After a years gap with no Big Green Gathering, we were all set to have a stonking time this year and all set up to do so - time and money spent in preparation for what would have been a great event. But it wasn't to be. It soon became apparent that the powers that be had other plans. The result was The BGG having no option than to hand back the license to Mendip district council and announce that the Big Green Gathering 2009 was canceled. The exact details of how this situation have been written about already ( more here), and there is no question about the financial reputation of the BGG based on previous disasters, this simply made it easier for those who wanted to stop the BGG to achieve their aims.
The repercussions of the cancellation, however, may be far worse for the powers that be than they realize, as it seems likely the majority of people planning to attend, are law abiding citizens from a very broad range of backgrounds, who now feel pretty angry about what has happened, and will no doubt not be content to sit back and say "Oh well - they should have been better organized", but likely react to this blatant attack on the green movement, by using the same powers they used against the BGG - the law! And then there are those who were/are already there, plus the hundreds who have nowhere else to be anyway, now have to find somewhere else to go, which will pose even greater potential problems for the authorities.
Essentially what has happened will likely be seen as an act of war against the Green/environmental movement, and not be seen as a blanket punishment caused my the 'naughty' minority of activists who had planned to be at BGG, but a blatant move by the powers that be, to crush any attempts to protest against anything - be it war, environment or politics. This will simply result in any movement going (further) underground in order to realize it's aims, aims which, in the case of the climate protest/eco campaigns, movements that governments should really be opening up to, and taking on board their views. Of course government is simply a tool for the management of the population, for use of 'the powers that be' to meet their aims, which certainly aren't compatible with any green policy/ideology, which seems to be a pretty depressing reality that the majority of the population doesn't seem to realize.
The direct effect of the event being stopped is the bankrupting of numerous business and individuals, some people had re-mortgaged their homes to raise cash to meet the spiraling costs demanded by the authorities, whilst others who depended on the revenue raised at the BGG now face bankruptcy including, apparently, Croissant Neuf - one of the biggest venues at the BGG.
All in all, it seems all too apparent, that the Green movement is under attack from the defenders of the multinational corpocracies, and that if you are thinking of actually doing something about what you believe in - be prepared to face up to the state, dressed in full riot gear and teams of fat back-pocketed legal teams ready to stitch you up, label you a terrorist, and send you down.
The BGG have stated on their website that they will be back, and no doubt the green movement will rally round to help recover the costs, and hopefully we shall see BGG's in the future, right now - people are sorely pissed and it remains to be seen what they are gonna do about it - but one thing is for sure - it ain't gonna be to "Shut up, and be happy"!!
Here are a few photos of the BGG 2009 during the preceding weekend.
