On the ground: Time to go - the Manchester conference protest

There were thousands of them. Yellow coats, armed police, anti-terror squads and Evidence Gatherers (Police EG), or as one Indymedia journalist called them, “police examples”. Helicopters constantly circled the protestors every thirty seconds. I was informed a long time ago each police helicopter cost the UK taxpayer £10,000 every time one was put up in the air.

And all to protect an empty Gmex conference hall. No one was there, apart from a few support staff and cleaners, who watched the demonstration from behind lines of special “Matrix squad” police.