# M11 Link Road (the protest)



## Firky (Apr 24, 2013)

I found this online, thought it may be of interest to people on here - was anyone there?

Bit of background on wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M11_link_road_protest


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## ddraig (Apr 24, 2013)

was never there myself, sure there are some urbs tho
bit depressing video


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## William of Walworth (Apr 24, 2013)

ddraig said:


> was never there myself,* sure there are some urbs tho *


 
Definitely the case. I'll let them out themselves though if they want.  If they're still around ...


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## editor (Apr 25, 2013)

I went there. It was ace and I was really moved by what I saw.

Here's a _very_ vintage piece I posted on urban75 not long after. 
http://www.urban75.com/Action/roads.html


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## chilango (Apr 25, 2013)

I was there for the eviction. Up on the roof.


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## Ron Merlin (Apr 25, 2013)

I wasn't there for the eviction but I knew quite a few people in the squats. One of them had knocked through the walls to link several houses together, as I recall.

The film, Life in the Fast Lane - No M11 campaign's worth a look.


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## Blagsta (Apr 25, 2013)

I spent a little bit of time there, got nicked on "piss Tuesday".


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## TitanSound (Apr 25, 2013)

ddraig said:


> was never there myself, sure there are some urbs tho
> bit depressing video




Nice, bit of Augustus Pablo there at the start


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## dogDBC (Apr 25, 2013)

I was there.  Operational feeding was a bit 'meh' and the snacks on the carrier were very poor - lots of sandwich swapping and the usual rock hard apple with a bag of crisps.  Everything was assembled at the 'new' Spitalfields and India 99 probably gave the game away in any case. 

Lots of standing around in the cold.  Had to to use flash gloves inside the 'NI' gloves just to keep hands warm.


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## ddraig (Apr 25, 2013)

did you feel it was right or were you just following orders?


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## Pickman's model (Apr 25, 2013)

Blagsta said:


> I spent a little bit of time there, got nicked on "piss Tuesday".


i was down there a few times but didn't get nicked. did get chucked out of the cemetery the other side of the tracks tho.


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## dogDBC (Apr 25, 2013)

ddraig said:


> did you feel it was right or were you just following orders?


 
Right?  Never thought about 'right'.  The law said they had to go - not my job to think about right.


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## ddraig (Apr 25, 2013)

ahhh the following orders defence


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## dogDBC (Apr 25, 2013)

ddraig said:


> ahhh the following orders defence


 
Defence?  I wasn't _defending_ myself.  Don't be so silly.


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## el-ahrairah (Apr 25, 2013)

i was there, and wrote a big chunk of the wikipedia article back in the day


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## el-ahrairah (Apr 25, 2013)

gosh, there's a lot on the wiki these days.  much better!


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## ChrisD (Apr 25, 2013)

I used to know some folk who where there....  last week I came across a letter I got back from The Dept of Transport in June 1993 justifying the road proposed through Oxleas Wood.  One week after that letter was written the Govt abandoned that one.......


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## William of Walworth (Apr 30, 2013)

el-ahrairah said:


> gosh, there's a lot on the wiki these days. much better!


 
That Wiki piece is excellent isn't it?!


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## Blagsta (Apr 30, 2013)

Seems like another age


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## toblerone3 (Apr 30, 2013)

I think the M11 link road protests were incredibly influential and they coincided with a profound shift going on in academic circles about the benefits of building new roads.  

One month after the Claremont Road eviction in December 1994 an arcane report came out published by the Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment called "Trunk Roads and the Generation of Traffic". It formed the basis of what is now commonly accepted and what makes governments of all political persuasions hesitate before proposing new roads to combat congestion.  The basic argument that new roads fill up with traffic jams far more quickly than estimates.  The reason being that drivers take advantage of them to make new trips and longer trips than they had previously considered making - the phenomena of *induced traffic.*

http://webarchive.nationalarchives....ics/rdg/nataarchivedocs/trunkroadstraffic.pdf


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## Streathamite (May 2, 2013)

I live 5 mins away! You'd not know there'd ever been that inspiring protest, but I agree - ever since, when anyone's planning a new highway, they've had to think twice, and really justify it. More importantly, they crystallised in people's minds the question "is this really necessary?"


