The difficulties of getting arrested...
Life not Money at the LSE Campaign diary post no 6
So I’m sitting down blocking a public highway on our third attempt in 24 hours to break the law and get ourselves arrested. To break bail and be imprisoned. To get in the press and show that the London School of Economics would rather send students and campaigners to jail rather than sit down and talk about taking action on the extreme inequality at the school.
A policeman comes over to me. I am breaking the law and will be arrested if I don’t move. I have practiced my lines: “I will not move but I will not resist you moving me”. I explain I would like to be handcuffed with my hands in front of my body rather than behind. That’s fine. I am looking forward to getting stuck into my book – Autobiography of Martin Luther King (what else?) - in the police van.
Then nothing happens. After two hours we get up, walk past several riot vans full of police and go off and have some tea.
Analysis: When presented with fearless and escalating civil disobedience the opposition is presented with an acute lose lose dilemma – repress the protesters and face reputational damage or do nothing and give ground. The LSE elites cannot afford to have protesters in prison and will go to any length – including directing police officers to disregard their public duties – to stop the world knowing their big secret – liberal progressive institution on the outside – vicious corporate extortion racket on the inside.
The upshot – we are free to chalk and block roads around LSE without fear of arrest.
Strange old world.
