~ G20 protesters strike at London\u2019s heart, Paola Totaro, The Age<\/em>, April 2, 2009<\/p>\n Paola Totaro is the London-based Europe correspondent for The Age<\/em> and The Sydney Morning Herald<\/em>. In this capacity, Totaro recently authored a series of articles on the G20 Summit in London:<\/p>\n Not unexpectedly, Totaro’s writing assumes the attributes and perspectives of her presumed readership. To be precise, the liberal middle class: “Compared to the Herald Sun<\/em>, The Age<\/a><\/em> attracts 72,000 more AB readers across Mon-Fri, 163,000 more AB readers on Saturday, and 75,000 more on Sunday.” (See also<\/em>: December 2008 Circulation and Readership [PDF<\/a>].)<\/p>\n Thus “[i]n eastern and central Europe” there were “years of boom in the wake of the fall of the Iron Curtain”, while “Protesters are using Twitter, the fast, mobile-phone based social networking tool, to stay ahead of police”. Like Ian Bone’s decision to wear “a well-cut dark overcoat, [a] scarf tied nattily at the neck, [and] an elegant gold ring”, the ability of ‘protesters’ to utilise technology is — apparently — remarkable.<\/p>\n In December, Totaro described ‘YouTube, Facebook fan fallout over slain Greek teen’<\/a> (Sydney Morning Herald<\/em>, December 12, 2008). According to Fairfax’s Europe correspondent — and contrary to the mountains of evidence to the contrary; remarked upon for at least the last decade or more — anarchist and other troublemakers only discovered teh Intertubes when Facebook and YouTube did. Mind you, Paola also<\/em> writes “In Turkey, 12 [sic<\/em>] protesters were reported to have painted the Greek consulate in the same colour red used on the Turkish flag”; alternatively, in the colour of blood. Which has, like, symbolic resonance?<\/p>\n As for G20, while Totaro believes police were extremely patient, never aggressive, and employed violence only when themselves subject to assault, the death of Ian Tomlinson and, moreover, the existence of video footage which demonstrates that he was the subject of an unprovoked assault, renders her account slightly silly; a product of privilege, not experience. That she should then proceed to blame protesters for pissing on the streets<\/a> when, in reality, access to public toilets was denied them by police, further suggests that Totaro is not only naive, but genuinely ignorant of police tactics; tactics which, largely as a result of Ian’s death at the hands of an extremely patient police action, are now subject to rather widespread criticism.<\/p>\n On dealing with the police tactic of kettling in particular, see<\/em> ‘FITwatch suggestions for dealing with public order policing on G20 protests’<\/a>, FITWatch, March 29, 2009; the Earth First! Guide to Public Order Situations<\/a><\/em> is also useful, as is the following doc: UK Riot Police 2009<\/a>. “The British police public order tactics manual is a secret document establishing a paramilitary third force in the UK, under the control of a private company ACPO with permission from the home office…” The series of articles Why the police riot?<\/a> (January 17–March 22, 2009) is also available on Indymedia UK.<\/p>\n Finally, Musab Younis has been busy ‘Correcting the media narrative of the G20 protests on April 1, 2009’<\/a> (April 6, 2009) @ Ceasefire<\/em> zine, while some other foreign-sounding quack — ‘janos’? hmpf! — has compiled a lovely series of photographic imgs of the protests: chapter 1: the anarchists are coming!<\/a> | chapter 2 part 1: storm the banks?<\/a> | chapter 2 part 2: a tale of kettles, and death<\/a> | chapter 3: police work<\/a>.<\/p>\n ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::<\/p>\n The Met police treated the demonstrators as criminals, corralling thousands in socalled “kettles” of containment for several hours. They were also reliably reported to snarl: “Now for the fun” while putting on riot gear. A witness saw three coppers smash a man against scaffolding and beat him with truncheons. When he escaped, a riot officer chased him shouting: “Do you want a piece of this, huh, do you want to come and get some?” ~ Act Quick to tame the police<\/a>, Paul Routledge, Daily Mirror<\/em>, April 10, 2009<\/p>\n Today was a pretty shameful day for the Metropolitan Police. During a peaceful static demonstration at Climate Camp in Bishopsgate, Metropolitan riot police stormed through the barricades without warning and unprovoked. They batonned unarmed protesters who were holding up their hands and chanting “Peace not Riot” in a show of non-violence. Many were knocked to the ground and numerous individuals injured in this disgraceful act of brutality.<\/p>\n These protesters, who were exercising their democratic right to demonstrate, were then barricaded into the street unable to leave until around 11.30pm. ~ G20 Climate Camp ‘Riot Police’<\/a>, woo-war, flickr, April 1, 2009<\/p>\nBritish police prepare for summer of rage<\/a>, March 28, 2009
\nLeaked UK crisis plan meets with scorn<\/a>, March 30, 2009
\nBritish police arrest five over G20 protests<\/a>, March 31, 2009
\nSarkozy threatens to snub summit<\/a>, April 1, 2009
\nAngry anarchists ready for day of London mayhem<\/a>, April 2, 2009
\nG20 protesters strike at London’s heart<\/a>, April 2, 2009
\nLack of La Bruni fails to Rein on parade<\/a>, April 2, 2009
\nG20 agree to $US1 trillion global cash injection<\/a>, April 3, 2009
\nObama steals show in London<\/a>, April 3, 2009
\n‘Family photo’ gets the thumbs up as nature calls<\/a>, April 3, 2009
\nG20 sign biggest deal of all<\/a>, April 4, 2009<\/ul>\nI was a part of the G20 protest in the peaceful Climate Camp, and we were rushed by police, and beaten despite having our hands in the air chanting ‘this is not a riot’, I was brutally assaulted for NO reason, knocked out and was taken to hospital via ambulance just for sitting on the floor. People there were hurt for NO reason and so was poor Ian. ~ littletreepixi<\/a>, YouTube, April 10, 2009<\/ul>\n