Re: Stonehenge Summer Solstice Sunrise 1999
Jenny
jennyg@compuserve.com
Fri Jun 25 11:38:15 1999
Hi Searles,*p*Solstice at Stonehenge this year is popping up as a hot topic on the AAR's Nature Religions Scholars' List that I get.  Things are just warming up, so I'll pass things on as they arise.*p*There's the other side of the story, from Graham Harvey, a Pagan writer who was one of the unticketed attendees.  I think his point of view is interesting, though in many ways he seems to unconsciously validate the complaints that OBOD raised, about conspiracy-theories and hostility being major forces at work.*p*People have written to Nat Rel, pointing out that Harvey's opinion is -- by far! -- the minority one, and that most people felt that the site was violated.*p*Jenny*p*******************************p*As usual the media have got it wrong. But they were probably meant to.*br*This is my version / my experience of sunrise at Stonehenge. It is of course polemical.*br* *br*Can I ask you to forward it to the NatRel list? - I'm in the wrong email address to send it from here, but I guess others may be interested in what happened. Thanks.*p*The Law Lords (the highest Court in the UK - but we could try going to*br*European Court maybe) decided that the police have been wrongly interpreting two laws which I (for one) consider very very anti-democratic (but then this is a monarchy not a democracy), i.e. the 'Criminal Justice Act' and the 'Public Order Act'. thus they were unable to create a four-mile exclusion zone around Stonehenge to keep out those who are refuse to accept the way the place is 'administered' on behalf of the Nation... (English Heritage, the administering body, NOT the owners, that's us, aka 'the people', kindly allow 100 people in by ticket only for 2 dawns at midsummer. this is part of their 'equal treatment' of all who want to visit: you either come in tourist*br*hours and don't get near the Stones, or you pay lots of money and do your car advert, Pagan ceremony, pop-band photo op, etc etc... except for the occasional special deal...).*p*With me so far?!*p*So, there was no exclusion zone. There was meant to be a ticket only event.  But instead 1000s (not sure exactly) turned up to celebrate (a whole host of things, including the embarrasment of the police at being slapped on the wrist). Oh, by the way, last week in London the riot police assaulted what the media are pleased to refer to as 'anti-capitalist movements including Reclaim the Streets, Greenpeace and...'... Greenpeace?...*p*We drove into what has been a militarised zone for some years (ok I*br*exagerate, only one year have I seen tear-gas wielding military-uniformed non-police riot squads - and that was nasty). Pre-dawn was beautiful. We drove up near Stonehenge, on (for those who have maps, the A303). the road that cuts the Avenue, by the Hele Stone, was closed, and full of celebrants... and police, media, etc etc. Stonehenge was clearly full of people who were not the nice ticketed people. They included some of what we know as the 'Brew Crew' (their intoxicant of choice being 'Special Brew', never knowingly drunk inside a building). Some people were on top of the Stones. (shock horror). I guess they thought it was good enough for the Victorian aristocracy, so it was good enough for them. I think I'd rather they weren't up there, but 15 years of oppressive violence, misinformation, and a blatant divide-and-rule tactic, have sown seeds... here reaped. But that I think is what Heritage and the police intended.*p*And so the media get the 'the nice Druids couldn't get in, drunken riot instead' story.*br* *br*We were told we couldn't park and the police began to remove cars - which were in no way obstructing the highway (an offence after all). So we drove to where they appeared to be letting us park, and walked back a couple of miles to the Stones. Past the police road block where a nice (actually very grumpy) police officer warned us about the 'trouble up the road' and said 'you proceed at your own risk'. A little bizzarre: what did he think we were doing there at 4.15am dressed a little strangely even for a Religious Studies lecturer...!*br* *br*We got to the Stones to find various very pleasant ceremonies happening in the field on the sunrise side of the road. Someone had rolled away the fences... very neatly. The police were trying to stop anyone else joining the party inside the Stones. But we very happily joined a group of Druids, Witches, Asatruar and others (why don't they wear nice costumes so we'd know who they are!?).*p*And waited for the sun.*p*Which rose beautiful and was cheered - so loudly that it almost drowned out the helicopter noise (media or police, who knows). Various attempts at 'Hear comes the sun' and such like anthems and greetings of joy to one and all...*p*My contribution was a mead-horn of 'Bronze Age Brew' (a fine blend of fermented honey, wheat and forest fruits).*br* *br*The funniest thing I have seen for a long time was a riot squad keeping people out of a small stretch of road away from the Stones. Only if you wanted to leave would you need to go up that way - and the lines of police, some on horses, simply insisted we got off the road and walked around through the field. I can only (being a cynic of little imagination) think that the Masons must know something about that 100 yards (or less) of road that no one else does! had us laughing all the way back to the car.*br* *br*So, yes the people who had taken the tickets and met their busses 10 miles away then had to find their own way. Heritage cancelled the event. Some joined the rest of us who are not prepared to allow English Heritage to define Stonehenge as only and simply an ancient monument / archaeological site / Bronze Age do-da... i.e. a moth-balled museum piece. And some enjoyed themselves immensely. But it was not a Druid event that was cancelled - it was a media circus which a few of the Druids and some Witches have been happy to participate in. So instead of Heritage getting media shots of their 'nice' open cirlce, 'we let people in if they're good, and we'll let more in next year...', they got shots of 'see, we told you there'd be trouble if you don't exclude people who won't pay'.*br* *br*The divide and rule tactics didn't upset too many people, there is space enough for everyone to do their bit. Media Tarts tarted it up. Brew Crew boozed it up. Us animist anarchist cynics played and enjoyed being at our temple for the first time in a while. and the sun rose! (Hopefully she / he / it and they were happy we were there).*br* *br*Most of the people did not jump the fences designed to keep us (precisely us) out. Most of the people were happy to celebrate in the sacred landscape. Some of the people did jump the fences and were happy to celebrate in the sacred circle. Some of the police were happy being there. And if there were 20 arrests I'd bet few if any get charged with anything at all.*br* *br*OK, that's it...*p*Everyone got what they wanted.*br* *br*bye for now!*br*Graham
Stonehenge Summer Solstice Sunrise 1999
Searles O'Dubhain
377
Thu Jun 24 20:10:11 1999