G20 shenanigans
I'm not sure what to make of today. Going by the elaborate contingency plans my company had made, to stay functional in the event of being totally besieged by rioters, I'd expected things to be a lot more dramatic. However, by the time my lunch break rolled around I'd seen only three (obvious) protesters walk past my window, so I picked up my trusty camera and decided to go and look for the action. It wasn't difficult to find, with a police helicopter fixed in the sky above the Bank of England.
Things still didn't look particularly dangerous - aside from the fact that police had the demonstrators totally sealed in on all sides - in fact, the 'Climate Camp' set up on Bishopsgate had something of a carnival atmosphere, and I could just imagine a teenage me grabbing a four pack from the nearest off license and going to join them.
It was some time after lunch, when word started to spread around the office that protesters had stormed the RBS building, and were throwing computer equipment off the roof. Not long after, an email arrived, telling us to leave early and head out of central London... not being one of the most popular companies right now, there was a sense of foreboding that we might be next, if the police line didn't hold. As far as I know, my place of work is still safe and sound, although as I headed for the tube I did see a fight break out between a drunk man, who'd presumably got separated from the rest of his crowd, and a City worker brave (or stupid) enough to be wearing a suit. I think the drunk man threw a beer can at him... It looked like it was getting out of hand and I was rushing to tell a motorbike cop on the corner what was going on, but before I could, a police van pulled up beside the scuffle and half a dozen in riot gear waded in.
Probably, like most people doing most senseless harm in the world right now, he thought he was doing the world a favour. Suit=greedy oppressor (Muslim=suicide bomber, soldier=baby killer, that kind of thing). The ability of people to reduce their fellow men to stupid caricatures never fails to amaze me.
Click to viewThings still didn't look particularly dangerous - aside from the fact that police had the demonstrators totally sealed in on all sides - in fact, the 'Climate Camp' set up on Bishopsgate had something of a carnival atmosphere, and I could just imagine a teenage me grabbing a four pack from the nearest off license and going to join them.
It was some time after lunch, when word started to spread around the office that protesters had stormed the RBS building, and were throwing computer equipment off the roof. Not long after, an email arrived, telling us to leave early and head out of central London... not being one of the most popular companies right now, there was a sense of foreboding that we might be next, if the police line didn't hold. As far as I know, my place of work is still safe and sound, although as I headed for the tube I did see a fight break out between a drunk man, who'd presumably got separated from the rest of his crowd, and a City worker brave (or stupid) enough to be wearing a suit. I think the drunk man threw a beer can at him... It looked like it was getting out of hand and I was rushing to tell a motorbike cop on the corner what was going on, but before I could, a police van pulled up beside the scuffle and half a dozen in riot gear waded in.
Probably, like most people doing most senseless harm in the world right now, he thought he was doing the world a favour. Suit=greedy oppressor (Muslim=suicide bomber, soldier=baby killer, that kind of thing). The ability of people to reduce their fellow men to stupid caricatures never fails to amaze me.