St Paul’s, Lord Mayor’s Present, Somalia, Egypt & Abortion: Occupy London had been nonetheless encamped at St Paul’s Cathedral on the day of the annual Lord Mayor’s Present which made the day a bit of extra fascinating than normal. But in addition on Saturday twelfth November 2011 I visited the cathedral, went with Occupy to protest towards UK arms provides to the Egyptian Military and lined a protest concerning the persevering with warfare in Somalia and a ‘500 crosses for Life’ anti-abortion procession.
The Lord Mayor’s Present & Occupy
After blessing the Lord Mayor, St Paul’s Canon in Residence Rt Revd Michael Colclough got here at their request and blessed Occupy LSX in entrance of St Paul’s Cathedral. Later the camp hosted a ‘Not the Lord Mayors Present‘ pageant of leisure.
Occupy had arrange a polling sales space near the path to level out the uniquely undemocratic nature of the Metropolis of London, the place strange voters are outnumbered 4 to 1 by the votes of firms which ends up in it selling “a radical bankers’ agenda at odds with the pursuits and democratic need of the British individuals.”
Occupy additionally acquired many extra guests than normal due to the crowds who had come up for the procession and after the official occasion had ended placed on their very own ‘NOT The Lord Mayor’s Present’, “a pageant for the individuals, which goals to position the celebratory ambiance of the standard occasion in a non-hierarchical and community-focused surroundings.”
On the net web site a supporter said “We is not going to have golden carriages, we is not going to have army costumes, we is not going to have a marching band, however we’re going to get pleasure from ourselves. That is about valuing individuals and group, quite than privileging the undemocratically elected Lord Mayor of the Metropolis of London.”
Earlier than I left there was a present with comedians, spoken phrase artists and singers in a present compèred by humorist Andy Zaltzman. Later there was to be a particular normal assembly with audio system together with John McDonnell MP. And because it was additionally Remembrance weekend, within the night the camp was internet hosting the UK première of ‘The Welcome’, an award-winning US documentary movie a couple of mission for coping with post-traumatic stress involving ex-soldiers and their members of the family.
Extra about occasions at OccupyLSX at Lord Mayor’s Present – Occupy London
Lord Mayor’s Present – Metropolis of London
I took a while away from Occupy to {photograph} the quite unusual mixture of floats and strolling teams that make up the Lord Mayor’s Present.
There have been the assorted teams from London’s guilds – together with the Launderers within the image, although the one laundering that goes on in London lately is of cash with London being the world capital for making soiled cash appear respectable.
And floats for a variety of organisations – and there have been some which it was quite tougher to know fairly what they represented with extra carnival costumes.
Along with lots of these at OccupyLSX who had been additionally watching, I discovered the marching servicemen, army automobiles and weapons and army bands which can be a serious ingredient of it disturbing. Like a lot of the celebration they give the impression of being again to when Britain dominated the world.
The Metropolis of London is after all an anachronism, although now one which hides the ruthless pursuit of revenue by any means it could get away with, together with the now clearly immoral help of extremely polluting industries equivalent to fossil fuels which now threaten the way forward for many species on Earth together with our personal.
Extra photos at Lord Mayor’s Present
London From St Paul’s Cathedral
Entry to St Paul’s Cathedral besides to attend providers usually prices what they describe as a “small charge”, now £25 per grownup, although solely £14.50 in 2011. However entry is free on the day of the Lord Mayor’s present (although barely restricted) and I took benefit of this to go the ‘Stone Gallery’ across the backside of the dome the place images was allowed.
And I took full benefit of this, making quite quite a lot of photos in each out there course, a couple of of which I’ve put on-line.
Extra at London From St Paul’s.
Worldwide Day to Defend the Egyptian Revolution
The Egyptian Revolution had begun with excessive hopes as part of the Arab Spring and toppled the Mubarek regime, however since then issues had not gone properly for the coutry, with the military taking cost.
Since then there had been over 2000 trials in army courts, with out the power to name witnesses or entry to attorneys in a programme of repression towards any opposition. Many have been sentenced to loss of life, and torture stays widespread. Lots of these imprisoned are underage and girls have been subjected to rapes and sexual assault.
The UK authorities supported the Egyptian army and UK arms producers provide the military and police there with the weapons wanted to take care of their repression.
A gaggle of protesters from OccupyLSX in addition to some Egyptians and Sam Weinstein of the US Utility Employees Union left for a ‘march of shame’ to the places of work of three arms sellers, Qinetiq, BAE and Rolls Royce, who had gone to Egypt with Prime Minister David Cameron in February 2011 to promote arms to the Egyptian military.
The protesters condemned the violence towards the individuals of Egypt and referred to as on the UK authorities to withhold help to Egypt and cease arms gross sales till a civilian authorities devoted to freedom and civil rights is in energy in Egypt.
I left them at Ludgate Circus on their technique to the places of work.
Day to Defend the Egyptian Revolution
Somalis Protest Obama’s Conflict – Outdated Palace Yard, Westminster
I paid a quick go to to Outdated Palace Yard reverse the Home of Lords the place a protest had been broadcasts towards the US-backed proxy warfare by Ethiopia towards Somalia.
However after I arrived on the time the protest was supposed to begin I discovered solely three males and a boy there, with a lot of placards. The lads assured me extra would arrive later, and I did return two hours later however discovered the place abandoned. I feel by then the protesters might need left to protest on the Ethiopian embassy in Kensington quite than exterior an empty Parliament.
Somalis Protest Obama’s Conflict
Anti-Abortion Prayer Protest – Westminster
However my return to Westminster was not fruitless as I got here throughout one other protest, with a number of hundred individuals carrying white crosses in an anti-abortion ‘500 crosses for Life’ prayer procession.
This had began at Westminster Cathedral and after I met it was leaving Outdated Palace Yard and strolling in the direction of its finish at Westminster Abbey.
I went with them within the fading gentle round 4.30pm and took some photos. As I wrote again in 2011, “I don’t share the views of the Catholic Church on abortion and discover the usage of the time period ‘pro-life’ by these against abortion to explain themselves offensive. It’s an space the place we’d like clear and unpredjudiced considering and the place all – no matter their view on abortion – are involved with life and the standard of life.”
A speaker on the rally gave thanks for the actions of these in Germany who had been protesting exterior abortion clinics. I’m happy by the latest announcement that these actions are actually to be severely restricted in England and Wales with secure entry zones.
In 2011 I commented “isn’t harassing girls who go to clinics at what is nearly actually for them a really demanding time morally offensive, an indication of an un-Christian lack of affection in addition to an announcement of lack of religion within the energy of prayer?”
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Tags: 500 crosses for Liife, AA, anti-abortion, arms slaes, blessing, Metropolis of London, Egypt, Egyptian military, Ethiopia, pageant, genocide, Launderers, London, London Pictures, London views, Lord Mayor’s SHow, march, army, army courts, army automobiles, cash laundering, Obama’s Conflict, Occupy, occupy london, OccupyLSX, peter Marshall, Prayer Protest, protest, repression, servicemen, Somaliam, Somalis, St Paul’s, St Paul’s Cathedral, Stone Gallery, torture, trials, Westminster Abbey
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