Our Day Out At Eton

[Nosotros]

There were 14 of us – from London, Dover,Margate,Bishops Stortford,Ruislip, Egham,Slough,Windsor,Bristol and Merthyr! A disparate group led by 69 year old Carol with the EMA NOT ETON banner and a mum and dad with baby in a pram. I think this threw the coppers a bit -they were expecting a scarfed up mini black bloc. As a result after one kick at the pram the cops kept out the way. …though ‘bronze comander’ wanted to know when we’d be back. We raised our banners on the bridge that divides Eton from Windsor and marched on the college with shouts of EMA NOT ETON. We handed flyers out to Etonians who were mostly keen to take them and set our flags up outside the main entrance. There was a party of visiting kids from Eastbourne who we talked to about the privilege of Eton and two German Communists! The Etonians were I think at first bemused, then quite excited – a posh educaton enables you to take everything in your stride. They were well coached in arguments about why eton is not really an elite privileged school and does ‘good works’ for the disadvantaged. They certainly didn’t cower and we didn’t threaten. One older ‘scholarship’ boy spent some time passionately arguing his case with us. By this time we were right in the middle of the school and able to wander where we wanted. Housemasters hurried the younger boys into buildings. We chanted and leafletted and left. I think most of the Etonians had’nt really thought about their privileged position – they were too busy enjoying it and they are well armed with all the counter arguments by the school.You can see that in the number of them posting on this blog yesterday and today. For those of us who’d never been to Eton before it was a right eye opener.

WHAT NEXT? We will return to Eton on Saturday November 12th – hopefully in bigger numbers. A lot of you – and some local state school kids – have asked for a Saturday demo. So here it is. The school will be closed but I think a big march to the school will be good. It will follow the EMA demo on November 9th in London and we’ll be leafletting that. The reason Eton is important is that it stands for the continued dominance of a small wealthy elite in governing us. It’s no good waffling on about social mobility or generalisations which mount to fuck all – we can focus all this on one real and specific place and make it the centre of a new campaign of class war. After November we’ll be returning again and again so that Eton college becomes a template for the battle for equality and against the elite who run and own everything. Well done to the Eton 14 and lets see the rest of you next time. If you don’t think it mattered – check out the etonian replies.

http://ianbone.wordpress.com/

Btw I really don't care that this isn't about Palestine or Iraq or whatever else is happening a thousand miles away that the dead-end of Leninist politics can do fuck all about. This is relevent for people who live in England- lets go to Eton!

[Who?]

Yeah, some obscure boarding school is way more important than the situations in Palestine and Iraq.
:rolleyes:

[SJBarley]

It's not as important as those struggles but Eton is far from an obscure boarding school. It is where the royals send their male offspring, very much the hotbed of Capitalist education in the UK.

[Stork]

Yeah, some obscure boarding school is way more important than the situations in Palestine and Iraq.
:rolleyes:
This school has produced more Prime Minster's and MP's then anywhere else, it's far from obscure.

[SHORAS]

They don't like it up 'em as the saying goes

[bricolage]

I mean what was the point of this really meant to be, considering you don't care about what students at Eton think you obviously aren't trying to win them over to anything, considering not many people walk past it on a daily basis you can't have been looking to appeal to much of the public, considering there were 14 of you and didn't make any attempt to do it I can guess you weren't trying to shut down the school (and seeing as you are going back on a Saturday that's doubly true). So I do wonder what the aim of this was apart from stuntism for the sake of stuntism.

[Manic Impressive]

I thought it was quite funny until I saw this
fWcewI8gMF8

[Stork]

I thought it was quite funny until I saw this
fWcewI8gMF8
Damn, those comments :sigh:
" Harassing school kids, that is pretty brave of a man in his 40s with backup. i didnt go to Eton or anything like it, but I will work till i drop to be able to give my kids an opportunity like that to get ahead in life. Class warfare is just the excuse of those who are too jealous and lazy to try and do well for themselves"
That bile got 48 thumbs up! WTF?

