David Cameron Met by Angry Protesters in Bath

David Cameron arrives in Bath (Photo by Rabban)

David Cameron arrived in Bath this afternoon to deliver a speech to an audience largely shipped in from other parts of the country, with supporters coming from places as far off as Worcestershire and Hampshire to make up the numbers. Acting on an anonymous tip-off received late on Sunday night, protesters assembled outside Hayesfield Upper School at around 2pm on Sunday 4th May 2015 to make the prime-minister know he wasn't welcome in Bath.

Despite having only a few hours to organise in the morning, around 40 demonstrators turned out with placards and a megaphone. Groups present included Bath Students Against Fees and Cuts, Bristol Anarchist Federation, Green Party, Infiltration Party, Bath Against Cuts, Bath Against the Badger Cull, 38 Degrees and the Labour Party.

Protesters outside David Cameron's speech

At around 2.45pm, a large Conservative bus arrived outside the venue with David Cameron's team. The soon-to-be ex-prime-minister turned up in a blacked out vehicle moments later, and was met with shouting and an egg, which narrowly missed him - although it is likely it splashed his shoes and trousers. The Guardian has since reported that it was the first egg of the campaign.




We caught up with the egg-thrower after the demonstration, who did not wish to be named. They told us "Throwing an egg at the prime-minister is relatively harmless compared to the damage he's doing to the country".

                                          Video of the David Cameron Protest

Protester Reiss McGuinness commented "David Cameron did not come to greet us, as to be expected".

David Cameron was seen leaving via the back entrance, probably because he did not want to face the people who have been negatively affected by his tenure as prime-minister.

Campaigners noted that the Conservative bus was left running with the engine on for the entirety of Mr Cameron's speech, which is at odds with their claim to be the "greenest government ever". Many attendees arrived in cars and in taxis with only one passenger. The bus was also parked on yellow zig-zags. The police were informed but did not move the bus on.

Video of the egg being thrown here https://vine.co/v/eZhzHHvIljv

Read our Election Special here http://standingstonesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/election-special-dont-just-vote-get.html

Follow @stonestanding

Political Perspectives #3: Some Thoughts on the Olympics Opening Ceremony (Guest Blog)

This is the third in an occasional series of posts on the various political perspectives of those involved in activism in the Bath/Bristol area. The views expressed are those of the respective authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of Standing Stone.

Some Thoughts on the Olympics Opening Ceremony

by Katy Gent

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you will, in some way or another, have witnessed the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics last night.

Many have taken the Olympics this year as a beacon of hope and celebration amongst hard times, much like the Jubilee earlier this year. Whilst others have decreed it a waste of money and a complete farce to disguise the turmoil that is reaping our green and glorious Earth.

Firstly, I'd like to talk about the ceremony itself. I watched it at my boyfriend's house with his dad. I had intended to watch it, purely out of curiosity and for the fact that it's a part of history. Regardless of the tax evasion, regardless of the fascist police forces and the blatant disregard for human rights; it is a part of history. I have to say that the ceremony itself was fantastic. It was funny, it was impressive and it was British. Danny Boyle did a fantastic job (although like all Doctor Who fans I was a little disappointed to see that David Tennant did not carry the flag into the stadium but I digress...). The inclusion of children's literature, James Bond, Mr Bean and many others highlighted what it means to be a part of this country. I was very happy to see the suffragettes involved too and also that this is the first Olympic games where all participating countries have a female team. To quote Jacques Rogg "it's a brilliant step for gender equality". I also don't think anyone could have predicted a 50ft inflatable Voldemort either.

Unfortunately, although the opening ceremony was a fantastic display of British culture and history, that is all it was. Why the pointless Queen had to be involved is beyond me. I am the last person who would support Cameron but at least he's elected and he SHOULD have been the one to have opened the games. Not some tax avoiding anachronism. Usually I will keep quiet about my blatant republicanism on occasions like this because I feel it's unnecessary. To highlight her involvement would overshadow the fantastic job that the performers did. But I couldn't help myself. She didn't smile once, she didn't even watch the ceremony, she didn't give a fuck. Phillip and she sat there with a disinterested look on their faces throughout the entire evening. They don't give a toss about these Olympics. Just like they don't give a toss about this country. They did not deserve to play a part in it.

