Was it worth it?

I was too knackered yesterday to say anything sensible about the March for Free Expression.  Others have now beaten me to it which means that I don't need to describe the event in detail.

It was a great day out.  A few bloggers met in the Ship and Shovell near Charing Cross and as we had all brought friends along, we ended up with a good crowd.  A feeling of comradeship is important at events like this and I felt that among our group as we headed up to Trafalgar Square.

I was disappointed that we were told to remove our Danish flags from their poles.  Apparently there is some by-law against flying flags in the square.  I shall keep an eye on that and write to the police next time someone waves Palestinian flags or burns US ones at a demo in the square.  I am a law abiding citizen, mostly, so after I had been asked for the third time,  I took my flag down.

The treatment of the Iranian communist, who had a banner showing the Mohammed cartoons, was also disturbing.  He was taken aside by the police after someone had complained about his 'offensive' placard.  If the police can react so quickly at this demo,  how come they didn't tackle the Muslims outside the Danish embassy in February?

The rest of the event passed off without trouble.  The crowd was rowdy but good-natured and on the whole, the speeches were good.  My good lady was interviewed for the London news and was on telly.  I haven't seen the footage but her brother recorded it, so I should get to see it this week.

You will probably have read on other blogs that,  after the rally,  we had a brief run-in with the Junior Janjaweed.  It was a minor incident and no-one was hurt but it made me reflect on a number of things, so I'm going to do a separate post on it later today.

So was it worth it?  The carping has already started on a number of blogs about the low turnout at the rally (200 - 600 depending on whose numbers you believe).  Muslim groups got several thousand people into Trafalgar Square last month to protest against the cartoons, although they only got 300 people at their counter-demonstration in Birmingham on Saturday.

Let's be clear,  you don't suddenly get thousands of people out onto the street to support a campaign that has only been active for a month or so.  The huge demonstrations held by the anti-war groups and the Countryside Alliance had been preceded by years of campaigning and many small rallies across the country.  That's how political campaigns work.  A few dedicated people organise events and raise awareness,  gradually attracting the less active sympathisers to the cause. It takes time and a lot of effort.

The other important pre-requisite is some sort of organisation.  Muslim groups have a ready made infrastructure in the network of mosques across the country.  It is much easier to reach a large number of people through the Imams and Islamic organisations than through the internet.

You also have to remember that Muslim activism in the UK dates back at least as far as the protests against Rushdie in 1989.  They have at least a seventeen year head start in the experience and expertise required to organise mass protest.  Given that experience, and their supporting infrastructure,  they damn well should be able to get thousands of people into Trafalgar Square.

Our protest had a month of internet publicity and three items in the mainstream media.  If anyone seriously thought that this was going to bring thousands of people to Trafalgar Square, they were living in cloud cuckoo land.

For any protest movement to succeed, you have to organise.  The left has understood this for years.  It is no good sitting on your own and moaning then hoping that a rising tide of popular anger will sweep your cause to power.  It just doesn't happen like that.

Saturday's march was the start of that organisation.  I am now in contact with a number of people who share my concerns about free speech.  We have agreed to meet again and out of those meetings will,  I'm sure,  come further campaigning activity.  Peter Risdon has said that he wants this to be the start of a free-speech campaign, not just a one -off demo.  Such a campaign is badly needed.  The fight against the Religious Hatred Bill was carried out by a number of disparate groups.  With a unified free speech campaign we might have been able to sink the thing completely.

I didn't agree with Peter's decision on displaying the cartoons but I doubt that this made many people stay away who would otherwise have come along.  We might have got more publicity if the cartoons had been more prominent though.

If Peter wants to start a permanent campaign for free speech,  he has my support.  If you don't like his decision on the cartoons,  then get involved in the campaign so that your views are represented next time around.  We need to keep fighting. If this campaign melts away now,  we will give the enemies of free speech a victory by default.

Anyway,  thanks to Peter and his crew for organising the rally,  and thanks to the 'Ship and Shovell' crew for their comradeship during and after the rally.  I think it was worth it and I will be at the next one.

The S&S Crew were, Alison,  James,  Jon,  Dom and Michael (and me of course) and all the friends that we brought with us.  I'll see you all again soon, I hope.

Comments

[Bessie]

This is a depressingly empty comments box ...

I was there with my family, and we enjoyed it. And yes, it was worth it. For one thing, our children now know that their crazy parents are not alone in their views :-)

[Rastaman]

I disagree on a few points:

1. I think fully half of the people who would otherwise have been there decided to stay away because of Risdons disgusting appeasement. If you read every single blog post, as I did, there were groups of up to 10 people who had decided not to come.

2. Peter has been excused as being inexperienced, as a reason for his backpedalling. This is invalid. It is his character, not his lack of experience, and if you were to read the emails and PayPal comments he sent to and directed at me, you would see just how much into denial he is.
Therefor, while the campaign must go on, Peter is not the one to run it. If he should hold another rally it would very likely end up much as this one did. You need people with more balls and less Leftist connections.