[thefinalmarch]

I thought it was quite funny until I saw this
fWcewI8gMF8
Nah it's still pretty funny.


This school has produced more Prime Minster's and MP's then anywhere else, it's far from obscure.
And that only matters if you subscribe to any "great man" theory of history.

[black magick hustla]

so wait a bunch of grownass men went to terrorize children is this what i am getting out of this? lmao

[blackandyellow]

so wait a bunch of grownass men went to terrorize children is this what i am getting out of this? lmao

Seems so lol. Would be good to see kids from normal schools do this i guess, but this is just weird.

[GatesofLenin]

Forget Eton, march on Buckingham Palace and demand the cow sell her jewellery to help the UK!

[brigadista]

david cameron went to eton....

[SHORAS]

so wait a bunch of grownass men went to terrorize children is this what i am getting out of this? lmao

Give the fuck over. "terrorize" do me a favour. I would have welcomed the humour and light relief when I was at school and I didn't even go to a public ( this means private in England) school. Although the school I did go to was conservative and single sex! Why my parents thought it was acceptable to send me there I don't know. Probably the social and economic pressure to get good grades, a 'good' job and so on.

It also seems to me that every act by communists does not have to be revolutionary or whatever, there is such a thing as 'having a laugh'. Maybe some would like to call this anarcho-laughism? I'm taking the piss of course (joking). The video is funny, and there are some great one liners, however I didn't like the brief consultation with the cop at the end. Also a lot of the pupils took the whole thing in jest and it's noticeable that the adults were the most offended - there's something to be said about that. I offered the opinion elsewhere that it would have been better to see unemployed pupils of other schools, sacked teachers, pupils effected by the loss of EMA and cuts in general to take some action at private schools instead or in collaboration with ageing anarcho-laughists.

If I was at school at the time I hope I would have laughed and possibly joined the agitators but perhaps I would not have had the courage or confidence, it is difficult to break out of the ideological confines of conservative institutions and the dominant ideology therein. Of course when I was at school I reacted against these things in different ways. By fucking about in lessons, smoking, bunking off (missing lessons), driving illegally and doing as little 'study' (read copy, paste and memorizing) as possible.

[bricolage]

So in answer to my question the point of it was to have a laugh?

[SHORAS]

I agree there is a tendency to dress things up as revolutionary and Ian Bone has possibly been guilty of this in the past and present. I have also criticised him a number of times and get a lot of flak for doing so. I don't see the need for going into that here however.

Well, good for you on how you spend your time. But some working class people are a little rough around the edges including myself...dare I say infantile and we like to be a bit boisterous from time to time.

Sometimes so-called revolutionaries are known for being uptight, idiots and whatever else I am glad Bone is not and he shows you do not have to be a total fucking square if you are a communist or anarchist. Other peoples fun maybe not your kind (or you think it is not your kind) of fun but so what?

Talking of 'decency'...maybe you're a little bit too 'decent'?

And by the way, I don't know what they thought was the point of it. I wasn't there or involved.

[bricolage]

Well, good for you on how you spend your time. But some working class people are a little rough around the edges including myself...dare I say infantile and we like to be a bit boisterous from time to time.
That's why I go to football matches...

Sometimes so-called revolutionaries are known for being uptight, idiots and whatever else I am glad Bone is not and he shows you do not have to be a total fucking square if you are a communist or anarchist.
Seeing as the stereotype of an anarchist is more often than that a drug taking party animal who doesn't get out of bed in time for demos I'm not sure I agree with but anyway...

Other peoples fun maybe not your kind (or you think it is not your kind) of fun but so what?
The so what is that as you note this is in the habit of Ian Bone of 'having fun' and dressing it up as revolutionary/political. It's quite obvious this isn't just about having a laugh and he, and the other people there, do think it is political and are trying to make a political point. I'm saying, and so are most others, it's a weak point with not much aim that just makes the 'so-called revolutionaries' look like isolated weirdos.

