DV selfish?

Thu Jul 1 08:46:15 BST 2010

Selfish? On the contrary.  Brian demonstrates  and says  that individuals  (and a group like DV) should be using the Square.I had a conversation with him when he said to me  "You could be out here (the Square)  demonstrating."  That's what democracy is all about- everyone's right to use the Square. 
   James 

To: diggers350 at yahoogroups.com
From: tony at cultureshop.org.uk
Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2010 00:24:22 +0100
Subject: Re: [diggers350] Why did Democracy Village declare war on  Brian Haw?

The Democracy Village disorganisers made one of the most selfish
decisions in recent protest history by deciding to place their camp on
Parliament Square. 

They could have chosen just about anywhere, not necessarily even in
London, but decided to 'piggy back' their campaign on to Brian's. It
shows a triple inability 1, to think creatively,  2, to throw light
on an interesting place (say a dodgy funded far right think tank such as
Policy Exchange) which would throw light on how democracy is being eroded
and 3, a total disregard for Brian's immense efforts and
committment.

That misguided and stupid decision was akin to squatters breaking into an
existing squat and insisting it is their squat. Just plain parasitic and
part of the problem not the solution. Bringing the entire movement into
disrepute.

How was the decision made to locate 'Democracy Village' on Parliament
Square therefore messing everything up for Brian?

Tony

At 19:21 30/06/2010, you wrote:

Definitely some provocateurs in the mix but surely not in the direction
specified? Maybe from the accusers or maybe from others who like the idea
of a fight within the movement. Maybe it is a sign of our progress.
Anyhow, difficult to know the truth, obviously lots of smoke and mirrors
and people caught in the secret crossfire. People imv should spend real
time with Brian, Barbara, Charity and Maria, and then decide where they
are coming from. And probably Tony too.

Mark

On 30 June 2010 12:02, Tony Gosling
<tony at cultureshop.org.uk
> wrote:

Why did Democracy Village queer his pitch ... and declare war on
Brian Haw?
Good riddance. 

Peace protesters ordered out of Parliament Square – but Haw can stay
By Andy McSmith

Wednesday, 30 June 2010

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/peace-protesters--ordered-out-of-parliament-square-ndash-but-haw-can-stay-2014040.html

Democracy Village, as it is called, has attracted backing from
campaigners for free speech, but Mr Justice Griffith Williams ruled that
it is a health hazard and disrupts the right of others not involved in
the protest to have access to the green in Parliament Square, London. He
delayed the order to clear the camp until 4pm on Friday, to give the
protesters time to apply to a Court of Appeal to intervene. 

The order does not affect the right of London's best known protester,
Brian Haw, to continue the lone vigil he has conducted on the pavement in
Parliament Square for nearly 10 years. 

But Mr Haw does face the risk of having an injunction served on him
if he trespasses on to the grass without the London Mayor's permission.
However, he can stay on the pavement because legislation introduced to
remove him was not brought in retrospectively and a judge has previously
ruled it would be illegal to force him out.

Mr Haw had been sleeping on the grass because of his health.

One of the revelations of the nine-day court hearing was the intense
ill feeling and mutual suspicion between different groups squatting in
Parliament Square. There are two warring camps – there is Mr Haw and his
immediate neighbour, Barbara Tucker, who has been camped alongside him
since 2005, and there is Democracy Village, spread over the adjoining
lawn.

Not all the occupants of Democracy Village are peace protesters. Some
are taking stands against genocide or for the environment, though
Afghanistan appears to be the main focus of protest.

In one raucous interlude in the court hearing, a defendant named
Charity Sweet, who is allied to Mr Haw and Ms Tucker, applied to have the
proceedings stopped on the grounds that the founder of Democracy Village,
Maria Gallastegui, is a government agent tasked with creating a
provocation to give the authorities a pretext to evict Mr Haw from his
pitch. "The application was patently absurd. She adduced no evidence
that Ms Gallastegui may have been an agent provocateur," Justice
Williams said in yesterday's judgement.

Rebecca Hall, a student at London's South Bank University, headed the
list of defendants in the case. She joined Democracy Village on 1 May.
She told the judge that it is not a protest but an assembly of people
"in which ideas are discussed". Meetings are held twice daily,
meals are communal, tasks like cooking and picking litter are shared out,
there is a welcome desk for visitors, and relations with police are
good.

But Simon Grinter, head of facilities for the Greater London
Assembly, complained that flower beds had been trampled, part of the lawn
had been dug up to plant an oak tree, flowers and vegetables, there was a
makeshift shower with no drainage, and a urinal consisting of a foul
smelling bale of hay. He reckoned the damage came to around £50,000.

In his findings, the judge added that: "There is also evidence
that the Democracy Village is acting as a magnet for attracting the
homeless who are taking advantage of the lack of control and there is
heavy drinking."

Some protesters appeared ready to back up and leave before the court
imposed deadline expires. But others vowed to stay and resist police
attempts to move them. 

+44 (0)7786 952037
http://tonygosling.blip.tv/ 

http://www.thisweek.org.uk/ 
http://www.911forum.org.uk/ 
"Capitalism is institutionalised bribery."
_________________
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www.elementary.org.uk 

www.public-interest.co.uk 

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http://utangente.free.fr/2003/media2003.pdf 
"The maintenance of secrets acts like a psychic poison which
alienates the possessor from the community" Carl Jung 

https://217.72.179.7/members/www.bilderberg.org/phpBB2/

-- 

"We hear men speaking for us of new laws strong and sweet /Yet is
there no man speaketh as we speak in the street.” 

+44 (0)7786 952037

http://tonygosling.blip.tv/ 

http://www.thisweek.org.uk/ 

http://www.911forum.org.uk/ 

"Capitalism is institutionalised bribery."

_________________

www.abolishwar.org.uk 

www.elementary.org.uk 

www.public-interest.co.uk 

www.radio4all.net/index.php/series/Bristol+Broadband+Co-operative

http://utangente.free.fr/2003/media2003.pdf 

"The maintenance of secrets acts like a psychic poison which
alienates the possessor from the community" Carl Jung 

https://217.72.179.7/members/www.bilderberg.org/phpBB2/

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