Mayday
2008 is the 300th anniversary of the last free Mayday before
the Grand Jury suppression of the traditional May Fayre in
central London; a riotous, raucous celebration of fertility
and freedom. From the 1st of May each year, and for up to
two weeks afterwards, the people stopped working, rejected
their normal routines then danced, drank, laughed and made
love in the streets, jeering at the controlling figures of
the Church and State, and turning everything they could upside
down.
It was known as such "a nursery of vice and debauchery",
that after 1708 the authorities, having had enough of this
dangerous freedom and subversion, shut it down. Although there
were some attempts at reviving it, the creeping spectre of
gentrification made sure it couldn't continue, as the area
of the fayre was gradually built over with palaces and playgrounds
for the rich.
To commemorate this significant anniversary, and the still
thriving tradition of over the top state control, the Space
Hijackers and the Metropolitan Police proudly present a collaborative
re-enactment of the end of this traditional May Fayre. Our
modern-day interpretation of the cycle of uprising and suppression
is in keeping with the attempted repression of parties, protests
and gatherings enacted by the state throughout the ages.
In act one, the Space Hijackers will be inviting people to
join a mayday street party in it’s traditional home,
with music, bands, food and revelry. This will be later followed
by the Metropolitan Police Players, who will be re-enacting
a classic clamping down on civil liberties and freedom of
the people.
All are welcome to this celebration, bring food, bands, mead,
rum, codpieces, bales of hay, 18th century prostitutes, music,
laughter, wonky teeth, corsets, bustles, spit roasts and virgins
dancing around poles.
The exact location of the fayre is still a closely guarded
secret, however it will be revealed closer to the date here
on our website.
After being made aware last November
of the apparent Transport for London initiative to
remove advertising from the Tube, we were disappointed
not to have seen any further action since then. However,
another surprise encounter with the team carrying
out these improvements has now been reported!
CSG
(Citizens Supporting Government) are continually looking
at new strategies to enforce the SOCPA zone, to make
sure that London’s citizens understand the implications
of the Serious Organised Crime Prevention Act, and don’t
accidentally break these laws by expressing their political
opinions without prior permission from the police. Hundreds
of people everyday pack onto the underground, quite
possibly oblivious to the realities of the law, quite
possibly flagrantly contravening it, with what they
are reading, wearing, listening to, or thinking. CSG
were there to make sure the tube passengers don’t
break any rules.
Ten
tonnes of waste per week is generated by the free newspapers
in Westminster alone, which is not a problem that can be solved
just by recycling. The only solution to the problem is to
remove it - stop printing the papers.
In
an attempt to get this message out, a group of intrepid paper
boys and girls decided to use the tactics of The London Paper
and London Lite, putting their own pro-recycling anti-waste
propaganda into copies of the papers then aggressively and
relentlessly forcing them on the public.
When it was announced
that 15,000 Police men and women would be marching through
central London to protest for better
wages, we realised that it was an opportunity not to be missed.
Our years of experience of causing trouble have graced us
with a wealth of knowledge which we decided to pass on to
these fledgling protesters.
Following the success of the 2005 SOCPA
legislation, CSG return to help the government in their exciting
bid to extend the Act further, making it illegal to demonstrate
without permission not just in central London but the entire
country!
This ground breaking plan is currently
incubating within the chambers of Parliament so CSG took to
the streets, testing for subversive types and helping to deliver
legislation to dangerous individuals nationwide.
It was with both surprise and joy that we witnessed
what appeared to be a transport for London team removing all
of the advertising from their district line trains this buy
nothing day.
Could the annual campaign against consumer
culture have finally had an impact on our advert swamped transport
system?
Buy Nothing Day is an annual protest against
the consumer culture which grips many of our lives, a chance
to take a step back and look at what's important in life,
and whether shopping and advertising help or hinder societies
wellbeing.
We feel that there are more important
things to life than chasing empty promises of a better life
through the collection of capital consumer goods. So each
year on BND we enter into the chaos of the pre-christmas shopping
blitz to play within the cathedrals of consumption and spread
a healthy piece of chaos amongst the ringing of the cash tills.
Every two years the worlds largest arms
fair (DSEi) takes place in East London. Each time we go down
to try and disrupt proceedings, wind up the arms dealers and
raise awareness of the fact our government supports this corrupt
business.
Most of the time we are escorted out by
burly policemen and banned from the area
This year however we took things up a
notch or two, after months of fundraising, the Hijackers bought
a tank, a great big, heavy, noisy beast of a tank. We attempted
to drive it into the arms fair, through the mounting police
operation which was aiming to stop us.
I won't spoil the twists of the story
now, but suffice it to say:
After returning home to his native US,
agent Diving Arms Dealer hooked up with agent Disco Greenfly
to start spreading some hijacker style mischeif on the other
side of the pond.
A sunny July Evening in
London and 7 Space Hijacker agents are convened to work on
some ideas for Street Blitz, a project dreamt up by Random
Artists. In response to the corporate bill board that
our city has been turned into, Random Artists proposed:
STREET
BLITZ - LONDON
Two weeks to use London
as an open gallery. Install your art, modify something
currently spoiling your view or do something which changes
the perspective on our city.
Hijacker training camp this year was everything
a hijacker could want, we created our own fighting discipline,
breathed fire, mud wrestled, drunk too much and spun cars
around. Roll on next year...
Come see our show at the Northern
Gallery Of Contemporary Art in Sunderland. Having steered
well clear of the art world for ages, we finally bit the bullet
and set up a show. £3
If you live in the north, we would
like to set up a northern cell of the Hijackers. Meet us on
September 22nd at the gallery, bring beer money and come and
join in the fun.
Midnight
Cricket 4th Test
Anarchists Vs Capitalists
Howzat
On Friday 25th May, the 4th Midnight Anarchists
Vs The Capitalists Cricket Test took place in the City of
London. Due to our usual pitch undergoing building work, we
moved to Paternoster Square just next to St Pauls Cathedral.
Drinking in a city wine bar and pub we
rounded up a team of bankers, front runners and PA's to represent
the capitalists. Then at midnight we moved into the square
and the game was on. It was a challenging match, which was
stopped half way through by security and city police. After
a quick change of venue play continued and once again the
Anarchists were victorious!
A Street Party in Canary
Wharf in London, with agents dressed in corporate attire,
bands music and dancing. Plus of course some over agressive
and paranoid police.
Some cheeky punters in Whitechapel seem
to have given the Starbucks Mermaid her missing nipples back!
Long ago, back before it's bid for global
domination, Starbucks was run by a bunch of hippies, they
still had a mermaid logo, but this one had nipples and a belly
button. Eventually in it's evolution to the corporate monster
that it is now, The Starbucks board decided to chop off the
mermaid's nipples so as not to offend the American Bible Belt.
With a glint in her eye, the Whitechapel
Starbucks Mermaid has finally got her nipples back, and with
a burlesque twist!
The plan was simple: Sneak
into the city one Sunday afternoon and plant ivy and other
climbing plants in all the forgotten corners of the corporate
buildings, then sit back and watch as nature does it's magic
and the city is turned into a green jungle!