Talking of 'decency'...maybe you're a little bit too 'decent'?
You're reading a bit too much into that.

And by the way, I don't know what they thought was the point of it. I wasn't there or involved.
If I'm honest I reckon the point was that it would make a nice youtube video.

[SHORAS]

That's why I go to football matches...

Fair enough, however I am pretty sure you would agree football isn't quite the same these days, are you old enough to remember terraces? So much atmosphere has been lost at grounds and you get people shouting at you to "SIT DOWN!" if you dare to show some feeling and get excited when something exciting happens on the pitch. I used to go to Highbury a bit for reasons other than being an Arsenal fan and the atmosphere was appalling, rightly called The Library by opposing fans. And this was when they were winning trophies at the back end of the 90's.

Seeing as the stereotype of an anarchist is more often than that a drug taking party animal who doesn't get out of bed in time for demos I'm not sure I agree with but anyway...

I think that really is only a minority view perhaps even by other anarchists. The reality is the majority of the left are boring, dull and perhaps conservative. Or am I wrong?

The so what is that as you note this is in the habit of Ian Bone of 'having fun' and dressing it up as revolutionary/political. It's quite obvious this isn't just about having a laugh and he, and the other people there, do think it is political and are trying to make a political point. I'm saying, and so are most others, it's a weak point with not much aim that just makes the 'so-called revolutionaries' look like isolated weirdos.

Well if highlighting the wealth gap between different sections of the class, how some people in society are privileged over others is political, then it is political. I do not suppose Bone and his comrades thought they were going to spark the international working-class revolution at Eton at that particular moment and on that particular day.

You're reading a bit too much into that.

Fair enough

If I'm honest I reckon the point was that it would make a nice youtube video.

Perhaps the 'film maker' did I doubt that was the main or secondary aim behind what they did as a whole.

[Cencus]

So in answer to my question the point of it was to have a laugh?
The point of the demo was to highlight the removal of EMA (educational maitenance allowance- money given to poorer 16 & 17 year olds who stay in education) whilst the state continues to subsidise private elitist educational establishments Eton being the most famous of these.

In the U.K. private schools are given charitable status meaning they given a load of tax exemptions, the assisted places scheme provides subsidy for a token number of those who cannot afford fees (recipiants still have to go through the schools selection process) & the Ministry of Defence provides £180 million per annum subsidy to officers to send their children to private boarding schools.

[bricolage]

Fair enough, however I am pretty sure you would agree football isn't quite the same these days, are you old enough to remember terraces? So much atmosphere has been lost at grounds and you get people shouting at you to "SIT DOWN!" if you dare to show some feeling and get excited when something exciting happens on the pitch. I used to go to Highbury a bit for reasons other than being an Arsenal fan and the atmosphere was appalling, rightly called The Library by opposing fans. And this was when they were winning trophies at the back end of the 90's.Depends where you go, Peterborough away on the first day of the season was still terraced (although think they are knocking it down now) and we had about three and a half thousand going nuts there, went to Watford away yesterday where we took two and a half thousand all standing singing etc. Football is very sanitised now but outside of the Premiership there is still a bit of life in it. Obviously if you are an Arsenal fan I can see why you might not believe that. But this is a side issue...


I think that really is only a minority view perhaps even by other anarchists. The reality is the majority of the left are boring, dull and perhaps conservative. Or am I wrong?I meant that was more the stereotype that those not a part of ‘the left’ hold, a stereotype that in a way comes from something real no matter how bullshit it may be. I don’t really know if that is how the ‘majority of the left’ are, I don’t think it’s that homogenous. I also don’t think it’s that relevant.

Yet as you note this is in the habit of Ian Bone of 'having fun' and dressing it up as revolutionary/political. It's quite obvious this isn't just about having a laugh and he, and the other people there, do think it is political and are trying to make a political point. I'm saying, and so are most others, it's a weak point with not much aim that just makes the 'so-called revolutionaries' look like isolated weirdos.


