I do not breathe your politics

"Comment is free but facts are sacred." (C.P. Scott)
Monday, February 17, 2003

Thoughts on Stop-the-war protest

So like at least a million other people, I was there, and I have to say it felt really good to be part of a million people so willing to stand together and be counted (and recounted, and recounted - I wonder if anyone in the crowd was called 'Chad'). And, of course, ignored. I'm going to be going on about this for weeks, as you may already have guessed. Two thoughts, concerning a playwright and a camera, for now. First, the camera. I took one of my film SLRs, to record the day's events as I saw them. And this was good. What was not so good was fumbling with gloved and cold fingers, and managing (yet again) to open the back of the camera before rewinding the film. I will remember to be more careful. Second, the playwright. For a part of the march, down Shaftesbury Avenue, I found myself marching alongside Alan Bennett - I wouldn't even have noticed but for a girl leaping off a postbox to take pictures of him as we walked. He wasn't carrying a banner, or placard, or sign, and I thought it was a shame, because he would surely have written something pithy, being a clever sort of bloke. But then today it occurred to me that no banner would have likely had enough space...
'War', he said.
'What's that?' she said.
'What is it good for?', he asked.
'I don't know, love', she said, scrutinising her empty tea cup. He stared through the open window.
'Absolutely nothing', he said, disconsolately.
'Say again?', she said.

posted by Michael at 2/17/2003 01:47:00 PM  

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