Drumming up dissent

Date: 10 February 2014

This morning we joined a demonstration organised by Algeria Solidarity Campaign (ASC) and Platform at the London Stock Exchange. A meeting was being held in which representatives of the government’s UK Trade and Investment arm and the Algerian embassy were to discus deals for gas and arms. It seems our government’s memory is either very short or very selective, as recent dealings with dictators and oppressive regimes have not exactly garnered positive publicity (see Libya). God forbid we let tyranny get in the way of a good arms sale or hamper our prospects for “energy security”.

We met at St Paul’s station before the meeting was due to start and planned to make our way to Paternoster Square, where delegates were entering the meeting. I wasn’t particularly hopeful we’d be allowed to get on with it, given the Square’s position in the heart of the Corporation of London and its closure when Occupy kicked off, but the police and private security were surprisingly accommodating, as long as we didn’t get in the way or make too much noise. That was soon to change. 

Hamza, who chairs ASC and interns at WDM, quite comically and inadvertedly let off a piercing siren effect when trying to get the megaphone working, which cut through the Square’s silence and drew some unwanted attention from the authorities. But once we got the speaker to behave itself they were happy for us us to proceed and Hamza gave an overview of Britain’s gas grab as well as the Algerian regime’s dismal human rights record. Here he is quoted in the Guardian:

“The Algerian regime, lacking in popular legitimacy, is seeking to deepen its relations with western capitals such as London. Arms and gas deals being made at this investor conference in London directly contribute to the longevity of an authoritarian and repressive regime at the expense of the human rights of the Algerian people.”

We then got our Global Justice Junk Band drumming, making our debut on the demo scene. I was quite surprised there was no intervention and so we made the most of it. We may have missed a trick in not planning any co-ordinated chanting but a few of the Algerian attendees contributed some fantastic singing and it was great to raise the volume. It was a pretty small junk band contingent but it certainly adds something to proceedings. If you’re interested in attending a free rehearsal check out our group here.

It was a great protest, bringing together people working on different issues and campaigns but all with commonalities. We must act in solidarity with those who uphold the same values of justice and oppose the powers that seek to deepen division and entrench oppression.