Pro-test

[raven]

I have way too much reading to do now, and a lot to write about other than today, but I need to take a moment to babble. First of all, did anyone at all have BBC News 24 on during this morning? Anyone watch the live reports from Oxford? I'm trying desperately to find someone who actually saw me, Claire and Sam on national television, because that would be joy. (I'm serious; anyone see a brown-haired boy, a white girl with bright red hair and an Asian girl with a hood?)

Seriously, though, it wasn't supposed to happen, it just... happened. Claire rang at eleven to say the protests were beginning and college was locking up, and we wandered through into the lodge expecting a few people, but instead we stepped out into Broad Street and an absolutely huge crush of people. These were the Pro-Test people (geddit?) who are protesting for the Oxford animal lab. There were hundreds of them chanting, with megaphones and a massive police presence with policemen on horses leading the way down Broad Street towards the Parks Road. At that point it didn't look too bad, no violence, just a lot of noise, and in a moment of genius the three of us went skipping upstairs and hung out of Sam's bathroom window over the crowd. (Lots of people turned to look at us. It was amusing.) When they started to march, we went running after them (and bumped into withiel pretending to be a press officer). We were being voyeuristic, basically; we weren't marching for and against, and we were chatting as we walked down on the pavement, a few metres away from the main body of the protest, and then looked up in surprise to see every camera in the entire world pointing at us.

At which point the anti-animal-testing people emerged from the Parks Road, and started howling their vitriol. I'm trying my best not to be biased here, because obviously they have their right to protest, but they can be so, so horrible - last time they were inciting people to violence right outside college - but they were really spoiling for a fight. There were some mini punch-ups on the picnic tables outside the King's Arms, and then Sam suggested we take a shortcut, cut across to the lab and wait for the protesters to reach there. So we did, and found the anti-testing people out in force. From where we were standing, they looked like they were protesting right at us, and I said at the time, in a sense they were. This right here is what pisses me off. Regardless of their views on animal testing, regardless of their right to protest, they cannot be violent. But they are. And they consider colleges, associated college property, andd Oxford university students "legitimate targets". The University and Balliol are not just nebulous entities, and they don't seem to see that. This is where I live. This is where I live, work and play, this is my HOME. They have no right to come in and make it unsafe for me, they have no right to threaten me, they have no right whatsoever to incite people to violence against my college.

Actually, this I think was the reason for so many people turning out for pro-animal-testing. Some people believe in that (I do myself), but lots of the people out there are pissed off at having their lives disrupted every weekend, at being locked out of colleges and libraries, at being wary of violence, and are protesting against the protests themselves rather than what they stand for. If they were peaceful, it would be different, but they're not.

And to be absolutely fair to them, the pro-test people were exceptionally reasonable. They didn't even make it all the way to the labs. They had speakers and debates and no violence, at least while we were there. We dodged a lot more cameras, and Claire and I got asked, "Are you with the press?"

I rather wanted to say yes. But we didn't, and wandered off home to pick up the rest of the (sleeping) gang and go for lunch. By the time we got back, there were no more protests outside college, thank god. We went to oust Pat from bed (it was about one thirty by then) and I considered going back and doing some reading, but didn't. As Claire said, haven't you learned much more about political theory in practice? And it's true; my reading for the week is about the varied conceptions and justifications for political liberty, and yes, the right to freedom of speech and protest. And I really, honestly believe in that freedom. So you could say I learned a bit today, despite the fact I am yet to start my essay work.

So, in conclusion, a good day. I got out of bed, washed the strawberry sauce out of my hair (good night last night; more on that anon), got my books, went out and engaged in direct democracy, and then had lunch. Now reading. But I thought it deserved talking about. This here is the only mention the BBC have yet.

Comments

[biascut.livejournal.com]

Right in the middle of this, I got a phonecall from La Glitz saying that there's a riot in Dublin and she almost ended up in the middle of it. IS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD EXCEPT YORK HAVING RIOTS TODAY?

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Looks like it! What were they rioting about in Dublin?

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

I am totally and utterly and completely against animal testing, but I am more against disruption of people's lives like this.

It's Hard To Be A Green. You have the right-wing-Prince-Charles buggars on one side, and nutters like that on the other side. What good can declaring some sort of deranged ideological war against all Oxford students? It's just a form of terrorism, really. Bah.

I will watch the news tonight and keep an eye out for you.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I always have doubts about animal testing, myself. I thoroughly approve of the Body Shop stance - no testing cosmetics and shampoos on animals, because that's just wrong - but for medical reasons, I'm not sure. I think the animal rights protesters make too much of the "animals and humans are different" thing; animals have the same DNA structure, the same enzymes, mostly, the same amino acids, and besides, they're scientists, they know how to make allowances in context.

It is hard to be a Green. Nutters give the whole movement a bad name, because really, what possible right do the animals recieve when a student gets locked out the library?

Was I on the news? Was I? *g* I don't think I was, but I do think we were on the live footage. Curse my lack of a telly.

