No Right Turn: One of these things is not like the others

6.12.11

No Right Turn: One of these things is not like the others: FARC
Al-Qaeda
Occupy London

That's from a list of terrorist threats to the City of London business community, issued by the City of London Police this week (photo here). I know UK police forces have a long and dirty history of equating peaceful protest with terrorism and armed rebellion, but this really takes the cake. Two of these groups blow stuff up and kill people. The other... pitches tents and refuses to move to protest inequality. Yeah, a lot of similarity there.

But then, is it really that surprising? The City of London Police work for the City of London Corporation, which (thanks to its electoral rules which allow business votes to outnumber actual people three to one) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the banks. Its explicit purpose is "supporting and promoting 'The City' as the world leader in international finance and business services". Occupy London challenges that purpose, that inequality, that privileging of wealth over real people. No wonder they want to crush it.