Much like the jubilee, it was fantastic to see so many people united behind one cause. To celebrate something that unites us all in a time when the entire world is suffering under a less than ideal economic climate. However, it is under this economic climate that thousands are losing their jobs, their pensions, their welfare and their union rights. Why on Earth were we celebrating the NHS when there's nothing left of what it used to be?! Why pretend to maintain this charade of Britain as the factory of the Earth and the green and lush pasture of times past?! A better portrayal of this country would have been the Occupy movement surrounded by homeless people with a giant inflatable pig shadowing everything. That would have been a better representation of what this country is about at the moment.

So, do not think for a second that I am a cynic. I found the opening ceremony a fantastic celebration of what it means to be British. I thoroughly enjoyed every second. But it is a shame, that underneath this celebration of the best of humanity's abilities, is a murky swamp of poverty, greed and despair. It is a shame that we cannot celebrate our unity as a country. Our unity behind equality, liberty, gay rights, gender rights and democracy. That is what this country should celebrate. That is what this country needs to do to show the rest of the world how fantastic we are. Take the first step forward out of the swamp, into a new Britain, that stands for something that we WANT to celebrate. Something that the rest of the world can follow in making our Earth, our planet, a better place.

Thanks.

Political Perspectives Series:

Part 1. What is Anarchism? (B.A.R.F.)

Part 2. What is the Zeitgeist Movement? (Bruce Galliver)

Part 4: Thoughts on Cambodia (Dave Stephens)

Part 5. Thoughts on Meditation and Revolution (Simon Jilley)

Follow @stonestanding

Do the right thing - Move Your Money!

It pains me to say it, but I've been inspired by our PM, David Cameron. He talks a lot about "doing the right thing", whether it's on the NHS, RBS, Libya, Afghanistan, hard-working families or the EU veto. It's his favourite phrase. I don't necessarily think he has done "the right thing" on these issues. What is "the right thing" anyway? Is it letting the government and the banks walk all over you while they pay each other a fortune in bonuses on top of their extortionate salaries, and not making a fuss about it? Is it staring at a TV screen watching endless reality TV and soap operas while neglecting the bigger (and even smaller) issues going on in the world? Is it shouting at someone for attempting to make a positive difference - even if you think they are doomed to fail and possibly going about it the wrong way? Maybe, if your name is David Cameron, George Osborne or Boris Johnson.

In my view, "doing the right thing" is not a simple matter, and sometimes personal sacrifices have to be made. I've only got so much time, and the day is never long enough to fit in everything I want or need to do, or spend time with the people I want to spend time with. Sometimes by doing "the right thing" I end up neglecting other "right things". Sometimes by trying too hard to do "the right thing", I've ended up doing the wrong thing. 

"Doing the right thing" is subjective - certainly Mr Cameron and myself do not see eye-to-eye on his proposed NHS reforms and the economic and environmental policies of the coalition government. To me, "doing the right thing" involves standing up for yourself and your fellow humans and other animals. It involves finding the path of least harm - or most benefit - to all concerned. I occupied Bristol, Bath and London because I did not think our government was "doing the right thing". I still don't. 

RBS, Barclays, NatWest and all of those other high street banks that the public have grown to hate due to their risky investments, investments in unethical businesses and huge bonuses have, by my definition, not done "the right thing". They have created inequality, funded arms dealers and companies involved in environmental devastation - and then the people responsible have rewarded themselves for doing well. Definitely, definitely, definitely not "doing the right thing". But banks such as the Co-operative/Britannia and Triodos and many credit unions have done "the right thing" (or at least not nearly as many "wrong things"). They invest in ethical businesses and put money towards environmental initiatives and community projects. They share profits with their customers. They don't fund wars. So this blogger salutes those banks that have done "the right thing" - and is going to reward them moving their money to one of them. At least, what little money I have. It all counts.

Meanwhile, The Bath People's Assembly, with the support of Occupy Bath, have got on board with the national Move Your Money campaign and organised a petition to try and persuade Bath and North East Somerset Council to Move their Money from NatWest (owned by RBS) to an ethical bank. The petition can be found here - do "the right thing" and sign it! Or, if you're not from Bath, set up your own campaign.


The petition: http://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=5&RPID=4813932&HPID=4813932

Previous post on Occupy Bath: Occupy Bath and Bristol - January 2012
Next Post on Occupy Bath: Moving Beyond this Representative Democracy

Further Reading

More info on the Move Your Money campaign can be found here: http://moveyourmoney.org.uk/

Indymedia article on the B&NES Council Move Your Money campaign: http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/707610

Now Bath article on the B&NES Council Move Your Money campaign: http://www.nowbath.co.uk/local-news/call-for-council-to-bank-ethically-42630/

Follow @stonestanding