Have collected together, here, a selection of accounts, reports and emails,
on peoples lifestyle experiences.
They give some idea of of what it's like for them .....
Re:BBC: Police break up illegal rave (Mutant Dance)
Here's a note on the party in Bristol on saturday night, a bit boring perhaps but I'm trying to be complete. Here are the events of the night as I saw and remember them.
I arrived at at the party at approx. 2.00am, having spent the day at the festival. There were two systems running underneath the A38 flyover, with about 300 people dancing, wondering around or sitting around a fire. Directly above the systems, parked on the flyover, were a number of police vans and cars, (when I left I counted nine vans and two cars). The police at this time were just waiting, some of them blocking the stairways onto the flyover, most of them just watching from the flyover balcony and refusing to reply to any attempts to make contact with the people below. Later a group of about 20 police gathered roughly 100 yards away towards the river, kitting up with helmets and shields. Up to this point I witnessed no violence or vandalism of any sort amongst the partyers. The crowd was internally very friendly, but I felt a slightly edgy atmosphere develop, and some people did take the piss out of the assembled police – no response. The Noise Pollution crew (the nearer system to where the police were preparing), playing acid techno, were keeping an eye on things and eventually requested that people form a ring around the system, stand together and otherwise behave in a peaceful but resolute manner. Some negotiation may have taken place, because at this stage the last record had been played, although the other system, (playing drum and bass) continued. The ring duly formed around the system, but not the two generators. These were situated directly below the flyover balcony, behind the vans and system. Earlier, I watched the police identify these from the flyover balcony as one of their objectives. Eventually the police moved towards the system at a jogging pace, heading towards the undefended generators, (from where I watched events unfold; other groups of police may also have moved in at this stage, but I couldn’t see from where I was). Roughly 15 of the police had shields, a few others ran ahead, along side and behind. There was a scramble of party-goers around the side of the system to reach and defend the unguarded generators. One policeman managed to unplug one of the generators and then retreated as perhaps 30-50 people flooded into the space by one of the system trailers and the generators. Around 10 people jumped on top of the larger of the generators to prevent its confiscation; shortly they began to complain that it was rather a hot thing to be sitting on, and someone manged to ease their situation by turning the thing off. As this was occuring, the police with shields moved into the crowd and started to push people, some of them against the van, and asked the crowd to move back. For perhaps 20-30 people there was nowhere to move back to and we pushed back. Most of the sheilded police applied pressure more or less evenly, but two of them, nearest the trailer, seemed to become agitated, and repeatedly beat foreward members of the crowd with their shields. One of these was thrown back into the crowd, beaten down and then dragged through the shield-wall. These two shield police had their lower faces covered and would not respond to requests for some kind of identification. Also at this stage a group of police appeared to try to get the doors of the trailer open. A man trying to stop this was thrown aginst the side of the trailer repeatedly, and when sufficiently subdued was dragged away. Cries of "you need a warrant" were shouted and this group of police backed off. All of these events were filmed from behind the shield wall by at least two police using hand-held video recorders. A stand-off developed; the pressure from the shield wall continued, though things calmed down a little. Some partyers, upset, voiced their complaints about the police behavior, some insulted the police, but calls for calm were made from within the crowd. I think one more man was grabbed from the front of the crowd during this time. This continued for some 10-15 minutes. Eventually the crowd began to sing "Happy Birthday", appropriate for the occasion, and I think proving that the crowds’ intent was not violent. At this stage the shield wall began to recede, giving people a little breathing space. Eventually the police moved all the way back to their starting point some 100yards away. As dawn began to break the police held back, although for some time they appeared to be preparing for another foray from their assembly point. Some people began to leave, but most moved over to the other system to continue the party and discuss events. I didn’t see what happened to the other system, although when I left at about 4.30am the music was still playing, and a ring of metal railings had been erected right around the system and dancing area.
My [his!] story..
...I was stood behind the speakers, aware that a line of brightly shiney cops were advancing for a second time on the left flank of the party, ravers were moving to counter this. Then out of the blue what seemed like 20odd blacked out piggies injected themselves into the small space behind the decks and started pilling in, I saw them charge in an endless stream bringing dogs in the final lines. I moved away shitting bricks because 1) a friend of mine was mixing at the time of the attack a looked like he was first in the firing line and 2) I had his bag containing his gubbins which I didn't want to get caught with.
I moved out towards freedom, cursing the very sun that was rising in front of me. Then turning, forgetting the contents of my bag I went back for a closer look. Where the soundsystem was, was now a ring of beasties, most with balaclavas on underneath their riot shielding. Surrounding them was a ring of ravers, I think even though the piggies had armour, dogs, sticks ulimited resources and no numbers on their sleeves they were a bit scared (I am not surprised after what they hed just done). I got close enough to hear the breaking of glass and the crunch of wood and metal. I thought they were ripping everything to bits.
I went to sit by a tree, close enough but far away to skin up and reflect. The police all scarpered, leaving the pieces of the party they had just wrecked for the distraught to pick up. That is what I saw and remember, I am still very shook up.
These people have no respect for humanity and will not know the concequences of their actions on their valuable police force army thing. I myself managed to stay SAFE at that do, but I know people who had no choice but to be on the front line.
As newage travellers and ravers, we may face the same opression as jews, blacks and gays and have to fight the ame timeless battles. But how can we fight when hammered on substances unknown and faced with such an evil force. I'm gibbering now sorry, I'm still upset. The party was just geting cooking. Sectioned, I think that record you played with the throbbing boom blah, upset them a bit.
genXmk113
Bristol Evening Post want witnesses of Police Action on Mutant Dance part
this is from a reporter on Bristol Evening Post ... they can't write anything unless people tell them what happened. If you were there, *please* contact them ..
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I'm Sarah Feeley, a reporter on the Bristol Evening Post (the one who interviewed Penelope Pitstop). My telephone number is 0117 934 3336. I can call you straight back to save your phone bill. I need to hear as soon as possible from eyewitnesses who saw the clash between music fans and police at the event in Bristol last weekend. I've read your comments with great interest, but I need names and more details before I can print. Legally, our newspaper is on very very dodgy ground quoting people anonymously, especially with an 'alleged police brutality' story. But if people come forward and are prepared to tell me their name and their experiences, I can put together a body of evidence in a news story (within the law) and the police will be asked to comment publically on it. The sad fact is, unless more of you like Penelope Pitstop are brave enough to come forward and be identified, I can't write the story which you all are complaining has not yet been published. We don't make these rules, but if we don't stick to them, we'd get sued and so would you. Help me help you. Speed is of the essence. I can be reached on 0117 934 3336 until 5pm, and then my colleagues will be on 0117 934 3331 until 11pm.
Re:Mutant Dance Free Party (Saturday 20th Jul, 2002)
More info required by new persons collecting info Call Ben 01179514129 or Kebelle Cafe they are after info on violence witnessed and injuries sustained to help other victims of the police brutality. Please help if you know anyone who was there or got injured please pass on these numbers.
Also we still need photos or video of what happened please pass on to me Matthew 01380 860994 home or 07977657469 mobile (doesnt take answer messages) home does take answer messages.
I am collecting all photos and video and going to edit together to show to news media and others. If you need a copy to help fight your case contact me. Also on tape is BBC Bristol report on the incident which shows Mike (the chef) who had a broken hand and Seyonide Simon with bruise marks on his back and legs.
We need to keep moving on this to stop the police getting away with it.
A good idea is to write a letter of complaint. The police were bragging that nobody had complained to them abou the nights activities. Just wait I say... those complaints are in the post! Dont be worried about complaining, I have done it before now and won my complaint. If you need advice on complaints procedures from me feel free to call.
Matthew Williams (lighting for Animators and Noise Pollution) email: truthseekers@ntlworld.com
Bristol party attack - 'official complainants' needed
from DirtyCircus
Having been at the party Sat 20th, "Cumberland Beirut", a number of my "co-conspirators" (eh!!!!!)& I have been trying to find out who was arrested, what for and details. So far only two have come forward out of the five. We need all of you. It seems that the only people entitled to view the police video footage are those arrested, and only if it is to be used as evidence. We need to check this out in more detail so if you have reliable sources of legal information, or are a lawyer etc. etc. please help us out with your knowledge! You will not be implicated or identified any more than you wish, but we really need your account of the brutal heavy handed attack the police instigated. We have been speaking to a "duty inspector" who informed us that the only way anything will be investigated, is for an official complaint/complaints, (the more the better!), to be made. Therefore, anyone and everyone present that night, please send an official complaint to:-
Chief Constable, Steve Pilkington, Avon & Somerset Constabulary, P.O. box 37 (are they scared of us knowing where they live?????!) Valley Rd. Portishead, BS20 8QJ also if you could send a copy to the following in case the rednecks club (ouch) together:- Police Complaints Authority, 10, Great George St. London, SW1P 3AE
Also... could you help re this query???! To my knowledge, a white cross on a green square means "first aid"??? but it seems that training in, erm how can I say this, "healing" isn't exclusive to dishing out the damage in the first place!!!! We are currently in touch with a large amount of the media bbc htv and the local and national papers. They are genuinely very interested in our side of the story but, without really good damning evidence of the police[thugs] hitting kicking headbutting us, then their [media] hands are tied. However they are still going to possibly run with more coverage at the next significant date[can't divulge when at this time,keep your ear to the ground]. However, if anybody has photos, moving or still, of Saturday, can we please see them because they may be bright enough for the newspapers to use, or might have better more accurate or detailed imagery... (it just takes one good snapshot)
Above all don't let it stop you partying, (as if), stick together... stay fluffy but firm... No violence, but no silence!!! Defence not attack... Protect yourselves! Take camera/ dictophone, helmet, padding, motoX mask, womble suit, first aid kits (anaesthetic!!!!!)etc. etc. etc.... DISARM but DON'T HARM!
Please contact Nicky, (cosnic), telephone/text 07775838549 or email Jon.E ... moonbasemaya@orange.net
Mutant Dance party - yet another story
another story from DirtyCircus:
This is what I saw: (thanks to Battie BTW
The police planned the violence completely. They lined up guys with torches on the flyover overlooking the crowd. Then underneath the flyover the riot squad moved in. They grabbed one person from the front of the crowd and dragged him behind their line and started to beat him up. The crowd went mad and started shouting and some even pushing the police line of riot shields. They were angry at what was being shown to them by the police. This was a deliberate tactic by the police, because then the torch lights on the flyover went on and this event was surely filmed by the police from upstairs to show that the crowd were rowdy. However after the lights went off the guy was no longer beaten up and was cuffed and taken away.
This shows how low the police are. The crowd werent being violent so they had to spark it off! This is one of the things I am going to mention in my complaint. The other involved the use of cameras and video to stop the police hitting extra people indiscriminately. The use of cameras and video helped stop a lot more people getting hurt. These sly pigs were very aware not to be caught on camera hitting people, however some of it was caught. Thats why we need more photos of bad stuff if we can get it, to prove how much there was going on from the police towards the crowd.
The whole thing could have been avoided totally by a couple of coppers giving a deadline for the system being turned off. The organisers were quite prepared to comply...
I saw the police letting people in to the rave minutes up to the time they actually went in with the heavy riot squad. One riot pig said just before they went in "It doesnt matter if you turn the system off, we are going to get you anyway".
When we asked the normal coppers if they wanted the system turned off they said "No we are packing up and going now", which wasnt true because 10 mins later the riot squad came in full force. So what exactly were the organisers and party people meant to do, fucking mind read? There was a major breakdown in communication from the police to us, and that needs to be mentioned. It didnt take 50, 60 or 70 officers to stop that party. 3 could have done it easily and with no agression needed!
Mutant Dance party - still more stories
by Bob Pilchard
Yep, I was there that night, at said free party. The police were there (about 10 - 15) of them from the very beggining, and I tried to hood wink myself that they were there `for our own good` and there purely to keep an eye on proceedings `cos of ..er..the Ashton court festie that had just finished for that night. No such luck. I think that most places can be costrued as `silly` places to hold parties. I`m not sure if local residents could here the music that night (if so, I`m sure they prefer the sound of the busy traffic on the road on which the `illegal rave` was held under..), but it was a bit stoopid to light a fire underneath. So more police turned up and were generally not helpful with our queries, loitered furtivelly and looked mean. One of them refused to tell me the time. We took lots of photos, as they appeared to get more and more on top, shining powerfull flood lights on people from the road above, etc. I don`t think that they liked the idea that all these free thinking anarchist types were having a laugh just around the corner from the local police equestrian and dog handling centre. Also, someone managed to sneakily place some scaffolding against the side of the fly-over and climb up and - just in time - steal a riot shield, which naturally sent everyone bonkers with mirth, teehee. Ten minutes later or so it was returned, good humouredly. Maybe. As mentioned, and to cut a long story short, the riot police turned up in force at 5ish that morning and trashed the fucking place, damaging and/ or stealing equipment, frightening, hurting and generally attacking anyone and everyone who tried to rescue friends or belongings. They were trying out what looked like horrible U.S. style mini social contol experiments, attacking here and there, retreating, huddling into funny formations,etc, etc. The most distressing point for me was when they fought their way to the decks (as music was still playing) and started trashing everything. I`ll never forget the sound of baton on vinyl... So how draconian are they going to get? It`s like something from the middle ages. Why don`t they go and catch some criminals? I`ve never experienced such blatant violence on behalf of the police at a free party before - sending in thugs to snap records, honestly. I think it`s really duff, but I shall certainly make the effort to go to future parties - with a better camera this time - if I feel that I want to enjoy myself with me mates. Fuck the 2008 `City of Culture` bid - free parties are part of our culture and yet (again) it`s exactly what the authorities want to stamp out (quite literally!) The last thing that i want is to be zapped with negative energy by the police or end up in nasty confrontations, but I refuse to be intimidated like this, by jumped up bully boys employed by the law.
Police Attack on Mutant Dance party - more accounts
taken from bristol indymedia-
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A free party was viciously attacked last weekend by over 50 riot cops. Partygoers arrived just after midnight at the site in Cumberland Basin, near Ashton court. Two soundsystems started up soon afterwards, as more people arrived from all directions to join the dance and have a laugh together. At that time there was a minimal police presence and no sign of trouble. All this changed with the arrival of a police helicopter and around a dozen riot vans shortly before 2 o’clock. The partygoers just got on with partying, but it soon became clear that the police, tooling up in riot gear, were preparing to come in. The word went out from the sound systems that the police were intending to seize sound equipment and stop the party. What happened next was totally inspiring. People surrounded the crews and their systems, some linking arms, to protect them, and to resist police attempts to close the party down. As the riot cops moved in a big defiant shout went up and people got solid. There was no order to disperse or discussion of the law. The cops were there simply to mete out a bit of traditional British Justice, and when asked to think it through for themselves and not to start unnecessary conflict, gave no response. There were blank expressions at the question "where’s the muggers, officer?". Most wore masks to cover their faces and no numbers, to ensure no comeback. Scuffles broke out as people stood their ground in the face of attack, and by determined resistance and force of numbers, forced the cops to beat a retreat. One sound system turned off, but another kept going for 4 hours until around 6 o’clock in the morning, when the police returned complete with police dogs in force. Again they stormed in with no warning, to baton charge people whose only "crime" was wanting to dance together without being ripped of by profiteering clubs or corporate culture vultures, and organising for themselves. Crime against the state? Apparently yes. Police boots and batons closed the party down at sunrise in an operation that any fascist dictator would be proud of. There were six arrests and many injured. Predictably enough the Evening Pest spouted out the police version of events under the headline "Officers hurt in rave attack". But people are not going to let media lies or police intimidation tactics and violence go unchallenged, and nor will it stop the free parties.
There will be legal action against Avon and Somerset Constabulary and benefit gigs for sound equipment trashed or confiscated by the police. Anyone arrested or assaulted on the night please contact us. You could have a good case against the police and we can you put you in touch with good solicitors. We also need witnesses for those arrested and assaulted. Any camera/video footage will be very important. It is worth jamming up the police complaints authority, and this will help those suing the police to have a better case. Let’s make them pay. Stay solid, and carry on partying.
Contacts : 07810601703 0117 9514129
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Account by woman beaten up by cops at free party by unstoppable 7:44pm Mon Jul 22 '02 disruptive@dangerous-minds.com Police violence against free party - an account from a woman on the receiving end of "public order policing"
Account from woman beaten up by police at the free party on 21st July
Got to party around 1:30 –2am. Walked from Coronation Road to Hotwells under the motorway. On arrival seen police on top of motorway but as they were at a distance I did not pay much attention to them. As the day had been very chilled and relaxed at Ashton court I decided to totally enjoy myself and went straight to the sound system for a dance. Shortly after arriving at the party someone said the police were going to come and take the sound system. I stayed dancing and didn’t see any police so I presumed the party was allowed to go ahead. Very pleasant evening. Nice people. Nice music. No trouble. As it was getting bright word had it that the sound system was going to be taken. I didn’t pay much attention again as rumours had been going around all night. Then all of a sudden they were everywhere. I was standing behind the system. A police man came up and told me to get out of the way. I ignored him and stayed standing where I was. He pushed me and I fell to the ground. Then two of them began hitting me on the legs with their batons. This made me extremely angry. Even though my legs were aching I stood back up with the rest of the crowd. At this point I was quite loudly saying stuff like " You can’t make me stop dancing", and just dancing while the police began to retreat. They backed away down to one corner of the park which the motorway runs over. At this point I thought they would just leave it but they didn’t. Instead they charged at the crowd. I don’t remember much apart from being knocked to the ground and repeatedly hit on my calves, thighs, stomach and chest. As I was at the front of the crowd I did not see what happened to other people, but I do remember standing up and seeing a girl near me on the ground getting the same treatment. I was in shock at this stage so I wasn’t paying much attention to what the police were doing after this. My feelings about the incident are not good. I do not think I posed any threat and definitely did not deserve the beating I got from fully equipped riot policemen. I am eight and a half stone and it should not take three heavy weight policemen to control me. If I was doing wrong why didn’t they bundle me into a police van and place me under arrest. As far as I could see they were determined to give people a beating. They were not civil and they weren’t doing what we pay them to do, which is supposedly to protect us from danger.
Response to Evening Pest misreporting of police attack on free party. by LynneColes 3:06pm Tue Jul 23 '02
The Evening Pest was told what to say about it by the police. Here's another version.
A response to the lies of the Evening Post in the article of Monday 22nd July ; "Officers hurt in rave attack" (page 3). This was sent to the evening Pest. Let’s see if they print it! We encourage others who were there at the free party to write and hassle the Evening Post about their journalistic standards (?) :
I was disgusted to read such a biased and distorted account of events, whilst still recovering myself from such a horrific display of police brutality. There was an attack and that was by the police, dressed in full riot gear, armed with batons and shields, on a group of unarmed young people as they were dancing. If the police wanted to end the ‘illegal rave’, they had the perfect opportunity to do so without violence or confrontation at the beginning of the evening. Police officers were present when the two vans containing the sound equipment arrived on site, before partygoers had arrived. So why was no action taken then? There were only two small sound systems and there is no residential housing in the area. How could holding a party under a motorway flyover cause a public nuisance? Police have let parties go ahead at this site on previous occasions. No attempt was made to end the party peaceably. Despite continuous police presence throughout the night there was no communication with the crowd, no warning of what offence was being committed or of what action would be taken. Around twelve riot vans parked on the flyover overhead. One individual approached the police and was told that the owners of the equipment would not be allowed to pack up and leave, that they were going to go in and confiscate the equipment. Police Inspector Mike Anderson is quoted as saying that "it was clear a rave at this location would put a risk of harm to those attending...’ I fail to see what possible risk there was in dancing under a motorway flyover on a piece of recreation ground with a bunch of friends.
How can a supposed "risk of harm" justify police baton charging a group of unarmed, unsuspecting youngsters, thereby turning a "risk" into a bloody certainty? When people are attacked by officers in riot gear, bashed around the head, chest, legs, and arms with batons, trampled to the ground….should we be surprised if some try to defend themselves and their mates? There are worse offences than wanting to carry on partying after the successful Ashton Court festival. While the police spent the evening beating up young kids, I wonder how many other violent crimes were being committed.
Mutant Dance party - another story
Right then Dancing by the rig when I notice about 15 riot police walking up. Carry on dancing and the next thing I know I'm getting pushed and hit on the back of my head. Turn round to be confronted by a copper with full body armour faces covered up to their eyes and riot shields. Everyone starts to hurl abuse at them and some push and shove ensues with me in the front line and my face either being pushed or hit buy their shields. Then see people including a friend getting grabbed by the police manage to drag some back into the crowed (Guess it might have been u Batties) but my friend gets set apon get a few good punches to the head and a headbut for good measure. I don't actually see him get dragged off as the police start to force the issue and get the generator. Incidently the poor bloke spent 2 hours handcuffed in the van, followed by another 18 hours in the station, to be eventually charged with Violent Misconduct and Possesion, According to the police he was running at them whilst kicking and punching???
Later just as the suns coming up they set up this huge floodlight and you here the dogs barking and about 20? riot police with dogs come over to join the party. Basically from this moment on it all goes fucking crazy The police try to smash the sound system (Which they manage partially) whilst everyone tries to stop them, I'm a bit more sober now and as such I'm holding back The Pigs have not idea what they are doing and they eventually just turn it into a brawl, Loads of people getting kickings and a few getting arrested.
That's my story
Greg
Mutant Dance - official Police version
Police arrest five at illegal rave in Bristol 11:37 - 21/07/2002 Police received complaints from members of the public that in excess of 300 people had gathered on parkland under the A370 Brunel Way, near to the Cumberland system in Bristol, at about 11.45pm on Saturday July 20 2002.
They had a substantial amount of stereo equipment and two generators with them and were intent on holding an illegal rave.
It was clear that a rave at the location would pose a significant risk of harm to those attending, and disruption to the local community. The decision was therefore made to use powers under Section 63 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994 to bring the event to a close.
District officers, supported by the dog section and support group officers moved onto the site at about 5.30am on Sunday July 21 2002, wearing protective equipment.
Despite encountering violent resistance, they succeeded in seizing the generators and sufficient amounts of equipment to bring the event to a conclusion.
A total of five arrests were made for offences including conspiracy to commit a public nuisance, violent disorder and public order offences.
Two officers received minor injuries.
For safety reasons the A370 was partly closed while the operation was carried out, ending at about 6am when the revellers dispersed.
Police Attack on Mutant Dance party - another account
OK Here goes, our big bus arrived at about 1:30am at the party. We parked in the Mega Bowl because there was already a van parked on the bridge. We walked over to the party and basically started having fun, as you do at parties. Myself and a couple of mates wanted out ti the grassy bit to the left of the party, where a large gathering of police were staring down at us from the bridge. Peolpe had already started saying that this party was going to stopped. A few more vans arrived and a long line of police had lioned themselves on the bridge looking down.A few police had wandered down to the party and it seemed that they were just chatting to a few people, obviously about the fact that it was "illegal blah blah" This went on for a about 45 minutes to an hour.Then out of nowhere a long line of police descended down to the grass patch adjacest to the party and stood in a line, kitted out in full riot gear, what the fuck!!!!!One of the sound systems quickly packed up and I have to say fair play because I have never seen a system packed up so quick, well done. Verbal abuse insued against the police and poeple were going head to head with the police asking them why they were dressed up like a fucking sas swat team, was Bin Laden here, or maybe Sadam??, highly unlikely Ithought just a few hundred people enjoying themselves. People then started sitting down right infront of the police and I joined in this protest, surly they wouldnt just trample all over us.....It was then that the whole line of police simultaniously got there batons out and started tapping their shields, people started dancing, because it sounded quite tribal!! That was then out of the blue the advanced kicking and whacking people everywhere, I was kicked and hit on the arm and I kicked out in defence and they tried to drag mke behind the line I was luckily dragged back by some peeps, thanks for that , but not before sustaining nasty cuts up my arms. people were running back form this onslaught, people were throwin bottles and stones and I dont blame them. We were then told to get around another system, I think the tossers before another wave of police on the right flank burst in smashing equipment, people, anything they could get their hands on, this also include dogs, what the fuck! It had started to get light by now and the police had erected a bloody great spot light on the bridge, derrr it was light!! The police then retreated to the back end by the railway tracks and stood in a line there for ages, they had nicked some speakers and left them by a van, myself and a couple of peeps managed to nick em back and take them back to where they belonged. My friend was taking pictures of the coppers right up close and one of them smacked him in the face and split his ear right open, this caused more bottles and rocks to be trown, it was general mayhem. Then they suddenly all just piled in there vans and fucked off leaving people battered bruised and generally stunned at the brutal force the police had taken. What I find astounding is that there have been 4-5 parties there in the last 4 months and the only police presence has been a lonely cop car coming down in the MORNING to say be gone by midday etc!! I do have other accounts that I saw but I hope this is a start. I am pretty damn sure fuck all will happen but the police I'm sure know they were OTT but will they admit it, surly!!!!!!!!!!!
Bristol Evening Post : ILLEGAL RAVERS CRITICISE POLICE
Revellers at an illegal rave in Bristol have accused the police of heavy-handed tatics.
Officers dressed in riot gear confronted 500 people at an illegal party on parkland under the A370 Brunel Way near the Cumberland Basin.
Some of the dance music fans say they suffered injuries during the confrontation.
But a spokesman for Avon and Somerset Const says it was an illegal event and officers were met with 'Violent Resistance' when they intervened.
Gemma Worth aged 21 from Winterbourne said
'I was hit in the face and my nose was bleeding. I also suffered bruises on my elbows, arms and wrists.
I accept I was at an illegal rave, but my friends and I didnt go there to cause trouble, we went there because we like techno music and we like to dance'
Greg Hart 25 from Glos road said
'Some people at the party were being verbally abusive, but I didnt see any physical violence from them'
The rave started at 11.30pmon Saturday night and ended when the police broke it up at 5.30am the next day.
A police spokesman said the officer arrived 4 housr before they broke up the rave.
5 People were arrested for offences including conspiricy to commit a public nuisance, violent disorder and public offences.
Avon and Somerset Const spokesman Paul Breakwell said
'Police who attended were faced with a violent situation, police were injured and people were arrested. Despite encountering violent resistance, the officers succeeded in seizing the generators and sufficient amounts of equipment to bring the event to a conclusion.
'We have received no formal complaints'
Spaces I'm watching ...... !!
http://tash_lodge.blogspot.com/2002_07_21_tash_lodge_archive.html#79308743
hi tash i'm in siberia!! Just got the train from moscow to irkutsk. It took
four days but had a comfy compartment with my girlfriend and time shot past. Staying
with a siberian family and then off to lake baikal tommorow. There are some cracking
vehicles here and i'm jealous, better than my old merc van.
see ya
bruce
dear tash showed a few folks your site. The computers sometimes were so sloooow
that it would take me an hour just to read a few emails!! It makes me realise
how spoilt i am with access to fast processors. Though they were fascinated in
mongolia that there were yurts in britain although they were a little disabelieving
as well which was quite funny. I'm now in bangkok, after spending a week in china
which was excellent although incredibly in your face. It takes a bit of time,
(although i am quite used to it anyway!!), to get used to people shouting and
pointing and falling over laughing at you as white faces are pretty rare in some
places especially out of the tourist season. off to ko samet tommorow. little
island south of bangkok for some heat and chilling if you see what i mean. Its
going to be nice to do the beach thing for a bit and actually stay in one place
for longer than a week.
ta ta the noo
bruce
I have some foggy memories but none that could really be translated into a story....Oh yeah there was that time when I spent ages stumbling around looking for something to eat. Oh, and the time when I walked into a tree. Oh yeah, and then the time I got lost in my tent, it was so funny......
27th June 2002 A small, independent party manifested off of Cinnamon Lane on Tuesday. A small sound system from hackney and a few other vehicles had arrived earlier in the day and had been told by Police that there should be no problem in having a little party there until the next day. The Police also spoke to the farmer, who agreed to move his cows.
Around 30 vehicles had arrived by nightfall, with a good fire kindling up, and a huge orange moon slowly rising into the sky. A Magikal night.
A lovely event had happened, a wonderful little buzz was in the air, and people were content to not push it, why would we need to, this was all we ever wanted!
The next day, Police came on and said that we would have to move by 4.00pm, they were quite friendly, and there was no tension. By 3.00 all the sound gear was packed away and people were in general, enjoying the last hour or so of a successful little Glastonbury FREE FESTIVAL. Although by this time the Police were starting to feel a little intimidating, as around 40 were gathering and very publicly were putting on semi riot suits. People had starting gathering with the police with the general questioning of "isn't this a bit over the top?' However everything was calm and people were starting to leave.
Several groups of people were litter picking, the inevitable festy dog pack still running around and the remainder of people packing up, and moving out. The truck however, that we were in wouldn't start, and also had two peoples' sound systems, and a lot of instruments. A fellow came over and very kindly offered a jump-start, his vehicle also turned out to contain a sound system, and instruments. Although they hadn't been out of his van, and none of us had actually ever met. We were by now the last vehicles to leave, and the time was 4.03, WAHAY we thought, no problems, and a bit of apparent cooperation; but we should have known better!
It would have been too good to be true. A Police van was "parked" at the mouth of the road which all the others had went up, and a Policeman directed us along to the right where we drove for a short bit, until we reached another cop van and had to stop. Police came up to the drivers side, and told the lady driving to get out, informing her she was under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to create a public nuisance (right wing nutters can start dribbling now) both trucks, and all the equipment were seized, and both drivers and myself, had also been "quick cuffed" and physically carried into the van, were all on the same charge.
Off to the cells at the Bath and West Showground we went, where we were processed and locked up for nine hours, and released at around half one, All of us on Police bail for five weeks. The vehicles were returned but all sound equipment still seized, even though most of it had never been outside the vehicles.
Is this deliberate provocation? This approach is inflammatory and never works.
Still, a very special little festival, wonderful memories. And it just goes to
show what can be done!
Craig McFarlane
Despite the best efforts of the cops backed up with roadblocks and the trusty
old Criminal Justice and Public Order Act (1994), free parties just won't go away.
Usually low key attracting a few hundred with no one taking much notice, over
the past few months some have become festival size. The problem of trying to put
on anything (ask the Welsh Green Gathering lot, SchNEWS 354) is you've got to
jump through a million licensing hoops, or like Glastonbury forced to work with
corporate cock suckers like Mean Fiddler.
Take Stonehenge where for the past few summers people have tried to sort out a
festival afterwards - last year the MoD pulled out at the last minute, this year
there were rumours that farmers who were up for renting their land were warned
off by the cops. So instead of free festivals being at least a bit planned, and
stuff like provision of toilets and wood for fires, it becomes a game of cat and
mouse with the cops, with the result that parties end up on sites that aren't
always suited. One local complained to SchNEWS about the festival in Steart over
the Jubilee weekend "Over ten thousand of you arrived at a nature reserve
and birdlife sanctuary - at the height of the wading birds nesting season. For
three days, you terrorised the local inhabitants, and destroyed the nests and
the fledglings." Guilfin responded "The site wasn't the one chosen,
confusion abounded, a few rigs took to the previously used beach, then everybody
else followed. It's not on to use somewhere like that, but if you're not aware
of its sensitivity, and the police are chasing down convoys, then it's not surprising
someone made a snap decision to take the site. What we need is places to party
safely and responsibly. Dancing shouldn't be an outlaw activity."
So beyond the roadblocks the parties continue. Here's one report from someone
outside The Great Wall of Glasto plc: "Several thousand people in a field,
dancing to underground music from sound systems to live bands, taking whatever
drugs they want as the party continues 24 hours a day, and making new connections
outside capitalism's reign of terror. Sound idyllic? This was the scene at Smeatharpe,
a former airbase some twenty miles from Glastonbury last weekend. Worlds apart?
Well actually maybe not. Smeatharpe should be the ideal spot for a free party.
It's in the middle of nowhere. The neighbouring farmer had no problem with the
party as long as people showed him the basic respect of not using the fences for
firewood (it's lambing season at the moment) or trashing his crops. Not so tricky
really, but that, unfortunately, is what happened, as well as kids burning a car
left behind 10 years ago and sending a smoke signal of filth over the surrounding
countryside.
Free parties and festivals are great cos they rely on the people there to sort
out everything themselves - there's no gap between organisers who sort out infrastructure
and the punters. Everyone's on the same vibe - in theory. No one will look after
your land for you, toilets and bins won't be provided. So it's best to take a
shovel (or even a trowel if you're hitching), clear your rubbish and take it with
you, and if there are people who don't know the score, let them benefit from your
experience. Free events are a great opportunity for our culture to make the connections
between free space and the environment we live in. Let's create the world we want
to live in - all of us, together."
Even before a single activist turned up to the Mayday demonstrations in central London, the event could have been hailed a massive success for the anti-capitalist movement.
For once, the incessant capitalism which exudes from every Oxford Street orifice, was forced to shut up. Road closed. The epicentre of the capital's consumer culture boarded up.
Down Berwick Street a line of glazier vans waited like undertakers in a western full of gunfighters, measuring up the windows, lurking in the shadows waiting for the shots to be fired.
When we arrived on Oxford Street the police had already corralled over a thousand activists on the crossroads of Regent Street and Oxford Street with a now familiar tactic.
Having been corralled and held for over four hours on Euston concourse by a ring of riot police at the N30 demo in 1999, I was constantly looking not to be caught out again.
Standing in a packed crowd surrounded by truncheon-jabbing riot police ain't funny.........At Euston in '99, 250 of us had been kept standing for over fours hours on end with snatch squads periodically dashing into the middle of the penned in people. When we were finally released everyone had their photograph taken and their pockets searched.
They repeated the tactic at last year's Mayday events in central London. Throughout this year's Mayday event it was evident their strategy was to manoeuvre as many of these activist corrals as possible. Earlier that morning they'd succeeded in surrounding 300 critical mass cyclists and a samba band by Euston station. They kept them standing for three hours in the rain, many only wearing light cycling clothes. Once again they were processed one by one under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. This Act gives the police the right to ask an activist to remove any headscarves etc and the right to search the individual for 'weapons'. It does not give them the right to ask your name or date of birth although the police still ask for them hoping the activist won't know their rights. As each activist was searched, a police cameraman photographed their face. I leaned in to listen to a Superintendent at Euston Station answer off-mic questions from a mainstream journalist: "Well you can see the point of the our action," he puffed pointing at the cold and wet cyclists as they were released one at a time. "Three hours ago they were 350 cyclists together, now look at them." The journalists laughed.
If there was any doubt about the threat to squash peaceful protest with draconian policing this was it. They don't come more non-violent than Critical Mass cyclists.
To the police this was one of the many victories they were evidently hoping to stage-manage today. Corralling the first thousand or so activists to arrive on Oxford Street was another of their battle successes but it was the last one they were due to have that day.
From there on in their composure broke and their attempts at street manoeuvres constantly fell apart as they haplessly chased thousands of other demonstrators through the streets immediately to the north and south of Oxford Street. These large collections of activists never stopped in any one place for long and this proved to be one of the secrets of the activists' success for the rest of the day. Keep moving and never give the police the opportunity to swing their corral-pincer movements into place. Squares and crossroads are no good anymore. We are too easily hemmed in by this now familiar police manoeuvre. Enough protestors have finally learned the hard way how not to be caught in a corral.
Instead a snaking movement of around 2000 activists, with around 25 foam padded 'Wombles' at or near the front, weaved their way through the network of streets around Oxford Street. Up Great Portland Street, into Cavendish Square, down New bond Street, along Maddox Street....always moving..........suddenly turning left then right....a couple of thousand activists on the move and unstoppable. The police desperately chased after the crowd unable to organise anything to check its momentum. At one point this surging column of activists came back onto Oxford Street and marched up to the police lines holding the other activists in a corral.
The ring was heavily fortified with vans, riot cops and mounted police and not easily breakable So the crowd stood, chanted and whistled......a formidable cacophony bouncing off buildings and boarded up shops on either side.
Squads of riot police went steaming in a few times truncheon-flailing but the crowd stood firm, demanding the release of the penned in protestors. Then from behind us came other lines of riot police manoeuvering themselves to block off escape roots. The over two thousand strong crowd were in danger of being corralled themselves.........if the police had succeeded with this particular manoeuvre they would have won the day's battle outright and have four thousand protestors imprisoned.
However, just as the police were closing their grip, the crowd seemed to sense the manoeuvre en masse and swept down an unblocked side alley. When the police pincer fully closed there was no one left in it. The protestors then swept through Soho, Cambridge Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue with riot police hopelessly trying to predict where the giant amoeba might go next and, despite the two police helicopters hanging constantly overhead, failing spectacularly. It was the subject of some mirth to see riot cops put loads of huff puff energy into blocking roads which the protestors had not intention of going down and then watch their blockade collapse awkwardly as irate motorists began berating them for standing in the road..
Despite the huge number of officers and their 'corral and hold' strategy, the Met singularly failed in its attempts to suffocate the demonstration. The vast amounts of money and time spent on the pre-event demonisation was also shown to be spectacularly alarmist and grossly inaccurate. Their supposed pre-event intelligence that groups of activists would be carrying samurai swords was amongst the ludicrous scare-mongering in the run up..........a number of women on the early morning critical mass cycle ride brought plastic samurai swords to wave at cops.
In a preposterous effort to spread fear amongst the residents of London, the Met police also delivered dire warnings to residents' houses. I spoke to one female Islington resident who was advised by police to travel to work in casual clothes on Mayday because, as the Met police informed her, if she wore work clothes she would risk being attacked by activists.
The Met will probably claim their heavy policing of the event meant there was no violence or property damage but as two thousand people swept through the West End, successfully evading all attempts to block their progress, there was plenty of opportunity. However, property damage was remarkably minimal. And, except for a small skirmish up Tottenham Court Road right at the end of the evening which lasted ten minutes and inevitably made the TV news, shop windows remained in tact, street fixtures remained unmolested and the grossly predicted ultra-violence conspicuously failed to materialise in any way. It was truly inspiring to see so many different folk at the protest, turning up despite the best efforts of the police to dissuade people from attending. Young and old, able bodied and wheelchair-bound.
And, with respect to the mind-numbing afternoon spent by the activists caught in the corral (who were kept standing in the cold rain for seven hours) the demonstration was without a doubt a monumental success for the anti-capitalist movement: - Seamus
And the lessons we learned.......
.....Keep moving ........Stay unpredictable ............Watch yer backs for pincer movements
May 31-June 5 2002: Steart Beach, Somerset : Over ten thousand people gatheredfor the biggest impromptu free festival-rave since the Criminal Justice Act kiboshed the scene. Matt Smith was there to witness the mass gathering of the sound system tribes and sent this despatch back to SQUALL
A massive free festival sprang up over the Jubilee weekend in the shadow of a West Country nuclear power station, the like of which has not been seen for a decade. Not only was it the 50th anniversary of the Queens coronation; it was also the 10th anniversary of the Castlemorton Free Festival.
Back then some 10,000 people united on a common near Malvern, in a massive celebration of dance culture's power for over a week; fuelled by the music of traveller sound systems like Spiral Tribe, Bedlam, Circus Warp and DIY. The event's huge popularity gave the then Conservative Government just the excuse it was looking for to conjure into existence one of the biggest nails in the coffin of freedom this country has ever seen, the infamous and reviled 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.
This time around it was to be the turn of Steart Beach, near Bridgwater, Somerset to play host to over twenty sound systems; and anywhere between ten and fifteen thousand people, if you believe the Western Daily Press. Originally billed as the "Feeling of Life" festival, the hype had been growing for months. Rumours flew of a group of land owners wanting to provide a selection of sites, some of the original Spiral DJ line up putting together a rig especially for the occasion, a purpose built Europe wide word of mouth network for publicity, a special team of Chinese interpreters to decode all the whispers. In the end all it took was for a great idea to catch the public imagination, with nobody really certain of the venue until the last minute.
In a distinct contrast to the BBC's pre-Jubilee proclamation that the Queen wished the nation to go out and celebrate her coronation; the police operation to stop the event stretched across the country. Major surveillance was launched along the M5, the M50 towards Malvern, and the A46 in Gloucestershire. By lunchtime an estimated 1000 people at Michael Woods services on the M5 were being harassed by hovering helicopters and riot police. Smaller satellite parties that sprung up later that afternoon near Abergavenny in Wales, and on Minchinhampton Common near Stroud were busted early on, with the loss of three sound systems in a spate of state sponsored theft.
There have been reports of parties being busted in the North as far up as Halifax. Only on Dartmoor, near Okehampton, Devon, it seems, were people allowed to go about their business unmolested. One of the most worrying developments over the weekend was the use of special rave riot police; identifiable by the small fluorescent green acid smiley face stickers positioned on either side of their ID numbers on the back of their helmets. A Police spokeswoman interviewed by the Big Issue on this very subject has mysteriously tried to deny that this was the case, putting it down to "coincidence". But just check out the pictures.
By late Saturday afternoon Steart had become the popular solution to a choice of venue. With at least ten rigs up and running on the beach, Police raced to close access to the area, blocking each of the four access roads, causing a huge pile up of traffic in the remote country roads. For a while, even the Bridgwater turn-off at junction 23 on the M5, some 15 miles away, was blocked to the public. At one roadblock the congestion became so great, that a senior officer had to be dropped off by helicopter in order to resolve the situation, and finally grant access to the festival as dusk fell. The direct consequence of this late decision was to cause chaos on site, as festival-goers tried to negotiate the severely rutted and rough access roads. Many vehicles sustained damage, turned over or became stuck in the soft ground due to the lack of visibility.
By Sunday morning the site had reached gridlock along the four-mile beach and common, but the atmosphere was one of jubilation. There was a live punk stage, a couple of dub systems, and just about every genre of dance music from disco to gabba. There were so many rigs that some people didn't even bother to set up. There were people present from Brighton, London, Scotland, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leeds; from just about every region of the United Kingdom. There were French people, Italians, Dutch; an amazingly cosmopolitan assortment for an isolated Somerset backwater.
Who knows how many people might have attended, were it not for the sustained campaign of intimidation. Surely this is one of the questions that must be asked, for when so many people take the decision to pursue an objective, in direct opposition to the letter of the law, it must cast doubt on the validity of the legislation put in place to oppose their point of view.
In a mighty contrast to the no pay, no play festivals currently being foisted on the great British public by unscrupulous and mercenary councils and promoters, the beer was only a quid a can, £1.50 if you were unlucky. Food was about £2.00 a plate. There was no entrance fee, the event being open to all. The performers did a fantastic job and did not demand the equivalent of an annual national minimum wage for a one off couple of hours work. The usual private armies of petty crims masquerading as security were just not necessary, and there were children playing everywhere in unsupervised safety as proof. Everybody who had the foresight, ingenuity and necessary work ethic to make themselves some money actually got paid, on time, and got to keep it. This is in distinct contrast to recent pay festivals such as the Bristol Essential Festival where angry and ripped off punters are currently demanding an investigation of the event by Trading Standards.
As ever the festival benefited from the organic nature of its formation, no playlists, no headline acts, no performer/punter segregation; just people coming together to create an atmosphere and entertainment with their very presence. Trouble is, that kind of thing is difficult to turn into a product and sell.
Perhaps the only downside to the event was the spaced-out idiot who took to torching any damaged car found to be vulnerable. As usual it has been reported that there were used needles everywhere, but that will always be the case as long as mainstream media need to sell copy to a readership used to having their prejudices pandered to. There were a number of people; especially the group of crusties using an empty pushchair as a mobile shop; however, who resorted to selling rocks. Openly offering pebbles collected from the beach for sale. Conscious of the high profile nature of this event, quite a few vehicle number plates were covered by their occupants and this too provoked some problems; with quite a few undercover police caught trying to uncover and record the hidden data.
This was not the first time that Steart Beach has provided a venue to events of this sort. It has been used as a harmless, out of the way party venue for years, and in 1995 provided a last ditch venue to thousands of people who turned up at Smeatharpe, a nearby abandoned airfield, for a free festival called 'The Mother'; held to celebrate the first year of opposition to the CJA. On that occasion roads for a twelve-mile radius were blocked around the airfield, and Steart again provided refuge. On that occasion festival-goers were road-blocked onto site for nearly a week along with rigs like Immersion, Sunnyside and DIY, under a four mile exclusion zone manned by Police, and Army personnel.
Since rave exploded into the public domain some 15 years ago, dance music has been used to implement legislation designed to outlaw any real freedom of association and many other civil liberties. Surveillance of society on every level has expanded, with a massive network of CCTV implemented, face recognition software developed, compulsory DNA profiling and record keeping on arrest, digital communication and financial transaction monitoring, and effective peaceful protest virtually reduced to Police discretion. The latest development in this trend are proposals to force telecom and internet companies to reveal all content and location details of phone and internet communication to a whole gamut of Govt agencies without the need for a court order. This means that for a start, that every mobile phone will become a personal tracking device.
It is now pretty much impossible to travel, communicate or trade without somebody having access to the information, and society is constantly required to take it for granted that our state is a benevolent one. Choiceless conformity and enforced dependency are fast becoming prerequisites for full access to society, while the murky threat of terrorism is being used to all but shut down any real right to privacy or anonymity. Politicians are even grooming our children for the future acceptance of compulsory ID cards via schemes like "age" cards.
Free party rave and festival culture challenges this. Events like this break with the need for marketing and advertising, they do not need to be sold to their punters to be successful, and this makes them truly democratic. They have no employer/employee structure, and every single person setting out to attend this event made a political decision and voted with their feet. In the end authority will seek to apportion blame, to identify the "criminals", so the fines can be meted out, and justice served; but the beauty of events like this are that they are really a product of raw demand, and it is the lawmakers themselves who are guilty of foisting their prejudices and hidden agendas on a population sold the false belief that a vote actually makes a difference.
Mainstream festivals are forced to buy into a state licensed protection operation to acquire licences. Councils have to be paid off, police bills paid, private security companies taken on. When most punters are already forking out a hefty wedge from their annual income in the form of Council tax and the annual Police bill payments; it seems a bit rich for organisers to pass on these costs in the form of inflated entrance fees, effectively forcing punters into paying their bills twice for the privilege of indulging in their entertainment of choice, and making the promoters a massive profit in the process.
Just go see Glastonbury. For years it has benefited from the thousands of people who get in for nothing. The event pays for itself, all the traders benefit from increase trade, it raises massive amounts for charity, and brings a vast amount of money into the South West's coffers. Yet this year it is being punished for its previously altruistic entrance policy. The existence of one of the UK's foremost cultural events is now being threatened by the same councillors that have been paid off by the event for years. "Overcrowding" apparently threatens safety, yet its safety record over the years speaks for itself, with the "overcrowding" unchecked. It is not possible to guarantee public safety on the streets of most major cities on an average Saturday night, let alone at in a temporary tent city of entertainment and diversity built to house a transient population of thousands. The event has become a victim of the power of its own popularity and success. But then again perhaps it is the prospect of 250,000 fully televised people choosing to openly consume illegal drugs, drink to excess and generally have it large for a weekend once a year; is at odds with the national image desired by our Govt's PR machine. Who can tell?
The original Castlemorton offered a lifeline to a massive community that openly rejected mainstream hypocritical authority, a glimmer of a means of funding their lifestyle choices. For years the authorities had been trying to shut down the traveller/festival lifestyle and since the Battle of the Beanfield massacre had fairly well managed to instil fear into anyone making those kind of decisions. Then along came rave and offered that culture a whole new means of empowerment and thus survival.