Well if highlighting the wealth gap between different sections of the class, how some people in society are privileged over others is political, then it is political. I do not suppose Bone and his comrades thought they were going to spark the international working-class revolution at Eton at that particular moment and on that particular day.Yet I don’t know who it’s meant to be highlighting it to, quite clearly they aren’t trying to win over the Eton students and it’s not like there are many people walking past to see them. I made reference to the point of it being a youtube video because I imagine that’s the only way someone would ever find out this happened but that video doesn’t highlight anything except that Ian Bone still knows how to shout at people. There were mass struggles against the cuts to EMA at the end of last year, people are looking to revive them next month, why not go to schools to encourage walk outs? Why not help schoolkids organise assemblies to plan then? Just to examples but infinitely more productive than giving it the biggun in Eton.

[SHORAS]

Depends where you go, Peterborough away on the first day of the season was still terraced (although think they are knocking it down now) and we had about three and a half thousand going nuts there, went to Watford away yesterday where we took two and a half thousand all standing singing etc. Football is very sanitised now but outside of the Premiership there is still a bit of life in it. Obviously if you are an Arsenal fan I can see why you might not believe that. But this is a side issue...

I remember going away to Brentford years ago with Watford fans and it was great fun. Still terraced, don't think it was a very nice day but the atmosphere, singing and all that was great. On the other hand used to go to a few home games at WFC and it was pretty terrible. Mainly due to the quality of football. I am not an Arsenal fan (nor Watford). Did you ever see that documentary about the Posh with Big Ron and the one of your managers who quit was it 5mins before a match? Quality stuff. "Alright lads, I resign, cheers"

You make some good points re the rest of what you said.

[bricolage]

I'm not a Watford fan either, I support Palace but we always take good numbers there because it's pretty easy and cheap to get to. I think it's a bad time to be Watford fan, they are playing some dismal football and the attendances keep dropping, those that had turned up barely made any noise at all.
That documentary sounds pretty funny though.

[SHORAS]

Looks like the documentary has vanished from You Tube sadly, it was a good one. Yeah, this is what happens to Watford they are good for a while then are forced to sell their best players and have to rely on youngsters and loan deals. It must only be the very good youth academy and the region they are in that keeps them going they are never going to get huge attendances. Look at Young now at Man U! And of course more recently they lost Graham to Swansea - the highest scoring player in the division. Of course they had a decent manager and he fucked off to Cardiff as well. Who knows about the future, Sordell seems decent and can score a few for them. Funnily enough my last year primary school teacher played for Palace, reserves mainly I think but I have seen an old clip of him taking a corner and getting an assist. Shame he was a total ****. Just looked him up on You Tube scoring a blinder lol. Steve Perrin was his name.

[bricolage]

I'd say that for any team outside of the premier league it's essential to have a good academy, we've been lucky in that respect but it does condemn you to the 'feeder club' label. Incidentally though Watford fans seem more annoyed that they aren't giving young players a run out and relying on the more recent yet older, signings made. Read in the football league paper today though about proposed changes to academies that would mean clubs could snap up kids from outside the 90 minute limit it's currently at essentially meaning the top clubs would pick up everyone half-decent. Am just watching that same youtube video now...

Sorry to everyone else for derailing the thread.

[Sasha]

some of the reasons behind this action (from ian bone's blog)

http://anarchistmedia.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/ema_not_eton1.jpg


October 16, 2011 (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/continued-education-allowance-v-education-maintainance-allowance/)
CONTINUITY EDUCATION ALLOWANCE v EDUCATION MAINTAINANCE ALLOWANCE (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/continued-education-allowance-v-education-maintainance-allowance/)

