SDI Blog from 2000 to 2019

On Sunday I was in London so decided to pay a visit to St Paul protest camp. It was a beautiful, glorious morning with St Paul’s bells imposing silence and respect from the protesters…

One month after the Occupy Movement launch across 900 cities, affiliating to the cause to fight against the extremes of global capitalism, 200 colourful tents set home outside St Pauls after NOT being allowed to occupy Paternoster square, home to London Stock Exchange.

Having just returned from Maputo where the police use any excuse to shove their arms to your face and any other form of intimidation, it was surreal and amazing to see polite, smiling policemen, asking you to mind the steps and standing discretely by the row of portable loos and even baby changing room. A first Aid tent and a mobile kitchen is also at disposal to protesters. Bins clearly posted in different corners to the square so no recycling materials would go in the rubbish. We can protest in full comfort! And so it should be… But already rumors from the Cathedral are voicing concerns that if the camp gets bigger it will become unsightly and block access to visitors (tourists) to access café and shop – reporting takings down by 70%. Our (they are there on our behalf) protesters trying so hard to be peaceful already they took on themselves NOT to put any posters on the walls of St Paul’s in order not to damage the stone, NOT to hold noisy meetings during church services, and now they are proposing to hold a fundraising event to try and make up the shortfall in the cathedral’s takings… How sweet is that?

The protesters effort for keeping space tidy, beautiful and enjoyable was joined in by the effort of this reporter to keep her hair do in place – must not let down revolution by a bit of wind!