Monday 6 June 2005

You’ll have had your riot.

As recently as last Thursday Edinburgh hadn't realised what's about to hit us. I casually asked the head of an organisation in the centre of town whether any plans had been made to protect their building. "No, why should we?" I gently pointed out that the occupants of certain nearby buildings made it highly likely that the mob would be outside the front door, not once, not twice but possibly three or four times. As well as the "Make Poverty History" march on 2nd July, a "Stop the War" march on the 3rd, a march against city centre financial institutions and businesses on the 4th, we now have Bob Geldof's Million Moron March on the 6th.

At lunchtime on Thursday the landlord of a city centre pub thought that businesses wouldn't be affected by the demonstrators because they would "probably bring their own sandwiches." Ha! I fear it'll be a case of "Ye ken noo." At least the Deputy Lord Provost on the pub's TV had the decency to look distinctly worried.

Now we're learning a bit more about what to expect, including:

the likelihood of "protesters in every city in Scotland"

"Islamist extremists are considering sending "thousands" of activists to Edinburgh for the demonstrations

that the Queen had cancelled her traditional July holiday in Edinburgh

hospital chiefs in Edinburgh are understood to be in talks to postpone non-emergency operations at hospitals in order to free up wards for those who could be injured if violent clashes erupt.

Needless to say, the politically correct and economically ignorant idiots in local government support all of this:
City council leaders across Scotland said yesterday that they were keen to support the aims of the campaign
and:
First Minister Jack McConnell is aware of the plans and is believed to have given his tentative support.
"Tentative." Is Jack beginning to get just a wee bit nervous? As Gerald Warner puts it:
If this farce turns into a catastrophe (the G8 riots in Genoa claimed human life), then it must be a resigning issue for this clown.
But we've got a veritable circus of clowns "supporting" this nonsense from the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Assistant Chief Constable. Good grief: the local police can't even sort out the ZaNuLab-educated ferals who wantonly destroy property within a hundred yards of their own cop shop. Incidentally, is the ACC going to do the decent thing and invite any of our visitors to camp in his garden? I note that Gordon Brown said "No comment" when asked that very pertinent question.

So, Britain's most attractive city may be about to enjoy the equivalent of what would be 17 million additional people arriving in central London. And for what? To demonstrate in favour of "Fair Trade" and against "Free Trade". That's to say against the only system that could alleviate poverty in Africa and in favour of a naive feelgoodery.

I suppose that some good may come out of this. If there is, God forbid, a disaster on the streets of Edinburgh (or elsewhere) the Scottish people might, at last, turn on the Labour party with a vengeance. Perhaps a few may even realise the benefits of privatised streets.

2 comments:

David Farrer said...

Comments made on previous template:

Guest
Speaking as a resident, you are all scum , from the chardonay sipping tossers at the weekend to the fringe festival rejects yesterday and action man police, piss off, stay in England/USA and don't bug us with your self righteous bullshit, we dont care!  
(as was demonstrated by the fine reaction by the locals to the English police last night, well done everyone involved,!!!) 
WHOSE STREETS ? OUR STREETS !

5 July 2005, 15:31:41 GMT+01:00
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Guest
I think there is going to be chaos: Edinburgh will grind to a halt. 
 
A reliable source - ok, a taxi driver - told me that any taxis which carried large, painted adverts had been told not to be out on the street during the G8 since it would be provocative. 
 
Apparently, the police have requested all buildings to remove any scaffolding, to avoid protesters either climbing or dismantling it. 
 
The city is full of roadworks which are being completed on overtime so that there aren't any cobbles or paving stones left lying around. 
 
Roll on 11 July...

16 June 2005, 13:27:47 GMT+01:00
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John Duncan
Does anyone else think that St Bob's contact with reality has become, at best, tangential? Could any sane man believe that trashing Edinburgh will encourage goodwill for his cause? Is he now perhaps believing his own publicity? 
 
The man is a public menace, and it is high time that some of our politicians had the courage to say so. 
 
I have just arranged to spend that week with friends in Berkshire. Just hope that my house is still there when I get back.

9 June 2005, 12:20:04 GMT+01:00
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Tom
David and other citizens of that lovely city, take care and I hope nothing untoward happens. I have a lot of business friends there.  
 
