Friday evening session – The
Friday evening session – The Arab Spring: Capitalism, Imperialism and Religion, or Democracy?32 people listened to a most interesting exposition given by Janet SurmanBearing in mind the twists and turns of the different national uprisings, and attempting to view events through a socialist lens away from the western norms and measuring sticks, how shall we interpret the original and ongoing aims of the various protests? What and whose are the gains and losses? How compatible are the different cultures and the wider religious impulses with socialism? What, if anything, can we learn from the developments of the last eighteen months, and what can we expect for the future? Saturday morning session – Policing The ProtestsA talk given by Mike Foster to an audience of around 30 gave an overview of the tactics used to restrict and weaken those who dare to protest. Often a protest is remembered more for how the police responded to it than for what the protest was actually about. Images of kettled demonstrators and coppers with riot shields, raised batons and tear gas tend to stick in the memory. But protests aren’t only policed in such overt ways. Legislation allows the police to stage-manage demonstrations before they have even begun. And The Guardian has reported extensively on the spying and infiltration of radical groups by undercover agencies.