EMA was estimated to have cost £500 million a year – now scrapped
CEA -estimated cost £180 million a year – not scrapped. What’s the difference?
CEA is an annual allowance to officers in the British army to send their children to public schools. Each officer can claim up to £18,000 a year – tax free – towards school fees. It’s another way of subsidising public schools since 11% of their students benefit from it. Schools like Wellington and Eton benefit most.
Why is it in the news? The government was considering cutting it back as part of the defence review. The Officer Corps revolted claiming 90% of officers would leave the army. The Head of our Special Forces – At Eton with David Cameron – lobbied Cameron and the cutbacks were shelved. Old Boy network at work.
SO – EMA to our poorest kids is totally scrapped but £180 top brass army officers to send their kids to top public schools like Eton is kept. This is a fucking disgrace and not well known – please publicise widely.
OCCUPY ETON NOVEMBER 12th
Source:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8825167/MoD-bows-to-Forces-pressure-not-to-cut-boarding-school-allowance.html



October 15, 2011 (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/ministry-of-defence-keeps-allowances-for-officers-to-send-sprogs-to-eton/)
SPECIAL FORCES CHIEF : ‘WE WON’T FIGHT UNLESS OUR CHILDREN GO TO ETON’ (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/ministry-of-defence-keeps-allowances-for-officers-to-send-sprogs-to-eton/)

Ministry of defence keeps allowances for officers to send sprogs to Eton
It must be extremely comforting for our front line troops facing redundancy to know that their commanders have been lobbying hard to maintain the allowance where officers get their childrens public school boarding fees paid. The lobbying was led by one of Cameron’s old etonian pals – now commander of our Special Forces -who said this …that the troops operational effectiveness woukld be compromised if officers couldn’t send their children to Eton’ .Straight up.
The Ministry of Defence gave up trying to cut the allowance after intense lobbying from senior Army officers, including a Special Forces commander who was a friend of David Cameron’s at Eton.

It was threatened that there would be a wave of resignations from officers already fed up with cuts to troop numbers and equipment if the Continuity of Education Allowance was stopped.

The government rowed back on axing the £180million CEA allowance saying it would impact on “operational effectiveness” of personnel.’
This is fucking incredible. While EMA gets cut the army top brass get their Eton fees paid. Cameron has bowed to the Old etonian network yet again. Basically the army officer corps – the biggest employer of old etonians – says we wont fight unless our kids go to Eton.




October 13, 2011 (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/our-degenerate-ruling-class-is-vulnerable-in-its-belly/)
OUR DEGENERATE RULING CLASS IS VULNERABLE IN ITS BELLY (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/our-degenerate-ruling-class-is-vulnerable-in-its-belly/)

http://uk.wrs.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0PDodfbzpZOpjwApr1WBQx./SIG=12824ompv/EXP=1318535003/**http%3a//www.lordlucan.org/images/LordLucanPicture.jpg
There has been much talk of late as to whether our ruling class constitutes a separate race or sub race from the rest of us.I think this is true. After years of in-breeding they have developed distinguishing shared physical characteristics. Take a look at Lord Lucan for a prime example. Not only does this old etonian have the inherited physical characteristics of the ruling class but the mental ones – arrogance, entitlement, mysogyny – and a network of old etonians to spirit him away after murdering his nanny. If you read the responses of present day etonians to out visit to eton they are very similar – entitlement, arrogance, mysogyny. Normally this is shrouded by claptrap about bursaries and good works but it takes very little for the mask to slip. Our tiny provocation has made the mask slip but since yesterday’s guardian piece the authorities seem to have prevented further displays of nastiness in the woodshed. But rest assured it’s still there – just masked again.
I think this degeneracy makes the ruling class extremely vulnerable. It won’t take long for the mask to slip again – when challenged they can’t resist it. We ned to keep up a sustained campaign of insults and provocations and effrontery and challenges to their power. Nothing will change in this country with regard to social mobility and the dominance of an inbred ruling class till the public schools are brought down. Consider the absolute absurdity of millions of working class people in London submitting to the rule of an old etonian prime minister and an old etonian mayor. You can have all the reformist campaigns/marches you like from EMA to pensions but you could win each one and the etonians would still be running the show. we do not have the resources to attack the whole public school system – so we pick on Eton the most blatant nurseryof the ruling toffs. And we must be relentless in sustaining an unremitting hostility and action. But I aint talking some grim dour campaign here – we need to use humour, ridicule, imagination and enjoy ourselves. The anarchist movement hops from one issue to another year on year and gets nowhere. Many people doubted our march on eton – but look at the results that small action by a few people has resulted in. Now we need the rest of you to get stuck in. We’ll be taking action right up till Eton’s annual jamboree on june 4th next year. On November 1st we’ll be outside the outside the old etonians AGM but the big one is the MARCH ON ETON – OCCUPY THE PLAYING FIELDS on November 12th – make sure you can make it. We will strike at the belly of the beast and who knows what their response will be……….but it will be! A s a present day etonian Lord Lucan has said:
http://uk.wrs.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0PDodtXz5ZObjEAqcFWBQx./SIG=128mpstim/EXP=1318535127/**http%3a//www.lordlucan.org/images/LordLucanPicture.jpg
‘IF YOU ANARCHIST *****ES WANNA PLAY BALL THEN BRING IT ON’