On the other hand, if you are going to continue to view these events as "fun" and a great excuse to meet at some pub before and after and get all fucking drunk - "nackered" I think was the word, then screw the whole thing. If alcoholic chumminess and getting all "knackered" after your Brave Experience Confronting The Enemy is simply your thrill of the day, hey, fuck it! Convert to Islam now and be done with it.

I do applaud the effort you all made as do many here in the US. It's only a start, everybody knows it. I'm saying, stop making excuses for the parts that went bad and stop supporting bad leaders. Good for Peter for playing a big part in getting the march together. That's where his ability ended and other, stronger minded people should have taken over. He can organize but he can't stand up to pressure and you need people who can.

And as much as this may offend those among you who tend toward alcoholism, I suggest you stop meeting in pubs. Drunkenness both before and after events like this is comparable to being drunk in a road race. It's a recipe for disaster.

Now I await the heated replies of those who love to drink.

[James G]

Rastaman,
You betray an understandable misunderstanding of British culture.

Alcohol plays a large part in much of British culture. By cultural nature, the English are introverted and respectful (to a fault) of other people's boundaries. Alcohol is one of those things that lubricates the social wheel here. I am convinced that if it wasn't for alcohol the English wouldn't even procreate.

That's why interacting with others almost invariably includes alcohol. Speaking to people one doesn't know without having drunk alcohol is highly suspect. Because it just isn't done.

[Hellpig]

You see there's another cultural difference,Muslim's don't drink.

Wonder when they will be calling for restrictions of British Pubs?

[Alison]

see thats the thing Hellpig - after the little contretemps with the South Park jihadees we invited them into the pub for a drink. They declined. It was subtle irony but i loved it.

[Steve]

Rastaman, we were not drunk before the event. Afterwards, well maybe.....

James, you have obviously lived among us long enough to understand us.

I wonder why we differ so much on our attitude to alcohol. Were the English all beer monsters in the seventeenth century and the Americans lost the habit? Or is it a habit we have developed since our cousins departed for the new world?

[Rastaman]

Ok, that's what I was looking for and expecting. I made some points that should have gotten some serious reactions but there was no response to any of them. The only response was against my comment about your drinking. Justification. Reasons why it's ok. Denial.

Fine. If you really think that the world is going to take a bunch of half-swacked happy whoopers at a rally more seriously than a bunch
of angry and very sober Muslims, you're living in a fucking dream and you're going to go down.

Do you all go to work half-drunk? Do your employers allow you to arrive after having a pint or two to start the day? No? Gee, WHY NOT? And if you do show up that way, and your boss finds out, how long will you keep your job?

Oh, so you DO take your income seriously enough to not drink on the job. Great. Do you drink when you drive? Yeah well sometimes huh? and what happens when a cop catches you at it? Your ass goes into the can, doesn't it?

But going to a rally to save your dumb ass hides from the greatest threat in the world today, let alone to all of you personally, is a PARTY! WHEEEE!!! Meet at the pub, have a few, get a glow on before going out to carry your little sign and congratulate yourselves on a job well done.

[Rastaman]

Hope you don't mind 2 comments in a row here, this will be the last I have to say on this subject.

The last time I was in London was for a 3 week stay. The people I was with didn't seem to have a need to drink more than tea and coffee in order to socialize and take care of business. You guys, on the other hand, are part of a drinking crowd. Fine. But you are not representative of Britishers as a whole, just the working class pub crowd. Everyone doesn't share your attitude towards drinking.

Obviously, I'm passionate about dealing with the threat of Islam. I like a toddy once in awhile too, but I never drank before going to work, or before driving, and I would never drink before going to a rally as serious as this one was. Or was supposed to be anyway.....

I want to see your movement grow and succeed. I hope you will take a more sober view of the situation.

That's it. Good luck with it, you won't read another post from me on this subject. Rejoice.

[Joe90]

You're the gift that just keeps on giving.

[Alison]

Think i had a whisky to make me feel less conscious of a) who i work for and the consequences at work if my picture turned up in the press and b) being photographed by the Met and having my pic used as evidence for something. anything. Its all new to me. Given how one bloke has been summonsed for any old thing..you get the picture. I know that seems like fuck all to you Rasta.

[Alison]

And yes Steve. it WAS worth it.

[Rastaman]

Well, what the hell, at least I got your attention, if not your agreement. :)

You have to admit it livens things up.

Now. Tell me. What do you think about nuking Mecca?

[Willy]

'Now. Tell me. What do you think about nuking Mecca?'

Would have looked great on a placard at the rally

[Rastaman]

Or at least until Mr. Risdon got ahold of it.... LOL

[Hellpig]

NUKE MECCA(TM)

I know I should have Registered it.