Sobering APEC Heckler

[highlyeccentric]

Action like this makes us fear law and order

Francesca Sidoti
September 10, 2007

The Pitt Street food court is hardly the place you expect to see a bunch of protesters, the expectation being they are too politically conscious to be in such mass-produced food environments.

Nevertheless, there we were; placards resting beside plastic tables. Transfixed by footage of ourselves on Sky News, and marvelling at how peacefully the APEC protest had gone. We had cavorted to the music of the DJs on the temporary stage and danced to the tunes emitting from a converted rubbish bin. It couldn't have gone better.

Kebabs finished and Sky only showing pictures of world leaders in Driza-Bones, we headed home. Thinking that all that would remain in Hyde Park would be a few protesters, lounging about and reliving the glory, we cut up past the park. By the time we reached the park, however, the remaining protesters were on their feet and nose-to-nose with a barricade of policemen. The police took a step forward and all hell broke loose. Suddenly, protesters were running through the park, pursued by police. Other police jumped on their bicycles and raced around the park to hem them in. Even from the other side of the street it was scary.

I view myself as a moderate leftist. Readers of this may conclude that I subscribe to anarchic ideas or harbour anti-police sentiment. I have too many colours in my wardrobe to fit in as an anarchist and I have never harboured any gripe against police until now. But to see troops of police march down Elizabeth Street in military-style formation, to see them line up against the Hyde Park footpath and slowly advance against protesters, is horrifying. It isn't a question of being radical. It is a question of civil liberties, of freedom of association, and of what kind of country we want to live in. Certainly, I wouldn't have expected the Government to desire a state where we are meant to fear law and order.

In a lull in the action, when the succession of people into the police bus had temporarily ceased, a man moved through the crowd and attempted to walk past the police standing there. Surprised to be stopped, his puzzlement turned to absolute indignation about being unable to get to the Versace store. The ludicrousness of the moment was not lost on the bystanders, protesters, media or police. For one second, everyone laughed. The modern-day Scout Finch couldn't have come in a more unusual form than Versace Man but briefly - if accidentally - he pointed to the Mr Cunningham in all of us. Even the wall of blue. Then another person was dragged straight by us into the bus, and we became two faceless groups once more, standing on opposing sides of a fence.

Comments

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

Eeek. I had a friend at the protest, and she didn't say anything about that. She musta got out early, or something. (Actually, I think she did considering that she was drinking in Newtown by 2pm). That's...hella creepy.

As an amusing side note, half the first years in my Latin class are good little anarchist toy soldiers. One of them -the more intelligent- was commenting on how pleased she was that it had gone so peacefully. Her argument was that by being so peaceful they showed that there was no need to the ridiculous police presence. A good argument.

The other? Little nitwit was so offended at the barricades and the coppers that she was complaining that no-one pushed against the barricades. Idiot! The police were looking for an excuse, that would've given them one. She was saying that everyone was cowardly and unwilling to risk imprisonment for their beliefs.

Little moron. My question was, why didn't she start something then? Happy to do it, 'slong as she was in a crowd?

Anyway. My APEC rant for the day. It's even tangentially related to your post!