may day protest

[edensdestiny]

i would like to get involved with the may day protest, where do you meet up and what can i do to help?

[Greenbhoy]

What are your reasons for wanting to "get involved" in the May Day protest?

[corganiser]

Are you protesting against May Day itself? Would you prefer to call it April 31st?

[Quizmonster]

As it is invariably hijacked by cretins - intent on violence and clashing with the police - the best thing you can do to help is stay away.

[londondave]

just go to the nearest muckdonalds and chuck a brick through the window

[WaldoMcFroog]

If the only people who turn up are the cretins who thrown bricks through McDonald's windows, the genuine political purpose behind the protests will be lost! Enough people believe it's simply an excuse to behave like a yob as it is.

It is, however, a matter for your own conscience. If you feel you genuninely want to make your feelings known, then put 'Mayday Protests' into Google - quite a few sites turn up.

[jake-the-peg]

Careful there Waldo this probably a new MI5 agent on a probationary assignment.

I think they may have let standards slip though if research is being conducted through Answer Bank :c)

[edensdestiny]

my reasons for getting involved is because i am angry about living in a capitalist society where we are used as slaves to make the rich, richer. i am against a society in which everything around us is, is created to give opportunities to an elitist few while oppressing everybody else.

[Zen]

You mean a bit like Communism was?

[mike1222]

Don't go spending your "hard earned" benefits payout on anythimng like this!!

[sweetchariot]

I find it strange that the protesting is anti-capitalist rather than pro-something. Surely if there was a better option than capitalism, you'd all be pro-the alternative.

I think perhaps you need to think it through a bit more before protesting against it.

[WaldoMcFroog]

"I find it strange that the protesting is anti-capitalist rather than pro-something. Surely if there was a better option than capitalism, you'd all be pro-the alternative."

Anti-Capitalist protesters typically come from a variety of philosophical and political backgrounds (not often Tory, surprisingly) and it is widely acknowleged to be one of the great strenghts of the movement. It makes it difficult to discredit, since participants have no single achilles heal. Many of the protesters will have have extremely detailed notions of how capitalism should be replaced, others may not but have specific beefs with the current system.

Therefore, 'anti-capitalist' is a best fit title.

"I think perhaps you need to think it through a bit more before protesting against it." 

I think perhaps you need to understand how the anti-capitalist movement works before criticising it. ;-)

 

[Philtaz]

I'm always intrigued as to those who wish to demonstrate against living in a capitalist society never seem prepared to take the final step of actually leaving that society!

If you aspire to such deeply held beliefs, why not have the courage of your convictions and do just that?

[WaldoMcFroog]

Sorry to become the unnofficial spokesperson for the anti-capitalists...

"I'm always intrigued as to those who wish to demonstrate against living in a capitalist society never seem prepared to take the final step of actually leaving that society!

If you aspire to such deeply held beliefs, why not have the courage of your convictions and do just that?"

'John' works for a living, buys things in shops, pays his taxes, might even have a mortgage. John believes that it is fundamentally wrong that the first world nations will not cancel the debts of the third world and believes the policies of the World Bank vis a vis aid payments to poor countires in return for allowing trade concessions to rich western countries is morally bankrupt and fundamentally wrong. He might well wish to protest against this practice. He therefore falls under the banner of 'anti-capitalist protestor'.

Are you saying he can't have that view and still use shops, pay taxes etc etc? Is that not a rather simplistic view?

[Philtaz]

No Waldo, I'm just amazed when the great unwashed descend on London and hijack the parade.  Trashing McDonald's and spraying graffiti on the Cenotaph may be somone's idea of a 'protest'.

If you protest about it that much why not leave the fold of democracy that affords you the right to 'protest' in such a manner?

The recent failed case of the two May Day protesters who tried to get compensation from the Met is a case in point.  The female left her chid with a childminder in order to 'protest'.  If it is a supposedly peaceful event, why not take your children with you?  I'll tell you why.  It's because everyone knows that the annual May Day parade has become a free for all for thugs and anarchists to damage property and confront and attack the Police, nothing more.  I believe the judge in his decision reflected the view of most decent law abiding citizens who now know what the May Day parade has become i.e. an excuse for a riot.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Because democracy is not capitalism, maybe?

[Greenbhoy]

Did you find a protest on May Day then?