Fascism in E5

Friday 24th September

London, E5.
On the way home around 9pm I noticed The Windsor Castle pub on Lower Clapton rd. had police vans (the larger ones with cages over the windows) outside with a lone copper blocking entrants.   It looked rather chronic and after thinking perhaps there must of been a violent incident, thought nothing further and turned off the corner and ran into a Windsor local I was already acquainted with and we began talking about our matching cars, mentioning  nothing about the palpable police presence behind us.  Some of his friends then appeared out the Windsor's rear who said the place was subject to a massive search and sniff raid w/ dogs (he said it was a bit of a laugh when the police tried a pincer movement on entry through the set of double doors and foolishly jammed into each other).  

Perhaps people are dealing and smoking pot.  But so are a quarter of the population,  not to speak of other pubs in the area, that shan't be named here.  Yet, doubt they'll be subject to similar raids.  Suddenly thought I was back in South Africa, during the state of emergency period ('85-'94).  Its very obvious the borough mayor has downwardly directed this intervention, ostensibly as a clean-up, yet its rather apparent what they're cleaning up is anyone who doesn't fit the 'Olympics' brief, anyone not conforming to middleclass mores or anything with a scent of new-gentry.  They don't have a voice,  hence count in the new international yuppie society.  

Its a stitch up, cause we all know people from so-called respectable backgrounds are also using fairly filthy class A's,  lets face it, pretty often.  Its not about drugs, its about what the consumer will choose to spend money on other than drugs.  Whether or not they'll shun the dive cafes for the pseudo-homegrown smart cafe the morning after.  Supposedly this sensible tactic is to get these bum pubs closed so their locals will go "elsewhere" - further north east ?.. its The Cricketers, act 2 (a council-closed clapton pub which wasn't shimmy clean enough).   If you want culture, go into pubs that are strange to you.  Yes, you may not be able to jive with locals because they're alien visages, but don't shun 'em entirely. They're interesting, you'd certainly gage more about the real world than reading the culture section on Sunday.