Books on the march. Click image to see more.
As the student occupation at University College London gathers pace, a Twitter-generated flash mob scuffles with police outside Topshop (“Philip Green’s taxation could pay for EDUCATION”) in Oxford Circus. Police tell the protesters to move on because it’s private property. The protesters demand to see the deeds to the pavement. The indefatigable Laurie Penny, heading up the protest and now leading the march up to UCL, where she is going to deliver a talk with Suzanne Moore, tweets: “Topshop employee: ‘please, destroy the store for us! Company profits are up nineteen percent and our yearly bonus was just five pounds’.”
I am cheering them on, as much as I can be in complete silence at my desk, working from home because of the tube strike, but a little bit frustrated, as I’m sitting at my desk in complete silence, working from home… and one of my slippers has weirdly disappeared and is now completely lost… But fast! Word comes in of a student protest last week in Italy, where the students armed themselves with shields representing real books! What a great idea. As the novelists’ collective the Wu Ming Foundation puts it:
Students and teachers on the war path. Riots and demonstrations all over the country. High schools and universities occupied by the students. Violent clashes with the police in front of the Senate. Berlusconi’s education reform is encountering blatant opposition, and the fact that the government is in crisis makes the movement raise its multifarious head even more. This afternoon, in Rome, students confronted the cops while carrying shields with book titles on them. The meaning was: it is culture itself that’s resisting the cuts; books themselves are fighting the police.
Moby Dick: they practically could have just used the book, and not bothered with the shield. #Solidarity indeed.
And having just opened the balcony door for a second (ironic that I’m annoyed that I can’t go outside because I’m sitting in waiting for an electric heater to be delivered, but it is the sad truth; even in the office you’re allowed to get some fresh air at lunch time) I can tell you it’s flipping cold out there: full marks to those kids for sitting on the pavement.
(Oh, and a tip of the bonnet to Edward Mackay, who sent me the link.)
Dear Katy
Eat your heart out, 1968! I bet it’s colder here in Wales. The temperature has dropped to minus 17 at night in some parts. Laurie Penny is an inspiration to all bloggers. She started out as an ordinary blogger and is now employed by the Guardian and New Statesman. Why hasn’t that happened to you… yet?
Best wishes from Simon
Italy+books+violent protest : makes me think ‘Savanarola’.
The Paris-domiciled Mitford wrote (from her window, of the 1968 student riots in the cold. There was, however, a pig having a bad time so I missed what came after that.
I think Mr Green’s taxes SHOULD be spent on education, and bless all demonstrators for doing it for me.
If, indeed, the footpath is Private Property then Land Tax would be levied on it.
and don’t you just know it isn’t!
Tipped right back, Katy – here’s alive action version I was sent today:
http://video.corriere.it/gli-scontri-roma/9e918ba6-fcb0-11df-8fb3-00144f02aabc