At the same time a whole new industry was born, and after the CJA was passed, assimilation became the keyword. Knowing that a people's need to party could not be compromised, authority took a leaf out the Roman Empire's book, and brought rave in-house, clubbing came of age, and everybody was happy because the wedge was once again heading in the right direction. Into Govt coffers and tricky dicky business peoples bank accounts, instead of the pockets of ordinary, decent, hard working folk. Then back came the free festival to illuminate the lie.
Finally, there is one post festival story that has come to light concerning the home of a long time and well-known member of the Bristol free party crew Mutant Dance. Having spent all weekend at the festival this individual returned home to find his flat ransacked and all his computer equipment vanished; including a database of some 12,000 names and phone numbers compiled over the years from their text messaging service.
Let the big shout go out to everybody who risked life, limb, property and freedom
to celebrate that which is right and bright.
Matt Smith
An estimated 22,500 celebrated a night vigil at Stonehenge from 8PM on 20th June 2002 until 7AM on the 21st June, and had a jolly time, even though dense high cloud ensured the sun was not seen to rise!
I thought that the crowd were more relaxed than before, and I thought this as soon as I arrived and saw that people were not rushing in at the opening but trickling in at a leisurely pace through the night and building to the maximum at around dawn.
Nevertheless I saw that there still was a level of the emotional contestation that we are aware from the anarchists and free festivalcampaigners who express themselves on the newsgroup on the internet. At the stones this expresses itself in a prolonged occupation of the Stones by the sort of young people who identify with "the people" although of course this rhetoric disguises the fact that they are just one particular group of people, who by occupying the stones in this way, are denying them to some other groups of people.
English Heritage stewards did very little to prevent people climbing on the Stones but this is for them the main area of anxiety. Not only are the Stones subject to damage, so is the lichen, which takes a long time to grow. There is a serious safety issue, if just one of those carousing on a stone was to fall off, injuring a person or perhaps a small child underneath. Not the very worst but the most immediate problem is that English Heritage come under flak from critics who say they do not understand how English Heritage can allow people to behave, basically with such disrespect, or perhaps thoughtlessness. Resolving this is again, no easy matter. But if the contestation can be reduced, by such measures as providing a legal music gathering for the contestors to go to, I think the climbing will also be controlled.
The attempts to create activities outside the stones featured two solid fuel braziers South of the Stones, which at least provided some refuge for those who were cold, and at least one singalong session. The Hare Krishna people set up on a high part of the bank near the Hele stone and kept a crowd going with their music. The Kings Drummers were authorised to move their dancers drummers and torches in a cordon around the site, and close to dawn they advanced to the Hele stone. Shamus Joy held a poetry corner.
It is a view expressed by others as well as myself, that the level of confrontation is slowly diminishing and the level of celebration is slowly increasing. But there will be a great deal of discussion about the future management of the access, to cope with increasing numbers, and deal with various irritations and errors which arose from the necessity to carry out searches upon entry, for prohibited items, such as camping equipment, glass, firemaking tools, knives and so on.
There were 11 arrests, representing 0.05% of the crowd.
George Firsoff
Hello all .............. An account of the march to Georges Hill, Surrey, on Saturday the 3rd of April 1999, to commenerate Greard Winnstanley and the 350th Anniversary of the Diggers (1st April 1649).
"The work we are going about is this, to dig up George hill and the waste
ground there abouts, and to sow Corn, and to our breads together by the sweat
of our brows."
Gerard Winnstanley & 14 others.
The true Levellers standard advance, April 1649
The Diggers march set out from Walton-on-Thames at just after 12:30pm on saturday.
The point of the march was to comemerate the 350th Anniversary of the Diggers
who first set out to "claimthe land as a common treaury for all". And
to erect a stone, in honour of Gerard Winstanley, at George Hill in Surrey (just
outside London) which is currently claimed by 'St Georges golf course'.
At 12:30. the Town Crier of Brighton and Hove rang her bell, and in clear tones
quoted Gerard Winstanely from his "New Years gift for Parliament and armie"
in 1650.
"Yet my mind was not at rest, because nothing was acted, and thoughts did
run in me, that words and writings were all nothing and, must die, for action
is the life of all, and if thou does not act, thou dost nothing." And with
this the event was in motion. People met and talked, and told each other new thing,
and the stone which we were to erect was there, laid out on a very adequate and
solid cart. "The cart was built especially for the purpose", the craftman
told me, as I joined the cart pullers in taking the stone to the gathering point
just round the corner. Though the stone is quite narrow, the cart was made out
of what looked like a wheel base from a Morris Minor, and so we had to take it
on the road as it wouldn't fit on the pavement. We stood in the street and waited
for the mass of the march to assemble in the road. The banners were raised and
the motorists calmed down. We set off on to the main rod leading to Georges' hill.
Spirits were high, and the march set off on the four mile walk with a sense
of purpose. I counted about 280 marchers present (281 first count, 282 second
count). Many people dressed in 'traditional costume' and quite a few carried shovels.
There was a wide variety of people walking. Miles Halliwell was also present.
He played the part of Gerard Winstanley in the movie about the Diggers movent
in the middle of the 1600's. There were a two small arguments with motorists on
the course of the march, both were resolved amicably once the motorists were made
aware of the purpose of the walk, but other than this the march went without insident,
and ecery body was very freindly and positive. The police directed the traffic.
We arrived at our destination at 15:45. The gates were unlocked and there was
minimalsecurity presence. Tthere were several police vans on the far side of the
green, they stayed where they were while we strode confidently onto the land we
were claiming and the police and security left those assembled alone and we assembled
next to wooded glade 'on some one elses bit !
It was difficult work pulling that cart, and it had been a privelidge to participate in taking that monument to its' proposed site. It gave me enough time to soak up what I have been learning, research, and living recently, and to reflect on the significance of our actions today. We struggled together to pull the monument to the site, but how the original Diggers must have struggled when they gave us a reason to celebrate and commerate their noble and visionary cause.
We assisted in the final act of up-ending the cart in order to display the monument to those gathered. And once the stonecarver had balanced the monument, the Town Crier called our attention with more words also said to be from Gerald Winstanley from 'a bill of account of the most remarkeable sufferings that the Diggers have met with from the 1st April 1649.... " ......And here I end, having put my arm as far as my strength will go to advance Righteousness; I have writ, I have acted, I have peace; now I must wait to see the spirit do his work in the hearts of others, and whether England shall be the first land, or some others, wherein truth shall sit down in triumph".
And then other people were invited to sing and 'rattle on'. The first to speak was a man who was concerned with the issues surrounding todays' action. We were all disappointed to here that the stone would not be dug in today because it probably would not be very long before the St. Georges' golf course would have it removed or trashed or both. The golf course 'allowing' the stone to stand would probably present the possibilty that people may visit the monument, and this might present a problem to the 'owners' of 'non-members' demanding access to the land on a more regular basis, and I don't think that they would stand for that(!) Our spirits were lifted though on the news that the stone will be going to West Horsley, which is apparently the town of Parson Platts', who gave the Diggers a bloody hard time during the land reclaimation, he is said to have had a lot to do with the hatred of the church toward the Diggers. And would probably turn in his grave if he knew that the memorial stone commemerating his rival was to stand in his 'home town'. But he need not turn for too long because the stone will only be there temporarily before it moves to (hopefully) a permanent position at George hill site.
The speaker also told us how letters will be sent to the St. Georges hill residents association to try to recieve their approval on the placing of the stone, because it is not the golf course who object to the memorial but the residents association. And not suprisingly so, because they probably aware of how they can be seen as the 'modern day' equivelant of the wealthy land owners in the time of Winstanley....Does much truly change over time? Other speakers also had their word, and the crowd listened intently, even through the battery powered p.a.system which had been brought along by a very 'up for it' individual (it was having problems with the damp enviroment, but warmed up after a while - nice one J). There was a very audible resitle by Miles Halliwell of the words and quotes of Gerard Winstanley. There were mentions on the ruling of Lord Irvine (House of Lords, 4th march '99) relating to "using the highway for the action of passing and re-passing and anything incidental to that action". There were songs, and people met and talked.
Soon the time came for this action to finish. Some people then left Georges hill while over half of the group went further into the estate, and into the residential area in order to re-claim some of the land 'owned' by the wealthy locals, where they hoped to set up a Diggers camp. I did not follow straight away but stopped to carry on my conversations with some of the new freinds that I had met. And then I also set off into the Birch woods and the golf greens to find the Diggers camp. I was 'gob-smacked' by the place. What a beautiful area, and an especially beautiful area to live in if 'one' can afford to. I hadn't realised how large the area was. I ran across the greens and through the woods, sweating but not tired, and passed by golfers who looked at me as though I was an alien or something out of the ordinary (which I suppose I was, especially if 'one' was to look at my shoes, which revealed my life on the bread line). As
I ran passed the golfers I politely said my "Good afternoons" and
my "How do you do?"(es), but was ignored. If they don't show me that
they noticed me, then obviously I don't exist in their eyes. Not one of them returned
my polite enquiries - I generally find that snobs are rude and ignorant, so I
didn't take offence at their problem. "Excuse me, sir", I said to a
golfer roughly of my own age group, "I don't suppose you've seen a bunch
of 'hippies' come passed here in the last ten minutes?".
"Yes", he replied, pointing towards the car park of the 'tea house',
"I saw a large group of people going up that way".
I said my thanks to him, and before running on I paused to say something to
a woman who I can only presume was his mother, "It must be so wonderful for
you to be able to come and play golf here, it's very beautiful. There's nowhere
like this to play golf where I come from. You are very lucky !". I sid this
to her in the vague hope that she might notice the difference in perseption between
us, but she didn't look at me, and said quite simply, "Yes we are, aren't
we!"
Maybe I wouldn't see her as a stuck up cow if she had only looked at me and seen
me smiling at her in a freindly manner. My attention was drawn to a few people
who were calling me from the club house and gesturing off into the trees passed
the car park. As I approached them I could here that they were shouting, "Through
the car park, turn right, up the hill, and turn left!". I went in the direction
that they had told me to go, wondering whether they were actually sending me to
the main exit. These thoughts very quickly left my mind, and my running slowed
to a walk as I used the private road to go up the hill that I had been directed
up. I found myself walking through a 'residential utopia', the likes of which
I had never seen before. The area looked very familiar but only in the sense that
it reminded me of the type of place which I would like to think that we should
all be able to live in, a clean space with some nature around, with houses big
enough to allow communal living, each house could be an alternative centre in
its' own right in this type of setting.
It is a quite place. No cars. Trees full of bird song. It's a shame that only
the select few get to see this place, let alone live in it ! So I pressed on,
now more determined to find the camp. I came to the top of the hill where the
road forks left and right, I was unsure which way to go for fear of being 'captured'
and booted back into 'the outside world'. Within seconds of arriving at the junction
I saw a car coming my way, and I could make out that this was a St. Georges security
car. For a moment I thought that 'they' would escort me to the exit, but on flagging
down the driver and enquiring as to the whereabouts of the camp, to my suprise
the security guard said, "Hop in, I'll give you a lift there", so in
I hopped, and suddenly there I was.....at the gateway to the Diggers camp.
Drawing on my youth experience I climbed under the gate, being sure not to cause
any 'criminal damage' on my way in, and found to my joy that tents and yurts (don't
know how to spell that one) and a large kitchen were already being erected. A
fire was just being started, and the mood was very freindly and relaxed. I had
expected that by now, what with my late arrival, I would arrive to see people
being turfed off by the security and plod. Not so. In fact quite the opposite.
Just a couple of police and security and well over a hundred people 'digging in'.
We formed a human chain to move supplies and possesions in quickly, whilst people
began preparing food in the by now built kitchen area, and others sang songs around
the by now roaring fire.
At 17:40 two inspectors turned up to check it out. They pointed out that damage may be occuring to the gate, and so some people found some materials to create a makeshift stile. That (I think) was about all they had to grumble about, and they were gone within ten minutes. Later on a 'local' man turned up at the gate and exchanged pleasentries with his new neighbours. The whole scene was a very relaxed atmosphere, and as it came closer to darkness I felt that I really didn't want to leave the site, and would have liked to stay for at least a couple of days. Unfortunately though this was not possible, and it was sonn time for me and my friend to leave. We left the camp at 19:55, as the fire began to roar and the merriments continued. We managed to get a lift back to the start point of the march from where we made our way back home.......What an enlightening day. The event made such a lot of sense to me, and through participating in the action I am left feeling closer to and with a clearer understanding of the reasons for it, and not only a clearer picture of the historical events, but also a greater understanding of the relevance of our action.
It seems true to me that social issues and struggles that were alive in the 1600's are still relevant in society today, without knowing what has gone before in history I only have an understanding, but after participating in the action that we did today and learning more about the history of the land and its' people I feel like that understanding is growing and the new kknowledge that I have has (again raised my confidence and awareness. After todays action I feel inspired, and am thirsty for more knowledge, understanding, and action. And I thank everyone who took part for the passive nature of the demonstration, nice one everyone !! - Giz.
"They hang the man and flog the woman
that steal the goose from off the common,
But let the greater villain loose
that steal the common from the goose."
(traditional rhyme)
Well, there were 20 rigs plus, some flippin massive, one from Holland even, Saturday afternoon/evening saw a 4 hour stand off with Police with at least a mile of road completely blocked as ravers were denied access to party site by riot police until just before dark. A senior officer was even dropped off by helicopter in a next door field to resolve the situation because of the amount of traffic trying to gain entry.
Special rave riot police were present identifiable by small fluorescent smiley faces on their helmets. The operation to stop this event stretched across the west country with a big surveillance operation mounted to keep an eye on the M5, M50, and along the A46. There were reports of one rig actually confiscated on Saturday afternoon, and one forcibly escorted out of the area. Several smaller parties and meeting points were also busted. Similar events also happened near Abergavenny in Wales and at Minchinhampton Common near Stroud.
By Sunday morning the site at Steart was gridlocked along the length of the
4 mile beach and common. At its height on Sunday night attendance must have reached
10,000. There were people present from around the country from Brighton to Scotland,
from Cornwall to London, and a fair number of French and Italians too. Anyone
who has any more detail or info, please share as it would be good to build up
a record of experiences and try to get an idea of the scale of what went on.
Matt
[please excuse my spelling]
First of all there is no CJA in Germany but of course it is forbidden to live
and travel in wagons.
There are some exeptions like being an ethnic sinti/roma, a travelling artist(circus) or merchant, and the strange one, when you have at least 3 Sheeps with you.
The main problem is to get a traffic licence for the wagons and of course to get places to live on.
So most of the places are near sqatting areas.
It is not easy to compare the british and german travellers, because in germany there are no or few tribal structures and the people are less nomadic. That means that there are some places where people live until they get evicted and then look for another place or flat.
In common there is no big movement here, which have the advantage thats there is no coordinated political/police action against them but unfortunately also no important impact on society.
There are a lot of small places on the countryside where 1-3 wagons are sited
on private ground, there are also 4 -6 bigger places in citys where up to 40 wagons
are. I don't know the actual situation but some of the bigger places had severe
problems with tough police actions in connection with the plan to wipe out all
squatted areas in the last years (there was realy a lot of them in east germany).
Krishan Ahlborn
"I love this bus
That I call my home
I dig this coach
That allows me to roam
My little space
That can take me any place
My sanctuary
No matter where I be
And when I know she's ready to go
And a time to travel's dawning
Reaching, to start her heart
She turns, she breathes, she fires, she vibrates gently
We move into the morning
Wondering whence we do depart
Knowing that there's nothing wrong with where I am
Some folk simply do not understand."
I got a lift down to swindon from a work colleague and was heading to a free festival near swindon... can't remember what the venue was. Either way, me and my girlfriend of the time proceeded to be picked up by a strange couple in a 2cv which the rear suspension had gone on and they were offering us coke or something like that off the dashboard.
Anyway, we got to the fetival site only to find it blocked off, but a messenger
on a bike told us that the new festival was going to be right near the town. So
we piled down there. I pitched my tent and proceeded to have some kid of about
10 threaten to burn my tent down, which was a nicewelcome. I don't think that
there was much in the way of entertainment that night so i made ammends by waking
up in the morning, walking into town and buying myself the healthy breakfast of
a steak and kidney pie and a bottle of gin. Once back at the festival site i proceeded
to consume this and several hash cakes.
Subsequently, shortly afterwards my head started seriously spinning and the inevitable
happened, the brown mess that i had ejected from my mouth that was my steak and
kidney pie, proceeded to be consumed by a hungry festy dog. He probably ended
up having a better time than i did.
I then collapsed, only to be woken up by my girlfriend saying... "you're going to have to get it together, there are riot police here and they've been ordered to move us on". Now having double vision dosn't help at this point, what were probably only about 10 police seemed like 50. But you know that thing that happens with hash, you know when your mum suddenly turns up unexpectedly and your completely boxed?.... you suddenly get it together like you hadn't taken anything.
So with what i felt was a superhuman effort i managed to pack my tent and walk
straight past the police to sit by a roundabout.
Unbelievably, not 5 minutes later my friends who said they might turn up, turned
up!!!
We then drove around to the white horse at Uffington to have a festival there instead and a good time was had by all.... well not exactly. We then got hassled by some brew crew boys who were slagging us off and threatening to smash the car up. So off we went to wales to the forest of dean instead.... far more peaceful. Especially for my mate Mike who fell asleep on the bog at the service station for about 2 hours.
When Wally Hope started a ramble to Stonehenge with the rainbow banner of 60's
counter culture, I was 17, the social secretary of a Sussex college blasting out
Lynard Skynard's Freebird across the common room floor. I got home one day to
be startled by TV news of 'hippies' gathering for the summer solstice at Stonehenge.
I was excited but oblivious to the profound effect it was to have on my life.
I'd been to Windsor and other free festivals, and even helped carry a few scaffold
poles and planks onto the stage and sat stoned through the Pink Fairies and Hawkwind
sets. I remember giggling uder layers of clear plastic as the Hare Krishna band
played through the night.
It was an idealistic and wonderful feeling of Utopia - natural, raw, rough and ready yeah! But a catalyst for something fair and just in a deaf society that sees suppression, control and fear as the answer to the cry of freedom, peace and harmony.
I went to Stonehenge for the first time in 1980 and felt uplifted about how together and hopeful the people were. I felt inspired to try and make it better.
I met Nik Turner in the winter of that year in a squat behind Sadler's Wells theatre and he agreed to play at the Smokey Bears' "Smoke-In" at Hyde Park.
We drove a psychedelic bus into the middle of Hyde Park, put up a stage, and held a mini festival with Black Slate, Androids of Mu, Here and Now, Inner City Unit, and speakers for the de-criminalisation of cannabis - an event that seems unimaginable now. It was a gas - but hair-raising what you had to do to draw attention to the injustice of our cannabis laws.
I met Willy X and Polytantric - an off-shoot of the White Panthers - and designs were swiftly drawn out for the layout of the stage and pyramid roof. Nik Turner was a fantastic help and gave valuable experience in erecting the pyramid which had originally made its debut with Sphinx at the Edinburgh festival. Two months of numerous phone calls to bands and performers brought together a programme of five days and nights of contemporary music with Ruts DC, the Thompson Twins, The Damned, Misty in Roots, and Hawkwind.
We dissolved back into the city and rejoined the nomadic drift from Stonehenge to Bristol to East Anglia and Wales from fayre to festival. At the beginning of the 80's travellers were relatively free of hassle.
In '82 after an international Cultural Herb festival in Brockwell Park, Brixton, with Jah Shaka, Loxsone Outernational and DBC we went to Stonehenge and did it all again - a beautiful buzz. Stonehenge was growing rapidly: in 1980 12,000 people had attended, but by '82 there were 35,000.
Co-ordination between English Heritage, the National Trust and ourselves seemed to be breaking down - because of the festival's expansion perhaps.
Many of Stonehenge's problems could have and will be solved by closer co-ordination and planning by all parties.
In '83 we decided to move the stage to the field closer to the woods and further away from the Stones. Sid Rawles and I wandered across the fields past the mounds clutching a dowsing rod; it twitched downwards and I opened my eyes to find myself in a circle of daisies - this had to be the place for the stage.
In '83 the PA was boosted to 12K. PA wings were extended and the Black Pyramid light show organised visuals.
As in previous years we ran things as cheaply as possible, all the bands played for free and we bucketed the audience and traders, as the groups played, to keep the jenny running.
The six days and nights of music were amazing, with Doctor and the Medics, Hawkwind, Roy Harper, the Enid, Buster Bloodvessel, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Urban Warrior, Ted Chippington, Flux of Pink Indians, the Tibetan Ukrainian Mountain Troupe, Here and Now, and Benjamin Zephaniah, to name just a few.
By '84 things were looking decidedly precarious. A group of travellers had squatted the Fargo Plantation in April, supposedly the National Trust's budget for that year's festival in the clear-up operation. The authorities were looking for scape-goats.
Three weeks before the festival I was cycling to the East-West Centre when my wheel hit a gutter and I went flying over the handlebars. I wke up in hospital with concussion and a broken arm., I phoned friends to get the stage and PA together. I arrived on site with an arm in plaster. The Polytantric got the stage up at the 'Henge by the 16th of June.
A video crew arrived to record the Enid, Roy Harper and Hawkwind at the Stones.
Stonehenge '84 was very emotional. Something had changed. When the music was over I walked to the mutated spider skeleton of scaffold poles of the pyramid and picked up another can to put in the plastic bag to add to the heap of sacks. I turned to the stones one more time and took a breath. Another helicopter rattled overhead.
I haven't been to Stonehenge since, but I hope to make it this year. Hopefully I will see you there,
Love and Peace,
Big Steve
Tash: I found your site through the Burning Man Web. You recount an extraordinary story. All that I knew previously about the events you recount might have filled a paragraph of your narrative. I feel like I have come across a prime example of the oft-cited power of the Web. Someday, maybe, a book will recount the story you have told. Pre-Web, that would have been the day I got my first clues about the scope of the story you have told. I read all kinds of international press, daily, and have done so for years. I had never read a media account of the events you describe, that hinted at the large scale of them. Here, today, I could find your story told in your words and pictures.
This is another old thread, but I had to be reminded while reading your account how very different have been the histories of public micro-cultures in the US and England over the past couple decades. I always understood that Punk was a very different and more serious culture in the UK than it was as practiced in the US. I understood that Rave culture also had more complex political underpinnings in the UK than it has had in the US. But your story of Rave culture having evolved from a separate and earlier Travellers culture, was news to me.
(I have to say, I grimaced in recognition at your mention of your first meeting techno amplification in the context of its drowning the music made by Travellers performing acoustic music. This was a primary experience for me at Bman this year, after four years of my attending the event. This was the first Bman year in which various (not all) techno crews seemed to suggest that the rest of the festival should consider itself secondary to their PA's. "Love our music or leave our festival."
Techno is one art-form. Bman is a festival of many arts. If the day comes when one art dominates the playa, Bman will end.)
Your story is a terrible cautionary tale for Bman. Each year, people close
to Bman hold our breaths and hope the US versions of BrewCrews will not overrun
the festival or provide some notable photo-op that politicians could play with.
So far, it has not happened. If or when Bman falls, it will be BrewCrews who take
it down.
But it hasn't happened yet.
I don't know if you have visited Bman. I can only guess what a long run it
would be for you to reach black Rock Desert. In a way, it might not be critical
for you.
It is obvious you are deeply involved with the UK cultures you have described.
During most of the years you have focused on, I doubt there were any equal equivalent
micro-cultures elsewhere in the world. UK was standing in for the world. At the
moment, Bman represents such a node of focus; I hope not the only one, but one
among the few such places. Larry Harvey of Bman made an observation I liked: He
said, "Culture erupts," in reference to the success of Bman.
Culture dies, too; but then it erupts again.
Anthony Bondi
One of the best free parties i ever went to was set in some woods in Cockfosters,
during one of the few hot days that we had last summer. So me an me chums we all
pile onto the tube and set off for a picnic to prelude the event and spend the
afternoon getting to know nature on a mental level. We all fell asleep after mucho
consumption and woke up in the dark under a tree. It was like waking up in a magical
wonderland.
The moonlight shining on the surface of a lake nearby and fairies dancing in front
of our eyes and an insane giggly pumping bass line floating through the trees
giving us the wakeup call that we all needed.
So we start to follow the noise, hunting down that party and are wandering through
some pitch blackness and start to come across backdrops hanging from the branchs
of trees lit up by uv lighting and mirror balls hanging twenty feet up in the
air that lit up the surroundings with a ghostly magic feel. Adrenalin pumping,
excitement flowing and great expectations all crash head on as we follow the magic
glowing path (yes we were shrooming) to burst through some undergrowth to find
ourselves overlooking a party of grand proportions. Some 500 colorful people spread
out through a sunken clearing lit up by more sporadic mirror ball rays bouncing
of tree leaves in the halflight.
At this point the firedancers among us started up which was where me chum decided
he was thirsty and mistakenly drank some of the paraffin lying around. This left
him in a rather odd state which prompted aonther mate to phone his mum and sober
up enough to ask her (she was a nurse) 'is drinking paraffin safe or can anyone
have a go' which left us all in fits of laughter. The paraffin victim quickly
got better, if that is the right description and then went on a hash cake induced
rampage through the crowd collecting clothing to try and cover himself up with
so that he could sleep comfortably. He succeeded in finding two like minded lovelys
who all cuddled up in the leaves afoot together and basically acted as cloakroom
to the stars. A huge mound of jumpers bags and hats and blankets with 3 pairs
of arms and legs sticking out.
So thirteen dance crazee hours later a real fairy and her devil turned up and
started to hand out invitations to a bus heading back into London which was then
duly loaded up with musicians gurners pixie people and the fairy and the devil,
and this impromptu party bus headed back into central London, destination insanity,
forcing a trail of music and creativity, that just shouted out to all that passed
by 'we're all fucted and on a big red bus, wot are you doing with your weekend?'.
It stopped off to pick some food up from behind the bins of pret a manger (you
know, all the sandwichs they can't sell that day, they go for free to those that
find them) so everyone could have breakfast and beef up. And this party bus arrived
at The Warp in Town of which i could say many great things, (i've never before
stopped dancing followed my trip out of a club into a cinema to play with the
cartoons in Toy Story and then back into a club again to dance some more), but
i won't because that is another story...
It's always great to have new friends in the internet.
Our authorities were always organizing repressions against that kind of people: travellers, gypsies, national minorities, homeless, etc.
We had no special laws on (exept one: that must be registered where you live all the time and you'll be arrested if you have no that registration. But our police always had enough freedom to arrest everybody, It doesn't metter did you something criminal or not. Policemen don't like and that's enough.
I started to participate in political and environmental movements in 1989 and was arrested first time that year because of my hair (looked like a punk). I was just standing near entrance of the supermarket and was smoking (very peacefully).
Yes, we have alternative festivals but unfortunately I have no information about future's fests because I'm working against nuclear power right now and campaigning in some places at same time.
We definetely have a lot of rave parties (I mean Moscow).
The gypsies are were under repressions during USSR time. Now their situation is not better.
looking forward to hear from you,
Vladimir
I had a bit of a wierd mushi experience. I had done shrooms a few times before
and could handle most situations thown at me but nothing prepared me for what
happened on this particular experience in Kemnay (Small village near Aberdeen)
I somehow at the the peak of a 250 shroom cake found myself in a circle of people.
One of the members of the circle stepped forward and said "I'm going to tear
your f*cking throat out", I don't care how hard you are but on or off shrooms
you are going to feel a little stress. Not knowing quite what to do, and not wanting
to wait for the proverbial hole to open up and swallow me I thought that the only
way out would be to walk calmly out of the circle. To my surprise everyone made
an exit for me and let me leave... no questions asked. I caught up with my friends
and relayed as best I could under the effects what had happened. I knew it wasn't
the shrooms that "magically" made me think that what had happened took
place 'cos I knew it was real. I did enjoy the rest of the trip and took it all
into my stride.
What ACTUALLY happend was that apperently some girl was having a 21st birthday
party and some guy had touched her up. I just wandered into this circle of people
for no reason and the offending guy was stood behind me.. doh!. If I had not had
shrooms before that I don't think I could have handled that experience at all.
For those who are going to do them make absolutely SURE that you are in a nice
environment and definately do NOT wander into a circle of aggressive people!
I enjoyed your pages, I find a lot that interested me here, and it seems objective
enough to me. Im originally from Shrewton near Stonehenge and in my teens experienced
the festivals, the police activities and went to Parkhouse Corner that day in
1985 to try to understand for myself why people needed to be prevented from festival
going.
I subsequently experienced harassement because I presumably looked like 'one of
them', because I played games with the cruise convoy guards, or because they simply
couldn't place me as one of 'them' or one of 'us'. All the effort I and my friends
caused them to expend gives me a great deal of satisfaction but it doesn't help
breakdown the barriers between the instruments of the state and the rest of us.
It is after all the state which is malevolent towards those who subvert its power
structures, not the police. They're as much pawns in the game as anyone. Anyway,
this was just to say I've spent a while going through your pages and enjoyed the
pictures and your comment.
Alastair McGowan
University of Stirling. Scotland
And this is for anyone else who may read this:
Anyone in the security services checking out this mail... email me and let
me know your point of view. Seriously. I'm studying the effect of 'minority group'
material being expressed in the mass media of the internet. Do you feel that in
the course of your job, reading Tash's webpage makes you question your continued
role in the police?
Alastair
Sunday night at Glasto last year we decided it would be wise to take a piss before settling down for a bit. For some reason we thought that going up against the nearest hedge wouldn’t do: we should visit the official facilities. Now we had figured out quite quickly that the portaloo doors were the gates to hell, so we were destined for the pit loos. Not so one poor inebriated soul, who entered one of the green units.
Next thing, we watched amazed as it toppled over onto its side, door facing down. As you may imagine, by this stage of the night they’re usually piled up above the brim with unspeakableness, this was no exception amid the evidence spilled out onto the grass.
A thumping ensued and we and some other passers-by looked uncertainly at each other. Should we help the poor bastard? What if he’s really hurt himself, might we have to touch him? How the hell would we get it upright? Some sort of unspoken group decision was made and a few others and I approached and rolled it over, with quite a thump, until the door opened and the most sorry, shit-sodden, stinking individual fell out in a pile at our feet.
We ran back, quite terrified, and to our relief he rose to his feet and stumbled off, in no worse state than when he went in (except for the shit).
I hope he had some really good mates with a hose and a hell of a lot of water. And I hope he had a sense of humour when he came to his senses in the morning.
REVELLERS partied the night away on Brighton seafront last Saturday to the
sound of overhead police helicopter display teams, traffic chaos, stranded emergency
vehicles and the ecstatic screams of a quarter of a million happily crushed ravers.
The event, hosted by the Big Beached Buttock, featured the huge talent of disk
jockey Fate By Slime who played some records to approximately 3000 people in front
of Brighton West Pier. Meanwhile the remaining 247,000 party-goers looked on in
awe and jubilation, but couldn't hear a bloody thing.
Party animals had been bussed in from as far afield as the Highlands of Scotland
where whole hillsides had been cleared of trees and vegetation to make way for
huge billboard posters for the event of the century. Welsh revellers talked of
sheep that had been used as walking adverts for the gig with directions written
in Welsh and English branded onto their once snow white bodies. Council 'helper'
Simone Franchise stated that the massive advertising campaign had been essential
in order to make the Flat Boy Scam gig the huge success that it was: "Everyone
knows that an event of this magnitude has to be hugely over-attended. Some people
have moaned about litter and broken glass on the beach but let's face it, where
do you think all that rubbish came from? Mostly from our shops and therefore using
our beach as a landfill site is good for business and good for everyone in Brighton."
Life's a Beach
Despite a handful of tragedies relating to the event, the police immediately ruled
out any talk of an enquiry into the fantastically financially successful maritime
pop show. Police spokesman Superintendent Death Ray stated that the problems relating
to the salty extravaganza were 'fairly obvious' and an inquiry would tell organisers
nothing they did not already know about the event. Luckily there had been only
one death relating directly to the event and a mere 160 injuries during the night
and as such the event had been 'as safe as houses.' Death added that having 250,000
drunk people and children trapped on a darkened Brighton beach in dangerously
overcrowded conditions surrounded by broken glass and urine and unattended by
emergency services was 'character building', creating a sense of community and
togetherness reminiscent of the Blitz. Eyewitness reports that anarchy broke out
as revellers threw bottles into the crowd and at emergency personnel have been
dismissed as 'unproductive' criticism. As a result of the spectacular safety record
and outstanding organisational skills displayed throughout Saturday evening by
the police, officials felt questions raised by a handful of moaning locals were
largely irrelevant. Brighton and Hove Council agreed whole-heartedly as did event
organisers Big Beached Blunder.
Free for all party
Event Organisers The Big Blunder joined forces with the council and police to
stress that in no way should the Filled By Slime gig be confused with the illegal
free parties that have historically occurred on Brighton and Shoreham beaches.
"We have gone to great lengths to stamp out the scourge that is the local
free party scene; that cancerous rash that blights our cultural landscape should
in no way be confused with legitimate council-backed beach-trashing events, all
of which are wonderful and never go wrong". Council spokesthing Simian Fanfare
added that "The council only supports events that are much, much larger and
more corporate than free parties and therefore better. More mindless consumers
visiting Brighton means more beer and chips being sold everywhere, as well as
silly hats, sales of which have gone through the roof, and that's very important
for our City of Culture Bid." Mr Fiasco also pointed out that the costs of
policing this particular event as well as the impact of a quarter of a million
guests descending on the city meant the event was far from free to local residents
- unlike the vast majority of free parties which have done nothing to improve
the corporate worth of Brand Brighton.
Meanwhile free party organisers are said to be fleeing the country in fear of
their lives as Brighton Council death squads are being mobilised to further enforce
their 'say no to unlicensed fun' campaign. One free party organiser who prefers
to remain nameless stated that: "We're being persecuted because we keep throwing
underground free parties for a few hundred locals without adequate advertising.
Several of our crew were arrested last weekend for picking up litter and giving
away free water to party-goers at an unlicensed free party. When they were eventually
released, all they could do was dribble while reciting the Brighton and Hove mission
statement over and over again." The drugged up squat rave organiser later
added that "Finding sites with adequate parking well away from the public
scrutiny has just got us in the worst kind of trouble - maybe in future we should
just organise Dresden style leaflet drops and invite everyone to come and piss
on our beach; it seems to work OK for the council."
After the unmitigated success of the gig on the beach, DJ Fete Boy (real name
Naomi Coke) spent the remainder of the night guzzling Champagne and playing even
more records for all of his celebrity friends in an exclusive Brighton nightspot.
In the small hours, the exhausted DJ and his beautiful wife were whisked away
in a limousine to their sparkling luxury condominium love pad with its private
beach, which remains, as ever, beautifully clean.
Meanwhile, some people in our lovely new broken-glass-sparkly City, the ones who
actually do useful jobs like clean the litter and look after sick people, have
complained that they can't actually afford to live here anymore. Some even joined
the nationwide strike on Wednesday, complaining, "It's time they (the Council)
decided whether this is a playground for Londoners or a city for its own people."
Council spokesperson Simpering Fanatic told the Anus "Why don't the poor
people all just fuck off to Hastings?"
Friday 19th July 2002 Issue 365
WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IT'S YER ON THE DECKS... SchNEWS
weekend of 6.6.99, the hacienda nightclub, shut down and sold to luxury flat
developers is squatted by the EF! ok cafe collective who get together a whopping
great techno party as a benefit to support 11 people arrested at a manchester
reclaim the streets a few weeks earlier. soon after the start time the same riot
cops from the rts try to storm the building but fail to get in. in a strop they
sealed off the area closing down two major roads all through the night while the
party continues inside. they make sporadic arrests as they harrass and assault
the ones who never made it in on time. at 8.00am the following morning the party,
crew and equipment come out en masse to glorious sunshine, cheering crowds and
bleary eyed journalists who bill it as a riot anyway. the arrest count is around
15.
Court update.
most people were charged under sec 5 of the public order act, the catch all 'keep quiet or you're nicked, right that's it in the van now' law (abusive or threatening language or behaviour likely to cause distress or alarm). some with no experience of police or the courts plead guilty early on and were fined. the others took it to trial. at court recently on 6th march nine defendents were offered bind overs on the first day,(a sign of a weak prosecution case) six accepted. three contested. during the following two days even the magistrate laughed at the difference between the scenes decribed in police notebooks (riot, violence and threatening crowds) and that seen on the defence supplied video ( luvd up clubbers chatting to cops, and cops smashing people to the ground and beating them with truncheons).
the magistrate gave them bind overs and fines anyway. the defendants plan to sue the cops. and jack straw plans to extend this use of magistrate non-jury trial. also, had there been no d.i.y. video evidence showing the good nature of the crowd, the brutality of the police and the blatant discrepancies in their statements there is no doubt that this magistrate would have believed the cops and most of the defendants would have got custodial sentences. a final defendent is awaiting sentence. kennet simon's case was separated from the others. outside the hacienda as the cops tried to stop people getting into the building, he watched a friend get arrested. he asked for the numbers of the arresting cops, the charge and the police station. he was thrown to the ground, cuffed, beaten and taken away. his charges, 2x assaulting a police officer, sec 5 public order act and obstruction. despite a lack of evidence and a strong defence the magistrate found simon guilty on all charges leaving the packed court room shocked and the barrister saying that he felt 'sick to the depths of his stomach'. sentencing will be on 22 march and simon has lodged an appeal against conviction until which hopes to remain on bail.
And the ones from the rts trial? they have a three week crown court date beginning on June 19th. More later.
Most people will have heard about the Mutoid Waste Company's legendary large mad parties in a disused bus garage in London in the late 80's, with the trippiest mutant sculptures this side of a nuclear holocaust creating a surreal 2000 AD style landscape of weirdness. All kinds of scrap metal and discarded waste items were used and the results were reminiscent of something in between Mad Max, Judge Dread and Strontium Dog.
Anyway, these pioneers of art, performance and partying are still at it, based in Rimini (Italy) they continue to put on parties, transform environments, make sculptures and generally mutate anything they can get their hands on.
The first time I saw you was on TV - on some 40 minutes programme - I thought I was tripping!
· What is the idea behind Mutoid Waste?
When we do a party we want people to be aware of walking into another reality.
Our shows have been described as walking into someone else's dream or nightmare,
whichever way you want to look at it. We definitely try to give people something
to remember and think about. Open the mind, turn people on, give alternative ways/paths
- that's our buzz and always will be.
· What kind of performance work do you do?
The show we've been doing was developed in a slaughterhouse. It's called "Eurokarcass"
it involves the Pope, and has made witnesses vomit in the past.
· What futuristic characters are there in your shows?
Well, there's the "Cromo Nun", the "Pope on a Rope", the"
Virtual Reaper", "Marcus M'Karcuss". The fun loving public face
of that famous fast food franchise "Eurokarcass" not forgetting Miss
Eurokarcass". Let's hear it for all these sorry victims of corporate Gluttony
and let's not forget "The Zombie Drummers", "The Transformers",
"The Breathing Man", "The Iron Lung", "The Fire Dragon",
"The Auto Grill (car on a spit) etc.etc.
· How has your sculpture work developed?
Well! Over the years it's gone bigger, smaller, more colourful, blacker, uglier,
more beautiful. At the moment pretty burnt out, you know "Scorched Earth"
Policy and all that. At least it's getting away from UV!
I believe you've had a sculpture accepted by the Royal Academy.
That sculpture accepted by the British Academy, all credit goes to Sam Haggarty.
He's been doing stuff for years. You've probably seen his massive fiberglass heads
and hands at parties and festivals all over.
· Have you done anything along the lines of "Car Henge" recently?
Since "Car Henge" we've got "Truck Henge" here. We had "Tank
Henge" in Berlin using 3 Russian Panzas and there are plans for "Plane
Henge" to appear at "Earth Dream 2000" Australia. The Berlin "Tank
Henge" was surrounded by 4 tanks standing on end and 2 Russian Mig 21 Jets.
· Are you doing any work with SRL or any of your own work on robotics?
We had talks with them in Berlin, but we've not worked together yet, and yes we
have our own Robotic creatures. We nearly sold SLR one of our Mig 21 Russian Fighter
Jets but did not quite manage it.
· How come you moved to Italy? and how is it different to England?
England has been there, seen it, done it, doing it. There were already a lot of
people turned on and doing their thing. Italy was quite open for something else,
which happened to be us. Lots of people had not even imagined or thought about
anything like us existing. It was a totally new concept to go in to a warehouse
and transform it into another planet! Not anymore. Also we wear less clothes and
people speak Italian.
· How do you feel about people who've imitated what you do?
Well it is what we preach "hear the word". About fucking time - Mutate
and survive - where's our percentage?!
· Have you been influenced by 2000 AD?
Yes, of course we've been influenced by 2000 AD. Also Beano, Paul Daniels and
Albert Hoffman.
· What kind of music do you play at your parties these days?
We make an environment and play music for the mood. We have our own DJs with a
wide selection of sounds and also call in DJs from the spirals and Bedlam.
· What memories do you have of "The Island" (Javakade) in
Amsterdam?
Septic Death, Scrap Metal, the Bus Bar.
Fair comment I guess.
last year was my first trip to Glastonbury and with the thanks of Guilfin i played a terribly pissed set (which all the other trashed people enjoyed :) after which i went off to enjoy the other festivities. i entered the dance tent just as fat boy slim started his set and the place was ROCKING... it was awesome. thanks to going out with one of the crew i was lifted over the barriers and carried back stage, where i got a very privilidged seat in the house watching the crowd ROAR to the Chemical brothers who were doing a dj set. I have to admit that there wasn’t enough visuals for me as they weren’t bouncing around like the lunatics that I have come to love and work with. And i told them so, not that it meant much to them.. after many days and nights of seriously hard partying, sex and pleanty o rug taking it was time to leave.
Sunday night was upon us and i had work the next morning. "I’ll just drop my back-stage pass back to the lads" I said to much protest from my friends but i was adament. i trecked across the mile of land and found my way to the dance tent. I had what i thought was a quick line of K and stumbled without much success in what I thought was the direction of my lift. I ended up outside the festival and asked a kindly Policeman where the frig I was. he was ummm useless.. i then got sprung upon by some guy hiding in the bushes who grabed at me, but only got away with my jumper. I continued and finally after 2.5 hrs i got back to the site to find my lift had gone! Oh NO! Trembling, alone and very unhappy i stumbled back across the fields to the dance tent once more where i forget what happened next, only the pictures in my camera told the story (Thank you whoever you were who took those shots of me in that terrible state!!!) I awoke the next day in the back of a van alone and freezing cold. it was 1.30pm and I was definately not going to make it to work. After several hours of pacing around the fields in anger I phoned work and told them what had happened and that I probably wouldn’t be in work until Wednesday, they were thankfully very understanding. I helped the dance tent pack away and very late that evening clambered into the back of the van to head for home.. Finally i reached home and there is nothing in the world quite like a hot bath.. My expedition has taught me care and caution.. but I’ll never stop having fun and to say that I hadn’t had an adventure would be a lie. I had, and one of the most exotic of my life. I’m glad that everything has a positive side and that we can learn from every experience we have. it is all in the eye of the beholder and although it may seem like I’d had a bit of a nightmare I’m bloody glad that I went, had a storming good time and lived to tell this tale to you now.. Be kind to one another for one day it might be you.... one more thing, if you are going to do k, stay at home for reality is not what it seems...
Tash: Am still researching the criminal justice and public order act for my phd. i have carried out all my interviews now and am supposed to be starting analysis soon which will then hopefully lead to some articles or papers. otherwise i can send you a copy of a report i have been involved in with the home office assessing the use of the public order provisions of the criminal justice act by police. i would like to point out though that i was not given a copy of the report prior to it being published to check it out. i am therefore not willing to take any responsibility for anything my colleague wrote in it. that makes it sound like a scary report, which it isn't. it is just a report of what the coppers do with the act. one of the reasons i am doing my phd is because i carried out that report with the home office and felt there was so much injustice, it was vital that the travellers views were considered. my existing contacts with tavellers meant i could do the research on my own. i no longer work in any way for or with the home office.
i am now a lecturer at the university of plymouth (new job, bit scary) in criminal justice studies, but i am carrying on with my phd. i am determined that i will continue to work with travellers and alternative movements. i recently went to a seminar where thomas acton was presenting (he wrote loads of stuff on gypsy politics etc.) and although i did not agree with a large amount of what he said, there was one thing that really struck a cord with me. he said that gypsies and travellers are treated by academia and social researchers as a good 'topic' for a phd, but that is where it ends. it is very rare for research to go beyond that level. well, how can travellers rights be adressed if they are only considered by students with very little power, funds and ability to get their work published and into the public forum? i am determined that my work with travellers will continue. i have a huge amount of admiration for you and your work, your photo's say more than any academic could attempt to say. i just hope that i can support the travellers and go some small way towards giving people the right to make their own life choices.
anyway, sorry if this is a bit of a rant, i don't really have many people to talk about it to that really know whats going on out there and i've been bogged down with this new job and so can't get on with my own work. i will be teaching a course on alternative cultures soon though, hopefully opening some students eyes.
i think your new web page looks dead smart, its a bit clearer, i like the boxes of colour. the continually changing pictures change a bit too fast though i think, but maybe it just takes my mind longer to get into gear!
if you want a copy of my home office report just drop me a line with an address
and i'll post it off asap.
cheers, zoe.
Makes you laugh, oh dear. Better set the scene here before I get accused of
vagueness or sum thing.
Ok, This was Nottingham's third attempt at an RTS, the previous two being held
aloft as the quintessential example of what an out of London RTS should be, well
except for the 60 arrests last year
It is also the final year in this tortuous millennium and the Babylon machine has been coughing and wheezing out its full venomous spew for many a moon now huh?
Ok lets face it since June 18th, have we not noticed a slight shift in Babylon attitude to RTS did not top bod say "we must now treat it as in inherently criminal activity". What's it mean though they've always been cunts, always been able to smack you in the face or push you to the ground. Arrest you for voicing an opposing opinion to their brainless philosophy of blind single file order. Yep, but they where always met by such an overpowering energy smacking them right in the face and shouting "we are here now and we will take what is ours." And so it ever was if things have been on top it's just added to the thrill of the moment the experience of being part of this disorganised chaos, on the side of right, and ultimately pre-destined to win or at least take a road in your own town for 5 hours out of a year.
But I've sensed a lot of fear since J18 a strange knowledge that somewhere a line was crossed that can't be uncrossed, and some where a door shut and a lock clicked But. I take a lot of ketamine and sense all sorts of stuff from invading alien hordes to sticky parrot love so ignore everything just remember if possible.
Sepetember 18th 1999 Once again market Square was the meeting point by around one there was a crowd of a round 250 a noticeable drop in numbers from the previous years, perhaps due to the extremely low key method of promotion this year, a word of mouth campaign directed almost exclusively to one small section of Nottingham. But never mind about numbers because as we moved off it all seemed fine the crowd morphed into a long trail, and spread slowly down Nottingham's roads. The chants began and once again dazed onlookers stopped and unleashed their ever hilarious mix of disgust, konfusion, and/or delight.
The people up front, and behind a Reclaim banner, pushed forwards, or left, or right, depending on some whim, and the traffic slowly began to grind to a halt. At this point four mounted officaz, galloped out of some dim dark hold, and moved to block the road ahead. "Stop! Stop where you are!", shouted one large breasted lady. "Fuck off", shouted one krusty. So, it was down to a battle of cunning now, as the horses where moved sideways on so as to form an impenetrable barrier to the aggressively amused crowd. Unfortunately for the koppas, four horse lengths a street width do not make, and the crowd passed through, I doubt if some even noticed the horse's.
