While large parts of today’s London protests have been peaceful, the primary focus focus has been on the smashed windows at RBS. In the above BBC photo, note that the window smasher is surrounded by media.
Lenin’s Tomb wonders if such protesters aren’t just playing into police hands.
I’m still not clear on what the strategy is behind these mini-spectacles. It’s great to see thousands of people turn out to protest against capitalism, despite all the media hysteria and off-putting threats from the police. We need far bigger protests in the future, ideally coinciding with a general strike or something. But it seems as if the idea at the moment is to have a carnivalesque parade, wind up in one spot and get penned in only to have the police mess with you if you try to have a drink or some weed. I don’t want to be a negative nelly, but that’s not reclaiming the streets, it’s getting owned by the cops.
Agents Provocateurs, playing to – or for – the press.