Wednesday, April 17/2019

The world Extinction Rebellion has hit London along with the rest of the world. Had thought of going to Greenwich today but it seems protesters have been gluing themselves to the carriages on Dockland Light Railway trains, which seems pretty likely to cause significant delays. In any case the nearest protest point is Marble Arch, which happens, conveniently, to be the one place that the police have agreed to allow the demonstrators to block the road.  

The road is indeed blocked but there is a whole encampment extending into Hyde Park - people and banners and dozens and dozens of tents. Interestingly, we are both instantly reminded of Tahrir Square in Cairo, scene of the anti-Mubarek protests in the ill-fated Egyptian spring in 2011-2012. It’s the little tents and the mixture of energy and existential threat.  

And the raised stricken figure that is reminiscent of the hanged effigy at Tahrir. This is a more cheerful gathering, though, despite the seriousness of the cause. It’s a sunny day and shirt sleeve ( or in some cases bikini) weather. There are babies and children in the crowd and a band playing and a bit of a holiday atmosphere amidst the apocalyptic banners. And there are cops, but not Cairo’s ominous line of waiting ambulances.

The welcome heat and sun are a reminder that we’re pretty near The Swan, a pub I’ve been promising us a drink at for a few years now. It’s not a pub that’s likely to be anyone’s local but it does have history. Marble Arch is the location of the historic Tyburn gallows and this was, 300 years ago, the nearest drinking establishment and, reputedly, the place where some of the condemned had their last drink. Appropriate, in a way, that the Extinction Rebellion should be at the site of a gallows.