Marriots of Fire Slowwalk 18072017

Original Video Link.
https://bambuser.com/v/6815634
Channel
https://bambuser.com/channel/OccupyMayDay

I don’t often get these feelings inside. And it’s left me feeling pensive.

Today’s slow walks, have been amazing! That’s not the problem I’m glad to say. The issue is the status quo of police violence has changed. It’s clear that Derbyshire Constabulary are NOT used to peaceful democratic protest, and it’s taken a month now to (literally at great pains to many protectors) teach the popo how to facilitate protests in accordance with the law, and there has been a decent change.

Police have made today the amazing sequence of great slow walking events that today really has been. A month ago, a total arsehole of a Sargent from Stavely threw a female protector to the ground, this is not forgotten, and far from resolved, but these attacks seem to have now ended.

A couple of weeks ago, the Seismic vans being slow walked were clipping female protectors legs, a police Inspector refused to put officers as a buffer, stating “I’m not putting officer’s in harms way!” – so he acknowledged how dangerous it was, and now police are a buffer. Initially they became a very hard buffer, very regimented, a palpable police ‘force’, and now it’s so much more pleasant, the front of the buffer being a smaller number now normally no more police at the front than the number of protectors. All the officers are now much calmer.

Things are now sooooooo much safer, nicer, and democratic. There are still things that need sorted, like 1. The absurd number of tasers on show, especially on the front of the buffer between the protectors and vehicles. 2. The apparent 45 minute ‘agreement’ for maximum duration of slow walks. I’d like to see a signature of someone from whomever at camp was party to this, or video of the meeting, failing this we expect the agreement being between Derbyshire Popo and Marriott Drilling, neither of whom decide When, Who, Why, Where, How, If, or any other dynamic of the protest (as accepted by the High Courts multiple times, and covered by Articles 10 & 11 to start with).

But I digress, today is what it is, now was what it was, a nice day. We can only hope it continues. Police rota/shifts change from day to day, standards should not.

One of the best things about what I seen from today was that so many locals took their first slow walk, and ran (very very slowly lol) with it, a few longer term protectors watching from the sidelines, streaming videos, keeping out of the way. They picked up the baton. This is all we can ever hope for. If it continues tomorrow, wicked 🙂 If it doesn’t we’ll walk (I for one need the exercise).