(no subject)
One of the rare moments of true excitement in my new city is what's amounting to an annual demonstration by a coalition of opposition political parties - and the beatdown by the cops and firefighters riot police happens right outside my office!
See, the opposition can't get into their intended location for the demonstration due to delays and downright rejections by the authorities. But because the opposition will not settle for an alternative, the demonstrators will simply congregate outside the cordoned off area. The spillover carries over to the surrounding areas, encircling the financial centre, Chinatown, the historical federal government centre, 3 metro stations, and even a hospital. As usual, the police enacted blockades this morning and have caused vehicle traffic to gnarl around roads, extending commutes to a hellish 90 mins just to get out of the city centre.
I'm currently in the office, trying to finish my work and idly wondering if I want to attend the demonstration. It'd be my third time, and to be honest, I'm not too keen at being tear gassed and water cannoned again this year. Fuck me, does chemical-laced water in the face hurts.
The first time I attended, there were cops hauling people off the train and arresting them before they arrive at the protest area. Yes, you can be arrested for potentially attending a demonstration. How could the coppers tell who was a demonstrator? The braver ones wore shirts with the demonstration's logo and colour. We got in by pretending we were a bunch of clueless tourists, dressed for sightseeing more than a rally. I was the only one who remembered to wear sunglasses, a hat and face towel round my mouth so the others were hard hit by the water cannons and tear gas. Until you've heard the ominous drone of the vehicles carrying the tear gas cannon and have smelled the tang of the gas soon as the shell has burst open, I don't think you can understand the fear it elicits. Oh and the bloody riot police wading in with batons to strike at anyone unarmed.
There was idealism and passion at what we were doing there, especially in light of so many people who had been arrested trying to get to the rally. The second time there was then a personal grievance against the authorities at the violent dispersal of the demonstrators.
What pisses me off about the demonstrations is that both have been peaceful until the order to disperse by the police is given by releasing the tear gas and water cannons without warning. What. The. Fuck. The first rally had the elderly and even children attending because the organisers had the confidence the police would allow them to demonstrate peacefully. At the second rally there was scepticism of the police and authorities of behaving better this time round - par for course as it turns out, as the demonstrators began to disburse tear gas was fired at seated protesters outside a metro station. People who were eating their lunch at the nearby outdoor cafes unluckily got some too. I only just manage to leave the station entrance when I smelled the acrid edges of the gas and ran like hell... almost into the arms of a waiting copper. Luckily he looked a bit unhappy at having to chase after me, so he just sort of waved me off.
Both times too, nothing was gained from the demonstrations. Rumours of infighting between the opposition, the failure of electoral reform, and the upcoming election has lead me to be quite depressed at the state of things. Most people were behind the first demonstration I went too, but the violence against protesters didn't enrage the public - it was rather embarrassed because the world saw scenes of something that was happening in the Middle East, and not Asia.
"The government said the rally was unlawful, so serves them right." "It has nothing to do with me." "Only troublemakers do things like this."
These are the comments I received from my colleagues before I told them I attended the first rally. They were horrified to learn I was risking my life, career etc and couldn't understand what was so important that I just had to go. So I went twice.
Knowledge of the freedoms we take for granted in the West is something I take deeply to heart. But now I'm tired of expressing it in a forum where I worry about detention by, or assault by police in addition to the tear gas and water cannons. I'm no activist, I have no stomach for this in the long term.
See, the opposition can't get into their intended location for the demonstration due to delays and downright rejections by the authorities. But because the opposition will not settle for an alternative, the demonstrators will simply congregate outside the cordoned off area. The spillover carries over to the surrounding areas, encircling the financial centre, Chinatown, the historical federal government centre, 3 metro stations, and even a hospital. As usual, the police enacted blockades this morning and have caused vehicle traffic to gnarl around roads, extending commutes to a hellish 90 mins just to get out of the city centre.
I'm currently in the office, trying to finish my work and idly wondering if I want to attend the demonstration. It'd be my third time, and to be honest, I'm not too keen at being tear gassed and water cannoned again this year. Fuck me, does chemical-laced water in the face hurts.
The first time I attended, there were cops hauling people off the train and arresting them before they arrive at the protest area. Yes, you can be arrested for potentially attending a demonstration. How could the coppers tell who was a demonstrator? The braver ones wore shirts with the demonstration's logo and colour. We got in by pretending we were a bunch of clueless tourists, dressed for sightseeing more than a rally. I was the only one who remembered to wear sunglasses, a hat and face towel round my mouth so the others were hard hit by the water cannons and tear gas. Until you've heard the ominous drone of the vehicles carrying the tear gas cannon and have smelled the tang of the gas soon as the shell has burst open, I don't think you can understand the fear it elicits. Oh and the bloody riot police wading in with batons to strike at anyone unarmed.
There was idealism and passion at what we were doing there, especially in light of so many people who had been arrested trying to get to the rally. The second time there was then a personal grievance against the authorities at the violent dispersal of the demonstrators.
What pisses me off about the demonstrations is that both have been peaceful until the order to disperse by the police is given by releasing the tear gas and water cannons without warning. What. The. Fuck. The first rally had the elderly and even children attending because the organisers had the confidence the police would allow them to demonstrate peacefully. At the second rally there was scepticism of the police and authorities of behaving better this time round - par for course as it turns out, as the demonstrators began to disburse tear gas was fired at seated protesters outside a metro station. People who were eating their lunch at the nearby outdoor cafes unluckily got some too. I only just manage to leave the station entrance when I smelled the acrid edges of the gas and ran like hell... almost into the arms of a waiting copper. Luckily he looked a bit unhappy at having to chase after me, so he just sort of waved me off.
Both times too, nothing was gained from the demonstrations. Rumours of infighting between the opposition, the failure of electoral reform, and the upcoming election has lead me to be quite depressed at the state of things. Most people were behind the first demonstration I went too, but the violence against protesters didn't enrage the public - it was rather embarrassed because the world saw scenes of something that was happening in the Middle East, and not Asia.
"The government said the rally was unlawful, so serves them right." "It has nothing to do with me." "Only troublemakers do things like this."
These are the comments I received from my colleagues before I told them I attended the first rally. They were horrified to learn I was risking my life, career etc and couldn't understand what was so important that I just had to go. So I went twice.
Knowledge of the freedoms we take for granted in the West is something I take deeply to heart. But now I'm tired of expressing it in a forum where I worry about detention by, or assault by police in addition to the tear gas and water cannons. I'm no activist, I have no stomach for this in the long term.