AMID the sunshine and flowers of Sydney's Martin Place yesterday, it felt fitting as we wandered among Occupy Sydney protesters that we had the wisdom of Sophie Mirabella from earlier this year echoing in our head.
"the determination to find an offensive placard, to photograph someone looking unhinged, to find fault with the tone of the event should be a little concerning for those who champion free speech and peaceful public assembly as tenets of democracy." So we will stick largely to her sage teachings, despite some obvious temptations to deviate from them. Such as the friendly woman from Socialist Alternative drawing attention to "our lovely badges", which included "Israel: Terrorist state" and "Racism sux" (probably not meant to be worn at the same time). or the two children posing for photos with the Reserve Bank as a backdrop, their little hands holding aloft portraits of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il emblazoned with the message "Kim says no" (though this could simply have been short for the modern North Korean saying, "Kim says no food left, make soup from bark."). As one child said, perhaps symbolically: "Daddy, this one’s falling apart." Then there was the banner for AUM, the poison gas-wielding Japanese sect, though it turned out we were simply looking at a Maritime Union Australia banner from the wrong side.
Everyone but Chris
APART from that, it seemed like a modest group of about 100 (enhanced by the presence of 12 wallopers, which struck us as a solid customer service ratio) having a pleasant Sunday afternoon, albeit making slightly too wide an array of demands and doling out a few disappointments (example: "Free massage – no happy endings"). but they weren’t exclusive, emphasising with handwritten signs how everyone was welcome, from tap dancers to "middle-class rich yuppies" to "non-functional political groups", though judging from some of the signs, that final sentiment did not extend to Immigration Minister Chris Bowen. that poor bastard just can’t take a trick these days.
Or Kristina
FURTHER down Martin Place was a rally against coal-seam gas; you could tell it was the bigger event by the fact it had been blessed it with the presence of four police horses, though the level of tension was illustrated by a walloper in his saddle exchanging peace signs with a protester. and while the Occupy Sydney crowd made do with a few acoustic guitars, the anti-CGS crowd had a three-piece band, all amped up and energetically demonstrating how pluralistic things have become since the days when everything was laid at the feet of John Howard. Declared the singer, "Here’s a song dedicated to [former Labor premier] Kristina Keneally. It’s called She’s gone."
Dodging a tight fit
MEANWHILE in far north Queensland, Tony Abbott got in some cycling for a good cause, which prompted the inevitable exchange. asked one journo, "You got out in the Lycra; are you disappointed that [local member] Warren [Entsch] didn’t do the same?" Replied Abbott, "look, I think a lot of, I think the world has been waiting for Warren to get into the Lycra and we might have to wait a bit longer. I think he’s more leather than Lycra." This is one of those small mercies we’re meant to be grateful for.
The sharing type
FOLLOWING revelations commonwealth ombudsman Allan Asher so thoughtfully furnished Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young with questions to ask him at a committee hearing, we were chuffed to see an interview with him in the Australian Financial Review’s Boss magazine. Especially as it was headlined, "where my ideas come from". We trust Hanson-Young will get a guernsey in a follow-up, "where my ideas go".
Take this dump
SOME unvarnished real estate speak from Ray White in inner-western Sydney’s Balmain: "up to a challenge? Don’t be misled by the attractive exterior of this double-fronted colonial weatherboard as the interior is an absolute disaster!" For your dough you receive "two double bedrooms; open-plan lounge and dining; inground pool (we think)." Then there’s the house next door: "want to clean up? If so, we have a house that looks like it hasn’t had much soap or polish in the last 50-odd years. and while you’ll likely loathe the decor, the smart buyer will recognise the bristling potential … not for the faint-hearted but dirt cheap."
Say it with steel
AFTER last week’s bit of audience participation during question time, we were taken aback by the more robust approach taken by Britain’s disgruntled. the Sunday Times yesterday revealed that between January 2009 and last month, visitors to the Houses of Parliament have been relieved of 371 knives, plus knuckledusters, a cosh, a truncheon, a catapult and a meat cleaver. As the paper noted, it’s part of a security crackdown partly resulting from a 2004 incident when Tony Blair "was struck by a condom filled with purple powder" during the British version of question time.
No related posts.