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

I am, unfortunately, too much of a fluffy green leftist (global socialism baby! THE WAY FORWARD) to condone the use of animal testing for medicines until the berks in control get it right. It doesn't always help and it seems a little off to me, but I'm not a scientist so I can't make a valid judgement on it. I remember thinking "erm, that seems like a bad plan" when I heard about the nex centre at Oxford but the closest I might get is a petition signing.

The Greens. Half of them think that shooting foxes is a great idea because it Protects The Environment And England's Heritage And Gosh Is That A Peasant Over There and the other half think that attacking 14 year old stable hands involved with the hunt is okay because IT HELPS THE FOXES AND OMG THEY ARE FLUFFY AND KAWAII.

And I sit in the middle feeling a little bit ashamed because all I want is a planet for my children and my grandchildren.

Seriously, 'legitimate targets?' The hell? Stupid, CRAZY people. Ideologues are very bad people and very bad ideas.

Um, I got stuck in Tescos and only saw the weather. I suck. Sorry. :-(

[pinkishmew.livejournal.com]

I second Hathy_Col. It's the difference between disagreeing with people and beating them up for it. Or pipebombing people's houses because they have a job at an animal testing lab. Dude. Not on.

I will look out for you.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Or vandalising the admissions offices of a university because clearly, each one of the thousands of applicants sanctions the torture of the fluffy bunnies. Sigh. Why can't they disagree nicely?

[ladyfalcon.livejournal.com]

I'm pro animal testing, but also pro-protests, no matter what they're about. It's a cool thing that you're even able to have things like that. But in the marketplace of ideas, you can say literally anything, from God hates you to There was no Holocaust, and that's okay (not that anyone should listen to you). But as soon as you take the next step into violence, you lose, end of story. The only reason I can see for violence over ideas is that your idea is so ridiculous that it wouldn't stand up to a reasoned, careful discussion, and so people try to distract from that by being loud, obnoxious, or dangerous. Good job not getting too caught up in the whole snafu.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I have to say I did get caught up in the spirit of the thing. I think it's wonderful that people do take to the streets and protest - and that all this reading about negative conceptions of liberty has some practical expression! - but violence = BAD. The talk of "legitmate targets" makes my skin crawl.

[ceciley.livejournal.com]

My dad and sister and English teacher were on that march! I would have been if I had been successful in bullying a friend into coming with me, but as it was I exersized my democratic right to stay in bed til midday.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Wow! Did they have a banner I might have seen?

[amchau.livejournal.com]

I'm variable on animal testing (you want to kill shrimp for shinier shampoo? No thanks. You want to discover something which could cure my mother's MS? Here, have some monkeys to molest), but I'm totally against violent protest. I only heard radio coverage, I'm afraid, so stood no chance of seeing you. Nor have their been riots in Watford today, even though there was a football match and I went into town in my best Goth clothes.

Can I call you this evening, or would tomorrow night be better for you? Only it's mother's birthday tomorrow, so I might not have much time.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Shampoo being tested on shrimp? That's, um, an interesting image. I'd call you now, but I think it's too late. I'll have a go at calling you tomorrow afternoon.

[amchau.livejournal.com]

A side-effect of the allitertion attack. :) This (Sunday) afternoon should be fine-- any time after 3pm or so. I'll look forward to it.

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

It amuses me a lot to see that Iain has set himself as press officer for Pro-test - I know him as a friend of a friend back in Norwich and he seems to be a nice guy, but it was only a matter of time before he made sure to get himself all over the national press.

I slept through the whole business despite it being right outside my living room window (woke up around 1 still able to hear faint chants coming from Mansfield Road); probably for the best, really. Though Inowhavetowritetwoessaysohgod.

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

Also, you are going to tell me what your ulterior motive (http://community.livejournal.com/ou3fs/48517.html?thread=233861#t233861) is at some point, right? *g*

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*g* Getting yourself spread over the national press is certainly, um, admirable. So is sleeping through that! The closest they got to clashing was right outside Wadham. I did wonder if I'd spot you as well as Alex (who seemed very focused).

My ulterior motive will be whispered very quietly as I come through your door tomorrow. ;)

[jacinthsong.livejournal.com]

Apparently none of the SPEAK people would, in fact, speak to him and his reprobatesfriends, which makes me think they should be done under the Trades Descriptions Act.

[calapine.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes! I saw that report this morning, but I was sort of waking up and chucking back coffee, so cannot remember very much. But am sure subconscious recalls seeing, yes. ::nods::

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! So they did use the footage. Still no one who actually saw me, though. *cries*

[cheeky-kat.livejournal.com]

I find this fascinating, as we just had pro-life and pro-choice protests at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. As the protesting at ASU really has no bearing on the school directly, the pro-lifers do not act out against students by blocking entry to buildings or instigating "legetimate targets." I find that really disturbing, and I hope it doesn't escalate any further!

On the ASU campus, the pro-life groups posted very large banners that had images everything from holocaust victims to a dead fetus. Their campaign ended up disgusting almost everyone on campus, including the people who were also pro-life, but not involved in the campaign. It instigated pro-choice protests infront of the displays. A few of my friends protested, and apparently people called them sluts and whores, along with "baby-killers" and murderers. It was definitely the talk of the ASU LJ Community.

Anyway, good luck and stay safe!