Love & G8
‘REMEMBER G8? Sure you do. As recently as yesterday it was the big news story.
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| Failed actors dressed as clowns against poverty |
To refresh your Olympics-addled mind, this is the big one, when the worlds most powerful eight (George Bush, Tony Blair, Bono, Bob Geldof, Lenny Henry et al) meet in Gleneagles to talk about, in no particular order, world poverty, climate change and golf.
No? What about the Wombles? The boys and girls in black hoodies and sunglasses? The anarchist clowns who took a wrong run at the Edinburgh Festival?
Yes, thats right. This is that summit. The one with all the ultra violence and fighting with police. Hang the politics, its a brawl we came to see.
And giving its readers what they want is the Telegraph which shows the by now familiar picture of masked protestors waging battle with helmeted police.
The paper says that hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters clashed with police outside the Gleneagles Hotel where the leaders of the G8 countries are meeting.
They also clashed with cars, shops and businesses. In a wheat field less than mile from the hotel, rioters threw missiles at the police.
The police charged. The protesters pulled down a 20ft section of the fence that stretches for five miles around Gleneagles. Peter Wilson, Chief Constable of Fife, said that the police were in no mood for playing softball.
Which meant, as the Times reports, 150 arrests, most for public order offences and breaches of the peace, and five police office in hospital.
Ugly stuff. But it soon sounds worse as the Times hears the musical accompaniment.
George Bush, we know your daddy was a killer too and Can you hear us in Gleneagles filled the air.
Pretty weak and uninspired stuff. Good enough for Eurovision, perhaps, but surely a world event like G8 demands something better.
Good job, then, that the Timess Ben Hoyle was in Edinburgh to hear some other efforts. Take off your hoodie, raise your placards and sing: This, this is our vow/make poverty history now.
Mixed reviews to that one, ranging from awful to dire. But there is better, and the pick of the protest song bunch is an effort from South Londons Dean.
In your own time, son. Bush, Blair and Vladimir Putin, youre just here to put the boot in.
Brilliant. The kind of song you cant get out of your head – even when its being kicked…
Paul Sorene’
Posted: 7th, July 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
