Thursday, December 8th 2011
News: Radiohead
Thom Yorke & Massive Attack Join ‘Terrorist’ Occupy Protestors In London
Flying in the face of a new London Police ruling classifying Occupy protestors as terrorists, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke and Massive Attack‘s 3D del Naja joined the ranks of the city’s peaceful demonstrators – or “Occupy terrorists,” as they’re now called – Tuesday at a party for Occupy London.
The two hugely influential musicians performed a DJ set in the basement of an abandoned office building once owned by multinational investment banking firm UBS, celebrating with holiday cheer among the besieged protestors. This video from The Guardian, posted below, shows all the trappings of a typical gathering among terrorists: a gift exchange, dancing and jolly spirits from wall to wall.
Update: Watch an interview with Yorke and 3D from the gathering below, in which they discuss their thoughts on Occupy:
Earlier this week, London Police announced that it has classified Occupy London protesters as terrorists, enabling authorities to hunt and prosecute dissenters from the corporatocracy as rigorously as someone who would fly planes into skyscrapers.
The new documentation, deeming non-violent, protesting Londoners as national threats is called “Terrorism/extremism update for the City of London business community,” and according to The Guardian “included a detailed account of recent and upcoming Occupy London activities and was sent to ‘trusted partners’ in the area.”
Countless artists and public figures have spoken out in support of the Occupy movement since its beginning on September 17, with several making personal appearances and even performing at the gatherings. Read words of support from Roger Waters, Tom Morello & Immortal Technique, an incendiary poem by Rage Against The Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha and an essay on what it means to inform and involve yourself by Far frontman Jonah Matranga.
For further information on Occupy’s motivations, check out an essay of mine on Media Roots from October, when the movement was just beginning to gain real steam and the media blackout dam on the protests was beginning to show signs of cracking.
Thanks to Death and Taxes for the tip/photo!
So basically the movement here has been taken over by hipsters and ‘it’ kids. A social movment? A cultural thing? Fuck that, the protest is about the failure of capitalism and greed. I hope this doesn’t get blurred by meaningless bullshit.
Meaningless bullshit is bound to come with a lateral movement like this. It’s bound to be thick with shit-talking bumper sticker repeaters. What movement isn’t? But that’s not at all the core or true representation of the movement, and I see nothing wrong with a symbolic show of support by artists whose fanbase may be inspired to start a conversation about the experience, and thus the movement itself.
I was in London on the steps of St Pauls Cathedral and the people protesting there were not those assholes in that vid.
Look at the vid at 1:51 and tell me they were stood out freezing their tits off on the streets of London. My issue isn’t with Thom Yorke and 3D but rather those fucking kids who say every sentence in the form of a question like that one at 2:25. I lolled hard.
No problem with bands getting involved, even if it is to sell a few more units like they did for Live 8.
God dammit. Fuck the hypocrites in the London Police.
Im sure Canada and the US will soon follow in their footsteps here. Welcome to the new 1st world where dissent = terrorism.
Fuck da police comin’ straight out da underground….