Olympics 2012

Is it possible to move this topic to the news section? This is not a regional issue, it is a global and current one.

I just came across this article detailing what is, as far as i know, the first protest action and arrests since the games began.

http://www.rt.com/news/london-police-olympics-arrests-269/

Yeah Critical Mass was pretty intense last night. There was a police presence (on bikes as well as those absurd 'Liaison Officers') at the meetup point. As soon as the Mass moved off, the cops moved into position - as rumoured - on Waterloo Bridge. They were trying to stop the Mass getting north of the river. After about 20 mins riding around Southwark, the Mass gave it a go up Blackfriars Bridge, only for a police van to move out at right angles with a line either side of it. The cyclists responded by dismounting and trying to walk through, only to be repelled by the filth. Eventually a gap was found around the central reservation for cyclists to pass through in single file, leading to around half (?) of the Mass swarming round behind while the individual coppers still tried to 'hold the line' with their backs to them.

Another section of the Mass never got over the Bridge, instead being witnesses to this horrific police assault by BTP4125, first on a woman, then on a disabled man (arrested): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfftgb4KOlE

From there, the remnants of the Mass moved on quickly through the City and towards East London, and it became apparent that the Olympic Park was the destination. It was a bizarre spectacle, with many passers by apparently believing it was part of the Olympic circus. A police van gave chase, ploughing through lines of cyclists on more than occasion, deliberating bashing back wheels and so on. They formed a line on Bow Road (? - just past Mile End tube) which was broken through by a number of cyclists (despite the cops' best attempts to prevent them from using CS2 - a designated cycle lane!) who then went over the Stratford Flyover and got as far as the corner of Stratford High St & Warton St, right in the middle of the Olympic facade, surrounded by athletes, spectators, staff, etc, etc. What an ugly part of London it has become. Here though, approx 50 (yes, 50!) police vans pulled up and thugs piled out screaming battle cries. At this point, the bright sparks did an about turn and fled, although approx 100 cyclists were caught in a kettle outside a (still open, OBVIOUSLY) Tesco Express.

In all the chaos and confusion, bystanding cyclists reported being attacked in the street by Olympic 'volunteers' (with one guy - walking away - jumped on by two volunteers and pinned against a lamppost) while the police wandered around filming and making threats of violence. Apparently the kettle lasted 3 hours before all present were arrested, with some kept in a coach overnight.

http://www.greenwashgold.org/index.php/blog/30-olympic-protesters-arrested-for-spilling-custard

Custard spillers nicked a week ago for Olympics Greenwash Awards in Trafalgar Sq

Thanks for the update and first hand account, Caiman. The video looks full on.

Thanks for the post, bartleby. That is the first I have heard of that. It certainly appears that London's finest are off to a fantastic start.

that's brilliant

Just for the lulz

'promote collectivism'

PSYWARFARE

LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT INSANE MOTHERFUCKER TALKING ABOUT?

I was out on Friday evening so I saw nothing of the grand opening ceremony live. Tonight I managed to watch the rerun of the grand spectacular until the humourous and heart-warming bit with James Bond and our fun-loving and very human monarch. Then they brought in the armed forces and their flags and I couldn't watch any more, although I had already read some of the critics and commentators. Most were fawning in their praise, but a few right wing guys weren't happy: they saw it as dissing the industrial revolution and private enterprise while licking the arse of the state via its glorification of the NHS. The last point is no doubt right, but I thought Danny Boyle and co. let the 'industrial revolution' (ie the rise of capitalist production) off very lightly. There was no resistance mentioned until the suffragettes marched on stage. I hear the workers' movement was allowed in later, in the form of the Jarrow marchers, but that's an image of defeat. Another Tory (the one who had Nazi toasts at his posh party) got into trouble for calling it multicultural crap.

http://swinemagazine.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/what-danny-boyle-missed-from-his-mythical-isles-shitfest/

I imagine showing the suffragettes smashing windows and bombing Lloyd-George's house would've been considered 'controversial'...

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/morrissey-olympic-spirit-nazi-germany-134000994.html

A few choice thoughts from a popular singer.

The BBC, the voice of the British establishment that Goebbals so much admired, is going through orgasms of patriotic delight. One reporter the other night said that they were "running out of superlatives". No chance of that. What a spew-fest.

No need for the Godwinism there. It's absolutely disgusting the media coverage of the Olympics here in the UK. Never met people so desperate for their former "glories" as the British.

Saeid what?

BOOO THE OLYMPICS

ps I am going to wrestling (freestyle) this weekend

You gotta laugh, only Morrissey could describe the Olympics as "a fate worse than life".

Re olympians' love of the game

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http://victoriapendleton.co.uk/