Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)
Did the CA run the wrong campaign. Is there a future if things change?
I've been watching the telly and there have been lots of local farmer and
the like who hunt. I actually feel deeply for them.This is real people
really upset.
I have quite a lot of experience as a direct action protester/organiser on
environmental issues, though I am out of the field for ten years.
I picked up some of these skills in the US of A, where we used the
expression "Astroturf groups". Astroturf is an artificial grass used for
sports fields. We used this expression to contrast ourselves - 'grassroots
groups' with industry organised protest that used ordinary people, but
organised everything from on high..
The CA, despite its look of a grassroots organisation, was, in reality an
Astroturf group, and this was quite clear to me - and others.
Evidence?
The big CA march in London (if I remember) required folk to pay to register,
and that fee was a number of pounds (10 quid?).
Shortly after there was the vast even bigger anti war demo. From what I know
how these are organised, I would be surprised if the central
(dis)organisation spent more than 25 pence a head. Locally our bus up to
London was filled simply by handing out A5 photocopied flyers which were
just distributed as best anyone who took 50 away thought best. Except for
cost of
two coaches - no set fare but donation towards cost being collected on
route - and and a few phone calls, that was the expence.
Sack the position servers of the CA? Sack their bosses? Work out of a barn
on a real farm, not an expensive London office? Pay your volunteer staff £20
above the social security amount for that person if they were unemployed? Go
to London by a cheap bus? Take sleeping bag and sleep on the floor of
someone who you have never before met? .....And get a real grassroots
campaign going?
Theo
Did the CA run the wrong campaign. Is there a future if things change?
I've been watching the telly and there have been lots of local farmer and
the like who hunt. I actually feel deeply for them.This is real people
really upset.
I have quite a lot of experience as a direct action protester/organiser on
environmental issues, though I am out of the field for ten years.
I picked up some of these skills in the US of A, where we used the
expression "Astroturf groups". Astroturf is an artificial grass used for
sports fields. We used this expression to contrast ourselves - 'grassroots
groups' with industry organised protest that used ordinary people, but
organised everything from on high..
The CA, despite its look of a grassroots organisation, was, in reality an
Astroturf group, and this was quite clear to me - and others.
Evidence?
The big CA march in London (if I remember) required folk to pay to register,
and that fee was a number of pounds (10 quid?).
Shortly after there was the vast even bigger anti war demo. From what I know
how these are organised, I would be surprised if the central
(dis)organisation spent more than 25 pence a head. Locally our bus up to
London was filled simply by handing out A5 photocopied flyers which were
just distributed as best anyone who took 50 away thought best. Except for
cost of
two coaches - no set fare but donation towards cost being collected on
route - and and a few phone calls, that was the expence.
Sack the position servers of the CA? Sack their bosses? Work out of a barn
on a real farm, not an expensive London office? Pay your volunteer staff £20
above the social security amount for that person if they were unemployed? Go
to London by a cheap bus? Take sleeping bag and sleep on the floor of
someone who you have never before met? .....And get a real grassroots
campaign going?
Theo
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