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annoyed anarchist's definitions

N30

November 30th, 2000, and the protests which took place on that day.

This was the biggest and best day of protests at the Seattle WTO summit (aka "Battle of Seattle" and, in media-whorespeak, "Seattle Riots"). There were also protests elsewhere on that day - e.g. at Euston Station in London (the first recorded use of the pigpen tactic against anti-capitalists, as cops tried to pen everyone into the station). Not very well-organised this time. A cop van got torched and this became an iconic image.
The N30 protests thrust anti-capitalism into the view of the world media for the first time.
by annoyed anarchist May 1, 2004
mugGet the N30mug.

twatface

Tony Blair: opportunity blah blah blah new blah blah responsibility oink oink blah blah

Me: Fuck off, twatface.
by annoyed anarchist May 1, 2004
mugGet the twatfacemug.

confiscation

Theft, when it is carried out by the state or by other authoritarian agents.

The pigs invented this word, which sounds fancy and official, so they can keep on pretending to be consistently against theft when really they're the biggest thieves of all.
Police confiscated (i.e. stole) sound equipment because it was used in a rave which the cops didn't like.
by annoyed anarchist April 27, 2004
mugGet the confiscationmug.

pigpen

Tactic used by police, in which protests are smashed by police coercing protesters into a small space and then keeping them there by surrounding them and attacking anyone who tries to break out or asks to leave. Normally combined with verbal abuse and periodic baton charges against the protesters. It is basically a form of inhumane and extrajudicial imprisonment.

Those held in pigpens often include not only protesters of all descriptions (and not only the ones cops claim to be targeting), and also anyone else who's on the scene, e.g. tourists, journalists, shoppers, local residents.

The tactic has been used fairly regularly by British police against anti-capitalist protesters at events such as Mayday, Disarm DSEi and also at animal rights protests (all of which rely on small numbers of mobile people in small groups to cause disruption).

Referred to as "corralling" in pig-speak; pigpen is the usual term used by protesters. I've also heard it referred to as a kettle, because it's identical to the tactic by this name which was used by the Russian army in Stalingrad.
On Mayday 2001, protesters and assorted others were kept in a pigpen for over 8 hours (with the exception of a large contingent who, led by the White Overall contingent, the Wombles, managed to break out). There were no toilets, no proper medical facilities and it was pouring with rain, and cops made periodic attacks on the crowd, forcing people closer together. There was a real danger of a Hillsborough-style crush, although the real purpose of the attacks seems to be to get "riot" footage to put on the news, so as to make excuses for the cop violence.

Those oppressed by the pigs in this way included also a large number of shoppers on Oxford Street, workers who were returning home, and even two German tourists who cops wouldn't let leave even when they showed their plane tickets - they missed their flight as a result.
by annoyed anarchist May 1, 2004
mugGet the pigpenmug.

zetoc

Electronic table of contents of the British Library. This is the website to visit if you want to find out all the journal articles which have been published on a particular subject since the late 90s. The only problem is, you need an Athens username and password to get in. But if you can get on a university campus and use a computer there, it should be OK.

Problem: you put in an author's name, and get 1652 references - only then do you realise that there's 150 authors with the same obscure name. It would help if you could search by topic.
The address is zetoc.mimas.ac.uk or something like that.
by annoyed anarchist May 1, 2004
mugGet the zetocmug.

Mayday

Day of international resistance and solidarity against capitalism.

Originally a day of carnivalesque suspension of the social order of work and control, prevalent among peasant communities in mediaeval Europe. A continuation of earlier pagan festivities which continued in a syncretic way during the Christian era, with rituals such as the maypole retained. (This was originally a pagan fertility ritual).

It became a focus of international resistance for two reasons: firstly, because the campaign for Mayday to be made into a holiday was an important early campaign of the workers' movement, and secondly and more importantly, because of the Haymarket martyrs, anarchists stitched up over a bombing at a protest.
It has become an important focal point for resistance in recent years in countries such as Britain and Australia, and for a longer time in Germany. Anarchist, anti-capitalist and direct action events have been organised, as well as left-wing demonstrations and parades.
by annoyed anarchist May 5, 2004
mugGet the Maydaymug.

reasonable force

Police slang for "being as fucking violent as you like".
Police denied that the death in custody was a result of police brutality, saying they restrained the suspect using reasonable force.
by annoyed anarchist May 1, 2004
mugGet the reasonable forcemug.

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