His feeble “I didn’t mean it like that” follow up also did a nice job of ignoring that his first post was originally called “Hooligans and Climate Campers – what’s the difference?

http://twil.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-win-friends-and-influence.html

(or, less self-promotingly, especially given how rare non-trivial content on my blog is…)

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:http://www.labouronline.org/wibs/167209/?PageId=2a815d3a-a0ad-aa24-01ec-ceb6b6bbd069

It particularly tickled me that he called the follow up “Football and Climate Change – again!” You could almost taste the glee at the idea that nobody had noticed.

‘The problem with the Campers is that no matter how well intentioned and nice they are what they are doing is counterproductive in my opinion. ‘

The guy’s an idiot.

Even if you accept the protests are ‘counterproductive’ or ‘self indulgent’ (and he may have a point) that’s a long way from being a thug.

I think you’re being a bit harsh there, Sunny my son. Its a tenuous segue but he specifically commends the campers beliefs and the fact they are doing something constructive. And as the directly elected mayor of Lewisham, its entirely appropriate for him to grumble about the disruption and waste that the camp might produce. That is his unfortunate role in the proceedings.

Surely the best response to this is for the Climate Campers to – collectively – agree and organise for the complete removal of all rubbish from the site. That would be an eloquent response, and would set a fantastic precedent for future events. Can we seed an appropriate message on the #climatecamp hastag?

Do any oldies recall this sort of stuff being said about those very well-intentioned but messy litter-louts the Ban-the-Bombers?

Not to mention their duffle coats, scraggy beards, sandals and Indian Hemp!

Its a tenuous segue but he specifically commends the campers beliefs and the fact they are doing something constructive.

And then goes to contradict himself.

Climate Campers are like Nazis! When they’re…err.. not.

Surely the best response to this is for the Climate Campers to – collectively – agree and organise for the complete removal of all rubbish from the site.

They’re amazingly clean and try do this anyway. The Mayor is chatting out of his big backside.

“Independent thinker in sector C, press the button”

“Independent thinker in sector C, press the button”

“Independent thinker in sector C, press the button”

Gormless loyalty is the issue. I didn’t hear anything untoward happening at the Climate camp so far. So the idea that there are football hooligans there as a standard cannot be true, otherwise there would be a QED of stabbings, bruisings and no doubt, tazers….

And, secondly, money is not a scientific instrument. It doesn’t follow the path of scientific need. It is a theoretical construct that relates to human neurology. It begins and ends there. If you think that money and science are one and the same, you haven’t been paying attention to the world for the last 10 years!

I’ve just come back from the climate camp, and I have to say it’s really bollocks (in my opinion).
Sure it’s all nice people. I did ask about the perimeter fence and was told it was for their own protection.
I only saw two police there and they were walking around the outside of the perimeter fence.
I spoke to them for a minute about ”the swoop” and not being told of the location, and they seemed to agree that if they’d known where it was to be, then they’d have sent no more police than the have, (which is basicly none).

It’s really small, and when I first walked up out of Blackheath Village into the middle of the heath, I scanned the horizon and could just not see it. It’s in a little corner of the heath, and to be honest, I felt more at home in the funfare that is a few hundred yards away also on the heath.

The funfare is full of working class families with young excited kids of all races wanting to go on the rides and the bouncy castles.
The climate camp is diferent (more boring and sanctimonious) – but they’re still in the setting up stage (oh what fun to build those ”poo” and ”wee” compost toilets – that’s all their doing right now).
As I live so close, I’ll pop over again on sunday and see if its matured and bedded down.

Can I suggest that anyone going to the climate camp, as well as visiting the funfare and walking down into Blackheath village (which is pretty middle class) also checks out very nearby Lewisham. Particularly Lee High Road. (It’s the opposite of climate camp)

I walked from Blackheath to Lewisham this evening – it’s only about a mile.
I looked at all the people at the several bus stops outside Lewisham station and wondered what they would say if they were to walk through the climate camp.
Have they even heard of it? The doctor and nurse (both fron India) who live in my house didn’t have a clue when I mentioned this ”climate camp”.

From what you’ve written above, he doesn’t compare them at all. I’m a huge fan of Liberal Conspiracy but I really disagree with what’s been written here.
In fact, he just sounds a note of caution that the camp may be counter productive, a worthwhile debate

Damon ; Whats your estimate of how many bods were there? The Guardian had two different figures ranging from 500 to 1,000

P Diddy, I was trying to estimate the numbers when I was there. It’s not that easy.

I’d say the 500 figure is closer to the mark. But there are some of them down in the village too and you still see new people turning up with their backpacks and camping gear. (And you can spot them straight away if they’re sitting outside at one of the pubs).

They have three or four areas where people’s personal tents are grouped and I counted a hundred or more in one of them.

As for the fence, even though it doesn’t seem to fit well with the idea of a place that’s meant to be open and welcoming to to everybody, I can see why they might want to have that kind of control over their camp. They didn’t know how the police were going to react. And there is the possibility of harrasment.
At one point a clapped out Lamborghini (or something) pulled off the road that runs along one side of the fence and started revving its engine, then pulling away and kicking up a bit of dirt and grass. Stopping and then doing it again. Clearly trying to be provocative (the arse).