Co-editors: Seán Mac Mathúna • John Heathcote
Consulting editor: Themistocles Hoetis
Field Correspondent: Allen Hougland
Over the previous two or three
weeks, the British public has been faced with a barrage of
disinformation concerning the Mayday protest. A global
demonstration against the global corporate monopoly which
controls the future of both individuals and nations, is
being billed by the State as a violent riot. May 1st is celebrated across
most other democratic countries in the world as a
celebration of worker's culture (those of us who don't own
our means of production. It has evolved into a protest by
all those who feel their lives are controlled by the
faceless invisible agents of finance houses and vast
uncontrolled monopolie, working hand-in-hand with 'security
agencies' to subvert the little democracy which has been
paid for in sweat, blood and suffering. It is ironic that if
Nelson Mandela had stood in Trafalgar Square ten years ago,
under the internal security laws introduced by the "New
Labour" government this year; he would have been arrested
for supporting terrorism. Like rock and roll, they only love
you when they remove the sting. The British press &endash;
which is ever ready to submit itself to the blanket
censorship of the D-Notice system &endash; has spent the
last few days claiming that "May Day rioters train in US
camps" - that a group called The Wombles will bring terror
to the heart of London; and that the police will have
everything from constant surveillance teams and 'baton
rounds" (rubber bullets), to snipers waiting for the (99%
peaceful) demonstrators. Obviously, no-one who believes
the press in these sort of circumstances is going to attend
anyway. Not only are they trying to warn off anyone who
wants a peaceful demonstration; but are getting people
prepared for a completely disproportionate use of force on
unarmed demonstrators. We would like to say that this
should not deter people from turning up and showing their
support for the aims of the demonstration. Capitalism
thrives on the divisions in society; encouraging the cult of
the individual (previously known as selfishness); And can
only be faced down by many people acting
together. That is what frightens them
This sort of un-democratic shit has been a feature of the
capitalist state since time. Oppression posing as the friend
of freedom, and liberals lacking the will to fight for their
basic democratic right &endash; freedom of expression,
freedom to demonstrate. Bush might have demonstrated
the terrible truth that the corporate right have no qualms
about the true meaning and limits of Western democracy. They
use it when necessary and ignore it when it moderates their
power. The only pressure they feel is the sheer weight, of
us; the pawns pushing onwards to take their Queen and topple
the crown. That is why we need to be
there; as witnesses, as a voice against the destruction of
our planet for profits and our lives for power. And as Tesco's is always keen
to remind us - EVERY LITTLE HELPS !
