Bericht von Thatchers Bestattung: Im Feuer der politischen Kontroverse | Reporting from Thatchers Funeral: In the heat of political controversy (Taz, Die Tageszeitung)

some hours before the funeral at St. Paul’s

Balcony View

Thatcher Funeral – Protester

Marines in ceremonial uniform marching down Fleet St.

Thatcher Funeral, reported in taz, die Tageszeitung (c) Daniel Zylbersztajn

Thatcher Funeral, reported in taz, die Tageszeitung (c) Daniel Zylbersztajn

Thatcher Funeral, reported in taz, die Tageszeitung (c) Daniel Zylbersztajn

Thatcher Funeral, reported in taz, die Tageszeitung (c) Daniel Zylbersztajn

Conservative Party flag amongst the crowd

Thatcher Funeral, reported in taz, die Tageszeitung (c) Daniel Zylbersztajn

Protesters show their backs

Thatcher Funeral, reported in taz, die Tageszeitung (c) Daniel Zylbersztajn

Mein Bericht in der Taz Donnerstag Ausgabe kam direkt aus der Fleet Street.

Er kann hier nachgelesen werden:  taz.de/Thatchers-letztes-Geleit/!114705/

English added comments:  My report in the Taz for the Thursday edition came straight from Fleet Street.

As I mingled amongst the people I found it difficult to find opponents to her funeral for at least an hour.  There was a lot of hype about these and I had expected to find them instantly.  Instead I found many who told me stories of their great admiration of Thatcher.  I have named a couple, but I took notes from at least 10 more.  Amongst them also Tony Comds, 44 a former Marine soldier, who had served in the Falklands and who had an obvious disability, although I wasn’t sure if it was sustained due to battle. He said he admired Thatcher but he did not have the same kind of feelings for the current government, as he found himself currently to be unemployed. Another group of the para-shoot regiment I found to be upbeat almost  slightly inappropriate for the occasion.  All soldiers and members of the police force carried their special awards for bravery.

As I interviewed people on the road-side,  ceremonial army staff kept organising the armed guards, amongst others using a measurement stick to check in the smallest detail the final standing positions of soldiers.

Eventually I did find some protesters through a 30-year old button sticker in support of coal miners. Others were visible through flowery or red T-shirts, most positioned near Chancery Lane.  They were either from up North, especially Yorkshire, or they were intellectuals such as psychologists and lawyers (the majority of Thatchers supporters were business owners or people in finance, including an unsuspecting couple that declared they were millionaires).  One man told me, that he had once been responsible for the privatisation procedures of Margaret Thatcher in the city, and that this was what caused him to vehemently oppose these measures, because he saw first hand what they did.

The procession reminded me of a country of a different age, perhaps Edwardian.  The kind of postcard England from the empire days, although likewise dignifying.  There was very ordered and tolerant  behaviour shown by all, the public and the police.  Both sides amongst the watching crowd, supporters and opposer of Thatcher said they respected the others being there, as a symbol of British democracy.

The main chunk of my observations can be read via google translate (if you do not speak German) or straight here. It also contains a.o. observations on the service and what was said there.

taz.de/Thatchers-letztes-Geleit/!114705/