Yesterday I p*ssed off the London traffic majorly ... or did I?

Yesterday I decided to be awkward and join the Gaza Flotilla protest march through London, from Downing Street to the Israeli Embassy.

In an attempt to keep the traffic flowing, the police had provided neatly placed traffic cones connected with white tape all along the route. Unfortunately, so popular was the march that cones and tapes were soon trampled underfoot by sheer weight of numbers, and double deckers, taxis and cars were unceremoniously stopped in their tracks. The motorists' reaction was unexpected. Those who weren't enthusiastically giving the march the thumbs up or victory signs, just sat quietly in their cars - clearly with no stomach to actually show any annoyance with those who had given up their Saturday to carry the message.

'Trouble maker' is my 2nd name, especially since I came to live in England where 'could be worse' and 'mustn't grumble' are the default mindset. No wonder those in power have had it so easy for so long.

So I'll keep shouting whenever I come across stuff that is just wrong. And there are such things. No viewpoints, vested interests or objectivity can change a basic wrong - and the bully tactics employed by Israel in the form of the Gaza blockade is one of those wrongs.

An interesting byproduct of a bully being exposed is how it serves to bring everyone else's disagreements into perspective. Yesterday I found myself mixing convivially with groups from strict muslims, who stopped to pray every now and then, to ruddy-cheeked Countryside Alliance members in sports jackets. For a confirmed marxist-atheist-fox-loving city chick that's pretty weird, but somehow liberating.

'Jews for Justice for Palestine' and 'Jews against Zionism' were similarly rubbing shoulders with the 'Palestine Solidarity Campaign' and although I noticed one of two sporadic flare-ups where groups of jewish youths attempted to goad protesters from the sidelines, these were soon diffused by the stewards.

I think the huge turnout speaks for itself and I also think that we'll now see an endless stream of all manner of ocean going craft heading for Gaza over the summer. It reminds me of that Arlo Guthrie lyric from Alice's Restaurant about how to make an individual's objection gradually grow into an organisation and then into a movement.

Now where did I put those seasick tablets?