During Bush's visit to the UK....
I did a spell outside Buckingham Palace to distribute some posters.

This was the one that almost got me arrested...



I got into 'secret service' mode (dark suit, sunglasses, headphone in one ear), and split my time between deliberately cruising through the crowd in a menacing fashion and presenting my range of non-branded posters to all and sundry.

Soon enough, I was confronted (with some urgency) by a senior policeman with the exclusive shoulder-plate: 'EY-1'

Here's a picture of him:



I was given an official warning that I could not show or distribute *any* more posters under the Public Order Act because of the objectionable nature of *one* of them.

Bluff No. 1

I tried to clarify the point, and was told that - given the context of the material and the nature of our location - such material could cause offence to tourists

Tourists?

I looked around at hundred-or-so police, the thousand-or-so protestors and the dozens and dozens of journalists, and wondered out loud where exactly these tourists might be.

EY-1: 'Could I have your name, sir?'

He then proceeded to take my details until I questioned his need to do so. He admitted that he had no cause to do so and withdrew The Pad of Doom.

Bluff No. 2

At that moment I spotted a journalist from the Indy and immediately collared him and told him what was going on. Within seconds half-a-dozen journalists, short-handing for all they were worth, surrounded me. (How they got past all those tourists, I'll never know.)

When the excitement died down, I went back to Mr EY-1 and asked for further clarification. I had been told not to show or distribute any more posters at risk of arrest, and asked what my position was with regards to showing and distributing them online.

A junior officer piped up immediately with: 'Well, the Internet is very different, becau...'

That silence you hear is the result of a look of death from EY-1. (Poor dear. I hope she recovers from the radiation burns soon.)

Basically, I was (and still am) free to show and distribute the offending poster online until told otherwise (click here for a larger, print-worthy version) but I should warn you that - speaking from personal experience - displaying or distributing it yourself could get you into a lot of trouble.

So, rather than download and enlarge that, I suggest that you download and enlarge this:



Because - not unlike the massive security force that protected George W. Bush from embarrassment - it seems perfectly innocent and legitimate, but in reality it is made up of lots of little arseholes.
( Manic can teach you the secret of fire, Thu 8 Jan 2004, 16:59, Reply)