Roger Gough

I think getting involved at the sharp end is a great idea. Can we get a corps of volunteers to attend A&E's at hospitals to discover if health tourism really is an urban myth? (SG. Not a joke).

Hereward the Wake

The only people Bush serves are his wealthy cronies who fund his campaign.

He has sent almost 2000 of his own young people to die in an immoral war. He allows water companys to put unlimited amounts of arsenic in the drinking water. He is destroying the enviroment. He gives tax breaks to companies for sending jobs overseas.

You are right about Blair putting everyone else first, however.
[/quote]

arden forester

Yes, and Hereward, there was an American guy on BBC News24 yesterday, who admitted, or blurted out, that Bush couldn't get the troops home because the oil wasn't running yet! Just about sums it all up. It was and is and always will be about oil until we realise that the American economy is driven on oil and the US President has mortgaged his term in office to this fact!

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mkpdavies

Right. Time for a formation of a UKIP media team then methinks, that will try and get a few people to these events and prepare UKIP reports on them.

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lkelly

I would like to do that, but I can't afford the video equipment. I would still like to do it, though.

Can UKIP funds buy the equipment?

mkpdavies

We don't need that much equipment. Camcorder is all that's really necessary. Doesn't have to be ITV standard to start with.

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Anthony Butcher

It would be quite interesting to use a hidden camera and microphone so that people don't necessarily know they are being filmed; especially the police.

lkelly

I think it would be interesting enough to attract people to the site.

social observer

Having been on the receiving end of a few of these can I give you some tips.

1/ Police always work on the theory that they are on film, because (as Anthony pointed out) video equipment is dirt cheap nowadays and the media will have a lot of spare footage that they never show.

2/ Us cops don't have a problem with being filmed (try to get my good profile!) But we don't appreciate having a videcam shoved in our faces, especially when we are trying to concentrate on other things (like avoiding bricks) I'm sure most people would feel the same. So try to exercise a little restraint. Some protesters regard a camera as some sort of close range weapon. I'm sure you would be sensible.

3/ We have our own video crews (called evidence gatherers) who are there to try and capture incidents and behaviour. Don't worry if its filming you, they are only interested in you if you have a petrol bomb in your back pocket or a mask on.

4/ Be aware of your own safety. If protesters even think you are not on their side that camera will be filming parts of your anatomy you never knew existed. And police will not likely be able to surge in to rescue you. So don't get separated, stay in groups of two or three with one always scouting out a fast exit for you just in case. Don't stand near plate glass windows, you can easily get pushed through them.

5/ It will be an eye opener for you, ever see the ubiquitous protester holding a bloody rag to their head claiming to have been beaten up by police? If you're lucky you'll see that old gag from start to finish (Standard issue blood soaked rags ready to be held to head when a media crew are about). Amazingly enough these people never turn up at the hospitals.

6/ Contrary to popular belief, most cops actually enjoy policing protest marches, rallies etc, usually because most of them are good natured, have a point and can be fun too for everyone. If you see someone plucked out of an otherwise good natured crowd it's likely to be a known trouble maker or an attempt to nip trouble in the bud. So try filming the area just behind where the person was arrested, you'll see the 'real organiser' quietly slipping back away from police lines after winding up their sacrificial lamb.

7/ If trouble breaks out, its very likely you will capture good evidence that police evidence gatherers won't. After the dust has settled, a personal plea is that you make a copy available to the evidence team (you can always pass it to them a few days later if the disorder was serious enough). We like neutral evidence and so do courts.

8/ I won't pretend that occasionally one of the blue brethren never steps over the mark. But try to bear in mind that after several hours of having abuse shouted at you, threats to burn down your house, and people shouting that your wife should die of cancer, your patience does tend to wear a little thin. throw in a good bombardment of bricks, road signs, paving slabs, bottles of urine, used sanitory towels, darts, and any other ammo they can lay their hands on (garden gnome once!) and to the impartial observer, an individual officer's actions can look a lttle extreme.

(If you don't believe that lot gets thrown at us, you're welcome to come and stand at the front next time)

9/ If you come to any protests in Cambridgeshire, before it starts, say hello to us, we are quite friendly really. Especially me (the one in galsses who can't break the habit of keeping his hands in his pockets)


Other than that, have fun and welcome to the dance.

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social observer

I forgot to mention something else too, If you get filmed by any media outlet and you are anywhere near that crowd, regardless of whether you support eh protest or not, you will be shown to be a sympathiser.

After all, you know just how impartial the BBC would be if they saw UKIP members in a protest that went t*ts up.

Suggest you have a carefully worded rebuttal, just in case.

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