Occupy Cardiff forcefully Evicted

[Desperado]

Minor compared with the rest of the world, but I thought I'd just put this down here. The camp, which involved at first about 100 but was reduced by weather and police threats to less than 30 was evicted before a single night, after setting up at about 3pm. To my knowledge, other than a one day action in Swansea it was the first attempt in Wales at a camp. The police were more aggressive than was expected, especially considering that they didn't massively outnumber us and the fact that policing tends to be a bit kinder in Wales. I've heard that when Newport and Cardiff forces went over as backup during the August riots that they stayed for three-weeks for some training from the met, which might explain something. The weather (persistent downpour) massively reduced expected numbers. The figure of protesters is higher than the media estimates, as there was a big congregation of those who didn't want to be arrested up on the pavement above the grass. 6 arrests where made, all released without charge I think, but most of the equipment was confiscated and I don't think has been returned. Hopefully the publicity will just allow for bigger numbers and a permanent camp later in the month, containing more than just the dedicated radical SWP and SP type fringe.

The Council offered an alternative site out of the way, which has no pedestrians and is surrounded by two lanes of traffic (a round-about effectively), so it was voted against moving. They used the fact we were transgressing some 1875 bye-law to evict us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ4LrNoEU2o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhEVi7__nqU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvmjbHCJno0&feature=related

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15703694

[Invader Zim]

That is sad. I would have like to have gone myself. Unfortunately, the transport system in Wales (and my crap wages) makes that an economic impossibility.

[Bronco]

There were a few tents set up there last night, are they giving it another go?