Demo!

I spent a happy lunchtime yesterday in a sandwich bar that looks out over Christ's College and the rather Baroque LLoyds Bank building in Cambridge town centre. And as I sat there, alternating smoked salmon sandwich with crocheting (keeping my fingers very clean, of course!), I saw a banner come into view, followed by smaller banners ("say not to fees") and little flags ("socialist students"). It was a very small demo, with about 25 students in all (actually, the count was 23 students and a big issue seller, plus dog) but they were followed by two policemen, which made it look much more impressive, and provoked the following exchange between the two young men sitting behind me:

"Do you think those policmen are policing the march, or have they joined in? Maybe they got a taste for it during their wages protest last month?"
"I don't know, but they've swelled the marchers numbers by about 10%"

It all looked so tame, especially compared to 40 years ago!