Was anyone else involved in direct action/protests in their yoof? How do you feel about it now? Just wondered 'cos ten years ago this week...

[AnarchyAunt]

...my 17 year old self was dragged out of the entrance of a tunnel in a derelict house on the Birmingham Northern Relief Road protest, arrested, kept in police cells overnight, and charged with obstruction of the undersherrif (some pics on my profile for a while).

We lost and the road was built - 27 miles of privately run toll motorway, destroying 40km of greenbelt land and 2 SSSIs, and perpetuating the madness that we can tarmac our way out of traffic chaos and environmental destruction.

I'm still damn proud of trying though.

FIllyjonk: throwing bricks through people's windows is criminal damage and intimidation. It's already illegal. Speaking at a public meeting, no matter what crap you are spouting, is not the same thing.

Hoorah!!

non-violent pacifst here, but have marched against poll tax, BNP, and the Criminal Justice Bill! And took the kids on a noisy protest aganist the Iraq War.
I have also been involved in loads of stuff locally against quarrying at a neolithic henge site.

I so wanted to live upo a tree as an anti-roads protestor, but I live oop north and all the action was down south (and I had a responsible job etc

''black and white. Unite to fight. Smash the BNP...''

SAUYC Throwing bricks (and firebombs) through people's windows is what the BNP encourage.

I am proud to have demonstrated against them on many occasions in my past as an ANL and SWP member.

eh? Fillyjomk isn't advocating putting bricks through windows - or saying she did!

FMvixen - is that the Nine Ladies or Thornborough by any chance?

Blu - yes! Ah, those were the days [misty-eyed]

I threw sandwiches up to the protesters at Newbury and took to the trees myself down at Fairmile in Devon. I also Reclaimed The Streets many times in London. Once memorably we ravey types took over a mile-long stretch of the four lane urban clearway in Hammersmith and had a festival on the tarmac. It was all done on nods and winks and word of mouth in clubs etc.

Fine, fine times.

The road was built at Fairmile too but though we lose these battles, fewer roads are propsed and built because they have to build in the possible cost of policing and removing protesters. It was well worth doing and I'm proud to be one of those people who just can't, hand on heart, stand back and let it happen.

I too was a member of the the swp, god it was hard to get rid of those bloody papers! I used to go on loads of marches, poll tax, student grant, loans, anti bnp, gulf war part 1, well most things really. I was a member of Greenpeace, CND and Amnesty. I also used to Sab.

These days, I do nothing. I have become apathetic and have lost the passion for politics that I once had.

I have had so many people say to me "I thought you were going to become Prime Minister, what happened?" Well I had two kids and I am knackered

Ooh you do sound terribly important all of you.

BLu: I wasn;t saying she did either. I was saying that people who do should be prosecuted, but people who hold and express opinions (verbally and in writing/pictures) have a right to express their opinions in ways that don't include assault or criminal damage.

Blu I didn't realise it was YOU organising that event where we all ended up raving in County Hall. How surreal was that?

Then wasn't there a Chemical Brothers gig in there at some point or is my addled 90s brain mixing things up?

thornborough!!

My god, you've heard of it...

15 years I went on the anti-nazi League March in Hyde Park, dragged my mates along. They wouldn't get on the coach that would take us to Brockwell Park. Wish I went with out them. Too straight laced my mates. Since then been on loads as I'm now a police officer (I thought I could be part of the solution!!!) BNP (don't ask it will get me into trouble, I can say, I nicked someone fighting with a fowl mouth,and v.short hair) Poll tax, Anti-war, Tibet during Olmypic rally,students,nurses,fireman. I may not agree with what you say but, I will defend your right to say it

what a lot of hunt sabs here - boo hiss!

yeah well its tricky, isn't it santa?

I would love to agree that people shouldbe allowed to say what they want

but when that is "lets go down to that ghetto and torch it" or "I know, lets put on our pointy hats, I'm in a lynching mood" or "Jews are vermin and should be controlled as stuff"

then no, I don't think that is something that people have a right to say. Not a moral right.

I don't know if they should have a legal right to say it or not. This is really a matter of practicalities. The law is pragmatic, not theoretical, ime.

But if someone is standing on stage saying, in essence, "time to forcibly repatriate everyone with more melanin than me" then I shall certainly exercise MY freedom pf speech and tell them to shut up.

I do think its a little naive to suggest that people should just avail themselves of legal redress. Stephen Lawrence, Damilola Taylor etc. Sometimes it comes down to being a responsible citizen and protecting the vunerable.

siver - I remember that! Was that the one where you were all barricaded in and the police blocked you in from their end and said they weren't going to let you leave, and you said you had no intention of leaving, staying there was the whole point!

yes that was it hecate,and people kept chucking food in through the windows. was quite fun, but then i was 15.

really? why?

I don't belive all activism is justifiable though...

Ooh, nostalgia. Went on CND marches - too young to have gone to Greenham alone, soooo wished I could have.

A couple of years ago we took the boys on the Stop the Climate Chaos march in London. Wasn't a huge success, as protests go, but it was great to be back marching into Trafalgar Square behind a samba band, with fantastic drums. (Pity about the very serious and unmusical Liberal Democrats who were marching with us.)

Edam - I wonder if I delivered tea to you outside SA House in 1988, when I was working in London. We used to take cups of tea out to them in the early hours of the morning.

targeted by animal rights? why? what do you do?