Then the inevitable a wail of sirens, a screech or tyres, a young child screams, a wolf howls. Three fully laden riot vans rush round the corner and out jump the riot boyz. Immediately people are grabbed by their tops, then let go. The police form a line and try to stop anyone from passing but of course a few do, perhaps 15 or so they go 'right then' and jump back in the vans and speed off.
The crowd continues with renewed happiness 'Reclaim the streets' and whooooops.
And these are the main roads of the city now, the veins feeding the outer limbs
pumping metallic globules. Then the police again the crowd runs takes
he next junction police go again crowd cheers, approaches next junction
police turn up crowds can't get past this time turn right
police go crowd turns around police turn up crowds go
police cheer crowds get back in vans and arrest police sort of like
tennis.
Then at last we've managed, by great skill and cunning no doubt to manoeuvre ourselves down a small street with a large police line at one end and no side streets so, the crowd turns but a second line appears I even here an office shouting, with a voice tinged with far too much adrenaline "we've got it now!!!". So the crowd is trapped down a dull side road with no rig I don't know if the police intended to hold that position for long still their motives are mainly mystery to me. Some of the crowd begin, with fox like cunning, to convince the police that they are now bored and wish only to go home, but the police only growl and drool.
At last super stealth mode kicks in though as the crowd spots the long row of terraced houses, forming one length of our prision obviously these houses have small alley ways and as one the crowd begin to stream into these what happened then has to be one of the most comic moments ive ever witnessed at an RTS hundreds of people getting completely lost and disorentated down this maze of alleyways bumping into crowds coming back the other way from dead ends or spotting groups darting up some other hidden ally. The net result after ten minutes or so of hilarity was finding an opening approximately three meters behind the police line. The police, looking a bit dejected now watched as the crowd streamed past them once more into the main road.
The pace seemed to pick up a bit now and boiled down to an almost playstation like game of racing to the next junction before the police vans turned up to block the march.
After a while the crowd began heading away from town and over towards the the NG7 area and the forest ground. Here a few final blockades where erected but caused little difficulty.
And then at last shouts of "surround the van, surround the van", could be heard. It was a little puzzling though standing in the middle of the road blocking the progress of police vans, while all around people streamed past on the adjacent forest ground (a large open green area).
But sure enough it was no illusion a van was parked up next to the 'park & ride', and a crowd surrounded it I could spot speakers being unloaded. As I got nearer and sat down on the soft grass to roll a well deserved fat one I couldn't help voicing the polices thoughts "Oi you cunts we've just spent a hundred grand on this operation now get back on the fucking streets!!!!!!"
So the music started and a party was in progress it was a good party and it was nice to relax after the earlier madness. The local rag reported the event 'Just an excuse for a party'. I don't know for sure, we usually don't need much excuse for a party at all. And for all the reasons a gave at first I don't want to criticise the organisers who have justifiable reason to worry. But it brings up a rather relevant issue I suppose how many people at an RTS are there to save the world and how many just want to get fucked and have a laugh it's tiring to stand in the face of excruciating opposition and perhaps the only real difference that we can ever make is to ourselves, something the lost it hedonist does understand.
I remember the fuss caused by a banner at one of the big London RTS's the banner read 'They want to fight, we wanna dance", opinion has ever crystallised down the lines of those who believe that banner, and those who want to turn the 'fight' of that slogan into the empowering 'fight' of the struggle.
One things for certain each RTS is different and they each have a lesson to teach and the lessons probably different for ever single person, for some Nottingham's RTS will only of said "Arse, must not take so many pills", for others it said, "What?", and to others it merely whispered that it was all part of some wonderful plan.
Glastonbury 2000, bloke done far too much acid goes paranoid mental and jumps on stage at guilfin ambient lounge brandishing glass bottles. They are all out to get him, he tells us, the stage is the only safe place. Hour later. . . . stage seige situation dies down as does mental blokes acid. Post come-up, bloke decides taking stage at glastonbury hostage probably not his best idea. He is sheepishly escorted off by security. Twat.
You probabaly wont remember me. My name is Greg. I travelled with the convoy
from about 83 to 86, with lots of visits to festivals from squats in London and
Guildford from 75 to 82.
My first festival was the ill fated 'Windsor Free' that got busted, when I was
15, than at Watchfield where my band 'Astral Synthesis' played on the Polytantric
stage, just after some members of Traffic played on the main stage, but we got
rained off in a heavy downpour. I was only 16 than. I left the band after that.
I met you on a few occaisions in various peoples buses. I think I got to know you a little at Inglestone common. I was living in a Blue Lodge, with an 'eye of Horus' on the Door with Manik Mark, Sarah and the Kids, you must remember little Chris, and Willem. I made that lodge and mark carried it on his little blue van.I was also at Molesworth we had the lodge up om the hill, and at that washpout at Darwen Pick up bank. Mark later shacked up with Jenny. I looked after Jen's army truck for a while when they went to Amsterdam.
I think we were the first to be searched when the bust came at Inglestone, a geezer (plain clothes cop) with long hair burst in, wearing a 'Nepalese Temple Balls' T shirt and said 'wheres the stuff, wheres the stuff'. 'What is stuff?' I thought.
Later I had a 'J' type tipper and an old mollicroft trailer painted in Showmans colours (by a guy named 'Bamboo', maybe you know him?). I also had a yello FG (7 ton I think) which I rebuilt enlarging the crew cab, it had a kind of 'cyclops' looking window in the front, and the new body work wasnt painted so it looked a bit odd. I drove it to the end of Stonehenge in '84.
I have been out of touch with everyone since '86, which was when I drove my truck down to Morroco, and got it impounded in Estspona (Spain) by the Guardia Civil. I then stayed in Spain for about 4 months, and eventualy made my way to India where I have been ever since.
I wonderd was if you might have any pictures of me or my trucks, or Tipis.
There was the blue Lodge at Inglestone, at that huge Mansion in Bristol, Molesworth
I think at Ashton Court, Maybe also Deeply Vale. Then at Stonehenge 84 I put up
an incomplete lodge which I was making for mark. We put up the poles, and made
a domed bender inside with an orange tarp, it looked great. Then I had the Yellow
FG flatback with the Extended 'cyclops' windowed silver crew cab. I lived in that
with Min who later shacked up with Pikey Pete.
I also was up at that peace camp cant remember where, north east somewhere when
word of the first Trashing came out. Seagull and a bunch of us drove over there
and 24 hours after those drivers had been arrested the whole convoy drove out.
I was going to drive out 'Phil the beer's' fire Tender, after his daughter asked
me. But later Seagull insisted he drive it, and if you know him, there is no use
in arguing, so I drove his rig out instead. It was great fun watching the old
bill in amazement as we drove off.
I missed the beanfield. By then I realised that there was no way you can take on the government by brute force. That was when I decided the UK was a lost cause.
I realised that after all the trouble the Windsor bust (was that '74) gave the Thames Valley police, they were reluctant to do anything. I remember that for a year or two they followed the convoy everywhere in unmarked cars. I guess they were just watching and figurung our weak points. Inglestone was practice.
I am now into Organic Farming and Sustainable architecture, here in India.
But I have had enough now here, and I am looking for a farm community to move
to somewhere in Europe, where we can hunker down for the millenium. Do you know
of anywhere?
Thanks Tash for your time.
I didn't realise that you guys were online. One day I figured I would have a bit of a surf to see what I might dredge up, and it was unbeleivable to see pictures of the convoy, I was in bliss. Thanks a lot for a great service to Albion and the people. Tash I cant thank you enough for a great website.
Here is a 1999 Sunday night Glasto tale. Not funny at all, but still a part of a festival. I really want to win one of those CDs so I’ll try anything..........
The music of The Roots is playing. It is very loud indeed. The speaker system is so good that the sound spreads out like a transparent carpet 10 feet above my head. And above the music, multi-coloured Temple Décor banners hang pulsing to the changes in light. Dancers move all around - packed in as tight as possible. I am kneeling by the head of Tony as he lies on the ground. He, a medic, Tony’s mate, and I are in a small area among the moving feet. Tony is unconscious.
"He won’t die will he?" shouts his mate in to my ear. "No. He’ll be fine. The ambulance is coming. They’ll sort him out." I yell back.
Tony’s mate slumps slightly forward. He gently strokes Tony’s arm. "Oh Tony, Tony, please don’t die." He starts to sob his head lolling forward. I put my arm around him and hold him steady. I feel him move toward me. We kneel together and together watch the medic gently try to revive Tony. He does not respond. Time passes. The rich sound of The Roots, achingly beautiful, tempting and exciting passes around us and through us. A disturbing live soundtrack to the tragedy that is before us. "Hang in there, man". I shout. "Hang in there for Tony". He nods positively and visibly stiffens his back. After a couple of minutes I feel he is stronger and stand up.
My yellow fire steward’s jacket shines out brilliantly in the UV light. I am glowing. A girl at the edge of the crowd in front is trying to tell my reaction to the drama at my feet. I just want to cry. Now standing, the full force of the manic energy present in the dance tent is evident. Everywhere moving bodies. Everywhere a riot of colour. Everywhere excitement. I pull a bottle of water from my bag and pass it to Tony’s mate. He nods and drinks and nods again as he passes the bottle back to me. He’s doing great. And then the ambulance crew are among us, as more stewards appear and we clear a bigger circle and the crew place Tony on a stretcher and we push back the crowd to create a passage back to the ambulance standing 50 feet away at the entrance to the dance tent. The crowd is so deeply packed in that people only 3 or 4 behind us did not even know we were kneeling there and look surprised as stewards run ahead clearing the stretcher which is speedily brought outside. The medics get Tony’s mate in the back of the ambulance with Tony and as they are driven away I see the relief in his face. Relief at activity. Relief to be in the hands of medical staff. Relief that everything will be OK for we trust and believe in our medical people implicitly for they can perform miracles. I exchange a glance with the medic and we part - she backstage, I to the madly dancing crowd so full of excitement and colour. The music is so lush, so powerful, so loud. It immediately lifts my spirits.
I have just been involved with a highly emotive piece of successful teamwork and I am impressed. Deeply impressed. The glory that is the music of The Roots shines deep in to my heart. I think that I will never hear this music again without thinking of Tony’s mate and the love he showed for his unconscious friend. Later I discover Tony came round after 1 hour and is fine. Right there, right then, I could only feel God and know he was where he always was………for ecstasy has many forms and many sides to it.
This is just a quick (personal) note to let you know how the Cardiff RTS got
on yesterday.
" Four lanes of auto-madness were reclaimed in the city centre, on the bridge
over the river Taf for about 3-4 hours. A sound system got in 5 minutes after
the party started, but there were amp and genny problems for about 30 mins. This
rig then played out to happy party-goers (and the FIT guys who were at Brixton),
against a back-drop of great banners hung from lamp-posts and a veritable see
of custard. People from trade-union organisations and crusties danced side by
side until about 8:30pm, when the people walked as one to a great warehouse for
an after-party party, followed by extremely fluffy ("no headlines please")
cops. The leccy was on in the warehouse, and the sound system from the RTS grew
throughout the night as more bits and bobs arrived. As I write this, I've just
got home from the great warehouse party - the time is 8:00am ! The RTS crew made
sure that bottles of water were available for the more-enthusiastic party goers
before relaxing and getting down to serious boogying (nice and safe)."
The mysterious men-in-black, ex -special forces veterans, specialise in tunnel
evictions. In the past half-hour they announced that have reached one of the tunnellers
defying eviction on the route of the Birmingham Northern Relief Road. However
they state that due to the sophistication of the tunnel & lock-on, that it
will take them up to three days to evict the protester, a female teenager. The
ashes of 'Sorted Dave', who died earlier this year on-site, are part of the defences
being used in this lock-on.
In a further sinister twist the Under Sheriff of Staffordshire today ordered the
screening off of the eviction site at Moneymore Cottages on the route of the proposed
Birmingham Northern Relief Road. This move by the Under Sheriff prevents impartial
observers including the media from being able to view what methods the authorities
are employing during the evictions. Protestors claim that the last time this happened
at Manchester Second Runway people including journalists were subjected to violence.
One of the first people to leave one of the camps at Manchester was a BBC Wales cameraman who complained of being struck with a truncheon. He was seen by millions of TV viewers with blood dripping from his head. Many protesters were repeatedly punched in the head by the men-in-black while lying on the floor attempting to shield themselves.
At the Trolhiem eviction on the route of the A30 in Devon the authorities were alleged to have used torturous means during the operation.
We were responsible for bringing the rave element to the stones for the spring Equinox. We were trying to show a new generation the splendour of the place and remind another that we can still party at the stones and gain access in larger numbers without damage bieng caused to the stones or any trouble.
We believe that to restrict access to "The chosen few" is an insult to others who share an equal right to walk among the stones as anyone.
We would value your opinion on the party and our web site where our version of events and future plans will be posted shortly.
We believe in a form of direct action using partys and fluro fun to make some
form of statement We gave out a sheet at the stones outlining a brief history
of the stonehenge struggle, this will be available on our site soon.
I hope to hear your views.
Cockney
On Saturday, Mutant Dance celebrated it's 8th birthday by putting on a free party
for the Equinox at Stonehenge, the first in over ten years....
A year ago, you would be lucky to be allowed to park up your car within 5 miles of the stones, but three weeks ago, the ban on gatherings at Stonehenge was overturned by the European Court of Human Rights.
After the usual chaos, fuckups and general anarchy that goes into putting on a party of this kind, about 300 people were gathered around a geodesic dome painted fluoro and lit by UV lights (it could be seen for miles!) dancing to techno, about 100 yards from the site of the infamous battle of the beanfield. I was 6 years old when all that shit went down, it was a pretty traumatic experience and I always knew we had to have a free party there sometime, if only to prove a point. Well, thats one ambition fulfilled!
At sunrise, partygoers had access to the stones, and the party was allowed
to continue as long as we wanted it to. No problems with the authorities (in fact
we will have some photos of one copper getting into the party spirit soon)
We gave out a telephone number to call on saturday for directions to the party,
and when people heard where we planned to do it, we were laughed at - no-one believed
we could pull it off. In future, if you hear that we are planning to do the impossibe,
come along and check it out!
Big thanks to Simon Barber and crew for bringing along the dome, and to Niki
Dinsey for providing a temporary sound system to keep people happy while the proper
rig arrived. Huge ta to Mike and Tom for the sound system, no-one else would risk
it! Distinguished service medal for heroism above and beyond etc goes to mutant
Frank. Respect!
Wicked team spirit that made it all happen, too many contributors to mention,
but you know who you are...
Finally thanks to all those who believed in us and made the effort to come along.
We'll be back....
thanx,
Bethany
Remember your very first festival?UMM silly question probably not!I do mine though,or at least bits of it.Glastonbury it was,I was,lets see,16 it think maybe 17 so that would’ve been 82 or 83.I do remember watching UB40 if that gives you a clue?LOL
My m8 and I set off well prepared for our first ever festy,no tent,no torch,no clothes,lots of money,lots of stash and 2 sleeping bags.Which was kinda dumb as we had no tent!But we were very young!Indeed,so young and naive were we that when we actually got there it never occured to us that it was quicker to get over the fence than queue up and pay at the gate! Anybody who has only been recently may not understand,but the fence then was about 8 feet high!In fact the security was so bad that the following year 6 of us walked straight through the gate without anyone getting stopped.Well,myself and my m8 shit what was his name?Always reminded me of huggy bear form starsky and hutch?(therefore obviously he was black) we got grabbed by security,he kept hold of my m8 but not me so as he walked us to the Security office which was turn right thru the gate,I carried on walking straight down the hill when they turned right and gave them a little wave when he finally noticed I was gone and 400 yards down the hill!My friend eventually annoyed them so much that they gave up and let him in too!
But I digress,that was my 2nd glastonbury,back to the first!We got in,had said to our friends who had been driving there "Well we know you have a red datsun so we’ll just walk round and find you!" HMMMMM At that time you could drive even into the main field,at least the top half anyway.Suddenly realized actually how many cars there were!And in how many fields.So we thought it was time to sit down and have a joint.Suitably stoned we walked about 100 yards down the first path we saw and low and behold there was their red datsun!SPOOKY!But nice!The first evening we slept in a m8’s tent,too wrecked to even get out.Woke up in the morning (probably afternoon!) and crawled outside spliff in mouth to find a beautiful young lady sunbathing NAKED (remember this is 18 years ago and I was about 16!) RIGHT OUTSIDE THE TENT!! I was in heaven man!Music,freedom to do my thing and NAKED WOMEN OUTSIDE THE TENT!!
Gotta laugh,these days I wouln’t even notice a naked woman outside my tent!Well,not if it was very early.Certainly not before midday. ;-) Wandering round later desperately trying to find our way round without a sitemap we come across a 40’s bearded guy,totally naked except for cowboy boots and hat,shouting at a hot air balloon ( I believe they actually had a tethered balloon doing rides over the site ?) saying "You might think your safe up there,but you have to come down sooner or later,and when you do,I’l be F******* waiting!!!"
WERE YOU THAT MAN?? THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW !!
Amazed ourselves walking round all these tents with people quite openly (like,signs hung on their tents saying what they had) selling weed!!Now I KNEW I was in heaven.By evening we returned to the car and decided to eat some acid with my sister and her boyfriend and go get ready to watchUB40 and check out the lasers.Great idea,sat on the hill with a case of beer,got shitfaced and totally entranced by the lasers.Then realised we had to find our way back through a sea of tents in pitch darkness (we didn’t have the sense to stay by a path,and it was REALLY dark back then once they turned off the arena lights) to the car and our sleeping bags.Must’ve taken us about 2 hours,4 of us hand in hand so we didn’t get lost,me in front,lumbering 6 foot four giant with size 12 feet totally blind from seeing colours off the acid.I dread to think how many peoles tents we demolished,we actually fell right on top of one that had poeple in it and left it and them in a heap on the floor!!How we ever got back I don’t know,we spent that night curled up in our sleeping bags by the side of the main path next to the car and we didn’t even get mugged.Imagine trying to do that these days!!
Next morning get woken up by a girl trying to sell off her obviously very large stash of oil before the end of the festy,for some (at the time) ridiculous price of about £2 a gram.We bought shitloads of it,I had a gram in coffee and passed out in the sun fully clothed for about 6 hours.OUCH!It was very hot!Realised we had to leave that night after the last band for someone to get to work and we couldn’t possibly smoke all the oil we had just bought and we were afraid of getting pulled so we started giving it away to people on our way out,they thought we were VERY strange.Got lost on the way ended up in Bath(we live in Wales!!!!).Eventually get h me next morning totally dazed and aconfused,must’ve taken us a month to recover,but the first one is always the one you remember.Bits of at least! LOL
I was hooked for years after that,finally stopped going when they started getting lots of trouble with mugging and suchlike.Haven’t ben now for about 10 years,but we are planning a comeback next year,in that (don’t F****** laugh) field espescially for caravans and shit,bit quieter apparently.Well.I am getting on now!And my caravan has a toilet, cooker, oven, fridge, BEDS,and WATER!! So watch out next year,Big Dave is back on the block!Free tea,biccies and spliff to anyone whofinds me and mentions Guilfin!You’ll see me,I’m 6 foot 4,just as wide and have a big welsh accent! LOL Mizem espescially welcome ;-)
Police and Bailiffs moved in this morning to begin the process of evicting protesters from Arthur's wood. Police are putting up fences and sealing the site. At least 30 people are up the trees and 4 people are in the tunnel.
An exclusion zone has been set up in the area to prevent people gaining access
to the site.
A convoy of riot police (TSG) has been seen moving toward the site.
Supporters of the protest are concerned that the police may be heavy handed and
ignore potential safety issues when evicting protesters, Jean said:
"I hope they don't bring heavy machinery into Arthur's wood this could
seriously threaten the lives of the people down the tunnel"
Arthur's wood is due to be chopped down by Manchester Airport PLC in order to
satisfy the requirements of the civil aviation authority to provide an obstacle
limitation surface for Manchester airports second runway.
At the public inquiry into whether permission to build the second runway be
granted it was clearly stated that Arthur's wood would not be touched, maybe another
inquiry should be held and presented with the true facts. Friends of the Earth
Manchester have documentary evidence of this.
According to the National Trust act 1937 work may only be carried out on National
Trust land if it improves the land, chopping down the trees in Arthur's wood by
no stretch of the imagination can be seen as improving the wood. The plan the
National Trust has, to allow some of the wood to re grow would mean constant felling
to keep the height of the trees below that needed for the runway, this would change
the nature of the wood for ever. When you look at the wood you soon realize that
most of the trees would need to be felled absolute.
Arthur's wood is very old and has many large trees. When you walk through the wood many established species can be seen, a lot of these species can take hundreds of years to become established, this diversity will be lost by machinery and tree felling which will rip apart the soil structure a crucial part of any fragile Eco system.
When you look at the National Trust's leaflet for Quarry Bank Mill which is adjacent to the Style Country park you will notice that Manchester Airport PLC are sponsors. Obviously some form of deal, back hand or up front has been done in order to keep the National Trust on side with Manchester Airport PLC.
>
The Eviction at Arthur's wood has moved into day 7 with protesters still occupying the site. The camp at Cedars wood has been cleared, One female protester held a naked protest and was only brought down after two female climbers were flown in.
The water in Arthur's wood would appear to have been tampered with, protesters described it as, "smelling of eggs" and having a funny taste. After two protesters suffered bad guts the bailiffs allowed water to be bought onto site. Food in the site is running low, this substantiates claims that the evicting forces are using siege tactics in the eviction.
A walkway used to get into the camp was chopped by bailiffs who managed to evict two protesters from trees over the weekend.
The evicting tunneling bailiffs built steps down to the tunnel entrance, the four people inside the tunnel are reported to be in good health but the sheriff has refused the protesters safety person onto site. This is contrary to agreements made at the safety meeting when the sheriff gave permission for an appointed safety person to have contact with the people down the tunnel. No check is being kept on the safety of the people down the tunnel. Past experience has shown that when this is the situation the evicting forces can employ any tactics they wish, this has led in recent past to people being tortured and tunnel cave in's caused in order to frighten the living daylights out of protesters. These tactics are not used when the situation is being properly monitored by both sides.
At least 15 people remain on site awaiting eviction. 6 people were evicted
from trees on Monday.
All the walkways have been chopped round witches hat (nearest treehouse to the
river).
Evicting climbers are using spikes on trees that aren't due to be chopped, thus
damaging trees unnecessarily. The National Trust are cross about this and are
chasing it up.
Everyone met up in Kennington Park, or at least a park near to Oval tube. The local off-licenses made a killing. Lots of leaflets espousing dead-horse ideology were handed out, black flags were unfurled, many, many dogs running about.
Sonically speaking, yes, there were drums. And whistles.
Then, at a time pre-arranged, the green banners we were supposed to follow made off in a northerly direction. Assorted dockers, dossers, ravers, quavers, soap-dodgers, push-chairs and me upped and offed with 'em.
We strolled through the Sarf Lahndan streets supping premium Euro lager. Some of us stopped at a pub run by a confused bearded man. All sexes shared the same toilets, which was a really nice touch, though some people seemed a little tied down in tradition in this respect.
By the time we rolled out of the pub, the demo had gone...so, we had to leg it to the front, past MI5 and Parliament, to be entertained by some old skool brass band, and some extremely nu-school acousto-junglists. When they finished their astonishing manual beat theory, I cried out "Rewind", which was dead psilly, coz, like, it weren't on vinyl. Heh.
Anyway, we wanted to see some violence, so off we went to Downing Street...
Well, we got there just in time, my friends. Now some might question the moral rectitude of wishing to see a few armored old bill duffed up by totally unarmoured anarchists and ne'erdowells, but to be honest, I see that as entertainment. Not as , errr, sophisticated and well-oiled as the Gladiators, but far more credible and 'street' in this post-post modern age. I managed to get right to the front, leant up against the barriers outside Downing Street, grinned at the pig-thug opposite and dutifully rang my parents to tell them where I was. Ah, that was the life, bottles flying around me as i was jostled by media scum angling for that perfect photo that defined the moment. One genius managed to smash the Downing Street lamps with a perfectly aimed (champagne ?) bottle. Another scaled the gates to rapturous cheers. Yet another, featured in today's Daily Telegraph, actually broke into that Bastion Of The State - The Foreign Office - and saw fit to throw incredibly sensitive documents into the street. Yes! According to one of these papers, Maggie was ejected from power because her prodigious gin consumption was threatening to empty the treasury coffers. Mother's ruin, mate.
Pretty soon after all of this, a furious John Major emerged from Number 10 whirling a sock full of billiard balls around his head, shirt sleeves pulled up, followed by Ken Clarke stripped to the waist and ready for some head-breaking action. Boy, the PM was fucking mad, shouting and swearing like a fucking nutter. The coppers had to hold him back. Now, John Major's quite a big fella, and we should thank the police for taking good care of the cunt. It was like there was some pent up anger. Even the anarchopunks stepped the fuck back a little.
Some crypto-fasc copper was filming all of this, including my beaming, spitting face, probably for "You've been Framed".
But I digress
An interesting development was the wanton use of paint-filled squeezy bottles to paint the faces of the assembled ranks of riot police and horses. How they managed to run away while completely blinded is a testament to the excellent training and discipline of the Met. Personally, and you might not agree, I think this would have been the ideal time for fiery 'Molotov Lager' action, but no such was forthcoming.
Anyway, by this time, the crowd at Downing Street was thinning (due to repeated cavalry charges). It onl remained to piss all over the MoD building and move on.
To Trafalgar Square.
Well, actually to a cash machine, KFC and Tescos for a beer buying sortie. Who would have thought smashing the state could be such a draw on the old bank balance?
So, on to Trafalgar Square.
We were quite on for some pills at this point, but our dealer seemed reluctant to venture into that part of london which suffered the highest concentration of police-types for four years - which was fair enough.
We were nevertheless content to watch a human fly scale a significant portion
of Nelson's incomparable Column (much to the chagrin of a collective of crazed
anarcho-climbers who chose rope over insanity in their
upward ventures).
The sound system was fairly loud, the tunes truly repetitive. I would have love to have heard a few rolling jungle tunes, but you can't have everything.
And all the time, more police surrounded us.
The atmosphere was very good...the full range of disaffected youth was there. For some reason, the inevitable punks set up shop next to the fetid Piss quarter of the square...a socio-economic indicator surely more telling than the Retail Price Index.
There was further fighting. Our heroes, the anarchists, chose bricks. However, I was particularly impressed by one neo-Ghandhi who simply stood eyeball to eyeball with the riot-police, continually jostled by shield and baton alike in some crazed Law and Order Brownian motion. That bloke deserved a medal, so dogged was he in his cheeky resistance to The Evil That Would Rule The Earth.
Yet another band decided to tear up the very furniture of the street in order to smash paving stones. They were however countered by various peace-loving rastas, reasonable socialists, semi-militant lesbians. The paving stones remained intact, and, as a corollary, so did a number of constables' heads.
There were charges and counter-charges, but the battle was one-sided and somewhat half hearted. I have never seen so many police. The anarchists removed their scarves and shades, dissappearing into the rapidly shrinking crowd. At this point, your loyal narrator decided it was time to abandon the struggle and find a pub.
On reaching Charing Cross, we look somewhat uncertain about the tubes operational status ("is it fucking shut, or what") - a friendly bobby kindly pointed out that we should "fell free to go", to which I retorted, quick as a flash "NO! after what happened back their I *Do Not* feel free"...
Carlsberg would usually be described as "fairly inoffensive" at the very best, however, I would invite you to picture this for proof that it is truly the best lager in the world:
After a long hot day of trudging through the dust at glasto ‘00, night had finally fallen and the three of us, decided that this was the final time we would walk the two mile-ish journey up the hill, through the gate, down the path and through the field to the car park.
Now, with aching calves, bruised shoulders, blistered feet and growing dehydration and hunger, as we neared the end of our ordeal, disaster struck, or so we thought.
One of the crates of cheapy nasty beer we were carrying obviously felt about the same way we did and, at a corner in the path, fell apart and strew its contents across the stony path. Of the twenty-odd beers, about four perished immediately exploding in fountains of foam and creating a small river. We scrambled in abject horror as another ten or so skittered away into hedges. It was only when we‘d collected up the escapees and distributed them back into our bags, that we noticed the casualties of the disaster, three of the cans were slowly expiring, mortally wounded and foaming pathetically in the verge.
It was then, as the three of us stared at them, that the same thought entered each of our minds independantly. This was surely fate; we took one of the cans and sat in the grass, sipping the still cool liquid and watching the glint of light from the fire jugglers in the teepee field.
I'm a photographer and poet who 29 years ago bought the land and money together to create Glastonbury Fayre. I then came back to Worthy farm and helped build the infrastructure the following summer. I accurately predicted that a city would arise on the spot and am glad to say that hippy tat is now the areas main industry.
Now up the road from me at Greenhill camp, in the countryside between Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield, Eco warriors have been camped for nearly 2 years in an attempt to stop the Birmingham north relief road being built. Theres 2 camps separated by a road to a large sand quarry which is to be shut if the road is built. It will be a toll motorway and will accelerate the ribbon development of Birmingham towards Lichfield. recently an eviction notice was served and water to the site has been cut off... could you please use your good offices to inform as many people as possible that the people at the camp desperately need supplies...food, water etc..The site is easily accessible by road, just leave your gifts and go and have a great day in Lichfield, I assure you your journey will not be in vain.
if you love Glastonbury and respect the Glastonbury spirit..please please help...youd make an old hippy and a lot of brave people very happy.
Ps I use the Morse code distress signal, not lightly, the captain of the Titanic
hailed from Lichfield as did Johnson and Boswell so dot dot dot dash dash dash
dot dot dot, is there anyone out there?
Can you help me out on an article that I'm working on for the manchester paper/email fanzine network 23. the article was going to focus on police interferrence with Free party lines..
This is stil on the adgenda as there will be people on for setting up a line in mancland this summer and if there are lessons to be learnt from other people then we must learn them.
BUT there is a real need to focus on the postive to get the people that aren't already into free parties [and believe me compared to the Midlands the number is many]
SO plans and schemes are afoot to change this state of affairs. I'm part of the random clubbers sound system which has been doing free after parties and the occasional off the cuff party in a field [likeabout 2 due to the difficulties involved in manchester].
WHAT were doing now ie this winter is nights on a free party vibe [now there's a commercial crap cop out if there ever was one, yes sounds shit but its true and the party people are liking it]
AND we need to keep the momentum of the free party ethic going to get people's head round being bothered to travel a not inconsiderable distance in the Spring when the parties get going again.
Current project: Desert Storm with Technical Support and Random Clubbers Venue
PSV on SAT 8th March.
This is the best dance venue in manchester and the night is going to be bedlam,
chill out upstairs and uplike downstairs which will be spiral techno upstairs
will be of a chilled groove more akinto what you might expect of a Midlands free
party [but a bit stranger]
ASIDE from mi musical generalisations which for all i know are totally inaccurate, what do you think?
CAN YOU put me intouch with people that have done free party lines// or tell me some interesting stories about that??
WOULD YOU spread the word of what we are trying to do?
HAVE YOU any other words for us???
Cheers, mic
Glasto 2000 my first Glastonbury! Saturday night, we’d just been sitting in our tent drinking nice hot mushroom tea before making our way over to the green feilds to kick off the night. En Route I was suprised to bump into 2 close freinds pillin off their nuts by the dance tent with large grins on their faces. After about 10 chouruses of "AAAAAARRGGHHH.....Alright Mate!" and 15 minutes of exited high speed babble, I mananged to discern that they’d jumped the fence the night before, left their stuff at a mates tent and got so cooked that they’d forgotten where this was!
We decided the best policy was to head for the green feilds, and we danced through a sublime sunset in the Glade, aided by copious amounts of shrooms and weed and the interlectual company of two small children. The night had started!
This acheived we made our way to see leftfeild on the other stage, trippin our balls off to the phat grooves. Still hyped after their colosal performance we set off in search of more music and were delighted to find the Greenpeace drum group, my favourite musical experience of the festival. Exauhsted and extremley happy we made our way to the stone circles for the night where we met up with freinds old and new (big shout 2 the Godalming crew) in the magic cirle.
Around 5:30 Sunday morning I realised how hungry and skint I was. Deciding the answer to all my troubles was cash, I embarked upon my lonley journey to the ledgendary ‘Natwest Cash Machine’. Upon reaching the Que, I was looking at a three hour wait, but after discussion with other arrivals, we decided that we all had enough skunk to last the duration, and that each of us would go the distance, no-one wanting to be seen as a quitter. It was here on this misty morning that I experienced for the first time the Glastonbury spirit. 6:00 in the morning, everyone had been up all night doing all sorts of things, but we all came toghter in the Que, a group of strangers sharing stories and joints. Just as dry mouth sets in, a saint in front of me in a brown poncho turns around "Save my place" he tells me "and I’ll go get everyone some water". Ten minutes later he returns with a bottle of water which was passed around the entire 3 hour que. He does this again and again, and each time he returns he encourages the que to start singing. 7:00 in the morning and the Glasto Natwest que is drinking water and singing "If You’re Happy and You Know it" (I think, my memory’s a bit hazy) and watching the sun come up. After all our patience we reached the front of the que and took our places at the cash machines, everyones smiling with joints in their mouths, salivating at the prospect of breakfast. I never saw these people again, but we all shared something that morning, and it was the nicest breakfast I’ve ever had!
Personally, I come from a free festivals and travelling background. New Age
Travellers etc.
A number of sayings have helped guide my life over time. Like....
Bring what you expect to find?
If no you, who?
If not now, when?
If not here, where?
In sum, this means self-reliance. It means gigs are ALWAYS better, when people attending don't just attend , but are a main part of the act. It is obvious to all those there, when this magic happens.
This is actually where I came in. 1972 Windsor, Stonehenge etc..... These were
my motives then and remain so now.
Of course the authorities have difficulty with a system that means they are not
in sole charge, hence all the law and violence since the Beanfield etc......
Over time, I have been involved I raising awareness about the law changes and
their implications to us all.
· Public Order Act 1986
· Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
· Noise Act
· Barry Legg MP: Places of Entertainments (Increased Penalty) Act
· Security Services Act
And now all the Acts that have been going through parliament - with the words
"conduct by a large number of persons in pursuit of a common purpose"
being a new definition of serious crime!!!
With the new definition of serious crime, that enable the use of some 'heavier'
police departments to be applied against us. And will be the end of all the RTS
and similar gigs.
Shame eh?
Now, in 'rave mode', I have spent time with the Velvet Revolution and All Systems
gigs, I had written 'Sound Advice' and the 'Right to Party' - to try and raise
these matters in peoples minds.
Well, we have lost each of the matters I'm on about here. Whoever you vote for,
the government gets in!
What I am absolutely positive about though, is that people involved in the
scene,
DID NOT DO ENOUGH ABOUT ANY OF IT AS IT HAPPENED AND NOW IS STILL GOING ON.
People have to realise that self-interest and their own immediate happiness
( hedonism?), is not enough to make a festival, party rave, traveller site, gathering.
Important, but not enough.
Some folks on reading this will have been too young, to have had any objection
to these changes as they have happened over recent years. But many others of you
will have been.
The way parties are now organised, between those trying to conform with some pretty onerous conditions, (ie half to 2/3 of a ticket price to 'self-police' and pay for your own public order management and drug search.!) and those involved with the 'free' end of things but at continued 'personal' rather than 'sheared' risks.
This division is of course orchestrated by the other side.
This old hippy / raver? Is now of the opinion that folk have now got the party
they deserve. Discuss........
Love
Tash
There were about 12 of us who decided to travel up to Sheffield on NYE. There were a couple of new comers in the party who were not too sure about going to a rave in a squatted school. Needless to say it was a memorable night. When we arrived at the school we could not here any music or see anyone around. We explored a found a couple of lads sitting in a small room playing some music on a small stereo. We explored further and soon found ourselves walking down this corridoor and at the end... BOOM!! I don't know what had happened because until then no-one had heard a thing. From that point on I didn't leave the dance floor until about 8.0am Anybody who was there will tell you what a good night it was.
Whilst I'm here.. There was another good night sometime during 1993? We were heading for a smokescreen party up in Wakefield. We left Nottingham around 10.00 (?) and drove up to Wakefield. After we left the cars in this housing estate we set about crossing what we thought would be a couple of fields to find thae party. Three hours later after dodging the old bill, climbing 15ft fences, scrambling through hedgerows we find the party. Lovely clearing in the woods with a really friendly atmosphere. Everyone who I was with was thinking the same thing: tonights going to be wicked, better get twisted.. 10 minutes later and the police have turned the tunes off. Not disheartened we decided to make our way back down to Repton in Derbyshire for another party and eventually arrive around 5am. This place is in complete contrast to the other: windy, apocolyptic dust bowl with heavy acid banging through the air. Regardless to say it was another memorable weekend.
Enjoy!
Steart Beach on Somerset’s sweeping Bridgewater Bay was the backdrop for a fabulous free festival last weekend after the Solstice.
During the days we danced in glorious sunshine and by night we had the glow of Hinkley Point nuclear power station, all lit up like an ocean liner in the bay.
Sound Systems came from near and far including the Deep Cartel from deepest Devon and the smirking faces of Panik and Skirmish. Dub, Jungle, House or Techno whatever took your fancy it was there for your delight. All were operating under the open sky as there was not a chance that it would rain.
Field cafes and bars kept the revellers fed and watered, and even the incurable shopper could buy a T-shirt or a piece of jewellery if they desired.
A message for the police helicopter was writ large on the beach, in giant letters made from seaweed. But the hot weather chilled everyone and we were left well alone to have our free festie, just like in the old days.
It doesn’t matter now that there was no Glastonbury. What to do? Do It Yourself, that’s what.
I got together with a few old friends tonight who I used to put on parties with in the days before they made repetitive beats illegal,we got to reminiscing about some of the parties we used to put on and the mad things that happened,so I thought I'd share a few of them with you.Probably cos it's 1am and I am now bored and wide awake.I'm sure you can guess why! ;-)
Like the time we tried to put on the first ever "acid house" night at a club here in Newport,the local paper found out and ran a horror story about the scene and they banned us!! I reckon it must have been one of the first nights that ever got stopped for playing that kinda music in the country!This must have been 89 i think.ACIEEEEEED!!!! LOL 8 )
And the time we decided to break into an empty house to have a party,we had no electricity so we ran a power cable from the upstairs window of my m8's house opposite,across the street and ran everything off 1 socket.hehe very safe!The police turned up when I was djing,i had my back to the door scratching away,spliff in mouth,when a copper tapped me on the shoulder and told me to turn the music down! He didn't even arrest me!They refused to leave til they spoke to the occupier though,which was a bit of a problem as we had broken in,but eventually Ronnie came running down the stairs declaring "It's my house officer what's the problem?" gave them a false name and they went away happy! LOL
Then a m8 of mine,wanna,jamaican guy in his 40's then,bought a huge house to convert into flats.He decided to have a party before he started work on it.It was an invite only thing,unfortunately one of the invites went to a guy who got busted BIG TIME so the police knew where and when it was.On the day of the party they turned up in the afternoon and said if we went ahead they would arrest us all,so obviously we just HAD to do it then! LOL
They left 2 coppers outside all day to keep an eye on us and when the PA turned up they wouldn't bring it in cos they were afraid it'd get confiscated! PUSSIES!!So I got in touch with a guy who does PA's for blues in bristol and he brought us one over,carried it all past the police outside who couldn't do a thing,and it went off.With the 2 police still stood outside til about 4am. 8 )
While i was djing I noticed bits of plaster falling off the ceiling onto the decks,looked up and saw a leg with an Adidas trainer sticking thru the ceiling! I called wanna and said "m8 you better go check the toilets upstairs cos someone just put their foot thru the ceiling"
He turned round and replied,in his best laid back jamaican accent "It's cool mon,the floor in there was rotten anyway" LMFAO 8 )
Then the next day, an inspector turned up at his house and said he was really happy with how it went off and they didn't get one complaint all night!BIZARRE!!!!!
After that we got our hands on a great venue,a huge basement right smack in the middle of town,we had parties there every weekend for months.I remember turning up there one night,with all the people waiting to get in,me,my missus and 2 other dj's,3 boxes of records,decks and the mixer all in a MINI !! The people were rolling as we all piled out,they couldn't believe we fitted it all in there.We had no men's toilets so we put a curtain up in the yard outside,and fixed a piece of guttering to the wall and ran it off into a drain!Then one night someone tripped over and grabbed a water pipe to stop themselves falling,ripped it out of the ceiling and flooded the place.They were still dancing in 6 inches of water,we put the PA up on crates to stop it getting wet and gaffer taped all the cables to the ceiling! LOL
After the criminal justice act things got a bit dodgy,so we took on a club.After a couple of months we made enough money to buy our own PA,wicked,huge black widow (remember them?) bass bins,it rocked.First time we used it,we stacked the mid and treble cabs on top of the bass bins,never thought about strapping them down,in the middle of my set I dropped a real bass heavy tune and the mid and treble cabs vibrated off one of the bass bins and knocked out one of the fucking punters!!!! OMFG!!!! LOL
Needless to say,next day we went out and bought some of the ratchet straps they use on lorries to hold the buggers together! LOL
I also passed out there one night while i was djing,highly embarrassing! (red & blacks and poppers don't mix!!!).
Ah well that's enough for now,I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as we did remembering (and doing) it!
And if I bored you - TOUGH TITTY!!! ;-) LOL
Dangerous Dave ;-)
On the night of Saturday 2nd/Sunday 3rd December, an outbreak of violence marred an otherwise safe and peaceful party, near Amersham in Bucks. Who was this initiated by? Thames Valley Police of course!
The usual "containment" strategy that TVP use, to be seen to be doing something about free parties, was employed. Usually this involves one or two police cars blocking the entrance to the party, until they get too bored or too cold or get called away to attend to other matters, and then just showing up to see that the party is winding down without trouble late Sunday morning. Thistime, though, TVP seemed to have conjured-up some additional resources from somewhere or other - as they'd brought up a small army with them - you would think you were in a riot zone - not near a freeparty site!
I got there slightly late, having been to the J10/Fushion/Valley Moods party in Bekshire earlier that night - so much of the action happened before I arrived - but this post uses eyewitness reports, and information from one of the victims, as well as the J14-Survival crew, as well as what I saw myself.
I'd received a tip-off of the potential trouble ahead on the journey to Amersham, but was quite surprised by the level of police presence blocking the entrance to the road that the site was down. Several mounted police, a massive "mounted police" vehicle, several riot vans, two land rovers, and loadsa panda cars. I phoned a friend on site who told me of a back way in. This road too was blocked, but by a smaller (but still intimidating) police presence - One mounted unit, one van and a couple of pandas. Parked up the car about 1 mile away - in an area that wouldn't arouse suspicion. Got back on foot to the road leading to the alternate way in, one empty panda car. Up the road a bit more we see the site entrance, blocked by mounted police and several vehicles. Discuss with friends our chances of making our way across a muddy field to get around the pigs. Good thing we didn't try this strategy [see later], a bit further on found a tall hedge to creep around without being seen.
Got into the party about 3am. It turned out that a police helicopter had spent about 90 minutes flying low over the party site (which probably made more noise than the rig did!). Now for the nasty bit.
Some folks *had* tried to make it in across the field, only to find that TVP had a dog unit, and the pigs unleashed their hounds on a group of 6 munters. The dogs took down several ppl, to be backed up by some thuggish ossifers, who laid into one of the blokes who was lying on the ground, still being savaged by the dog. Four ossifers joined their canine companion, booting the poor guy, whilst one pig repeatedly coshed him over the head with a torch. A small young woman tried to intervene, only for the pigs to start on her. They literally dragged her, kicking and screaming, across the field. I saw this girl later on the Sunday afternoon when she had been released. She was covered in bruises, and had some nasty cuff-burns on her wrists, where the police had twisted her arms up her back whilst she was cuffed. Apparently, she'd told them, at the point that the first ossifer had grabbed her, that she'd come quietly and peacefully - but they continued to beat her for some time. The police had removed their badges so that their numbers couldn't be taken. In total 5 or 6 people were arrested - for criminal damage (to the crops in this muddy field) caused by them peacefully walking across the field! Also police had been picking off cars around the party site, and searching them with dogs.
At one stage TVP threatened to raid the party and strip-search everyone on site, and the system crew barricaded themselves into the main party building (a barn with a hunting lodge attached to the side), to keep the pigs (and their dogs, that they'd brought up on site, to chase munters around the site with) out.
The police then eventually left - having failed to stop the party - and there was no sign of Babylon presence after about 5am - until they showed up again later in the morning. By this time the party had acquired a new cannon in its arsenal - a photography student rumoured to be from Reading, who was making a video documentary for her finals project. She began filming, and interviewing them (successfully bluffing them that she was an ITN journo!). At this stage the pigs attitude changed, and they backed off ... not to be seen again. The party finished at 4pm Sunday afternoon (it was starting to get dark ...) - and there was no police presence on the way out.
Its worth mentioning that the only trouble or violence at this party was that executed by Thames Valley Police. The crowd was a safe one, with lots of happy, friendly people, who just wanted to have a good party. Despite the police intimidation and violence (or perhaps, because of it?) this was a real banging party that had the dancefloor full until they switched the music off late Sunday afternoon, with everyone determined to make the best of it - and continue in defiance.
Be warned that if travelling to a freeparty - you are potentially at risk from stop-searches and even unprovoked police violence - if they have the resources, the police will attack, unprovoked, anyone in or around a party site. So much as walking across a field can be considered "criminal damage", which Thames Valley Police seem convinced warrants the use of extreme violence to prevent.
we have fond memories of a very wet, muddy Big Chill festival in Norfolk. Around Sunday lunch time a certain DJ Ms. Tree, whose idea of mixing produced some excellent cocktails, played "Mr Blue Sky" by E.L.O. and the sun came out for the first time that weekend. My first festy was Glastonbury in the early eighties. I remember a mud covered man asking me if I had any skins. " Yes, yours is rather dirty' I answered (I don't think I knew what a roll-up was in those far off, innocent days). This was possibly the same Glasto where Ginger Baker scored a direct hit on the back of Roy Harpers head with a beer can on the main stage. Nyge recalls Mr. Harpers set at another festival being persistently being interrupted by a stage invader shouting "Donald Weird, you're wanted on the telephone". I reckon he's been cursed by The Masons of Watford Gap services.
But the best time was the Knights Of The Occasional table expedition to Womad, Reading,by barge, from Tottenham. After a pleasant cruise down the River Lea we joined The Thames near Greenwich and the gearbox packed up, leaving us drifting in the wrong direction with no power. Luckily we were able to get a police boat to rescue us and tow us into Surrey Quays. I don't think Fraser Clarke has ever been so keen to see a policeman. They all had huge grins on their faces, I think rescuing a bunch of drifting hippies brightened up an otherwise boring day for them.
Having stopped overnight and fixed the gearbox in the morning we cruised down the Thames on a hot summers day. The roof of the barge made an ideal dancefloor for the more active members of our posse ( we had a small sound system on board, natch) while others just sunbathed. Occasionally Sunny, the youngest of the crew, fell overboard prompting his elder sister, Rainbow to jump in after him. Unfortunately she couldn't swim either but we managed to get them both back on board. Not being anywhere near Reading by nightfall on Friday night we decided to sail on through the night. Nighttime canal boating is an experience I would recommend to anybody... especially to a soundtrack of Balinese gamalan music. After a while a thick fog brewed up, adding to the sense of tension and adventure. One wrong tributary and we could end up running aground. Luckily this didn't happen, nor did we get stopped by the lock keepers, who probably would have not approved of our minimal lighting.
