So at the People’s Assembly demo. on Saturday I had my first taste of actual demo. action as Class War and I can say it was fucking fantastic and it put a liveliness into what most likely would have otherwise been a drab demo.
When we arrived and got the banner out, seeing a few familiar and many new faces, including Al with a chainsaw (It is OK Special Branch, it was not a real one, you can relax now!) Ian Bone announces that the “Legions of the North have arrived”. Chatting away to people waiting for the demo. to begin along with cries of “Class War” etc. and then we set off giving the SWP shit along the way and with Protest Liaison Officers in tow (Two at least from the police in Wales receiving training for the upcoming NATO summit), Forward Intelligence and Evidence Gathering Teams (FIT/EGT) and the average beat copper all hovering around us.
From the off it was obvious that we were going to be the most bold and vocal of the various ‘blocs’ on the demo. with cries of “no justice, no peace, fuck the police” and a few others. Then of course there was the direct shouting at the police, “murdering scum”, “racist filth” and something along the lines of “hey, how’s Keith Blakelock these days? I bet he’s in pieces, he won’t be walking up those stairs ever again will he?” (Or something like that anyway). All the while I was having a good natter with some of the Class War bods from back in the day…brilliant!
Alex Stillinicos even tried to get onto our bloc but was promptly fucked off and then we arrived at the BBC HQ with accompanying anti-BBC chants and tourists aplenty taking holiday snaps of us. Then we got onto Regent Street and this was where it was entertaining. Middle/upper-class scum on their way to Ascot looking on with jaws dropped to the floor as we marched through ‘their area’ to old school classics such as “the rich, the rich, we’ve gotta get rid of the rich!” and “feed the poor, eat the rich!”. I remember one group of toff arseholes in particular looking really pissed off and uncomfortable and as a result remember feeling that I have never been as satisfied on a political action for a long time. This is what we should be doing, going to ‘their areas’ and being bold and in-your-face, making them feel uncomfortable for a change. Take the fight to the enemy and show them on their own turf that we will not take their shit lying down! The shoppers were looking on curiously and the tourists were loving it. If we look and sound like bullies and anti-social fuckwits then so be it, who gives a flying fuck? We owe the middle and upper-class NOTHING! Part of the problem is that we worry too much about offending people, even our enemies.
I finally had a feeling of what it was like to be on Class War actions and especially some feeling of what it was like back in the days of yore. It was great, it was serious but fun, not boring and we had a laugh.
Then we got onto Whitehall where the pace of the demo. picked up and was now occupying two roads so we took the right side of the road and by now had more people in tow than we started with (Those people probably realising that apart from us and a few others, the demo. was shite!). Also our mates from the Met’s very own Tactical Support Group (TSG) sprang-up from nowhere once we neared the shit-heap that was Downing Street (The Met. now knows that Class War is back!). They formed a line in front of the gates and MP5 armed coppers so we formed a line in front of them and by this time a larger crowd had gathered in front of us with chants of “David Cameron is a wanker”.
After 15 or so minutes at the gates of Downing Street we fucked off to the end of the demo. where the next chapter of the day comes into play (Which I will bore you in another post!).
All-in-all it was fucking brilliant, very fresh, entertaining and a relief from the soul crushing usual A to B. Class War is not dead, it never had died and never will die. From the old school Class War/anarchist activists to the new generation of Class War shit stirrers and trouble makers coming up, we’re keeping the flame of meaningful, tangible, interesting and relevant working-class action alive. It has come at a time when the anarchist and wider social justice scene needs a kick up the arse and needs some bloody life breathed into it!
Also it was good to see Dywizjon 161, the Polish anti-fascist group, on our bloc. These are a fantastic bunch and deserve our full support. It was good to see you there!
Also some, including myself, may say predictably that the left and the irrelevant do-nothing anarchists are shitting themselves, pissed off and from what I have read so far, some are even livid! With remarks such as “a bunch of pensioners” (Ageist eh?) and “middle-class posers”. But let them believe that bullshit whilst they sit in their pseudo-intellectual ghetto and fade away into further irrelevance. Whilst we are getting on with things and getting them done, they will be talking about and theorising it. This is the way it has always been since 1983 so nothing should really surprise us because at Class War we have always shown the real posers up for being exactly what they are and they have always hated us for it. Personally speaking, it is a hate I cherish because when we are hated by people like this it is because we are doing something right!
We can build on this and like I said before, after the general election next year I would personally like to see and suggest that Class War either reforms as a federation or a formal network of like minded groups. Also with either, the paper must also be once again. Let’s get on it!
Class War are at the front again and here to stay! Watch out rich scum, watch out fascist and watch out trendy lefty, your days are over!
I have bored you all enough now, rant over!
See you in October! All the best peeps!
Above: Some of the miscreants, pensioners and middle-class posers from Class War taking over the MP’s favourite watering hole! 