Pr'aps the demonstrators might like to stage their next demo against Robert Mugabe....oh, wait a minute....

8 June 2005, 20:03:50 GMT+01:00
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Roland Watson
Hmmmm, I feel pretty safe up on Corstorphine Hill. People tend not to march uphill. 
 
Nevertheless, my wife works in the city centre and is minded to work at home for a few days. 
 
The only caveat I can give is that we should perhaps be more wary of the local yobs rather than visiting ones. They know police resources are going to be stretched and will no doubt take advantage of that!

8 June 2005, 16:24:11 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer said...


Andrew Ian Dodge
I am going to see if I can cover the Live8 gig for my various reviewing outlets. I will, of course, be writing a non-musical review of the event as well.

8 June 2005, 11:55:42 GMT+01:00
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Sandy P
Pete, tell me what you know about Charles. 
-- 
 
Oh, yea! Gorgeous George has opened his mouth. 
 
... 
Also via LGF: 
 
...So we’re going to put them on trial, the leaders, when they come. They think they’re coming for a holiday in a beautiful country called Scotland; in fact, they’re coming to their trial.

8 June 2005, 07:17:05 GMT+01:00
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Pete
You owe me. Little Green Footballs has linked to you. 
 
John - guns. 
 
That's something to be proud of?

7 June 2005, 22:54:32 GMT+01:00
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Jim H
Of course, "V8" above should read "G8"

7 June 2005, 17:33:21 GMT+01:00
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Jim H
I wonder if I'm the only one thinking the chance of violence is reduced with a larger crowd. 
 
My thinking is that a small V8 protest would be just the real far-hard-ultra left nutters, whereas a crowd of a million or so people will be merely over the hill at the centre-left somewhere. While large volume will create problems for a small city, I think most people will not be going to destroy property etc, and the greater the number of moderate, but misguided protestors the more their dampening effect on the hardcore will be felt. 
 
If the government tries too hard to fortify and control demonstrations, that just acts as a filter, removing the moderates and leaving the hardcore alone to cause trouble. The best solution is to respect their freedom (even their freedom to reject freedom!) and only step in when violence is committed. In the UK we have had a few large marches (one against the war topped a million) without major incident. 
 
Often the crowds at such demonstrations are hijacked by Marxists (Socialist Worker et al use it as a nice day out and slap their agenda on everyone else's presence) but a lot of the protestors will be New Labour/Lib Dem types. This isn't to say I support their cause (I certainly support reduction in world poverty, but through open markets), but the vast majority will be well intentioned, peaceful and not all *that* crazy.

7 June 2005, 17:32:41 GMT+01:00
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alan
David 
 
looks like this blog is going to have lot more viewers from now on 
 
congradulations 
 
also just glad I live on the west coast for this event

7 June 2005, 15:10:15 GMT+01:00
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dearieme
Constructive use of the one o'clock gun required.

7 June 2005, 13:16:12 GMT+01:00
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Andrew Duffin
Good luck everyone. I'm going sailing that week...

7 June 2005, 12:42:52 GMT+01:00
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Grant Drive
Dittos to Dan, my fellow Chicagoan. (I got here through LGF, by the way.) 
 
I've been to Edinburgh several times; my wife directed an award-winning play at the 1996 Fringe; and we brought our kids to your wonderful city for a week in 2002. 
 
We're all praying that the marchers are contained and repulsed, with minimal damage to Auld Reekie. 
 
Boarding up the storefronts sounds like a great idea. I've seen Edinburgh store windows smashed wantonly by happy football fans after a 3-1 win. So I'm sure that hordes of moronic transnationalist treasonweasels who hate Blair, Bush, and capitalism would be delighted to wreak as much havoc as possible.

7 June 2005, 07:07:43 GMT+01:00
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Trackback
Trackback message 
Title: Scotland's Chaotic G8 (Live8 - Make Poverty Histor 
Excerpt: ... Little Green Footballs - You'll Have Had Your Riot. (I wonder if the American readers will get the Edinburgh-oriented joke in the title?) 
 
I note from his Sitemeter that this has nearly quadrupled his readership yesterday, and looks set to d... 
Blog name: Independence

7 June 2005, 06:30:47 GMT+01:00