Today was just fantastic. Anyone who has ever sneered at the G20 march has clearly never been on a protest. I don’t feel guilty saying that I had a lot of fun. The G20 rally had a positive and powerful vibe that was peaceful and hopeful. Because tens of thousands of people turned out, we got loads of media coverage so the world leaders will have to listen up.
One of the funniest things that happened was when I left Hyde Park at around 3.30pm. I spotted a group of sombre and gothic-looking folk dressed mainly in black and waving sinister-looking black and red flags right in the corner of the park. I asked one of them what AF stood for on the flags. “Anarchist Federation,” he said. I then spotted two guys whom I just had to talk to – one was wearing a red muzzle over his mouth and the other was wearing a hat pulled down to his eyebrows and a neckerchief over his mouth.
Me: “You guys look kind of scary.”
(They look at each other. No reaction.)
Me: “What are you doing?”
Anarchist: “We are just hanging out here.”
Me: “Well, why aren’t you hanging out with everyone else down by the stage?”
Anarchist: “Well, we don’t want them to get the blame for anything that might happen up here.”
(They look at each other. No reaction.)
Me: “What are you doing?”
Anarchist: “We are just hanging out here.”
Me: “Well, why aren’t you hanging out with everyone else down by the stage?”
Anarchist: “Well, we don’t want them to get the blame for anything that might happen up here.”
I just had to laugh. There was absolutely nothing for them to target any trouble towards, and yet they still felt they should anticipate it.
If anyone is going to cause trouble in the week ahead, it will be people with that kind of attitude!
