This image is doing the rounds of most major newspapers today, I assume because it has the makings of an 'iconic image'.
Capitalism has failed, the people rise up, yadda yadda yadda.
Except it seems rather stage managed to me.
I don't mean that it's set up deliberately, but I do think it's engineered by a collective group think that wanted it to happen.
Look their are more press in the picture than protesters.
When you take a balaclava to protest, clearly you are not thinking about singing John Lennon songs.
Clearly there is no sane person in this picture standing up and saying, "Um like guys, this isn't a political statement, this is just vandalism, why don't we go plant some trees instead".
Everyone wanted this picture to happen. The Press (clearly), the protesters, possibly even the police, although I suspect they'd rather everyone sang John Lennon songs. And hence the situation unfolded where a group in balaclavas lands up holding a monitor outside the RBS, and the press are all ready for the iconic picture.
It's stage managed by some sort of group think.
I have no issue with protesting, although generally I would like it to have a point. I have no idea what they protesters were protesting. You can't protest an concept (like capitalism). Sure the banks all fucked up, but are are they protesting that the G20 trying to stabilise the economy? And how is throwing shit though windows helping?
The May Day (riots), the G20 protests ... it all seems to me that protesting is no longer showing peaceful political decent between elections, but an event to be part of, something to ay you were there, and an excuse to cause violence and vandalism.
Sure the police are going to fuck up. When people take balaclavas with to hide and goad the police, it's going to descend into chaos.
Take John Lennon songs, not balaclavas.
1. Danzor
Maybe they don’t know why they are doing it either. Maybe they are just angry. If 1% of the world’s population controls 90% of it’s resources, it’s almost inevitable that some fraction of the other 99% are going to get mad- particularly when that 1% fucks then over. I’m amazed more people aren’t mad. Go and read this and then tell me you’re not angry, too. I’m angry, and I don’t know what to do. Smashing shit randomly (and it’s hardly random, as you point out) certainly doesn’t seem like LEAST constructive thing you could do. Sitting around doing nothing at all, complaining over your tea that something should be done, seems worse in comparison. Yeah, maybe it’s pointless. It’s monkeys pulling the windscreen wipers off of your car, thinking they can actually do anything at all that would actually get at you. But it’s only a protest if someone notices. The largest protests in the world were for the UK not to go to war with America. We protested in an orderly manner. We kept to the registered ‘protest zones’. We did as we were told. We were ignored. Maybe we should have smashed some shit up.
When I heard about Joe Cassano being scared for his life, I thought: “Good. That is the least we can do.” I don’t think people should threaten to burn down his London mansion- I think they should burn it down. Preferably with him in it. No, it won’t get us out of this crisis- but damned if he doesn’t deserve it. A monitor through a window is nothing.
“We cook your meals. We haul your trash. We connect your calls. We drive your ambulances. We guard you while you sleep. Do not fuck with us.”
I don’t disagree with you on the particulars. The photo does seem stage managed. Some protesters clearly were bent on destruction, planned in advance. But the anger itself is real, and justified. Plant some trees, sing John Lennon? No. I think we will be seeing more anger, not less. It’ll get louder until someone listens.
2. Jack Pandemian
Dan beat me to it.
3. Adrian
Disrupting the G20 who are trying to fix the problem doesn’t seem very productive.
Just because you have the right to protest doesn’t mean the government has to listen to you. You equally have the right to vote them out of power.
You have the right to be angry. Be as angry as you like. You don’t have the right to smash shit up.
Anger very seldom solves problems. I believe Martin Luthor King and Gandhi and Mandela managed change quite well with out anger.
Anyway my main point, is when someone goes to a march with a balaclava and is surrounded by more photographers than protesters, I question how ‘authentic’ the portrayal of the situation really is.
4. Marc
Nice little piece on Newswipe covering the coverage - Newswipe Episode 4
5. McFarlane Beatles Action Figures
In keeping with the 1968 cartoon film Yellow Submarine - six in . action figures have been unveiled by McFarlane Toys in 2004 - Beatles lovers are still clamoring for these currently nearly impossible to find figures, thus McFarlane repackaged as well as re-released them.