October 13, 2011 (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/etons-dodgy-finances-exposed-old-etonians-agm/)
ETON’S DODGY FINANCES EXPOSED – OLD ETONIANS AGM (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/etons-dodgy-finances-exposed-old-etonians-agm/)

The 2011 Old Etonian AGM will be held at Withers, a law firm based opposite the Old Bailey in the City, on 1 November, at 6.30pm. Withers is an international operation, with offices in London, Zurich, the British Virgin Islands, Milan, Hong Kong, etc., specialising in advising “successful people” on how to avoid tax.
Last year they were under investigation for allegedly intimidating a member of parliament. They have also represented the Carroll Foundation Trust (organised crime, racketeering, links to Chicago pol Barack Obama, Baroness Scotland alleged involvement of John Major and David Cameron- look it up (http://www.politicsforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=35902)).
What a nice place for people who went to the same school to get together for an AGM, talk about old times, maybe discuss shared interest in tax avoidance, etc.








October 12, 2011 (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/congratulations-to-you-etonians-who-posted-here-youre-in-the-papers/)
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ETONIANS WHO POSTED HERE – YOU’RE IN THE PAPERS (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/congratulations-to-you-etonians-who-posted-here-youre-in-the-papers/)

Yes indeed your views are now reaching a wider audience in todays Guardian……..the school will be very proud of you. I should imagine the mysogynist will be in the runing for the Lord Lucan award ( yes he was an Etonian). Perhaps the headmaster will reduce your fees for getting the school such good publicity. Toodle Pip – do keep ‘em coming old chaps.
’An interesting evening in prospect as the gilded flowers of Eton invite Class War founder Ian Bone to deliver a lecture. He is one of many distinguished speakers to address sixth-formers in recent years. But there is a particular history to this. Bone keeps busy, and most recently one of his campaigns, inspired by the stand-off at Dale Farm, has been a move to occupy Eton’s playing fields. Tensions are rising on the veteran troublemaker’s blog. “I would not return to Eton if I were you,” warns one critic. “For although they are disciplined, the school may take legal action and you will lose. Eton College has influence over every level of society.” Another is more direct. “Sometimes I wish that there was anarchy because then I could easily kill wankers like yourself without retribution,” he says. One, styling himself Dirty Miguel, seems the feistiest. “If you anarchist *****es wanna play ball then bring it.” And Class War do like a ruck. Oh dear.’
From today’s Guardian diary column.



