While the Countryside March is in town on September 22nd ? new ‘Digger’ Events.
some discussion of ‘doing a digger’, while the countryside alliance are in town. Thought you might like to see, some of my work from the Digger anniversay bash at St Georges hill on Saturday the 3rd of April 1999, to commenerate Gerard Winnstanley and the 350th Anniversary of the Diggers (1st April 1649). http://tash.gn.apc.org/diggers_350.htm
Adding to discussion on the Yahoo ‘Counter-Culture’ Group.
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/CountaCultureUK/message/206
You may be aware that the so-called ‘Countryside March’ is due to take place in London on September 22nd. I hear a group of folks are planning a response to this invasion of the land snatchers in the form of a piece of direct action aimed at one of the Countryside Alliance’s prime movers. It is intend to move onto his estate on the same day he and his toff chums are stomping through London. Once there, to establish an autonomous community in the spirit of Winstanley and the Diggers.
As well as providing the politically appropriate moment to make such a gesture, the occasion of the march gives us a unique window of opportunity; i.e., while the toffs and their army of vassals, gamekeepers and forelock-tuggers are away, we can play!
Had initially assumed that we were the only ones to have this brilliant idea. It now seems that we were somewhat misguided in this conceit. Without being specific, it has come to our notice that other activist groups have also decided to take advantage of the enemy’s absence by organising a number of independent actions aimed at reoccupying our stolen common treasury.
Anyway, all of this has got us thinking and here’s our latest brilliant idea: why not take the May-Day Monopoly concept and apply it to the entire country? Multiple independent actions carried out in a variety of locations across the country by unconnected affinity groups are likely to be easier and far more effective than they ever were within the heavily policed confines of London. The vast (and empty) acres of the countryside on Sept 22nd will provide a fertile environment for autonomous action.
So if you really want to stop the Alliance, don’t go to London to yah-boo them, they’ll be expecting that and they’ll have their police to protect them anyway; no, get out into the countryside and hit them where it really hurts -in their own back yard! If you’re not already involved in something, why not get together with your friends and form your own local action group? After all, you’re not likely to have to travel very far. A huge percentage of the UK is still ‘owned’ by these parasites, there’s bound to be some of them near you.
When planning your demo it is imperative that you avoid falling into the trap of making a generalised attack on the countryside and country folk. To do so would be to do the Alliance’s work for them. Their whole strategy is based on maximising the division between town and country and thus obscuring their real objectives (the maintenance of privilege and land enclosure) by mixing and confusing them with other issues over which many ordinary country dwellers feel real and justified anger. Rather, your action should be aimed at highlighting how the class interests of this minority are opposed to the rest of society. Regardless of whether you’re a farm labourer or an urban factory worker, you have nothing in common with someone who is a millionaire because his ancestors stole his wealth and position for him for him. Small farmers are struggling because of the monopolistic practices of supermarkets, the concentration of subsidies into large farms and the imposition of vile systems of animal husbandry that have led to the catastrophes we are all familiar with. Such people don’t have common interests with the toff who takes the rent. The breaking of this false alliance should be should be the main thrust of our action and should inform everything we do.
