AND FINALLY

A ritual has developed around media coverage of summit mobilisations. Oxbridge educated journos source juicy quotes about samurai sword wielding baby-eating anarchists by collaring squat-punks after a heavy night on the brew. The anonymous quote is duly given prominence alongside police promises to cancel all leave and the news that the army is on standby.

This time however to save the media elite the hassle of hanging out in dingy underground dives one Chris Knight has stepped forward – apparently a professor of anthropology at East London University - he’s now been dubbed Mister Mayhem by the Evening Standard. Knight told Channel 4 News “If they want violence, they’ll get it. We intend to be peaceful but if they press their nuclear button, I’ll press mine. It’s called mutually assured destruction. If Gordon Brown deploys his riot police, or sends in his agents provocateurs to start trouble as an excuse to attack us, all hell will break loose.” On Radio 4 he said “There will be real bankers hanging from lampposts and let’s hope that that doesn’t actually have to happen.” whilst boasting to Channel 4 that his organisation would shut down every light in London and suggesting that violence in London would exceed that in Greece.

Perhaps Chris is having a senior moment (he’s certainly blown his chance of an O.B.E) but as he’s unlikely to be swapping punches with the Babylon in the front-line we have to ask “Who the fuck are you speaking for Chris?”