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Books Not Bombs 2

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After the first Books Not Bombs rally things were a bit tense - lots of cops, fewer kids, more incidents including undercover cops capsicum spraying somone.

Note that it's a male holding that sign. The shot I put on Indymedia. Happy pose, with flowers even. Aged talks to aging hippy. Reinforcements arrive because ... nothing was happening. Yet another reminder from the plod that we're all present illegally but they will definitely arrest anyone who blocks the footpath or road, and anyone who tries to march. Unless the people blocking the footpath are cops, of course, in which case it's perfectly all right. Move along, nothing to see here. Someone reminding that cop that actually dissent is legal in Oz, and that the legal fiddle they're trying is possibly unconstitutional. Megaphone's were the order of the day after (i'm told) the cops wouldn't allow the PA in. Many of The Greens were there. As were many, many of The Blues. Every exit was guarded. Many parents came along. And some troublemakers. Here Nick gets threatened, yelled at and intimidated by some twat in a suit whose response to anything Nick said was more abuse and threats to have him arrested. What is the war for, again? No more media lies. Hmm. I expect that by now you will have seen a whole bunch about today. You lucky punters. Unaustralians against the war. Louise says "hi mum". Some people were happy. Even some cops. Others... no badge, no number, no happy. Some people buy the idea that supporting our troops and wanting peace are opposed, if the fearful way these lot acted is anything to go by. Oddly, no-one hassled them. The main Books Not Bombs banner, with a "secure" rubbish bin in front of it. For some reason they cover all the bins in the square like this every time there's a protest. A kid got capsicum sprayed by someone, allegedly an undercover cop. This upset a heap of kids, and a pile of people tried to calm them down. They're not laughing at the sign. Honest. "John Howard is the new Monica Lewinsky" I'd look pensive if my kid was in this setup, too. The sign is in Farsi, and says "again the persian gulf have become the hanging out for the thugs and gangsters to take away the oil with war", according to the woman who is holding it. "The dog ate my badge". Really. As people tried to leave there was a bit of a crush. To the left, cops then marshalls, to the right, people trynig to leave. They got out over a few minutes. The crush again... First we hang round on the street... then we run like **** off down the hill... accompanied by various adults who are trying to tell people what's going on... this guy tried to aggressively drive through the group, but changed his mind once people started banging his ute. That damage was there before he arrived, so presumably he's an aggressive wanker all the time. hint: if you're going to burn a flag, choose one made of natural materials. This one stank... more running.... accompanied by legal observers and media people. T shirt says "War is terrorism - on a larger scale". now that's just dumb - what's he going to do with the baton? Hit one of them? And then what? running... pursued by the cops... and the media And the inevitable plainclothes types. Asking the kids to get off the grass. An innocent bystander. Love the shirt. Somewhere in there is a kid being arrested. It's not on my map, but Chapel Lane it was. News Ltd reporters to the right with notepad and camera. Two girls got arrested too. I didn't see the second one at the time, so she's not in my indymedia report.
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