things that do not exist.

Without a shadow of doubt governments have set up or infiltrated groups and then used those groups to suck the life out of campaigns and reduce enthusiasm. Look at CND in the 1980's. A group that started to get strong with a number of direct actions that caused enormous problems to the UK and US military, that scumbag Peter gained ever more influence until direct action stopped and they 'joined the political debate" Some of them (surprise, surprise) went to be MP's !
More recently SHAC was for a while probably the most effective direct action group ever seen in the AR scene and yet with one infiltrator years of work ruined, the reputation of the group shattered and now its nothing.

Don't under estimate how far governments are prepared to go.

Published: April 23, 2013 18:09 by sigh

I don't want to underestimate the pernicious influence of the state. What's important, though, is that we continue to organise despite infiltration. When you say years of hard work destroyed, how much of that was due to state activity and how much due to our own paranoia going into overdrive? How much has been destroyed or rendered ineffective due to infighting and distrust?

There's a big difference between claiming that an organisation is infiltrated and claiming that it is set up and run by the state as a way of crushing dissent. Supposing that a group which has open meetings to organise major protests would be a target for undercovers is only realistic, and should be taken into account by all involved. However, its important not to extrapolate too far and tar by association all those who openly organise against the state.

Published: April 24, 2013 08:52 by .

You are very naive. Infiltration of major campaigns and groups is endemic in Britain

Published: April 24, 2013 10:35 by sigh

Why don't you read comments before replying to them?

As I said, it would be naive to assume that above ground organisations which are explicitly anti-state would not be infiltrated. It would be stupid and counter productive to extrapolate from this that those organisations are run by the state. What evidence do you have for that?

Most of the tragedy of Mark stone/Kennedy was the destruction he left behind. Many long-time campaigners were distraught and dropped out of struggles, even people who never knew him and weren't directly affected. The result was a depleted and weakened environmental movement which has yet to recover. You may think that you are being realistic or wise or whatever. In my eyes what you are actually doing is reproducing a meme which is hugely beneficial to the state and destructive to revolutionary social movements.
"There's no point because the state will always win."

Kinda similar to Maggie's "there is no alternative," its only true as long as people believe it. Power structures are a combination of reality and confidence trick - yes, there are undercover cops, but no, they are not omnipotent. The best favour we can pay those in power is to believe that they are in control.

Published: April 24, 2013 10:54 by .

I assume from your style of writing you are young and somewhat politicly inexperienced, once you have been active for a little longer you will find your views will change. This is a far more complex issue than you realise.

Published: April 24, 2013 12:29 by sigh

And don't make assumptions. I've been involved in politics for years and I've experienced infiltration first hand. I've also had plenty of conversations like this and I'm sick of them.

You're attitude speaks volumes about the situation we're in. Rather than trying to encourage resistance you are trying to suppress it, doing the dirty work of the state. If you've nothing positive to contribute then say nothing and get out of the way. If you want to debate, deal with the content of my posts rather than posting ad hominem attacks and assuming an attitude of superiority.

Published: April 24, 2013 13:57 by @

The negative poster reminds me of the Despair Squid from Red Dwarf (apologies for geeky reference):
http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/database/index.cfm?section=gelfs&entry=despairsquid

Published: April 25, 2013 07:29 by Ghost

In defence of the above poster your writing does have a certain quality that suggests you are young and have limited political experience. The quality of political thought is generally of quite a high standard here and you are probably a victim of that in some ways.

May I suggest you do some reading of titles and papers that can help aid you in political thought and perhaps that may help.

http://ptx.sagepub.com/
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Political_Theory_Project/
http://www.politicaltheory.info/

Best wishes

Published: April 25, 2013 09:01 by sigh

"The quality of political thought is generally of quite a high standard here"

Jog on.

Like I said, if you take issue with the content of a post debate it, don't use ad hominem attacks to try and belittle people.