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DISRUPTERS DISRUPTED
Several readers have forwarded this London Times story:
When 35 Greenpeace protesters stormed the International Petroleum Exchange yesterday, they had planned the operation in great detail.
What they were not prepared for was the post-prandial aggression of oil traders who kicked and punched them back on to the pavement.
“We bit off more than we could chew. They were just Cockney barrow boy spivs. Total thugs,� one protester said, rubbing his bruised skull. “I’ve never seen anyone less amenable to listening to our point of view.�
Another said: “I took on a Texan Swat team at Esso last year and they were angels compared with this lot.� Behind him, on the balcony of the pub opposite the IPE, a bleary-eyed trader, pint in hand, yelled: “Sod off, Swampy.�
Greenpeace had hoped to paralyse oil trading at the exchange in the City near Tower Bridge on the day that the Kyoto Protocol came into force. “The Kyoto Protocol has modest aims to improve the climate and we need huge aims,� a spokesman said.
They want to paralyse trading, and they’re complaining about violence?
heh. i’d love to see them show up on the coffee ring in ny…they’d get a good whumpin’ here too!
Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2005 02 17 at 09:45 AM • permalinkI can well remember the City’s reaction to the first May Day anti-globalisation protest a couple of years ago.
The traders and salesmen were getting annoyed with the sanctimonous preaching of the hippies, so started colour photocopying thousands of £50 notes and shovelling them out of the windows over the hippies with cries of ‘get a job’, ‘this is the only time you’ll see a note this large’, etc. A true classic.
For the next couple of years, they wouldn’t let us out of the bank on May Day if the hippies were around ...Posted by Aussie in London on 2005 02 17 at 09:46 AM • permalinkSo who wants to join me in storming a Greenpeace office to hang a “Sod off, Swampy!” banner?
Posted by withcheese on 2005 02 17 at 11:25 AM • permalinki’m getting that put on t-shirts, fad. i love it.
Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2005 02 17 at 11:33 AM • permalinkNot really surprising which side ran out of gas first…
Posted by Jim Treacher on 2005 02 17 at 11:35 AM • permalinkhey, you’re living dangerously with that one, rob. i happen to know a Tree Hugging Sister who would not be amused…
Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2005 02 17 at 12:11 PM • permalinkWell, it’s no NY Construction Workers’ Riot, but not bad for a bunch of suits…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 02 17 at 12:13 PM • permalinkPost-Prandial? They were half-charged after a couple of tubes at the pub. I reckon London’s about the only financial centre left that accepts, and often encourages, a pint or four at lunch.
Posted by Aussie in London on 2005 02 17 at 01:09 PM • permalinkYeah, I’m with you, Steve. I’ve got a grin on my face knowing that some snotty-nosed middle-class pom has been thumped by some football hooligan who wasn’t ‘amenable’ to his point of view!
Posted by Aussie in London on 2005 02 17 at 01:35 PM • permalinkInteresting point about the working class and slacker tools, Nightfly.
Slacker tools like to go on about the workers and how much they support them. Indeed, how working class they are themselves.
The trouble is the “workers” don’t generally support the same values as the slackers at all. Of course, the tools then accuse the working class of being tools of the capitalists (thus suggesting the workers can’t make up their own minds).
Never underestimate the importance of the thrill of violence to the rabid demonstrator. Remember a few years ago attending a protest about some b/s or another and the thuggish atmosphere was quite frightening.
One young woman attempted to kick a door in and the look of excitement and joy on her face was shocking to behold.
Posted by Major Anya on 2005 02 17 at 02:38 PM • permalinkI’m gonna dump a gallon of high test on somebody’s lawn. Then I’ll go home and pump Ethel.
Posted by Gary from Jersey on 2005 02 17 at 02:56 PM • permalinkThe traders have $605 million reasons and counting to pound the snot out of these watermelons.
CheersPosted by papertiger on 2005 02 17 at 03:24 PM • permalinkActually the use of the word “barrow boy spivs� shows that these swampies really are a little confused.
“Barrow boys” originally referring to person who works at a fruit and veg from a wheel barrow but now refers to lower class Eastenders/del boy types . It has connotations of someone from the wrong side of the tracks whose learnt their business skills through buying and selling things since they were a child.
