The Tories Are The Real Criminals

Description

The Tories Are The Real Criminals is an A5 zine of Matt Smith’s images of non-violent direct action from demonstrations against the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The legislation was invented to criminalise the culture of free parties, festivals, squatters, travellers and peaceful protest which had grown, flourished and thrived over the previous decade attracting vast public support.

Three national demonstrations took place in London during 1994’s long, hot summer that transformed the nature of peaceful protest forever. In May, July and October hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country travelled to England’s capital city to dance their way through its streets. The common intention was to just say no to new laws designed to outlaw the lifestyle choices of a generation. For the first time, the spirit of carnival fused with rave culture to combine celebration and opposition.

In a modern liberal democracy standing up for liberty, freedom and voicing dissent at injustice is supposed to be a valuable tradition with immense social worth. A judge called Hoffman even said so at the time. The Tories disagreed and passed their laws anyway with a little help from their secret inside weapon, the new leader of the “opposition.”