Slavery, Local weather, Stolen Items & Santas: on Saturday eighth December 2018 I started with a march towards African migrants being enslaved in Libya, photographed Buddhists meditating towards local weather change, went to the British Museum for a name to them to return indigenous Australian cultural objects and at last met lots of of individuals in Santa costumes in Covent Backyard.
Protest Slavery in Libya
There had been giant protests a 12 months earlier about slave auctions in Libya the place many African migrants making an attempt to succeed in Europe are captured by bandits, terrorists and jihadists – typically funded by the EU and different exterior international locations – and offered as slaves.
The substitute of Gadaffi and his substitute by Western-backed puppets was part of a seamless neo-colonialist try to manage Africa’s pure assets which has led to the instability and mass migration from African international locations to the south. Libya had begun a means of de-Africanisation and elimination of Black Libyans and the slave auctions are a easy extension of this coverage.
Like many different points, this had merely dropped out of the information regardless of the UK and different international locations failing to take any motion, maybe why this protest was solely by a small group. They met for a brief rally exterior the EU workplaces Europe Home because the offers and actions of the EU to stop migrants reaching Europe means many extra of them are detained in Libya.
They then marched to protest exterior the Overseas & Commonwealth Workplace, saying the UK had didn’t do something to assist as a result of the victims have been African, then stopped briefly on the gates to Downing Road earlier than marching on to the Libyan Embassy. I left them at Trafalgar Sq.
Dharma meditation for local weather – Trafalgar Sq.
A small group from the Dharma Motion Community meditated in Trafalgar Sq. as a name for individuals to take motion, suggesting individuals transfer their cash out of banks which put money into fossil fuels, get knowledgeable by studying the IPCC report on international warming and be part of them and different teams together with Mates of the Earth, Greenpeace and take direct motion with Extinction Rise up.
Dharma meditation for local weather
British Museum Stolen Items Tour
I joined Indigenous Australian campaigner Rodney Kelly and others on the tour organised by BP or not BP? within the Kings Library of the British Museum in entrance of the glass case displaying the Gweagal protect stolen from his ancestor by Captain Cook dinner at Botany Bay. Kelly is a sixth technology direct descendant of Cooman, whose Gweagal protect was taken when Captain Cook dinner’s males on first touchdown in Australia opened hearth with muskets, and the protect has a small gap brought on by a musket spherical.
BP or not BP? activists got here dressed as burglars in striped jumpers and black masks with sacks for swag.
One other, dressed as a ‘BP Govt’ defined how their sponsorship of artwork together with exhibitions on the British Museum helps to scrub up their repute, tarnished by oil spills, the exploitation of oil fields across the globe with its related environmental injury, the sale of local weather change producing fossil fuels and extra. All of it appears to be like significantly better with the good shiny picture of exhibitions akin to these on the museum.
They then introduce Kelly who started (and ended) his discuss by enjoying his didgeridoo, after which talked about how the British Museum had dismissed his earlier makes an attempt to return the protect and different gadgets, and had refused to take significantly the oral custom of his individuals because it couldn’t be confirmed by written information.
After retelling the story of the way it was stolen and the way the museum got here to amass it, he informed the group now packing the room how the protect which few individuals cease to take a look at within the museum would reinvigorate the traditions of his individuals again in Australia and could be each the centrepiece of a museum of indigenous Australia and revive an excellent curiosity in conventional crafts.
The gang then moved on to sit down on the ground in entrance of the then present BP-sponsored Assyrian exhibition, the place an Iraqi lady spoke, telling us that objects looted from Iraq throughout the invasion in 2003 and purchased by the British Museum have been on present which clearly must be returned to Iraq. Looting of cultural artifacts was thought-about respectable and regular again within the days of the British Empire (or at the very least by the British) however is not acceptable.
We moved on to a room devoted to things taken from Polynesia the place we heard about looted objects from the area and a press release from the Rapa Nui Pioneers on Easter Island calling for the return of their stolen Moai Head.
It was now time to go to the large room containing the Parthenon Marbles, which Elgin claimed to have taken them with the permission of the Ottoman Empire, then rulers of Greece, however this now appears unlikely – and the marbles in any case certainly belonged to the Greeks slightly than thier occupiers.
Right here one of many BP or Not BP? burglars, Danny Chivers, revealed himself to be part-Greek and talked a few current go to to the Acropolis Museum, near the Parthenon, the place a room containing the marbles that Elgin left in Athens are displayed, full with gaps within the applicable locations for these at present on show within the British Museum.
It appears clear that they need to be returned to Athens, and it will now be potential – if costly – to make a set of visually an identical replicas to proceed to show right here. Maybe in return for sending them again, the BM might obtain replicas of people who remained in Athens – and so each cities might have a full set.
Extra at British Museum Stolen Items Tour.
London flooded with Santas – Covent Backyard
Lastly I met Santacon in Covent Backyard, with crowds of individuals wearing Santa costumes, along with the odd elf and reindeer making their technique to Trafalgar Sq., spreading glad tidings as darkness fell, some following hand-pulled sound programs and dancing on the streets, although many teams have been diverted into pubs and meals retailers on the way in which. This 12 months the charity occasion was supporting ‘Christmas for Children’ in addition to having a substantial amount of enjoyable.
Many, many extra photos at London flooded with Santas.
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Tags: 2018, African migramts, Africans, Botany Bay, BP or Not BP?, BP sponsorship, British Museum, burglars, Captain Cook dinner, local weather change, Cooman, Danny Chivers, Dharma Motion Community, didgeridoo, Elgin Marbles, international warming, greenwashing, Gweagal protect, indigenous, indigenous Australian, Iraq invasion, Kings Library, Libya, London, London Images, looted from Iraq, meditation, Moai Head, oral custom, Parthenon Marbles, protest, refugees, Rodney Kelly, Santacon, Santas, slave auctions, slavery, stolen items
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