“spiv� means a well dressed con man – or at least some one who cons by pretending to be “above� their station in some way – originally it’d be the sort of person who pretended to be a Lord in order to rip of say suit sellers by buying on credit – nowadays it might refer to say someone exaggerating their qualifications.
What he trying means by “barrow boy spivs� is I think that they are lower class folk who some how got their jobs through some sort of deceit – by which the swampy is probably referring to the fraudulent system which common in the City of London – I think its called something like a meritocracy or getting paid what your worth
So that’s a spiv. Thanks, giles.
Anyone else notice that in this case the term seems a better fit to the protesters than the gainfully employed?
Darlene, your point about the “thrill of violence” is well-taken. I’m personally wondering if the door-kicker is at all aghast at the thought of professional soldiers fighting her nation’s enemies. For the life of me I can’t understand how mob violence is somehow preferable or more noble.
You can’t help but feel glad that the traders showed the professional protesters that they weren’t going to be pushed around any longer.
It’s probably because I’m in the US (ground zero for lawsuits) that I can’t help but wonder if the protesters will turn around and sue the traders?
Posted by CJosephson on 2005 02 17 at 05:47 PM • permalinkCJ - reading the article I think that’s unlikely - it says that IPE is considering action against Greenpeace for disruption of business, which would, I think be a multi million dollar action.
By contrast in the UK (which doesn’t have punitive damages) the likely award to someone who doesn’t have a job (no loss of earnings) but gets his jaw broken is just a couple of thousand.
So I suspect that Greenpeace are telling their members not to antagonize the IPE by threatening litigation . :)
All together now:
“Just a perfect day,
Trade oil on the Petroleum Exchange floor,
And then later, when the time is four,
We go home.
Just a perfect day,
Make some protesters cry boo hoo,
Then later, abuse them, too,
And then home.Oh it’s such a perfect day,
I’m glad I spent it at work.
Oh such a perfect day,
You just keep me hanging on,
You just keep me hanging on.Just a perfect day,
Protesters not left alone,
Traders hold their own.
It’s such fun.
Just a perfect day,
You made me forget myself.
I thought I was someone else,
Someone good.Oh it’s such a perfect day,
I’m glad I spent it at work.
Oh such a perfect day,
You just keep me hanging on,
You just keep me hanging on.You’re going to reap just what you sow,
You’re going to reap just what you sow,
You’re going to reap just what you sow,
You’re going to reap just what you sow… “I suspect that Swampy feels comfortable using the sneering term Barrow Boy because it represents Very Small Business rather than Big Union that Swampy likes to tooth the pillow for.
It took the mighty French a Secret Service dispatch and a kit of explosives (resulting in a single pointless murder) to show their displeasure at Greenies.
But these lads lead the way with spontaneous, non-fatal but satisfying biffo.
Sod off Swampy. Who’s got the copyright?
OH MY GOD!
How I wish I were there! All I’d have to do is remember how infuriated I was at the sight of Greenpeace (strange label) protestors, with identities obscured, STORMING on to someone’s farm to DESTROY private property which was part of a controlled scientific trial of GMOs. They were in effect, destroying knowledge! They reminded me of what it must of been like when people of the new world had all their science and literature destroyed by religious fanatics, which is exactly what Greenpeace are! Secular fanatics! Like I said, all I’d have to do is recall my anger watching Greenpeace tear up that field, and I could’ve taken “care” of a few myself!
And I know this is going to be a contentious remark but here goes…
That Italian trash the Iraqi “insurgents” are currently holding hostage…now that really is rough JUSTICE! She’s one of those who foolishly thought that just because she was on THEIR side and because she was there to help undermine America’s efforts in Iraq, that those killers would naturally go easy on her, like they did with SBS ARSEHOLE John Martinkus. Now she’s tied up with a knife at her throat, just like those others she callously thought had rightly died. I say, in the immortal words of Nelson Muntz…HA HA!!!giles:
Thanks for the info..
In the US the protesters would probably sue the individual traders PLUS the exchange (the exchange would have the ‘deep pockets’).