We finally arrived at Reading at six o'clock on Saturday morning. Straight to sleep only to be woken up at ten by a Rumanian accordion ensemble playing on the roof! After all this excitement the festival itself was like a return to the normal world! We all continued to have a good time and I particularly enjoyed watching Baaba Maal performing cartwheels. The journey back was very mellow, no breakdowns, noone falling overboard, more sunbathing and more good music. A damn good way to get to a festival!
I got a lift down to swindon from a work colleague and was heading to a free festival near swindon... can't remember what the venue was. Either way, me and my girlfriend of the time proceeded to be picked up by a strange couple in a 2cv which the rear suspension had gone on and they were offering us coke or something like that off the dashboard.
Anyway, we got to the fetival site only to find it blocked off, but a messenger on a bike told us that the new festival was going to be right near the town. So we piled down there. I pitched my tent and proceeded to have some kid of about 10 threaten to burn my tent down, which was a nice welcome.
I don't think that there was much in the way of entertainment that night so i made ammends by waking up in the morning, walking into town and buying myself the healthy breakfast of a steak and kidney pie and a bottle of gin. Once back at the festival site i proceeded to consume this and several hash cakes. Subsequently, shortly afterwards my head started seriously spinning and the inevitable happened, the brown mess that i had ejected from my mouth that was my steak and kidney pie, proceeded to be consumed by a hungry festy dog. He probably ended up having a better time than i did. I then collapsed, only to be woken up by my girlfriend saying... "you're going to have to get it together, there are riot police here and they've been ordered to move us on". Now having double vision dosn't help at this point, what were probably only about 10 police seemed like 50. But you know that thing that happens with hash, you know when your mum suddenly turns up unexpectedly and your completely boxed?.... you suddenly get it together like you hadn't taken anything.
So with what i felt was a superhuman effort i managed to pack my tent and walk straight past the police to sit by a roundabout. Unbelievably, not 5 minutes later my friends who said they might turn up, turned up!!!
We then drove around to the white horse at Uffington to have a festival there instead and a good time was had by all.... well not exactly. We then got hassled by some brew crew boys who were slagging us off and threatening to smash the car up. So off we went to wales to the forest of dean instead.... far more peaceful. Especially for my mate Mike who fell asleep on the bog at the service station for about 2 hours.
Got off the train at waterloo, changed train, changed train changed train. Finally got the location but where to from here? First likely looking bloke took us on a tour of the area eventually ending up at a pub with a party but it wasn’t our party! Set of back to the station and met another group of people. "Looking for (name removed to protect the guilty) lads?" "Yeah us too". Got the location: Such and Such Community centre in Such and Such park. "Community centre? It’s not legal is it?" Asked some mini cab drivers for directions – much tutting and shaking of heads and £20 agreed on to take us there. Decided to relive myself round the corner when what should I find not 10 meters from where we’re standing? Such and such park – dodgy mini cab drivers. Walked into the park ears first. "Is that a bass line I can hear?" "YES!" Run towards the community centre to be greeted by a thirteen-year-old girl with a baseball bat acting as security. Can of Tennants pay my way in and were there! Walking through the building I’m struck by the smell of spray paint but think nothing of it. Find the Techno rig in the corner of a sports hall and somewhat surprised to see gym equipment still in this supposedly abandoned building. Think nothing of it and find a pair of badminton rackets and a shuttlecock and proceed to play whilst the naughties take effect. Walking through the building we decide to sit down in what appears to be someone’s office. I notice a stack of paperwork and looking into it I notice that there consent forms for a school trip and there dated the day before yesterday! It now appears were having a rave with 3 separate rigs in a community/sports center, which is due to, re-open on Monday morning! Walking around the building we notice that they have electricity, running water, full shower facilities and with further investigation we are able to make cups of tea with fresh milk. The place is trashed by this point, lockers have been ripped off of the walls, spray paint is everywhere, ketemin kestrels are writhing on the floor and there is still no sign of PC plod. Anyway its getting to about 7 in the morning and we’re saying our good-byes when I decide to check out whats behind this door. Look in there and think shit! I’ve walked into someone’s office coz there’s PC’s on every desk and those swivel type chairs. Closer inspection reveals that all the memory chips have been swiped by a gang of 14 year olds. We make our excuses and leave not before picking up one of those trundle wheel things (you know, the sticks with a wheel attached which you measure distance with). Walking out of the park I’m surprised to see old dears walking their dogs while the doof doof doof of acid techno drifts across the park.
A couple of years back at Glasto, we were all sat up by the stone circle looking out over the campfires as the sun went down, munching our way through bags of shrooms and generally enjoying the sunset. The sudden discovery of the Mufflewumps, small creatures who lived in the side of the hill, heralded the start of one hell of a crazy night. Somehow the conversation came round to what our newly qualified doctor friends were doing in their respective hospitals. In between tokes, Paul told us he was delivering babies in Rotherham General, near Sheffield. We all sat still and took in the thought of delivering babies. Joe piped up with, "so, Paul, what's it like, delivering babies?". Paul thought for what seemed like half an hour, with us all sat in rapture around him, and finally, as he screwed up his face, said, "delivering babies is.......bonkers". To which there were many nods of agreement and a general sense of wonderment which lasted the rest of the night, Mufflewumps and all.
Another time (one of the recent muddy ones), we went down from Sheffield in a camper van, 50 miles an hour all the way there, replete with cafetieres nicked from motorway services (well, you've got to get something to show for the 10 quid you just forked out on coffee) and a large amount of skunk. One of the boys' dad was a regular on gardeners question time on radio 4 and so while it pissed it down outside, we sat under our blankets, played backgammon, got totally off our chops and listened to Tom's dad discuss the merits of having Wisteria in a shady damp spot. Seriously classy Glasto, that was...
The sun shone, the people were there, all colourful and cheery and it was all set up to be a triffic, trafficless party last Saturday on Albion Street in Leeds.
Unfortunately the Police had other ideas.
Having split up to confuse West Yorkshires finest, two crowds of people came together on Albion Street to be confronted with 20 - 30 police brandishing truncheons, batons and, more worryingly, cs gas spray. After the police confiscated tripods, the protesters attempted to set up a bouncy castle only to be beaten back by more officers with telescopic batons. Several protesters had gas sprayed in their faces and the police later denied even having the spray, even though one of their own officers had to be taken to hospital when he was sprayed by mistake! The confrontation was settled when the 500 protesters sat in the road in a demonstration of a non-violent protest and the police allowed the organisers to set up a sound system and the bouncy castle.
The party continued throughout Saturday afternoon and once the police had left,
without further incident. Banners were strung up and shoppers were informed about
the nature of the protest whilst protesters danced showed others just how much
fun a traffic free street could be.
One banner seemed to sum up the atmosphere perfectly. It simply said, "Reclaimed."
My best festy story (that I can remember!)... about 4 years ago, I went to france for a festy with my flatmates and best friend. Caught a coach from waterloo with all our stuff, walking around feeling nervous and like we had 1 huge neon sign flashing over us going... whoop whoop! arrest those people now! They're taking illegal drugs and subversive underground party vibes to the continent! (I know, not very hardcore!) To find 3 big coaches waiting to be loaded up with all our happy hippy party friends from all our parties & festies everywhere... fantastic!! Under the channel on the train, cooped up with nothing to do, we went exploring, and found a space, a fabulous space... suddenly the tap tap tapping of drums, bongos, whistles, tambourines... everyone starts clapping and smiling ... beautiful colourful party people in that grey metal container, sharing smiles and laughter, dancing and spinning, an amazing moment under the sea. The guards came to see and stopped and smiled!! And laughed too! And said we've never had anything like this happen... wish it was always like this and we laughed and grinned some more at the riduculousness of it all.. so many years chased down, critisized and knocked down for just wanting to have a good time... a positive response... how totally cool!!! And what made me want to write this, is reading the list of bands on the CD you're giving away, Solar quest, tribal drift... reminded me so much of that festy... they were all there it was just so amazing dancing under a huge, glowing french full moon in the biggest, inkiest, twinkliest sky, surrounded by dark, witchy trees swaying against the sky making you feel like... WOW... is this heaven? How can it be any better?... zion train on stage, the bass rumbling thru us making us smile, my friends turning into the sweet cartoon animals they turn into when I'm on mushrooms and loving it even more... laughing even more... heaven on earth, what a beautiful festy!
Few years ago my girlfriend and I decided to go to a local (well,not that local we are from South Wales) festy called the forest fair in the forest of dean.It had been a very wet week so we decided just to go up on the Saturday and come back the following day.We also decided to take our daughter,then about 13 or 14 with us,which is not a good idea knowing what our consumption of illegal substances at these events is usually like!
So off we go dressed in our finest mud monster clothes,arrive at the site,get thru the gate and immediately get stuck in 2 feet of mud.In the middle of the main track.Good start.Eventually manage to get pulled out by some travelers with a huge troop carrier thingy,nice one dudes! :-) And go off in search of our friends.Eventually find them camped by a path which is by now about a foot of mud,with a huge,and obviously invisible,hole in the middle of it.So we spent several very amusing hours getting stoned and watching everyone walk along the path,put their foot in the hole and fall on their arses in the mud.Highly amusing for us,but not for them,but you have to remember that we were very stoned by this time.My girlfriend now decides it would be a marvelous idea to drop some acid,so I get sent off in the mud on a mission to find some.So I bump into these totally trollied Scots guys who just happen to be like a mobile chemist shop.Bought a couple trips off em,they said they were the bolluxdon't take too may at one! I''m like "yeah ok m8 heard it before " innit!
Get back the the mrs and we take a look at them they are like postage stamp size with a sun on them.Thought it might be a good idea to try half first as we had the daughter with us to see how strong they were.That was the best idea of the day.As soon as I put it in my mouth I thought "shit" .It tasted like they had just been made,it was like putting a drop of liquid LSD on your tongue.So off we go,daughter in tow,making complete fools of ourselves,falling around in the mud,laughing hysterically,seeing all kinds of weird shit,you know the score.Surprisingly our daughter seemed to find nothing unusual in this!Or maybe we are always like that and we just haven't noticed?? Scary thought! LOL
By now it is getting quite late and the dance tent,which was like a huge circus tent with no sides on,was beginning to look very inviting playing some banging techno so we bedded our daughter down with our m8's kids in their tent and off we go to party.My girlfriend persuades me to eat the rest of the acid,I was a bit unsure as I was still pretty mashed off the first half but you know what women are like so I end up doing the rest of it.OMG what a bad move!By 1am I was unable to roll a joint,I was going around asking complete strangers to skin up for me!! LOL By 2am I was completely incapable of anything besides dancing,I couldn't even speak,my mrs had to lead me around all night in case I got lost!!When it started to get light a few hours later she persuades me to go and get her some coffee from the van by the side of the tent,which doesn't SOUND too major does it,but this is the first time for the last few hours I have actually had to communicate with somebody I didn't know.After standing there looking lost for about 15 minutes the lady eventually gathers that I actually want something and I manage to order the coffee.Then of course comes the matter of paying for it,which confuses the hell out of me.She eventually gets so pissed off trying to get any sense out of me that she goes and starts serving someone else.I manage to sort out the money and try to pay but I have pissed her off so much that she totally ignores me,so in the end I just bugger off with the coffee.(if you happen to be reading this,coffee lady,very sorry but this is what drugs do to you!)
Now by about 6am we have realized how muddy wet and cold we are,and I decide I have come down enough to drive us home.Hmmmmmm. So we go to wake our daughter up and find she has actually been awake all night with our friends kids laughing at the state of us all in the dance tent!OOPS!
Off we toddle back to the car,get in,fire it up,feeling fine.drive (or slide mostly!!lol) down to the gate and get out onto the road,drive a hundred yards and decide we can't sit in these clothes all the way home so we jump out and strip down to our kegs by the roadside,just as a police car drives past,they obviously have a sense of humor as they just drive past laughing,but this totally shits me up as I realize I am actually still tripping my tits off!But joint persuasion by 2 women eventually gets me to continue to drive home.This was pretty cool until we reached the A449 dual carriageway,which was in the middle of major roadworks with 1 lane open and cones each side all the way back to home in Newport!Well you can imagine can't you,red and white stripes each side of me,white knuckles on the steering wheel,my mrs saying "are you all right babe?" To which I reply "NO I am not all right but I ain't fucking stopping now !!" LOL
My god what a drive!Got home in 1 piece,climbed out the car still in our underwear just as all the neighbors are getting up to their great amusement.Took our clothes out the boot and threw them all straight in the bin,we must have been head to toe mud all night and didn't even notice!!Then proceeded to spend the next 3 hours walking round the garden saying"Don't the flowers look lovely" and shit like that. What a night!
So guys,and girls,if you ever come across a bunch of totally trollied scottish geezers selling acid the size of postage stamps that look like they made them themselves,buy it and get me their phone number!!
One of the weirdest festivals I went to wass in a place called Dimbly Bottom in Cornwall.
Its was freezing yet the facist local authority would not let anyone light fires. Wherever one started they would put it out. The Policeman that put ours out ended up with a Doc Martin on fire.
Amazingly enough this was a long time ago, there was a real hippys meet dance clash. In one tent the hippy hero Roy Harper was playing, in another some kid DJ`s from Cornwall. Roy Harper got so pissed with the Dj he got up off stage went to the next tent and took the needle off the record. Things went down hill from there.
To make things even weirder it was near mushroom season and soon the whole site was stumbling into unhappy security and shit police.
Eventually it rained so much the gig was called off, and people were getting seriuos Hypothermia.
Strager still was the main stage, that was sinking due to the whole underground being an ex tin mine.
A car load of us set off one fine night for a Pineapple Tribe party in deepest
Surrey, armed only with a mobile number scrawled on a scrap of paper. After an
hour of sparring with traffic on the M25, we were there, well almost. We tried
the mobile, but the line was dead. Not to worry though, someone had been to the
previous Pineapple party, in an abandoned quarry. So off we went to the quarry,
stopping at every phone on the way to try the number again, and again.
We got to the quarry to find that it wasn't an original idea. Amongst the half dozen or so cars there were two containing friends of ours. After everyone had finished expressing their surprise and deep joy at such a happy coincidence we got down to the serious matter of swapping infomation and thoughts about how we were going to get to this party. No one had had any joy with the mobile number. The only option left open was to keep on looking. Some decided to head for higher ground in a desperate attempt to spot some lights, or maybe catch a little bassline. Whilst others decided to put their fate in the hands of the universe and drive about randomly.
What followed next was pure Keystone Cops. I'd never been to Surrey before. I had no idea that it was such a rabbit warren of woods and country lanes, each criss-crossing the other. It seemed as though at every crossroads or junction we would see one of the cars from the quarry conference hammering along with bass pumping, smoke billowing, and the faces inside glued to the windows - all looking for this damn party. We seemed to be going round in circles. We'd end up at the same junctions, or in the same villages. But so would everyone else. You'd see them going in one direction down one lane, and then five minutes later, going the other way.
By this point we were all getting highly frustrated. As time wore on our hope of finding the party was gradually ebbing away. We'd spent over three hours in the car since leaving, and were looking at another hour to get back. I have rarely felt so low. The anticipation of going to a party is almost as good as being there. We'd all been so high, happy, and excited when we'd set out and now we, even the eternal optimists amongst us, had to admit defeat. We were going home tired and unpartied....
...until...
...at the very moment we'd given up hope...there it was...
The party was small. There was a camper van complete with decks and speaker walls in the bottom of a hollow surrounded by enormous trees - no wonder we couldn't get through to the mobile. The music was full-on and so were the people - there was no one there who hadn't striven to be there. The crowd kicked up a massive cloud of dust that marked out the party goers in the morning. The sloping floor meant you couldn't help but gravite toward the speakers. It was wild...
...at some point a girl appeared from nowhere in the middle of the dance floor twirling a firestick...lookout! Psycho. She then began blasting flames just inches over everyone's head. She followed this up with some nifty devil stick trickery before a bow, rapturous applause, and a disappearing act into the crowd. The energy just got cranked to 11.
More drums, dancing, and laughter...it was all over far to soon. It was a rollercoaster ride - heaven to hell, then back to heaven again, only higher. When the time came to go our separate ways, I shared a parting glance with one of the friends that I'd driven up with. I've never seen such a mixture of happiness and sorrow in someone's face, nor shared a moment of communion quite like it. The world has been a better place since.
Jah Rastafari
You never forget your first rave do you? My first one was a real eye-opener,as I was sixteen and never been out,even to a ritzy/nightclub before! My best mate had blown me out at the last minute,but I was not going to give up that easy.I realy had to find out for myself what this rave bizniz was all about.The venue was the astoria in london and I arrived about two hours early.This was not a problem as there was allready a crowd of wating outside,I did wonder what the horn things around their neck were though.Things were fairly quiet until a group of hare-krishnas came walking along the alleyway from their nearby temple. Seeing us there,they very kindly started to dance and chant enthusiasticly.The queing ravers couldn't resist joining in,and the hare-krishnas were quite happy for them to do so.So we all ended up dancing in a large circle up and down the alleyway, much to the surprise of passing pedestrians.
Anyway,after getting some bad attitude from the serious doormen it was into the main room/arena,which was done out in u/v things and had a multicolour lazer.I was quite impressed with all this as I'd never seen stuff like this before.As I'd got in early It was still fairly empty so I sat on a dance platform for a while.Eventualy a bloke and babe came and sat next to me and started to chat,they explained all about the culture of raving.They noticed I was a bit self-concious about dancing,so they advised me to let the music take control(this was very good advice as it worked!)They also told me about the chill out room, (which proved a good idea after several hours of mad dancing)and who to get some safe E's from.Talking of E's,they were brilliant,I felt so connected to the music,and what had felt strange before felt like it was specially ment for me.Anyway I had the best night of my life.I danced like I'd never done before,met some mad/lovely people,and of course got totally hooked on it all.In fact 10 years after I'm still going out and having a mental time most weekends(much to the annoyance of family ect who always said it was just a phaze I'd grow out of!!) Hope you like my recollections,and remember: a party is for life,not just for christmas!!!
A report by environmental health and the no fun brigade on Glastonbury 2000.
With the post beanfield / stoney cross / and the general stress that travellers
were under at the time in the mid '80's, I was quite involved with the politics
of the situation. Now, because of the trouble around the stonehenge festival,
and the influence that that had on gbury, it meant that to keep licence / maintain
the public liability insurance, and hence be able to keep the event, they had
to start to exclude the travelling population. Ie, the regulation 'scapegoats'
, to be thrown to the lions, to appease their business eh?
Its been on ongoing situation with hundred of thousands, having a nice time, but
a few thousand of us have felt / been excluded for years now.
This is what was started before the 2000 event ............ and all this now the
case for the 2002 event.
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/michaelsletter.html
Guys like me have been shouting about some of the tools and powers (licences can
be just another way of saying NO, rather than the safety implied) that THEY have
been taking onto themselves, to control gatherings.
Well, we've been here before. but it appears to be Glastonbury's go next.
Just too many want to go, and there are no other 'proper' festivals left.
So, what you do is whack up the ticket price, in proportion to demand. Police
it, keep out the riff-raff. Simple really. If they don't, they haven't got a festival.
This of course is going to put one against another on the issues that will arise.
Who is a greenfield person, an eco-warrior with truck doing a stall, new age traveller,
site worker wots' paid to be there. Tons of stress coming! The objective, of course,
of those raising these objections, to attempt a cultural / ethnic cleansing of
the festivals that remain ...
Can't tell you how cross I am! 30 years work with voluntary agencies and general commitment, to have such an 'alternative' event STOLEN and then to be excluded or, have it sold back to us.
Tash
At Glasters 1995, we made the mistake of camping in a field near the dance tent, which was inhabited mainly by Scouse nutters who seemed to enjoy mugging people as they walked past (it also had the worst loos). After a near-incident with a Scouser that could have turned nasty, I settled down at my tent, which was located further up the field. Shotly afterwards, my friends returned with a tripping, paranoid Geordie hard man in tow. He thought Ruth was from a family who had double-crossed him and was acting in a threatening manner, telling us he had a sawn-off shotgun hidden under his clothes. The trauma was a bit too much, and I had to go for an uphill walk to the flushing toilets to calm myself down, missing half of Orbital's performance in the process. That was also the year I saw a naked man doing a poo right near the Jazz stage ! I have since learned to stay in the Green Fields.
born may 30 1928; died January 18, 1999
Eric Mattocks, who has died suddenly in his sleep aged 70, was one of the liveliest
and best-loved characters in the London squatting movement. A rough, roguish,
huge-hearted man, he was a stalwart of the Islington-based Advisory Service for
Squatters (ASS) for almost 25 years.
There were few squatting campaigns in that period that did not bear the mark of his practical activism or echo with the sound of his unforgettable laugh.
Brought up in working-class Hackney before and during the second world war, Eric never departed from his roots in London's East End. He had been a burglar before he was a squatter, and turned the skills he learned in that earlier profession to good use when his own experience of homelessness persuaded him that no one should remain homeless while houses stood empty.
On the few occasions that he could be persuaded to speak about his housebreaking past, he was quick to insist that it was strictly confined to 'rich people's houses Kent, Surrey and Blackheath'. He despised 'nicking off the working class' and the rise of that sort of mean crime on the estates of Hackney and elsewhere.
There was little that he would not do to help the many vulnerable people who turned to the squatting movement when all else had failed. For his 50th birthday Eric was presented by his squatter friends with the 'Order of the Golden Crowbar' (actually a gold spray-painted crowbar) in recognition of the number of squats he had opened up.
The squatting movement of the 1970s and 1980s was at the heart of the political and cultural turbulence that produced, among much else, punks and punk rock. Although described as a 'proto-punk' for his anarchic politics and spikey ways by one of his younger fellow activists at ASS, Eric was never a fan of that particular music scene.
At squatters' benefits he was often to be found taking the money on the door, where, equipped with industrial ear protectors, he would question the eager punters' sanity in 'paying good money for that bleedin' 'orrible racket'.
He was also legendary in some music circles for once forcing Joe Strummer and his mates in the Clash, then on their way to stardom, to clean up the rubbish outside their squat. It was 'giving squatters a bad name. I don't care what bloody pop group they are.'
Mattocks had first become involved in the organised squatting movement around the time of the eviction of the Elgin Avenue squatters in the summer of 1975, when barely a day passed without news of one squat or another hitting the headlines. He became treasurer of the London Squatters Union and was one of the founders of ASS, which he also served as treasurer until his death.
When ASS hit one of its periodic financial crises, it was Eric who raised the money to keep it going; when the organisation was firebombed in 1981, it was Eric who got an emergency telephone line installed and had the centre back in action the next day. He did all this while working as a school gardener for the Inner London Education Authority, where he was an active trade unionist and shop steward.
Perhaps Eric's greatest triumph was the Greater London Council's squatters' amnesty in 1977-78, when some 12,000 squatters in GLC properties were given authorised occupancies. Eric had found a kindred spirit at the GLC in John Snowcill, the senior official with responsibility for squatted properties. The two discovered they had attended the same primary school and formed a close friendship, which was to culminate in the plan for an amnesty. Eric played an essential role in its implementation chewed over with Snowcill at regular Friday sessions in a Waterloo pub.
Among those who turned up to a London Squatters Union meeting in the late 1970s was Catherine, with whom Eric was to form a relationship that lasted for the rest of his life. Their two young children have lost their father, who loved them as dearly as he was loved by others, far too soon.
'Welcome to Tottenham!' were the ironic first words of the local police commander to his superior sent from outside the borough to take charge of a Saturday's proceedings, Reclaim the Streets-style. 'Steer clear of north east London this afternoon, because Reclaim the Streets have taken it,' announced Greater London Radio during its traffic update...
But rewind for a while to a Euston station noon, where a big crowd was already gathering itself into a lovely vibe: folks millarounding, drinking and drumming, cycles massing, and even the sun out to wish us well (completely unexpectedly, as threatened thunder showers didn't materialise all day. Earlier predictions that we bring 'RTS weather' to all our parties were absolutely spot on.) Flyers went round headed 'Freedom is there for the taking - so let's take it!', asking everyone to 'Follow Your Flag' as well as a plea for a peaceful day. Tiny coloured sticky dots were handed out to a few, echoing the colours of the flags but not much more in fact than a diversionary tactic. The flags were majestic and beauteous, of red, yellow, green and blue with the fine old RTS jagged diagonal stripe sewn on at one end of many, thus making it flutter most fetchingly.
The police - and not many of them at that - remained standoffish, though cameras were of course everpresent. Their attitude even before we reached Tottenham was very laissez faire, and one of many examples right through the day of the their letting us through their fingers. Whether that was because of apathy, inadequacy, lack of funds, fear of conflict or tacit support of our aims (!), it's still hard to say, although I suspect a combination of all but the last suggestion. (Police vans had been spotted on Camden High Street at 11.30am interestingly, so maybe that was their favoured location.)
'D'you reckon it's possible to run out of adrenalin?' I asked a flag-wielder as the psyche-up drums went silent and the waiting became wearing at about 12.40. Then suddenly the now-distributed flags began to move as with a whoop and a holler we headed for the station at a frighteningly snail-like pace. A few of us drifted down to the Victoria line platform northbound, no police in sight for many minutes, but then the flow of people dried up, causing creeping panic as we let one northbound train go, with 5 minutes left before the next one. Emissaries chased up the stopped escalators for info, the flow started again as the train pulled in and bemused party people were literally shoved down the platform to make room for all those sure to follow. The train sat there for 5 minutes as we sweated, joked and waited for the doors to close us in. A long-suffering woman with her daughter took a deep breath and waited; I imagine she thought us a football or Fleadh (a big local festival) crowd and thought no more about it.
At this point, unknown to the first (and only?) trainload of funsters, Euston tube was closed, leaving the majority of the crowd to drift down to King's Cross with it seems no idea of the location. There a spontaneous party happened, with the help of a speaker stuck out the window of a sympathetic residents' flat. It was around this time that the police shut down Euston Road (one of London's busiest and vilest clogged arteries) in both directions for some time. Finding King's Cross also closed, this hard-working crew walked from there all the way to Seven Sisters (which must be four miles at least) in a spontaneous pedestrianised critical mass which passed off peacefully except for a few threats from irate motorists and some reputedly overzealous retaliation. This good old-fashioned march finally hooked up with the Tottenham posse at about 3pm, having accidentally but brilliantly multiplied many times the effect of the party itself. In retrospect, it's clear now that stewards with some idea of the location should have stayed at Euston instead of charging down the Tube - one for future party planners to take note of.
Meanwhile, back in central London at oneish, the two-wheeled version of Critical Mass headed off in the direction of Seven Sisters' Road, at least 500 bikes providing the third pincer in what turned out to be a fiendishly clever piece of planning. This planing combined with the instinctive genius of the crowd to provide a perfect triple whammy, and that's even before taking into account the triumphant proceedings that went down in Brixton at the same time.
Back in the Victoria Line sardine can we moved off, at each station the partygoers having to be restrained from tumbling off the train. 'Don't get off at the next stop' the word went round...'not this one.' A little disbelief filtered through the carriages as Highbury & Islington came and went...Finsbury Park..? Then the next stop was the one, the longest ride between station of any I've endured. The crowd seemed strangely relaxed as we pulled in, as if they already knew that taking the street would be about as trouble-free as crossing the road. A police escort of about 3 arrived with us into the Seven Sisters' (Tottenham) daylight, where the crowd proceeded to stand on...the pavement, not taking the road since promised blockades were yet to materialise. Phone calls were made, we walked slowly to the lights, the lights turned red, some urged for us to take the road, but other wisdom was wiser and we waited, still with said skeletal police presence. The lights went green, then red again, and at last two cars pulled up at the lights, folks jumped out and that was our cue. We swarmed onto the road, no raging motors to negotiate off the site, system 1 already on. Orange smoke from a maritime flare marked the other end of our space, which a few of us chased up to secure. The systems' curtain sides were pulled across to reveal the rig in all its glory, also distracting and deflecting the mass of funsters from the less attractive job of taking the end of the road, so voices were raised and cajoling was heard. A tripod team chased past me covered in sweat, victims of many sorts of chaos partly triggered by inactive mobile phones. System 1 kicked in, by which time 2 others had made it into the space with their vans.
Those first hours were a couple of the happiest I can remember - wall to wall smiles impossible to wipe off so many faces. Passionate hugs for everyone who helped make it happen, walking up and down the street dazed, thrilled and inspired at the sight of the kids's sandpit and homemade spaceship setting up, homemade pissoirs installed over handy drains, carpets and deckchairs laid down, free food stall getting in place, makeshift barricades built where there were no tripods or dead cars (of our own I hasten to add). And of course the banners, a lovely slow-burning way to see the space evolve and emerge from its pupa during the first hours: 'Liberate Space' (with Canary Wharf - London's high-rise monument to corporate power over community power - strangled by vines!), 'Reclaimed Street' (with I think a butterfly), 'Carnival of the Dispossessed' (a beauty which nearly became, after a fourth 's' was added, 'Carnival of the Dyslexic'.) Also a big shout to the beautifully hieroglyphed kids' space canopy. The paint on the tube workers' banner had flaked off so sadly didn't make it, though happily a tube worker (from the Rail and Maritime Transport workers' union) did make it with a load of leaflets for upcoming strike action against tube privatisation and downward-spiralling working conditions. (Happily, and coincidentally, there was a pro-tube workers' banner and RMT presence in Brixton as well.) Sadly invites to Kurdish groups and the striking Hillingdon women bore no fruit, and the political relevance of the day (beyond the act of reclamation itself) was that RMT link and a small brave banner citing injustice, poverty etc. The temporary building site walls provided a canvas for anyone with a spraycan to express themselves, which was democratic but ultimately garbled. Getting local hip hop-style graffiti artists in might have been a nice idea to mix with the straight agitprop we left behind us.
We'd made a nice leaflet explaining what we were up to to locals and inviting them in, which was a good idea though not distributed widely enough, and not always enough to assuage a few irate women who wanted access for their cars and Tesco open (shut down by the police ridiculously, as they did to the pub on site.) I spoke to a few shopkeepers, especially a middle-aged West Indian who ran a Rastafarian shop on the street itself, a nice bloke who sympathised with our aims but said 'Why do you come here and shut down small black businesses - where's that going to get you? If you want to attack multinational corporations, why don't you have your party on all the petrol forecourts?' (Another woman said later 'Go and do it to Tony Blair, not here where we live!') Valid, useful points perhaps, though those locations would most likely be straight up riots. Anyway, I popped into another legal advice type shop on site which was locked up ominously (as if they were freaked out or disgusted,) but when I persuaded the man inside to open the door he seemed absolutely fine. An Asian man in the next door clothes and bags shop was very positive too, as were many passers-by on the pavement who seemed a bit bemused by my statement/invitation that now the whole street had magically become the pavement.
Certainly we should go back and chat to the people on that street and in that area, especially since both London party locations are heartlands of the city's black community, (and since many people in Tottenham believe the police would have stormed in if the party had been predominantly black.)
But what of the party? A couple of woman stiltwalkers helped give it a lovely surreal edge, pacing through the dancers and fascinating the kids. Since we failed to get a PA sorted in time, we lost the bands set to play. The acoustic fiddle type folks who were 'booked' (no contract, no cash you understand, in fact just a phone commitment) to come didn't make it, lost perhaps to the less frenzied delights of Cambridge's Strawberry Fayre happening on the same day. So that left just the 4 systems, random very cool drummers led by a very bewitching gent in fetching Rapunzel wig and a couple of didj's. System 1 took centre stage (being first on and the biggest rig) and banged its techno thing for at least three hours, then the next time my regular wanderings took me past again, the crowd were getting down very nicely to a bit of a Latin set. Luckily the (cycle) system 2 gave us some rare and urgently required mixitup, including an especially nice spinning of Mr. Murvin's dancefloor classic 'Police and Thieves'. System 3 were less interesting, playing a solid wall of techno, lapped up by the punters but disappointing to those of us longing for the spice of life, (variety, that is.) System 4 gave us an interesting set, sending out drum'n'bass and even some ragga-style toasting over the backing towards the end, which I hope was live as it would have meant we made a small but significant link with the mainly black population of Tottenham. The crowd were certainly loving it at that late moment.
Police presence throughout was fluffy, even down to a request from a friendly underling PC asking for a system to play the Levellers, another asking that we go on till 7am, another saying 'Don't go until we've had a few hours of overtime,' ie. after 4pm. However, their watch and wait tactics - not forming aggressive, oppressive lines at either end etc - perhaps lulled us into a false sense of security, allowing many of them to take up residence on either side of our space. And naturally their surveillance bullshit was working overtime.
And so perhaps to the end. When it came to planning our getaway, a few wanted to hold out as long as all was well, the rest thought 8.30 music shutoff and 9pm move off en masse around the systems to Tottenham Hale the best solution. This was reported to the police head honcho, who heard the plan with his gathered cronies then insisted immediately that he had absolutely no interest in the systems - they could go - but he wouldn't allow 4000 people to march up into Tottenham or Edmonton. He wanted the systems to head south instead and for people to disperse slowly.
The crowdbeast is by now shot through with euphoric insanic unhingedness, unaware that the music is about to shut down. Which it does, simultaneously at 8.35. Then the word comes quickly that the other systems are set up to go along with the change of plan at 9pm, the time now being 8.45. Another quick chat with the police leads them to promise to remove their line and let the vans out. As the vans turn and begin to move together a few try to move happy sluggish stoned people on sofas and deckchairs from the exit route and someone else surreptitiously removes the padlocked banner crossing the High Road just as the convoy arrives. Gradually the vans inch out of our space, surrounded by huge numbers of us, the police remaining true to their word and staying out of the way, vigilantly. Some scary moments ensue as the crowd parts reluctantly to let the vans through, sending them roaring into the north London night each with a big cheer.
Then back to the still busy (with people, not cars thankfully) road, where heart cockles were warmed to see quite a few noble souls with bin bags (100 bought there and still not enough) picking up junk. My recycling hopes were ridiculously unrealistic, as others had predicted. Three partygoers escorted a local man out of the space in his smart new motor, which was untouched even though it had been on site all day. He'd he'd hung on and had a good day it seemed, oblivious to any potential threat to his wheels, even though our two blockade cars had been attacked and torn to pieces by a load of kids and adults, one even turned on its side at one point to let all its liquors leak onto the pavement and into the water supply. Luckily it was righted again pretty quickly, and even then a kid of about 8 dropped a piece of smoking bog paper onto the patch of petrol; someone chased him into a nearby garden, holding his shoulders and haranguing him mercilessly until his older sister came over and demanded that he be released. Never part of the masterplan, it was nevertheless somehow inevitable that the cars would be torched, and so they were, luckily later at about 10pm. Two huge clouds of acrid black smoke billowed into the just-dark sky, which was our cue to scarper to the pub to avoid what looked like the inevitable confrontation between people hanging around and riot vans moving in. Actually things stayed fairly quiet as far as I know, a PC's prediction at 8.40 that it was going to blow 'because three people told me so' proving to be little more than scaremongering.
The following Monday the Guardian ran a positive piece only perhaps marred (or enhanced, depending on your view) by a gorgeous full colour shot of a stoned bloke dancing between two flaming motors. A local man's quote at the end of the piece was inspiring as well as cautionary for any future attempts to politicise the street party: "It's great. When we came out of the Tube and saw all these people we were completely entranced. I'm not quite sure what they are saying but whatever it is I think it is fantastic."
This street party was five thousand stories, all enmeshing and intertwining over the course of eight hours on a patch of carless concrete in the heart of Tottenham. It's the story of the crop-topped woman lost inside her techno heaven; or of the naked, thrilled two year old covered in green paint being dragged around the party on top of a 10 foot strip of banner material; or the poor sod who's tripod collapsed under him and disappeared in an ambulance (but was released from hospital the next day); or the old smartly-dressed Jamaican man who said, on reflection, in a slow, considered voice, that young people were fundamentally good, not like the way they were shown to be...No single record of the day can hope to fit all those completely individual worldviews into one sack and present it as what really happened.
This piece is consciously light on analysis and self-criticism - let that emerge a little more gradually and consensually. It seems safe to say that this gathering of homo sapiens was as unwieldy, flawed and beautiful as any other, but the fact remains that it came together to resist the 'dark forces', it banished corporate culture, it partied...and it made the sun shine.
On Monday 20th July, digital video footage sold to HTV by Bristol network 'i-Contact' made top news all day. Midday, 6.30 and 10.25 bulletins in the West of England led with film of, and interviews with, exasperated citizens pulling up Genetically Modified crops ¾ of the population say are unsafe.
The next day HTV's news editor, John Alcock, got a visit from the police. They
wanted to know who and where the film came from and to take a copy of the original
tape back to the station as evidence. John made it clear to them that they'd have
to get a court order first and handed them a copy of the previous night's broadcast.
Two weeks later the next filming by i-Contact was even more newsworthy:
The high court had said a GM test field next to an organic farm near Totnes in Devon was illegal but was powerless to destroy it.
On Monday 3rd August a group of activists decided to enforce the High Court decision by pulling up crops again and they tipped off i-Contact. This time though, cameraman Ben Edwards was stopped in his tracks. Before he'd got any worthwhile film, before the protesters had even got to the offending field, Ben was arrested with the protesters on ' suspicion of conspiracy to cause criminal damage'.Ben was kept in Totnes police station for the maximum 24 hours while a team from Trinity Road police station in Bristol searched his home.
Fellow i-Contact founder and ex-BBC radio reporter Tony Gosling was there when the police arrived. He checked their warrant then watched helplessly as the police went through Ben's room earmarking the i-Contact computer, video tapes and piles of documents.
While the police were still there Tony called The Press Gazette who were immediately anxious to cover the story and he was interviewed for about ten minutes by Andrew Johnston. When Tony put the phone down a policemen asked him who he had been talking to and Tony told him. The article was subsequently pulled. Tony was warned by the policeman that by calling the press he could be "perverting the cause of justice". Andrew Johnston maintains that the non-running of the story was the Press Gazette's own editorial decision.
Keeping a watchful eye on the police going through Ben's room Tony then called HTV's newsdesk. The news editor immediately sent a cameraman round. As he arrived outside the five policemen beat a hasty retreat with armfuls of Ben's belongings, including the i-Contact computer and video tapes. HTV's cameraman filmed them as they drove off. This and Ben's overturned bedroom were on HTV news Tuesday evening.
With the loss of the computer i-Contact have been effectively put out of action.
One of the services they had been providing was an environmental video e-mail
list with an international list of subscribers.
Ben was released on Tuesday evening without charge on police bail and ordered
to return to Totnes police station on September 24th. The police refused to return
his £2000 Sony VX-1000 digital camcorder ensuring no more i-Contact coverage
of the GM food issue.
When Tony contacted Inspector Patrick at Totnes, who signed the search warrant,
he was told the camera would be retained for the foreseeable future as "evidence
is prioritised". When asked how the camera could be evidence, the detective
in charge of the case, Peter Gartrell, replied:
"we don't have facilities to copy the tape, so we need to keep the camera".
This episode raises serious questions about extension of police powers to journalists
and the influence of the global food giants on police priorities. Monsanto and
their colleagues at MAFF were clearly unhappy about the coverage HTV gave to the
GM issue and seem to be involved in a conspiracy far more concerning than that
alleged of the protesters.
After a big HTV story critical of GM experiments they decided not just to clamp
down on the crop-pullers - but also to cover their tracks by clamping down on
i-Contact, the messenger. It also looks possible that covert influence has been
brought to bear to stifle critical discussion of the police raid even in the UK
Journalists' weekly "The Press Gazette". Why is the kind of story that
concerns so many journalists being kept from them?
The extent of police complicity in this successful attempt to manipulate perception
of current affairs, and stifle discussion within the journalistic community must
be addressed as a matter of urgency.
i-Contact video network
I had never bothered with glasto before this year ... but read on:
One of the nights and we were a bit tired and a bit worse for wear .. we had met
up with some mates (and you know who you are) and were deciding what to do after
we had spent the last couple of hours in the ambient lounge listening to liquid
laugh (i think) and one of our group got a call on there mobile!
(This being my first time at glasto i had no idea of what it was like and where
anything was ... and how big it was)
We were actually still standing outside the lounge and the person on the phone
was trying to relay directions to where they were so that we could go over and
meet them as one there mates was DJ-ing in "A Tent". So after 5 minutes
deliberation one of our group told us they knew where it was and off we went....
through the Jazz field (right across it) up a really really dark tree covered
track to a big field with 000's of people in it all with fire? (i later found
out this was the stone circle) and on and on into more fields until the person
we were following finally decided they were going the wrong way .. where we really
wanted to go was to the GLADE!!!! which if you were at glasto this year you would
know is across the way from the lounge about 5 minutes walk ... you can see it
if you stand out side!!! So about 2/3 hours after we first started out we ended
up in the glade .. found the person we were looking for and then promptly left
cos we was knackered and wanted a kip!
But saying that had we not got "lost" we would have missed all manner
of things .. the tepee field (teepee?) .. the stone circle .. the green fields
... and a whole load of other stuff that we would never had ventured out to look
at especially ... so all in all it was a trek but what an experience .. i will
be going back ... love it!!!
We hope that you are not too mad,
'cos of the good time we have just had.
We haven't caused you damage mate,
even though the dance ran late.
3000 people were here tonight,
making use of this place,
right..!
It's not a crime to come together,
in places sometimes left forever.
We come in convoys 5 miles long,
so many thousands can't be wrong.
So, once again, we're sorry for the
broken lock on your front door,
but, being truthful, we can't say,
that we regret in any way,
bringing back community
to a town that lost it,
totally.
Thanks
Peace, Love, Unity & Respect.
Exodus of Luton
Jah Live
(This note left on warehouse door after a party in Dunstable, Bedfordshire)
I had a brilliant time on Saturday. For much of it I was barely able to talk.
Am I a club casualty too ?
Was that big guy on the dancefloor staring at you?
Was that girl taking the piss out of your dancing?
Was it nice just relaxing in the corner awhile?...
Until there was a torch in your eyes, someone asking you if you were ok, telling
you to sit up, and you couldn't remember where you were or what was going on.
Were you dancing, smiling, loving it "in the place where you belong"?
Robin
last year was my first trip to Glastonbury and with the thanks of Guil fin i played a terribly pissed set (which all the other trashed people enjoyed :) after which i went off to enjoy the other festivities. i entered the dance tent just as fat boy slim started his set and the place was ROCKING... it was awesome. thanks to going out with one of the crew i was lifted over the barriers and carried back stage, where i got a very privilidged seat in the house watching the crowd ROAR to the Chemical brothers who were doing a dj set. I have to admit that there wasn't enough visuals for me as they weren't bouncing around like the lunatics that I have come to love and work with. And i told them so, not that it meant much to them.. after many days and nights of seriously hard partying, sex and pleanty o rug taking it was time to leave. Sunday night was upon us and i had work the next morning. "I'll just drop my back-stage pass back to the lads" I said to much protest from my friends but i was adament. i trecked across the mile of land and found my way to the dance tent. I had what i thought was a quick line of K and stumbled without much success in what I thought was the direction of my lift. I ended up outside the festival and asked a kindly Policeman where the frig I was. he was ummm useless.. i then got sprung upon by some guy hiding in the bushes who grabed at me, but only got away with my jumper. I continued and finally after 2.5 hrs i got back to the site to find my lift had gone! Oh NO! Trembling, alone and very unhappy i stumbled back across the fields to the dance tent once more where i forget what happened next, only the pictures in my camera told the story (Thank you whoever you were who took those shots of me in that terrible state!!!) I awoke the next day in the back of a van alone and freezing cold. it was 1.30pm and I was definately not going to make it to work. After several hours of pacing around the fields in anger I phoned work and told them what had happened and that I probably wouldn't be in work until Wednesday, they were thankfully very understanding. I helped the dance tent pack away and very late that evening clambered into the back of the van to head for home.. Finally i reached home and there is nothing in the world quite like a hot bath.. My expedition has taught me care and caution.. but I'll never stop having fun and to say that I hadn't had an adventure would be a lie. I had, and one of the most exotic of my life. I'm glad that everything has a positive side and that we can learn from every experience we have. it is all in the eye of the beholder and although it may seem like I'd had a bit of a nightmare I'm bloody glad that I went, had a storming good time and lived to tell this tale to you now.. Be kind to one another for one day it might be you.... one more thing, if you are going to do k, stay at home for reality is not what it seems...
[ps, this is good advice ... a strapping 6ft GuilFIN lad was mugged for his sunglasses whilst boxed on K and wearing a tutu in the Traveller's Field at Glasto this year. So beware ...]
The music of The Roots is playing. It is very loud indeed. The speaker system is so good that the sound spreads out like a transparent carpet 10 feet above my head. And above the music, multi-coloured Temple Décor banners hang pulsing to the changes in light. Dancers move all around - packed in as tight as possible. I am kneeling by the head of Tony as he lies on the ground. He, a medic, Tony's mate, and I are in a small area among the moving feet. Tony is unconscious.
"He won't die will he?" shouts his mate in to my ear.
"No. He'll be fine. The ambulance is coming. They'll sort him out."
I yellback. Tony's mate slumps slightly forward. He gently strokes Tony's arm.
"Oh Tony, Tony, please don't die." He starts to sob his head lolling
forward. I put my arm around him and hold him steady. I feel him move toward me.
We kneel together and together watch the medic gently try to revive Tony. He does
not respond. Time passes. The rich sound of The Roots, achingly beautiful, tempting
and exciting passes around us and through us. A disturbing live soundtrack to
the tragedy that is before us.
"Hang in there, man". I shout. "Hang in there for Tony". He nods positively and visibly stiffens his back. After a couple of minutes I feel he is stronger and stand up. My yellow fire steward's jacket shines out brilliantly in the UV light. I am glowing. A girl at the edge of the crowd in front is trying to tell my reaction to the drama at my feet. I just want to cry. Now standing, the full force of the manic energy present in the dance tent is evident. Everywhere moving bodies. Everywhere a riot of colour. Everywhere excitement. I pull a bottle of water from my bag and pass it to Tony's mate. He nods and drinks and nods again as he passes the bottle back to me. He's doing great.
And then the ambulance crew are among us, as more stewards appear and we clear a bigger circle and the crew place Tony on a stretcher and we push back the crowd to create a passage back to the ambulance standing 50 feet away at the entrance to the dance tent. The crowd is so deeply packed in that people only 3 or 4 behind us did not even know we were kneeling there and look surprised as stewards run ahead clearing the stretcher which is speedily brought outside.
The medics get Tony's mate in the back of the ambulance with Tony and as they are driven away I see the relief in his face. Relief at activity. Relief to be in the hands of medical staff. Relief that everything will be OK for we trust and believe in our medical people implicitly for they can perform miracles.
I exchange a glance with the medic and we part - she backstage, I to the madly dancing crowd so full of excitement and colour. The music is so lush, so powerful, so loud. It immediately lifts my spirits. I have just been involved with a highly emotive piece of successful teamwork and I am impressed. Deeply impressed. The glory that is the music of The Roots shines deep in to my heart. I think that I will never hear this music again without thinking of Tony's mate and the love he showed for his unconscious friend. Later I discover Tony came round after 1 hour and is fine. Right there, right then, I could only feel God and know he was where he always was, for ecstasy has many forms and many sides to it. Nigel Mee
We had planned to do the party in a barn at a quiet spot about 10 miles from Stonehenge, but due to uncontrollable rumours (not started by us) the police decided we were going to try to break into Stonehenge. (it did occur to us as a possibility, but only after everyone told us we were going to do it anyway!)