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## Dynamo (May 6, 2013)

I bet many of those protesters are yuppies now working in high paid jobs. That happens with every generation of protesters and activists they are radical for a few years then they rejoin society. It happened with the hippies too, many of them became the middle classes of the 1980s.


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## Blagsta (May 6, 2013)

Dynamo said:


> I bet many of those protesters are yuppies now working in high paid jobs. That happens with every generation of protesters and activists they are radical for a few years then they rejoin society. It happened with the hippies too, many of them became the middle classes of the 1980s.


How much are you prepared to bet?


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## Dynamo (May 6, 2013)

Blagsta said:


> How much are you prepared to bet?


Well look at the people here who were involved in the Twyford Down protest of1992  Those people look really posh now.


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## Blagsta (May 6, 2013)

You failed to answer my question. Come on, money where your mouth is.


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## el-ahrairah (May 6, 2013)

Dynamo said:


> I bet many of those protesters are yuppies now working in high paid jobs. That happens with every generation of protesters and activists they are radical for a few years then they rejoin society. It happened with the hippies too, many of them became the middle classes of the 1980s.


 
you're very wrong on that, i've seen their facebook pages


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## ChrisD (May 13, 2013)

Ones I know are working for transport charities: so no -they're not in highly paid jobs and are still fighting the same battles


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## TopCat (May 14, 2013)

dogDBC said:


> Right? Never thought about 'right'. The law said they had to go - not my job to think about right.


The same old issue. He seems ok but if his boss says hit the man, woman or child over the head he will do it straight away. ACAB.


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## TopCat (May 14, 2013)

I used to drop in on the way back from delivering parcels in Cambridge. Lots of strange people amongst the activists.


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## Rose Ellen (Jul 1, 2013)

Lol, just stumbled across this looking for something else and had to sign up to say.. I'm in that photo, hahahah 
Miss those days, was involved a fair bit, squatted in Claremont Road for some months


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## el-ahrairah (Jul 1, 2013)

Rose Ellen said:


> Lol, just stumbled across this looking for something else and had to sign up to say.. I'm in that photo, hahahah
> Miss those days, was involved a fair bit, squatted in Claremont Road for some months


 
hello *waves*

should probably yip tbf but the old throat isn't what it was


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## LeytonstiniaOH (Aug 25, 2015)

I wasn't there, but I *really* want to talk to anyone who was.

I'm working on an oral history project that's documenting the stories and memories of people that were involved in the No M11 Link Road Campaign. It's early days, but here is our blog - http://voicesofleytonstonia.blogspot.co.uk/

Would love to hear from you if you fancy recording your memories for posterity


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## editor (Aug 25, 2015)

I only popped along a couple of times. There was a wonderful spirit there.


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## LeytonstiniaOH (Oct 8, 2015)

Been working with a group of kids from the woodcraft folk on an oral history project about these times. Interviewing interesting people, gathering stories and memorabilia and trying to get young people engaged... There's a blog if you're interested Voices of Leytonstonia


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## stethoscope (May 22, 2018)

Ron Merlin said:


> The film, Life in the Fast Lane - No M11 campaign's worth a look.



The original link above is now dead (site taken over by some marketing guff - says it all really), but noticed the film has been uploaded...


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## lazythursday (May 22, 2018)

The Highways Agency and evil developer bastards Peel (who seem to basically run the northwest of England) are planning on bulldozing a highway right through the Rimrose valley - north Liverpool's last significant natural green space. It fucking makes my blood boil. I would so love the spirit of the 90s road protests to reanimate for this one but it all seems a long time ago and activists round here of that type are more focused on fracking.


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## phillm (May 25, 2018)

yes spent the night on the roof as a callow youth and sometimes sleeping in an empty bath in the middle of the terrace. The tower of power was awesome....I remember quitting at about 7 in the morning despite protestations of friends to slug it out - as you came down you were blinded by the lights of riot police filming and processing you. Bastards.


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## chilango (May 25, 2018)

I did a painting about this a few years back when I was still painting.


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## TopCat (May 27, 2018)

chilango said:


> I did a painting about this a few years back when I was still painting.
> 
> View attachment 136307


Nice work.


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## chilango (May 27, 2018)

I've also, somehow, managed to hang onto a copy of this through dozens of moves...


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