The COVdiots are coming!

A live thread.

The anti-vax, conspiracy theorist are having a demo down on the embankment. I'm heading down there to see how the police react.

#Nottingham

There are worrying signs that the far-right are infiltrating the nutters.

See this tweet from @open_nottingham https://twitter.com/open_nottingham/status/1345466315096678405?s=19

Just arrived, a few minutes after the start time and there is a noisy crowd gathered around the memorial.

There's between 100 - 150 people here with a PA blasting out music and lots of whistles.

Here's a quick vid. (Sorry about the quality).

Very few signs in evidence but I've just been given this leaflet.

Another leaflet full of bollocks.

The crowd is s good mix of ages, many appear in their twenties but notable numbers of OAPs.

There are some Anonymous / V for Vendetta masks in evidence along with a distinct smell of dope.

A guy is on the PA (Terry?) is spouting crap about "waking up" and generally talking crap about the world government.

As well as reporting on the protest I've come down as part of an art project for my degree.

The project is about resistance to power and protest. As I don't agree with this particular protest I'm counter protesting.

I've just walked through the crowd waving this sign ...

The reaction was interesting.

I moved from the back of the crowd slowly getting attention. At first there were a few glances then comments. People came up close making comments about social distancing. One woman tried to set the sign alight.

I ignored them and kept silent.

The march is on the move towards the BBC ...

Police are here, bringing up the back of the march and blocking the road ahead. I think it is to control traffic but hard to tell because...

Things started to get dicey when I moved to the head of the march with this sign.

The level of abuse sharply rose and a group of far-right types started gathering around me and threatening to pound me, calling me a cop and various insults.

A car with a smoke flare came past slowly and something was thrown so I made a swift departure.

The march is at the BBC.

Speakers are happening, ranting about the BBC and freedom. I think they've watched Braveheart too many times.

This is a very different crowd from the lot I wrote about a few weeks ago.

Less conspiracy theory and more "freedom" with distinct brexit / far right feel yet it is still hard to know how to combat them effectively. https://periscopenottingham.com/2020/10/01/crazy-right-the-bastard-love-child-of-fascists-and-conspiracy-theorists/

They are on the move again. Looks like they are heading into town.

The march as it heads up past the Contemporary.

Rough guess of two hundred people.

The idiot mooning for the camera is one of the people who hassled me earlier.

Nuts around the Christmas tree, the march has reached the Market Square.

The lovely council house stands silent while someone drones on about an army of freedom fighters.

They've just called Johnson a liar so they aren't wrong about everything.

More signs of the far-right ... A chant of refund the BBC is happening.

They are in the move again, not sure where they are heading but the numbers are smaller as people drift off.

They are round the back of the ice stadium and heading towards the BBC as far as I can tell.

There's only about 75 left.

I'm heading home.

The march has gone past the BBC and is head back to the embankment.

I'll post some more detailed analysis once I'm warm and on a sofa.

In the mean time, here's a kitten chaser to wash away all the hate and stupidity.

I'm back home and chilling out watching live streams posted by the protesters.

One from after I left suggests the police moved in, possibly kettling the crowd.

Given the source (a far-right type) it's almost certainly exaggerated but it does appear some action was taken.

Police definitely moved in at the end of the protesters to arrest specific people. Possibly some of the organisers, possibly some far-right types.

Screenshot from far-right type.

I don't often post links to the Daily Mail, but as this article features a photo of me ...

Photo credit - Daily Mail plus their caption.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9108587/amp/Children-lockdown-protesters-Nottingham-march.html

Notts police via the Daily Mail

"As a consequence we have made three arrests and issued 12 fixed penalty notices so far, with the likelihood this will rise."