STOP PRESS : Just received a text “Big Brother is turning off CCTV for the day. Don’t forget to bring your own. Please forward this text.” What can go on when nobody is watching ?
I’ve just been at one of several G20 Climate Camp convergence spaces this evening to get the full briefing.
I expected Police presence on the door, and yes, once again they were illegally photographing people coming and going from a public meeting.
The “protest community” have a very stark choice about options for non-violent direct action and other forms of demonstration this week. Either you do something to entertain and amuse people, or you do something to annoy.
At a stretch you might even manage to do both, but for the most part it is an either-or situation. Do you hold a street party in fancy dress, or do you try to blockade something, lock on and shut it down ?
Do you publish a newspaper pulling apart current Economic, Energy and Climate policy ? Or do you set up a tent outside the London Climate Exchange and refuse to leave ?
I had the opportunity to do some serious observation of various public figures on Thursday 26th March 2009 at the Tenalps Energy and Environment 2009 Conference at Church House in Westminster.
Dr Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Centre was particularly impressive. He is a beautiful man, and humourous and people-centred, and has a fantastic ability to understand the Big Picture as regards Climate Change and Energy policy.