Occupy Cardiff
The Occupy Cardiff movement started with a huge whiz and lots of positive energy by all those involved. The Occupy Cardiff movement is one in dozens of “occupy” movements that are taking place all across the globe.
The 99%ers believe that the 1% that controls the vast majority of the wealth, resources and power in the world are the ones who are manipulating that power. In the wake of the economic crisis caused by banks and being bailed out by public money, the public has seen their money shrink and their costs of living go up, while wages remain the same. Some people are forced to choose between paying for heating or food, while bankers live it up on their bonuses and politicians start illegal wars. The most prominent Occupy movement is currently taking place in New York; thousands are there, and as a part of the global 99%, people are occupying their cities and demanding reforms, change and more power.
There was such a glow in the atmosphere, a positive tranquillity within the camp in the afternoon. Positive until, of course, the police, and a senior council officer who served us the eviction notice showed up, along with local councillor Neil McEvoy. McEvoy tried to proclaim this whole movement was really one of “Welsh independence” and that if we were independent we wouldn’t have any of these problems. He offered a space on a glorified roundabout on Callaghan Square to “support the cause” but when his suggestion was dismissed, he walked off. Can’t blame the people for not wanting to take his suggestion; of course, wouldn’t you be angry if a Welsh nationalist tried to hijack your cause?
I was at the camp until I no longer felt comfortable with the very large number of police, and the intimidating behaviour of some of them. A strong police presence surrounded the place, and a large proportion of the police carried Tasers. Some were even on horseback. Is this necessary for peaceful protest on the grounds of a castle in the centre of a sleepy city? Tasers were introduced as weapons by police to subdue any violence in the situation where they would be subjected to lethal weapons like guns.
First trying to evict the people on the ‘public ground’ of the Castle (that was given by the Marquis of Bute to the people of Cardiff) under an 1875 byelaw, they soon realised that the ultimate fine for trespassing under this byelaw was £2. It was a senior council officer and a colleague of McEvoy’s who read out the eviction. However, in light of the £2, it was back to the drawing board, and they came up with a law from the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994; a piece of legislation that was written into parliament to stop travellers and ravers, essentially. In the last moments leading up to the eviction in heavy rain, people chanted- for the first time ever in Welsh- ‘Nid yw’r y 99%’; we are the 99%.
Six were arrested, and two charged; one of them was a 17 year old who is a vegetarian and a pacifist. And why were they arrested? Because they refused to move from a small patch of grass that the police deemed an “illegal protest”. Thus, South Wales police violated sections 10 and 11 of Freedom of Assembly under the Human Rights Constitution enshrined in EU Law, and therefore in UK Law under the 1998 Human Rights Act. Although, if you’re a multimillion pound corporation, you’re still OK to lease some of the grounds.
A meeting took place on Monday night to see where the group could go. Neil McEvoy came along, and branded some of the people there “extremists”; extremists for being the 99%, extremists for not wanting him to hijack their cause, or extremists for laughing him off in public? He was eventually escorted out by the owner of the pub in which the meeting took place. He’s recently made contact with local paper, the South Wales Echo, about the movement. What he said is unknown, apart from the fact that he claims South Wales Police wouldn’t arrest the campers.
Occupy Cardiff is getting into murky depths as councillors try and hijack its cause and the South Wales Police use unjust tactics to provoke violence to damn the movement. However, with movements going on in more than 80 countries and over a 100 cities, Occupy Cardiff isn’t gone just yet. They’ve arranged a lobby of Cardiff Council at 3.30pm this Thursday at City Hall, and there are plans for another camp in the very, very near future.
[Disclaimer: As with everything on theSprout, the views expressed in articles are those of the author and are not necessarily those of theSprout. We're like Switzerland or something and we're currently contacting Cllr McEvoy and South Wales Police for an official response. In the meantime, if you disagree with anything, please feel free to use the comments section and/or write a reply article. Keep it above the belt though yeah?]
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Additional Reporting Credits
Photos: DanCLIC
Video: Red1224
4 Comments – Postiwch sylw
Pasternak
Rhoddwyd sylw 6 mis yn ôl - 16th November 2011 - 16:53pm
Thanks for writing this. I was watching the protest - which was entirely peaceful - until myself and the other observers were forcibly moved off the pavement by mounted police. I agree the police approach was needlessly heavy-handed (particularly as I wasn't even on the castle grounds, I was just watching!).
I think overall this is a great article, but you may wish to consider losing the line "who is a vegetarian". I understand what you're trying to say about them having a code of ethics which fit in with pacifism, but I think it currently reads as if a person's diet somehow is a factor in whether or not they should be arrested. Don't forget that Hitler was a vegetarian. ;)
Sprout Editor
Rhoddwyd sylw 6 mis yn ôl - 16th November 2011 - 17:06pm
Please note the two changes to the article due to an error:
'the councillor who served us the eviction' has been changed to 'the senior council officer who served us the eviction' and 'It was a councillor and a colleague of McEvoy’s who read out the eviction' has been changed to 'It was a senior council officer and a colleague of McEvoy’s who read out the eviction'.
pygmyputsch
Rhoddwyd sylw 6 mis yn ôl - 16th November 2011 - 23:12pm
Agree with Pasternak. What does being vegetarian - or a pacifist for that matter - have to do with whether or not you should be arrested?
JazzHands
Rhoddwyd sylw 6 mis yn ôl - 17th November 2011 - 11:09am
To be fair vegetarians are too weak to put up much of a fight #TrollAlert