October 7, 2011 (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/eton-college-has-own-nuclear-bunker/)
ETON COLLEGE HAS OWN NUCLEAR BUNKER!!!!!! (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/eton-college-has-own-nuclear-bunker/)

The more you investigate Eton the more incredible it becomes. Eton College has its own nuclear bunker to save our future rulers from annihilation – built at the height of the Cold War in 1959. It could not accomodate the whole school population so presumably the Eton Combined Cadet Force would have shot the less posh elements fighting to get in! YES – ETON COLLEGE HAS IT’S OWN NUCLEAR BUNKER! thanks to comrade Doom for this top piece of investigation andall the rest of you researching out there. Here’s the evidence:
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/e/eton_college/index.html
Just like any other school! Dont forget to ask the head when you look round your kids prospective secondary school ‘ And could I see the nuclear bunker?’
I wonder how many of you etonians know this exists – and whether your name’s on thre guest list. Ask the head – his name’s on it.



September 30, 2011 (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/eton-college-coins-olympic-money-from-dorney-lake/)
ETON COLLEGE COINS OLYMPIC MONEY FROM DORNEY LAKE (http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/eton-college-coins-olympic-money-from-dorney-lake/)

This is just the very modest Eton college rowing clubhouse at Dorney Lake – both the clubhouse and the lake are privately owned by….ETON COLLEGE! DORNEY LAKE is to be the venue for both the rowing and kyaking events in the 2012 Olympics – no doubt the networking Old Etonians secured that bonanza. So comrades – Eton college is being paid out of public funds for use of their ‘private’ venue and what’s more the rowing crews are being accomodated in eton college – again charging a huge sum. They really know how to milk the public purse while appearing benificent.No doubt with these private facilities to practice in our rowing crews will be full of etonians. Compare the your own/your kids sports faacilities. No doubt the etonians on here will be saying Etonians sre naturally the best rowers….nothing to do with thhe facilities. The rowing team iS not TEAM GB its TEAM TOFF – no more representative of us than the Eton Rifles, Eton beagles………..

[bricolage]

well that's all well and good but it still doesn't explain how marching about shouting at kids is going to affect EMA, Eton or anything else in any way.

[Cencus]

well that's all well and good but it still doesn't explain how marching about shouting at kids is going to affect EMA, Eton or anything else in any way.

It probably won't on it's own, look on it as an awareness raising exercise, one of many done by a wide variety of groups. This action will piss some folks off no doubt but will also will maybe get some people to question the status quo, and if you hadn't noticed the left here in the U.K. aint winning any popularity contests.

What else would you suggest folks do write to their MPs? Well we all know how much good that would do. Sell more papers to those who are already onside? Walk from A to B in a big city surrounded by police, getting little or no publicity outside of the aforementioned papers and no reaction from the establishment? Carry on with the end less pointless tendancy wars so beloved of the left? Or get up off our collective arses and throw down the gauntlet at the establishment like this lot have tried to do. Eton is the establishment as much as Westminster or the Royal family.

And hey if you go for a walk on a sunny afternoon n piss a few rich folks off and have a giggle I'm all for it.

[bricolage]

It probably won't on it's own, look on it as an awareness raising exercise,
But this is what I've been saying all along, who is raising awareness with? The only people there were Eton students and staff who are unlikely to change their 'awareness' and whose views the Ian Bone crew clearly don't care about. So who then? One or two people walking past, I can't imagine it was anymore than that and nor could it ever be. If they want to 'raise awareness' alebeit of an issue (EMA) that has already been widely publicised and which there was a mass movement about at the end of last year, which brings me onto this...

What else would you suggest folks do...
Like I said before, speak to school kids about organising mass meetings and walkouts as a start (as happened loads at the end of last year and might happen again come November). Hey even if you just want to raise 'awareness' (whatever that might be) why not do it in a place where people actually are?

As a side note someone commented on libcom how on this very day 300 odd (might have got the numbers wrong) electricians were on strike and blocking major roads across London, that's something near throwing down a gauntlet, this isn't.

[Sasha]

well that's all well and good but it still doesn't explain how marching about shouting at kids is going to affect EMA, Eton or anything else in any way.

About as much as the picketing of the policestrike a few years ago by classwar, but the image of the riotpolice beating the crap out of their own collegues to protect a handfull of anarchists taking the piss will be etched on my brain forever. :thumbup: