Sunday morning report from Irish Dissent camp at G8

ireland / britain | anarchist movement | news report Monday July 04, 2005 03:19 by Soviet Pop - WSM

The Irish who were corralled by the police were released finally after about three hours, desperate for a pee, but otherwise unharmed. Some of the other Irish clown army had gone down earlier to show support, chanting ‘you are not allow’ and generally making a fool of themselves in front of the police. Outside the Forrest Café and the Indymedia centre, soundsystems entertained the crowd who drank and danced in the street late into the evening.

Police photographing people after the march

Gradually we all made it back to the camp at Stirling. The transport team worked tirelessly, ferrying protesters back from Edinburgh. As I arrived met a tired looking WSM member who, after a long day of samba, was doing his stint at the main gate. Even at that late hour, newcomers were arriving. Earlier in the evening there was an Irish barrio meeting, followed by a Spokesperson Council to discuss future Actions.

But by the time I made it back, the sun had set, and each barrio was preparing to party. Bands played in the entertainment tent, while in the Irish barrio we did what we do best (drink and talk, and very occasionally sing). Sitting on bales of hay around the campfire, we traded stories of police harassment and debated the merits of the Black Block action earlier in the day.

In the next Barrio I spied an impressive mains generator. Going over to power up my phone and digital camera, I met some people from trollyd in Sheffield, who shared both their electricity and their gin with me. They had brought a generator run on solar power, and all the lights in their barrio was run on two windmills they had erected. [http://burngreave.net/~trollyd]. Then the promised rain appeared, but not happily the threatened gale. Bit by bit, the barrio went for some much-needed sleep.

Unfortunately morning comes too soon in the campsite. A cockney comrade, who has joined his barrio, had been delegated to wake us all at eight, a task which he achieved with much gusto. A new day dawned. Today its cloudy and a little bit rainy. Today some intend to go to the No Borders action in Glasgow. I said goodbye to the Tollyd people as they headed off with their eco-generator powered sound-system. Some are going to the Anarchist Assembly to discuss the blocades that is being held in Edinburgh and some are staying in Stirling, to get the kitchen up and running.

Around the Irish campfire

Part of the clown army

Trollyd generator