Protest Reportage

The heart of Birmingham was the scene for a microcosm of London’s protests against capitalism earlier today.

Around thirty demonstrators assembled outside Corporation Street’s Virgin Megastore to vocalise their criticism of varied subjects ranging from big business and consumerism to allegations of state violence and police brutality.

The protest was organised by S26, the militant socialist group, but included members of the whole myriad of far-left organisations.

A representative of S26 said that they were there today to “draw attention to the injustices of capitalism” and to the ”exploitation of the people and the planet”.

Despite the violence in London, she claimed that the protest was a peaceful one, and that the press had blown last year’s violence and vandalism out of proportion.

Other protestors voiced similar feelings. Despite being from disparate groups, almost as many in number as the number of protestors, they all voiced the same broad themes. Amongst these were the familiar complaints of big-business exploitation, anti-free trade sympathies and a perceived lack of democracy.

In place of the ”neo-liberal” agenda that the protestors dislike, they propose the abolition of capitalism, an end to privatisation, a collective workforce and a drive towards “people not profits”.

The protectors had started gathering at twelve o’clock and all was peaceful at 12.30. The police, comprising about twenty officers, formed close guard from the other side of the road. Senior officer filmed protestors with a hand-held camera, presumably as the basis of any future prosecutions.

Shortly after this time the Chief Constable arrived, and over his Range Rover’s loudspeaker system, informed the protestors that under the provisions of section 14 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act he “reasonably believed them to be likely to cause serious public disturbance”. The police were to escort them to the underpass at Colmore Circus, where they could protest until three thirty.

It was only now that shades of the disturbances that so marred London last year began to appear. After fifteen minutes arguing with police, there were several arrests as the protestors continued to remain in place.

Eventually they were persuaded to move away from the shopping centre and down towards Colmore Circus. Reluctantly they went, surrounded by their police escort into the underpass where they stood for half an hour before beginning their slow dispersal.

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