We were met at the meeting point by some of Wiltshire Constabulary... we knew we wouldn't be able to go to the site without being followed, so we decided to talk to them. They told us about a so-called hard target area around Stonehenge. This was basically an exclusion zone with another name....
After hours of attempted negotiation, we finally spoke to the superintendant (Andy Hollingshead) and he said to me "You have my personal assurance that we will allow you to take the convoy to your intended site, and any police officers or vehicles you see on the way will be merely spectating. We don't want to stop your party, we don't want trouble." No-one told the police where we were going.
We led the four mile long convoy from Amesbury carpark to the site (a wikkid setup with 5 barns miles from houses, and lots of trees around to stop the noise travelling), we were followed by a chopper, military police, and vans of police. Just as we pulled up, the police cut across fields and stormed the site, arresting some of the organisers.
They seized Dionisus sound system (from Milton Keynes), two systems from Bristol, and Stinky Pink System. We managed to laugh off the arrests, as they didn't seem very serious. (they did offer to un-arrest us, but that would have meant paperwork, so we settled for staying arrested, reasoning that they couldn't arrest us again that way). After they had read us the riot act we were turned around and we led the convoy back to Amesbury Carpark, past Stonehenge. At this point, the convoy slowed down to 5mph and the noise was deafening as people expressed their disgust to the assembled police.
We made it back to the carpark to decide what to do, closely followed by a few police vans. We were told of a travellers site on the Wiltshire border where they already had system going and wanted us to join them. It seemed like the best idea, as police are often reluctant to venture too far into established traveller sites.
We tried to talk to the police, and explain that we needed to compromise (by this time we had gathered about 600 people) and that they wouldn't be able to get rid of everyone peacefully, we needed somewhere to go. The inspector turned round to us and said "what makes you think people will go if you tell them? You lot couldn't organise a piss-up...." etc.
A display of unity was needed. We called all the party people over to one end of the carpark, everyone got out of their cars, and stood silently to hear what we had to say. Cockney made a speech and told everyone what the situation was with the police... he told people we had an alternative site lined up on the border of Wiltshire, we would pass directions around the crowd discreetley and that we needed to leave in small groups. We had an hour to get out. 15 minutes later the carpark was clear and everyone was on their way to the party. Better organised that a military decamp. The Inspector looked suitably shocked. We call it organised chaos.
We now only had one system left (Junkchun 10 from Reading) and they were pulled twice and escorted out of the county. So with no rigs left we made our way to the site party to rescue some of the night.
We hear on the news about a "disturbance" at Stonehenge the next night. BBC news claimed that Mutant Dance were responsible for inciting people to riot. They claimed our website was outlining plans to charge at the stones.... bollocks.
None of the systems were impounded, but told they would be if they returned to the county. We can guarantee you will hear more about the lying bastard coppers as we intend to shout about it till everyone knows not to trust the police. Our phones are still tapped, and our emails are being scanned. (we were told by them that this was how they knew so much about our plans)
A word of warning: nothing is private anymore.... if you are into organising parties, landlines, mobiles and emails are NOT the way to do it.
We tried an experiment on Saturday which involved being honest with the police, trying to negotiate and seeking a compromise. We were fuct over. May that be a lesson to us all. Thanks to those that made the effort to come along, especially the guys with the systems. Maybe another time eh?
Have we been put off? Have we fuck. Our next party will be in a safer, quieter place, but we will be back!
My sister is what I call a crustie. Her hair is one big dred, she wears tea-cosies, dead women's dresses, moonboots, and lives in trees/benders/tunnels.
She smells, goes to festivals, free parties, and is generally very sound. She wouldn't pay a fiver to get into a yuppie bar in brixton, and listen to pop dance music.
She would however spend it on helping to protest against wanton destruction of the environment and cider.
Quick report on Saturday's WAC party, which had to be one of the best so far.
Took a little while to get going due to the freezing cold, but ended on a warm
high.
Meeting point was a little dodgey as the entire Reading Police possy, or so it
seemed, desceneded and started turning people away. Despite the initial problems,
by 1am it all kicked off, in yet another railway tunnel, far away from prying
eyes and ears.
Matt kicked off with a cracking techno set, but maybe a little too early for the
crowd. It was so bloody cold, no-one could get into bouncing that early on. Bryan
Black gradually warmed up the revellers with this ambient-uplifting-funky house
set, and they were just about ready to roll.
Steve took over the decks playing hard house/trance raising the temprature ready
for Sam to blow us all away with her brilliant techno choons.
What I should add is that the police were very prominent all through the night.
They arrived at the site around 1.30am. Had a quick look in, spoke to one of the
main organisers and called in their supervisor. British Rail police were also
on the scene and wanted to stop the party straight away. Thames Valley Police
instructed them not to and gave the guys permission to carry on till 6am, providing
there were no hassles. They even asked for invites to the next and were seen bouncing
around the car park, trying to keep warm. Respect. They realised it would be more
trouble to stop us, than to let us carry on, as there were no noise complaints,
no safety dangers and definately no trouble.
Just wish this was the case at other parties. The report from United Systems Party
disgusted me. I was up for going to that one, but ended up at Strawberry Sundae
instead. Wise move by the sounds of things. Just shows that police bullying and
brutality still exists when coppers start trying to pick fights with fluffy minded
party people. In a world where my boyfriends house was burgles, the police knew
who'd done it, where they lived, and where they stashed the goods, but would do
nothing, it seems crazy that they waste time breaking up parties which are causing
no disturbance or harm.
LABRYNTH ATTEMPTED MEET UP
Ended up at Strawberry Sundae as Labrynth have closed all their rooms for refurbishment
except Happy Hardcore and Jungle room. Arranged to meet Niz, and managed to do
so, even if it was at 8am, despite the fact I'd smiled at him loadsa time during
the night, without knowing who he was. I'd given up asking guys if their name
was Niz after about 10 rejections. Never mind, nice to meet ya Niz and hope to
see you again soon. Also Hi to Vincent Cole who Niz introduced me to, another
face to a name. Unc was lurking but didn't meet up, next time maybe.
All this blind date type stuff is unbearable. Can't anyone arrange a scanning
sessions for the Web site so we at least know what each of us looks like for meet
up purposes. I'm sure this has been mentioned before and the fluffy lot at UMR
have a successful one. Ugly bunch they are too!!!
Kosovo Privacy Project [kosovo@anonymizer.com]
tash@gn.apc.org
Sat 4/10/99 11:25 AM
KLA Appeal to journalists
Denica, 10th April (Kosovapress)
KLA Appeal
Dear Mr Alan Lodge - photographer
We are appealing to journalist and the reporters throughout the world who are interested in what is happening within the territory of Kosova to coime to the zone controlled by the Kosova Liberation Army.
We assure you safety in your work as well as the sincere and full support on the part of the KLA superiors and fighters including that of the people of Kosova in these zones.
Your contribution towards a fair and accurate information about the events will enable the world to learn of the inhuman massacres committed by the paramilitary and terrorist army of Belgradfe regime in revenge to the NATO air strikes.
Please help if you can.
I am an independent midwife in Hampshire and was at several of the festis you
were....
Look forward to exploring your site more closely soon. I will also post you my
web page when I finally get it together as I have a thing for photography on a
very basic level.
A few months back I wrote up a long account of what I had managed to piece together (because of my Festographic interests) about the unfortunate in fact terrible split/implosion of the former Exodus collective following the seemingly very successfull (but apparantly tense and disputacious behind the scenes) Exodus Free the Spirit Festival in Bedfordshire which I attended in September 2000.
Glenn Jenkins and Bruce Hannah were two of the good guys who had to leave the Collective following all sort of rows over ALLEGEDLY disappearance of money and ALLEGEDLY appearance of crack dealing amongst some bad boy Collective members.
The Marsh Farm project sounds excellent and Jim Carey (Squall) is a sympathetic and diligent reporter who knows his shit inside out about Exodus going right back to their early days of not having any secure base, being hassled by the local authorities and in particular by the Bedfordshire Police, various Collective peeps being spuriously (then!) charged with drug dealing, assault, etc., a pub getting closed down because the landlady was a relative of Glenn Jenkins (his mum? it should all be in the Squall archive).
They came through all this and got more and more confident about organising free parties and free festivals (as wel as their other Marsh Farm community projects, which have been going for a while now) in the vicinity of the frankly dump-like town of Luton and in the countryside around. So successfully indeed that they ended up negotiating a LICENSED fest in 2000 with the Bedfordshire County Council and with the landowner of the derelict land used (between the M1 and a railway, by an industrial estate). The landowner was the Marquess of Tavistock, whose family (chief parasite : the Duke of Bedfordshire) own half the county!
It had looked promising that this might set a precedent for future free fests around the country until during or immediately after the festival the monster of crack ALLEGEDLY got involved with SOME, and forced Glenn Jenkins and one or two others to resign from the collective.
The farm at Haz Manor, which featured in that BBC2 documentary ("Living with the Enemy") in which a Tory boy visits and gets well shocked by the weed toking and tried to shop them to the Police ...) did indeed get bought by Exodus in 1999 as that highly defunct site which Mr Finger Right On the Pulse Trotboy Bush links to. But I am still unclear about who lives there now and whether and which faction in this dispute ended up in control of it.
Another site with lots of Exodus historical information is Alan Tash Lodge's ... nice geezer with integrity ...
Tash is a very nice feller (who for a short period while Glasto 2001 was being
cancelled, I had e-chats with about Glasto, the authorities and Travellers). He
has shit loads of integrity and while I've kind of lost contact now, I still think
A Spies and others might find it worthwhile to visit his site and check it out
and maybe contact him. Does anyone know what happened to him? I hope he still
thrives ... Great pix ...
Loads of stuff on the site about Police Surveillance, how inependent minded anarcho types including Travellers and party people get on or not with the Police ... a lot of it on the old side but great archive ...
William of Walworth
Okay, so here we are at the beginning of the summer, with parties like Liquid
Connective coming up you need to know what you should take.
Here's a recommended survival kit:
Car. (If you don't have one, find someone who does and be their best friend forever. In the event of the party being canceled by the time you get there you can easily get back. It's also a place to crash during the party, and a place to keep the rest of your survival kit.)
Maps. (Ultra detail - the sort that a rambler would use. A road atlas is no good. You need to know where all the tumuli and lay-lines are cos that's where the party's probably gonna be)
Contact number for the party. (Don't leave this at home cos it's your golden ticket. This is where you'll get the directions to party from.)
Contact number for someone else involved with the party. (Vital to find out the TRUE location, because by the time you call this number you would have driven 10 miles in the wrong direction after following the directions given by the official contact number.)
An excuse. (If you come to a police roadblock, you gotta have something ready to stay when they ask what you're doing in the area. I said I was visiting my aunt in <name of a village you're heading towards> and it got me through! Don't forget to turn the music in the car OFF as soon as you see the police. Perhaps you could dress fairly casual/smart (change later), otherwise if you look like a car full of tokin' crusty hippies I think they'd be more than a bit concerned.)
Water. About 8 Litres. Mineral water, not tap water. Some parties might not supply any water. Sometimes there's a big tank of murky water, but I'd stay clear of it.
Boiled sweets. (The best while you are at the peak of your experience)
Munchies (Biscuits. HobNobs to be precise. Watch out for the chocolate coated ones though)
Fruit juice. (As natural as you can get. Freshly squeezed, not from concentrate, or even one of those Probiotic ones to sort out your stomach. The strawberry flavour is good)
Sandwich. (For breakfast - eat around 9-10am.)
More munchies (Serious food for lunch).
Torch. (So that you don't bump into trees. Or even worse - people).
Blanket/Groundsheet. (To plonk your arse on when you can't stand up anymore).
Trendy shades. (This might be a party through the night, but often it'll go on through the next day.)
Sun cream. (It's a good opportunity to get a good tan, but also a good opportunity to get yourself roasted)
Hope you have a great summer! - Kudos
March 30 2002
Sussex police unlawfully impounded three sound systems (Warped, Technophobia and Kymera) in Brighton last weekend while they were setting up before for a party. Regretably according to reports the police weren't very concerned about how they went about the raid...
"Whilst setting up we got about 20 minutes advance warning that the Babylon were heading in our direction. We killed all the lights in the warehouse and sat in silence for that time. We could hear more cop vehicles arriving and heard them walking round the building and shining torches through windows.
10 minutes later there is a loud bang, low and behold they've literally torn a steel fire door from its hinges, 10 or so pigs run in with torches shouting at us to stay where we are, followed by 2 dog handlers, and some guy (riot officer?) with 'KB' letters on the back of what looked like a bulletproof vest, brandishing a pretty hard-core looking camcorder (we requested the tape number to get a copy but they said no- which was also caught on camera).
All 22 of us get lined up against a wall, names and addresses taken. Then we get 'group-read' our rights, but not arrested then told to leave the building immediately (without any personal belongings). We were told they were seizing all vehicles and equipment because we were in the process of setting up and illegal rave and that we were conspiring to sell alcohol.
After much arguing they let us in (escorted) one by one to collect jackets, keys etc. It's now cost us £150 extra hire fee for the van and £105 release fee to get it out the police pound. There is still no mention of getting the systems back but we have been asked to attend the station today (1 person from each 'group') in order to "identify property and facilitate the criminal process".Sounds like they're trying to fuck us over... this cannot be right."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Was trolling through the rave stories etc part of your site and was pleased to see we (Warped sound system) got a mention under ‘3 sound systems unlawfully impounded in Brighton’ As it goes the police have now held the equipment for 90+ days without us hearing anything but the fact that they’ve sent an advice file to the Crown prosecution service. Anyway, thanks for getting back to me. talk soon, Andy
Andy tell me a little more about progress.........
Back to the sound system fiasco- They have now had the equipment for 3.5 months (since 31st march) -Our solicitor was in touch yesterday telling us that the case has been thrown out by the CPS twice now and the file that she (Insp. Munro) has submit to them contains the charge section61 (waiting to attend a 'rave') and conspriracy to cause public nuisance. I checked on HMSO about 61- It is about the power to remove trespassers, sec63 mentions about waiting to attend 1 'rave' . Definition of a 'rave' is in the open air (we were in a warehouse). Munro has obviously got her legislations mixed up so i dont think we need worry about that one.
Not too sure about conspiracy. Had a little look round the net yesterday about
similar charges of conspiracy- Was overjoyed to learn on 'undercurrents' that
we have the same solicitor as Desert storm used to get them off the case of the
Nottingham 'reclaim the streets'!!! She is Lydia Dagostino.
Anyway, we have been told that we will know CPS decision on friday morning.
Fingers crossed.
More soon...
Andy
Foreword:
There are many elements to running a successful party. Certainly this document
isn't going to tell you how to run your party, nor what exactly makes a good event.
We'll leave that for you to decide. However we hope that the following guidelines
(gathered from experience) prove useful...
The Party:
1. Don't over estimate the power of sound:
A good sound system and dj's won't necessarily make a good party. A successful
party comes from a crowd of people enjoying themselves and having fun. Room to
move is important, so is a good vibe, amenities (food and drinks stalls, toilets,
etc), having enough light, somewhere chill out, to sit and relax, and keeping
trouble makers out.
Rather than focussing all your attention on the sound system and artists, remember
that details count.
2. You are not criminals:
Don't be fooled by the authorities, you are not criminals! Respect the law, don't
give the authorities the power to stop your party by breaking it.
3. Health and safety:
Always have a first aid kit on hand together with the numbers of a hospital and
other emergency services. If possible someone experienced in first aid should
be present at your party.
Make a free supply of water available, also keep some fruit handy. Place fire
extinguishers near electrical equipment, make sure people know where they are
and how to use them.
Before a party, try to clear any broken glass and dangerous debris away to help
avoid accidents. Highlight your toilets, bins and keep entrances clear of people
and equipment. Wires should be trailed above head height not exposed. Gangways
and fire exits must be kept clear; fireproof all backdrops and decor.
If someone looks unwell, approach them in a non threatening manner and ask how
they are. If they ask for your help take the time to offer them the support they
need.
4. Parking:
Keep parked vehicles off public roads. Bad parking practice can harm a party in
several ways. They can alert the authorities to the fact that something is going
on. They can give them a valid reason to try to stop the proceedings and they
can make it difficult for emergency services to get on to your site.
5. Vandalism and troublemakers:
Don't tolerate vandalism or anti social behavior. Act as a group, show a determined
and united front, politely ask those responsible to stop being disruptive. Let
them know their behavior isn't wanted at the party, perhaps stop the music in
order to get their full attention. Suggest that they should leave if they don't
feel able to contribute to a positive vibe.
6. Rubbish:
Remove any rubbish left after a party, put it into bags and dispose of it safely.
Hopefully you've enjoyed the beauty of your surroundings, remember to leave them
the way you found them :)
7. Running a hotline:
Prefix directions to your party with the date and time of the party. That way
if your crew is out one week and resting the next, you save prospective party
goers a potentially long trek out to an idle site.
If you have a website, post directions online at the last minute and give out
the URL. The web is a good way for party goer's to plan their drive to your site.
Good reference websites for driving directions are: the Ordinance
Survey Maps website for the UK and Map
Quest for Europe and the US.
Don't let your hotline idle. Whether it's active or not, try to at least leave
a message telling people what you're up to or how to find out what you'll be up
to in the future. If you change hotline numbers, make sure you leave a link from
the old to the new.
Be as accurate and descriptive as possible with your directions. If your party
is in the countryside, use landmarks as a reference (bridges, pubs, etc) and leave
noticeable markers on the road (signs, cones, etc). If the party is in town, carefully
spell out the name of the road and neighborhood the party is in. Also it's useful
to stress a postcode, in case there are more than one roads with the same name
in that town. Of course it's important to give out the name of the town your party
is in, not everyone trying to reach you will be local or familiar with your area.
Speak clearly, mobile phones often don't enjoy the best reception. Make it as
easy as possible for the listener to understand your directions. If you move site
remember to update your hotline messages. If you've given out a hotline number,
expect people to use it. Getting to a party can be stressful, make an effort to
communicate calmly with the person listening to your directions.
8. Handling the police and authorities:
Have only a small number of people deal with any police presence. Be civil, polite
and communicate that your party isn't aimed at disruption, you have gathered to
have fun as a group... peacefully.
Avoid conflict, mediate with them, listen to what they have to say. It may be
that simply turning the volume down a little, opening fire exits (ed: don't miss
read that statement! we're not suggesting you should open fire on the authorities)
or moving some of those cars parked around the site might appease them enough
to let the party continue.
9. A note on personal freedom:
We believe that it is the responsibility of the individual to look after themselves
as grown and educated adults. We choose to make our own choices. We choose the
right to party and free ourselves through dance and music. Most of all we recognise
that personal freedom should not interfere with the freedom of others..."
Bristol Ravers Directory……
"Peace, Love, Unity and Respect" is the essence of the way of life being
aspired to by 'ravers'. But what does it really mean? Peter Douglas from the uk.music.rave
newsgroup dared to try to define it and succeed-ed rather well.
The reason we like the music that we do, and
dance like we do, is because it helps us achieve a state of inner peace, particularly
peace with ourselves. For me the music that catalyses this state has a sticky
label on it that says 'goa trance', sometimes 'psychedelic trance', and includes
'tribal trance'. Being able to dance the way we do is being able to be four years
old again, to be free of ego like we were before self conscious-ness took control.
When we dance free of ego, we are at peace with ourselves, and at peace with all
those around us. In the peace of a good trance, when someone stands on my foot
I get a real buzz out of it because it's a chance to put some of that peace 'out
there' as well as having it inside. With a big grin and a squeeze of their shoulder
I've been able to say "Hey! Isn't this great?" without being dorky about it.
Peace People!
It means you can turn to a complete stranger who's sipping a bottle of water, and they'll see your sweat dripping and ears glowing and your eyes dark and deep, and they'll smile and offer you the bottle. It means people not only call out to you "Are you okay mate?" when they hear you heaving your dinner in the toilet cubicle, but they care about the answer.
Love is the reason the people at Return to the Source hang crystals, sprinkle essence and otherwise prepare the space for us to be in together. Love is .... (fill in your own - hey, maybe there's a cartoon strip in there somewhere!)
I think this one shows the widest gap between the aspiration and the realisation. There still seem to be anorak wars between disciples / acolytes of various stylistic sub-genres, by people who've forgotten that preferring green to blue or liking cardamom more than coriander is not a sign of intellectual underendowment and spiritual inadequacy. For me the concept of unity is not us against them, but trying to give 'them' a glimpse of the wonderful space we experience at a good party.
Sometimes I fantasize about a club with coat pegs all round the periphery, where everyone just hangs their stuff and it's still there when they come to wear it home. Hey, and you can even leave your money in the pockets - now that's *respect*.
Respect is also about realising that everyone's different. Bizarre as it may seem, not everyone thinks your whistle-blowing next to their ear enhances the total dance experience. If you really think people enjoy your trilling, and are blown away by the musical mastery evident in your one note mantra, then be fair and move around a lot. That way you leave everyone wanting more (maybe) rather than one poor bugger in front of you wanting less, much less.
http://www.thisisanfield.com/max/
maxwell munton
age: 15 years
nationality: british english
location: leeds, england
occupation: student
Glastonbury Experience: Part 1
Friday morning, Laurence's Dad gives us a lift into the coach station where we
meet up with Julian and Steve. The coach journey from Leeds to Brummyland isn't
the most pleasant of things with the temperature hot and air stuffy. The changeover
isn't a problem though and we're soon on another three hour coach journey to the
festival. They had to see our festival tickets at the Birmingham coach station
as part of the 'no ticket - no festival' campaign. Anyways, as we approached Glastonbury,
you could see fields and fields of tents - it really was an amazing sight! We
were escorted away from the muggers by stuwards at the entrance to the site and
once we had collected our wristbands and festival programme were off to find a
place to pitch our tent. The weather was amazing! No mud. And everything was going
so smoothly as we stumbled into the second field from the coach entrance and set
up camp. That took a little longer than I expected. Laurence and Steve seemed
to manage okay, but I was struggling to work out which tent I was actually putting
up! It didn't help with the wind factor and Julian clueless about putting tents
up. Hidey-ho, by about six o'clock we were set up and went to see our first band;
'Queens of the Stoneage' (or something like that). They were shit. Julian enjoyed
them I think. We then headed over to see 'Ash' who were fantastic. We missed the
start of them, but caught the majority of their amazing set in which Burn Baby
Burn produced the whole Pyramid Stage crowd jumping up and down and signing along
in excitment. What a fantastic atmosphere! Could life get any better! More was
to come. After a brief trip back to the tent and toilet stop (oh, I had an amazing
adventure keeping my shit in for the whole weekend!) we headed back off to the
Pyramid Stage to see an amazing lights display to the tune of 'Faithless'. I don't
usually like dance music, but there I was enjoying myself as the loud beats came
out of the tall loud speakers to my right. I don't think I've ever heard music
so loud! That was a really class show. Following a brief lie-down in the grass
of Glastonbury, we were near the front of the Pyramid Stage to catch the whole
of 'Coldplay's set. I wasn't expecting great things from Coldplay. They hadn't
done a propper gig for about a year. When Chris Martin [the lead singer] came
on to the stage and said that the band had 'been preparing for this gig all their
lives' - the performance matched it. They were absolutly fantastic! Playing all
the songs of 'Parachutes' with the audience singing along and then a couple of
new ones! What a night! I doubt my photos have come out well. It was only a little
dispsable camera, but the memories are as good as pictures all the same. We made
our way back to the tents and fell asleep at about three in the morning.
Glastonbury Experience: Part 2
Saturday morning duly came round. The night/early morning before, me and Julian
(sharing my tent) had set our alarms (on our watches) for 10.00am. We were definatly
up and about by then and were just about to set off for an explore of the festival
site with Laurence and Steven. It was a long walk that took us past the Other
Stage and eventually on to what can only be described as the 'Green Fields'. At
one point, we were asked to walk briskly through the crowds as a landrover was
gaining up on us. Wherever we went though, it was following us! So there we were
almost at running pace in front of its two wheels when it suddenly turned and
drove past us. Who was in the passenger seat? None other than Michael Eavis! The
festival organiser! He got out of the landrover and was interviewed on camera,
just a few yards from where we were standing. How about that?! Then we walked
into the next field and waded through the rows of tents promoting world peace,
friendship bracelets etc etc. Me and Larry bought a carton of orange juice each
from one of the hippie stalls and we saw an amazing sculpture of a snail made
from willow branch. Then we headed back to the tents. But on the way back I snuck
away and went on my own into the New Bands Tent to watch the last few minutes
of 'Baby Genius'. She was alright I suppose. A few minutes later I returned with
Julian to the tent and we saw the former pocussionist from Kula Shaker lead singing
'Valentine' who were very good indeed. There was an afternoon siesta before me,
Laurence and Steven headed over to the Pyramid stage to see the (excellent) Jools
Holland. He played a range of pop, jazz, blues and swing to get the crowds in
the party mood. We stayed around for 'No Doubt' afterwards who were also excellent.
At one point, Gwen Stefani (the lead singer) climbed onto the top of three piled
up loud speakers to address the back of the crowd more easily. She was about to
go into song by muttering the words, 'I wanna know, I wanna know'... when she
got stuck and couldn't get down! Someone behind be shouted, 'I wanna know how
you're gonna get down from there!'. hehe. But seriously, 'No Doubt' really were
class and when they told us we had to jump higher than the Germans did last night,
the place was rocking. Of course it was 'Don't Speak' that got the best reception
from the Glastonbury faithful. I had been torn between seeing 'No Doubt' and the
'Electronic Soft Parade', so I thought I might catch the end of ESP on the Other
Stage after 'No Doubt'. Damn. I missed them. Me and Julian had waded our way through
the crowds leaving the Pyramid arena quickly, but not quick enough. We stayed
at the Other Stage and watched a bit of 'Rival Schools' who weren't amazing, so
we headed back to the tents to meet up with Larry and Steve. Throughout the festival,
Julian seemed only to know one word: 'Sorry?' he muttered even when you hadn't
said anything. By the journey back I told him it was now a swear word and that
I had set up a swear box for him. Ten pence per 'sorry'. At about half-six, we
went our separate ways again. Julian headed off to see 'The Vines' I think on
the Other Stage as me, Larry and Steve went for 'Starsailor' on the Pyramid Stage.
They were really good. Maybe they didn't work with the crowd as much as say, Coldplay
the night before, but they were still terriffic and even squeezed in their new
single (a little more heavy than 'Alcoholic' or 'Poor Misguided Fool'). There
was also time for a duet with 'Glastonbury ledgand Donovan' who played the harmonica.
Again, we stayed around the Pyramid Stage after Starsailor's set and watched 'The
White Stripes' - after having met Julian. Julian bought a 'White Stripes' t-shirt
from the official merchandise stall earlier in the day. I opted for a 'Glastonbury
2002' t-shirt after considering a 'Starsailor' one. So, kitted out in his red
'White Stripes' t-shirt, Julian was dancing away to the duo. One half was very
nice in deed; Meg White ;-)... the other, her brother, was funny and very good
on vocals and guitar. I can see why Julian like them - all the guitar solos. They
weren't bad I suppose. Not really my thing. After that, me, Laurence and Steve
(why don't I just call us MLJ from now on yeah?) went back to the tent for a little
kip in the summer rain as Julian went to see 'Robert Plant & the strange sensation'
on the Acoustic Stage. MLS headed back down our beloved 'Wicket Ground' field,
past the toilets, over the cinema fields and into the Pyramid Stage arena for
arguably the best band of the weekend. The 'Stereophonics' were to be Glastonbury's
'secret guests', but it had leaked out several weeks before and so appeared in
the programme anyway. The 'Phonics were fantastic. They performed their well known
songs from JEEP and a few from Performance & Cocktails. As well as a couple
of new tracks and a couple of covers as their encore. They got a great reception
from the Glastonbury crowds. I think it was during the 'Phonics that I saw Josie
and Rachel - two girls from our year group also at Glasto - sneak off to the back
of the crowds. They missed out. Following the 'Phonics we headed off back to the
tents. Julian went straight to sleep, but MLS talked and talked for hours. I think
I got to sleep - outside both tents at about 4.30am. During our three hour conversation,
me and Larry explored the football encyclopedia that is Steve. It was comedy as
well as we remembered great football moments from the past so many years. ho ho.
So there I was, in my sleeping bag, wedged between two guyropes, talking to Larry
and Steve until my weary eyes could take no more and I fell to sleep.
Glastonbury Experience: Part 3
Four hours sleep on Saturday night and I woke up in my sleeping bag outside both
tents with one of those silver-foil insulator cloths over me :). Someone had obviously
seen me sleeping outside and lent me their cloth thing. Just shows the friendly
atmosphere at the festival :). A slow start to the morning was speeded/sped? up
by a tasty bacon roll and quick slurp of orange juice. Then I headed over to the
Pyramid Stage - grabbing a sweet chocolate pancake on the way and watched the
Glastonbury Town Band. Big mistake. They were trying hard, but were a bit embarrassed
by their conductor who was cracking crappy jokes to the audience. The audience
was about 40 people by the way, out of the 100,000 or so who had festival tickets.
So it wasn't hard to reach the front for this one. I didn't stick around and made
my way back to the tents. At midday MLS went down to the Pyramid Stage once again
and caught the end of the Avalonian Free State Choir who's conductor was equally
as appauling as the Glastonbury Town Bands'. It wasn't long before big Rolf Harris
appeared though and the thousands gathered in the field were soon clapping along
with his excentric Aussie songs. 'Tie me kangeroo down sport' was a favourite
as we took in the midday sun. He was actually comedy - Rolf that is - and the
banners that people had made for his set were equally comical. 'Tie me down Rolf'
and 'Rolf - I think I'm pregnant' made me tickle. Along with the two kangeroos
(obviously people dressed as kangeroos - I think) bouncing around the audience
on pogo sticks. Just before Rolf, there had been a spokesman from a charity trying
to stop the spread of AIDS in South Africa. There was a lot of charity work at
the festival...MTF being one of them. Following the Rolf sing-along, the big screens
were showing the World Cup final. Brazil 2-0 France. We watched the last fifteen
minutes. Well, me and Laurence did. Steve went back to the tent determined to
last until Monday night without knowing the result. We saw Ronaldo break through
the German defence to score the second past Ollie Kahn, much to the delight of
the crowds at Glasto who were cheering on Brazil on a count that we're just so
bitter towards the Germans. For some reason the Glastonbury organisers showed
the ITV coverage of the remaining minutes of the final so every so often we got
the cackaling sound of Ron Atkinson. We headed back to the tent. Laurence went
off to get some food though I think. It ended up with just me and Steve at the
tent before Julian came along. And then it struck. What struck? 'Julian... don't
tell Steve the result' says I. 'Why?' replies a thick Julian...'He doesn't want
to know the result until he's watched the highlights'... 'Okay,' says Julian,
'I won't tell him that it was 2-0 to Brazil'. All he had to do was not mention
the score, but he failed to do that. Tut. 'You dickhead!' shouted Steve at the
innocent looking Julian. There was much tension between the pair for the rest
of the weekend. Back to the music. I took Julian off Steve's hands at about half-one.
We had overheard the guy from the next tent saying he thought there might be a
'secret band on the Pyramid Stage' - so we went to have a look. It was just the
band scheduled, Manu Chao, but running late because of the WC coverage. I stayed
around and watched them, Julian ran off after about fifteen minutes to see some
weird band I think. Manu Chao were alright I guess. It was a kind of South American
(appropriete following the Brazil victory) dance music style. Although the lead
singer was wearing a Galatasaray (hissss) shirt. After they'd finished their set
I had about half an hour until Badly Drawn Boy. I decided to see what was on the
Other Stage. Nothing decent. And it toom me yonks to find Laurence and Steve.
Eventually I did and MLS watched Badly Drawn Boy who performed the About A Boy
soundtrack all on his own. A brave, but a little dissapointing performance I thought.
After Badly Drawn Boy on the Pyramid Stage was Issac Hayes, but I forgot all about
him :(. Me and Laurence went to sit/lie in the Other Stage field to the tune of
Elbow who were alright I guess. After Elbow we got some food and then just chilled
at the tents for most of the evening. Me and Julian went to see Gorky's Zygotic
Monkey... which means something in Welsh - I forget what. They were really class
and a big prospect for the future. Their music was a bit like The Beatles crossed
with a modern day Indie or rock band. Very good. Watch out for them. They may
change their name though.... 'Gorky's Zygotic Monkey' kinda sounds like a punk
band - not the slow tunes they were pumping out. Ten-twenty, MLS went to see the
king. Not Elvis of course - he had done a duet with Ash on Friday night. Stay
confused ;-). Rod Stewart was brilliant... and a great last set to go to on our
last night at Glastonbury. 'Maggie May' was probably the ultimate hit with the
fans. I think Julian went to see Air or someone weird like that. Old Rodney though:
he still knows how to rock the tens-of-thousands of unclean fans watching on.
So that was it. That was Glastonbury 2002. But the fun and games didn't stop there.
After making our way back to the tents after Rod Stewart, MLS went down to the
cinema field to watch 'The Lord of the Rings' - not a Glastonbury tradition I'm
told. Steve left after about fifteen minutes and slept in the tent that night.
Me and Laurence, with about 200 others, were left to fall asleep in front of LOTR.
Again, I spend the night not in the tent!
Total respect to the Norwich crew for what happened on Saturday night!
It's a long story, which I don't know all of, but basically things were all set for a multi rig bash at an establi-shed site, but that afternoon the land owner turned up with some "mates" and "asked" them not to do the party. Think large people willing to do damage.
So the party was called off.
Now, just about everyone knew the party was planned - everyone I'd talked to last week knew about it. So an alternative venue was found - right in the middle of town. It was never going to be allowed by the plod, it didn't stand a chance.
So we got there around midnight, an old car showroom with music pounding out, just as the plod arrived. We had a short chat to Nigel (one of the travelers from the first site) outside and then tried to go in, but the police by this time had started containment and were blocking the entrance. All four of them. So the four of us stand there looking at the four of them and I realise the plod I'm starting at is scared, like really frightened. As we stand there of course, others are joining the queue. One of our number wants to go to a local shop anyway, so we back down, I smile at the plod who blurts out some kind of "thanks for the co-operation" and we go to the shop as a flood of people turn up to join the queue.
A short trip to the shop and we come back, two plod vans now but no containment, music still pumping so we go in.
As the party continues, plod come in with some of the organisers, they have a poke around with a fire offi-cer and go out again. A bit later I wonder out to see what's going down and over hear an amazing conver-sation between plod, fire officer and squatters. "Well organised event..." "responsible behaviour" "reasonable attitude" and from the squatters "these things are going to happen, better we do them..." then the plod left. The party shut down at three, or the music did anyway. We stayed for another half hour or so and people were sitting around toking and playing drums, there was no eviction, the shut down was agreed (3 is when the clubs shut). There were no plod to be seen as we left. Derek
New Years Eve 2000 - Hundreds of revellers had their New Year's Eve ruined when police broke up their party at five minutes to midnight. Champagne corks were about to pop when officers raided the illegal party in Shoreham. Two other illegal raves in Hove were also shut down during the height of the celebrations. One reveller said: "It was so mean spirited of the police. "It was 11.55pm and people were standing around waiting for midnight with bottles of champagne and party poppers. "Then the police arrived and people were in tears. They had come from miles around. We understand the laws are in place for safety reasons, but our whole evening was ruined."
Police, however, were unrepentant. Superintendent Graham Cox, commander of the Hove-Shoreham division, said: "I would rather be described as a party pooper than have to explain to relatives the next day why I allowed such a dangerous party to continue until people were burned to death.
"There was a real risk of that happening."
Mr Cox said the New Year's Eve inferno at a disco in Holland where up to 12 people died and 130 were injured supported the police argument. More than 200 were ordered out of the Shoreham rave in an underground car park on an industrial estate off the A259. Another 200 people were ejected from an illegal party at 12.45am on New Year's Day on the second floor of a factory unit in Ellen Street, Hove, and 400 were shown the door at 1.45am from another rave in a factory in Fonthill Road, Hove. Police took photographs of blocked fire doors and other safety hazards including old and dirty mattresses. Mr Cox said: "Each site had fire hazards and there were no safety provisions.
"Each venue was a potential death trap.
"In Ellen Street fire exits were boarded up, it waspitch dark in places and mattresses were on the floor." Mr Cox said tickets at each venue were selling for £5 and organisers were making upwards of £500 a time. Some broke licensing laws by selling alcohol and there was evidence of drug-taking at one.He said electricity was being stolen and, at one location, damage was caused and there were complaints from neighbours about noise. He said: "We shall continue to take positive action against these illegal gatherings." At all three locations, organisers were ordered to pack up their equipment or risk having it seized. No arrests were made, but Mr Cox said police inquiries were continuing.
Follow-up:
"I had friends who were unlucky enough to be at *two* out of 3 of these NYE
parties. First they went to the Enlightenment party - only for it to get busted.
They thought they were one step ahead, and went onto the FAF/Ground Zero party
nearby. Shortly after they got there, so did the Babylon. They then drove all
the way upto Berkshire, only to find that the warehouse party that had gone successfully
there [and where I'd
spent the night - bloody good it was too!] - had finished early and by 10am all
that remained were folks loading equipment into vans. That party *didn't* get
busted, but the venue was *very* close to some nearby shops that were opening
for business early on New Years Day.
Well done to everyone who was lucky enough to get to a party that *didn't* get busted - it looks like Brighton got the worst of it this NYE :-(..." simon
Near Luton, September 8, 9, 10 2000
This was the second Exodus festival I made it to (see the story of last years here). This year was a little different though, as the collective have been in negotiation with a local landowner and the police which eventually produced the result they wanted - Britain's' first legal free party festival.
Me and Sid went (Sid having been a regular at Bionic Soup parties in Norwich over the past year and who had done his first squat party a few weeks ago and was now doing his first tent party), we arrived on Friday night.
We knew it was somewhere near a junction on the M1 motorway, but we didn't know which one it was. So I drove west and met the M1 at, as it turned out, the correct junction. We arrived just as people were beginning to turn up.
Of course, by now it was dark, so I had to fumble around and put the tent up by sense of touch and memory as Sid made himself useful in other ways. Apart from the patch of stinging nettles it happened with amazing ease. So we went to explore.
The site is divided by the M1 motorway and connected by a tunnel - something more free parties should have, tunnels are great which is just as well given how many times I walked through the thing.
There was one very big difference between this festy and any squat party I've been to - basically it wasn't a squat and there was this general "feeling" that we were in someone else's property (which we were of course) and that we had to take care of it and respect it (which we did).
Exodus were doing a good job of organising litter collection and had made it known (somehow) that certain kinds of behaviour wouldn't be appreciated. No-one from the collective actually said anything to me, but several people mentioned what their values were and so what they didn't want to see happen on site.
I did get the feeling from a lot of people that they really respected what "the Exodus" have done and what they want to achieve, many people spoke about them in very familiar terms. To be honest, they deserve it, they've done something wonderful in getting this festy accepted (with some reluctance) by the powers that be.
Looney Module / Vega were set up in the car park - or what was supposed to be the car park but actually turned into a part of the festy. I'd put my tent up next to their rig with the travelers nearby, they really are a nice bunch to be honest.
Over on the main site (through the tunnel) we spent most of our time around the HEADFUK-Stinky Pink and Pendulum systems. I've been following HEADFUK for around 18 months now, they do pounding hard edge gabba and other weird stuff, Stinky Pink do banging techno and they combined their rigs for this event. Wow what a nice sound. Next door were Pendulum who are more "conventional" squat techno, all of them of course are from London.
Pendulum had a really nice tent and it was strange seeing them in such a tidy and clean place, I'm more used to them being in a corner of a warehouse somewhere surrounded by dogs and traveler vehicles.
Through a death metal tent (loads of live bands as well as techno rave at this party) there was a little bridge into the camp site, crossing this thing was fun, especially in the dark when full of "rave spirit".
Friday night was fairly busy and despite the rain on the way down (the previous week had been nasty weather and the forecast was bad), it cleared up and was actually quite warm. The morning greeted us with one of those eye-stab sunrises and blue sky. Throughout the night I meet some London party people, one of whom has lost his tent and disn't have a clue where it was, we go look for it, but it's a lost cause. He did eventually find it, but not till the next day.
Needless to say, as normal in this sort of thing we didn't get a lot of sleep. I passed out for a couple of hours in the Pendulum tent, but that was all I got. I'm not sure if Sid even did that.
A little later and I run into Ian again. Ian is a regular on the London scene and he had a friend with him celebrating his birthday - some birthday party! We spend some time in the HEADFUK tent watching a live performance, quite something that was. I've seen techno "bands" before and usually they're really boring. This time it was one person working an array of samplers and stuff, standing in the tent along with all of us, not perched up on some stage.
Towards the evening and people start turning up in huge numbers for the Saturday night which is mental with crowds and crowds of people, it became easy to lose people and, indeed, yourself, but we survived through till about 5.00am when, after a session in the Exodus tent (oh what a lovely sound system they have) we finally hit the floor of the tent.
Sadly, we both had to be in work on Monday so after a very enjoyable 5 or 6 hours kip, we had some munch and one last look around, then packed the tent up and hit the road back to Norwich, stopping only at Red Lodge cafe for more (much needed) food.
As I say, what Exodus have done with the Free Spirit festival 2000 is to stage the countries first ever police approved "illegal" rave, it was a real free party in every sense of the word "free" in my book, although some of the free party massive were a little put off by the degree of organisation, I see their point, but Exodus aren't playing a game here.
They made a lot of effort to cope with the problems you always get in events of any kind - there were (just about) enough loos, there was free water and the access roads were kept clear. At least one ambulance had to ferry someone off and that happened with the minimum of fuss from what I saw.
Anyway, there were no plod to be seen (unless you'd parked your car on the M1 in which case silly you), so they kept their side of the bargain. Oh and something went really wrong with the weather, it was hot and sunny for most of the time (well at night it was just hot), most strange.
Perhaps Exodus have found a way forward for those of us who enjoy free parties, lets hope so.
Maximum respect anyway to Exodus.
Derek
Soundsystems: J14-Survival/Freestate- Engineering-J1031st December 1999
Rather than writing a number of different reports, I thought I'd gather together
the information I had about the various parties which happened over the NYE celebrations.
First up, I went to the Junktion 14/Survival party near Aylesbury. Although unfortunately
the original location was raided early on by a police taskforce arresting several
people in the process; the second location, a series of huts in the middle of
nowhere was looking good as a convoy of about 60 cars arrived, but unfortunately
the system hadn't been setup...
However half an hour or so later, the police turn up in force. A riot van and
8 or so cars. Their intention: not to let this party happen! Coming in heavy handed,
outside of the law, they STOLE a set of decks. No public orders were served on
Junktion 14 or Survival. After hanging around for a while, it was looking like
the police were not going to leave so we decided to head over to Reading, heading
for a party happening near the (annual) festival site. A large warehouse was used
and after finding the place around 11.30pm we entered the building via the kitchens.
Junction 10 were in charge of the Drum and Bass room, Freestate had a large system
setup in the next room and were playing old skool tunes, while in the main room,
Engineering had another large system playing the beginnings of loud techno. A
chill out room had also been setup and setup quite well - sporting comfy seats,
a bar and laid back sets of acid jazz and chilled music. We had a good night here,
but things might have been very different had the first J14 venue not been busted.
Other parties happening around the South of England were all over the place. Listing
but a few, the main three London parties were all packed out. Shoreditch had 6
floors of systems and played host to a lot people - may'be too many. In Uxbridge,
Underground Sounds/United Systems did their thing in a huge abandoned sports hall.
Over in New Cross, HeadFuk Damage Control held a party in a disused Bingo Hall
- combining all of their systems to fill up the main room. Exodus had a large
attendance of 4000 people, using the same building they used for their Xmas Day
party. Down in Bournemouth a large Squat Party was raided and even in Norwich
a large party was stopped from happening in a disused factory.
August 1998
About 11pm on a Saturday night. I had just wanted to be very boring, stay at home,
go to sleep... but Consort of the Dark has phoned me a couple of hours previously?
and nagged until I reluctantly agreed to turn out with map and wheels... so now
we have found the venue and parked. Found the place by driving up the nearest
country lanes and stopping every half mile or so, switching the engine off and
listening for the
Sound of Party.
Venue. Uh, some woods in Hampshire, UK. Miles from anywhere, and part of a country park complex with a picnic area. Hired for a BBQ, and three people have a birthday sometime this month. Heh, any excuse for getting wasted and dancing all night. YAY! I think the site cost about eighty quid to hire, including mains power that would automatically switch off at midnight. "Yeah, and I'll turn into a pumpkin or a glass slipper," I thought to myself sceptically, in full foreknowledge of the generator someone would have certainly have brought against such eventualities. If I knew who had shelled out for the hire and genny-fuel, I would willingly have made a donation, but no-one seemed interested in such triviality. Anyway, we have parked in an overspill parking area, and wander along the tracks to a lit area. Oh, this is just the toilet block, spotlessly clean, with running water and a generous handbasin for washing hot faces in later. Neat. Cheerily greet a few people lingering about cars. No-one I recognise yet, but at a rave, who cares? But the sounds and lights are on the other side, uphill. A little path under dark trees. The first-quarter moon does not help here, and we step cautiously onward, until the track levels and opens out onto broad greensward. And there we are... a thumping full-on dancefloor like a fairy castle in the woods.
Hey, this is huge! Uh, a covered-in on three sides BBQ area, and with a magnificent log fire under a canopy and flue, set behind a low wall on the far side. Two people are carefully placing another half of a tree into the roaring flames: carefully so as not to raise dusty ashes to settle on the DJ's decks in the corner. There is an iron range against that side too; looks big enough to roast a cow on, though we are probably too late for food, though I'm sure that if we were hungry, someone would have cooked something. Swathes of fabric with fluoro designs are hung around. Eh, this is a great crowd. Must be at least sixty of our night-dancer family bouncing around the smooth concrete floor. YAY! Greets and hugs from a few people we know. Some local, and some of the London crowd too. A friend offers us something a little special in the way of cyber-enhanced magic. I am very tempted, though I decline; have too much else to this weekend, and reckon on only dancing for an hour or two before going home. Consort is well up for it though. Okay, and there are plenty of friends around who would give her a lift home if she wants to stay dancing all night. Hey, but I am waking up now anyway. Maybe it is the sheer power of atmosphere that should be banned instead! [wicked grin] I'm told it's called contact-buzz, for the fact remains that I had nothing but water at this event, yet remained dancing for something like eight hours. Fairly vigorously too, for the music was superb: feet and body could not help but go at it. Okay, I did go outside and chillout with a few little quiet groups at times, but never for long enough to stiffen-up. Ummh, I dimly remember climbing up the poles supporting the roof at one point too, waving at friends, strangers and the DJ. I bet they thought I was on something a bit stronger than water. And I truly did feel well up for it, almost as stoned as I have ever been.
Paradoxically, consort had run out of steam by about 4am, and went to have a sleep in car. Heh. I think I like this contact-buzz then; it lasts longer and is cheaper! On with the magic Dance then! Floaty-trancey sounds in the pre-dawn time: almost everyone remaining on the floor looking a little less energetic than with the thumping hardcore and acid techno of earlier hours.
