79
towards the police line, a 20-strong
group of masked protectors suddenly
start running full pelt towards the
police line! The feeling is extremely
intense and my stomach knots up
with tension. There’s some shouting
and several Policemen draw their
batons and begin lashing out at the
charging protestors, trying desperately
to contain this powerful overflow of
people, gushing through them like a
river running its course.
There’s a stagnant feeling in the
centre of the square, because protests
are supposed to be moving, not
stationary and restricted on all sides
as this one is. The police presence is
overwhelming and a feeling of tension
is building all around the edges of
where they’re positioned as they stand
with batons drawn on every corner.
The Police are clearly provoking
peaceful protestors by playing the
game of ‘Separate and Control’. Why
can’t they just leave us alone and let
us legally protest instead of provoking
us into anger with them by splitting
us up and pushing us around? With
no way to go anywhere else, I swim
around for a while in the giant human
fish-bowl. Now, I’m in an area with
someone singing behind me. I wander
over to find Billy Bragg singing fiercely
through a small PA system powered
by a bicycle:
“So come now brothers and
sisters for the struggle carries on, the
internationale unites the world in song,
so comrades come rally, for this is
the time and place, the internationale
unites the human race, let no-one build
walls to divide us, walls of hatred or
walls of stone. Come greet the dawn
and stand beside us, we’ll live together
or we’ll die alone”.
Just as these words ring out in
my ears, an almighty wave of cheers
and screams rise from the depths
of the crowd, I run eagerly towards
its source to find that the Police
are attempting to split us up again.
This time towards the Royal Bank
avantoure
|
homo ludens
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