Ainda sobre os protestos contra o G20, agora vendo pela perspectiva de uma banda que se uniu as massas e levou um pouco de musica para as ruas.
Protest is a democratic right. Yet at last week's G20 protests – which I attended with my band the King Blues – the police made it as difficult as possible to exercise that right. Their intimidation tactics included using FIT photographers to capture images of protesters, showing up in riot gear and penning everyone in for hours without letting people go to the toilet or have water.
In the face of this clampdown on democracy, we wanted people to feel like they could dance on the streets again. That's why we took the King Blues sound system – a PA system on a tiny float wheeled by a rickshaw – down to the Saturday protest. The sound system was inspired by Emma Goldman's quote, "If I can't dance, it's not my revolution", and it has seen a fair bit of action in its time.
We weren't officially invited to play by any organisers. We just decided it's as much our march as anyone else's and set up our own space. It's not always easy playing at a protest – the mics cut out and the wind can make it sound haunted. Plus, walking while playing for so long means that an endless amount of things can go wrong. Midway through a speech about how the government cannot silence us anymore, my microphone cut out!
We cycled into the march playing the Dead Kennedys' Holiday in Cambodia at full blast to let people know where the sound was. They quickly gathered around and we set up our instruments – before a police officer threatened us that if we didn't move, he'd move us. Finally we were off and the reaction was amazing. Masses of people dancing around shouting, "The streets are ours!". It truly warmed the heart. We played Don't Let the Bastards Win while walking past the Ritz and Blood On My Hands outside Parliament. It all seemed scarily fitting.
We arrived in Hyde Park playing Let's Hang the Landlord and set up between the socialist speakers on the stage and the anarchist speakers' corner. Speeches are all well and good, but some people had already made their minds up and just wanted to dance, which is where we came in. Mateyboy from the Kooks was on stage playing his latest hit for an uninterested audience over on the main stage, while our ragtag army with hoods up and bandanas over their faces danced around us, drinking cider and recruiting for Wednesday's protests. By the time we'd started DJing the whole thing felt like a Hackney squat party at 4am.
When our battery finally ran out – with no warning – there was a massive groan from the crowd. But at least everyone had a good end to the day. We pushed the soundsystem back to the van, escorted by two police meatwagons. They found it hilarious driving right into the back of us and beeping their horn. Whatever – we'd already won the day.
It was a real endurance test but we finally made it back to Tottenham feeling knackered and victorious. People came together, which is empowering. It felt like maybe the protest movement had kicked off again. This week has truly put protesting back at the centre of politics, and we're pleased we got to do our bit.
Original link from The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2009/apr/06/the-king-blues-g20-protests
Cheers!
Coxa
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