Mischievous DJs dropped a few bits of disco and reggae-beat into the mix at odd points too. I wander outside to refill my water bottle, and see a shooting star flash across the heavens. A gradual lightening of the sky, and the music building up again to faster beats too. YAY! We're all up for it, the floor goes wild with the energy renewed. So I fling myself around to share in the celebration of the night and the day, and of all the 200 or so wonderful happy smiley people there. They made it all happen, right?
Full dawnlight by now, about 6am, and we can see what a mess of bottles and rubbish have been strewn about the area. And then a wonderful thing; spontaneously, without any asking, about half of us dancing or chilling out just started collecting all the rubbish into every bag we could find, made a big pile in one place for the refuse collectors. Only took about 15 minutes, and it seemed a civilised thing to do. Then we went and danced around the tidied floor some more. YAY! Then sitting on grass quietly chattering, and perhaps I was feeling a little hungry, for some lovely person came round and gave us slices of melon.
I feel I am fairly tired by then, and think to leave, though it takes about another hour to round up consort... who has woken up and returned for some more very full-on dancing after a nice rest. Heh. So now we can bid farewell to the Party. And while doing so, I see a white rabbit hopping nonchalantly around the far side of the clearing. I rub eyes, thinking this must be hallucination. No, it really was there, and several others had seen it at odd times too. Heh. I'm glad of that. We think it must be an escaped tame rabbit, from the colour and the fact that it seemed to like hanging around near humans. Eh, well, hope it enjoyed the party as much as we all did then! YAY
August bank holiday, 1999
I arrived in London intending to meet up with Paj at 7.00pm, ready to make our way out to darkest Luton for the festy on Friday night. Well, for various "complicated social reasons", we ended up waiting in a dark squat in North London 'till 1.00am, well we did what needed to be done, but it wasted Friday night. The remains of the night were rescued by going to Techtronic in the Pleasure rooms in Tottenham though, so at 6.00am we fell out of the club and went back to Enfield to have a chill and get the bags.
So it was wide eyed but limp tailed that we arrived at the Exodus farm around midday on Saturday, noticed it was well busy, put the tent up and crashed out till about 6.00pm.
First some food and there was a lot to choose from, then on to the party. Now I'm used to parties, I've been to a few, but they've all started around midnight or later. I'm not used to starting early evening, but that's what happened
The site was originally a part of a much larger farm which was bordered by the London - Edinburgh main rail line, then a few years back they built the M1 motorway, cutting off this triangle from the rest of the land and this is now the Exodus collective's community farm.
The first field is quite large and drops away sharpish from the gate at the top of the hill. The view from the top was quite something, a mass of tents and fires and the distant sound of musical drums.
In the big field was the Exodus tent (the red and white one on the left) a huge structure with a lovely sound system, this was packed and manic all night. Nearby was another large tent (the blue and yellow one) which was playing dub when I checked it out. All around were cafes and smaller rigs and bars and fires, techno, D&B and live bands.
The Exodus military vehicles are worth a note - there were several lorries, APC's and the like, even a small tank like thing. This one's being used by the Djs.
Through another gate was the second field, a long thin triangle of land with a street lined with systems from all over the place. Now here, for me, was heaven and it has to be said, this is where I spent the vast majority of the time. Systems worth noting (in my opinion, to be fair) were Citricity, Coexistence, Junktion 14, HEADFUK, section 63 (I think) and one from France called Malfaiteurs. J14 also had a big rig playing jungle, but thats not really my cup of tea although it was crowded most of the time.
There were many other rigs as well, most of which I simply didn't have time to check out and on the other side of the street was the railway line, every now and then Intercity 225 trains rushed past at over 100 mph - YEAH!!!! they were well good.
At the end of this street of systems, a large tent blocked the path with a nice rig whos name I didn't get. Presumably, beyond this the M1 met the rail line in a mass of twisted steel and tarmac, or else came to some arrangement involving bridges or something.
I didn't have time to check all the systems out, even though the party started 5 hours earlier than normal and carried on 'till I hit the floor of the tent around 2.00pm the next day and then happened again the next night. Still not enough time though.
The reason for this was mostly due to Coexistence, I spent a lot of time in there, they were playing just the right sort of techno to get me going, so why move?
What really made things pick up though was meeting up with some people I know from the squat scene in London, these guys know how to party, believe me!
As with all free party systems which depend on gennies though, we had blackouts. So it was when I turned up at the HEADFUK tent for my Sunday morning fix of gabba (I like gabba in the early morning), all was silent and dark. Things get sorted out though and everything came back to life once the "technical problem" was sorted out. Thats was the good thing of having so many systems, not everyone broke down (or run out of petrol) at the same time!
The gods smiled on us it has to be said. Not only were there no blue meanies anywhere to be seen but the sun shone all day and it was hot, even at night. This happened in England, most strange.
Me and Paj packed up the tent slowly and not at all enthusiastically around 4.00pm on what we discovered was Monday and somehow made our way back to London, then I slept all the way back to Norwich, thanks to Anglia railways. Derek
June 1999
Just thought some of you might be interested to know that the Mutant Dance party
on Saturday night was busted.....
We had planned to do the party at a quiet barn about 10 miles from Stonehenge, but due to uncontrollable rumours (not started by us) the police decided we were going to try to break into Stonehenge. (it did occur to us as a possibility, but only after everyone told us we were going to do it anyway!)
We were met at the meeting point by some of Wiltshire constabulary... We knew we wouldn't be able to go to the site without being followed, so we decided to talk to them. After hours of attempted negotiation, I finally spoke to the chief constable of Wiltshire constabulary (Andy Hollingshead) and he said to me "You have my personal assurance that we will allow you to take the convoy to your intended site, and any police officers or vehicles you see on the way will be merely spectating. We don't want to stop your party, we don't want trouble." No-one told the police where we were going.
We led the four mile long convoy from Amesbury car park to the site (a wikkid setup with 5 barns miles from houses, and lots of trees around to stop the noise traveling), we were followed by a chopper, military police, and vans of police. Just as we pulled up, the police cut across fields and stormed the site, arresting myself and the other organizers. They seized Dionisus sound system (from Milton Keynes), two systems from Bristol, and Stinky Pink System. We managed to laugh off the arrests, as they didn't seem very serious. (They did offer to un-arrest us, but that would have meant paperwork, so we settled for staying arrested, reasoning that they couldn't arrest us again that way). After they had read us the riot act we were turned around and we led the convoy back to Amesbury car park, past Stonehenge. At this point, the convoy slowed down to 5mph and the noise was deafening as people expressed their disgust to the assembled police.
We made it back to the car park to decide what to do, closely followed by a few police vans. I was told of a travelers site on the Wiltshire border where they already had system going and wanted us to join them. It seemed like the best idea, as police are often reluctant to venture too far into established traveler sites.
We tried to talk to the police, and explain that we needed to compromise (by this time we had gathered about 600 people) and that they wouldn't be able to get rid of everyone peacefully, we needed somewhere to go. The inspector turned round to us and said "what makes you think people will go if you tell them? You lot couldn't organize a piss-up...." etc.
A display of unity was needed. We called all the party people over to one end of the car park, everyone got out of their cars, and stood silently to hear what we had to say. Cockney (another Mutant Dance rep and the one with the loudest voice) made a speech and told everyone what the situation was with the police... he told people we had an alternative site lined up on the border of Wiltshire, we would pass directions around the crowd discretely and that we needed to leave in small groups. We had an hour to get out. 15 minutes later the car park was clear and everyone was on their way to the party. Better organized that a military decamp. The Inspector looked suitably shocked. We call it organized chaos.
We now only had one system left (Junkchun 10 from Reading) and they were pulled twice and escorted out of the county. So with no rigs left we made our way to the site party, hoping to rescue some of the night.
Unfortunately, the site we moved to was not very nice. It was full of brewed-up crusties trying to make people pay a fiver for parking. There was a very dark vibe, and it started to rain. The police turned up (cos our phones were tapped) After an incident involving keys locked in a car, a broken window and my boyfriend getting covered in broken glass, we decided to call it a night and left. Sorry to anyone who was there and I didn't say hello to, I was beyond socialising.
I now hear on the news about a riot at stonehenge
last night. BBC news is claiming that we were respon-sible for inciting people
to riot. They claim our website was outlining plans to charge at the stones....
Bollocks.
None of the systems were impounded, but told
they would be if they returned to the county. I am still under arrest (I think)
And I can guarantee you will hear more about the lying bastard coppers as I intend
to shout about it till everyone knows not to trust the police. Our phones are
still tapped, and my emails are being scanned. (I was told by them that this was
how they knew so much about our plans) Hello PC netplod by the way, hope you enjoy
the story.
A word of warning: nothing is private anymore.... if you are into organising parties,
landlines, mobiles and emails are NOT the way to do it.
We tried an experiment on Saturday which involved
being honest with the police, trying to negotiate and seeking a compromise. We
were fuct over. May that be a lesson to us all. Thanks to those that made the
effort to come along, especially the guys with the systems. Maybe another time
eh? Have we been put off? Have we fuck. Our next party will be in a safer, quieter
place, but we will be back!
New Years Eve 1998
Black Sheep did it again: every time I go to one of their events, I reckon it
to be the very best rave I've ever been to. New Years Eve 98-99 was no exception.
Been looking forward to it all year, since their last
NYE party. (:>) So most of the Hampshire contingent were keen to go.
Arrived early and found parking spaces close by, in a weirdy tunnel right opposite
a grilled-off entrance to the main dancefloor... as we later ascertained by peering
behind a drape from inside. The whole area is a
sorta underground complex of carparks and warehousing. We can hear the sound of
party while parking: maybe it's just the soundcheck, but it rocks already! Now
we just need to wait for it to open. (:>) A few people slope off to find a
pub, but our vanload prefer to lurken darkly in our tunnel, which has good photographic
opportunities. We greet lots of other lostsoul strangers that are arriving; a
few of them are looking for another party that is also happening close by. The
significance of this becomes apparent much later. Hehe.
Ah well, looks like starting now: people are queueing at another grille a hundred
paces away. We scoot over, and by our good fortune arrive at the same time as
the pub-escapees. As they still have all the tickets which they arranged, this
is what I call good timing. (:>) It's going to be a good party. Greet the gate
guards cheerily, especially as I recognise most of them from previous Blacksheep
events. We get checked over anyway, but lightly and politely, while sharing a
bit of banter about the sort of contraband people might want to bring in.
Inside now, and it is all beautiful Victorian brickwork arched passages, with
walls decked over with swathes of bright fabric. There is a lot of fabric everywhere
too: not just around the dancefloor areas. Even the row
of portaloos, tucked out of the main thoroughfare among more arches, is a little
partyzone of its own. Someone's been quite enthusiastic and lavish with the decor-budget
then! Through to the main dancefloor, a huge area with a high ceiling arching
away into the distance, PA stacks at the far end. Eh, but you can feel the sheer
dB-power of it! Playing solid techno, but I'm not really ready for that yet. Only
a few people in here this early, and we are a little cold. Duck through to the
right, and a large chillout zone: nicely heated tho' so we congregate around a
heater for a while, chatting with others arrived before us, and the steadily growing
influx of new arrivals. Soaking up the warmth and the atmosphere. It's becoming
a good party already. The tea-stand is here, and the bar for bottled water etc.
Nice strong coffee. I go for a little wander on my own, get my bearings before
the place gets busy. Find the second dancefloor, much smaller and more intimate,
and with a heater in there. Playing some wondrous trancey-stuff, and I get distracted
by this and just have to have a little dance to get going. After a while I remember
the friends I arrived with, and go and fetch the few that I can still find in
the chillout. They also think this dancefloor to their taste.
The main room is starting to get warm and lively, so have to go and help that
along too. (:>) It gets so warm and lively that I need to go and sit down after
a bit of jumping about; have another coffee, get more water before any more dancing.
Watching the internal security guards cruising about, discreet but alert for any
sign of trouble. Say hello to them. I always chat with the security people at
raves. Part of my wicked campaign to get at least a smile and a nod from every
soul at a party. (:>) Ah, but these ones are easier than most, which I take
as a good sign: they know the difference between punters and trouble. Of course,
there won't be any trouble here anyway. This is a very fine party, people are
polite and smiling-fluffy. See someone bump another's drink, and it is just an
apologetic gesture, with a grin in return. But one guard did tell me they have
to be alert to gatecrashers and unwelcome unfluffy ones who might want to spoil
things: they'd caught a few trying to force a back firedoor already. But the gentle
nightdancers need not know nor care about any of this. (:>)
Most of the next few hours become a little blurry in retrospect, but there were
some damned-fine choons going down on both dancefloors; to the point that whichever
floor I'm on, I have to keep checking the other. Difficult to choose between them,
as both so good in their own different ways that I don't want to miss anything.
Heh. A lot of serious bouncing up and down with a friendly bunch of strangers:
but not really strangers, for in the dance we are all there. Occasionally I see
people I vaguely know, or think I know, so a cheery wave to them, and a hug if
I'm lucky too. (:>) It's definitely a great party!
Midnight comes and goes, with a great deal of cheering on the main floor. The
house is really rocking, and pretty packed everywhere, but still with enough room
to dance, or make one's way around the place without undue difficulty. More coffee,
more water, go sit in the chillout area and chatter some more. I've been using
a little Pentax point-and-shoot camera to grab a few simple pictures most of the
evening, but now I reckon time to get the SLR and tripod from outside. It has
got cold condensation on the glassware now, so I leave it to warm up as it will,
and go and dance some more. Myself and photo-colleague Kym manage to meet up at
odd times, and remember where we have stashed the cameras and bulbs. (Usually
leaving them in the care of the good peeps at the tea-stand, so our thanks to
them for that as well.) Ummh, yes I did say bulbs: as in flashbulbs... it is a
little known fact that these fun pyrotechnic devices punch out more lumen-seconds
than the biggest studio strobe. Kym held a big long-burn bulb up high to shine
over the main room.... and it completely overpowered the not insignificant kilowatts
of the Spotco
lighting rig: the whole floor turned round to see what the hell was lighting up
the roof. Hehe, over by the time one can turn around. (:>) And I know better
than to look at one close-to as it fires. Ech, these
are not the fiddly little toys still in use for some on-camera applications: these
are the size of domestic 100W lightbulbs, and even firing them at arms length
one can feel the wash of heat and light with closed eyes.
Well, it's about 5am by now: the dancefloors are thinning out a little, and I'm
dancing a bit slower too. But that means a bit more space, and gentler dancing
around with those remaining: these are the dance-
dedicated, and more inclined to play "see if you can follow my moves" sorta games,
which I rather enjoy. Heh, I reckon I can keep up with most. (:>) Good fun,
and mutual congratulations if we meet in the chillout
while queueing for water or coffee. A few more fluffy hugs. This is a great bunch.
Quite a few have never been to a Blacksheep do before: came because a friend insisted
or whatever. But all I spoke to said they were having an absolutely brilliant
time of it. I'd agree with that sentiment.
Then I realise there is a sorta extra space leading
out near the back of the chillout area. Hey! What's this! Sure it wasn't there
before! Hraark? Someone tells me it is the way to "the other party next door."
Wow.
Apparently, by mutual agreement of both sets of organisers, a dividing grille
has been opened. People from both parties are wandering in both directions, looking
completely bemused. What a wondrous idea! I have to
see this: follow through a cavernous car-parking area, another doorway.... and
suddenly I'm in that other party next door - the Pie & Mash "Reclaim the Beats"
do. CAW! It's kicking too! I don't know where I
summon the energy from, but I have to indulge in some very hectic jumping up and
down again. An odd feeling of deja-vu: I sorta recognise some of the DJ's set,
and there are more familiar faces than I can account for from the party I've just
come from. Ummh. [puzzled shake of head] Then I realise: this is mostly from the
Trancentral do I went to a month or two ago! CAW! Brilliant! Wave and grin at
a few faces, half-remembered from that other bunch. Okay, that's two damned-fine
parties I'm at tonight then! Greetings to anyone from the Slimelight venue I might
vaguely know then. And thanks to the kind people that said they recognised me
with a nod or hug. And apologies to DJ Orange, I think we just missed you. Eh,
another time then.
Ah well, back to the place I was before. Being an unashamed caffeine junky, it
was great to find the tea-stall open all night. I think I grabbed the last coffee
of the party, while the building was being cleared at about 9am. Bleary of eye
but cheerful. It was a great party. Eh, I'm up for the next NYE, please put me
down for tickets!
There must be a lot of effort going on behind the scenes to make these parties
happen, and to happen so well too. Considering that underground parties are all
one-offs, without the benefit of a permanent venue to
decorate, it is quite amazing the way these guys transform some tatty commercial
premises into a wonderland partyzone. And it's not just the look of the thing:
the mains power required for the sound rigs, and the mega lighting.... require
considerable technical expertise. I'm told that the main room was recorded: if
so, I'm in the queue for a copy! HRARRK! Thanks to all the Blacksheep DJ's for
the stomping sets. Fritz, and Flerty, a guest I think was Rickee, and many others,
I don't know your names, but it was good stuff playing.
[6 june 1998]
Place : Wijk Aan Zee, The netherlands
Location : The beach
......which was looking a bit dodgy cuz we were having terrible lightening and thunder storms here all day friday, saturday morning, and again saturday evening. It wasn't looking promising, but we agreed that we'd wait and see, as it was only about half an hours drive from Amsterdam anyway.
And sure enough, at 10 or 10:30pm, it was looking okay. No clear skies, but at least it wasn't as dark and foreboding as earlier on in the day. So we phoned up X-ray and Stella and told them to come around to our place, and we'd go! Which they did, and we headed off, with 2 finnish friends of ours, Petteri and Niila, following in their van behind.
Our -ahem- 'half an hour' journey turned into a slightly longer one when we first made the same mistake as we did last year, and didn't take the correct road initially off the highway, and ended up driving back. That didn't make much of a difference, but then when we got to Wijk Aan Zee and drove towards the road to the north pier, it was completely dug up and blocked off. We couldn't find another road heading the way we wanted, so we kinda drove around Wijk Aan Zee a few times, and finally headed towards Castricum in hope of finding a sign post to head us in the right direction.
Not a hope. =o) We arrived in Castricum having not seen anything to point us in the direction we had wanted. Out with the map!! =o) And of course that helped. 10 or 15mins later we were on familiar ground, and driving down the road to the beach. And what's that in front of us..?? The Shakti mobile!! =o)
Hello's and greeting passed around, we headed off down the beach. They'd set the place up nicely, tent for dj's and a small chillout, and a very crude, not very weather worthy bit of shelter made from some plastic, but it didn't rain all night, we were dead lucky, and only at one point did I sit in around the dj tent, cuz it was warm and toasty in there, and i was freezing. =) They'd built up a fire as well, but there were so many people already sitting around it, it wasn't worth the effort to try and squeeze in. We'd brought ground plastic, blankets, and lots of warm clothes with us anyway.
We'd just set up our base with blankets and stuff, when I had a look at who, what, where etc. There I am, standing on the edges of our 'camp', when I notice that Kristina is sitting on a sleeping bag literally 1 meter in front of me. =o) That was a nice reunion!
Luna-tic was already playing when we got there, so we missed the first dj, (and didn't actually get a report whether he was any good or not), but Dave (luna-tic) played the best set I think I've ever heard him play.
Following him was Zen, whom I think also played a great set. The atmosphere there was very good, nice and friendly. There were a lot of the old party heads there that I hadn't seen in a while. Spent quite a bit of the night catching up with people I hadn't seen in about a year or so. Quite a few local drunks as well, but that's the good thing with outdoor parties, you're not stuck in a confined space with people you don't want to be stuck with, there's plenty of room to escape and avoid.
Walter didn't work too well, cuz there wasn't enough blacklight, but the troll with the flashing eyes went down a blast as it was quite dark! Made a few new friends with his help. =o) Him and dom's flashing bracelett made a great team. *hehe*
Ran into Baz on the dance floor, who was having a *wonderful* time. =o) (banana's baz!! bunches and bunches of banana's!!!) *hehehe* Our Finnish friends enjoyed themselves so much, they put off their drive to germany until the last possible moment. (they had to start work in dusseldorf on monday morning at 6am). They have a handy habit of dropping into amsterdam 'just' at the point where there's a nice party happening. =)
Danyel was last up to dj, and horray! He finally played well! The last times I've seen him play I've been a bit disappointed, he seemed to lack the talent he had a year or so ago, boring sets, very little melody, didn't keep the crowd going at all. But saturday he seemed to be his old self, and kept the dance area full and hopping.
The rain stayed away all night, and dave was so pleased that he thanked Shiva by burning a replica of the staff or whatever that for example the infinity project used on the back and inside cd cover of feeling wierd? Sorry, i don't know the official title for it, can someone inform me? =o) Anyway, I do recognise the symbol, and dave made his offering.
What tickled me pink though was when a guy I know, Pete, with a very Liverpool accent, turned and asked me what they were burning the farmers pitchfork for. =o) It wasn't the question that made me laugh, it was the description of the staff. =o)
All in all, it was a great party. I reallyS enjoyed myself, I think everyone I was talking to enjoyed themselves as well. We left somewhere around 10 or 10:30am on sunday morning, and just as we were on our way back up the beach, the first rain started to fall. perfect timing - for us anyway. =o)
So nice to be able to find the odd party in Amsterdam like this one, with friendly folks and atmosphere. May there be many more! groovy grins!
[27 - 29 september 1996]
Another review. um... where do i start? We got along to Sloterdijk around 10.30 or 11 pm I think, to find a number of people waiting for the directions to this secret location. Turned out to be Amerika Havens as I had suspected, but all that was there so far was the tent, no sound system or anything, all that was only arriving the next day. We were going to wait until saturday to go there, but finding parking for a camper in Amsterdam ain't so easy, so Timo and I went on out there friday night anyway.
Next day, saturday, made a few trips back and forth to sloterdijk to pick up some people, but up until 11 pm or so, there wasn't much of a turn out. The music was good, the dj's seemed to be playing all well known tracks to get the crowd (well, the people that were there :) on the dance floor. Then the cops arrived saying that people were complaining about the noise. utter and complete bullshit. There's no houses or residencies for miles and miles out there! Just an excuse to exercise police control I think.
But! At the same time the police arrived, so did about 50 people! So the cops (*slightly outnumbered) left after making us promise to turn the music down. We did. For a while. The crowd continued to get bigger after that, and at about 3 or 4 the place was packed. The cops turned up again of course, and we had to restrict the sounds to monitors only until daylight. I really don't know what the cops were on about, 'cause at one point we went for a walk around the site, and as soon as you were about 150 or 200 metres away from the tent, you couldn't hear a thing! It was really windy, and that was distorting the sound, but even so.
About 5.30 or 6 a dj started to play that sent the majority of people to sleep. Literally. He was the only dj to start playing extreemly *boring* trance. He came on just after Zen, who had everyone at high energy level, and completely deflated the lot! He wiped the place clean of energy. Everyone started to flake out then, 'cause the music just wasn't good anymore. It was *real* plod. And i'm not knocking trance, not by a long shot, it's just that this guys track collection didn't contain anything even *slightly* melodic. I was talking to one of the Israeli dj's afterwards, and he said he had even gone up to the decks and turned this guy off at one point and told him to play some decent tracks. Well, i missed that, 'cause we decided that while this guy was arsing around, we'd catch some sleep.
We came back later on that morning, and zen was playing again, the majority of the crowd and headed for home, (whimps! :) and of course only the die hards were left, but what a sound bunch of die hards! We had really good fun dancing around together. there were quite a lot of different nationalities, there seemed to be an oriental contingent, a crowd from England, a few Israeli's, dutch people, (of course :) and us! The Israeli dj I mentioned earlier took over from Zen, and he had really good fun behind the decks. He was well into his music and he was having a ball. Gave him a lift back to Sloterdijk afterwards as well, and he's a really nice bloke. The whole party had to stop around 5.30 or 6 pm on sunday 'cause the wind got too much and the tent started to suffer something major. The weather was miserable, it pissed down most of sunday, and the wind was horrible all weekend, but we had a brill party anyway.
Maybe timo, Goose and Undertow can throw in some more comments. Matt & Remko, you missed a good one! Hope you're jealous! But not as jealous as I'll be when you go to Luna Landing in Bochum on wednesday.... why do they have such line ups mid-week! Obviously not aimed at us working class.... :o(
Wish i could fill you in more on the dj names, like, the names of those two 17 yr olds that blew the top off the tent..... maybe you know timo? They were wicked! like a junior version of Bansi and Riktam.
That's it for now. 'till next time, sssssssssssmiles,=o)
September 1996
Having just been exposed to the most wonderful free party of my life, held in an old farm in Cornwall (yes 500 mile round trip, no sleep, 12 hours dancing). I can sort of understand how good the Welsh woods thing must have been. This party went on and on and on - never ending it seemed.
We were still dancing at 12 midday. The music was the finest psychedelic trance ever to reach my ears. The hosts of this party were the legendary TIP. If you ever get a chance to get to a TIP party, GO it is an experience never to be forgotten. Plenty of free lemonade. Everything and I mean everything is laid on, even rooms to lay sleeping children in, bonfires, chill rooms, candle light grottos, superb decor and DJ's of monumental ability (Si Posford).
Never ever in my life have I been so contented . I rocked for hours not even able to speak a single word in case I broke the spell, people were pulling my arms, hugging me, kissing me, offering me all manner of nau-ghties but all I could do was smile even further and shrug that expression of "you know where I am and you don't really wanna disturb me do you". Jim
July 1996
Saturday I was quite monged out. I got up late, and everyone had decided to go
to Exodus, after much vacillating (Ronan was having a birthday party at the Point/Hobgobblin
which meant there would be Oxford fun although I was externally worn out after
only 2 hours sleep having speeded last night away) I got carried along. I got
a lift (along with Mark, Petra and Moje) in Chris's car and we went up to Eddies,
where a huge convoy of Oxford people were amassing to journey to the Exodus free
party/festival. Among the stalwarts there were Bone, Mazzer + g/friend, Cait,
Tasha + female friends, Luton (big) Mark, Kettle, Quentin, and maybe a dozen others
whom I knew less well. Duncan, Charada, Emma etc. were being driven up in a Joe's
(female) van but had already departed. After much sitting about we finally set
off at 11:30 which is a shame because I could have gone to Ronan's birthday do
until 11 and still caught up with the Oxford
convoy.
The drive was an exciting plunge through the night (although sadly we lost Bone and Mazzer's car which broke down I think) arriving at Dunstable at 12:30 ish. We drove to a huge industrial estate to see an amazing sight. Lining the roads were 100 upon 100 of cars, all full of people, laughing smoking and drinking and waiting for the sign.
We sat about listening to loud music in one of
the many car parks, chatting to people as the excitement built. I never thought
that in these days of the harsh Criminal Justice Bill I would see such freedom
again!
Then it came, an army land rover with a red flashing light filled with the Exodus
"peace'' stewards (what it says on their jackets) passed and the roads were filled.
A massive convoy of cars with all kinds of freaks set off. Surprisingly every
rule of the highway code seemed to be obeyed and nobody queue jumped, instead
we drove in an orderly line 5 or 6 miles long (at least). Now and then we would
reach a junction and more Exodus people would point the way (they seemed to have
several 100 volunteer organizers + quite a few vehicles, most ex army landrovers
and lorries (good for cross country) painted with a red star). I was told usually
there is no trouble with the police, who allow it to go on, tacitly acknowledging
the fact that the crime rate plummets to nothing whenever one of these parties
occurs. This time there was some police hassle though because we crossed a county
line and went into Buckinghamshire and the beautiful Chiltern Hills.
We were near the tail end of the convoy and suddenly everything stopped. After a while of sitting in the car we saw several police riot vans whizz by followed later by some Exodux land rovers. After some sitting about listening to soothing classical music the word was passed down to park our cars and walk in. Some walking revealed that the police had set up a road block. Several Exodus stewards (now balacaved to avoid identification) and the police were having a heated argument, next thing I heard was a shout "get the bricks ready lads'' (lads was presumably us a crowd of about 200 onlookers), at this the police fled straight away, and for the rest of the night that was the last we saw of them. Ironic that the Luton city dwellers would tell us to get bricks ready on an isolated rural lane.
Chris and I returned to our car and drove in, making a quid donation towards the party. We got to a car park and soon located the others. The party itself was in a large valley, a big green belly button of the countryside. The valley was very steep (I think it was artificial, maybe a quarry in its past life) and we had "fun'' getting down. I scoffed my wrap of billy to wake me up and decided to explore the lip of the valley to get my bearings. This involved another huge climb and about 1 hour of walking taking me round the valley and into the dawn.
I was impressed, everyone was very very friendly and the vibe was excellent. Black and white, old and young, all partying through the night, I saw quite a few faces I had seen on the TV program about Exodus. There was no trouble and no bad attitude, they even allowed some jugglers with devil sticks onto the dance floor (perhaps they are too mellow), thankfully there were no bongo players. The sun rose to reveal a scorcher of a day, and a beautiful deep green on the hills. I decided to meet Uncle Ebeneezer with the help of a cup of tea and a bean burger (yes there was even tea there, how civilized!). The music was some of the best I have heard recently, contrary to what I had been led to believe there was no jungle, mostly really good techno with a good beat, as Eddie (the rasta man) said if you can jump you'll love exodus. But the friendly atmosphere made it (some people had even brought their kids). We partied on through one of the sunniest days this year (good job I brought my suncream) leaping and cavorting until about 5pm next afternoon. All in all it ranks as the best rave I went to (especially as it was "free") and perhaps one of the better events since the days of the free festivals! Phil
At the last mo plans for hitting RTTS at the Fridge on Friday were shelved as
words reached our ears of a free open air party to be held at a southern seafront
location on the Sat night. The rumours were from 2 very reliable sources and the
dj's were to include top goa trance dj's (amonst others)..... weather forecast
brilliant................... who could resist.
Just in case the whole thing blew out TRIP web pages were scanned for a back up party but the nearest psychedelic one was the Spacehopper in Brum which was too far to go from where we were going. So it was shit or bust.
90 miles down the m25 and other motorways flashed by in no time and we soon found the location as other potential revellers were all about town at pub kicking out time wandering down to the beach front. T'was a fine but cool night. We still had the feeling that it may or may not happen and this added to the excitement.
We parked up down a deserted beach path and stumbled down to the front, ears straining to hear any repe-titive beats.
Other guys were all around us some clearly pissed up and just along to see what was going on down their town. We followed some distant sounds and soon found ourselves at a party right on the seafront under tall white cliffs a long way away from anywhere. Generators were powering sound rigs, lights and visual projec-tions. Perhaps 150 people were dancing about to the hard trance sounds.
The psychedelic sound people 500 yards up the front were having trouble with their supplied generator (the organisers had supplied 110v instead of 240 v) and it wasnt till the early morning that they worked miracles and managed to get some sort of sound out of their equipment. So we went back to the hard trancey sounds and tried to get into it (with considerable success - similar music to EFS) and whilst it did not trans-port us to those special places that only psychedelic trance can the sheer energy had us freaking hard on the floor.
More people added till I guess there were 400 or so total revellers there some sitting around fires some sit-ting in perches in the cliffs or just walking along the beach. Pissheads as usual fucked off about 2am to leave it to the enthusiasts and the vibe whipped up. Plod appeared along the front and visited for 10 mins and viewed proceedings from their car, and to their credit did sod all and just turned around and went away.
Although free we gave 10 quid between us as a donation to the cause. The best bit was freaking whilst slowly becoming aware that light was creeping up on us and dawn broke at 4am to bring a different atmos-phere to the party.....it was a further full 2 hours before the sun burst brilliantly over the cliffs and the dancers caught each others eyes grinned and yelled as the dj put on a massive number which brought the party to a pinnacle. I will remember that moment for ever.
We wandered down to the psychedelic end of the beach as word reached us that they had pulled of the impossible and got their equipment to work. Here we freaked some more and was reminded just how much difference there is between good psy trance and the stuff we had enjoyed earlier. There was amongst the revellers some of the biggest names on the psy trance scene revelling in the ultimate a free party on the beach with perfect weather.
Some early dog walkers must have wondered what the bloody hell had hit their quiet little backwater.
Suddenly limbs got tired as the now very hot sun beat down on us and we decided to leave. GOD KNOWS how many people I shook hands with, grinned and struck up brief conversation with, all guys reciprocated and I must say it was a very very special party and the long drive back was done with a cheshire cat grin and the thoughts of 'can this experience ever be topped? There were people who had travelled a long way for the experience and were not dissapointed. It was fair to say that the organiser was blown away by the number of people attending his bash............ he was on one from the success. Mark june '96
A Free party (also known as a rave or maybe a technival) is an all night or longer event, where people go to dance, socialise and have fun in an uninhibited way. Consider them temporary autonomous zones.
The venue can be anything from an unused warehouse, a tent in a field somewhere to outside on a beach. Expect dark dance areas lit only by coloured beams of light and strobes although you might get stage smoke and sometimes even lasers.
The crowd is mostly young ranging from 18 to 25, although there's no age limit and there's plenty of older ravers and a few younger ones too.
Something I like about free parties is the way a conversation about living in an old van on a traveler site can be followed by a conversation about Windows NT, despite what you might have been told, there is no stereotypical free party person.
There are some common features though: a friendly and outgoing personality,
an 'up-for-it' attitude, and a love of music and the communal atmosphere.
Drugs are a feature of raves and free parties of course, particularly cannabis but also ecstasy, acid, speed, mushrooms and beer. Drug use is usually limited to the more social and recreational drugs.
A big requirement of a good free party is that it should be free entry, or at most only a small charge to cover the expenses of the organisers. The term "free party" means "free" in the sense that it's a "free space" - a gathering of people with no limitations on expression imposed by the organisers
A true free party will also run until it ends, some of the bigger events spanning several days or longer.
Who runs Raves and Free parties?
Real free parties are organised by enthusiasts and not people trying to make money. Enthusiasts working together form sound systems with members responsible for technical things like getting power maintaining sound equipment, or maybe Dj'ing (sometimes even doing live sets), painting backdrops, etc...
Sound systems are the driving force behind organising free parties. Often systems collaborate with other crews to stage multi-rig parties offering a choice of rooms as each system has it's particular style, ideology and following.
Should I pay to go to a free party?
Free parties usually ask for a small donation, but will sometimes let you in for less if you look poor enough or ask nicely. Some parties are entirely free, sometimes it's possible for the organisers to cover costs by running a small bar. Overall though, organising a party is an expensive business requiring a lot of time, energy and effort so If organisers ask for a donation, be generous!
Once you're there consider helping out as well, like tidying away rubbish at the end of the party or if you see people going around with the plastic bin bags.
Where can I find one?
Free parties, teknivals and squat parties aren't hard to find, it's just a matter of finding people who are in that scene. Parties kick off every weekend in London and all over the world, so keep your ear to the ground...
The meet-up point was Liverpool Street station, and when we got there at midday there was already a good humoured crowd gathered in the sunshine, buzzing with anticipation, as a handful of baffled policemen did their best to look like they were in control of the situation. A local newsagent did a roaring trade in ice creams and drinks in the blazing heat as we awaited instructions. A few moments later, a diminutive girl in a pixie dress came up to us and pushed a flyer in our hands containing the cryptic message telling us to 'follow the people with the pink ribbons'.
Seconds later a huge roar went up as the first of the ribbon holders was spotted heading into Liverpool St tube station, quickly followed by the surging crowd. The sound and spectacle of a multitude of drummers echoing down the tiled corridors and a kaleidoscopic range of hair and face colours proved a little too much for a party of Japanese tourists who stood by the escalators, jaws wide open in stunned amazement. This wasn't in the tourist book!
We caught the train to Shepherd's Bush and came out to see the entire roundabout completely gridlocked and the exit surrounded by police vans. Some guy felt inspired to jump up and down on a traffic box stark naked, gesticulating wildly at the unamused massed ranks of officers. Unfortunately, further down the road some potential road ragers were frothing madly at the hold-up. I argued with some guy who was effin' and blindin' loudly from his huge shiny car. After some debate he came up with the conclusion that he didn't mind if he was held up because of traffic, but being held up by *people* was an absolute outrage! Tosser.The crowds continued to build to a soundtrack of drums and car horns (not all sympathetic) until we embarked on what could only be described as a military-esque pincer movement.
The mass split into two, one heading directly to the roundabout, the other slipping round the backstreets to meet up at the opposite entrance to the roundabout behind the police blockade. Minutes earlier two cars had sealed off the slip road on to the M41 and the occupants had leapt out to build tripods on the road. Thus the road was cut off from the North at the same time as the two crowds rejoined to seal off the South exit. Success! Instantly, the motorway was a car free zone, and workers set about transforming the landscape. There was some considerable argy bargy as the police stopped a sound system being brought in over a ramp onto the motorway, but minutes later another sound system burst into life as huge banners were unfurled from lamp posts. Within ten minutes the whole road was completely jammed with a 'large number of persons pursuing a common purpose', enjoying the space and freedom to dance to some of those darn 'repetitive beats' and take in the glorious sunshine.
Musicians, stalls, bands, street performers and sound systems were adding to the festival spirit, while kids played contentedly in the ton of sand that had been deposited in the road. By the entrance some people had recreated a front room in the fast lane, relaxing on a selection of sofas, playing guitars and reading newspapers, while their dog slumbered contentedly on the rug.The turnout of 7,000 plus was amazing - as far as the eye could see there were people dancing on the road and crash barriers with DJs and sound systems doing it for love not lucre. This was rave music as it should be heard - defiant, proud, full-on and communal - without a bomber jacketed doorman in sight!Further down the road two twenty-five feet Marie Antoinettes were pushing up tight against the police lines whilst underneath their billowing skirts - unbeknown to officers standing inches away - power drills were busily breaking up the tarmac and devious types were getting ready to plant trees on the motorway. Wonderful.
Despite the vibe being very friendly and totally peaceful, a few of the police (as ever) did their best to get themselves a 'situation' or two, using the old tactics of intimidation and confrontation. I went up with a small posse of 15 to help out the guys sat on the tripods, and we found ourselves in the ludicrous situation of being surrounded by over 90 (yes ninety!) officers - including several officers from an armed response unit with a helicopter hovering above! Surely, they must have something better to do?!
Still, once again the Reclaim The Streets posse had outwitted and outfoxed the police and the huge turn out reflected the fast-growing concern for the city environment. The politicians may still be busy kow-towing to the motor industry and churning out excuses, but there's a lot of people out there who know something must be done - now!
Respect to all those that came out. See ya' at the next one.
After expecting the worst on entering the Police Station on Monday 28th October, ( ie Criminal damage to the M41, to the tune of £46,000 and possibly being kept on remand) Paul M. was instead charged with Criminal Damage to the tune of £2,000 - big difference ( possibly two years difference). There followed a day and night of celebrations. He has a plea hearing in January. Great news also concerning the other RTS activist that was wanted for 'questioning' as he is no longer wanted.
We also have our computers back, though of course the police now have copies of our hard disks as a souvenir.
Thanks to everyone for all the messages of support and concern over the past three months - apparently the police were surprised at the waves caused after Paul's arrest, we of course were not.
Love and thanks from all at London RTS
Nottingham’s Reclaim The Streets party was held on September 19th, in part to compensate for the city council having banned the annual carnival. The party went ahead, but was marred by extreme violence from the local constabulary.
They had been promised ‘zero tolerance policing’ and that was exactly what they got. Around 1000 people were met by police lines as they left the meeting point. Some tried to break through the lines and one was thrown by police through a plate glass window. At this point the crowd retreated and another street was occupied until people were charged by mounted police. One woman holding a baby was dragged screaming across the street by three police officers.
The crowd eventually managed to meet up with a sound system and occupy Mansfield Road. The van containing the second sound system had its windows smashed and its driver and passenger dragged through them by police. After this the party started and the atmosphere lightened as people danced and children played. Sadly, by this time the police harassment had driven many away. At 6:00 the party ended and the crowd moved off to the Forest Recreation Ground at which point the police arrested 54 people, some allegedly involved in confrontation earlier in the day, some just random party goer.
One witness commented: ‘People deserve a carnival as a break from the monotony of daily life. The people of Nottingham wanted their carnival and when they tried to organise one the police decided to crush it.’ They might have tried to crush it but they couldn’t stop it
&
Apparently about 30 people were arrested at the party and another 20 on Forest Fields (the Goose Fair land) afterwards. We're waiting for reports and pictures. Meanwhile:
From a first-time partygoer:
The Nottingham RTS on Mansfield Road was a first for me. I write to you now as a convert. I do not share all of RTS's political views, but for me the point of the street party is to question the established hierarchy, encourage better policies on public tranport, and have a fucking good time. Where else can you dance ecstatically surrounded by police in broad daylight? When else do you see thirty-somethings, children, Big Issue Vendors and up-and-coming young executives discard their differences and share in a truly solid community event?
The car will never be destroyed (not before we have really fucked the place up), and capitalist ideas of economic progress are here to stay. And there are positive things to be said for both. But I am an idealist, and hope that the continued RTS carnival will have some effect, might reduce the traffic, might encourage subsidised public transport, might see more city centres wholly pedestrianised. The important thing for me however has been to make me stop and see that it doesn't have to be this way, that if I WANT to stop the traffic and dance all afternoon in the street I can. And in a street empty of bustle, noise and dirt, no-one can deny the atmosphere is more congenial than usual.
Police Violence At Reclaim The Streets Demo On Sunday 23rd July 1995 from 2pm approximately 2000 people occupied Upper Street in Islington, North London, demonstrating against society's dependence on the motor car and the fact that it causes pollution and death. The demo, which closed Upper Street and part of Liverpool road to traffic for the whole afternoon and early evening, was more of a party with both live and recorded music, food, stalls and a great kids area.
At 8pm a number of uniformed police officers backed up by 10 riot v started moving the demonstrators down Upper Street towards Angel tube station. At this stage the demonstrators numbers had reduced to around 150. The officers were spread across the road. Demonstrators were moving down towards the tube station. The mood of the demonstrators (and the police) was still friendly.
At approximately 8:15pm, for reasons known only to the police, a number of officers from the Territorial Support Group (TSG or riot police) in full riot gear started assisting the uniformed police. They were supported by at least 10 other vehicles, police in helicopters and video crews positioned on buildings. The mood of the demonstrators was still peaceful. At least 18 police vans full of TSG had been spotted some 50 minutes earlier in a back street near Upper Street. It must be asked why so many officers in full riot gear were on standby so early when the mood of the day had been so peaceful.
The deployment of police in riot gear made the atmosphere a great d more aggressive. A small bottle (ONLY ONE) was lobbed towards these riot police. It was NOT aimed at the uniformed police who were some way in front of the riot police at this stage. Within seconds of this happening, the TSG drew their batons, pushed past the uniformed officers and started assaulting demonstrators with shield and batons. Over approximately the next 90 minutes the TSG violently pushed and beat demonstrators towards and past Angel tube station and down Pentonville Road. At this stage there were some 200 officers in full riot gear backed up by at least a further 100 officers in uniform. There were under 100 demonstrators.
The riot police pushed demonstrators down Pentonville Road. the wer asked on numerous occasions by the LDMG where they were directing people and to 'calm down'. Needless to say their answers were less than helpful. Eventually (at approximately 9pm) demonstrators, whose numbers were now less than 50, were moved into Northdown Street where all exits were blocked by police and riot vans. Many people trying to leave this area were searched. The reason the police gave when pressed was that there had been a public order incident, missiles had been thrown and offensive weapons had been seen - so they were checking if people had missiles or offensive weapons.
From the moment the riot police took over from the uniformed police they were indiscriminately and very heavy handedly arresting protesters. In total they arrested 17 people. At least one demonstrator needed hospital attention (head split open by a police truncheon) and two more were knocked unconscious by the police. Every time a legal observer tried to get details of an arrested person we were either threatened with arrest, were physically moved from the scene of the arrest, or were assaulted.
Although the actions of the riot police were totally out of control throughout the whole episode, we feel a number of incidents deserve special attention: * One particular officer in full riot gear was seen on at least three occasions using his clenched fist to punch demonstrator in the head and face - one of whom was knocked unconscious. * An articulated lorry was moving through the crowd and the police were violently pushing people past it causing a number of them to lose balance. It was only luck that somebody did not fall under the wheels of this vehicle. Police were asked to stop pushing for a while by legal observers and told to "move or be nicked". * When one demonstrator was knocked unconscious, legal observers protesters tried to see if he was alright, but were viciously pushed and beaten by the police. Although being advised by a person with medical knowledge that this person should not be moved, the police continually tried to move him.
As soon as arrests were made, the LDMG tried, with difficulty, to get solicitors to all of those arrested and to find out some information about them. We staffed our office throughout the night and next day, receiving numerous calls asking the whereabouts of missing protesters. By 5am, we had details of all protesters arrested.
Charing Cross police station would only release 1 (who accepted a caution) of the 10 arrestees. The rest were held overnight and appeared in Bow Street Magistrates Court the following day, which we monitored. Two of those held were refused bail and are presently on remand at Brixton Prison until 31st July. We feel the decision to hold them overnight at the police station and in prison was vindictive and excessive. Three of those arrested were for possession of drugs and all three pleaded guilty.
We have set up a defence campaign for the 13 still facing charges. Another indication of the states attempt to brutalise and criminalise us is the severity of these charges. Most are being charged with section 2,3 or 4 of the Public Order Act 1986. Our aim now is to; get the two out of Brixton Prison; prove all 13 innocent; look into actions against the officer who punched demonstrators and; assist people to sue the police for false arrest.
WE NEED LOADS OF HELP
* We have set up a 'bust fund' to pay for expenses etc (we have already visited and got cash to the two on remand). We need money so please send cheques/Postal Orders to us as soon as possible - made payable to LDMG and sent to the above address.
* We need you to publicise what happened as widely as possible (articles, posters, word of mouth, internet etc) especially asking for witnesses to arrests to contact us ASAP.
* We need people to help out in loads of other ways as we are only small group with limited resources both in terms of money and people.
The Legal Defence And Monitoring Group is a UK voluntary organisation who provide legal monitors for demonstrations, actions and other events where civil rights abuses may occur. Their job is to watch the police activity at such events and try to gather information, witnesses and evidence to use in defence of those arrested unnessecarily. This is their report of events at Reclaim The Streets, a peaceful demo based in North London.
Legal Defence & Monitoring Group c/o B.M. Box Haven, London, WC1N 3XX.
A report on the policing of the `Reclaim the Streets' demonstration in Brighton on 24 August 1996
INTRODUCTION
On 24th August 1996 Sussex Police mounted a major police operation to stop a `Reclaim the Streets' demonstration in Brighton. Eighty people were arrested, and the operation is said to have cost £100,000. So far about 46 people have been charged with offences arising from the event. Brighton Legal Defence and Monitoring Group (BLDMG) has published this report to highlight a widely felt concern at the policing of this event. We believe that on the day the police often acted in an aggressive, unreasonable, violent, and illegal manner. We list a number of issues of concern that we feel arise from the policing of this event. We also include a chronology of events in which we document some of the incidents on the day as recorded by our Legal Observers and other eye witnesses. We have omitted the names of those being arrested and the numbers of the police officers involved, although we have these details in most cases.
