G20 Peaceful Protests April 1st & 2nd

11am on April 1st...

Protesters gathered outside the American Embassy in Grovesnor Square...

...to march to Trafalgar Square

...for Peace, Love and Freedom and to show we care...

You can't really say 'I Love You' with a nuke!

When you have read the hand written sign read the guy's T Shirt behind it!

Yes we can all live in Love , Peace and Freedom...

...just have to work at it a bit - its not rocket science. Einstein said he wasn't smarter than the rest - he just stayed with the problem longer - we just have to do the same

...like 84 year old Tony Benn speaking once more in Trafalgar Square!

April 2nd at the Excel Centre Protests were just as peaceful.

The flags indicate the tone of the event
(but maybe they are just for hiding the long sticks to be used later as weapons)

This monk came to both protests
(but maybe the stick could be used as a weapon)

And this guy - well you never know -
under that chilled out and peace-lovin exterior
he could really be a not very chilled out and peace-lovin kind of guy

This was a very tense moment at the G20 Protests at Excel...'would the Police Officer get to finish his Haribo in peace?' was the question on everyone's minds...the other police officers were there to make sure he did!

The only dangers at this protest were of people looking too cool...

or of splinters from banner poles...

or skin rashes and alergies from non-hypoalerginic paints...

...or of course heatstroke but thank goodness for the English Spring Weather!

Love Music Hate Racism

The March

The DJ & Dance Tent

The Speakers, Singers
&
Music Makers

Marching for Peace

Whenever there is an anti-war march in London I march. Sometimes I think there aren't enough marchs. Sometimes I think, like other people, 'What's the point?' Sometimes I think that its only a drop in the ocean of what I should be doing.

A third of the world is at war. That's 2 in every 3 of us who are very lucky and could appreciate that fact and do something about the other 1.

Saturday August the 5th more than 100,000 people including myself protested about some of the wars in the world.

Taking over the streets of London still has a powerful effect on me no matter how often I do it. The school walk-outs of 2003, in protest against the invasion of Iraq, were particularly inspiring because of the great youth presence which went against unwarranted media suggestions that this group was apathethic.

On Saturday I saw children's shoes piling up at the Cenotaph near Downing Street, in protest at the deaths of children in the conflict in the Lebanon.

What is the point? The same point that anyone made when marching to protest against an injustice whatever it is, whether relating to issues such as sufferage, civil rights, racism or poverty, the story is still the same.

Whatever the wrong, making people aware of its existence is the first step...after that comes possible political change...and then real change can happen.

Other people do other far greater deeds to change the world and make it a better, more peaceful place. However, great or small actions, even those as seemingly insignificant as a conversation about an issue can make a difference, all count towards making the world a better place. I march for peace, that's what I do.