Wave of Action organised a flash mob, before teaming up with the People’s Assembly at the BBC headquarters. As flash mobs are not stereotypically a part of protests, one of the organisers, Kiikii Anne, stated that flash mobs are “funny, quirky, and we think people are sick of marching…now it’s time to change since its gets people’s attention”. The flash mob contained witty slogans and chants to educate the public on the failures of the Tory party. This unconventional tactic works in favour of the organisation as it drummed up positive attention and got individuals asking questions on why they were doing this, and why it is important to the organisation. It was also perceived favourably, as it was not an issue that was forced upon people, as it contained the right amount of serious politics that functioned in a light-hearted occasion.
Wave of Action is an international organisation that aims to protest, and gain awareness of government corruption and the exploitation of individuals in society. The organisation intends to create a wider consciousness for issues such as Fracking and budget cuts, in order to overcome the inequalities of society. The organisation uses non-violent tactics to place attention on issues that affect everyone. Mitch Anthony, supporter of Wave of Action, said that he joined the organisation since he had “enough of government corruption”. The general disillusionment with the current conservative government, not only portrayed the shortcomings of democracy, but placed significance on a government that solely focuses on the elite in society.
The topic of austerity in society was specified in both the Wave of Action march and the People’s Assembly protest. A supporter of Wave of Action points out that, “austerity is just a small part of what’s going on in the world today, it’s all about the elite control of government”. The blatant divide between the elite 1% and the rest of society is explicitly displayed through austerity. As budget cuts aid big business and provides nothing for the people, who have been let off jobs as a result. Poverty has only been getting worse throughout the country. This emphasises the change for an alternative to austerity and stresses the focus on the working class that are struggling to make ends meet.
Additionally, the purchase of water cannons to restrict protests and disorder in London is an issue that Wave of Action took to the protest. As London Mayor Boris Johnson displayed the flaws of democracy, as 98% of people did not want to purchase water cannons as a form of resistance. This decision not only creates more dissatisfaction with the current British government, but inevitably incites more disorder as a result. As protestor Vicky Baars says, that it is “ironic to protest against something that should stop us from protesting”. Alongside this, the water cannons cost £218,000, this is money that can be better spent in education or social housing, yet is spent on the premise that something might happen during summer. The opposition towards the water cannons is fully justified, as the majority did not approve of the decision, and the shameless spending of a weapon that may never be used, reinforces this image of a democracy that is failing its people.
BY: Edna Mohamed