BLDMG was formed in April 1995 to monitor policing of protests in Brighton and to offer legal information and defence to those attending. Our Legal Observers, some of whom work in the legal profession, are given a legal briefing before events and wear bright orange tabards identifying them as Legal Observers. We have monitored a number of events in Brighton since we were founded, and have, until the arrest of some of our Legal Observers at this event, had a good relationship with the police who have recognised our independent role. Legal Observers do not take part in demonstrations and are independent both of the police and demonstrators.
We hope this report will be useful in initiating a real debate over the policing of this event, and over the policy decisions of Sussex Police that led them to act in the way they did. We do not believe the people of Brighton want their police force to act in the way they did on that day and that the Chief Constable of Sussex Police, and the officers involved, should be held accountable for the actions they have either sanctioned or carried out.
Brighton Legal Defence and Monitoring Group
ISSUES OF CONCERN
1. The arrest of Legal Observers
We are extremely concerned by the decision to arrest two Legal Observers, clearly identified by orange tabards with LEGAL OBSERVER written on the front and back, at the beginning of the demonstration. Nine hundred legal information leaflets detailing the rights of an individual on arrest were seized. At the police station, one of the Legal Observers was told he would be held until the demonstration was over. There appears to be remarkable inconsistency in the police approach here, as Sergeant Delacourt informed Legal Observers after the two arrests that the police would not arrest Legal Observers as long as they did not take an active part in the demonstration. Why, then, were the two arrested Legal Observers not released at this time? Why, instead, were both Legal Observers held until late that night, refused access to solicitors, and eventually bailed on the extremely serious charge of conspiracy, a charge much more serious than the one they were arrested on?
Both Legal Observers who were arrested have subsequently been told they will not be charged. They intend to sue Sussex Police in connection with their arrests.
2. Unprovoked police violence against protesters and the public
Early in the day police officers in riot gear with police dogs arrived on the streets. This deployment, we believe, was provocative and inappropriate, given that the mood of the demonstrators which was good humoured and peaceful until the police themselves became violent.
Police movements in West Street between 2pm and 3pm appear to have been co-ordinated to block all exits to the area and then to squeeze the crowd into a smaller and smaller space. One Legal Observer, crushed between police lines and demonstrators, repeatedly and clearly asked for permission to leave the area peacefully. The Legal Observer received no reply. He was then hit in the chest by a police baton and was physically unable to leave the area for 25 minutes. It is difficult to find a possible justification for this decision by police officers to refuse to let people leave the protest.
We have received written and verbal reports, photographs, and video footage of police acting in what appears to be a completely unjustified manner. This includes:
batoning a reporter for standing on a wall
use of neck-locks and other physical restraint against people offering no resistance
attacks on disabled people
the use of batons in an aggressive and illegal manner.
The widespread nature of these incidents suggest that they were part of a planned operation during which the police seriously overreacted to a peaceful demonstration.
3. Unjustified arrests of protesters and members of the public
Many of the arrests on the day seem to have been motivated by an attempt to intimidate the crowd rather than being related to the actions of the individuals arrested. We observed, or received reports, of people being arrested for:
reading out poetry
carrying a papier-mâché sea horse
singing
drumming
reading aloud an article about pollution
tripping over a kerb
handing out legal information leaflets
standing on the pavement
We are extremely concerned that the police decided to make widespread, spurious arrests of this nature and that they seem to believe that they were justified in doing so.
4. The attempt to stop a public meeting to discuss the demonstration
The police attempted to prevent a public meeting called by the group called Justice? on 2nd September to discuss the policing of the demonstration by threatening the landlord of the pub where the meeting was planned to take place. We can think of no possible justification for this political use of police officers, which was clearly aimed at stifling public debate about the actions of their colleagues.
5. The lack of accountability of the police for their actions
According to our observers on the day, the police acted violently towards peaceful members of the public, including Legal Observers and journalists. They also arrested many people, including Legal Observers, for no apparent reason. We believe that such police actions raise legitimate grounds for public concern. We are concerned that there seems to be no effective mechanism for making the police publicly accountable for such actions.
Individuals can, if they feel they have been unfairly or illegally treated by the police, take individual action against the police. This can be in the form of a complaint to the Police Complaints Authority or civil action against the police. We believe, however, that in a democratic society the police should be accountable to elected representatives for their operations. This does not seem to be the case.
Sussex Police are nominally accountable to Sussex Police Authority. It seems, however, that the Police Authority are not allowed to question `operational' decisions by the police. We understand that Sussex Police Authority have not even asked for a report on the events of 24 August from the police. The police have said the matter is sub judice - something that has not stopped them writing to the local press to seek to justify their policing of the event.
We believe that Sussex Police Authority have a duty to the people of Brighton to make Brighton's police accountable for their actions at this event. If they fail to do so adequately we do not think politicians should be surprised if increasing numbers of people come to see the police as, quite literally, out of control.
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
This chronology is largely based on the contemporaneous notes of independent Legal Observers at the event. Police numbers and the names of those arrested or assaulted by the police have been omitted, although we have these details in most cases.
12.45 Our Legal Observers arrive in Churchill Square. A small crowd has begun to gather. The first Legal Observer is arrested at this time. Another Legal Observer is unable to obtain a reason for this arrest.
12.50 A second Legal Observer is arrested as he begins to hand out legal information leaflets. Three officers grab him from behind without warning or explanation and frog-march him to a police van where he is arrested "to prevent a breach of the peace".
12.55 One of the remaining Legal Observers tries to find out the basis for the arrest of the two Legal Observers but is givens no explanation by several officers. Sergeant Delacourt says he does not know why they have been arrested.
Pete West, a local Green Party councillor, introduces himself to Chief Inspector Streeter as the Reclaim the Streets police liaison officer. C.I. Streeter says he is too busy and asks another officer to tell Councillor West that he should communicate with John Street Police Station. Councillor West comments:
"I told the officer I had no way of communicating with the police station, but the police were very unsympathetic and I had to find a pay phone. The march started moving off while I was waiting for the police station to phone me back and I had to abandon the phone box to keep up with the crowd. I eventually got hold of a mobile phone and repeatedly rang the police station to report unnecessary arrests; violent arrests; a woman being separated from her child; officers hiding their numbers; various other concerns about the police's actions provoking a worsening of the situation. All this was noted but not acted upon.
"While I was witnessing one arrest C.I. Streeter threatened me with arrest. I immediately stepped back onto the pavement as requested. C.I. Streeter then pointed me out to six officers and told them that if I stepped off the pavement again I should be arrested immediately. C.I. Streeter was aware I was a councillor and liaison officer for the demonstrators but, despite earlier police complaints that the organisers of the demonstration would not communicate with the police, he refused to liaise with me."
13.00 A female inspector on duty tells a Legal Observer that the two arrested Legal Observers are to be charged with incitement.
13.05 Two other Legal Observers are approached by Sergeant Delacourt and two colleagues. They tell the Legal Observers that this is an illegal demonstration, and ask them for their names and addresses, whether they are part of any organisation and what they are doing there. Sergeant Delacourt is told that Legal Observers are there only to observe. Seargeant Delacourt gives an assurance that Legal Observers will not be arrested if they do not take an active part in the demonstration.
Meanwhile a man is seen being arrested for handing out leaflets in Churchill Square.
13.15 By now a large crowd has gathered in Churchill Square. There is a heavy police presence forming lines around the edges of the Square with police vans along the Western Road side. Police are dressed in ordinary uniforms with the addition of bright yellow vests. The media is present and proceedings are being recorded by an elevated CCTV camera set up next to the taxi rank across the road near the Clocktower. A police Evidence Gathering Team with video and still cameras is present. The general atmosphere is calm.
Police are addressing the crowd with a megaphone but are drowned out by shouting from the crowd. There is no visible presence of a team of demonstration organisers, so police appear to be targeting anyone who stands out from the crowd and arresting them.
13.22 A man is arrested in Churchill Square for reading out an article about pollution from the SchNEWS newsletter. One witness says at the time, "He was reading aloud from the SchNEWS. He was not causing any trouble and he went without resistance."
Legal Observers are by now finding it difficult to monitor arrests as they are themselves being threatened with arrest for `obstruction' if they get too close to an arrest.
13.30 The crowd is still in Churchill Square and arrests are still being made of anyone standing out from the crowd in any way. A Times journalist sees a man being arrested for "walking around and singing" in Churchill Square. The number of police in Churchill Square is increasing and the police are becoming more intimidating. A Legal Observer sees a police officer push a woman and jab a passer-by in the ribs with his truncheon.
13.38 A man is arrested in Western Road for assault. He says at the time, "But I didn't touch anybody!"
13.40 A man is arrested in Churchill Square for reading poetry. Two men are arrested for `obstruction of the highway', while walking along the pavement towards Churchill Square with a papier-mâché seahorse. The seahorse is confiscated by police as an item that might "cause a breach of the peace".
13.43 A man is arrested by two officers.
13.46 A man in Churchill Square is arrested for addressing the public.
13.50 The atmosphere in Churchill Square is tense, but fairly good-natured and quiet. There is no trouble from the crowd. At this time people start moving from Churchill Square towards the Clocktower. The police do not try to stop them. People are dancing.
14.00 By now most of the crowd have moved away from Churchill Square towards the Clocktower. West Street has been cordoned off and police lines begin to hem people in on all sides of the Clocktower except North Street. The police have effectively stopped the demonstration around the Clocktower. There is a heavy police presence at the bottom of West Street and police in Cranbourne Street are putting on riot gear. Amongst the protesters, drumming starts and a shower of beachballs are thrown in the air and start bouncing around the crowd.
14.06 Police begin pushing protesters from Queens Road into West Street. Police advance up West Street towards the Clocktower. North Street is now being cordoned off and demonstrators begin to move into West Street. There is a party atmosphere amongst the crowd. Police dogs are seen arriving at this time around the Clocktower.
14.10 Police move across the Clocktower end of West Street and begin to push people down West Street towards the seafront. The crowd is now being packed into West Street between police at the top of the street and more police and police vehicles at the bottom. The police are now pushing the protesters into the section of West Street between the Clocktower and Duke Street. Three officers are seen, without provocation, to be pushing demonstrators particularly aggressively at this point. Demonstrators near the Clocktower are not happy with the treatment they are receiving, but the atmosphere remains fairly calm. Riot vans are now present behind police lines.
14.15 Police start deflating any beachballs that drift their way. A police helicopter arrives.
14.25 The police make an announcement but there is so much noise in the crowd that no one can hear it. The atmosphere is still peaceful among the demonstrators. Police dogs have now arrived. The police lines start moving down from the Clocktower and up from the sea, squeezing the crowd in West Street. Police with dogs clear Duke Street.
14.30 Duke Street is cordoned off. Police charge north up West Street towards the Clocktower and there are several arrests. Those arrested are forcibly photographed and put in vans. A young woman is seen being arrested by two officers in West Street. A witness to the arrest says the woman was doing nothing at the time. The woman is very distressed about her young baby which needs feeding. One of the arresting officers is seen to bundle the young woman away from her baby.
14.40 Police near the Clocktower start putting on riot gear. Police dogs appear in the middle of the road. Riot police arrive and are overheard receiving orders to "Charge gently up West Street".
14.50 The police line is pushing up Cranbourne Street as police vans move down West Street. Police are hemming the crowd into an increasingly confined space. A Legal Observer tells a police officer that he wants to leave but the officer just stares at him. Another officer jabs the Legal Observer hard in the chest with his baton. At the same time a pedestrian walking down West Street is violently arrested on the pavement outside the TSB bank.
15.00 Most of the crowd leave West Street into Cranbourne Street. They cross Churchill Square and move down to the seafront.
15.10 The demonstration is now moving east along the seafront towards the Palace Pier. The atmosphere is generally good. A man with a child on his shoulders walking along the pavement is threatened with being charged for `breach of the peace'. Traffic has stopped and drivers are being offered leaflets by protesters.
15.15 West Street has now been cleared and the police are pushing people up Cranbourne Street.
15.25 Some of the protesters start heading north from the seafront towards the Old Steine. Meanwhile in Cranbourne Street the police are pushing people between a van and a large plate glass window, squashing people against the glass. A man appears to be knocked unconscious against a wall by the police.
15.30 A black man with dreadlocks cycling down West Street is told by a police officer, "You swear one more time and I'll arrest you". The officer grabs the man off his bike by his waist and he is rammed head-first into the back of a police van. The man collapses into the van. A qualified first-aider, seeing that the man is unconscious, offers to help but is refused access by police. The police refuse to confirm if an ambulance has been called. The unconscious man is handcuffed in the van.
Meanwhile the protesters in the Old Steine start moving towards North Street. North Street is blocked by police and protesters start chanting, "We want a party!".
Around this time a young man is assaulted on the seafront by a police officer. He asks for the officer's number and when asked if he intends to make a statement about the assault replies "Yes" and is arrested. Shortly afterwards another police officer approaches the arrested man's friend and tells him he will be prepared to be a witness to the assault by his colleague and gives his details. The arrested man is charged with `obstructing the highway' and `causing intentional alarm, harassment and distress'.
15.45 An ambulance arrives and the black cyclist is carried into it on a stretcher accompanied by a police officer.
15.55 People start chanting "Scum, scum, scum!" as police make further arrests.
16.00 Some protesters are now moving along grand Parade towards St Peter's Church. Police in riot gear carrying batons are walking behind the protesters treading on peoples' heels and telling people to move faster. The atmosphere is now very tense.
16.10 The demonstration reaches Preston Circus. An arrest is made for obstruction. An ambulance with its siren on appears and the crowd clears to allow it to pass. The protesters start to move up New England Road.
16.20 A Rolls Royce drives at speed through the demonstration in New England Road, hitting two people.
16.25 By now people are moving across Trafalgar Street and into Sydney Street. The protesters are then herded into North Road and left towards Grand Parade and the Old Steine.
16.35 The protesters arrive in the Old Steine again. The police clear the road and protesters start heading to the roundabout by the Palace Pier.
16.48 A man is violently arrested, apparently for drumming. He is grabbed around the neck and forced to the ground by a police officer who headbutts him with a crash helmet giving him a bloody nose. Outrage starts to spread amongst the protesters.
17.00 Protesters are now on the seafront west of the Palace Pier. The atmosphere is good-natured until there are a mass of arrests.
17.02 Police are hitting people inside a police van.
17.20 A man is deliberately hit in the face with a baton by a police officer at the seafront. The event is captured on video.
This is being written on Monday 12/7/99 to pass on a subjective point of view
of Bristol R.T.S.. Firstly I Have to confess that I haven t seen any of the TV
news footage or any newspaper coverage other than our local rag. However our local
paper, the Evening Post, have written an extensive smear article stretching across
five pages, and I imagine that anybody else planning to attend or organize a street
party this summer can expect as heavy a response from both police and media as
we received on Saturday. I ll start by making some initial comments on the day
s events and then address our local paper s coverage .
Firstly I would like to stress the success of the day s action. I always take
the primary objective of a street party, to be a party in a street, and this definitely
occurred. The M32 into Bristol Central was blocked by activists and police (helpful
as ever) for at least three or four hours. This, it must be said, is quite an
achievement for a city like Bristol, which requires a London sized action to be
effective, but just does not have the population size to deliver sufficient numbers
of activists to cope with the vast quantity of tooled up coppers who get bussed
in from around the region. So thanks to everyone who travelled to Bristol to attend.
Other successful autonomous actions included a pirate radio station, on air without
any interference for 15 hours, broadcasting an array of subverts, propaganda,
comedy sketches, articles, activist musicians, and heavyweight DUB and punk, as
well as advertising the street party. This was a miracle of lo-fi lo-tech solutions
and bodged sound engineering, and I have no doubt will make a reappearance in
the future. Reclaim the airwaves !
The sound system got busted (I didn t witness this) and demolished. This is becoming
a familiar occurrence in Bristol. It happened at both the spring and summer 98
events, and so it was down to the acoustic musicians and drummers to keep a vibe
going, which they did successfully. People danced, the sun shone, it was a party.
It seems clear that a sound system can be an unnecessary and perhaps all too exclusive
accessory to a street party. Lots of people couldn't give a toss about techno.
I might go so far as to suggest that acoustic music is genuinely inclusive. You
will also not be liable under any interpretation of CJA sections relating to raves,
public entertainment licenses or the like. Get a samba band going - as loud as
any sound system and loads easier to get in and out.
It was always to be expected that the first Street Party after J18 was going to
attract a lot of police and media attention. To be honest, an overwhelming police
presence at a party in Bristol is nothing surprising, and I can barely be arsed
to devote any attention to them. Usual incompetence on their behalf, as well as
a lack of any coherent strategy for dealing with protesters, fairly low key on
the arrest front (compared to last summer s 63 arrests). Big on bad attitudes
and intolerance, as well as a general lack of human feeling. Passers by were being
allowed in through the police cordon, being told that they would be allowed out
the other side, and then finding that they were trapped in by police who would
not let them out again. People suffering in the heat were forced to remain inside
the cordon without water. It was definitely entertaining to watch coppers in riot
gear sweating some pork off, and I think that on such a hot day keeping yer pigs
running around for as long as possible could be a very interesting tactic. I d
like to see some collapsing from exhaustion in future,
Our local rag, the Evening Pist, pulled out all the stops to create one of their
more entertaining smears to date. We got the front page, page 2, a double page
spread pp8-9 and their editorial. Cool. There was some weird shit in this article....apparently
the whole event was organized in a squat in Stoke Newington (watch your backs
folks) and a pub in Euston, both in London as I recall. The scale of this smear
suggests to me that we might actually be worrying a few people. Check this quote,
"In previous marches the women and children have been lined up in front while
the militant fringe have come up behind armed with poles and sticks. The women
and children who frequently get hurt are known as cannon fodder to some extremists"
This is another case of dangerous drug addled journalists letting what passes
for their minds to go on the rampage. Scum like this need locking up forever.
Its the only way we can guarantee public safety. Strange that they should be so
hostile; if it wasn t for us nobody would buy their paper. No surprise that their
article has no byline, who d want to admit to writing such drivel ? The content
of the article was intended to make out that Bristol had seen a riot to equal
J18 in London, but this was far from the truth. I m not interested in pushing
some fluffy manifesto, there just wasn t an opportunity for anything like J18
to occur on this occasion.
That s about all I can think of to write at this moment. Bristol says J18 clearly
shook them up a great deal, and your local police farce will quite possibly react
as if a people s army has arrived in town if you put a party on. Enjoy.....
Our Reclaim the Streets on June 8 went really well. It took place on a major road in the residential inner city of Highfields. Locally-based activists and other residents made up at least 3/4 of the 500-strong crowd which blocked Evington Road for the street party. The event had a really strong community feel to it.
Despite a police helicopter scouring the area initially, and van-fulls of party saboteurs loitering with intent to be miserable, we successfully set up three tripods at the location and were joined by a critical mass and the march. Four hours of asphalt partying was followed by a celebratory march to Victoria Park where activists danced on the grass and in the trees until midnight.
The local Leicester Mercury newspaper, which has a huge circulation, had a mixed news article on the following Monday June 9, with the headline "Car-culture protest 'irresponsible' - police" concerning the 'risk' to public safety and potential problems with emergency access. But the photos clearly showed the street party atmosphere: sofas, carpets, a paddling pool, and dancing in the street with crowds thronging Evington Road.
The Leicester Mercury of course has a regular 'Driving Force' motoring section, but as there is also public sympathy with anti-car protest they allowed us to write a 500 word piece about Reclaiming the Streets and cities for people which was published last Friday June 13, virtually unedited. They pointed out that the protest was illegal as we didn't notify the police beforehand, and initiated a phone-vote on the issue: 'Were the Reclaim the Streets protesters right?' - Yes or No - and are encouraging letters. Spot interviews in the street showed full support for what we did except for one woman who said there was too much traffic but that blocking the street is the wrong way to make a point. And the result of the phone vote was: Yes 66% and No 34%. We won! And the debate is still going on in the letters page.
Nick - Leicester RTS
"Leicester's Second Reclaim the Streets was an empowering experience for all who took part. For an afternoon we stopped the car culture in its tracks and reclaimed the streets from the traffic for the community.
"It was such a good atmosphere," said one resident, "I looked around and everyone was smiling!" The children were having the time of their lives and were safe. Local shops did a roaring trade. It was a taste of the city as we want it to be.
The police condemnation of the event afterwards was uncalled for. We had legal observers and police liaison, dealt respectfully with the officers and even played football with them. The emergency services were notified by us as we began, and during the party a speeding fire engine was let through the crowd immediately.
Residents were not 'irresponsible' or a 'threat to public safety', and both sides respected our call for a peaceful event. We created 'public safety' in a major Leicester street: no muggings, no road deaths, no-one wheezing from asthma. We admit responsibility for caring about our community and the environment.
What is irresponsible are planners and politicians who encourage car-based development when almost everyone else is calling for an end to the car-culture.
We clearly have a lack of genuine democracy, and from the suffragettes to the tree protesters, people have taken direct action to bring about change for the better.
In Leicester, the East-West Link Road was stopped by co-ordinated lobbying and the threat of direct action. Residents also saved St Mary's Allotments - the last remaining fragment of Leicestershire's historic Southfields - and direct action saved the cherry trees in Town Hall Square too. Countless local residents' groups have blocked roads to demand crossings where children have been injured or killed.
And the situation is serious: cars are dangerous, pollution is a real threat, and we are losing our last remaining green spaces. Local shops are being shut down faster than you can say 'superstores did this to our community'.
We imagine a future where cities are designed and run by local people for local people. Where an integrated public transport system meets our travel needs. We want car-free streets lined with fruit trees and humming with conversation, roundabouts alive with the sound of fountains and the shouts of local traders. In short, we want a thriving local economy in a real environmental city.
It is realistic vision. In Groningen, Holland, no new road proposals are accepted and existing roads have been replaced by footstreets and cycleways.
Now more than 50% of journeys made are by bike and businesses are moving in because the city is so pleasant.
In York, pedestrians and cyclists are prioritised in planning decisions. So far 20% of all residential streets have been traffic calmed, and there is an extensive central footstreet area.
Leicester City Council deserves praise for the new cycleways and the Town Hall Bike Park, built to encourage green commuting. It is a start, but a slow, timid one, and is in stark contrast to the vast amount spent on roads.
Furthermore, any positive initiative will be neutralised by the Hamilton and Cattle Market developments. The latter has been deliberately drawn up to encourage and accommodate 1400 more cars in the city centre. This constitutes more than a lack of vision: it shows a disregard for our environment, our health and quality of life.
It's no wonder that we need to Reclaim the Streets!"
Brighton was the scene for over one thousand empowered pedestrians, the vast majority of whom were not only local but were not from the ghetto of the alternative scene, who experienced an afternoon of mirth and mayhem by the sea on 24th August. They had a heavy police presence on the morning of the party and were frantically trying to stop it early and they even broke up a Rotary Club picnic on the beach thinking that that was the party! The original plan to have a street party on one street, transformed into a mobile Reclaim The Streets once the cops confiscated certain items. One up to the Blue Meanies you may think, but the action succeeded in disrupting more traffic and reclaiming more space than a party in a single street ever could have done.
The party began with the sight of many beach-balls being thrown amongst the crowd and finished with all main avenues in town having been walked, and many sore feet were spoken of after it had all finished. Crap arrests by the dozen helped to swell the total number arrested to eighty, but strangely a Rolls-Royce driver who swerved at speed through the crowd was not one of them (metallic bronze Rolls Royce, registration number 67 PHW).
The police effort to stop the action, code named 'Operation Oscar', cost over -100,000, and they can be proud of their contribution to obstructing the traffic in defence of Mother Earth. They can be less proud of their excessive use of batons and deficient use of brains.
By seven o' clock that evening everyone was in need of a cuppa (or a chiropodist), and the arrestees (including legal observers charged with conspiracy to commit a public nuisance) were in need of a good lawyer in order to sue the police at a later date. Despite a few hiccups, the action was a great success, and this huge Critical Masses without bikes may set the trend in future anti-auto antics.
Around five hundred people turned up for the Birmingham Street Party on Saturday 17th August. Party goers carrying banners, drums and other musical instruments assembled in a park near the venue.
A Critical Mass bike ride set off and the eighty or so cyclists headed for a major road junction that that they had been led to believe that the police thought was the venue for the party. The people on foot left the park by another gate and met up with the van that was carrying the sound system, surrounding it to prevent it being impounded. At first the police tried to clear a path through the crowd for it, telling the driver 'not to worry, we'll get you through.' Once the police realised what was in the vehicle they tried to stop it going any further by letting it's tyres down and driving police vans in front of it.
By this time the cyclists had returned from their diversionary ride and had occupied the venue. Eventually, after much pushing and shoving and negotiation, the sound system was set up and the party got going.
It appears the police had information that the 'London Anarchists' had infiltrated the party and were planning to dig up the road! Everything that came near the road was checked and one arrest was made for conspiracy to cause criminal damage, then, having stopped the threat to the road the police relaxed a little. As there was never any intention of digging up the road the police found it difficult to find any evidence and the charge was dropped.
At the end most of the party people moved off but about ten people were arrested. The police searched the house of the person arrested for conspiracy to cause criminal damage and having completed their search returned to the bottom floor by lift. It appears that some seven or eight police officers squashed in the lift, overloading it, and thus trapped themselves inside. To escape they had to force the doors open from the inside. The engineers who came to repair it said that this was not the first time that they had had to repair lifts damaged by the police in this way. The local residents group, backed by a letter from a solicitor, are pressing the council to send the bill to West Midlands Police.
On the 17th August around one hundred people closed a major route through Bath at the city's third Reclaim The Streets.
The police intelligence effort was a bit sad with it only seeming to comprise of them ringing Avon Gorge Earth First! and stopping an activist in the street a week before the event to ask them what was going on. Nobody told them and they didn't notice the fly-posters, so they only caught up with the action half an hour into the march through town! It stopped on Walcot Street where cones, diversion signs, chairs, a play-tent and a see-saw appeared from nowhere as people began to enjoy a party in gorgeous hot weather. The usual cake eating, sofa-sitting, juggling, music-making and relaxing began and lasted for nearly five hours whilst traffic wardens diverted cars and a couple of cops looked on helplessly.
Passers-by were supportive and as one said: "Why can't it be like this all the time?" Even motorists didn't complain too much and some traders joined in, although one shop-keeper threw stink bombs and rotten eggs. Traffic chaos was reported all over the city, even though this was probably due more to it being an average Saturday in Bath rather than the Street Party itself.
No arrests, no pretend ambulance emergencies, less noise and less fumes.... more Street Parties are planned so don't miss the next one.
On the morning of Monday 30th the tug boat operators went on strike, and at around 6am the docks were attacked. Under the very noses of the police who had been watching all night, two trucks full of dodgy looking people drove straight up to a side gate which a security guard kindly opened. Thirty activists had got through by the time he realised his mistake. After cutting two fences, one group ran to the gantries to be greeted by a security guard who demanded the password! This was considered unnecessary by the twelve activists who proceeded to occupy two of the gantries.
Simultaneously the other activists who had entered, occupied machinery, and one group approached the office, or 'rathouse' as it's known by the dockers, from behind. Outwitting the police they scaled two fences, ran up the fire escape, made a human pyramid and managed to climb onto the roof to fly two red, green and black flags as well as hanging a banner saying 'Sack the Bosses not the Workers'. Sadly the banner enjoyed under an hour of glory before being lost in a tug of war with the police. Out on the main gate around 800 protesters and dockers had gathered and spent most of the afternoon confronting the police as well as the scab workers.
Meanwhile, in the city centre a group of 20 activists occupied the offices of ACL (the major container company using Seaforth docks) and spent about half an hour talking to one of the directors discussing their shortsighted involvement with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company!
Quietly, back on the picket line, in a tent backing onto the fence, a hacksaw got to work and around sixty people disappeared through the hole into the docks before police noticed anything amiss. A dash was made for the Rathouse with two people being pulled up onto the roof with only the aid of a rope. There was delight on discovering that one of the two was a determined docker who then spent the rest of the afternoon waving one of the flags and making new friends. After about nine hours of occupation and several picket line arrests, a deal was brokered between port police and the occupiers whereby the people on the gantries and offices didn't get arrested and the police got - nothing.
The celebrations soon turned sour on the walk back to the squat. Angry that they had just had the complete piss taken out of them, police proceeded to use snatch squads randomly on the crowd. Many people found themselves on the end of bitter violence as police waded in with unprovoked attacks, hospitalising at least one person.
On arrival at the squat many had to immediately board coaches home. The remainder, realising it was probably not a good idea to stay at the squat, were escorted by the dockers to a pub wherethey could stay the night. The rest of the evening was spent getting totally pissed with the aid of STLG 200 put behind the bar by the dockers and a bloody good party was had by all!
The whole event has proved the genuine support that exists between groups. It is no exaggeration to say that the amount of support between us and the dockers was unsurpassable. Any prejudices either group had previously held were certainly overcome that day. To the surprise of the dockers, women occupied the gantries and roof , while men wearing dresses and nail varnish were lifted over the gates! We were impressed by their militancy, tolerance and sincerity.
We should all be able to decide what happens to our lives and environment, and must continue to recognise the importance of participating in each other's struggles against human and ecological exploitation.
As well as this, on the Monday, ACL, the major container line using Seaforth docks, stopped using the docks and the Merseyside Docks and Harbour Company shares dropped dramatically. Elsewhere in the world there were solidarity protests with international blockading of ports. Bill Morris, the dockers union leader, has since ordered the dockers to disassociate themselves from our movement but the dockers have refused, stating that they stand by us in total solidarity. As they said: "next time you lot need a hand digging up any roads, give us a call!"
In spite of a massive police operation, aided by the Essex Police helicopter, several dog sections, Suffolk and Norfolk Cops and under the watchful gaze of the Forward Intelligence Team (plainclothes and on their shiny new mountain bikes) over 1,000 people successfully reclaimed Mill Road in Cambridge for six sunny hours on Saturday 14th September. They turned one of the city's most congested roads into a free party zone. Local residents were supportive with many askingwhen the next one was going to be. Police managed to intercept one of the tripods but made the mistake of trying to bring charges of theft against the tripod team, when the scaffold poles were actually legal. The other tripod was successfully raised and was soon followed by a crowd that had gathered at the railway station. A thin blue line held them back for a few minutes but a strong surge broke through. Drummers and two sound systems then kept the party going for the whole afternoon, with several hundred out-manoeuvred cops just standing by and watching. The sounds went off at 6.30pm and most people then left. Around forty people resisted the police line which was then blocking most exits and trying to clear the residue of the party instead of waiting for them to leave of their own accord. A typical over-reaction by the police yet again as they all changed into full riot gear. The riot cops then spent about the next hour baton charging the forty all the way to the ring road, while locals looked on bemused.
Cambridge police just couldn't resist a macho show of force after losing the day to RTS - even the local MP is making a complaint to the Cambridge Chief Constable. Tally for the day was thirty-eight arrests. A defence campaign for those arrested is now being formed, with the prospect of suing for unlawful arrest.
After a long hard winter in Devon and the rapid, violent evictions of Allercombe and Trollheim it looked like Babylon had caught up and many people predicted the end of onsite campaigning. Now it's all different: undersheriffs everywhere are wondering who's next; Surrey County Council couldn't afford to fight in Guilford; and Manchester Airport is counting the cost of another mammoth eviction. There the baddies made the same mistakes all over again with the security costometer spinning outta control.
The vindication of tunnels and the press attention at Fairmile brought confidence, publicity, new people and energy to the campaign against a second runway at Manchester Airport. Underground the much hyped "men in black" had their high tech operation reduced to hammer and chisels for most of the time and so are learning to appreciate how much work goes into defending the earth.
The eviction finally began in mid May at Zion Tree where tree dwellers led the first line of defence whilst the tunnellers held out for almost a week. Undersheriff Randall Hibbert managed to get his PR operation off to an appalling start as the first person out of the first tunnel in the eviction had been sprayed with what the bailiffs said was CS gas (though in reality it was water). To complete the blunder a journalist was truncheoned on the head when dragged from a bender despite making it clear that he was not going to resist. The media reaction to the violence set the agenda for the rest of the eviction - identifying the protesters as the 'good guys' although it's still difficult getting away from the lifestyle focus.
The fence constructed around the camps before the eviction meant that once the undersheriff appeared on the scene security levels were not necessarily stepped up though the several complete deconstructions of the fence, with security collaboration, was probably about the same cost. This cooperation meant that protesters were still able to gain access to the site even when the fence was up; many of the security were quite blatant about their support and acknowledged that they were 'doing a job' but no more.
If this meant turning a blind eye to avoid confrontation then they were often prepared to do so. When the undersheriff foolishly banned the delivery of food and water to camps still awaiting eviction (a decision reversed after three hours in the face of protester and media outcry) the bailiffs pooled their lunches and delivered the food to one camp declaring that they disagreed with the dictat.
The eviction is now in its fourth week - the undersheriff having taken on one camp at a time and the tunnellers doing an excellent job at restricting the use of cherry pickers on site and ensuring that the eviction process lasted a significant time. Manchester Airport saw not only a strategic and effective use of underground burying but also a successful experiment with a 'scab-proof platform' on a treehouse. The four-storey construction, the Battlestar Galactica, managed to withstand four days of onslaught from the sheriff and his men and an increasingly infuriated Richard Turner and was eventually only defeated when a crane was brought on site.
What Newbury did for the south, Manchester Airport did for the north in terms of attracting thousands of new people and cementing the network for a sunny summer of actions. Aviation is firmly on the agenda and for more people than ever before it's clear!
that it ain't just about cars.
Regular Sunday Fundays in the lead up to the evictions brought hundreds of locals on site and their support was phenomenal. These so called green wellied 'nimbies' and the equally mythical 'ecowarriors' ignored the marginalising definitions and worked together on the vision of real progress.
On going to press there's still one person down the Cakehole tunnel and there is still potential for visits to AMEC, TARMAC, Randell the Vandal and other greasy palms. The latest media guestimate has the costometer flashing like mad at Six Million Pounds and rising. Well done to everyone who came to cost, a bigger chunk of the population is thinking about sustainability with a whole bunch of them now prepared to fight for it.
On the same morning that Undersheriff Randalf Hibbert began an attempt to evict Flywood, the longest standing camp at the Manchester Airport protest site, his staff back in their elegant Chester offices must have thought they were far from the scene of the action.
Activists however didn't want them to miss out and took the protest straight back to Hibbert's offices. They managed to outwit two security guards, and gain entry to demand a meeting with the Undersheriff to discuss his refusal to allow independent legal observers access to the protest site. One activist locked onto a radiator, others inspected offices and made urgent phone calls and several more found their way onto the roof. Most of the staff seemed happy to have an early coffee break and a chat about the issues but two security guards (no doubt feeling a bit silly) kept wanting to try out armlocks on people and had to be scolded by police.
Eventually activists agreed to a chat by telephone instead of a meeting in person with Randy Hippy, as the Undersheriff has come to be known. He denied the need for legal observers, claiming that the eviction had been safe and gentle and refused to come to his office, claiming to be busy elsewhere.
Activists left after two hours, waving goodbye to the many police now occupying the garden. One person thinks she was arrested for breach of the peace - or maybe using the phone - but she's not sure...
They're everywhere, practically every weekend, and sometimes you can go along and not even know anyone. Outrageous.. Even in York, where there was no sound system and the city is almost entirely pedestrianised several hundred people turned up and danced all day in glorious RTS sunshine. whilst the police, in a remarkable policy switch, voluntarily stepped aside and waved the Greenpeace solar generator van through.
A week earlier in Sheffield over 1000 people reclaimed a city centre dual carriageway as a simultaneous Critical Mass bike ride cruised around reclaiming other streets in the vicinity. Whilst madly dancing the reclaimers allowed a nervous policeman to escort out an even more nervous jag driver whose precious guzzler had sat five feet from the sound system for over an hour but was left completely untouched by the anarchist hoardes. Struggling to reclaim the high ground the Sheffield local nonsense paper described the street party as "an aggressive hostile group allowed to hold people to ransom" and decided to focus on an old lady who couldn't catch her bus home.. Similar anarchic scenes have taken place in Leicester and Finland and, when Tony Blair heads off to Amsterdam for a change of scenery next week, he''ll find more of the same madness there too.
Wyndham Hill, in Yeovil, is bordered on three out of four sides by concrete, development and car parks. It is a precious fragment of natural habitat, topped by 4 old lime trees. On the open part of the hill is an unbroken view of the Dorset border, marked by the river Yeo. Nestling into the hill is a popular river walk used by thousands. Now all of this is threatened by 'development'.
There have been plans to develop the hill in the past. In 1994 Sainsbury's plans to build a store on the site were scuppered. They also intended to fund a 'bypass' that would have destroyed the riverside walk and conveniently acted as an access road for them. Using a combination of lobbying and direct action Sainsbury's were well and truly persuaded to give up
This year South Somerset District Council produced a draft plan, showing that they intended to trash the hill by building a carpark and link road on it. Now they have seven tree houses with more on the way and underground tunnels to contend with. The tunnels go under an existing car park which the council has had to close through fear of subsidence - it will soon be used for more useful things, like growing cabbages and beans
The main camp has been in place for over two months. It's on the edge of a 16th century country estate which will also be trashed if the "Evil Lords of Tarmac" get their way. There are about thirty residents at present and they've had massive local support (a "Beep for Wyndham" sign has had to be taken down because the beeping was continuous!). Eviction orders have been given, a court case held and they've been ordered to leave forthwith. Activists believe that this is a winnable campaign so are encouraging people to join them as soon as possible.
Leeds streets were reclaimed for the second time on Saturday 18th May. People gathered in City Square and set off to a mystery destination. They suceeded in blocking a road in the civic heart of Leeds, between the Leeds Town Hall and the Library.
Police grabbed one of the tripods and tried to stop the other one being erected despite having told a police liaison person that they would only try to stop it if a major junction was blocked, an ominous sign as they had only stood by at the first event in December. The bouncy castle and stage with PA were soon out, followed by music, bands, face painting, children playing, banners waving, stilt demons stretching and the party was in full swing. Fascists were spotted throwing beer glasses in a nearby pub, but neither they nor the police tactics at the end were able to stop a good party. As soon as it became obvious that the party was about to finish the police horses came marching in, it seemed in order just to provoke people and they then began to haul people away. This only succeeded in causing confusion and bad feeling and delayed the end (probably the intention), and triggered an impromptu march up Woodhouse Lane (Otley Road) slowing traffic to walking pace. A few more people became victims of the snatch squads and there were twelve arrests in total. Leeds council are good at talking about how environmentally friendly they are but in actuality don't carry anything through. Then as soon as people take positive initiative they send the police in feet first which does nothing but sour peoples relations with the police. The city is officially Transport city`96!
Then let's have some proper cycle lanes, park and ride schemes and more pedestrianised streets Leeds City Council.
At 9.30 p.m. on Thursday 23rd January the long awaited eviction of the Fairmile camp, the longest running road protest site in the country, began with a cordon being put around the site, and climbers going up to cut the access walkways.
The Under Sheriff of Devon, Trevor Coleman, had hoped to find the camp virtually empty, but despite the surprise of the timing of the attack, there were 20-25 people in the trees and five people in the tunnels. This was not going to be a one day eviction! No work was done overnight, merely a serious cordon,
including razor wire coils, placed around the site and police dogs being used. Despite this at least 15 people breached the police lines and joined their colleagues up the trees. Due to Richard Turner's bunch worrying at the prospect of no more expensive climbing holidays funded by tree evictions, and also the fact that those in the trees kept their cool, the first people were not removed from the trees for quite a while.
During this time, five masked up pot holers and two 'safety officers' began to shore up the first ten feet of the Big Mama tunnel network. Following the request published in the last Action Update about tracking down the cavers that have been used in recent tunnel evictions, a tip off has been received that they are hired from Peter Faulding at Specialist Rescue International, 128 Station Road, Redhill, RH1 1ET. Apparently it trades from PO Box 266, Redhill, tel: 01737 244652. Check out the accuracy of this information before acting on it. It took until 1pm on Sunday 26th before climbers had removed the last of the tree defenders, (that must have funded a climbing trip to the Andes) who just happened to be someone who had been previously employed as a Newbury security guard! At this stage the underground bailiffs had failed to breach even the first door in the Labyrinth. The tunnelers decided to issue demands which, if met, would mean that they would leave of their own accord. Unfortunately early morning radio news alerted the Sheriff to a sneak preview of these demands and he responded by evicting the communications rig at 7am. Despite this the demands were issued on behalf of the tunnelers at 9am, and the media circus, that we are sure everyone witnessed, began in earnest. The demands did to some extent force the press to look at the issues relating to the building of this road and so all was not lost. Unsurprisingly Trevor Coleman the Under Sheriff turned them down.
In London, around this time, work was stopped for the day on a Balfour Beatty site when five people from London Reclaim The Streets climbed a crane and hung a banner reading 'Privatised Vandalism - stop building DBFO's. We love you Fairmile'. (Balfour Beatty are involved in the construction of the A30). Back in Fairmile, through a mixture of trickery on behalf of the 'safety officers' and frantic digging, the bailiffs slowly removed the residents. As each one came out they entered into the clutches of an increasingly more rabid and sensationalised media machine. They finally removed Swampy after six days and twenty-three hours, making this the longest and most closely watched eviction ever. The frightening extent of the media's monopoly on the public's consciousness has been demonstrated in their ability to put public opinion on our side! This has happened to such an extent that recuperation - as the specialist jargon goes, has become a real threat!
Although all of the people that were down the tunnels had their heads screwed on, the intense pressure from the media for 'human interest' stories has resulted in articles like the one in The Express - (3rd February), in which they dressed Swampy up in a variety of expensive suits and then reassured their readers that underneath the scruffy exterior and veneer of anti-state ideas, there beats a respectable suburban middle-class heart! In all fairness to Swampy, he did do it with his tongue firmly in his cheek and the money went straight to paying off his #500 fine for damaging surveying equipment at Newbury last year. To further illustrate the point, Animal, on emerging from her stint in the tunnels, has been offered a column in The Mirror - entitled (you'll like this) 'Animal Writes'! Very funny...not. She has yet to make a decision, but has said that if she does do it, she will use the column to expose multinationals and to galvanise people into taking action! We have yet to see whether or not any radical ideas she may try to get across will be censored out of existence! We will not even go into the offer from a very large record company to record a song!
P.S Wasn't the Fairmile eviction just so fluffy? Don't you think that all those climbers and tunnelers were so nice and friendly? Seems like something might have changed in the past five years or so...or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the media were allowed to witness an eviction? For an alternative viewpoint on the A30 evictions, ask people involved in the Trollheim eviction where the media were kept out. Amor Y Rabia, A30 Action! We now have a huge phone bill after the last few months of sustained resistance to the road and the recent evictions. Any donations towards paying this off would help otherwise they may have to send Swampy out to do some more modelling.
April '96 saw the evictions of all the remaining camps along the route of the proposed Newbury Bypass, and what follows is one persons account of that month.
March in Newbury was an intense month. In an attempt to carry out environmental destruction within the European Environmental Law on bird nesting season, the DoT have made the 'conscientious'
gesture of trying to destroy bird nesting sites before they build their homes in them. They announced that work would stop on April 5th, and employed a determined eviction team to blunder through the series of 29ish camps along the 9 mile route (no one ever seemed sure just how many camps there were). Bailiffs, tree surgeons, chainsaw men, 'climbers' and mechanical dinosaurs with
hoards of wage slaves, snooping detectives and blind upholders of 'justice' were all employed by the State to evict a determined and innovative force of tree defenders.
The pro-active actions of the early days, where the destroyers were penned in their compounds and hindered in their early morning convoys, gave way to a more defensive mentality as the daily uncertainty of where the eviction posse was going to strike caused rising levels of insanity. They adopted tactics of chaos, dotting around the route, evicting whole camps, half camps, having night time cordons, sending the police on in advance, making ambushes and varying their times of arrival. Every eviction was different.
We developed various tactics and innovative defenses where, as well as the basic walkways and treehouse networks, there were tripods, platforms, tunnels, scaffolding poles extending from the
tops of trees and various lock on techniques; and each of these worked with various degrees of effectiveness. Ground lock-ons at the base of trees and barrel lock-ons in the branches were
particularly successful, with one tree lock-on lasting for six hours.
Last week a protestor was locked onto a platform attached to surrounding trees with one length of steel cable. Bailiffs scratched their heads a lot and eventually erected a scaffolding tower to get the person down. New ideas are often the best.
Richard Turner's 'climbers' are now all stinking rich, hated by more people than ever and banned from various climbing centres. Meanwhile some of the climbing community have been politicised with many of them having come down to the evictions in Newbury and confronted their soul-selling counterparts in the treetops. In Snelsmore particularly, the battles between climbers on both sides were intense and at least one of Richard Turners employees resigned that day. In general though, most of them seem to be hardening to their job and they are using increasingly unsafe practices and violence.
Despite the decline in media interest, wide support continued, with food , money, materials and visiting activists arriving from all over of the country.
Newbury businessmen declared that a high proportion of them opposed the bypass, and an interfaith gathering at Middle Oak brought people together from all beliefs to pay their respects to nature under attack.
Badgers resisted eviction in their Snelsmore setts and Vertigo Moulinsiana, a very small and rare snail managed to get Rickety Bridge a ten day stay of execution in the High Court. Thousands of baked beans also made their own protest against the bypass with many of them flinging themselves voluntarily out of the treetops and onto the heads of invading climbers.
There have been over 700 arrests during the the last 3 months, and excessive bail conditions have been used against us in an attempt to try and keep people away from the route.
By the last week in March large numbers of people were gathering at Rickety Bridge and what had been one of the last camps to be established became the site for the last big eviction lasting 3 days, with well over 150 people in the trees. This eviction was a little different, as it was no surprise when they arrived, and we
welcomed them with the seven dwarves singing "hi ho, hi ho it's off to work we go" blaring over the sound system!
Camelot and King Arthur were evicted on April fools day, followed by the trees at Castlewood and Tot Hill. Mary Hare was saved (actually it turned out that it was off route) and the beautiful Middle Oak has been 'spared' and is now destined to live in the middle of a monster road junction.
All the camps are now evicted, trees lie fallen and funeral fires burn. But off route camps have been set up, sculptures are appearing in the wreckage and people are recuperating their energies. Ding Ding round 2.
So the route is cleared, but strangely none of the contractors are very keen to win the next phase of the contract. Are the DoT being realistic about actually building the road as we hear that they're not doing so well with the M11?
On April 3rd Blandy went to Middle Oak to announce that all the cleared areas were now the property of the DoT, but millions of news viewers across the nation were to see his humiliating retreat from a group of protesters, with his police escort having to run alongside his Landrover to keep up!
Jan '97 - Unless you have been with your head in the sand, a group of extremely determined eco-campaigners have been engaged in what must be one of the most talked about evictions in recent road related history.
D.O.T. intend to widen the A30 trunk road around Exeter and Honiton to create a Euro route designed to increase the volume of traffic from France to Northern Ireland. The decision to build was made a long time before
environmental considerations were allowed to take precedence over profit potential.
Now with a high level of egg on their face, the contractors are obliged to clear the remaining rural encampments. Many under hand tactics have been used, however, thanks to a high media profile including THE TABLOIDS reporting breaches of civil liberties, headlines have been made of the ardent protesters.
Still holding out in the tunnels the main core of the campaign have issued an all points bulletin stating the following objectives. we are only to happy to pass on the word and hope that others reading will do the same. Candle lit vigils are needed every night across the country, outside D.o.T. Headquarters, Police Stations, and offices of Philip Holman Construction, WS Atkins cons. Engrs. & British Conglomerates BICC. The aim is to CELEBRATE at 10pm. each new night that the tunnelers are down there.
