Split at the g20
Today’s is a split entry. First, the media, second the protesters.
Albi the journalist
Sky, CNN, the guardian, the times, italian television.
These are some (and I’m sure there are probably more, but these are the ones I know about) of the guilty parties. Guilty of oversexing a story, of sensationalising a protest to sell papers, to attract readers, to scare and worry or to advance whatever agenda they may have.
There were incidents at the protests, of course. But one person was injured and 26 were arrested by sundown – there is probably a higher bodycount on a normal day in London. This was no Genova G8. Thankfully.
Pictures of the RBS window being smashed tell a long tale. One person smashing windows, 12 taking pictures. A member of our team was there to see it happen – she said at best, five were taking part in the “looting” – not exactly a black block brigade. See her pictures here, and more from Andrew Otto here.
No-one specifies that the policeman covered in red had been hit by a red-tainted water balloon. Another policeman actually did get bloodied, but the pictures just aren’t as shocking.
Few mention there were street parties and spontaneous discos.
No-one published pictures of a 4 year old, sitting on his father’s arm while enjoying the music and the sun.
I saw the flares go off. Nothing happened there, the most anti-climactic of fireworks. I saw the police hat being tossed – there was a single one. This was not anarchy let loose, nor was it the Evening Standard’s headline of “Violence sweeps City on Obama’s big day”
Yes, there were incidents, and some violence, but the media have blown this far out of proportion. Some of the more cynical out there won’t be surprised, and neither am I, but this is the first time I’ve seen it first hand, and I am furious.
Furious that the truth I saw, people will not believe in because they read a different version in the papers.
Albi the protester
the more peaceful side of me is somewhat pleased that violence is no longer being used to make a point. However, I’ve come to realise this is for the wrong reasons.
Yes, no-one should get their heads bashed in, and the police shouldnt have to fear for their lives and limbs, but seriously? This was a street party without the drugs. I’ve been more scared at gigs. “It’s like a concert without the beer” said a friend of mine.
As much as I may oppose violence in general, this was ridiculous. So a few thousand people had a street party in bank? Great. Which of the g20 leaders is going to give a damn?
The V for Vendetta-t shirt-wearing “anarchists” will go back home, or to a tent, on sunday, have a few pints and think “wow, we really made fuck all of a difference”.
Chaos is what we need. Debilitation. Judo teaches it is better to incapacitate an opponent than to kill him, and this applies.
Don’t beat anyone to death. Don’t go out there and have a fucking picnic outside the Bank of England, crushing the flowers you so claim to love you self-absorbed environmentalist.
Action is what is required. Proper, debilitating action. Gordon Brown’s and the government’s greed and cronyism repossessed your home?
Tonight, we bunk at n.10 Downing street. Hey Gordon, nice desk, I’m sleeping on it till you find me a roof to sleep under.
Is capitalism, greed, the crisis, environmentalism, anything, not being discussed in the House of Commons? Occupy parliament.
Hey Jaqui, are you taking expenses out for porn movies and a second home, like I cant (thank you Charlie Brooker)? Great, I’ll be staying on your doorstep now, and watching those pornos to keep me warm on the lonely nights.
We have to make these politicians realise we are still here, not merely blobs on a screen. Don’t kill them, but be a thorn in their side.
Invade the Bank of England, pull the plugs on the mayor’s office, slash their car tyres, doesn’t matter how big or trivial – make them living with you HELL until they come down from their ivory towers, see eye to eye and set things straight. And clean up after yourself.
There is one image from the protest that is perfect to explain the current state of affairs. A man, dressed in black, face concealed, bent down in front of me, in the crowd, to load a slingshot. He never fired it.
A Bridge 
Nice blog, gay-wad.
OH? So what did you do during the protests then? Did you create chaos? What a hypocritical pseudo-revolutionary douchebag.
I covered it. I was there as a journalist, not as a protester, as my choice method of “inciting change” is reporting on it. That’s why the journalism part came first.
The point I’m trying to make is, if you choose a certain method to bring change, to garner attention, to make people listen to you, Try your hardest. I don’t think the people who chose to protest were quite that bothered…
I love che’s comment, its so stereotypical its brilliant, anger, big words and no explanation…
ANyway I couldnt agree more with your press side of the article. People need to realise that the press is little more than another business and their job is to sell, to be read and to gain advertising. That means posting whats interesting over whats important, it means posting what people want to hear over whats true and not researching things throughly enough because they know their audience want to hear this or that spin and dont want to hear the other side of the story. Journalists have political, economical and personal agendas and as it is impossible to tell a story without bias journalists have stopped even trying and too often present only one side of even mask information. Then some government official, diplomat, pressure group or other paper might bput pressure on them to retract their comments and they will on page 16 of the paper 2 weeks later; by this time the ‘news’ they have reported on their front page is to all intents and purposes the truth in a george orwellian ministry of truth way. thus people still refer today to events which have been categorically proven as false reporting see the jenin holocaust for one. This is what leads forbes to list a great number of journalists who are menat to be reporting news as the most powerful people on earth.
What the press says is not the truth and it should be held to account for their work.