[Free-sklyarov-uk] Dmitry Released on Bail

[Kieran Barry]

On Wed, 8 Aug 2001, Julian T. J. Midgley wrote:

> On Wed, 8 Aug 2001, Jason Clifford wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, 8 Aug 2001, Dan Ackroyd wrote:
> >
> > I think we need to maintain the momentum of the protests if they are to
> > grow. As Dmitry is no longer actually in prison I think switching the
> > primary focus to exposing the dangers in the EUCD would be a good idea.
> 
So true it hurts.

> > That certainly does not mean dropping support for Dmitry's case - we
> > should continue to highlight it both as a serious miscarriage of justice
> > and as an example of how dangerous such legislation is.
> >
A protest about someone on bail lacks immediacy :)

<Random idea>
Do we have an announcement list? A good plan for future events might be
to ask people for email address for addition to such a list...

Confirmation message would be tweaked to provide a couple of links and a
bit of info. Would need to be tres short.
</random idea>

> > My feeling is that regular protests and leafleting is important. For
> > location we should, IMHO, concentrate on building some public support for
> > now as MPs wont listen to us unless there is more widespread awareness and
> > support.
> 
> Agreed absolutely. Our message should be 'beware the EUCD, lest Dmitry's
> case be repeated over here'.  I think at least some of the flyers should
> concentrate on Dmitry's case specifically- not least because there are
> plenty of American tourists around at this time of year.
> 
> > Perhaps something in Piccadilly Circus as there are several big stores
> > there specialising in copyright works and outside the larger bookstores
> > which I guess means Charing Cross.
> 
> This makes sense.  How about congregating in Piccadilly Circus,
> leafletting aggresively there for a while, then marching with banners
> unfurled, flags flying, signs waving and chants shouting to Charing Cross
> to repeat the leafletting exercise there.

All 30 of us? "The UK Free Sklyarov movement was wiped out today when
they stepped out in front of the wrong black cab"...

Let's keep the banners etc. in reserve.

We'd get far higher turn out for a protest from 6.30-7.30 with optional
pissup after. Never underestimate the power of beer...

Also, people are likely to have a little more time after work.
> 
> Now might be a good time to publish a calendar of protests.  (Every
> Wednesday and Saturday, for example).  We should probably choose different
> locations each time (or at least rotate them), and ideally hold a variety
> of different events.
> 
Never offer hostages to fortune like that...if one didn't happen, for
whatever reason, it would be viewed as the end of the protests, IMO

If we try for something roughly twice a month to start, that seems
sustainable.

> In addition, there are enough people on the mailing list now (77, as of
> earlier today), that we could probably hold small protests/leafletting
> events in cities other than London.  We can certainly get 5-10 people
> together in Cambridge (which is enough to park one at each of the
> entrances of the major bookshops in the centre of town, for example).  

Far better, IMO, to put 3 people outside 2 bookshops. The coverage
argument is bogus. (Is every book-buyer in Cambridge going to come past
during the demo?)

More important: on Friday, we clearly fed off each other to get more
courage when approaching people. Other advantages are the opportunities
to either learn a line of argument from someone with more experience, or
receive a critique on what might be said better.

Over the long term, pairing an experienced campaigner and a newbie will
pay off.

And are we going to motivate anyone who's equivocal by saying "You'll be
standing outside Waterstones on your own"?

The Sklyarov case is going to take some time, and we need to be in for
the long haul. Tactics like arranging a (picket | protest | whatever)
before a Lonix or Perlmongers meeting should be looked at.

And that ignores anything like a campaign against EU directives...

Regards

Kieran