Posted by CJosephson on 2005 02 17 at 08:23 PM • permalinkReaders might recall that there was a particular individual who called himself ‘Swampy’ (real name Daniel Hooper), who basically buried himself in a tunnel to prevent some trees being cut down, some years ago. He enjoyed a brief pop celebrity. His name, like that of Herostratus, or Eddie the Eagle, has become a byword.
Tim left out the very best part:
“They grabbed us and started kicking and punching. Then when we were on the floor they tried to push huge filing cabinets on top of us to crush us.�
Ohhhh yeah.
Posted by Aaron - Freewill on 2005 02 17 at 09:01 PM • permalink“I ran into Saudi police while stealing equipment from an oil company office in Riyadh, and they were sweet-face cherubic choirboys compared to this lot,” said one protestor, known to his companions as ‘Stumpy’
They don’t like being on the receiving end, do they?
“I’ve never seen anyone less amenable to the idea of standing by while we wreck the joint”
Mind you, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that the Greenpeace weenies are embellishing the story a bit, so they have grounds to press charges.
Someone pointed out that the lady in the Times photo was, perhaps, a little, celluloidally challenged. In my experience, (which is fairly limited, in truth) the best looking ladies don’t care for acts of violence in the alleged cause of social justice. I can’t imagine anything worse than being with a woman into that sort of thing. That’s not being sexist, either. I’d hate to be with a man into it, too. There’s something deeply boring about that sort of person in my opinion. Partying is well more fun!
Here’s hoping that the day-traders don’t end up “nicked” themselves. We all know that the Crown doesn’t approve of self-defense, particularly when it’s so effective.
And consider that this comes one day after the Reuters story about the (assisted) suicide bomber in Iraq who was beaten to death by his intended victims before he had a chance to reach for the loud button. So here’s also hoping that this is the start of a delicious trend…
Dont worry Wes - the guys in the black morias were all Greenpeace - which tells me that the PC’s on the spot had a fairly clear impression about who the trouble makers were. Of course GP can try and launch private prosecutions but these rarely succeed so I think the IPE boys are probably in the clear.
I’m trying to work out how to translate “Sod off Swampy” into Chinese so I can send a fax to the Hong Kong office. It’s a tricky one to say the least…
The wonderful thing about Chinese is that the ‘ze’ of Mao Zedong (the second character - 毛泽东) also means swamp. Is this what they mean when they say “kill two birds with one stone”?
Hanyu — That’s because Chinese Communism is a quagmire, son!
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 02 18 at 01:41 AM • permalinkAnton Freewill — But did they wear suggestive clothing at them? Were there trash bags involved? Leashes?
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 02 18 at 01:43 AM • permalinkSpeaking of the law being on the side of the ratbags, take a look at the complicity between the Victorian Police Bicycle Squad and the ratty Critical Mass cycle group who are riding rampant with police assistance.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12260096%5E25717,00.htmlA spokeswoman from IPE said the trading floor reopened at 3.10pm. “The floor was invaded by a small group of protesters,� she said. “Open outcry trading was suspended but electronic trading carried on.�
Actually these floor traders are a threatened species as markets move increasingly from open outcry to electronic trading. They should be nurtured by environmentalists like wild animals.
Salim told me about this is libelouswoghateblog. He says it’s:
Neo-conservative: Exact opposite of a conservative. Neo-cons are the Bolsheviks of the Right. Like Bolsheviks, they appear in restrained groups driven by a simple ideology ... it is not unreasonable to place them among the last true Marxists, since they believe in the inevitability of class warfare, which they are certain they can win by provoking it while they have power. jrs
Tim and his beastly administrator are the hammer and sickle on a banner of propaganda. We find them daily, mouthing the Neo-conservative formulae, expressing cynicism as if it is mere jest and not an aggressive attitude aborting any real debate.
There is aggression but no courage here. There is carping but no free speech. “Shut up”, they whimper; “Bye-bye”, they cry - as they eject any criticism in the rush to salve themselves in their little dissent free closed shop. They never take on a contest. Weak and gutless, they seek the comfort of consensus amongst cretins pretending to be conservative but not really knowing what it is. There is no honour here; there is only cowardice.
