Nelson Galaxy

I managed to witness the scenes of disruption and chaos which followed the Olympic torch through the streets of London. The procession made its way down the Mile End Road, directly outside my flat. The torch was not there – it travelled via the river after it had got to Tower Bridge, but the cortege still travelled by road.

So there I was, at four in the afternoon on a Sunday, watching democratic protest in action. The road was blocked off and the streets were thronged with more police than I have ever seen, more than all those times I ended up in Bethnal Green police cells of an evening. They were in vans, on foot, on motorbikes, roller blades and numerous bicycles.

All of this manpower was there to prevent carnage from just two people with placards. These sheepish protestors were stood by the side of the road. They had a placard and a drum. They were encircled by at least 20 members of the police force. The helicopter overhead was making sure they did not put a foot wrong. There was a moment of excitement as a bus drove past and a man dressed as a lion riding a unicycle came down the road.

Then that was it. The police dispersed and the demonstrators skulked off. A very British protest.

Let’s remember why we should protest; this is a human rights issue, which transcends politics and especially sport.