Guest Blog By Dan Ashman
The simple fact is some people are wilfully preventing access to warmth, an essential for survival. The disregard to the sanctity of life of our fellow community members, of which last year, 7000; grandmas, grandads, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, sons and daughters were murdered for record high profit margins to serve the one percent. That is why Dying4Heat took place on Fleet Street in the City of London. It’s what I like to call unacceptable accepted murder.
I liked the spot where I set up, people in vehicles as well as those walking could see. It turned out British Gas had moved its offices, though I decided to stay in the spot because I was neighbouring the Stock Exchange up the road, Goldman Sachs and The Royal Courts of (in)justice. All these institutional cultures are key players in the enforcement of mass harm that visits people in their homes and on the streets all over the country.
The mentality of the culture that resides in this area is one that see’s their game of greed as a justified reason to inflict so much harm and hardship. They play vital functions in the enforcement and protection of the violence that will affect even more grandmas, grandads, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, sons and daughters this year.
I lasted from 8am till 8pm, 12 hours with the aid of wonderful people providing company, photo opportunities, debate, humour, tobacco, soup, tea, cakes, samosas, passion, solidarity, concern and care. How do we ensure that such humbling kindness of strangers and friends extends to remedy the wilful harm that I mentioned earlier? There is certainly no recourse or remedy in the courts they have sworn to preserve the harm under a monetary incentivised mentality and the delusion they are enforcing gods will. Parliament is sold to the highest bidders, so legislation reflects the priorities of the people that personally incentivise them. The disgraceful behaviour that creates such trauma and devastation must be met and the culprits held to account and appropriately prevented from continuing their large-scale harmful practice. In a true justice system nobody would be “too big to jail.”
Fuel Poverty Actions Energy Bill of Rights is an answer. Though it requires enforcement, it is a possibility. Remember when universities were free, water was free, the NHS had a mandate to ensure appropriate health care coverage for all. Well such a step that Fuel Poverty action are pushing will be as far reaching and will improve the environmental conditions for everyone. Not only in homes but also in the creation of cleaner energy infrastructure. As a result Children will get better quality sleep, which will impact, positively on their capacity to explore, not as many people would be admitted to A&E and mental health would improve, as a stress would be eradicated. People in the last moments of their experience will be able to live in dignity. It will happen if we make it happen. It would usher in an era of justice being done.
This was the first time I had encountered the rain in a big way in these series of demonstrations. Of which this attempt was the fourth. From 3pm onward the rain was pretty much non stop. By the end my inside thighs were in a lot of pain. I was aware with being drenched that when it gets really cold at night the droplets would become ice. Because of the rain people tended to stop taking pictures and they are the media for this demo, especially as don’t have a mobile myself.
My delusional egoic brain got the better of me and I decided I was going to walk back to my shelter through London as I was in my bermuda’s. Though it took 200 yards for me to realise that that was a bad idea. We ducked in to Tesco for a bit of shelter from the wind and rain whilst we waited for fellow campaigners to catch up. They were carrying my bags with clothes and all in. Though a member staff quickly told me that it was not company policy to let people wait under their roof half naked in bermuda’s with “7000 deaths. Fuel Poverty. Profits Kill” written on my chest. I explained what I had been doing and that I was waiting for my friends, though he was adamant that I must wait by the door where it be most coldest. Upon hearing this, a stranger slipped a fiver into my hand and said take a slow shop. I wish to thank that stranger and all the other strangers that have shown such generosity. It is you with the good company of my fellow warrior friends that let me know this is the right path.
By Daniel Ashman
First Posted: http://occupylondon.org.uk/