Rampaging Santas

[fragment]

Santas fight and steal in the streets

A gang of drunken "Santas" caused merry hell across central Auckland yesterday, robbing stores, tagging buildings and assaulting security guards.

An event organiser claimed the action was part of Santarchy, a Cacophony Society activity. The Cacophony Society is the inspiration behind Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club novel, and the movie of the same name.

[livius drusus]

I blame Clutch Munny. This clearly all part of his Attack On Christmas™.

[fragment]

seems more like the counter-attack by Christmas.

[livius drusus]

That's what they want you to think.

show spoiler

[Leesifer]

Them's some scary Santas in those photos fragment - I don't think I would have sat on their laps!

[JoeP]

Bloody Kiwis

[fragment]

Aside from the humorous aspect of this story, I'm curious as to what people think of this kind of organised, mildly-absurdist mayhem. Does it liberate people from lacklustre lifestyles? Or is is merely a licence for loutishness?

[JoeP]

Based on prejudices derived from news of riots and demonstrations going back decades, in Britain at least, I suspect things like this are organised with intentions most of us could agree with, but they attract demonstrators and members who are either just there for loutish "fun" or are violent anarchists. Claims like one of the pages you quote made, that they never damage property or frighten children, etc, are thus unenforceable by the so-called organisers - and clearly broken, as the news articles show.

[Leesifer]

I copied this from the Santarchy site:

"Hundreds of Santas leave the South Street Seaport after their first drink of the day in New York December 10, 2005. They were participating in the annual New York SantaCon, which involves hundreds of people in cheap Santa suits walking around the city, singing naughty carols, drinking, and generally spreading holiday cheer and mayhem."

I must confess to not reading the rest of the blurbs but can't really see the harm in this one.

Should I read the rest?

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Leesifer

can't really see the harm in this one.

From fragment's first link Santas fight and steal in the streets:

robbing stores
assaulting security guards
two security guards had to be treated for cuts after being hit with beer bottles
First stop was the Victoria St motorway overbridge where they smashed beer bottles and urinated.
took several items from the shelves
yelling, swearing
One ripped a window wiper off a bus while others harangued security guards and waiting passengers.

It's not unusual stuff but it is harm, imho

[Leesifer]

On a slight side note, I remember the first May Day protests in the City (London). Quite a few of us went out that lunchtime to see what was going on and it was great fun! There was no trouble, there were families, the obligatory naked man (quite well known in the City for his demonstrations, so it was funny to actually see him in the flesh!!).

It was a real carnival atmosphere - however, I am well aware that this all turned very sour as the day went on. When it first started, it was, as I said, very peaceful and carnival like. We were all quite shocked when it all turned sour because of the earlier atmosphere.

So, whatever good intentions there are to begin with, unfortunately, these things will always have the capacity to turn bad. Human nature/mob mentality and all that.

[Edited to add: after the first year, our firm sent out a warning not to venture out for further May Day protests, because of the way the first one turned]

[Leesifer]

Originally Posted by JoeP

From fragment's first link Santas fight and steal in the streets:

It's not unusual stuff but it is harm, imho

You're quite right, Joe - I knew I should have read more.

[fragment]

The thing is, I'm not convinced that this kind of thing actually has any political goals at all, so considering it to be a protest seems a bit incoherent, despite the claim to be "anti-commercialisation". I know little about the Cacophony Society other than from Fight Club and an interview with Palahniuk, but at first glance this kind of event just looks like Situationism-lite to me. That is, it uses the forms and methods of political pranking, and strips it of any content that radically challenges the structure and relations of society. In effect, the perpetrators of Santarchy become a self-selected elite with a pseudo-intellectual justification for behaving in exactly the same boorish manner as footbal yobs.

[Leesifer]

I've now read a bit more from your links, fragment and they say they are just trying to de-commercialise Christmas.

However:

Originally Posted by joep

Based on prejudices derived from news of riots and demonstrations going back decades, in Britain at least, I suspect things like this are organised with intentions most of us could agree with, but they attract demonstrators and members who are either just there for loutish "fun" or are violent anarchists. Claims like one of the pages you quote made, that they never damage property or frighten children, etc, are thus unenforceable by the so-called organisers - and clearly broken, as the news articles show.

Is exactly right.

[Abdul Alhazred]

Why not commercialize Christmas?

Why should the churches get all the money?