30th November 2005, 02:36 PM
Rat, what do you mean 'must wear appropriate PPE'? Touch too authoritarian for me 
Your Oi Polloi admission took me back a bit! I also had anarchist leanings in me youth. Something changed in the early 90s. This wasn't the Rubicon, but it did sort of contribute...
Me and my girl-friend were on the anti-poll tax march in Brixton (MoLAS had a dedicated group!!). There was a strong police presence and feelings were high after the police thuggery at the previous showing. We marched along, a great feeling that we were making Thatcher listen. It felt good. A group of Spanish anarchists joined some English chaps. I smiled at girlfriend - she was pretty socialist and we'd debated anarchism several times. There was a mood swing as we approached Brixton prison. The anarchos prepared for action, hoods on, scarves up. I still smiled, sort of proud of the continuing International. Then chaos, bricks, blood, screams. The anarchos were one side, the police the other. The crowd were being used as protection by the anarchos. Long story....but finished up huddled up in a side street with girlfriend and a petrified girl in a wheelchair. Girlfriend looked at me, asking the question - how did that bl**dy well help? Arguably, it did, but I stopped calling myself an anarchist. She even got me voting, but that took a while
Your Oi Polloi admission took me back a bit! I also had anarchist leanings in me youth. Something changed in the early 90s. This wasn't the Rubicon, but it did sort of contribute...
Me and my girl-friend were on the anti-poll tax march in Brixton (MoLAS had a dedicated group!!). There was a strong police presence and feelings were high after the police thuggery at the previous showing. We marched along, a great feeling that we were making Thatcher listen. It felt good. A group of Spanish anarchists joined some English chaps. I smiled at girlfriend - she was pretty socialist and we'd debated anarchism several times. There was a mood swing as we approached Brixton prison. The anarchos prepared for action, hoods on, scarves up. I still smiled, sort of proud of the continuing International. Then chaos, bricks, blood, screams. The anarchos were one side, the police the other. The crowd were being used as protection by the anarchos. Long story....but finished up huddled up in a side street with girlfriend and a petrified girl in a wheelchair. Girlfriend looked at me, asking the question - how did that bl**dy well help? Arguably, it did, but I stopped calling myself an anarchist. She even got me voting, but that took a while