What? You’re not allowed to participate in democratic protest if you’re a civil servant? Don’t believe you.
You’re not allowed be a member of a political party or pressure group (conflicts of interest and all that). Strictly speaking, I probably could take part in the protest but it would be a bit iffy. Overall, I’m comfortable enough with this as you have to be seen to have no axe to grind when you develop and make recommendations on public policy. Of course, Ireland’s foreign policy vis-a-vis the Iraq question has nothing to do with my currrent day to day work but I could be transferred to the Department of Foreign Affairs tomorrow.
Or Defence 
I’ve a palestinian scarf and I could find a starry plough if you want to remain hidden in the crowd. 
Ah well, she’s only semi-state, so I’d say she’ll be grand.
So are we marching drunk or is that happening after. A baton smack isn’t as painful with some drink in ya.
Remember what happen to the last major non farmer/taxi driver protest?
Pre/post.
why not both?
I might be on for a drink afterwards - I don’t think there’s anything in the rule book about fraternising with idealists;).
I’m bringing my mum and she doesn’t do pubs, so no drink for me.
would she drink along the way?
Give her a coupla cans of Spesh or some flagons of Scrumpy Jack and she’ll probably join in with “kill the Bill” and so on.
Awww, too bad I can’t go and stalk jjimm and jjimm Mum in person. If there is a jimmSO, I could put her on the stalking list as well.
/apologies to jr8
Heck, you people leave me wishing for a time machine so that **if ** I had had the internet and the SDMB when I lived in London, the place might have seemed more sociable. Bah! Dublin, too, seems to have more Dopers than Glasgow, but since I have not had the pleasure of living there, it doesn’t pain me so much.
I wonder why this lack of Dopers in Glasgow. Hmmm.
Oh, and I too, detest the shouty, “Socialist Worker” types, but if we let them put us off… well - what demo ever would have anyone attending it?
<interesting consipracy theory>
Since that lot are rather good at dissuading many people from going to demos (yes, I know we do not all have the same causes all the time, but they get everywhere like cockroaches), I wonder what purpose they do actually serve. Hehehe - they’re all in the pay of “the man”, methinks!
</conspiracy theory>
Just smile sort of blankly or beatifically at them and tell them to “Keep it Fluffy” - that should piss them off a bit.
The SWP working for “the man”? You mean Nigel, Crispin and Julian are really part of the Establishment?!? You astonish me!
Bump, to ask a) who’s coming on the London march, and b) what plans, if any, they have to meet in a pub and drink to the confusion of warmongers.
a) Me, and possibly the wife
b) I’ll be at the Silver Moon at the Tralfagar Square end of Whitehall from around 1230 until the big parade goes by (so to speak). If the downstairs is open, I’ll grab a table down there. Anyone wishing to join me is most welcome.
How ironic: usually the English drink to “Confusion to France”.
Any non-posting readers out there interested in knowing that the Glasgow plan is assemble 10.00 at Glasgow Green, then march to the SECC (where Blair is addressing Labour Party Spring Conference, with the intention of surrounding the place?
(Well, it’s worth a try)
Ah well…the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley, and the half-assed ones even more so. I didn’t get to the pub (which is actually the Silver Cross) until 2pm, having spent twenty minutes just trying to get out of Waterloo station and environs, and the better part of another hour trying to get across the river.
I eventually walked over Lambeth Bridge (Waterloo, Hungerford and Westminster Bridges being closed) and joined the crowd in front of Parliament (once the police decided to let people in).
Egads, there were a lot of people there…