1. To ask for reinstatement of communications with the tunnel protesters for
their safety and sanity.
2. To demand the release of details of DBFO contracts so the public knows
exactly how they are being sold down the river.
3. And call for new public enquiries into all DBFO schemes based on the
details of DBFO contracts. DBFO's are roads that are built now and paid for in 30 YEARS time, by our children. Hire Purchase on a grand scale!!!
So get your candles out at 10pm where ever you may be..More details to follow, thanks for reading
JULY 1996 - At the Big Green Gathering in Wiltshire there was an Earth First! space that had various workshops, activities and discussions going on over the week. On the Friday during the Gathering there was an Earth First! Forum for open discussion among activists on some aspects of the movement and the way people feel things should or could progress from the current situation. Approximately forty people from all over the country attended the forum and in this insert some of the things that were talked about will be briefly outlined for further debate in the wider Earth First! movement.
NATIONAL ACTION - After the success of the National Earth First! Action at Whatley Quarry last December the possibility of having another National Action again this year was discussed. It was generally thought that this was a good idea for a number of reasons, which, aside from the actual effectiveness of the action on the target, included the importance of the action as an outreach tool to both get new people involved and also to re-inspire the hardened cynics amongst us. No firm date or target has been decided on at the moment but it is most likely to be around October or November with the actual target one that is related to the new campaigns on Genetic Engineering and Toxics. There will be more details about this in next months Action Update.
NATIONAL GATHERING - For the past couple of years there have been two Earth First! Gatherings a year. These have been on a much smaller scale than the recent one in Wales and it is generally agreed that it would not be practical to have two a year on the scale of the one this year.
Instead of this, people suggested that we keep a large International Gathering to once a year, in the summer, and in the Autumn we try and have Regional Gatherings in every area of the country where we have an active group. This is very important to help build up regional networks of people who are already active, and it also links in to how we get more local people involved in actions and campaigns. In addition to this it will also enable people that are unable to travel far to the large gatherings, or take a whole week off from other commitments, to attend a Earth First! Gathering and find out more about Earth First! and how to become involved.
Having said this the International Gatherings are of vital importance to the development of the 'movement' and it is of great importance that the one next year builds on the huge success of this year's one in Wales. A group of people who are willing to take on the co-ordination and organisation of it need to start talking about it now. Next summer may seem like a long time away but it will be easier and more effective to plan the Gathering over a long period of time at a more relaxed pace than to have a mad last minute rush to get it done. As before, watch the Action Update for more details on this.
REGIONAL NETWORKS AND GATHERINGS - One of the strengths of Earth First! is that it operates as a network of autonomous local groups rather than a centralised organization. It was agreed by all who expressed themselves at the Forum that one of the ways we can expand the size and effectiveness of the radical ecology movement is to involve more local communities in struggles in their own area.
As mentioned in last months Action Update during the phone around it transpired that there are many groups that have ceased to exist or have no plans to do anything in the future.The Earth First! movement needs to build up the effectiveness of its local groups and the support for them. As well as this having strong Regional Networks enables us to work at a local level more effectively, both for actions and campaigns, as well as having effective support for people imprisoned or facing harassment.
This is one reason why it has been decided to have Regional Gatherings in the Autumn this year, in place of an International Gathering, to help build up these networks. Active groups, or those that want to be more active, should get on the case and organise a gathering for their region. So far there is to be a South East Regional Gathering, a South West Regional Gathering and possibly a Welsh Gathering as well. Contact your local group for more details.
TACTICS - There was discussion of the effectiveness of different tactics that are used in defence of the natural world. Some people questioned the worth of having the tactical emphasis of a campaign on tree defence. The reasons for this were mainly that having the focus on this alienates many people that are unable, or unwilling, to climb trees or are not able to devote the time to building tree houses.
As well as this there is the point that the state seems to have pretty much worked out how to deal with tree evictions and because of this, we should be moving the focus of our resistance to an area where we have the largest advantage over them.
To do this some people thought that the emphasis should be shifted to actions on the ground that more people can participate in, and a possible focus on stopping them actually getting to the site of work, rather than adopting a defensive form of tactics. It was observed that the people we come up against work within a rigidly enforced hierarchy, that relies on the passage of orders and information in order to operate effectively and it was suggested that we should therefore be looking at the communication systems that they use. In addition to this, a number of people felt that there needs to be a increase in monkeywrenching. They agreed that if contemplating this, that it is not only safer but more efficient to do actions that only require one, or at the most a handful of trusted friends. Of course Earth First! neither condemns nor condones damage to industrial machinery but we do condemn industrial machinery as well as the Industrial Machine!
At around the same time as the first reports of police violence in Seattle arrived to London, part of the crowd that had been previously attending the rally at Euston station made an attempt to break away towards one of the main traffic arteries in the capital. Although the whole area was surrounded by police, protesters were directly met by a small number of police officers and a confrontation erupted. Police were initially driven back but a line of officers in riot gear rapidly formed and a series of charges and skirmishes on both directions ensued. There were diverse opinions among the protesters about the right course to follow, many openly calling to pro-activelly confront the authorities while others opted for passive resistance and some for withdrawal.
A small group of protesters switched their attention to an unmarked police van and proceeded to turn it over, to a mixture of booing and cheering from fellow protesters. In the following half hour there were several attempts to set the van on fire which on some occasions were thwarted by other demonstrators. Finally, the van caught fire and was surrounded by around 30 photographers, at which moment police decided to clear the station parade, advancing in perfectly structured lines. The van had been left isolated and unattended near the crowd for several hours, with 12ft metal poles attached to its top, in a remarkable flaw of police organisation.
Most of the protestors left the area by 8pm while around 500 people, now roughly divided into three groups, continued to clash with police. The first group was driven towards King's Cross, with several unsuccessful attempts to blockade the road by sitting down. They were finally dispersed after 9pm. A second, smaller, group stayed dancing in front of police lines in Eversholt street and gradually dispersed. The third group was less fortunate and, after some heated physical confrontation, was completely surrounded by a triple line of riot police who identified and photographed all of them before their release. The area was completely clear between 12 and 1am.
The latest reports speak of 38 arrests, 4 of them in connection with the carnival in the City of London on J18, and 7 casualties with different injuries (including a policeman with spinal injuries) none of them life-threatening. Road traffic and public transport were severely disrupted by the events.
Sept 1996: 200 activists took up the invitation of the Liverpool Dockers to help them mark the first anniversary of the sacking of 500 dockers for refusing to cross a picket line. Saturday saw a march through the city centre, before a free party livened up a rainy night in the old Customs House squatted for the weekend. Sunday was a day for planning and workshops. And Monday saw actions! Pickets arrived to see 15 activists with a Sack the Bosses Not the Workers' banner already dancing on the roof of the bosses offices (The `Rathouse') inside the docks. As striking tug boat drivers closed the port, drums encouraged the picket line to swarm onto the street and make incursions into the docks. Further activists made it onto crane gantries, and a delighted docker was hoisted up onto the Rathouse roof. After nine hours the port-occupiers were negotiated down without arrest. Merseyside Police later had the cheek to tell the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company to resolve the dispute as they could not afford to go on policing it at such levels. Several coach-loads of Trade Unionists were stopped and turned back before reaching Liverpool. Body-armoured riot police made 24 picket line arrests including two Shop Stewards. That night there was a roaring party at the dockers pub. A newly-forged solidarity between workers and the direct action movement was born.
Hi Tash - Nice to "meet" you. You were at on Saturday. Me and me mates (and everyone else) had a great day both on the march and at the square. There was a great atmosphere with everyone dancing, drinking and just generally having a good time.
Highlights included the Reclaim the Environment banner unfurled from the top of the Canadian Embassy as well as the RTS banner on the flagpole of same building. Of course things started to get a bit shitty at about 4 - 4.30pm when the police decided that they were going to have a go. I was around the Charing X Rd. end of the Square when the cops decided they were going to charge seemingly just because they just felt like it.
Any violence on the part of the protestors/party goers I believe was provoked by the cops getting into their riot gear and telling everyone "we going to come and sort you lot out later" and "you lot just want a fight - well we'll give you one" at least an hour before any trouble started (not including Downing St. where I only saw the smoke canister go off - I was catching up with some people already at the Square). I also witnessed the press get charged standing on the steps of St. Martins.
Afterwards I spoke to the Sunday Times (!) photographer whose nose had been mashed by a baton - he had blood all over him and was clearly in a state of extreme surprise, if not mild shock. Needless to say this wasn't reported in the paper the next day despite the fact that this guy told me he wanted it to be (no real surpise there I suppose). After this the day degenerated into a series of police charges against mostly passive resistance and self defence. Forget the Sound System lorry charging the police, the cops were doing plenty of that in their vans on Charing X Rd.
I witnessed plenty of unprovoked assaults on people all around the area including two of my own mates but as usual the cops involved got out of the area before anyone could get their numbers. One notable instance was a woman trying to leave the Square by climbing over the railings at the side of the Nat. Gallery. The cops would not let her over then one of them said it would be alright if she went over. She climbed over and as she came down they pulled her down the rest of the way, pinned her arms behind her back and slammed her head into the railings before throwing her back towards the crowd.
The "hero" responsible? Police Officer Z214 of the Met - what a guy....
At about 9pm everything started to quieten down and I left to get some food.
I hope you found all that interesting - feel free to post this anywhere you like if you feel others will be interested. Nice website by the way.
Dave23 Friend of Tribe of the Spoon
After a mad dash to london, we (a small posse of five) arrived at just before 1pm, to find a mixed crowd with banners and flags aloft. Looked like your standard political march, apart from the odd flags with the lightning strike across them. These turned out to be the Reclaim the Streets markers, follow them the leaflets advised. So we did, as the march, proceeded out of the park towards the river.
Round the roads we went, past policemen, photographers, waving supporters, hooting trains, low flying helicopters, and London ClassWar. Ulp. Across Lambeth bridge, and up towards Westminster. The sound of drums in the distance. The drums get louder. They're kinda funky, in a tribal way, and people begin to dance a bit. We get stuck outside the Houses of Parliament (at this point a bit of a ruckus occurs outside Downing St. but I don't find out until I get home).
So there we are, standing, dancing, chatting. It's pretty relaxed. So I decide to increase my protest power, and skin up outside westminster. Still smoking the doob as we finally pass Downing St. That's not something I'm going to forget in a hurry.
Trafalgar square appears over the horizon, and the drummers are still going, as are we. The sounds of something a bit more electronic appear. Can't quite see what it is, but it's acid techno time. We bop a bit more.
Eventuallly we reach the square, where the crowd has a bit more space to breathe. The source of the sound appears, it's a techno-trolley! Can't see what's under the blankets, but there's a bloke twiddling his heart away at one end. We go and have a closer look, is it a pair of decks (yeah, right), a CD mixer, or some sort of tape thing. Fuck me, it's a 303! This nutter is playing live techno in the middle of trafalgar square. What a star.
So we hang around captain acid for a bit, sit down, and skin up again. Wave at the occasional busload of tourists driving along the north edge of the square. Wait a minute, what's that? It's a van with a load of people sitting on top, the sound system has arrived!
Mr Acid start moving the techno-trolley north, towards the sound system and we follow. After another doob, we decide to check out the sound system. It's going for it, as are the thousands of attendant dancers. The music's pumping acid techno, which isn't normally my cup of tea, but it fits the vibe perfectly, and soon, we're all dancing away.
People climb street lamps to hang banners, fire breathers breathe fire, jugglers juggle, a nutter stands on top of the National Gallery, loons fall through the bus shelter they were dancing on, and an incredible feeling of unity and joy surrounds us all.
A few hours, and a couple more doobs later I wander off in search of refreshments to discover (surprise surprise) the old bill has cordoned the whole square off. Mostly with vans, and yer standard old bill, but at the north east exit there's riot police, and the cavalry. I've seen the miners strike footage that escaped the news, and our old friend paranioa makes his second appearance of the day. To me, Class War + Mounted Police = Riot, so I return to the posse, with drinks and news. We decide to leave at six (it was about 5:40).
We leave, no problem, meet up with a friend who couldn't get in ("If I let you in in, I'd have to let all of them in"), and head off our respective ways.
The news lead with the incident outside Downing St, and an incident at Trafalgar Square, protestors hurling debris at the police, and a quick snippet of the party going on with no-ones permission. Radio news had a quick interview with a photographer who claimed the police started it, whatever.
All I really know, is that a few thousand poeple walked to Trafalgar Square, and had a party. Some people took drugs (beer and spliffs mainly, although I saw a couple of pills being necked), most didn't, and a bangin' time was had by all.
Phil
PS Respect and shouts to all the organisers, and where can I get a Public Nuisance t-shirt?
Thanks for rapid response. Hope your ankle's not too bad. I got a scaffold clamp on the knee at Poll Tax (among other injuries). It's always your comrades that smash you up in the end......
You say "I told the london police monitoring group that some might be useful for defence." - do you have a contact number?
The shots you took from the truck are fine - thanks. There is one in the final set - looking south showing the massive number of people. I'll email you a jpeg or two if you can use them. Got a couple dozen good shots in the files but not sold much as yet. My sales tend to be long term to books & mags rather than daily press.
I have a small portion of fame on both BBC & ITN news, also a pic of my bleeding head in Press Gazette.
Not decided as to whether it'll be worth bringing a case against PC Plod, I'm short of evidence at present, no pic no number. But the cops will have it on THEIR film! Traf Sq is heavily covered by TV cameras and there would have been plenty extras for Saturday's bash. The cops had more film crews out than at any time since Welling. Trouble is I can only get access to their film if I have a case and I need the film to make the case.....
I'm hoping that we can come up with someone else with a stronger case to start opening up the evidence. Slim chance but we'll see.
All the best
David Hoffman
We arrived at trafalgar square at 8ish. The atmosphere was charged with a tense energy, like so many mind-years of repressed anger and disenchantment had started to surface, and be released, yet only to be quelled frusatratingly, in mid-flow, by some spongy, indirect, annoyingly intangible, yet inescapable force.
Through... the building ranks of riot police, silently shifting with unknown strategies, as one loosely coupled organism, faces hidden, bodies armoured, the anonymous muscle of the system, showing its teeth, not to be so suddenly overturned by such a ragtag fleet of fucked crusties, enthralled students and confused tourists ...we moved.
We entered the square, to be confronted by the sight of twisted railings, strewn debris, smashed glass, dented cars, broken things, broken people, distant helicopters, the feeling of the zoom lens, the rising of the neck hairs. Fuck me its like a war zone. "It is a war zone!"
Trampled horse shit. Reminds me of 'Kill the Bill' days.
Something has happened here. We have missed *something*
'FUCK THE ELECTION', scrawled on the national gallery, provoked a chuckle. Yesss. This is it. Here is the inner sanctum, where the fighters, the free, the enlightened and the mad come together. Here is where the system starts to cack itself like a frightened police horse, the only animal with a cunt half-way along its back.
Baaad vibes. Normally chill people looking lost and angry, colourful energy replaced by tired apathy. The remaining nutters wonder what they can still do, the rest wandering, someone bring me an ioniser.
Cia's mates go home.
As the last dregs of the sound systems winds down, and the last rays of the sun dwindle across the sooty grey buildings, pitted and scarred by battles more ancient, a chill wind picks up, this is the wind of change. Yet only on a microscopic scale. Nothing has changed. Or will it? Maybe, *this* time...?
Cia wants to leave.
No. This is important. We must see.
With military precision, the police mobilise, with a steady sweep, they walk, in ranks, slowly, surely, not giving anyone a reason to get lairy, a silent force, convincing us to leave before its all too late.
People flow surely through the cracks out into the real world, herded out, like the goverment's livestock, yet no animal farm to be found here.
The last side of the square is left. Here lie the trouble makers. Anyone who was going to do anything will have to do it now. The police breath deeply. They walk slowly, surely, but how their shields shake. I bet they had a shit first.
What sort of cunt becomes a riot pig?
The worst sort of cunt, I find out, as a girl trying to tie herself to some railings is suddenly beaten about the face with shields and the body with sticks, just for screaming and flailing about. A man jumps off a wall into the path of the pigs. He disappears under a mass of them, as they surge over him. Dull thuds and screaming are heard. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see a girl riding a bike.
Too close to the pigs, the pigs decide. Or rather, one flinches, and 7 of them pile in on top of her, just like a bundle at school, except here there is no penny, just soft defenseless flash, making a sucession of 'crump' sounds, under the impacts.
One pig squeezes her face onto the pavement with his head. Is he biting her? It certainly looks like it.
"What is he doing?"
"What are you doing?"
Cia bursts into tears. Its time to go. We've seen enough. If only I had a camera.
We drift back into soho. Tourists, diners, students, theatre goers, taxis continue as normal. There's a war on round the corner, do you know? If only I had a camera.
In the news, no mention, except of 'some violence' at 'a protest' in trafalgar square. 'However, the police coped with it'. In the newspaper, no mention, except for 'someone arrested' in 'a protest in london yesterday'.
Went to trafalgar square yesterday. No 'FUCK THE ELECTION' on the national gallery anymore. Still people dying due to health service cuts. Still people fucking up due to education cuts. Still people on the streets. Still whisky quaffing lords making laws criminalising our lifestyles. Nothing has changed. Use your vote wisely. Or shit in the booth and wipe your arse with the ballot paper.
Vince.
The Two Day Festival of resistance had been called by 'Reclaim the Streets' to coincide with the 'March for Social Justice', which in turn had been called by the 500 sacked Liverpool Dockers.
Friday 11th April 1997
20,000 copies of a newspaper called 'Evading Standards' (a spoof of the 'Evening Standard') were to be handed out free at tube stations across London during the evening rush hour. With the headline "General Election Cancelled", the paper contained alternative views on the party political system and the vested interests and influence of big business. It also contained information on DIY politics and the weekend's coming events. However, all 20,000 copies were confiscated by the police before being distributed and three people ludicrously arrested for 'incitement to affray' and 'incitement to obstruct the public highway'. These people were released about five hours later but bailed to reappear on Saturday at 12:30pm. [interestingly the exact start time of the march & rally]
When they attended the police station the following day, they were held until 6pm (when the march and the street party had all but finished) and additional charges were made. The new charges were for copyright theft of the 'Evening Standard' logo (a drawing of the statue of Eros) and the logo of the Metropolitan Police.
Saturday 12th April 1997
Approx 20,000 people took part in the March for Social Justice, called by the 500 sacked Liverpool Dockers and their families, jointly with the Hillingdon Hospital and Magnet strikers. There was a wonderful, joyous atmosphere throughout the march - which brought together a wide range of trade unionists, ravers, left-wing parties, reclaim the streets people, anarchists and thousands of others. There were hundreds of colourful and imaginative protest banners and flags, and much drumming, whistles and chants. The march started at Kennington Park, and wound its way in bright sunshine over Lambeth Bridge, past the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall to Trafalgar Square where there was a rally. All through the march people handed out many different leaflets on upcoming events and protests, and alternative views (especially about the irrelevance of parliamentary politics, and about real change being made by people getting organised and trying to reclaim our lives, our streets and environment from those in power).
There must have been several thousand police officers on duty in the area. The riot cops were generally kept out of view of the general public and march itself. Even the Houses of Parliament were guarded by ordinary uniformed police only. However, there were riot police hidden in the building and backstreets and they were to be seen in force by the party-goers later.
The route was well covered by cameras, especially Downing Street (where the Prime Minister resides) which had a camera on a crane overlooking the gates. Downing Street had riot cops and mounted police opposite. There was the predictable anger at the gates and after most of the march had passed the police reacted, giving the media just what they wanted - violence and riot.
Apparently, someone managed to get into the Foreign Office and was seen throwing papers out of an open window. Further up the road a crowd gathered outside a McDonald's store to protest against the company. The management locked the doors and a window was broken.
The gathering at Trafalgar Square was big (maybe 20,000 at peak) but most of the Dockers, other strikers and their families left soon after the rally (mainly because of their long journeys home). The numbers were beginning to drop when a van containing the sound system managed to enter the square. In the process of getting through the police lines, the van apparently knocked over a police motorbike. People flocked round the van which parked outside of the National Gallery (Britain's most prestigious public art gallery). The tarpaulins on the side of the van were lifted to reveal the soundsystem behind. The music and the huge street party then began. The McSpotlight banner was quickly attached to the van, treating the entire 10,000 strong crowd to the McSpotlight URL. The dancing went on for hours.
Many other banners were erected around the square, including one in front of the National Gallery which read "Never mind the ballots...Reclaim the Streets" and one on the top of Canada House saying "Reclaim your Environment". Also, the Canadian flag on the embassy was replaced by a colourful RTS flag. Climbers took a 'Support The Dockers' banner up Nelson's Column itself and it was still there on Sunday evening.
A painted slogan across the road read "END THE CARNAGE". The 'N' of 'CARNAGE' was not completely painted in, so it also read: "END THE CAR AGE".
A second sound system was stopped around the corner and never made it into the square. Many people who didn't attend the march and turned up for the party were also prevented from entering. As soon as the march had reached the square, the police blockaded the roads leading into the square and closed the underground station, letting people out, but not in (after lying to many people that they could get back in).
Having a street party in Trafalgar Square was not the first plan of Reclaim the Streets. The intended target of Plan A had been the [partially empty] offices of the Department of the Environment. The plan had been for a section of the march to make a diversion and occupy the offices for the entire weekend. But the DoE offices (and the road leading to it) were protected by armed police!
Plan B - Trafalgar Square - was a great venue. Lovely sunshine, good vibe. The police were obviously powerless to prevent the 6-hour long occupation of the square and surrounding streets - but tried to spoil the atmosphere. As the numbers reduced the police lines advanced slowly throughout the day. There were some minor physical confrontations over this. The ITN and BBC film crews hardly bothered to remove their equipment from their bags until the police riot at the end of the day. Hardly any footage was taken of the street party, even though it was an unusually powerful show of what demonstrations can become.
When the sound system left the square the main mass of the party followed the RTS flags to the squatted venue for the all night party. However, when the numbers had reduced enough, the riot police rioted. Mounted charges panicked those trying to leave the square and many people were injured. These scenes were taken by the mass media and predictably used to taint reporting of the entire day and try to alienate the public from the strong, radical message of the event.
Fortunately perhaps, the police pre-occupation with being violent towards the remaining crowds meant that the rest of the demonstrators made their way almost unhindered (and doing a great job of reclaiming the streets) to the venues for the subsequent parties.
The driver and passenger of the sound system were not so lucky. They were arrested for attempted murder (based on the incident with the police motorbike)! This was reported in the traditional media as a murder plot against the police. To my knowledge, only the Guardian bothered to follow up the story a little by reporting the following day that the charges had been dropped. If you think there was anything of substance to the so-called 'attempted murder' arrests, ask yourself why the only charge to come from the arrests was suspicion of possesion of drugs in relation to one of the van's passengers.
This event was one of the most annoying for me. It seems a clear indication of a deliberate attempt to feed the media with juicy, negative, fabricated stories. Another was the arrest of a man with a three foot broad sword. The truth (well known by the media) was that this man was the eccentric 'King Arthur' and his ceremonial sword 'Excalibur'.
Anyway... I can't report on the events at both squat parties - I only attended one. The one I attended was at an empty office block with 500 people. The riot police came and went, apparently powerless. I departed a couple of hours later to get some sleep and prepare for Sunday's conference and workshops.
Sunday 14th April 1997
A conference and workshops took place in the same venue as the party, a squatted empty office block. The building was looking slightly worse for wear after the party. Somehow the [RTS] phone line that was to inform people about the venue had been [suspiciously] shut down so many groups failed to attend. The mass media were told to leave (everyone was very unhappy with the reports of Saturday's events and didn't fancy allowing the press to make up more rubbish). The conference was small but very positive as were the workshops- on how to stand up to multinationls, on reclaiming the streets etc.
Conclusion
More than ever before, I realise that whenever I witness events first
hand, what is reported in the mainstream media bears little or no
resemblence to what I saw. This means that I obviously can't trust anything that I see in the mainstream media (what a surprise!). The attempted censorship of the 'Evading Standards' (due to be updated and reprinted) is a clear indication that efforts to redress the balance and provide alternative views will be opposed by the State. For this reason, I am certain that we should collectively look for ways to combat this censorship and the vested interests in the mainstream media. The message from the weekend is just how much potential there is when people get together, organise themselves, unite with others from many groups and campaigns, take to the streets, protest and party, and aim for things worth fighting for - a world run by people ourselves, with respect for each other and for the environment.
When the dockers' march ended in violence the police blamed Reclaim the Streets. Strangely, the press agreed.
Did you hear about the huge March for Social Justice, the one where thousands of people turned out to support the sacked Liverpool dockers and had a party? No? Then you must have been relying on your newspaper to report the news.
Anyone who wasn't on the April 12 march from London's Kennington Park to Trafalgar Square could be forgiven for thinking the entire afternoon was devoted to pitched battles between police and a bunch of dreadlocked anarchists who had spoilt the poor striking dockers' day.
Scotland Yard's press office put out a statement and, it seems, the mainstream media swallowed it whole. Three 'rioters' were charged with attempted murder, they said (these charges had been dropped by the time the papers hit the stands). A bus was 'hijacked' in the fray, apparently (other witnesses claim the bus was actually boarded by petrified marchers chased by police). Most disturbing, though, were the reports of a 'rift' between dockers and Reclaim the Streets (RTS).
The dockers were upset, police and press agreed, that this unruly mob had hijacked their day. This was immediately rubbished by the direct action group and the dockers themselves, who decried "irresponsible journalism". No one reported that.
So how did the March for Social Justice go down in history as a Reclaim the Streets riot? Sacked Liverpool docker Jim Davies said the march was being billed as another Poll Tax riot by press and police before he and his family even arrived in London: "What happened was an absolute disgrace. We've built up good links with Reclaim the Streets. The trade unionists may have abandoned us but RTS never have, and the dockers are disgusted with the attempt to totally undermine it."
What struck some who were actually there, rather than pounding telephones in distant newsrooms, was an absence in the press coverage of any discussion of what the march really represented.
"There was a misrepresentation of the relationship between the Liverpool dockers and RTS, along with a misrepresentation of the importance of the day as a social justice march, which included pensioners, the unemployed, the homeless, a lot of groups in society who feel they've had a raw deal," says Big Issue editor-inchief A. John Bird, who spoke on the day. "It did represent something positive and none of the media wanted to talk about that, they lazily wanted to talk about a few incidents involving the police. "The reason I spoke," continues Bird, "is because the way forward is an alliance of groups that take responsibility for their own actions rather than leaving it to the politicians."
The dockers complain of a media blackout in their 18-month struggle for reinstatement, after 329 were sacked for refusing to cross a picket line in a dispute involving overtime. They were replaced by a casual work force.
Mainstream media disinterest stems, perhaps, from a view that the dockers' struggle is an outmoded one, a dinosaur, 'workers against bosses' fight. What has been missed is a recognition of the joint concerns bonding older trade unionists with young green activists, and the fact that their experiences affect us all.
"If this alliance is about the past it's also about the future," says Bird. "There is a widespread sense of unease about the future, the sense that there is no security, no ability to build anything firm. We're in this ever-changing world with signs of social collapse are all around. This community-based alliance counters that sense of not belonging anywhere, having no job, no community, no home."
Many column inches have been devoted to agonising about youth voter apathy. But those who marginalise the dockers and their supporters underestimate the discontent of a generation growing up in an era in which employees" rights have been whittled away to the extent that many people live in the shadow of redundancy.
Desert Storm the sound system took techno to the front-line in Bosnia in Summer '96
Sound systems do not have to seek trouble these days. Under attack from a parliament which considers them criminals, they work with the constant risk of arrest and seizure of equipment. Most party crews have sought a quieter life on the more hospitable Euro scene, Glasgow's 'Desert Storm' have found welcoming crowds in the unlikeliest venues of all; the war-torn cities of Bosnia.
On a recent 'legit' tour of British venues to raise money for their forth trip in eighteen months, in Manchester's New Ardri club they shared with me a little of the World according to Desert Storm. Although their home base is still in Glasgow, the five crew members I met each come from different cites.
"Desert Storm isn't really a crew," explains rob from Sheffield "it's more of a ...thing." "A bubbling blob." offers Danny. "Yeah people drift in and out."
At the centre of the blob is Keith, the only remaining founder member. He talks enthusiastically about the origins of Desert Storm throwing 'afterparties' in Glasgow in early '91 against the backdrop of the Gulf War.. The name was his idea, representing not only their 'beats not bullets' message, but also their desire to be seen as part of an army: 'It's an anti-estabishment thing, we want to show them we're organised, but for our own ends not for theirs'. Desert Storm decor does not follow the usual style of techno nights, all trippy fractals and tie-dye wall hangings. Instead they prefer a mass of camouflage netting with khaki and black the dominant colours. The effect is powerful, Desert Storm gigs feel like they are taking place in a bunker with a civil war going on outside. The visual impact of a Desert Storm gig drives home the concept of a revolutionary culture boiling under the surface of modern Britain. In the beginning the parties had an entrance fee, but this was attracting problems.
"We were getting some really dodgy people hanging around, we has to hire our own shady security and it was all getting out of hand, so we just knocked it on the head for six months. We went to London and met Mark from Spiral Tribe, and he persuaded us that free parties were the way forward. So we went back and built our first RDV [Rapid Deployment Vehicle] which was a camouflage transit with a 1.5 K rig in it. We could just drive in anywhere and start playing, and that's basically how we've operated ever since."
By 1994 the campaign against the Criminal Justice Bill was politicising ravers everywhere. Desert Storm were the only soundsystem to apply for permission in time to play on the July march, and consequently entertained an audience of 70,000 in Trafalger Square on a glorious summer's day. One of them, James from Nottingham was so impressed that he tracked them down in Glasgow and has been a regular DJ ever since.
Three months later this celebration of youthful freedom was overshadowed in Hyde Park by possibly the only riot in history to have been started by police determination to stop people from dancing. Keith recalls: "Amid all the mayhem we'd broken down but we were still playing. There were riot cops everywhere and this crazy Glaswegian called Paddy stuck his head through the van window and said 'I've got to have your phone number'. A week later we were at home in Glasgow and I got a phone call from the same guy asking if we wanted to go to Bosnia in three weeks. I mean, what could I say? It was defiantly fated, we just had to go."
The resulting trip took them to Tusla with a Workers' Aid Convoy fo the most exciting New Year of their lives. James describes the events of the evening: "We started playing on the move and we had thousands of people following us through the streets in two foot snow and minus ten degrees. We played one techno record with a chorus that went 'Get going to the beat of a Drum BANG!' and all the soldiers fired their AK-47's in the air 'kakakakaka' and it was such a fucking buzz it was incredible. We played the same record about ten times. At one point a policeman came up to tell us to turn the volume up , but to turn off some of our lights as we were attracting shellfire. The frontline was only ten kilometres away.'
Three trips later and the desire to take techno to the front line is as strong as ever. The ethics of taking a party to the most miserable man made hell in Europe is an on-going source of debate, and not only among themselves. Danny admits.
"It's something that comes up repeatedly when we're collection money, how can we justify taking a large van all the way to Bosnia with only ourselves and a sound system. We sometimes have doubts ourselves, but them I think back to that first New Year in Tusla and I know we're doing the right thing. The reality out there now is that most people have food and bare essentials. Everyone from UNHCR to Workers's Aid are sending conveys of lorries, and the main thing people are crying out for is any kind of entertainment at all. There's also a youth element. Most of our money is raised among young people here in the UK and most of he people who go to the parties there are young. What we do is a cultural gift from the youth of Britain to the youth of Bosnia."
While the Bosnia trips rightly dominate the legend of Desert Storm, stories abound along the way. There was the Teknival in France, where a gigantic convoy from Paris lead to a farm in a little town called Bresle where the farmer was overjoyed to see the ravers trampling down his field. It turned out to be a peat field and normally he has to employ people once a year to tramp down the grass before could cut it. Shortly after the Mayor arrived atop a lorry full of water. Local bylaws required the townspeople to show hospitality to and gathering of more than a thousand people whether invited or not. Last October the RDV went RTS as the Storm entertained 600 party-goers at a Reclaim the Streets in Manchester, eventually leading a dancing parade through the heart of the city to the steps of the Town Hall.
"That was fucking amazing," recalls Danny. "We never thought we'd get away with playing on Deansgate. When I went to play the first record my hand was shaking so much that I couldn't put the needle down. But when we started playing this tingle came up through everybodies fingers and suddenly it was like there was an electric energy pulsing up from the crowd, I've never seen anything like it."
Desert's Storm's willingness to take their chances with the CJA, the TSG or the AK-47's may seem to verge on the foolhardy, but the whole crew have the confidence that comes from knowing what they do is the right thing to do. Keith talks easily of 'fate' a suitable theme for Desert Storm would be a hardcore mix of 'Que Sera, Sera'. He becomes at once animated and angry when reminiscing about visiting Mostar , where a glorious medieval city has been devastated by the war.
"Just about the only building that hasn't been hit by mortars or rockets is the Ganja cafe. In amongst all the misery and destruction you can still score, have a coffee and look out over the ruins. Is that fate or what?" So what's next for Desert Storm, I ask Rob. "Well I don't know about anyone else, but I fancy Chechnya myself!"
The people are growing stronger, in truth it is a fact.
That the power of the people's from the criminal in-justice act
They thought that they could put us down,
then right before their eyes.
All oppressed united join hands and swiftly rise.
The act it seems was drafted for a chosen few's convenience,
So what's left for the rest of us,
Down right disobedience
Ant, Plumstead
One Saturday night in May, in a quarry near Matlock, Derbyshire, 500 people are dancing under a full moon and clear sky. The free party scene is alive and kicking all over Britain with particular determination in the East Midlands: the spirit of the free festival lives on. Smokescreen are the posse hosting this specific bash. easy techno, trance and solid house sounds bounce off the sides of the quarry, filling all space.
Smokescreen, from Sheffield, are currently hosting a free party most weekends, usually in Derbyshire. They are also part of All Systems Go! - a collective of sound systems from Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield and Lincoln.
All System individual components are a name check of the most popular East Midlands dance posses: DiY, Smokescreen, Pulse, Babble, Floatation, Breeze, Rogue and Go-Tropo. The latest addition to the collective is Spoof (Sheffield people on one forever). Together they form a loose community alliance that is mutually supportive but flexible enough to allow each posse its own individual identity and set of priorities. The result is an eclectic, organic scene where community and co-operation are highly valued as fundamental to the free party ethic.
All Systems sprang to life in 1992 in response to particular clauses encompassed in the Criminal Justice Bill affecting the rights of party-goers, squatters, protesters and travellers. A meeting was initiated by members of DiY, Smokescreen and Breeze.
Rick, (DJ Digs) of DiY explains:
"We met in a club, about 30 - 40 people. We just talked about this new law. Awareness raising seemed to be the one and it was initially a big information campaign".
All System began organising benefit gigs to raise money to put into information.
Rick:
"Because we had a PA and knew other people who were doing what we were doing, and had access to DJ’s, we paid minimum expenses, paid for the venue and flyers, fivers in and it was a highly efficient way of making money. That crystallised the whole All Systems thing cos it was literally all systems in one room!".
One member of DiY who took the information bit between his teeth was Tash. Tash is a veteran of the ‘70’s and 80’s free festival community. His photographic work has documented the rise and fall of that community and he was one of only three independent photographers at the Battle of the Beanfield in 1985.
He sees what All Systems are doing as an attempt to hold on to a vision of DIY community and celebration:
"After I heard about the Bill, I realised that they meant festivals, protesters, raves and everything else I was about. It was a big thing, the authorities have been trying to write the `Hippy Act’ for years, but they’d never been that specific before. At the meeting I showed people clippings from the papers and told them that it meant them as well. A lot of people don’t think they’re anywhere near important or dangerous enough to warrant this attention. They might not but the establishment does. I was concerned that what we should primarily be about was publication to tell the public at large that there’s something off".
A free booklet entitled `Right to Party’ was produced as well as a cartoon poster depicting Peanut Pete’s explanation of the main clauses of part five of the Bill, all happening on a Union Jack. The booklet contains warnings of legislation to come, its affect on the current scene, historic references and affirmations of dance culture.
By June 1995 the fifth edition of the booklet had been produced and became a well-known respected and effective tool for informing the underground dance and festival scene of exactly what they were up against.
Tash
"We spent money on five editions of Right to Party. And each copy, because of its nature, was probably read by four or five people. We were mainly concerned with raising awareness. It’s my contention that should be our priority".
Meanwhile, money from benefit gigs was also being put into buying a communal rig. Primarily called the Party or Community Rig it soon earned the nick name `Kamikaze’. This rig is owned by All Systems and "borrowed" by individual systems for specific free parties, usually outdoors.
This way if equipment is confiscated by police then no single outfit would suffer. One reason some members of All Systems don’t like the term kamikaze is that implies disposability.
Tash:
"Kamikaze rig is quite a catchy name. You can put it in situations where you are prepared to lose it but it would be nice to hang on to it and the community at large can use it. If the police were confronted by a set of boxes that they knew were called kamikaze it might imply that after confiscation the court would treat it disposobaly".
The All Systems ethic is of communication and co-operation to facilitate free parties and mutual support. A benefit gig in April raised money for Buxton-based Black Moon Sound System, the first outfit to have their rig confiscated under the CJA.
Another benefit in Sheffield on May 31st was also successful. Money raised from that event has yet to be allocated but options include fixing the kamikaze rig, more informative publications and starting a bust fund for systems.
Harry, an original member of DiY, is clear about what All Systems priorities should be post-CJA:
"It’s hard to have any direct resistance to the CJA now that it’s law. National resistance seems to have petered out. So, basically we’ve got our own organisation here, we’ll maintain links, keep the fund-raising going, maybe set up a bust fund to support anyone who might get nicked in the future".
There is a strong belief within All Systems in community and the strength that community offers. When people feel part of a larger, similarly-minded group then there is courage to deal with unfriendly authority or potential imprisonment. Tash:
It’s all about intimidation and the vested interests’ game plan to lower people’s resistance to intimidation. Our plan is to support people so they can continue".
All Systems’ gigs are specifically designed to raise funds to support party-goers and systems doing free parties. Otherwise all the individual systems involved in the project are dance entities who do weekly club nights to finance the production of records and keep them doing free parties at the weekends.
Laurence, DJ and founder member of Smokescreen explains:
"We always leave Saturday nights as free party nights. Maybe two or more nights during the week we do clubs and try to support ourselves day to day. Free parties we do at weekends.
We recently had a meeting with SHED, a local drug advice agency. There was a guy there from the entertainment’s and licensing committee, part of Sheffield Council. He was implying we could get a venue, find who owns it, hire it, get fire and safety, get a licence and do a party. I said we already do events and to do it that way would cost quite a bit of money. I asked why the council couldn’t give us some unused land or property, then we’d get a licence and do free parties; we could pay for the licence through donations.
It’s summer now and we primarily want to do free parties outdoors, but the ideas being floated at that meeting would mean we could do free parties in the winter without threat of police harassment. The guy from the licensing committee thought we were going to charge people. We had to explain to him that we were essentially a free-outfit, we didn’t want to worry about money, dress-sense and security; it’s free party ethics. It took him a while to get his head round".
Police and official attitudes to the free party elements of All Systems have been varied. At Smokescreen’s Quarry gig in May, Derbyshire’s Constabulary were notably playing a low profile game, acting more as traffic wardens and parking attendants than potential obstructers.
"All we’re really worried about is ambulance and fire engines being able to get up to the village", said one sergeant, as his colleague directed a reversing Mercedes van into a tight space.
Rick:
"Mostly police pressure is words in ears and such, nothing too heavy, just intimidation. On New Year’s Eve we were doing a party and by a complete coincidence it was the same weekend as someone else was trying to organise a massive party - Castlemorton-revisited style. The police took loads of information on vehicles all over but they didn’t follow it up until the May Bank Holiday, four months later. They traced our truck and came to the DiY office and seriously bent our ears, `we know who you are... what you up to this weekend’ sort of thing.
I know what pressure the Exodus Collective have been under but it’s a question of scale, they’re much more in the authorities’ faces. They’re dealing with thousands of kids from a small area whereas we’re dealing with a much wider area. There’s quite a substantial following for Smokescreen gigs at the moment and people come down from Leeds, Sheffield and Leicester for gigs in Derbyshire".
Smokescreen had similar attention from the police after they did a free party in Sheffield.
Laurence:
"We did a party at an old abandoned school just a couple of hundred yards up from Sheffield’s central police station. We knew we were taking the piss a bit but it was cold and we wanted to be indoors. The police turned up and just sat outside. I went to talk to a couple of them, they said there was no problem, they were just there to watch. During the night fire officers turned up to check safety but there were plenty of fire exits and stuff so after we walked them round the building they went away.
During the next week we heard from several people, not part of the system, who had been contacted by police asking who were the organisers, was there beer on sale, where do these people come from, how did they hear about it..... just someone in the police force saying to others I want you to devote time to finding out about who these people are".
Smokescreen, Pulse and the other free party components of All Systems have respect. Respect not only for each other but for the wider community; local towns and villages. Party venues are carefully selected for noise minimisation and care is taken to ensure adequate and safe vehicle access; no excuse is given to the police to close them down. Maybe this is another factor in their success.
Rick:
"Quarries are perfect for parties - one system is good enough for it. You can’t beat a good quarry for the ultimate party and Derbyshire is the best place for quarries - perfect".
All Systems are not interested in direct confrontation, they’re interested in the spirit and community that they are increasingly generating; a free-festival style celebration through dance.
Members of All Systems also know what they want: to continue to put on free parties and get away with it.
Laurence:
"We did one party in Sherwood Forest, in April, that got a bit more attention from the police than usual. We talked with them and negotiated a time to close the party down. When that time came and we hadn’t, they got a bit heavier. We then gave everyone an hour’s notice that we were closing down. Anyway, an hour later we started packing up. We had a few punters come up and started giving us a hard time for giving in. I asked them what they wanted: to dance another couple of hours ‘til the police come wading in, we lose our rig and that’s it - or do you want another party next weekend?
Just as we were pulling off site we were confronted with maybe 25 wagons of police, they pulled to one side and let us drive off. Just one more record and we’d have blown it".
All Systems are under no illusions and Laurence certainly doesn’t view what they are doing as `hard-core’. But they do provide an example of how to just get on with the business at hand; offering a much needed alternative to the machinations of mainstream club culture.
Tash, also, is realistic about what is needed to effect a shift in society’s perceptions of celebration:
"When ranged against the vested interests and the Home Secretary, All Systems aren’t going to crack the planet and despite the heroic efforts of a few people, what difference is it going to make unless we can get the word out that what we’re doing here can be done all over the country?
There’s nothing special about the East Midlands. On a local level we have to get involved. As in most smaller towns and cities, we’re privileged to be small enough so that communication is good. That closeness is what’s needed to make a dent".
The way the police are implementing the Criminal Justice Act with respect to raves is not uniform across the country. In many places, as soon as a police officer says those three words to an assembly of more than 50 people, someone is likely to get upset. Until the CJA is more solidly set in the minds of British culture, many constabularies will be reticent about using it and will, instead, rely on the provisions of the Public Order Act 1986. This legislation has been around for 10 years and when used, means the temperature stays lower.
Harry:
"When the outrage over the CJA dissipates the police will get on with implementing it. Things become accepted in the framework of things. I remember when the Public Order Act came out 10 years ago, now it’s accepted that you can’t do this but you can get away with that".
The introduction of the CJA was never entirely meant to deal immediately with supposed problems it was intended for; knee-jerk reactions are simply devices to appease constituency members and win extra votes. The motivation for the introduction of the CJA may be much more insidious. In the way the Public Order Act 1986 didn’t effectively destroy Britain’s travelling community until the mid-nineties, the full effects of the CJA may not be realised until after the millennium, when forces across the country will have the confidence and legal precedents to implement it.
Perhaps the future of festivals and parties lies in the persistence, determination and vision of small free party posse. For sound systems to effectively continue in the face of the CJA small well thought-out parties, with locals in mind, would seem to be essential; but imagine a future: hundreds of small systems up and down the country doing free gigs regularly. Each has a loyal following of 500 people and they’re getting away with it. Then, one day, they all come together.
Maybe that day will be the Summer Solstice and maybe the venue will be Stonehenge.
Jez Tucker, Squall 13, July 1996.
Bristol police were decidedly lacking in festive spirit this Xmas, when they tried to squash and stop the seasonal celebrations of the local free party folks.
First, on Boxing Day, 12 people were arrested and their equipment seized when the police stopped them holding a party in a disused bingo hall. Details are sketchy as yet, witnesses are required. Come New Years Eve, a free party was organised to take place in a large, multi-roomed empty warehouse. Care had been taken to ensure it wasn't near any residential properties (even though everyone stays up on New Years Eve!), and wouldn't be problem to the locals.
Despite this, the police turned up in force and told us we wouldn't be having a party. When questioned on what laws or powers they were using to shut us down (much to their dismay, the criminal Justice Act and the licensing laws do not cover free warehouse party's). The policeman in charge replied: "What are you, a fucking Barrister now...? You're not having a party because I SAY SO..!"
Numerous policemen then lined up in an attempt at preventing people getting into the warehouse. But when it became apparent that we weren't going to be intimidated into not having a party, they waded in and began indiscriminately beating party people with their truncheons. As a result of this action, alot of people received injuries, some of them quite serious. One woman was on the floor being beaten by at least 3 or 4 policemen and one man was held down over a railway line by two policemen who repeatedly smashed his face into a sleeper until his nose caved in.
Thankfully, there is photographic evidence of some of these attacks. However the police attacked another photographer and `stole' his camera. (editors note: These sort of stories will often be dis-believed without people making the effort to gather evidence. We never need to lie, but sometimes we do need to prove what goes on).
Needless to say, all this behaviour didn't stop a lot of the people who wanted in, so a big shout and massive respect to all the party people who went for it and made the rave!! Police disappeared just after midnight to get to the pubs and clubs where they knew they were needed to deal with all the violence and drunkenness and crime that goes hand in hand with town centres, but is virtually non-existent at free party's.
It goes without saying that despite the police operation against us numerous systems rocked until 8.30am, making sure that we had a wicked night anyway!!
In the morning, the police turned up again in force and started seizing equipment and arresting people. Though we managed to smuggle most of our gear out, the police succeed in seizing 2 soundsystems, 5 generators and arresting 11 people (that we know of). The police later claimed they were "hunting for the organisers" when they were making arrests. Oh! well, that all right then!! We will not be taking this lying down - but we need your support.
Every year a dry lake-bed in the middle of the Nevada Desert hosts one of the most extraordinary festivals on the planet. With temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees, twenty eight thousand people create a temporary city and spend a week as co-participants of the Burning Man. Roger Lewis frolicked with the freaks and freedoms at this year''s event and found himself well and truly fired up.
In 1986 eight people attended a party in California, burnt an effigy and decided to make their gathering an annual event. This year 28,000 people came along. The Burning Man Festival is described as an experiment in radical self-expression, a temporary autonomous zone where anything goes. Anything except money that is. For a period of one week no commercial activity is allowed. With the one exception of coffee and ice sold at the Centre Cafe, you cannot buy or sell goods or services for money. Anything you need must be bartered for. A song or a pair of socks will get you a beer at the bar. A condom for a cocktail. A kiss is good currency. In line with this non-commercial principle, prominent logos on the sides of hire trucks are either covered or amended in an imaginative w