Posted by SalimsCuz1 on 2005 02 18 at 06:58 AM • permalinkSalim, I say bring the “debate” (anyone know who makes the loudest rape alarms?) to Greenpeace meetings. Who else wants to make the effort?
The only people talking about class are those who say “barrow boy spivs”. I can only conclude the left want to ban guns because they keep shooting themselves in the foot!
This Salim creature has registered four different times. He has the honor of not simply being banned, but having his membership deleted four different times, and his IPs have been banned. Ignore him.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2005 02 18 at 08:02 AM • permalinkhe takes a chug from his beer, then looks over at Salim with a jaundiced eye and says,
Sod off swampy.
Posted by papertiger on 2005 02 18 at 09:52 AM • permalinkWe must make the T-shirt “Sod off Swampy!” We should have a design competition.
I’ll be back in Australia in a few months and will look into it. If any of you have any good designs let me know and we can go into business together selling these things. Christ, we could make millions off Swampy’s back… love it.
Posted by Karl Fidel Adams-Kingston on 2005 02 18 at 12:39 PM • permalinkSorry, giles, but forget it. His first two attempts to register were with fake emails, so of course he didn’t get out of the pending list. When it finally occurred to the butthead to use a real goddamn email, he took the opportunity to say something nasty and uncalled for. So I deleted his third ID. Then, not long after that, I got a notification that he had tried to sign up again (yes, I get emailed every time a new person signs up). And he went onto my blog and left a whiny comment in my moderation queue, which I of course deleted. And I haven’t even bothered to say anything about his pointless, off-topic when they weren’t totally incomprehensible other comments. In short. “Salim”-whatever needs a life. Tim isn’t running a hostel for little boys who have trouble coming up with constructive pastimes.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2005 02 18 at 02:25 PM • permalinkAnother said: “I took on a Texan Swat team at Esso last year and they were angels compared with this lot.�
I’m sure this Greenpeace “hero” was talking about this protest in Dallas at the Exxon shareholders’ meeting. I don’t think Greenpeace types appreciated the counter protest.
Police in riot gear is not the same as a swat team. I’m sure if they had broken into Exxon’s trading operations they would know the difference.You know, having an obscure site is sometimes a blessing. I don’t think I could handle full-time troll-winnowing. For all you do, Andrea - this fine microbrew’s for you!
Greenpeace is running a commercial of sorts on SBS soliciting donations of $30 a month! They state that, and I quote, “$30 a month will help stop the causes of global warming - while there’s still time.” Now who’s telling lies and seeking to gain from a scare-campaign? Oh, it’s OK when THEY do it! You should see just what they’re taking credit for in this sordid little revenue raising exercise of theirs!
Brian, speaking of donations, whenever I get one of those begging letters from Greenpeace, I stuff the reply-paid envelope full of junk mail (mainly pizza coupons) and send it back to them. I figure they’ll care enough to recycle it properly ;)
Posted by Art Vandelay on 2005 02 19 at 01:40 AM • permalinkSitting in the corner, behind the jukebox, she takes a sip of her Shiner and wonders, “Mebbe we oughta bring in sum of those Brit IPE boys to learn us a thang or two about dealin’ with those dayum tree-huggin’ SOBs. Hayull, if they kin wup-up on those smarmy slackers an’ git away with it without gittin’ sued by every rock-dwellin’, ambulance chasin’, money-grubbin’ lawyer that ever pretended to be a pro-po-nut of liberty an’ justice, those Limeys might COULD teach us Texans a thang or two!”
Admin note: I’ve opened this post at the request of a reader, in reference to this Techcentral Station article.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2005 02 23 at 06:59 PM • permalink“Sod Off Swampy” t-shirts can be found here.
Posted by Mr. Bingley on 2005 02 23 at 07:28 PM • permalink
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My Faith in Capitalism reaffirmed!
I shall wander down the road to the IPE and visit the nearest pub and offer to buy anyone that punched a swampy a drink!
Good for them. The blackshirts were beaten back this time, using their own methods.
Now the IPE traders need to crash a greenpeace conference to continue to get them to listen to their point of view.
Maybe someone should hand out Beurocrash flyers?