Mohican_Mayday

After reading about the planned events and the many reasons to protest, I decided to lend my weight to the demonstrations. More than anything, I went to watch, not to witness any crimes or acts of terrorism, but to see a peaceful demonstration. I expected a party atmosphere, not a state of emergency. The police were everywhere, intimidating by their sheer presence and numbers, let alone the riot gear and horses.

Luckily, I managed to miss getting trapped in Oxford Circus. A friend and I had arrived there at 2pm, by way of the World Bank and a demonstration for the abolishment of Third World Debt. As the main demonstration was a couple of hours off, we took the chance to have a toilet break and a quick pint. No hardcore anarcho terrorist am I, just a man showing his concern about our increasingly corporate world. Trying to exercise my right to free speech and peaceful demonstration. Both rights denied to me in the police state that was central London on Mayday.

Mayday was supposed to be an anti-capitalist demonstration, but it raised so many more issues. This country is supposed to be a democracy, yet if you wish to express views against the establishment, or support alternative action, you are branded a criminal. Is it any wonder that so many people cannot be bothered to vote? Are we really heading for a one party state?

Due to all the one sided reports concerning Mayday in the media, Sparky wrote this letter which appeared in the NME (19 May 2001).