May Day
2001 –
 Thousands
take to the streets against capitalism
Defend
the Oxford Circus protesters
Thousands of young people and
activists took to the streets of London on May Day in protest against
capitalism and corporate rule. Arrayed against them were the government,
the police, 6000 in all, and the media lie machine. These forces came
together in a campaign of vicious slander and physical attacks, in order
to try and discredit the movement. However, it was far from a complete
triumph for them.
The mere threat of thousands of
anti-capitalist protesters converging in London brought the city to a
standstill. Business in London lost £20 million in profits on the day.
The campaign of the preceding weeks had been ineffective in keeping away
many people. On the contrary, they felt even more determined to join in.
Likewise the police’s tactics on the
day did not provide them with the PR triumph they had hoped for. Despite
the likes of the Mirror crowing 'One Nil to the Police' over a photo of
a protester being battered over the head by a policeman, many ordinary
people were angered by the polices tactics. Most of all the probably
unlawful detainment of 4000 protesters in Oxford Circus for over 7 hours
by the police outraged many.
As with many previous anti-capitalist
protests around the world, the May Day events focused the attention of
millions on the violence of global capitalism, not the non-existent
violence of protesters. This is the real reason behind the hate campaign
waged by the state and media against the anti-capitalist movement.
They are afraid that anti-capitalist
ideas are gaining more credence as more and more people are becoming
angry at their conditions and disillusioned with the political
establishment.
With the US economy threatening to pull
the world into a major economic downturn, capitalism will not be able to
maintain any illusion of progress for long. However, the hundreds of
thousands getting involved in anti-capitalist activity do not just want
to oppose capitalism, they are increasingly looking to build an
alternative sort of society.
YSA believe that this alternative is
socialism. Under socialism decisions would be made by society on the
basis of need not profit. The enormous wealth that exists in society
would not be concentrated in the hands of a few, but would be under the
democratic control of society as a whole. We would decide what is
produced, how it is produced and how it is distributed.
Socialism would allow the enormous
talent, resources and potential that exists in society to be properly
utilised for the good of the majority.
Illegally improisoned in Oxford Circus
YSA are building a campaign against the mass police
imprisonment of thousands of protesters in Oxford Circus for over seven
hours on May Day.
There was no justification for this outrageous and unlawful attack on
the right to protest.
These people had been held despite the fact they had committed no
crime and had not been involved in any violence. In fact the protesters
in the cordon were extremely restrained in the face of massive police
provocation. The police’s actions were not about preventing violence.
For the whole of this time, no one was allowed in or out of the
cordon of riot police, including children and the elderly. No one had
access to water, food or toilet facilities, posing a serious health risk
to the people inside the cordon.
The only possible reason for the police holding us so long was that
the police wanted to send a message to all potential protesters; ‘this
is what happens to you when you join anti-capitalist protests’. It was
a blatantly political action against the protesters, planned in advance
and sanctioned by the police’s political masters Jack Straw and Tony
Blair.
Unfortunately for the police, many people watching events on TV saw
the police’s tactics for what they were. The police have only helped
to undermine their own support amongst many ordinary working people.
YSA supporter and Socialist Party member Lois Austin played a key
role in putting pressure on the police to allow people out of the cordon
without attacking the protesters. Lois contacted Tony Benn from inside
Oxford Circus, who put pressure on the police commissioner and Jack
Straw to let people out.
She also contacted a leading barrister, who informed us that he
believed that the encirclement was unlawful. Lois then announced this
fact to cheers, making the police look very uncomfortable. She then led
a group to negotiate an end to the detainment. Eventually the police
allowed people to leave gradually, after eight hours of confinement.
However, those protesters trapped in Oxford Circus do not plan to
accept this illegal infringement of our rights by the police. YSA are
launching a mass civil action against the police which should involve
hundreds of those present in Oxford Circus. Many have already promised
to take part in the action and are providing statements about what
happened on May Day.
If you were caught in Oxford Circus or if you know any one else who
was, and want to participate in the action against the police, contact
us or send a statement to us ASAP. If you need any guidance about
writing a statement contact YSA.
One of the first actions of this campaign was to hold a public
protests outside New Scotland Yard on Wednesday, 9th May in
protest at the police’s actions. This attracted some
media attention and publicised the case -- and embarrassed the police
some more.
There
will also be a meeting at 7.30pm, Wednesday, 16th May at
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, near Holborn tube station.
If you live outside London and could not make it to New Scotland Yard
on Wednesday, you might want to organise a protest outside a local
police station. Get in contact with YSA if you need help in organising
one.
Would you like to
find out more about Young Socialist Action? Why not Contact or Join Young Socialist Action?
|
YSA: Challenging capitalism, challenging the state
YOUNG SOCIALIST Action (YSA) played a significant role in this year's
anti-capitalist May Day protests in London.
YSA members Zena and Kieran Roberts report for The Socialist 11 May
2001
Not only did they oppose capitalism but also put forward a clear
socialist alternative to the profit-driven system which young people want
to abolish.
Such an intervention was crucial as a mood is growing toward socialist
ideas. This was demonstrated by many young people taking our leaflets,
buying all kinds of material from us and signing up for more information,
or joining us.
YSA then held a highly successful meeting a day after the protests,
under the title 'Opposing Capitalism, building the Socialist Alternative.'
Despite the fact many were still recovering from the previous day's
ordeal in Oxford Circus, 35 people turned up to hear speakers from the YSA,
Socialist Party and Committee for a Workers International (CWI - the
international which the Socialist Party is part of).
Lois Austin spoke first about the need to build a socialist alternative
and the need for May Day protesters to link up with workers to change
society.
She also talked about the police's outrageous tactics around Oxford
Circus when they blocked in 4,000 protesters for over seven hours. Not
only was this a blatant infringement of the protesters' rights, we believe
it was also unlawful.
We do not believe that the police should get away with this
unchallenged. That is why we are organising a civil action against the
police for unlawful detainment.
A barrister spoke at the meeting detailing the legal position. He is
willing to represent a mass action by people encircled in Oxford Circus.
We also have the details of many who want to be part of a case against
the police. If you know about what happened to them please give statements
to YSA.
Vanessa Fatton, from Socialist Alternative, the US section of the
Committee for a Workers International (CWI) spoke about the growth of radical movements and anti-capitalism in the US
in the last couple of years.
 Clare Doyle spoke from the CWI about some of the different May Day
events CWI sections around the world were involved in.
She also described the Quebec protests, in which she participated, and
the police's brutal response to the protesters there.
The meeting highlighted the growth of an anti-capitalist consciousness
and a determination by many young people to build an alternative to
capitalism.
More
May Day reports in The Socialist
|
