More than quarter of a million people marched in London yesterday, in protest against the ConDem government’s cuts. The BBC are focusing on expressing the TUC’s dissapointment in the “violent attacks” made on big businesses and banks; but why name your march ‘March for the Alternative’ if your not looking for an alternative?
An alternative doesn’t mean New Labour, they’re almost as bad as the Tories – both focus on helping big businesses thrive and protecting wealth. I would like to express my dissapointment in the unions supporting the right wing New Labour who barely know what socialism means!
I personally was inspired yesterday, and proud of the masked and hooded black block flying the red and black flags. The smile on my face was huge as I saw paint flying onto the corporate buildings and windows being smashed. This wasn’t mindless violence, in fact it was quite mindful! My friend saw one guy, carried away by adrenalin about to smash up an independent shop, a big group of people stopped him, shouting “No!” Anyone who believes this “splinter group” (as the news refered to us) was on a pointless rampage of destruction is wrong, every shop attacked and smashed up was a legitimate target.
Among the ones I saw were TopShop, Ann Summers, McDonalds, Cafe Nero, HSBC, Lloyd TSB, RBS, 2 Santanders and The Ritz – all symbols of wealth, tax avoidance, monopoly and the exploitation that comes with capitalism. Though we all know that it will cost only pennies for these companies to repair their windows and wash the paint and anarchy signs away, yesterday was symbolic – we won’t settle for the unelected Tories, we won’t support the lying LibDems and we certaintly won’t settle for New Labour as an alternative! We have better ideas. These companies, and this government needs to be brought down, their greed needs to be thrown back in their faces, because people are more than just consumers and numbers. People are beautiful, feeling, thinking, creative creatures and they don’t care about that, they hurt, exploit and kill the beauty in people, using us as slaves to make their profits grow.
We need to keep up this MINDFUL violence, violence towards the property that helps generate billions in profit for these monsters. My heart was full yesterday as I marched, united with the brave and passionate who believe in something better, who believe in freedom. There is an alternative and we’ll do whatever it takes to get it.
pictures and words all by Efa Supertramp
