Yesterday in London....

Above are some pictures from the 'Bradford posse's' (copyright some impressed unknown woman demonstrator) day in London protesting about the Climate Crisis. The papers are saying that 10,000 people spent the day in 'a party mood' in London yesterday, at the Campaign against Climate Change's Climate march. We in Bradford took down about forty activists, including large contingents of students from the College and the University, had a great time and got back (after about sixteen hours away) at around 11 pm. The Bradford College contingent wrote our own chants on the way down, many of which were adopted by large sections of the march. These included:

Toxic Texan...
Boil him in oil!

and (to be done in a call and response repeat like the drill-instructor thing from Full Metal Jacket!):

Melting ice and hurricanes!
Bush and Blair have got no brains!
No gulf stream, a new ice age!
Bush and Blair must leave the stage!

very popular also was (Queen-style):

You got oil on your face, a big disgrace,
We're going to stop you frying this place!
We will, we will stop you!
We will, we will stop you!

and:

One solution...
Less pollution!
Right decision...
Cut emissions!

There were more, but space does not allow. Thank you in particular to Anneesa, Fozia, Muniba, Ruby, Shamila, Caroline and Umit for their contributions, and to Maike for providing (and decorating) the balloons! Rizwan, Sean and Farhan also helped. There were also some fantastic people from Calderdale and a large contingent of mainly Peace Studies students from Bradford University. Graham's megaphone work was second to none. The coach wouldn't have even been there without Lois and Andy's rather damp climb with us up Pen-y-ghent!!

One of the young women was threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act for using a megaphone near Number 10!!!!

It is noticable that while the Independent, including its Sunday variant gave great prominence to the world-wide protest, the Guardian and Observer ignored it. Write letters, threatening to, or even actually saying you will, cancel the paper if it refuses to take this vital issue seriously.

We more or less paid for the coach and previous public meeting, but are still £55 light. This will be rectified when I collect at my next union meeting (NATFHE), in the meantime a hole has been burned in my pocket! If your union isn't involved please try to pass a motion at your next meeting. There's a model one here (scroll to the bottom).

We need standing orders. I've sent forms out to all the people on the list. But you can also get them from here.

The next lot of protests/activities are probably going to be local. Watch this space!